Hey everyone, how is everyone doing? I hope your all doing well and healthy, considering the current world issue I really hope that that's the case.
Also I'd like to thank everyone who tries to keep in touch with me, I'll try to keep up with your messages but considering how busy I am that's gonna be kinda difficult.
well anyways, enjoy the chapter and be carefull.
~FrienziedAuthor
As Matthew collapsed under the weight of his own mortality, both Garnet and Amethyst caught him as his legs buckled.
"Matthew!" Steven worryingly cried, looking up to the now hyperventilating Matthew, his eyes darting back and forth as though he was looking for some answer, some reason as to why he's still here.
As he kept on taking in quick shallow breaths both Garnet and Amethyst guided him back to the couch, but as they did so each gem noticed the shaking in his arms, as fear took hold and causing vibrations through his entire body.
But as soon as both gems got him to take a seat on the couch and both of them took a small step back, giving Matthew some air to breath he immediately clenched his hands and look onwards to the middle distance, his empty gaze giving away his fear and worry.
After a moment of steady breathing and allowing himself to take in what had happened the shaking lessened, while still visibly shaking Matthew clenched his eyelids shut as he took in a deep breath before letting out a slow calming exhale.
Opening his eyes he looked down to the floor, opening his hands he slowly closed them again before he gave himself a glancing look towards his leg.
Silently adjusting his sights he looked upward to his arm before letting out a questioning stare.
"What happened?" Matthew questioned with a low monotone voice, his question causing Steven to try answer his question but was left stammering for some kind of truth.
As everyone in the room were left speechless Pearl looked to Steven and then Matthew, trying just as hard as Steven to find some answer, but as not a single answer was put forward Matthew was left to sit quietly as he dealt with his inner mortality, sitting there cold, frightened, and wet.
Then with a thoughtful gesture Pearl raised her hand up to Matthew's shoulder to give some semblance of support, her hand began to lightly tingle just as soon as Matthew looked up from his stupor with genuine surprise and looked to Pearl with a thankful smile.
As Pearl with wide eyes looked to Matthew, his own expression began to match her own as she pulled her hand away from his shoulder and looked at her palm.
"That's it!" She shouted and stood up with newfound vigor.
"The Pool!" Looking around to each Gem and then to Matthew, she lifted her palm up for everyone else to see what was happening.
As the small scratches on her hand began to shine lightly and the minor wounds began to disappear each Gem looking on understood what had happened, but even as all this was happening Matthew was still left clueless as to what was happening.
"Wait, what's happening? What does the Pool have to do with any of this?" Looking up to each Gem as he sat there Matthew was met with ecstatic looks as everyone around him knew what had happened, the knowledge that Matthew was going to be okay giving them a deep feeling of relief.
"Well you see Matthew." Pearl sat down next to Matthew, looking for the best way to explain the magical properties the pool held and the effects it has on humans and Gems alike.
"The pool fixed you right up!" Steven shouted with excitement as he interrupted Pearl, the tall Gem jumping back just a bit as he did so.
"It's the whole reason we went through all that fighting! The pool is filled with my moms magical tears." Looking down to his small friend Matthew was still confused as how any of this could make any sense, but from what had happened earlier today and how he's still here with the Gems, well and alive, he didn't give it too much thought.
"Magic tears?" Looking down to Steven and receiving an excited nod Matthew continued.
"That the pool was filled with?" Steven energetically nods again.
"That healed all of my injuries?" Another flurry of nods continues.
As Matthew kept on looking at Steven in deep thought a hand softly placed on his shoulder. Looking to his side he saw Pearl who still held her wounds sitting next to him with a supportive smile, seeing this his eyes widened as he looked back to Steven who by this point was still looking at him with cheeriness looked lightly ruffled.
"Wait..." He said looking between both Steven and Pearl, his voice becoming very uncertain and shaken, he looked to each of them with a deep seated question in mind.
"What happened while I was in the pool?" Looking over to Pearl and giving her a pained glance at her injuries, the thought that he couldn't do anything in those precious moments left him uneasy.
As Pearl looked on to his pained expression her face fell into a pained sense of panic as he fell silent not knowing how to respond to his question.
"How bad was it?" He asked again, his personal sense of safety and the dread of his mortality disappearing at the thought that both her and Steven were in danger.
As an uneasy silence fell over the room and Pearl sat mimicking the same silence Matthew held it was Steven that spoke up catching the attention of everyone.
