Gem Centipede
A steady, gentle waft of baked goods lingers within the walls of Big Donut: one of a few favorite stops in Beach City for a particular young boy.
Enter Thoren Universe, the black-haired young one at only eleven years of age. His short hair rounding the top of his head and sporting a set of bangs that form an "x" over the bridge of his nose, and complementing his somewhat tanned white skin as per the usual of beach dwellers.
With his head only inches above the top level of the counters, and hands in the pockets of his blue-jean shorts, his black shoes tap idly along the floor. His largely expressive pair of blue eyes scan the several options around him on the leftmost side of the small doughnut shop. In seconds, they would settle onto a mini-freezer that bears the logo of a black cat's head. To Thoren's misfortune, this freezer is barren of any signature ice cream treats that once filled its shelves. The short sleeves of his white shirt wrinkle some as he crosses his arms in subtle disappointment. "Huh… So the Cookie Cats are sold out already?" he asks. His head casually turning to face the two teen workers.
"Worse," Lars says with a roll of his eyes, "It turns out that they stopped making them altogether."
"Really?" Thoren raises an eyebrow, and looks again at the empty freezer. "That sucks… I really liked those things."
"Yeah, I know," Sadie chimes in, following with a sigh. "Sorry, Thoren."
"Yeah, sorry that your Cookie Cats went out of business for Lion Lickers," Lars shrugs.
"It's alright," Thoren waves it off, but couldn't hold in his own sigh. "A shame, but… I guess there's not much I can do."
"Well.." Sadie enters a thinking pose for only a moment, "Since we're not going to be selling them anymore, I could always let you have the freezer."
"Have the freezer?" Thoren echoes. "Is that even allowed?"
"Well, we don't really need it anymore," Sadie shrugs, "So.. technically there's no point in keeping it in the shop. Besides, I figured you'd might like to have it as keepsake. You know, to never forget a treat that you always enjoyed," she smiles.
"Heh," Thoren timidly rubs the back of his head. His cheeks slightly glow a gentle shade of red. "I guess so. Thanks, Sadie, that's really ni-" Thoren stops short.
It is as if a sudden spark ignites and arcs down the boy's spine. His eyes widen and gaze indirectly toward the counter. In that same moment, a ripple of anxiety flows through him and causes a sudden hitch in his breath.
Meanwhile, Lars raises an eyebrow at the sight while Sadie blinks in subtle surprise before speaking up. "Um… Thoren? Everything alright?"
Though he seems to snap out of it, he looks into the general direction of where his house would be in reference to the shop. "I… I don't know," he stutters. "I just have a really bad feeling all of a sudden."
"What, is it more of that magic mumbo-jumbo?"
"Shut up, Lars!" Thoren snaps at him. His blue eyes glaring into the widened eyes of the other's. That is until he realizes his reflexive response and his stare wavers. Without hesitation, he starts heading for the door. "Sorry… But I have to go,"
"W-Wait," Sadie calls after him, "What about the freezer?"
"I'll pick it up later, but I have to go," Thoren replies urgently as he sees himself out the main door. "Sorry, Lar-!" the door closes before the boy could finish apologizing.
Unfortunately, his need to reach his home outweigh all else as he can be seen sprinting away from the small doughnut shop and rounding the base of a massive grassy slope that's topped with a lighthouse that overlooks the ocean beyond. On the other side of the slope would be the site of Thoren's beloved home.
…
Without wasting a single second, Thoren makes his way up the rising stone path of the Crystal Temple. At its end is a set of further-rising wooden stairs that lead to the porch of a modest beach house that rests within the hands of the temple's enormous statue, and connects to the entrance of the Temple itself.
In the boy's haste, he nearly clambers up the several stairs, then takes a shortcut as soon as he reaches the appropriate height. With only two more steps left to climb, Thoren makes a sharp right and leaps the short gap between the stairs and base of the porch. He gains a firm grip on the ledge just beneath a portion of the safety railing where he safely uses his momentum, pulls himself up, and slips under the rail before making a beeline to the front door in a full sprint.
Securing a firm grip on the door's handle, Thoren issues a violent shove and swings it open; bursting into the living room of the small house. But before he could have a chance to speak, let alone assess the situation, he's immediately assaulted by a foreign creature.
For only that moment, it manages to overpower the boy enough to knock him backwards and attempt to pinch at him with a set of black pincer-like jaws. At the back of which, Thoren's blue eyes glare into a single large eye with a tiny pupil staring ominously back at him. With a quick reflex, Thoren shifts his head to the side to avoid a lunging attack just before a gleaming, gem-encrusted whip wraps and tightly grips the oversized, centipede-like body. It yelps in surprise before being tugged backward and flung across the living room. Only to have the tall Garnet catching the creature in her summoned gauntlets, and bending its body at a ninety-degree angle with an audible snap, only to be attacked by two more of the things, but they serve as no challenge for the wise Crystal Gem.
The whip tells everything the boy needs to know about his savior as he traces it back to its wielder across the living room. His eyes meet hers as she flashes a peace sign in his direction with the hand that holds her whip.
"'Sup, Thoren," she casually calls to him.
"Not much, Amethyst," Thoren huffs and swiftly regains his footing. "Quick! Toss me something I can use!"
"Sure thing," she nods and lashes her whip to the left side of the living room where she is. It wraps the post of a tall lamp next to the couch, and with a simple tug and lash, she launches it in Thoren's direction; ripping its respective plug out of its power outlet in the process.
