Chiro threw his fist as hard as he could only for Ametrine to block it with little effort.
"How was that?" Chiro asked. He and Ametrine stood in an open room deep within the temple, one covered with cracks and damage from what Chiro could only assume were training sessions between the Gems.
"Well, for one, your stance could use some work," Ametrine replied.
"What do you…" Chiro couldn't even finish his thought before he felt his body briefly spinning into the air before landing on his face. Ametrine had swept her leg underneath him in that short moment, knocking him off balance easily.
"Ouch…" Chiro stood back up as he rubbed his forehead.
"Oh, sorry," Ametrine said, helping Chiro to his feet. "I forgot humans aren't as tough as gems."
Obsidian walked into the room with an air of tranquility around him. "Ah, here you are Chiro. I see you've been training."
"Yeah, I thought I'd teach him a few things," Ametrine interjected. "If he's going to be a part of the team, he has to know how to defend himself."
"What am I defending myself from again?" Chiro asked, rubbing his head.
"Uhh… Well, there are monsters all around the forest for one," Ametrine replied hesitantly. "We usually send someone on patrol every day so they don't sneak into the city. Maybe I'll take you someday?"
"Why not today?" Chiro asked.
"I don't know if you're ready for that quite yet, Chiro," Obsidian responded. "You still have much to learn."
"Obsidian's right," Ametrine agreed, patting Chiro's head. "Besides, isn't it Spinel's turn today?"
"Come on!" Chiro clenched his fists in determination. "I can handle it!"
"I don't know…" Ametrine said nervously.
"I suppose it would be informative," Obsidian said to Ametrine's surprise.
"Are you sure?" Ametrine asked. "I'm not sure Spinel can handle something like this."
"It would be safer if another gem accompanied them. You have no scheduled missions today. Would you be willing to volunteer, Ametrine?"
"Me? I mean, I guess," Ametrine shrugged. "I don't really have anything better to do."
Chiro pulled in one of his fists to show his victory. "Yes!"
"Calm down, Chiro," Ametrine said with a chuckle. "It's only a patrol."
Chiro, Ametrine, and Spinel walked through the forest, Chiro a bit more excitedly than the others. He jumped from spot to spot, displaying a new battle pose each time.
"Bring it on, monsters!" he declared.
"Whoa, calm down there kid," Spinel said as he patted Chiro's head. "We'll be taking on the monsters."
"Aww man…" Chiro moped as he kicked a nearby rock into a bush, seemingly creating a thud louder than one would expect from such a small impact. "What did I hit?" Before Chiro could walk to the bush to investigate, Spinel's arm flew in front of his face.
"Hold on," Spinel commanded. He and Ametrine looked around them warily as the thuds continued. Chiro nervously did the same, not knowing what he was looking for.
Several more thuds sounded through the forest. Spinel and Ametrine both turned to one direction as the thuds stopped, replaced by a frequent series of duller thumps gradually growing louder with time.
It wasn't long before the sound of the noise revealed itself. A crimson beast charged the trio as Ametrine and Spinel leaped to the side, Spinel dragging Chiro with him. The creature rammed into a tree creating the familiar thud from before, though this time much louder.
"Spinel!" Ametrine shouted. "Take care of Chiro. I'll take out this one!"
"Hey! I want to help!" Chrio objected before being pulled back by Spinel.
"Don't worry, kid," Spinel said as he sat down and leaned against a tree. "She can handle this. Just watch."
Chiro nodded and sat next to Spinel as Ametrine and the monster stared each other down.
The monster was one of the strangest things Chiro had ever seen. It almost resembled a half-sized rhinoceros, but he had never heard of one with such red skin before. In place of its horn was a bony square-shaped plate reminiscent of those seen on the Triceratops in his school books. On it's back was a red circular stone that shimmered.