"It was really bad." He said simply, looking at Matthew with a strange smile, just the straight forward answer was enough to confuse Matthew, so much that even the expected pain that Matthew was readying himself for didn't flare up at all.
"When you fell into the pool Pearl was cornered, she couldn't do anything but try and get out of the way." As he said this Stevens eyes fell slightly, looking downwards just for a moment.
"Then she got caught and got hurt, I tried my best to protect her with my bubble, but the horse just wouldn't stop attacking us." As the room fell silent, for that very moment Matthews shoulders fell as he felt a sting in his heart, the thought that all of this was because of him. Knowing now that the he was at fault for the state that Pearl sat in made him lose what confidence he felt for himself.
"But..." Steven spoke up, Matthew's eyes darting back up looking to Steven as a smile left him confused and speechless.
"You saved us both." Hearing this Matthew was taken back, the thought that he could have done anything meaningful in that fight felt impossible to him.
He immediately thought back to the day he was left to just run away in terror from a fire breathing lizard, during that same day he saw everyone else in this room doing astonishing feats of strength and speed. On how he could barely muster up the will to simply shout out to them.
Then to last night, when he couldn't even keep Kiki safe, on how he couldn't even keep himself from getting hurt. The thought that if the Gems didn't get there when they did caused a cold shiver to creep down his spine.
"I'm glad that you both are safe, I really am, but..." Looking down to his hands as he tried push his thoughts forward he clasped his hands strongly together.
"What happens if neither of us are there for another, what would have happened last night if you were just a single second late...I doubt I would even be here honestly." Hearing this each Gem winced back at Matthew's words.
"Even for today, if I wasn't there would Pearl and Steven be safe?" He said with an exhausted voice, not letting his sights fall away from his hands as slowly the grip he held on them began to loosen.
"If I were to meet one of those things again and none of you were around..." his hand finally letting go of each other as a single hand was being raised up to the back of his neck he began to scratch it uncomfortably.
"I'd like a way to defend myself honestly." Even as he said so he looked up with a half cocked smile that made it very apparent how uncomfortable this request made him.
"You mean defend yourself an in..." Pearl trailed off, the sudden request slowly dawning on the Gem.
"I keep thinking on how I'm always around when something bad happens, and how I can't do much of anything to help. But then I remembered what you told me earlier today, on how your training someone else to fight against monsters." Letting out a deep sigh and standing up Matthew looked down to Pearl as she sat there on the now damp couch.
"I'd like to learn how to protect myself and those who can't do that for themselves." As he stood there with his fist clenched, as he stood there with a newfound drive to move him forward Pearl couldn't help but look up to Matthew speechless.
"So if you wouldn't mind." Matthew said as he looked down to an awestruck Pearl.
"I'd like to be trained by you, to help protect the defenceless!" Matthew shouted out with selfless determination, seeing this every other Gem looked on to the situation unraveling in front of them.
The silent and patient Gems waited for Pearl to say something, either a yes or a no and they would have their answer. Each Gem watched with held breathes, except for one. As Garnet stood behind both Steven and Amethyst no one else in the room could notice a smile being worn with pride and joy.
As Pearl sat there leaving Matthew waiting anxiously as the silence kept him on edge at the thought of being told no, the burning sensation of courage slowly being drowned away as each second crept by.
"Oh Matthew..." Pearl trailed off softly, her face falling into a soft gaze as Pearl briefly grew silent.
"Of course!" She cheered loudly, quickly standing to attention and clapping her hands together she looked to Matthew with pride as she smiled.
"R-really?" Matthew asked out of pure disbelief as Pearl stood in front of him, to him this request was far beyond what anything he could do but the thought that he could do something, anything, left him stuttering for words.
"After seeing your selflessness time after time, tragically yet heroically taking injury after injury I was thinking the very same thing for some time now."
"H-hold on for a moment, what do you mean for some time? You actually think I could be trained, that I could actually be useful?" Matthew asked as for a moment he began to choke up, quickly stifling it he looked Pearl in the eyes and saw that indeed, she did mean everything she just said.
"Also," Garnet spoke up catching both Matthew's and Pearl attention, "I feel as though that with the rest of us, including myself, have been thinking the same thing for some time now." After hearing this, the fact that even after everything that had happened, how time after time in Matthew's head no matter how much he himself thought he had messed up or got in the way of everyone else he was still helping in some way, Matthew began to tear up.
