"You are supposed to hit with the thin sharp edge, not the flat and wide side." The thin Jasper spoke, still holding onto the sword Pearl was not letting go of, clenched as if her gem depended on it.
No.
As if her diamond gem depended on it.
Her fingers twitching her hold on the handle of the sword becoming tighter. She could feel the handle shape against her palm, not laying perfectly in her grip. It didn't matter.
She attempted to push the sword down even if the thin Jasper was holding onto it. It didn't work, she had no strength. She was a pearl.
A pretty pearl.
Still only a pearl.
The Jasper hummed at her attempt. The soldier must have felt her trying to push against her grip.
"Your stance is all wrong. "The thin Jasper commented, her eyes wandering over Pearl, lingering on her legs and arms." And your hands are not holding the sword at all correctly."
"Why do you care! " Pearl yelled, her own voice echoing till it was unrecognizable in the caves of the kindergarten. Breaking up the all present silence.
The thin Jasper blinked lowering the hand with which she caught the sword, forcing Pearl to follow the movement. Neither let go of the sword.
"Easy there, Renegade. " The thin Jasper turned slightly around, to show Pearl her shoulder blade. RIght there was the thin Jasper gem. In the darkness, the colour looked dim... yet it wasn't what caught her attention. The gem was cracked. Pearl was watching the Jasper heavily cracked gem.
"You are supposed to be shattered with such a damage present. Or re-proposed at the very least." Pearl commented calmly, causing the Jasper to roll her eyes.
"And I am sure a diamond pearl is supposed to look pretty and be by their diamond side." The Jasper glitched and Pearl falls back on her back as her sword was finally let go off. Her face feeling hot.
"So... why ya doing this?" The Jasper asked and Pearl found herself standing up, dusting her dress off. Her body moving nearly on its own. Like being commanded to move in a specific way. Yet there was no order present.
Why?
Indeed why?
It is all for her happiness, right?
... Just her happiness.
"I am doing it for her." The words slipped from her lips, honest and true. The thin Jasper stayed silent, it was not needed to explain who she was. The moment felt odd still, more so as something private. Pearl wondered if it wouldn't be polite to take a neutral stance and look down on the floor. Like any Pearl would if she found herself present in a private moment of their master... Pink wasn't here. Pearls eyes stayed on the thin Jasper. Watching her as her face started to change from the neutral to something else... Something that felt dangerous.
"Hm... How about a deal?" The Jasper was now grinning, no rather smirked in near predatory fashion. Suddenly Pearl became aware the thin cracked jasper was blocking her way out the corner she was. The wall behind her only had a gem exit hole in it.
Trapped.
So this is how being trapped felt.
"...what type of deal?"
Pearl's voice was dropping in loudness, but it felt more... daring.
"Pearls are intended to store stuff and information. Like with perfect memory, right?"
Pearl nodded.
Jasper approached her.
Pearl watched as her own hands raised the sword up, turning it so the thin sharp edge was directed towards the Jasper. A warning.
The grin became even more dangerous, sending shivers down her light body. Pearl awaited the Jasper to ask her if she wanted to see in how many shards Pearl's break-in.
Another glitching.
Pearl braced herself, ready to swing down the sword once more. She didn't back away from the approaching Jasper. Standing her ground.
The other Pearl wouldn't back away either.
"I show you how to use the thing in your hands and in return you are to store my memory, and all I tell you about my life. In case I fail and finally break apart. You are to remember me and what I tell you forever! "
Pearl lowered the sword, slowly blinking. "All of them."
"Yes, I will tell you all my memories."
"Not what I meant."
Pearl blinked slowly, it was truly not what she meant. Moving the sword in just one hand she steps aside to show all the weapons she got from the rubies. All neatly laying on the ground. Moving the hand with the sword she used the sword itself to point at the weapons. "All of them for all of you."
The thin cracked Jasper whistled. "Quite greedy there Renegade."
Maybe she was.
"So do we have this deal?" Pearl questioned, while the Jasper closed her eyes to give a positive nod.
Then it happened, Jasper's hands were on her body. Surprising her completely that someone was touching her that was not her diamond. It was such a shock that she allowed Jasper to reposition her body in a proper fighting stance. The Jasper's hands were so much smaller than her diamonds. So much colder.
"Now, as you move even when you move back you have to keep your eyes on me." Pearl looked at her, clinging to the feeling of the sword hilt in her grip. It felt like a better fit when Jasper shifted the weapon in her hand.
And they moved a few step forward, a few steps back.
"Keep your balance, you fail she shatters." Step forward, step back, the sword clang with the axe Jasper picked up.