Without thinking, he stretches his arms, opens his hands, and catches the shaft in both hands. Then, he pops off the lamp shade in a single move, and is forced to confront yet another of the attackers as a centipede body lunges for him. This time, it is promptly denied with the only type of move Thoren could think of: like swinging a staff, he grunts and bashes the head of the creature with the light bulb end of the lamp. The glass bulb shatters and stuns his opponent, but in that same moment, he feels a sudden sharp pain on his right cheek. Even so, he keeps his mind in the fight as the boy swings again in the opposite direction and lands another direct hit; sending the thing wriggling away and resigning from the half-human.
To his fortune, he manages to remain calm and further assess the situation, but it makes short work of unsettling him. The whole house is full of these things! A portion of which would surround the lean figure of Pearl who stands on the other side of the house on the warp pad in front of the temple entrance. Though she is hardly outmatched by such feral opponents. As if she could read all of the centipedes' movements, Pearl and her spear move as a single entity in a series of swings, spins, and jabs. Each move being executed with careful calculation and coordination that is as natural for Pearl as the act of breathing is for Thoren. With this, she denies every attack of her opposers, and they only meet with her countering blows as she sends them away from her. Garnet makes quick work of them with expert hand-to-hand skill, and Amethyst returns to her own fighting with fierce cracks of her whip.
Now the eleven-year-old joins in the confrontation with only a few of the centipede-like anomalies that haven't been poofed by the Gems. His resolve setting in as he moves quickly to a straggler in the center of the room. He initiates the first strike.
"Thoren!" Pearl's motherly tone sounds across the room, but unfortunately for her, he's too occupied to properly respond. Leaving her with no choice but to fight her way through the remaining attackers in order to reach him.
Meanwhile, the boy opens with a sharp leftward strike with the lamp post's open end; stunning his opponent enough to allow him to throw in a rightward blow. Then, he continues his momentum in a spin as he continues the combo with an upward strike; knocking his target on its back. Finally, with his makeshift staff hoisted high, he twirls it in a semicircle so that the lamp's base now serves as his final blow. In a fit of sudden fury, he brings it down with as full force as he could muster: the base of the lamp pounding his target into the wooden floor with a savage impact. It is all that is needed for his opponent to literally poof from existence in a short-lived puff of green. Afterwards, he attempts to catch his breath if only for a split second.
"Look out!" Pearl calls out suddenly.
It turns out that even a split second is too long for this battle. In this time of rest, Thoren is caught by surprise by another of the last few pests. This one emerges from the right side of his peripheral vision. With wide eyes, he reacts just in time, but only so. He gasps and crosses the lamp in front of him with both hands; keeping the creature from snapping at him for less than a second before Pearl intervenes. Her arms securing the main body as she rips the centipede from Thoren's proximity. "Stay away from him, you-!" Pearl gasps after the creature launches a small portion of its own saliva straight in the half-human's direction.
Reflexively, Thoren dives to the side and slides along the boarded floor; only to look back in horror as he witnesses the small amount of slimy, green saliva melting its way through the floor in mere seconds, along with its sickly sound of dissolving matter. Meanwhile, Pearl makes short work of her held prey with a simple grip and twist of the creature's head. A snapping sound is heard before she drops it to the floor. Yet another foe that bursts into nothingness.
"Um.. we're all clear now, but," Amethyst calls from the temple entrance while picking her nose with her pinky, "these things don't have gems… Is that bad?"
"Usually," Garnet replies. She regroups with Thoren and Pearl near the center of the living room. "Because that means there must be a mother nearby."
"'These things' are called Centipeedles," Pearl informs, then enters a thinking pose while looking indirectly around the house. "And yes, there should be a mother somewhere… Which means we should probably find it before someone gets hurt."
"Someone's already been hurt," Garnet says flatly.
"What?" Pearl's initial shock can be heard in her voice as she turns her head to face both she and Thoren. "How do you know? Who-AH!" Pearl jumps, "Thoren!"
The boy is startled by the Gem's sudden outburst. He gasps slightly, "Wh-What? What's wrong?" His eyes dart between Pearl and Garnet in his desperate need of an answer.
Drip.
Drip...
Drip...
Thoren stutters. Along with the sound of his quickly beating heart, his ears pick up on a subtle, slow dripping sound in the single moment of silence, while his eyes are shown the look of horror on Pearl's face as she covers her gaping mouth. It sounds like whatever is dripping is landing right beneath him, and his curiosity is naturally piqued as he dares to look down. Then, all is revealed to him as he catches sight of three red spots staining the wood floor. As he looks down, he watches a fourth red drop fall from a stripe of blood that runs down his right cheek.
"You're bleeding," Garnet points out.
"What? Really?" Amethyst comes around and joins them in the living room. Her eyes widen as soon as she looks at Thoren. "Whoa! Dude… That is so badass! He even got it all over the place; look!"
"Amethyst! Language!" Pearl snaps at her before processing the rest of what she said. "Wait. What?!" She frantically searches the living room, and it turns out that Amethyst is at least somewhat correct. Droplets of blood are scattered throughout the living room: a few near the front door, which are unlike the rest in that they're much smaller. The blood continues in a barely coherent trail of drops to where Thoren had confronted one of the Centipeedles near the coffee table. A few more drops and smears can be found where he had slid away from the acid. It is a horrific sight that raises all manner of concern in Pearl. "What happened? Did one of those awful creatures hurt you?"
"No," Thoren shakes his head, "at least I don't think so. A couple tackled me, but.."