The creature snorted steam as it dragged its foreleg on the ground repeatedly before charging Ametrine. She grabbed it's strange head plate and struggled to keep it from advancing, eventually twisting it onto the ground. The effort was wasted, however, as the beast returned to its feet angrier than before, once again dragging its foot.
Ametrine closed her eyes and raised her leg, summoning what appeared to be a cloud of light around it. The cloud had enveloped her right foot and lower leg, taking the shape of her lower leg if a bit thicker. Only a moment had passed when the light shattered like glass, revealing a boot bearing Ametrine's color scheme.
The beast charged again, this time finding itself in the middle of a roundhouse kick. The force of the boot-amplified blow sent it flying through a nearby tree. Despite the strength shown against it, the monster refused to surrender, standing up once more.
"Tough one, aren't you?" Ametrine said with a grin. She raised her armored leg into the air, dropping it to the ground while shouting "Lady Tomahawk!" The earth cracked beneath, creating an upheaval of stone between her and the monster. The impact seemed to be more than enough to obliterate it as it poofed into a puff of smoke, only the sparkling stone on its back remaining.
Ametrine picked up the stray stone and created a yellow bubble around it before tapping the top, causing it to vanish.
"Awesome!" Chiro cheered as he dashed to Ametrine. "You can make a boot?! How does it work?!"
Ametrine blushed, clearly not used to the praise. "It's nothing, really!"
"Just wait until you see mine," Spinel added.
"You can make a boot, too?" Chiro questioned, prompting a laugh from Ametrine.
"No… I mean..." Spinel tried to explain, Ametrine snickering at his frustration as she walked to the rubble. "Listen, kid. It'd probably be better if I just showed you."
"Yeah, please!" Chiro begged.
"Maybe later," Spinel teased, much to Chiro's dismay. "Don't want to spoil the surprise, after all."
The trio continued their patrol through the forest, Spinel walking backward in front of Ametrine. "So, how about you and me go explore the forest together after this?" he flirtatiously asked her.
"No thanks," Ametrine bluntly responded.
"Come on, you know you want to!" he replied. "After all, who wouldn't want to spend a night out with a handsome gem like me?"
"Don't flatter yourself," Ametrine dismissed as she pushed him out of her line of sight.
The awkward conversation was interrupted by an energy bolt flying past their heads. Chiro, Spinel, and Ametrine turned to see a comically proportioned wasp with four wings perched on a nearby tree. Atop its two thin, arm-like appendages stood sharp silvery stingers.
"Alright! Now you have to show me your thing!"
Spinel gave a small chuckle in response. "I guess this one's mine. Hey, Ametrine. Do me a favor and keep the kid safe."
"Come on, Chiro," Ametrine said, ushering Chiro to a safe watching place. "Let's get out of his way."
The bee shot another energy bolt from one of its stinger arms at Spinel, who rolled out of the way. Still kneeling, he placed his left hand over the back of his right where his gem lied, positioning it as if gripping an invisible handle. His gem began to glow like Ametrines, this time the light filling his hand. He pulled on the light, extending it into a rope-like shape until it cut off after it had grown about eight feet in length. The light faded away, leaving being what appeared to be a three section whip. Each blocky handle appeared to be made of some sort of metal emblazoned with a red stripe reminiscent of a stereotypical magnet, while their cords appeared to be thick wires. Electrical energy visibly surged around the wire, leaping erratically until slowly calming down.
"Whoa…" Chiro marveled from his spot in the nearby bushes. Meanwhile, Ametrine was merely rolling her eyes as if to say, "Please."
Another bolt was fired from one of the bee's stingers, but this one was dodged as easily as the last. Spinel flung the whip towards the bee, launching a stream of electricity from it. The bee promptly dashed off into the sky before firing its energy bolts at a faster pace.
Spinel continued to fling his whips at the bee, launching narrow bolts of electricity in the process, while dodging its attacks. After several seconds, one of the electrical streams grazed one of the bee's wings, but it remained in the air, flying around erratically due to the shift in balance.
