Chapter 24: The Betrayal
This is the chapter, I put the most thought into. All of the chapters lead up to this one (and the next story afterwards) All can say is... Be prepared.
The officers were finally back home.
"Ummm...Citrine? What's going on? Aren't you all suppose to be fighting?" Moonstone asked.
"Yes, but things went wrong...Really wrong," Citrine explained
"Everyone to the top of the spire!" Emerald ordered.
The surviving gems all ran to the top of the spire, and spiraled outward.
"Gems, i know, things don't looks so good now, but the spire needs us more than ever now, " Turquoise explained.
"We are the only gems, between us and our home..." Citrine added.
"Will we let our enemies trample our home?" Emerald called.
"No!" the gems replied.
"Will we let our spire fall into the hands of the solar Warriors?"
"No!"
"Then prepare for battle gems!" the remaining officers ordered.
The gems all ran down the spire guarding their posts.
"Lady Moon... I'm sorry it has to be like this..." Emerald apologized.
"It's been an honor girls," Lady Moon croaked.
"It doesn't have to be this way Lady Moon. I know a way, you can come back," Turquoise replied.
"What? How?" the others asked.
"Well, you see, I've been visiting the owl a lot lately. He said, if we simply send away the moon goddess statue, the lunar magic can be preserved, and unable to be used until back ontop of the spire. We just need to return it in about 70 years, at the full moon," Turquoise explained.
"But what if...none of us make it?" Citrine asked.
"We can send the retreated officers away on a gem ship, the solar warriors won't know, and lady moon can come back, " Emerald explained.
"I guess at this point, we really don't have a choice...," Citrine decided.
Turquoise pulled a gem shard from her pocket, and threw it in the air.
"You ready lady moon?" Turquoise asked, as a giant bird landed on top of the spire.
"Yes," she murmured.
Lady Moon retreated into the Moon goddess statue, allowing Turquoise to remove it from the pedestal. The healing water stopped flowing, and the nightshade in the spire began to wilt. Turquoise tossed the statue in the air allowing the giant bird to grab the statue, and fly off into the moonlight
"For everyone's sake, I hope you're plan works Turquoise," Citrine whispered.
"I hope so too," Turquoise added.
Citrine summoned a paper and pencil, and began to write.
Dear officers,
I regret to inform you, that after you retreated into your gems, we were forced to go back to the spire. Life... Life now, maybe no more for us, but you all can live on. There's a chance to save the spire. Turquoise has sent a bird to take away the moon goddess statue. Find the bird, defeat it, and bring It back to the spire on the full moon in 70 years. Lady Moon will then restore the spire to her former glory. I know this is a lot to take in after being away for so long, but we all trust in you, that you'll do us proud. The ladies of the spire maybe no more...just remember to carry on the legacy of us. If there's a way to bring all of us back please do!
Sincerely,
The Ladies of The Lunar Spire.
Dear Garnet,
Please, if I don't come back, keep my blanket and my giraffe, I really want you to have it, as something to remember your dear cousin by.
Love,
Citrine.
P.S. Don't be sad, I'll be up there with the boys and grandma. We'll always be with you.
By the time Citrine was done with the letters, her face was covered in tears. In the distance a smoke cloud was heading towards the spire.
"Citrine...it's time..." Emerald said as she placed a hand on her shoulder.
The yellow gem wrapped her bandana around the letter, dropped it into the blue gem ship, and watched her fellow officers ride away on gentle waves. Moonstone went to the fountain room to defend her gemstone, while Imperial Topaz stood in front of her sister's statue. The inferno came closer and closer. Citrine knew today may be the end for her, but to save the spire, she'd give up her existence 1,000 times over.
The inferno slammed right into Emerald, causing the green gem to retreat. Out of the fireball, Moss Agate emerged. Citrine quickly went over and picked up the green gem.
"Mossy, what are you doing here?" Citrine asked.
"You'll see," he cooed.
Mossy locked hands with Citrine, and gently took the Emerald from her hands. He admired it for a moments, then smashed it. Citrine stared at him in horror.
"Mossy! What-"
Before she could even get a sentence out, Mossy slammed a bottle of powder on her head, clouding her vision. Through blurry eyes, Citrine sees Ruby walk up the spire.
"Ruby...help..." Citrine gasped.
The gem just stared.
Mossy stood tall over the fallen yellow gem.
"You know Citrine, playing you was one of the easiest things I've ever done," Mossy explained as he slashed her leg.
To confused to even see, Citrine rolled on the ground.
"I mean, I show you a good time, and you immediately like me," Mossy said as he kicked her in the face.
"Why...Why this..." Citrine whispered.
"Oh you want to know why Citrine? Its cause your gem, is one of the most powerful ones in the universe. You see,my gem is useless compared to the beauty yours possess. I had to test your power, and I have to say, I wasn't wrong in the least,"
"But...I thought..."
"You thought what Citrine, that I actually loved you? Ha! See, this is what's going to make your death more fun,"
Mossy kicked Citrine in her stomach, and summoned his weapon.
"Welcome to the end Citrine, it hurts, doesn't it?"
Mossy plunged his dagger into Citrine's neck, but was stopped by her arm. He locked eyes with her, and saw the person he played leave. Her eyes, were replaced by pure rage.
"How could you!" Citrine bellowed as she pushed him off.
"I thought we were friends Mossy!" Citrine screamed as she slashed her weapon at the green gem.
"All of this... Was just a game!?" Citrine yelled as she tripped and disarmed Mossy.
"Well, look who's winning now!" Citrine straightened her hook swords into a sharp edge.
She was about to impale the traitor, when she stopped.
"I...Can't...I just can't..." she whimpered.