"It's probably from when Thoren broke that light bulb thingy," Amethyst guesses.
"Light bulb?" Pearl echoes. While Garnet investigates near the front door.
Amethyst shrugs, "Well, yeah. You know that's a lamp he's using, right?"
"Or what's left of it," Garnet adds as she returns to the group with a single small item between her thumb and forefinger. "This is the only shard of glass with Thoren's blood on it, and no windows were broken. Amethyst is right."
"Can we talk about this later?" Thoren interrupts, "We still have a mother Centipeedle to find!"
"Oh no," Pearl shakes her head and crosses her arms, "you're not going anywhere in your condition, young man."
"But it's just a scratch! I-"
"-Pearl is right," Garnet speaks over the two of them, which silences them both instantly. Pearl looking to her expectantly while the boy looks up at Garnet in shock. The tall Crystal Gem looks down at him through her shades, but speaks without needing to raise her voice, "Thoren, please understand. While we're talking, you've already gotten at least five more drops on the floor and some on your shirt. Since everything has calmed down for now, the bleeding should slow."
"Which means that now's a perfect time to tend to it," Pearl adds, "Besides, you've only just begun your training a few days ago. It's much too dangerous to take on such a large opponent. You haven't even learned to control your Gem power yet!"
At this point, the boy starts to look helpless. He looks up at Pearl. "But… I just want to help…"
Pearl sighs, and gently lets her palm rest on his shoulder. "I know, Thoren. But part of being able to help others is the ability to help yourself. Even without friendship being a factor, do you honestly think you'll be of much use to anyone after you've bled to death?"
"Besides," Garnet pitches in, "you're well on your way to being one of us. I saw you fight."
"Oh yes," Pearl smiles, "I did too, and I must admit that you handled yourself fairly well."
"Yeah, you did awesome!" Amethyst chimes, "Come on, how many kids do you know that have battle wounds?"
"Heh.." Thoren chuckles, but sighs right after, "Still, I think I get it now… And I might need to take five anyway. I'm.. getting a little dizzy."
"I'll get the first aid kit," Pearl says quickly.
…
The living room fills with a silent atmosphere. By Pearl's instructions, Thoren lays his back on the couch with his right side facing the coffee table directly across. Filling part of the gap between the coffee table and couch is Pearl. A first-aid kit stands by on the edge of the table nearest to her. It being opened and revealing an array of healing solutions including ointments, bandages, a roll of gauze, and others. Standing next to the open case is a brown bottle of hydrogen peroxide. Though, for the time being, she simply equips herself with a cold, wet rag that she initially uses to wipe the thick stripe of blood off of his cheek. Her face showing that of a focused medical practitioner that is reinforced by her instinct to preserve the quality of life of someone dear to her. On the other hand, there is Thoren who only lays down, and stares indirectly at the ceiling while still processing all that had occurred in the last few minutes. With he and Pearl being the only two in the living room, the silence aids in his ability to think. Though he winces slightly from the sudden coldness of the rag as it brushes along his skin.
"Looks like the blood is already drying," Pearl comments, "That should make stopping the bleeding all the easier." She folds the rag so that an unused portion of it can perform the rest of the task: it being applied to Thoren's thin line of a wound.
He lets out a breath as he's led to feel the rag on his cheek for several seconds. "Why is it so cold?"
"It's one of two ways that stops the bleeding. By cooling off the wound, you reduce overall blood flow in the respective vessels. At the same time, I'm also applying pressure to the wound itself, which helps prevent blood loss from the broken vessels. Not to mention that by using a rag, I start the cleaning process as well… I believe you humans call something like this a 'hat trick,'" Pearl chuckles, then removes the rag to observe his wound. "...And it looks like it's working fairly well. Now on to the next step."
Thoren watches as Pearl relieves him of the rag and reaches for the brown bottle. Next to it is a very small, plastic measuring cup that she fills until it is about a quarter full. Knowing exactly what to expect, he looks back up to the ceiling and takes a deep breath to prepare himself.
"Seems like you remember hydrogen peroxide," Pearl observes; joining him at his side again.
"I do. Just… tell me when," Thoren sighs.
"Here, take my free hand," Pearl offers. Opening it up for him. "You won't suffer alone, Thoren. I'm right here with you."
A tender smile forms on the boy, and he gains a gentle grasp with his right hand. "Thank you, Pearl."
"Of course," Pearl hovers the small cup over Thoren's wound. "Now, try to stay still."
"Okay…" Thoren mutters.
He tries his best to prepare himself for the imminent sting that is to come. The cup hovering over his cheek is all the warning he needs, so Pearl needn't utter a sound. Though, even with the mental preparation, the sting comes at a violent spike as Pearl finally tips the glass and pours the antibacterial agent into the thin slit on his cheek. His face twisting in pain along with a low grunt as he nearly squirms on the couch.
"It's alright," Pearl speaks gently, "Just look at me, Thoren."
His breath hitches from the pain, but still does as Pearl advises. His head turns and his blue eyes look straight into Pearl's. In just a second, his breathing slows, but he still registers the lingering sting of the fluid.
"I can't believe I'm not used to it by now," Thoren groans.
"You might want to give it more time. This is only the second time we've had to do this since you started your training. Changes don't tend to happen overnight, you know. Just be patient," Pearl starts to smile as she finishes, "Besides, we all know very well how being strong is so important to you, and if that's what you're worried about.." she laughs briefly, "..Just remember that there are many human children your age that don't handle hydrogen peroxide nearly as well as you do… It's almost frightening how much of a trooper you've been."
