Birthstone

Explosions are not fun. Chapter 2

PERIDOT

Right now, my perfect world was falling apart. I pushed my olivine hair away from my sea green eyes, peridot robes flowing with the wind. I don't know why, but Mother Gem, our creator, goddess, and care taker, made it so our hair and eyes are the same as our birthstone. It gets us a few stares when we go out, but hey, we're stones brought to life, who wouldn't stare at us? I bolt up, from my sitting position, startling Garnet, Pearl, and Diamond. Where's Mother Gem? I'm pacing back and forth, forehead furrowed in worry and concentration. "Dude, calm down. Why are you walking around in circles?" Garnet slurs, Alcohol evident in her every breath. I wrinkle my nose at the horrible stench, before coarsely replying." Where's Mother Gem?"

They all stare blankly at me, not sure what to say. Finally, after what seems like forever, Diamond speaks up. "Pearl, you and Garnet get out of here, me and Peridot are going back." Pearl cries out," You can't! You saw what Emerald did to Topaz! Plus, what if Tourmaline, or whatever that is, tries to kill you? You can't go!" she's practically crying her eyes out. Diamond and Pearl have a special relationship. Before the entire us coming to life deal, they were brought together as stones, and they've been inseparable ever since, like brother and sister. "Pearl," I hear myself start, ready for about a million reasons why we're going to be safe. But I never got to finish my sentence, or rant, depends how you look at it. The wall's close to us burst open, smoke and dust filling my lungs, making my eyes water and burn. I manage to open my eyes, and I wish I hadn't.

Right before me, in her dark and mystic glory, was the psychotic witch, the same one who had been rejected as a birthstone, and took her rage out on Mother Gem. Standing 6'6, with jade eyes, and dark military green eyes, intelligence and smug victories happiness evident in her smile. "Hello birthstones." I hear Jade say. "Are you ready to die?" Then amongst the angst, the feelings of certain doom, a beacon of light shined. "But I haven't cultivated my Okapi earrings... THEY MUST BE CULTIVATED!" Garnet chose now to show how drunk she really is, bawling her eyes out and slapping pitifully at Jade's feet, crying about how it's just that time of season. I chuckled, thinking of the perfect timing, before realizing there was a sword at my neck. I looked forward, and stared at myself. A dark, obsidian figure stood in front of me, lithe, and with swords for arms. "Ah, you've made friends with Obsidian." Jade chuckles, ignoring Garnet, who was ranting on about the stock markets of Rock City. “An assassin made of dark matter, my own creation, much more superior to your kind." she looks at Diamond when saying this, face disfigured in a snarl of disgust. “You do know that your, ' our kind'.” I point out, trying to buy myself some time before my execution."Listen, I'm confident we can find a compromise, what do you want?" If it's not obvious yet, I'm the brain of the birthstone council. I excel in negotiation, scientific theory, law, trade, crime, mathematics, and anything else. “I want redemption; I want what's rightfully mine. What I deserve. I want your hearts. I want your souls." Jade answered.

Well, that's pretty hard to work with. “There are two things we can do. One, go to a meeting, and confer over different terms, loans, and rental payment, including care for us, including feed and living areas. Two..." I materialize my peridot bow, and arrow already notched. It's something my kind can do. Not so superior now Obsidian. “You can turn yourselves in, for a just and deserving trial, which will have a 99.99% of you being executed, the 0.01% chance being you commit suicide. Choose wisely." She stares at me for the longest time, before she chuckles. The quiet chuckles become louder, until their booming across the room, filling my ears with the horribly beautiful voice. I honestly hate her. “Or, option three. You put down your weapon, and submit, before I rip you and your friends apart." Garnet looks up, a sparkle in her eyes. She screams at the witch, spittle dripping against her face. “YOU WANT TO BUY MY EARRINGS?"

I'm not sure how she got that out of the threat Jade just threw at us, but I really didn't care right now. The distraction tore her eyes away from me, giving me an opening, which I gladly accepted. I fired my arrow, which pierced the reflective surface of Obsidian's 'face'. “RUN!" We sprint away, leaving a roaring Jade behind. “Don’t just stand there! After them you lumbering oaf!" Obsidian grunted, how did that thing grunt, and ran after us, black thin legs rising high. Pearl, who's been absolutely useless until now, takes out her mallet, a force to be reckoned with. She hits Obsidian straight on, knocking him, or her, down. Obsidian rises without haste, and slashes at the young girl. I hear a scream, “NO!" and see Diamond jump in the way. The swords slash him right in the face, and he crumples. Obsidian looked at me, well, turned in my general direction, and started walking forward. I don't give the menacing figure a chance, and whack the dirty thing with my bow. He stumbles back, but I'm already gone.