Spinel grabbed the opposite end with his free hand, swinging the weapon until the middle section split apart, leaving two identical whips with two handles each. A grin crossed his face as he swung both of the now separate whips into the air, knowing he had a faithful audience. The whips rigidified into rods as a ball of crimson electricity generated between their ends. Spinel swung the rods, launching the ball at the monster. "Magna Tingler Blast!"
The bee exploded into smoke like the rhino-like beast before it, also leaving behind a stone. This one, however, was yellow and rectangular. Spinel picked it up and walked back to his companions.
"So what do you think, kid?" Spinel said as he turned to his companions.
"So… coooool…" Chiro's eyes were practically filled with a sky of stars.
"Told you it was great," Spinel gloated.
"Oh, brother," Ametrine added.
"What's that?" Chiro asked, eyeing the crystal in Spinel's hand.
"It's… uhh…" Ametrine found herself lost for words as she tapped the top of the bubble, causing it to vanish.
"It's the monster's core," Spinel interjected. "We just gotta get them once we beat the monster. Let's just say it's a prize."
"Spinel!" Ametrine scolded, apparently insulted.
"What? Do you have a better explanation?" Spinel asked cheekily, bubbling the stone and sending it away.
"I… We have to get going," she said, silently admitting defeat. "Our patrol isn't done yet." She began walking away, still a bit annoyed.
"What's with her?" Chiro asked.
"Don't worry about it, kid." Spinel answered.
The next few minutes of the patrol consisted of a strange mix of enthusiasm from Chiro and the awkward silence between Ametrine and Spinel.
Instead of walking, Chiro had chosen to repeatedly leap forward dramatically, ending up in a different pose each time. The recent excitement has certainly gotten to him, but there was only one thing on his mind now. "So… I should be able to make a weapon, too, right?"
Whether it was the abrupt break of the silence or the nature of the question itself, the remark seemed to startle Ametrine. "What?"
"I have a gem, right? Shouldn't I be able to make one?"
"I don't know…" Ametrine started to say before Spinel interrupted her.
"Sure, kid. I don't see why not."
Ametrine stopped herself from throwing in a retort, still a little annoyed from earlier. Chiro no longer seemed to notice, too caught up in his fantasies.
"I could have a sword… or an ax… or… or… I know! A helmet that shoots lasers! Just like Super Quasar!"
"Who?" Ametrine asked. Meanwhile, Spinel whistled as they walked, completely uninterested.
"Super Quasar," Chiro stated as if it was obvious. "Wait, don't tell me you've never seen Sun Riders!"
"I have no idea what you're talking about," Ametrine answered. The trivial conversation seemed to lighten her mood a bit.
"We're gonna have to fix that. You guys have a TV at the temple, right?"
"What's a… TV?" Ametrine said.
"Wow… You guys don't get out much," Chiro observed.
A stomping sound interrupted the discussion, putting Ametrine and Spinel on edge. Another creature leaped out at the trio, this one appearing to be a giant mutated squirrel. It towered over its targets, easily being the size of a truck. It snarled and roared, a sight befitting the appearance it shared with much smaller and more docile animals.
"Another one?" Spinel commented.
"What's wrong? Aren't we supposed to be finding monsters?" Chiro asked.
"Yeah, but this many don't usually show up," Ametrine explained.
"Looks like it's a busy day, kid!" Spinel shouted, summoning his whips and swinging them at the beast.
Despite receiving an electric shock from Spinel's attack, the monster seemed completely unaffected, more annoyed than anything else. It grabbed Spinel with its long prehensile tail, throwing him into a nearby tree.
"Spinel!" Chiro shouted as he ran to check on him.
"Don't worry, kid," Spinel said as he rose to his feet. "It'll take more than that to keep me down."
Meanwhile, Ametrine had already summoned her boot, driving it into the monster's side with a roundhouse kick. Her attack proved to be nearly as ineffective as Spinel's, however, knocking it only a few inches to the side. With a single heavily muscled arm, the beast grabbed her leg and threw her as well.
