Cloud of Cluster

15. Footsteps

Todoroki's P.O.V

Help me, help her, please.
I don't want this
Not if it will hurt more than just yourself
Please.......

I bolted awake from the whisper in my head. The whisper was faint, and in pain. Who was that? It was so sudden and so, troubling. It looked outside to see a white light blare out of the meadows.

I walked there to see Diamond, sleeping on the grass peacefully. It reminded me of Izuku sometimes, how easily he slept when he was on the open fields. It wasn't too far from the school nor was it far from the sea.

"Oh, looks like I slept again. Woe is me." She told herself before facing back at me.

"Todoroki-kun! Strange to see you early in the morning like this." She said before I sat beside her.

"Early patrol I guess."

She nodded before facing the setting moon in the distance, Cinnabar wasn't in sight, probably making a report of her night patrol.

"Nughtmares lately?" Dia asked as I looked towards her and slightly nodded.

"Yeah. Someone was calling out, for some reason."

"Oh? Who did it sound like?" She asked curiously as I tried to recall the voice.

Help me, help her, please.
I don't want this
Not if it will hurt more than just yourself
Please.......

"It sounded so desparate, but sounded like she's trying to stay calm. It felt so familiar, but I don't recognize it." I said before she held her chin in deep thought.

"Try combining some of the voices you know of." She suggested, before it came into mind.

"Well, the voice was like Bort and Cinnabar together, I guess. It was quite stern, calm and desparate, a little bit of coldness into it. Just like..."

"You."

I turned to her at her comment. She looked like she knew who it was, but I have still no idea what she meant about me. Was there someone among the gems who was like me? I mean there's Cinnabar, but I hought it was only her.

"There's a certain gem, someone really close to Izuku when he first came to the Land of the Lustrous." She started, looking down on her cupped hands as I listened closely to her every word.

"She was every word you said about her voice. But lacked one thing, she was soft and caring. Same as you." She said, before pulling out a folded picture of Izuku, Phos and a gem with white hair. It looked like the shortened version of Cinnabar's hair, because of the stray hair that was longer than the rest.

She was tall and looked very steen, cold and professional. And yes, it did remind me of my ownself.

"It's probably the reason why we're in this war." She said, before folding it back.

"When they lost her to the Lunarians, they were unstable, most especially Phos. Izuku used the loss to move forward, as Antarc was one of his biggest inspirations. Phos on he other hand, did all she can to get her back." She continued before standing up.

"We tried to help Phos, but she'll always think of herself as more superior. It turned her into someone else. Lossing majority of herself turned her into a vengeful gem, she isn't comtrollable or stable and she's easy to manipulate. This is only if Antarc is part of her bargain."

I stood up to her before she looks back at the sea.

"I bet she's still going on about it. After all, she's been able to contact Cairngorm for years on end. I'm unsure about now, but I have the feeling she still has. So Todoroki-"

Ahe turned to me, with a knowing look.

"Don't follow Phos' footsteps."