Looking around to everyone else that stood in the room with him Matthew couldn't help but see that Steven, Amethyst and Pearl were giving a confirming smile. The three of them showing that he must have done something right by them, the weight of self imposed guilt being lifted as several minor tears fell down his cheeks.
"Oh geez..." Matthew said as he reached up to wipe the very few yet strong tears away, doing so he quickly pulled himself together from his emotional stupor before speaking up.
"Alright then, when do we start?" Matthew asked with newfound confidence.
"Well considering the suddenness of the situation and your readily apparent eagerness, tomorrow would be the perfect time to start if that's alright with you?" Pearl chimed in quickly, leaving Matthew surprised and excited at just how fast everything was moving.
"Yeah! That way you'll be able to finally meet Connie, she'll be really happy to have a training partner!" Steven excitedly danced at the thought that two of his friends would finally meet, that they'd both be working together and getting stronger.
"You two are going to become best friends, I know it!"
Looking down to Steven and giving a full smile at how excited his younger friend was getting Matthew let out a hearty chuckle before giving himself a quick look over.
"Yeah, I'm pretty sure that since she's a friend of yours she must be a nice person." Hearing this Steven quickly nodded his head in agreement.
"But that's all going to have to wait for tomorrow, I really need to switch out of these clothes and give myself a good wash." Looking down to his tattered clothes Matthew gestured and simply shown how many holes and tears littered them was somewhat shocking for both him and everyone else in the room.
"Ohh yes, of course, we wouldn't want to start your training off in such, 'thrifty' apparel." Pearl said as she was taken back at finally realizing the state that her new pupil's clothes were in.
After showing off and chuckling causally at the condition his clothes were he began to grow quiet as he began to feel quite uneasy.
Looking around to every other Gem in the room Matthew let out a relieving sigh, knowing that he would definitely have to throw away his current attire he was thankful that the only thing that was torn to shreds were these instead of himself.
"Okay, I really should be heading back home, tomorrow's going to be a big after all." Matthew said aloud as he placed his gaze squarely on Pearl before bowing his head down in respect.
"For everything you've done for me, and everything that's to come, I'd like to thank all of you." Matthew said aloud before standing straight up, his face weakly straining with nervousness.
"Aww Matty, you don't need to be like that, your cool in our books already." Amethyst spoke up as she walked up to Matthew and giving him a light punch on the arm.
Being slightly pushed back at how strong her punch was Matthew was surprised at just how strong Amethyst was, but after thinking on tomorrow, Matthew knew that all the training that was to come would be worth it.
"Okay Amethyst, I'll try be more 'cool' next time." Matthew said playfully, after hearing this Amethyst was taken aback at Matthew's response before erupting into a cheerful laugh.
As Amethyst began to laugh Steven followed suit, hearing this Matthew began to feel the urge to laugh along with the two before finally doing so with Pearl and Garnet falling behind him at the same time.
"Well then, I guess I should actually get going now. See you all tomorrow." Matthew said his farewell as he began to move towards the door, but as he took the first few steps forwards Steven called out to him.
"Wait! Your forgetting something!" As he heard this Matthew swung around to see Steven quickly pacing forward carrying his glasses.
As Steven made his way to his tall friend he held the pair of glasses forward for Matthew to take, seeing this however left Matthew a little confused and concerned. Looking to Steven and then to the tree Gems that stood just several feet further in the house he could have sworn that he was already wearing them.
"Oh, thanks a lot Steven, I could have sworn I was still wearing these." He chuckled lightly at how he could have forgot such an important piece of himself.
Looking down to them Matthew saw surprisingly no scratches were made on the lenses, but several rough patches could easily be seen along the frame.
"Well then, goodbye everyone." Matthew said once more giving everyone a wave as he opened and walked out the door.
"Bye Matthew!"
"See you later Matty!"
"Until next time."
"Training starts at noon!"
Hearing everyone else say their farewells Matthew let out a wide grin before saying one more 'goodbye' as the door closed behind him.
Letting out a thankful sigh Matthew continued down the stairs and dirt path until he met the clear sandy beach. Looking around Matthew saw the sun hanging low as though in a few minutes the deep orange hue of the sunset would sweep over Beach City, this all gave Matthew a good idea on just how long Matthew had been away.
As he began to make his way down the beach Matthew was confused, staring down to his glasses he let out a concerned hum as he continued on with ever putting them back on.