"Looks like we've got our work cut out for us this time, huh, Ametrine?" Spinel jibed.
"Please," Ametrine replied as she dusted herself off. "I'm just getting started!"
Ametrine charged in with Spinel close behind, the former attempting to grapple the monster as the latter tried to flank so as to attack from behind. Unfortunately, despite her strength, Ametrine was overpowered and wildly tossed to the side. Spinel could only look on with a frustrated sigh, rolling his eyes a mere moment before she slammed into him and they both went flying.
As the gems tried to compose themselves, the monster bellowed an enormous roar, dislodging nearby birds from the trees as they flew away in terror.
I gotta do something, Chiro thought to himself. "Over here, you overgrown rodent!" When the beast turned to him with a primal rage in its eyes, Chiro raised his hands to either side of his head in an attempt to mimic his television hero. "Solar Helmet Hot Shot!"
The air around the scene became quiet for a moment as if the world itself was waiting for something truly incredible… But nothing happened.
Chiro looked at the monster in confusion, genuinely convinced his foolish idea would work. He slowly backed away as he realized the severity of his situation, watching as the monster raised its arm and mercilessly swung it at Chiro. Chiro leaped back and tried to come up with something.
"Okay… So I don't have a helmet…Maybe I have a blaster like Aurora Six!" Chiro held out his hands as if he was holding an invisible firearm. "Sun Gun Dazzle Stun!"
Again, nothing happened other than the monster becoming more annoyed. It leaped towards Chiro with enough force, nearly landing on top of him.
"Maybe… uhh… super gloves?" He held his hands out once more, this time facing his palms towards the beast. "Black Hole Barrage!" This attempt proved to be as futile as the previous. "Alright, I got nothing…" he nervously chuckled.
Chrio rose to his feet and dashed away, trying to distance himself from the creature. He only stopped and turned around when he heard the voices of his friends behind him.
"Lady Tomahawk!"
"Magna-Ball Blazer!"
The ground cracked underneath the beast, swallowing it like an enormous maw. Trapped in the rubble, the monster found itself powerless to an incoming ball of magnetic energy. Chiro's vision of it was replaced by a massive explosion, the beast disappearing when the smoke had cleared. All Chiro could see come out of the rubble was an ordinary squirrel, hopping out of the rocks and escaping into the forest.
"Chiro! Are you okay?" Ametrine rushed to Chiro, looking at him from every angle possible in search of damage.
"I'm fine…" he sighed. While he may not have been physically hurt, the realization of his mistake and his failure to summon a weapon had disheartened him.
"Hey, Ametrine," Spinel called. He was looking at the rubble, struggling to move the rocks. "Give me some help over here."
Ametrine and Spinel proceeded to clear the debris, searching for the monster's core. Instead of finding it, however, they found what appeared to be a tiny puddle of pitch black mud.
"Wait, where's the, uh…. core?" Ametrine asked.
"You sure you didn't throw it with the rest of the rocks?" Spinel jibbed.
"What? No!" Ametrine defensively shouted.
"Uhh… Guys," Chiro interrupted, looking at his phone. "It's getting kind of late. I have to make sure I get home before my mom gets mad."
"Let's take the kid home, Ametrine. We can come back and find it later."
Ametrine gave a sigh of acceptance. "Let's go, Chiro."
As the trio walked away, the black mud began to move on its own. It slowly oozed away until it found a small crack in the ground, sinking in and falling into a cave. It continued its way through the murky cavern, occasionally falling into pits and falling deeper into the depths.
Eventually, it fell once more, but instead of landing on a cold rock, it found itself in the clutches of an unusually bony hand.
The owner of that hand cackled, speaking with a raspy and menacing voice. "The first test was a success… It won't be long now until I'm free from this prison. Then Shuggazoom will feel my wrath!" Maniacal laughter echoed through the caverns, signaling the coming of something dark and truly evil.