Chapter 21: Turning Tides
"Girls! I'm glad you're back!" Rose exclaimed rushing down the spire.
"Something very bad is happening, Flourite has taken something he should have never touched!" Imperial Topaz growled.
"Wait, what do you mean?" Pearl asked.
"He fused with a gray gem monster, now he has the power of two," Emerald added.
"He's planning an attack on the spire, we must prepare for battle," Garnet stated.
"Wow this is a lot to take in..." Citrine confessed.
Her head was still spinning from a couple minutes ago.
"Gems this may be the hardest battle we will ever fight," Garnet added.
"This is why we need every gem at peak performance," Rose explained.
The gems saluted and took off in different directions. Before Citrine could hop up the spire, Garnet grabs her by her arm.
"Citrine... Everything alright?" Garnet asked in a concerned tone.
"Yea, of course Garnet," Citrine lied, pulling off a false smile.
Garnet stared her cousin down, taking off her glasses and locking eyes with her cousin.
"We're going to my room, now," Garnet ordered by dragging Citrine off.
"Garnet I'm fine really, let me go!" Citrine begged.
Garnet ignored Citrine's pleads and threw her into her red room. Garnet raised two lava seats from the ground.
"Sit," the red gem ordered.
"But Garnet-"
"Citrine, sit,"
Citrine sat down and twirled her thumbs, avoiding eye contact with her cousin.
"It's almost like every time I send you on your own, you do something, or come back acting strange,"
"Garnet...," "You know how much I worry about you Citrine, I don't want to loose you..."
"I know Garnet, "
"Can I trust you to be ready to fight? "
"Yes..."
"Citrine before I even got the eye, I could tell when you lie,"
Citrine blushed, and shifted uncomfortable in her seat.
"Since you don't seem ready to fight, I'm placing you in camp, with Turquoise and her group,"
"But Garnet-"
"No buts this time Citrine, I'm not sending an unfocused gem into battle," "Can't I just go in as a fusion again?"
"No, you and Pearl almost died last time,"
"Ughhhhhhhh," Citrine groaned.
"I'm doing this for your own good Citrine,"
"Can I go now,"
"Yes, go get ready Citrine,"
Citrine sulked out of Garnet's room, into the fountain room where gems were socializing.
"Hey Citrine, ready for battle?" Amethyst asked.
"No, I'm not even fighting..." Citrine mumbled. "What? Why!" Pearl panicked.
"Garnet won't let me," Citrine complained.
"At least you'll be with Emerald, " Amethyst suggested.
"What's wrong with her?"
"Rose doesn't think she's at 100% after she was captured.
"Makes sense I guess,"
"Gems downstairs! Rose wants us to meet up!" Imperial Topaz called.
The officers took off into the gem stadium. Since war broke out, many seats that were usually filled, are empty due to deaths or injury. In the arena, Rose and Garnet stood, wearing full battle armor. "Today, Ladies of the Spire we choose our destiny!" Rose called out.
"Today, we won't let our dear gems Blue and Jade die in vain!" Garnet added.
"Today, we will win the fight to keep our home! Who's with us?!" The Generals called in unison.
The stadium erupted in angry battle cries, as Garnet and Rose mounted their horses.
"Gems, move out!" Garnet yelled.
The Lunar Guardians emerged from the warp pad, to see a war torn landscape. Foxholes surrounded by barbwire lay in the distance. The stench of dead humans flew up the noses of the gems, causing them to cringe.
"I guess the humans have been here already," Emerald whispered to Citrine.
She ignored the comment, and hugged her horse's neck.
"No matter gems, we can take anything, anyone wants to throw at us," Rose assured.
Garnet nodded in agreement.
This time when the gems deployed, they built camp in a circle around Turquoise's tent.
The officers gathered on the far side of camp, in their shared rooms.
" Sunstone and his warriors are about a mile away from us, and heavily guarded," Rose explained. " Any plans on getting in?" Garnet asked.
"Well, one of us can distract their military, while the rest of us go in and defeat Flourite," Emerald suggested.
"Good idea, but who will be the one to distract them?" Pearl asked.
"I will," Garnet volunteered.
"Garnet it's to dangerous! " Citrine gasped.
"While you're drawing their fire, I'll lead everyone else in, and take out Flourite, " Rose decided.
All the gems nodded in agreement, except for Citrine. Not only was she not allowed on the front lines, she could loose her cousin too. The officers took off to the troops to give them the battle plan, while Garnet got her horse ready. Citrine meekly walked up behind Garnet.
"Ahh...Garnet?" Citrine asked.
"Yeah?" she answered.
"Do you really want to go through with this?"
Garnet sighed and placed her hand on Citrine's shoulder.
"Yes, they'll only pay attention to a high ranking officer Citrine, you and I both know that, "
"I don't want you to get hurt, I mean, your taking on a whole army Garnet!"
"I've done bigger things than that Citrine," "Yeah? Like what?"
"Taking care of you after what happened to grandma,"
Citrine went silent.
"I know you don't want me to go out there, but it has to be done Citrine, I'm the chosen one, I at least have a chance,"
"If anything bad happens?"
"You, Turquoise and Emerald can come up with something, I trust you,"
Citrine's stomach sank at that last comment.
"We're moving out gems!" Rose called.
"I'll be careful Citrine, okay?" Garnet assured. "Okay," Citrine answered.
Garnet leaned down and pulled her cousin into one final hug before battle.
"Stay strong little cousin," Garnet whispered.
"I will, I promise,"
Garnet mounted her horse, and rode off with Rose, into the dark fog.