"Still," Thoren sighs, "I'm sorry, Pearl.. For talking back to you, I mean."
"You're worried about that? Don't be silly, Thoren. I'm already over it," Pearl chuckles while getting a small pouch of ointment and an appropriately sized bandage. "Though, there is one thing I'd like to ask of you."
"What is it?" Thoren keeps his eye on Pearl, but winces as he feels both a slight sting and the sudden chill from the fresh ointment that is now applied to hit cut.
Pearl takes a deep breath while looking down. In just a short moment, a somewhat grim expression takes over her. "Even before your training started.. We have all seen the powerful warrior that rests within you. There hasn't been a doubt in our minds, especially after seeing your performance just now. But… I fear for you, Thoren. You're still only in training, so until you gain strength and experience.." Pearl puts a hand on his shoulder, and faces him with her familiar gaze of a concerned mother. It brings at least some comfort to the boy as he looks up at her. "Please… I urge you, Thoren. Don't bite off more than you can chew, and never take any unnecessary risks. Can you do that?"
Her request leaves Thoren speechless. Even if he wants to, there is no way that he could guarantee such a thing. Again, he is left helpless and with few options to respond. In fact, there is only one that he could think of, but its uncertain nature leaves him frightened as to how Pearl might respond.
But in the end, he knows: there's no other choice.
"...I'll try," is all he could utter.
Out of all the horrific possibilities that he could imagine, Pearl does the unthinkable. She smiles. "Thank you," she says, then finishes off the healing procedure. A single move later, and she precisely places an appropriately sized bandage that now forms a short stripe across Thoren's right cheek. "There. All done."
For a couple seconds, Thoren lays in shock. Though, ultimately decides to worry about it later, with his mind already buzzing enough as it is. While Pearl stands with pride in her work, the half-human slowly rises and sits properly on the couch. Taking one more breath, he looks up at the Gem, "Thanks, Pearl."
The front door quickly opens, and in bursts Amethyst and Garnet with the former taking the lead. "We're back!" Amethyst announces, then eyeballs Thoren's face with a chuckle. "Whoa, man… Seen some action, or what?"
"Maybe," Thoren sarcastically shrugs. "Did you guys find the mother?"
Garnet shakes her head, and Amethyst replies, "Nope. No sign of 'em. Humanity is hosed."
Pearl stifles a grunt with a roll of her eyes, while Thoren groans. "Where could it have gone?" he asks, and crosses his arms.
"Don't worry, we'll find it," Garnet replies with a light smile.
"Of course we will," Pearl chimes, glancing at Garnet, then back at the boy. "Though, as much as we appreciate your help, I still think you should sit this one out, Thoren. You did very well against the Centipeedles so far, but the mother is far more dangerous than what you've faced in this room. The last thing you need is another few wounds in the same day."
Thoren gradually processes word for word, and for every word, his heart sinks some. He sighs and nearly hangs his head. "Yes, Pearl. I understand."
"As do I," Pearl softens, and lets her palm rest on his shoulder. "I know you want to help, but that shouldn't worry you too much. Because you still can! Just keep up your training in the meantime. Once you learn how to summon your weapon, you'll be that much closer to being a full-fledged Crystal Gem!"
"Hm," Thoren utters, "Summon my weapon… I'm not really sure where to start with that."
"Oh!" Pearl interjects, "I can help with this! Though, I'll need to take you outside to explain. Er…" she looks over at Garnet, "Would that be alright?"
"As long as you keep him safe," Garnet gives a thumbs-up.
"Whatever," Amethyst rolls her eyes, and walks off toward the temple entrance.
…
The day barely begins to bridge between the late afternoon and early evening. A very faint orange tints the blue, clouded sky that hangs over the grassy peak just above the Crystal Temple. Shading the grass is a radiant cherry tree that is in full bloom. Beneath its overhanging branches and floating petals are Pearl and the seated Thoren. The child attentively sits cross-legged while focusing on his current instructor. She takes in the fresh air and observes nature's finely crafted artwork before them. "Beautiful, isn't it?"
"Yeah," Thoren smiles and regards the tree, "I always love coming around here when it's in full bloom."
"Indeed, it is truly magnificent," Pearl agrees, "and even more so are the petals that fall from it. It's actually my favorite portion of viewing a cherry tree."
"Really? Why's that?" Thoren looks at Pearl with a pleasantly piqued curiosity. One in which she seems to yearn in answering. She subtly beams as she joins him at his side. With a simple gesture, she directs his gaze upward.
"Look at them. These petals that are typically regarded only for their superficial beauty. They are hardly ever appreciated for the true beauty that lies beneath their wondrous exterior," Pearl observes.
"Well… I've always thought that they're beautiful," Thoren looks at Pearl expectantly.
"Yes. They truly are," Pearl nods, "and their dance is the perfect complement to their appearance."
"Their dance?"
"Yes, Thoren. Look closer at any of the petals, and you will see it. Their descent may seem improvised, but again, look closer. What you will see is the most precise calculation of physical movement. Each and every move the petals make is calculated and choreographed down to the last decimal point, and it is based solely on the physical properties that govern this entire planet!"
Thoren lightly gasps as he takes in the view from this new angle. It comes to him like a revelation as his blue eyes stare in awe at the otherwise overlooked precision of nature. "I… I don't know why I never saw that before."
