Audience of One

Chapter Seven

When Garnet opened her eyes, her head was absolutely spinning. She had been laying face down against floorboards and, slowly, she raised herself up on her arms, looking around the room. Sorely, she sighed as she touched her face. Would there ever come a day she'd be without bruises again? She rubbed at her temples as she began climbing to her knees. The sound of metal caught her attention and she looked over her shoulder, noticing her ankle was shackled to a steel hook driven into the wall. Garnet blinked rapidly, glancing around the little cottage. There was a tiny kitchen with barely any counter space. A meager little wooden table that looked wobbly sat nearby beneath the window with a wood burning stove next to it. There were some couches with ripped upholstery and stained fabric. A hay bed sat in the corner of the room with rumpled cotton sheets. Garnet pressed herself against the wall and wrapped her arms around her knees. Where had she been taken? Why was this happening? Garnet shivered beneath her damp tunic. Surely Basil knew that wearing Dragoon's off-duty clothes was an insult. Maybe he didn't personally feel offended by it. Garnet placed her chin against her knees, nervously running her fingers along the pleats in her trousers. She didn't know what she could do now. She was nothing more than a sitting duck. Garnet reached down, grazing the rusty links of her tether. Deep in her heart, she wondered what the true reason for this was. Was it really just because of what she wore and how she appeared? Or did they recognize her? Garnet knew all too well the painful history of the Burmecians, riddled with scapegoats, starvation, civil war, and double crossing. Freya had worked on her tail off for the last four years to get the nation back to a semblance of equilibrium. Garnet could understand their distrusting nature. She only wished she could tell them why they shouldn't place bad judgment on her. But did they really know and simply did not care?

In the next moment, the door swung open. Garnet pressed herself against the wall, her fingers curling against the rigid floorboards. The Burmecian farmer entered, carrying a tattered and dirt stained sack over his shoulder. He kicked the door shut behind him and went to the table. It wobbled precariously as he threw the sack full of produce on it. He paused, casting a fleeting glance at Garnet. The young woman only stared back, the beginning inklings of a purple and blue bruise forming beneath her right eye. Garnet gently reached to the long drooping hem of her shirt. They hadn't realized she was carrying a dagger. The sharp pointed end met her fingertip. The man sighed as he lowered himself into a chair directly across from where Garnet sat with a hammering heart. He reached into the sack and pulled a plum out. He waited a beat, the silence becoming excruciating. He then leaned forward and rolled it towards Garnet. It bopped into her boot and she remained motionless as he took a plum out for himself and began eating it. Watching him was unnerving, so she reached for the plum to distract herself. She ran her fingers along the velvety surface, her dark hair falling over her shoulders. The man sat up in his chair, his eyes hovering over her small, wiry body.

"What's your name?" He asked gruffly.

Garnet paused, her brown eyes still on the fruit in her hand. She slowly licked her lips and willed herself to look at her captor. "Rosemary."

"And where might you be from, Ms. Rosemary?"

Garnet opened her mouth, but paused for a beat. "A… a little town. It's called Dali. Perhaps you've heard of it?"

"Yeah, I know the place."

"Then you must understand why I left," Garnet said, sitting forward. Her rusty shackled rang out with her movement. "There's nothing there for anyone besides being married off to the first taker and spending a life in servitude."

He was silent as he relaxed against the back of his chair. He took a moment to pick the pit of the plum out, carelessly tossing it into the wood stove. "Honestly, I don't think I believe you. How would you know Lady Freya?"

"Through my travels," she replied, rolling the plum between her palms. "I've been all over, sir. Just as Lady Freya has."

He pressed his elbows to his knees, uncaring of the juice of the fruit dribbling to the crooked floorboards. "Your story reeks. It's the middle of a miserable summer season. There hasn't been a single soul to come to Burmecia in weeks. Suddenly, Lindblum and Alexandria are joining a formal alliance and you appear? Seems a little fishy, Rosemary. If that even is your real name." He sat up again. "So, if I send word to Lady Freya, ask her to come speak with you, she will know you and vouch for you? You're from Alexandria, I can sense it. You must know Lady Freya is in Alexandria and took it as a sign that Burmecia is wide open."

"And just what exactly would I be wanting to accomplish in her absence?" Garnet asked, using all her might to keep her face muscles taut.