"You're so weak," Mossy snickered.
Behind Citrine, Ruby raised her katanas and sliced up Citrine's back. The yellow gem screamed out in agony, as more bottles were broken on her head.
"Now, I will make you suffer," Mossy whispered into Citrine's ear.
Citrine propped herself up and pulled the sunflower from her shirt.
"Oh, I'll take that back," Mossy said, snatching the flower back.
"You know all this is your fault,"
"What?"
"If it wasn't for your gem shard, our army would have never tracked you so perfectly,"
Citrine was awestruck.
Ruby went up behind Citrine, and cuffed her feet and her legs.
"You're coming with us," Ruby sneered.
Mossy picked up gem and carried down the spire. If any Lunar warriors saw, they were immediately executed by Ruby. Once they reached the fountain room, Moonstone was waiting for them.
"Drop her," she growled.
Mossy plopped Citrine on the ground, and summoned his weapon.
"You have some nerve Ruby, attacking your commanding officer, assisting the enemy," Moonstone snarled.
"I never actually went against our army, me and Mossy, just had different plans," Ruby replied smiling.
Moonstone dropped her stance.
"Wait...Mossy were's the rest of your army?"
"Dead, fireballs and gem armor killed them,"
Moonstone gave him a sympathetic look, then looked at Citrine, hand cuffed and wounded on the ground. Moonstone launched ice spikes at the two gems, while placing an ice sheild around Citrine.
"You're not leaving with her," Moonstone defiantly said.
"We'll see about that," the two gems growled in unison.
Mossy and Ruby summoned their weapons, and started the attack. Ruby charged at Moonstone and attempted to stab the moonstone. The white gem quickly summoned a ice sword, locking it with Ruby. While the two gems struggled to get an advantage, Mossy had his dagger pointed to the diamond in the statue. When Moonstone saw this, she immediately surrendered.
"Mossy stop!" she begged.
The green gem closed his eyes, and dug his dagger into the diamond, shattering it. Moonstone fell to the ground, and started to clench her gem, gasping for air. Ruby flipped Moonstone over, and stabbed her gem. She disappeared into a puff of smoke, leaving behind a broken Moonstone. The spire light stopped flowing, shrouding the place in darkness. Citrine laid injured in silence, as Mossy and Ruby entered the healing room. Behind the door, Citrine could hear the slashing metal of Turquoise's homemade weapons against Ruby's and Mossy's weapons. For the next ten minutes, all Citrine could hear, was clashing weapons and occasional screams. Then, all went silent. Ruby and Moss Agate left the healing room, covered in a rainbow of gem shards. Once they reached the statue of Blue, Imperial Topaz ambushed the gems. Before Topaz could even swing at them, Ruby smashed a bottle on Topaz's head, turning her eyes a dark blue. The brown gem shook her head and stared at Ruby.
"Sister? Is that you?" Imperial Topaz called through dazed eyes.
Mossy dropped Citrine on her knees, and grabbed a handful of Citrine's yellow locks.
"No..." Citrine whispered.
Ruby summoned her weapon, and tripped Topaz.
"Blue, its me, your sister!" Topaz cried out.
"Stop it!" Citrine screamed.
"Okay, we'll make it stop, if you tell us were your cousin and the statue went," Mossy explained.
"Citrine, there's something wrong with Blue!" Topaz screamed while running from Ruby.
The gem's heart was torn in two. If she told them what they wanted, then her cousin and the statue would be destroyed. If she didn't, Topaz would die, right in front of her. Citrine didn't respond, and shut her eyes tightly.
"So Citrine, what will it be?" Ruby asked, raising her sword for the final blow.
"Answer her!" Mossy screamed into Citrine's ear while tightening his grip on her hair.
Citrine opened her eyes to see Ruby's foot placed on Topaz's head, with her sword pointed at her back. Topaz looked over to Citrine and shook her head no. The gem took a deep breath.
"No," Citrine said.
Mossy yanked her hair backwards, until they were at eye level.
"What did you say princess?" he hissed. Citrine spat in her captor's eye.
"I said no!" she repeated.
"You know what to do Ruby," the green gem said as he placed his dagger on Citrine's shoulder blade.
Mossy slammed a bottle of liquid on Citrine's head, that absorbed into her yellow skin. Her gems turned into a dark murky green color.
"Can't have you go into your gems before the fun starts, can we?" Mossy cooed.
Ruby dug her sword into Topaz's back, making her retreat into her gem. The red gem tossed the brown stone in the air, and slashed it in half. Mossy traced Citrine's shoulder blade with his dagger, the sunk it deep into her skin. Citrine cried out Mossy sunk his dagger deeper into her shoulder.
"All. Your. Fault ," Mossy taunted.
Mossy picked up Citine and carried her to the water wall.
"Ruby, can you get us through," Mossy asked.
Ruby grabbed a wilted flower and placed it in her hair. The red gem reached her hand towards the magic wall. Realizing that she couldn't get through, Ruby snapped her arm back.
"I don't know what's wrong Mossy, it won't let me through," She meekly said.
"It's because you betrayed us..." Citrine groaned.
"Well, it's a good thing you're here, isn't it?" Ruby snapped.
Ruby angrily, slashed apart Blue's statue, causing the nightshade to fall on the ground. The gem snatched a handful of nightshade and dumped it on Citrine.
"Let's go," she ordered.
Mossy held Citrine in the air, creating a huge air bubble, big enough for all three gems. Mossy turned around and held Citrine high so she could see the spire, dim, lost, and uninhabited.
"Look what you caused Citrine. The crystal gems of the lunar spire are no more Because. Of. You" He yelled.
Citrine closed her eyes, and wept.