"Don't worry," Pearl smiles, "it's a bit of cruel irony, but part of growing up. Most often, the most obvious of details lay right beneath our noses."
"I guess," Thoren shrugs. "But, I can't imagine being able to calculate on that level…"
"It may seem insurmountable, but I know you can do it, Thoren. With hard work, practice, and dedication, you will be able to grasp full control of your gem.. And in time, even you can coordinate your abilities and perform your own dance!" Pearl rises to her feet, and with effortless concentration, she rounds her hands over the gem on her forehead and causes it to glow. Then, the handle of her spear begins to extend from it. In seconds, the whole length of her weapon, blade and all, reveals itself to the world with a slight launch in the air; to which she catches in one smooth motion. Just as smoothly, she transitions and hoists her spear high, and twirls it at a blurring speed before bringing the open end down with a sharp strike on the grass. It sends a minute shock wave that carries several fallen petals into the air, and initiates their second dance. One of which, Pearl brings to a graceful end as she holds out her palm exactly where it needs to be in order to catch one of the many pink petals. It lands with a gentle touch, and lies flat in the Gem's hand.
"...Like so," Pearl finishes, and leaves Thoren completely captured by what he's just seen. It is especially so because of what he now understands. Though, because of that, he is effectively at a loss for words; a result that Pearl smiles at, and allows her spear to phase from reality.
"I'll let that sink in for a while, but we should probably go back inside. Just in case," Pearl starts down the slope. "Come along, Thoren."
…
The only sound in the living room is the consistent ticking of a clock while Thoren sits alone in the middle of the couch. It being barely permeated by the low sound of his breathing and beating heart. His mind mulls over Pearl's example and other recent events, while leaning back and staring blankly at the ceiling and supporting wooden beams. At this point, the boy may as well be in a meditative- "BOO!"
A sharp gasp sounds from him, and his head quickly snaps to face his left side. He finds a grinning Amethyst staring back into his widened eyes with stretched arms. Less than a second passes before she bursts into laughter; holding her diaphragm. "The look on your face, though! And your eyes.." Amethyst barely stifles another wave of laughing.
His heart races, but he gives his all in remaining calm. He sits up straight again with his arms crossed. "Hmph.. Whatever," he sarcastically looks away. "I wasn't scared."
"Of course not," Amethyst shrugs. "Thoren don't care, he's a badass…" she chuckles and retrieves a chocolate frosted doughnut from the coffee table. It seems she had placed it there before startling him. "Anyway, what's up? You look like you learned the meaning of life or something."
"Not exactly," Thoren huffs; catching his breath, "Though.. Life has a lot more meaning now, at least."
"Pearl told you the petal thing, didn't she?"
"Yeah."
"Figures," Amethyst rolls her eyes. "Listen, Thoren. All that practice junk isn't any fun at all," she chomps a chunk of the doughnut and barely chews before speaking again. "Whenever I want to summon my weapon, it just happens!" Amethyst uses her free hand to reach under her tank top, straight to the gem embedded in her chest. A bright glow brings forth her triple-ended whip into the physical plane. Without a second thought, she fully draws her weapon and lashes it toward the standing remains of the lamp that Thoren had used earlier. Now reducing it to nothing but pieces of scrap metal in a single move. "See? Nothing to it."
Thoren looks right as he hears the front door swinging open. Garnet slips through and closes the door behind her. Idly, she regards the Gem and boy, even the fallen lamp. "We needed a new lamp anyway," she shrugs, and approaches the two. "Looks like it's my turn."
"Your turn?" Thoren echoes.
"To explain weapon summoning."
"Oh, right.."
"Don't worry about it," Garnet waves it off. "Now, the key to summoning a weapon, or practicing any form of gem magic, is to find the right balance in effort. Of course, that's only for training purposes. Eventually, the effort needed to summon your weapon will be hardly noticeable. Though it requires effort, it is not something that can be forced. There must be a consistent flow of energy at all times. In other words, be like water, Thoren."
"Huh…" he seems perplexed, thus thinking for a moment, "It's strange. It makes perfect sense, and I get it… But I have no idea why."
"Maybe someone told you that before, but you forgot?" Amethyst guesses.
"That's the thing. Garnet is the only one who's said it so far.. I think," Thoren double-takes indirectly around the room.
"Hmm…" Garnet crosses her arms. "Well, for now, it's not really important. As long as you understand, it's fine. Now, when I summon my gauntlets," she pauses, opens her hands, and holds them up and to her sides to emphasize her point. Her palms face Thoren and reveal the gem that is embedded in the center of each palm. "There is a link between my mind and the energy of all existing matter. Thus channeling the collective power of the universe through my gem. The end result, being…" Garnet makes fists of her hands and pumps her arms on either side. A bright glow bursts from both her forearms all the way up to her fists. As it dissipates, it is replaced by her signature pair of gauntlets that enhance her specialty in close-quarters combat. With her constant blankness of the face, it is complemented by her pair of sunglasses that give her the appearance of being battle-hardened and battle-ready at all times. Yet even then, Thoren knows better than to fear her for any reason, especially as Garnet breaks the brief silence with her casual conclusion. "At least that's my way of doing it."
As soon as he hears those words, Thoren's eyes widen in realization. "What did you just say?..."
Garnet allows her weapons to disappear, crosses her arms, and smiles at the boy. "You heard me."
"I can't believe I hadn't considered that before. But.. even then…"
"It's different for every Gem, but you'll figure it out. I know you can."
"Thanks, Garnet."