Why?
She was slammed against the wall as the Jasper surprised her with a slash of the axe, too fast compared to the previous movements. A slash out of nowhere.
Why?
She hurt.
Why?
She stood up, knees feeling weak she tried to go back in the stance she was shown.
Why?
"Keep your body lower, you are exposed." The thin Jasper said once more. Again they moved slow, practising before the slow training movements suddenly were followed by a fast attack, an attack with too much strength. With the intent to break the inexperienced trainee. Pearl stood up.
Why?
Again.
Why?
Again she was hit, thrown against the wall this time.
Why?
Again slow, hit, stand up.
Why?
Again she stood up, her own body becoming unstable. She pushed past the feeling concentrating on the Jasper.
Why?
Again taking the stance.
Why?
"Good. You have it in you. You are putting your whole body into it." The Jasper hummed and launched herself onto Pearl, axe aiming into her chest.
Her sword moved in front of herself blocking the attack. Her hands moved the sword to stop the other's weapon...
"That's the key, Renegade. Your first block!"
"Why? Why are you calling me that?" She asked as Jasper started to step slowly up and away, allowing Pearl to follow the steps. Hit left, hit right.
Again.
"That's what you are. A Renegade pearl, one that betrays her propose of cleaning and looking pretty to become someone worthy to fight for whoever you chose." The thin Jasper grinned aiming the next attack low at her legs.
Why?
A swipe at her legs she wasn't ready for, she was on the floor again. Standing up.
Why?
Another hit, landing into the side of her neck. Gasping from the force. Standing up.
Why?
Again she started to stand up, her hands and legs shook.
"Why are you down here, Jasper?"
Rumours, a belief held by run away off colours that somewhere in the kindergarten exists a way to heal even the most broken gem.
It doesn't.
"Why do you search for it if you say you know it doesn't exist?" Pearl wondered, keeping her eyes on the thin Jasper. Hit, left, hit right and block.
A swipe up tearing the sword out her grasp. Another swing towards her, she ducked hands touching the floor, fingers curled around the spear.
"I choose to believe what I want in the time left for me!"
Pearl attacked.
Something... was not right.
She hurt so much but she never felt this stable. This light, her feet dancing. Pearl was sure the number of hits should have poofed her by this point…
The thin Jasper keep giving her breaks from the harsh hits, with slow steps…
Breaks in which she healed up just enough to stay stable...
"Why are you cracked!?" She stabbed at the Jasper. Jasper thin form easily shifting to the side causing Pearl spear to miss and leave her open to the axe being slammed into her back.
Why?
Again standing up.
"My unit partner was a defected gem, she hid it well. " The voice in which the thin Jasper spoke felt heavy. She knew that type of voice. A voice holding back the sadness and loneliness. Her Pink had that voice at times. When the tears were not allowed to fall. "...for countless battles, she saved my thin ass from getting shattered on the field just as many times... I wanted her to live when she was discovered... I unlocked her cell... She never escaped, but I did. "
Left foot, right foot, moving even faster, she slipped the spear just under the axe head, tugging on it, the weapon slipped out Jasper gasp. She was so overjoyed she never saw the knee being slammed into her face.
She falls over, Pearl light form glitching, as she didn't let herself be poofed.
Why?
"...Am I defective?"
The assault stopped, how long were they at it? So much time must have passed... but she just couldn't pinpoint it how much... Pearl started to stand up, she heard the Jasper glitching.
"Nope, ya arent."
Pearl gave her a disbelieving look.
"You are doing it for her. You were build to serve, you just decide to serve her differently, Renegade." Pearl smiled. Those words felt nice.
Make her happy.
The thin Jasper told her the cuts, her and her partner cuts, helping Pearl stand up.
"... I... like it when she is happy... when I make her so happy her eyes are shining like stars." Pearl spoke, looking at her bruised hands.
The thin Jasper asked her when she planned to return to her.
Pearl told her.
"You should go then, get cleaned."
Why?
Jasper told her how much time passed. Pearl jumped. Eyes growing big, did they really been that long at it?
"Hey, Renegade, don't panic I will watch over your stuff, just come back when you can. So you can do it for her." The thin Jasper reached out grabbing the spear Pearl was using to lean onto. Gently taking it away from her. It felt... Pearl found herself already missing the weight of the object in her hand. She watched the Jasper place the spear and axe beside the other weapons sitting on the floor in front of them.
"What ya waiting for, go. Can let a diamond wait for you." The thin Jasper grinned, smirked in the same dangerous way, and Pearl nodded.
"Thank you! I will be back!" Pearl waved and run out the tunnel. On her way to return to her.