The beast wouldnât stop approaching, getting a scoff from this new one before Ametrine before they went after it. The small gem didnât dare look at what followed⊠Seeing so much blood be spilled, even from a monster, it...Huh! It terrified them more than it should have! They hugged themself, sitting against a wall of the tunnel as the splitting headache finally came back to them. Once this happened, they thankfully couldnât hear the noise of the fight anymore, but it was replaced by loud ringing instead. Not much of an improvement, theyâll give it that, but⊠It was better than hearing the screams from before.
It was as if they were taken and put into a vast emptiness, only comforted by a single pitch. They liked to think it was Tsavorite communicating to them, even if it was far from the truth of the matter. It made them feel a little better, as they tried to think in their deafening mind of what the other would possibly say!
...oh. Oh, thatâs right!!! A specimen!!! Ah, it seemed that the scientist really was right about these mines all along. Thatâs funny! So funny, they didnât realize that the other being was dragging them along, past the beast and deeper into the mines as it roared in agony. They heard faint calls from the new one, none of which was replied to.
Tsavorite...How silly, that they knew someone else was here! But...why werenât they active for decades? Why werenât these monsters here all that time ago?
The emptiness kept expanding around them, and soon enough they forgot where they were.
...Please, stop driving yourself into me. It hurts. It all hurts, as bad as you are feeling now!
The sentence wasnât said by someone else around them, but...it was a familiar voice.
Mmm, Gymp...something or another. There was a reason Tsavorite did what they did!! There was a reason Ametrine was here now!!
...But, at the same time, without a preset personality...who even were th-
âH-HUH?! ...Oh! Hi!!! Hello! Good morning!!!â The small quartz giggled, coming out of quite the daze.
âGoodness, if you had stayed like that a moment longer, I would have called you petrified and left! Even if itâs only jewelers who can do that.â
âUm!!! So, I was going to ask Savvy about all of that!!! But I didnât get the chance! What are they?â
âYou donât even ask my nameâŠ? Ehm, well, jewelers are those who [REDACTED] out of fellow gems. They⊠arenât the nicest of people.â The explanation of it was brief (It was longer, but cut down so they would not see you), but it didnât stop the other from shivering. There was something watching.
âYou feel it too, yes? Thatâs their gaze. Thank goodness the seeing stone isnât the one looking right nowâŠâ
âIt rarely watches people, but when that oneâs sights are laid upon you? It is the most horrifying feeling one can have. For that, I simply say not to have further thought of them. The jewelers donât like being recognized.â The newcomer sighed, and in the moment they closed their eye to let this all pass in thought, they could feel the bi-colored gem poke at their face.
â...Whatâs with all the weird growth on your face?â The unnamed one wouldnât reply for a moment when the cluster of crystal was mentioned, gazing just a little too far above to meet the otherâs eyes.
Actually, they werenât replying at all.
âDo you have to stay here to keep all of these weird things away from the world?â
â...Look, I should probably go. I have things to look for.â
âW-Wait!!! Let me come with you!â
âSo long as you donât try to bother me about this any further, Iâll allow it.â
âCan...Can I ask one thing?â
âIt was a messed up attempt at forming a new gem. This happens all the time in these mines, yet all of the ones Iâve seen so far were made of quartz.â
âAnd...you just...fought it off?â
âAll of them have weak points. We have the same strength as them, and all, so the beasts arenât as scary as they first come off to be. I normally chop off all the various limbs, then go for whatever seems to make them keep thriving. Could be the head, the heart, or some other remaining piece of them.â Such talk was so morbid, yet this one spoke as if it was commonplace. âPerhaps you should get this âSavvyâ of yours to find a means to give you something to defend yourself with. ...Ah, but⊠I can understand why they didnât.â
â...Youâre plated, arenât you? With silver.â
âUh...Iâm in front of you, arenât I?â
âI know. Forgive me if I was slow to realize. You may never get a weapon, Iâm afraid...you poor thing.â They seemed...solemn, almost? âWhy would the person that did this ever let you outsideâŠ? You could get scuffedâŠâ
âWell!! It was just to this place! Iâm sure they thought nothing would get me.â
âAnd how deep do you travel here?â
âJust to the first sight of magma!â
âAh⊠you really know nothing of this place, then.â Standing up, theyâd offer their hand to the other. âI could show you what the deepest reaches of this place has. And...letâs just say Iâve been fighting for a sizable amount of time.â
âOooh, you wanna show me??? Woah!!! Itâs gonna be so warm there!!â They didnât even take the taller oneâs hand, jumping up and bouncing a little. âHow long of a walk is it gonna be?â
âWell, with the fastest route...definitely not long. I happen to know a shortcut or two to get down there. I will have to do some general things there, checking the gems that have started forming, you know, the usual.â They turned away, starting to lead ametrine along.
âShortcuts⊠did you find all of them fighting those monsters?â
âIndeed I did. Itâs naught but a blessing amid thousands of curses.â
A silence ran through them both, Ametrineâs visor flickering every so often as they took in new information. This place was surprisingly massive, yet whoever this was went through it as water ran through a river.
Eventually, theyâd drop onto a narrow bridge, a pitfall on either side straight to molten rock.
âItâs so cozy here!!â
âMhm...weâre almost there. I havenât carved out much in a long while, but I did enough to expose three forming gems within these mines. Should any of them form properly, the archivist will add them to the rosterâŠâ
âThere are so few gems that exist right now⊠Having another is something they will not overlook.â
â...Oh! Thatâs neat!!!â
âNot really, as all of the others that used to be in this deposit have turned out to be...Atrocities. They keep multiplying, too, and itâs odd. Itâs as if every time I kill one, another forms. And...letting them free is something I must never do, yet⊠This stalemate has gone on for so long. I feel as if my efforts will simply be futile in due time.â
âWhy? Isnât everyone here made of quartz or something?â
âDo you know what forms in kimberlite?â The cyborg shook their head, prompting a sad smile from the one who couldnât seem to properly look at them.
âDiamonds. Given enough time, the beasts will take form as one of them, and I wonât be able to stop whatever it does. I...I donât wish for this, so Iâve attempted to force inclusions into myself. Itâs not the same as reforming myself into someone entirely different, but...at this point, I donât have much time...and I donât have many options.â
âWhat will they do when they get out there?â
âThey will tear this world to shreds...if that wasnât obvious enough.â
âThen, I need to get a weapon! I wanna pew-pew at people!! Violence is something that usually makes me spacey, but if itâs to save a lotta people, then!! I donât mind doing it!!â
â...Youâre quite brave...What can you do, then?â
âMmmm, just lift magnets and metal...basic things!â
âYou exhibit something green gems have⊠Hm.â
âWell, I live with one! Theyâre very nice, and Iâm sure theyâd love to meet you!â
âAh, well, Iâm not too keen on meeting people...my hands are a little full, but⊠You do seem like the fighting type. Perhaps you could stay a little while, and I could teach you some basics.â
âWoah!!! Really?â There was a nod from them, causing Ametrine to grin and hug this new friend. âThank you so much!!! Uh...Uh...hm...your name isâŠ.oh! I never asked for it!â
âCall me Phantom Quartz. Itâs a pleasure to meet you.â