In contrast to Garnet's entrance into the beach house, Pearl frantically shoves the front door open and nearly slams it behind her with her back. "We have company!" she exclaims.
As if on cue, said company appears ominously beyond the front walls. At least a couple more of the dreaded Centipeedles can be seen crawling up the windows and onto the roof, and following them is the same silhouette on a more massive scale. Thoren's eyes widen as he witnesses just the shadow of the beast.
"Finally…" Garnet mumbles somewhat. Moving at once, she issues an order, "Pearl, the door!"
Without a word, Thoren watches as Pearl pulls open the door and makes way for Garnet to take point, with Amethyst following close behind. In seconds, all three Crystal Gems would file in through the front door, with Thoren responding on instinct and taking up the rear in a rushed sprint.
On the front porch, all four heads would crane high as if in-sync. What they would see would rouse horror, for their eyes are shown the image of a Centipeedle even more massive than those that once infested their home. Its entire body length could reach from the top of the statue's bosom to that of its head. Unlike its smaller counterparts, this one sports a length of a silver hair-like feature that gives likeness to the mane of a lion. It utters a roar mixed with a hiss while staring down at the Gems with its single eye.
"It's the mother!" Garnet nearly shouts, and follows her words with actions, and without a second thought. She begins scaling the tall statue with a series of expertly placed leaps and bounds; leaving the rest of the three to stare with a mixture of awe and fear.
"Thoren, stay in the house! We'll take care of this!" Pearl breaks their silence with an urgent tone. One that the half-human unsurely responds to.
He takes a look above, and reluctantly complies with a groan. "Yes, Pearl!" Thoren resigns this time, and quickly runs back into the house. Though, even then, he couldn't bring himself to stray from the front door. Especially as he peers through the window and watches the monstrosity pursuing the three Gems down the statue toward the foot of the grassy slope near the stone path.
They manage to lure the creature beyond the foot and circle around it some up the slope. Though, just before they could even think of attacking, the mother roars and shuts its single eye at the back of its open pincer-jaws before unleashing a massive stream of its own saliva at them. As the mother of the invading Centipeedles, her version of the attack is easily more massive in scale, and tears through a chunk of the earth in a straight line while the Crystal Gems dive to the side; successfully dodging the otherwise lethal substance. That sight alone makes the young boy worry immensely as he steps outside the house and nearly presses into the wooden safety rail of the porch. He watches with horror as the attack forces his closest friends to flee in that very moment. Further in the distance is a fallen hand of the old crumbling statue. It happens to stand straight up from the wrist, and is the only piece of cover that they could hide behind.
Meanwhile, the mother regains her sight; opening her eye after finishing her attack, and grunting as she realizes her prey had evaded her. Though her quick thinking leads her to turn around and witness all three Crystal Gems duck behind the stone hand. It roars ferociously and resolves to demolish their cover. Again, it launches the same manner of attack. With every second, it gets closer and closer to completely melting the solid stone hand and the Gems beneath it.
"No!" Thoren exclaims. He watching in dismay as his slides down to his knees; finding it impossible to look away. The imminence of their demise looms ominously before him, and he reaches a point where he would go to any length to save them.
Then, in an instant, it hits him. The fear that once lingered in his eyes is overthrown by an unbreaking resolve that is fueled by fury and passion. He's back on his feet, and immediately initiates his next move; all seemingly without giving much notice to the bright pink glow that emits radiantly from his belly.
…
The horrid noise of dissolving matter grows louder. The hyper-corrosive green saliva begins to trickle through cracks that form in the fallen hand of the statue. The pressure proves to be too much for Amethyst as she blurts out, "What do we do now?!"
"I..I don't know!" Pearl shouts.
A sudden wailing sound can be heard by the mother as the acid suddenly ceases in its flow. All three gems' eyes widen as they dare to peek from their cover. What they see would astonish them: it seems as though something had sharply struck the enormous creature on the right side of its head, as evident in how it recoils left. Though, the object that struck it remains out of sight, and even the mother is partially confused as she whips her head around to quickly inspect her right side.
But it is too late. Before she'd know it, a flash of pink shoots through the air and straight at her face. Its sheer speed and power make for a harsh collision as the pink object sends the mother Centipeedle whirling left yet again. The object slowing down dramatically as its wielder touches down to the ground. Its figure standing ready as if in defiance of its behemoth of an opponent.
"Is that.." Amethyst begins.
"Thoren!" Pearl shouts, "What are you-look out!"
The mother comes back with parted jaws, but it seems that Thoren needs no reminder as he remains focused on his target. Clenching the round object in his left hand, he quickly strafes to his right side to avoid the mother's pincers by mere inches. He retaliates promptly with a rough bashing to the side of her head that winds up stunning her for a moment.
All of this leaves the Crystal Gems with their eyes open with shock, but also glued to the unwinding events. "His weapon.." Garnet speaks first.
"It's Rose's shield!" Pearl exclaims.
"Um… guys," Amethyst wavers some. "Is it just me, or is Thoren's outline really thick?"
Just as they share this banter, Thoren would be moving with previously unseen speed, strength, and agility; and like Amethyst had said, a black outline really does show thickly around his body, and even around his shield. On top of everything else, the look in his eyes is completely different from what the Gems are used to. The mixture of resolve and ferocity being unlike anything they'd ever seen come out of him. Every attack from the mother would be denied and countered. With every blow of his shield, he would grunt with a striking intensity.
"Can you feel that?" Pearl asks, but neither Gem dares to look away.
