The Broken Games

Chapter 9 - Difficulties

Diamond tackle hugged JCc.
"Your alive!"
She exclaimed happily.
"Your alive too!"
JCc smiled back. The two looked back at Vamp. The sword had gotten him straight in the head. And they could see the hate rise up in the air and leave Vamp's body.
"I'm guessing the hate's heading to a new victim..."
Diamond said. JCc looked down at his hands where darkness slithered around his wrists.
"Yeah..."

Sapphyre, Pika, Kamila and Syro all started to come into view. They came slowly due to Kamila and Syro being injured. JCc and Diamond ran over and helped them sit down so they wouldn't fall.
"Are you guys ok?"
Diamond asked.
"Yeah, but I'm worried about Kamila's bite marks."
Sapphyre replied.
"It'll be fine. I just won't fight anyone for a while."
Kamila assured.
"But what if you have no choice but to fight?"
JCc worried. Kamila stayed silent for that one.
"Pika and I will stay with her."
Syro stated.

Sapphyre stood up.
"Oh yeah! Diamond, JCc, you guys don't know this yet but we thought of a plan. We're making it so once everything has settled down, we're splitting up back to our regular alliances. We don't want to end up being forced to kill each other in the end."
She said. Diamond and JCc nodded in agreement.
"Good idea."
They said together.

"Well... What should we do now?"
Diamond asked. Pika let out a yawn. Following with Syro, then Kamila and JCc.
"Well I think I know!"
Sapphyre laughed. Then the whole group walked on until finding one of the many caves that scattered out through the arena.

"I guess we have to sleep on a rock again..."
JCc groaned as he entered the cave. Syro laughed but soon stopped after he realized that he also had to sleep on a rock floor too.

***

The moon shined brightly in the night and besides the slow, peaceful breathing, only silence was heard. JCc stared at the stars that decorated the sky and sighed. He lifted his hands and stared as the dark hatred slowly crawl up his arms. The goat shuddered then continued to stare at the sky.

Suddenly movement was heard back in the cave. JCc turned his head back to see who was coming. A glowing star came to view.
"Sap?"
"Hey JCc."
Sapphyre slowly made her way out the entrance of the cave and sat beside him.
"The sky's pretty huh?"
She asked.
"Yeah."
JCc answered. A moment of quiet washed over.
"Why are you up?"
Sapphyre finally asked.
"It's nothing."
JCc said, pulling his sleeves over his hands so his friend wouldn't see the hate. But Sapphyre had quick eyes and noticed that JCc was hiding something. She snatched his wrist and examined it.
"What... JCc what the hell is this?"

Sapphyre's eyes widened at the sight of the blackness that was still spreading. JCc quickly pulled his hands back to him and held them close to his chest.
"I didn't want anyone to know so I wouldn't scare you guys."
He explained quietly. Sapphyre looked down at her feet.
"It's impossible to stop the hate here though... We all know that."
She said, looking back at the cave where everyone was still sound asleep. JCc took slow breaths.
"I just thought it'd be nice to have my last few days of saneness without worry."
He explained.
"I understand what you mean... But what about Diamond?"
Sapphyre asked, knowing that the two were very close.
"I'll figure something out."
The goat said.

"But for now, everything can be normal. If the hate starts to take over, I'll tell her."

"So you want me to keep this a secret?"

"Yeah..."

"Ok, I'll do that. As long as everyone's happy. I'll keep my mouth shut."

"Thank you."

***

The sun peaked above the land, letting light out into the arena. Everyone was already up and hugging each other. They all knew that they must separate back to they're original alliances.

Syro seemed to be healing quickly and he barely walked with a limp. Kamila acted more careful of what she was doing due to her bite marks and Pika was the same as usual, worrying for her children.
"You guys stay safe ok?"
She said to Sapphyre, JCc and Diamond.
"We will!"
Diamond exclaimed cheerfully.
"You guys stay alive too!"
Sapphyre called out as they started to walk away.
"BYE MOM!"
JCc yelled to Pika. Everyone chuckled and went they're separate ways.

Diamond told Sapphyre and JCc that she was going to look for berries. Once the neko was a ways away, she pulled out the necklace. Diamond held it near her face and studied it carefully. She noticed how good of condition it was in. The golden heart was still shiny as if it were cleaned every day. But Diamond noticed something else too. A latch.
"It's a locket?"
She thought aloud. Curiosity washed over Diamond. She felt as if she needed to know if anything was in it. The neko gently started to open it. But her curiosity was instantly replaced with regret.

Darkness took over Diamond's sight and the she yelped in surprise. Suddenly flashes of people sped through her mind. But soon the images slowed down. A girl with long dark hair let out a blood curdling scream and blackness swirled around her until the view of her was completely blocked by it.

Who was that girl?!

Diamond thought. She seemed so familiar but Diamond didn't have a good enough of a look to figure out who the girl was.

Next a flash of another person appeared in front of her eyes. This time, Diamond recognized who it was... Vamp. The skeleton crouched by Scarf's body and darkness swallowed him up.

And finally, the last flash.

Wait... No... It only showed people who were being taken over by hate...

Diamond thought fearfully. She had recognized the last person instantly. It was JCc. She watched in horror as the hate leaped from Vamp onto her beloved goat. And that's when her vision cleared and the world around her came back.

Diamond gasped.

JCc has hate?!

She thought frantically. The neko felt the locket still in her hands and she feared it. She threw it across the ground and it bounced off a jagged rock, scratching it.
As the locket hit, a sharp pain zapped through Diamond's back.

"Ack!"

She gritted her teeth.
"What..."
She stared at the locket with a confused look.
"Stupid necklace..."
She hissed. It showed her hate. It showed JCc being taken over by it! It must be evil.
"All you do is lie and show me stupid, fake things!"
She yelled at the locket. And that's when she stopped.
"Wait... Why did it hurt when I threw you?"
She wondered aloud. Diamond hesitated then carefully picked it up. She scratched the side of it with her nail as a test. The neko felt something scratching her side. That's when Diamond realized that if the locket was hurt, she would get hurt.

"Oh no..."