"Is that.. supposed to happen?" Amethyst adds.
"I have no idea…" Garnet says slowly. "I can't believe we've never sensed this kind of power.. whatever it is."
"Should we step in?" Pearl wonders.
"That might not be necessary," Garnet guesses, "but we should still keep an eye out. We'll intervene if he needs us to. For now, we should probably observe."
"But what if he gets hurt?" Pearl manages to tear her gaze away from the tangle and directly toward Garnet.
"That's where we come in," Garnet reminds her, "You know I'd never let that happen if I could help it."
"...Yes, that's right," Pearl nods.
"It's alright. I don't blame you."
"Guys, check it out!" Amethyst blurts out; thus all three peer out from cover again.
At this point, the mother sinks directly do his level and lunges straight for him; hovering along the ground. In response, he waits, but only for a split second or two before leaping and twisting over his opponent, and using his built momentum to issue a sharp bash. The front face of his shield seeming to be swallowed by the mysterious black energy and pummeling the beast into the ground and sending it sliding to a rough halt. Its tail attempts a lunge at Thoren in a side-swinging motion. Without even thinking, he leaps backwards and clears its trajectory.
With its anger only rising, it hisses while turning its main head to face its current nuisance. One whom she plans to deal with from a distance this time as she launches a volley of acid in his direction. Again, he dodges to the side: this time with a dive, and landing with an acutely executed roll. On his feet again, he takes complete advantage of her lack of sight during her fit of acid-spewing. Just seconds before she could finish her attack, he cocks his shield arm and launches it like a frisbee.
The mother opens her eyes to inspect the aftermath, but is only met a flash of pink flying at high velocity right at her. Before she could react, the shield flies between its two main jaws and deals a savage blow directly to her open eye. The beast recoils again and roars in pain and rage just as the shield disappears with a sparkle. She's about to initiate another charging attack, only to be met with another thrown shield that decisively lands a blow in the middle of her many sections of body. The force alone causes her to bend and briefly resign to the blow.
In this moment, Thoren begins to feel the tax that all of his actions would levy on his body. His muscles start to ache, but before he could pay too much attention to them, he swallows down his fear and keeps on his feet. His burning blue eyes challenge the mother Centipeedle as he holds his ground. The shield flashes back into his grasp.
The mother enters a state of desperation in her next efforts to finally bring the half-human down. He holds his ground while his opponent explodes in a fit of uncontrollable rage. It roars ferociously while charging its head straight at him at full speed. He takes a breath in preparation for his next move; bending his knees and positioning himself to counter.
This is going to hurt…
Thoren nearly fades to a blur as he reacts. The black energy that surrounds him seems to swell as he pushes his body to a quick spinning maneuver; such that would allow him to duck beneath the mother's path just in time to build up all the momentum he needs. With his built power, he amplifies its output while striking upwards, just beneath the mother's jaw. He wails with a mixture of pain and fury while the strike launches the mother into a rising arc. Though he's only half-finished with his combo. A grunt emits from him as he manages to leap high into the air-far higher than what should be possible for any human being. Said leap allows him to linger just over a point in the traveling arc where the mother's head would be: straight in the midpoint of the entire trajectory. Thoren turns and twists his body as he prepares for the final strike. His shield would be hoisted high before he unleashes another wail of power, and a massive, savage blow that manifests as a sudden, violent expansion of black energy that accompanies the shield's hit. From an outer perspective, it's as if the energy expanded even more to where it swallowed him whole before beating the mother into the ground with an unfathomable amount of force. She rockets into and shakes the earth beneath her. The Crystal Gems struggle, but manage to keep their footing as they watch in shock and awe of the Centipeedle mother's grand defeat: a result that Thoren would barely have any time to process as his senses begin to fade.
Just as well, all of his motor functions suddenly cease as if they refuse to function in that moment. It would be as though he were a lifeless organic mechanism that succumbs to the planet's gravity. Though, all of his senses would fade to nothing before he could realize that he's now plummeting to the ground.
…
Next he would know, he faintly hears Pearl's cries of fear, Amethyst's stutters, and the calm tone of Garnet ringing out all around him. Though no words could be properly made out, he all too easily picks up on the flood of mixed emotions that went with every move and word of the three Crystal Gems. It nearly overwhelms him until he finally opens his eyes.
Nothing. Nothing but a stark stillness that is subtly broken by the familiar ticking of a clock, and the world of pitch darkness that dominates Thoren's vision. Along with the darkness is the plush, comfy surface beneath his back.
Despite this, he feels the need to lift himself to a sitting position, which he initially attempts without much thought. That is until he feels the sore aching of his arms and back in his effort to sit up. It causing him to grunt in pain before he could have a chance to look around.
"Thoren!" the silence is broken by the surprised outburst some distance in front of him.
"Pearl?..." he squints his eyes to try and see her. His eyes adjust enough to see the Gem quickly approaching him around his left side, and he'd feel her arm settling around his back.
"Don't push yourself," Pearl urges, "Here, I'll help you. Just.. breathe, and lay back down. Slowly."
"Okay," Thoren complies with a small nod. He takes a deep breath, and allows Pearl to aid in him laying back down onto his pillow. All the while, images of most recent events would flash in his mind in vivid detail. The reminders nearly stun him as he stares up at the dark ceiling. "Wh-What happened?"
"Well…" Pearl pauses to find her words, "After you finished off the mother, you sort of.. blacked out. Garnet guessed that it was because of the extremes that you placed on your body. No human has ever been capable of doing what you just did. But even then, I can tell that it wasn't exactly good for you… You were unconscious for several hours, so it's good to see that you've woken up."
Pearl's voice is calm and nurturing, but the lingering worry resonates through her words. It is to where every word spoken is a sore reminder of the magnitude of his actions: such that wreaks havoc on his emotions. It shows in Thoren's voice as he responds, "I… I see…"
He dares to turn his head ever so slightly to his left, and he finds Pearl leaning somewhat over the edge of his bed. The concern in her face being too much for Thoren to bear as her own blue eyes meet his.
"Still… How are you feeling?" Pearl asks.
Thoren's vision turns blurry as he feels something welling in his gut, and the corners of his eyes. But it is from Pearl's words that he sniffles lightly before he feels the first of his tears run down his temples. Only sniffles and small whimpers follow the flow from his eyes as he tries desperately to keep his voice down.
Pearl slowly gasps, "Does it hurt that much?"
"No… It's just…" Thoren sniffles, "You told me.. not to do things.. like that. You told me to stay in the house, and to be safe, but… I didn't listen to you." He could feel Pearls hand on his cheek as she wipes away his tears. Even then, he couldn't bring himself to make eye-contact with her. "...But I was so scared. You were in trouble, and… and… I'm so sorry, Pearl…"
Thoren's apology is cut off by a sudden feeling. He takes a short breath as his eyes widen, and seemingly in an instant, he would feel the loving embrace of the Crystal Gem. Her arms wrap gently around his neck while her head rests just next to his.
"It's alright," Pearl says slowly and quietly, "I'm not upset with you, Thoren. I promise. If our roles were reversed, I know that I would've done the same… Though I was scared, too… it's not your fault."
He lays frozen in position as he feels and listens to Pearl. Her words reassure him, yet it only causes even more tears to flow. He nearly coughs into his whimper while being driven to return her embrace. His arms labor in the attempt, but he manages to wrap both of them around her back and hold her tight. His face buried into her shoulder and his mind completely ignoring any pain he feels.
"Shh… It's okay," Pearl whispers. Her hand rests on the back of his head. "It's alright…"
…
Minutes pass between the half-human and Gem without a word. Pearl aiming to stay with Thoren for as long as he needs her. Until the moment that his whimpers would silence, and all that's left is the two clinging to one another in silence. By this time, the boy's eyesight adjusts completely to the surrounding blackness of the night; and as his voice settles down, a smile begins to spread across Pearl's lips. "Try and get some sleep, Thoren."
"But.. wait," Thoren objects.
"What is it?" Pearl loosens the hug and looks and him.
"Look," he points behind and to Pearl's right, "Isn't there a full moon out, tonight?"
She glances behind her, and notices the shafts of moonlight filtering through the nearby window. "Oh. Looks like there is. Hmm…" Pearl thinks for a moment, but sighs in the end. "Alright, but I'll be carrying you to the window."
Thoren nods in agreement, and allows Pearl to lift him by his back and legs. She carries on at a slow pace to induce as little pain as possible. Like everything else she does, it is a carefully planned and executed series of moves. Not a single unit of energy goes to waste, nor is there any unnecessary pain as she carries the boy with her towards one of the large panes of the room-high window. Carefully, Pearl places both herself and Thoren directly in front of the glass; the boy seated comfortably among the Gem's crossed legs. Both would gaze out into the distance, and what they see makes short work of stealing their breath, and their words.
The slight tint of the window accents the moonlight as the two set their eyes high into the stars. The ruler among them being the brilliant full moon. It graces the ever expanding ocean in the distance as its light sparkles from the endless ripples that travel along the saline surface. Such a view brings the impression of an expert painter that has created the universe's one and only moving image among their canvas. Just taking in the view gives both Thoren and Pearl all they need to forget everything that's horrible in life, if only for a precious moment.
"It's beautiful…" Pearl comments.
"Yeah… that's why I never miss a full moon," Thoren smiles.
"I can't tell you how much I love this planet, even Rose," Pearl sighs, "She loved it… to where she fought tooth and claw to protect it. Just like you did."
"Is that right?" Thoren's eyes trail from the moon to the distant ocean. "Are you sure we fought for the same things?"
"What do you mean?" Pearl looks down at him.
"I mean.." Thoren grows somber, "Really, I was more scared of losing you.. and Amethyst, and Garnet. I wanted to save you guys… more than anything else." He looks back up at Pearl with a worried look in his eye. "...Is that bad?"
For a split second, she finds herself frozen at his reply, but it wouldn't take long for a look of understanding accompanying her smile at him. Then, she wraps her arms around his front and holds him to the center of her chest.
"...Not at all."
A/N: And that does it for this first episode from a new, fresh perspective! I really enjoyed writing this, and look forward to posting more episodes in the future for your entertainment!
But first, I would like to pose a few questions before I even consider posting anything more: for one, do you see yourself reading more of this? Why or why not? If the reading wasn't the greatest for you, then what could I do better at? What do you think of Thoren? From what you've seen so far, do you think he's a good character?
I want to know all of the thoughts! Even if it's just one to two lines, or even just one word, I look forward to any and all feedback! That and I can't tell you how much I appreciate that you've taken the time out of your day to read this at all! Whether or not you could bear to make it this far, whether you love this or hate this, whether you couldn't be bothered to finish this monstrous wall of text... Thank you for reading! All I can ever hope for is that you at least got something out of it!