"Don't act daft!" He rose, sending his chair backwards. Garnet cringed, pressing herself against the wall again. Her fingers sunk into the surface of her plum. "Burmecia was center stage as the laughing stock of the Mist Wars. Even if you say you're from some podunk little town, you're not misinformed by how Burmecia was treated. Everyone knows what Alexandria did to us. Lady Freya may have given her all to help us rebuild a semblance, but we are still a scarred, beaten, and bruised society. And someone like you, with the pretty face and slick tongue, would be the prime candidate to degrade Burmecia." He started pacing now, thrashing his arms about in the small cottage. "All the lore touts Burmecia as one of the four nations. But where in history has Burmecia ever been brought to the stage as an equal with power?! Alexandria and Lindblum have always sidelined us as if we were just incompetent. I'm sick and tired of it. I'd do anything to protect my nation and my heritage." He turned to Garnet with a dark, twisted face. "Do you understand now why I may be weary of a lone traveler heading to Burmecia, wearing Dragoon garb?!"

"I get it," Garnet kept her voice even, still remaining pressed to the wall. "It doesn't paint a good image. But I swear to you I am only passing through on my journey. I have nothing against the Burmecians. Lady Freya is my friend. I was not a factor in any of those atrocities that happened."

The man stared at her with tense, dark eyes before he began rifling through the wardrobe closest to the door. Garnet only watched. He tossed things around without care. He threw a handful of empty wooden spools onto the shelf and then shoved a bundle of fabric out of his way. In the next beat, he lifted a jar of ink, a quill, and piece of parchment with torn edges from the drawer. He lifted the chair back to its feet and lowered himself in it, roughly placing his supplies down. A thick line of ink oozed over the side, but he did nothing to stop it from staining the wood. He dabbed his quill into the jar and then inspected Garnet again. Just before his quill met the parchment, the door opened, revealing the female travel companion from earlier. She seemed quite loose as she shut the characteristic rain out. In her hand, she held a glass jar with canvas over the top, neatly tied off with fishing line.

"Oh, Edwin, the Spicewood Farm has really done it this time!" She howled with excitement, hurriedly bringing the jar to him that was half-full with some sort of sparkling white sugar.

"Already?" Edwin set his quill down and lifted the jar into the light to examine. "But… they don't harvest 'till fall."

"New soil mixture experiment," she settled across the table from him, not even noticing Garnet. "Faster turnover, more potent yield!"

Garnet furrowed her brow, watching as the man dipped his nail in and brought the sugar to his lips. He paused only a beat before he put it in his mouth. His eyes closed in the next moment and he felt a tingle up his spine. Edwin grinned widely and then slammed his hand to the table, making everything jump. "Hot damn!"

"Right!?" The girl screamed with excitement, holding her arms out at her side. "Just think, Edwin… Burmecia becomes known for their Starspice!"

"Starspice, available as early as summer now," Edwin laughed, dangling his head back for a moment. He placed the jar on the table and cleared his throat. His hands seemed quite jittery as he reached for his quill again. He glanced towards the perplexed, silent Garnet as he twirled the quill between his fingers. He licked his lips and began bobbing his knee, looking at the blank parchment before him. "Rosemary?" He looked to Garnet again.

Garnet stared at his dilated eyes intently, casting a fleeting glance at the sparkling sugar in the jar. Starspice. She was vaguely familiar with it. She knew it was a spice that caused elation and high moods in the partakers. It was once fostered to be used as the topping on Queen's Eight Cakes, but people realized the effect when eaten directly without anything else. Garnet pursed her lips. Her mother had self-medicated with Starspice in the wake of the king's death. Garnet had witnessed first hand what the effects were. The day after the funeral, Queen Brahne had come to her chambers to relish in her childhood, most of which had been absolute rambling about minute times in her life. Her mother seemed so over the moon, completely free of any grief she felt. But when it wore off, it certainly looked like a train had hit her. Maybe that was why Edwin was so antsy and quick to temper. She cleared her throat and tilted her chin up. "Yes?"

"What should Lady Freya know about you?"

"Oh," Garnet pressed her shoulders against the wall, her fingers running nervously together. "Well, you can start with telling her I send well wishes. That I'm sorry I missed her on my journey through Burmecia. Let her know I saw Fratley not too long ago in Lindblum and he seemed to be in good spirits…" Edwin was slow to start writing, rubbing tensely at the nape of his neck before he began formulating his words. "Ask her how the wedding was, too. You know, the one between Sir Liam Winters and Queen Garnet. I'm sure it was beautiful."

"Slow down!" Edwin snapped. Across the table, the woman was helping herself to more Starspice. With great effort, his quill scrawled across the parchment. Garnet only watched, suddenly becoming very aware of the ticking clock against the far wall. It was a little after two. Was it still the same day? Edwin cleared his throat and lifted the page. "Dearest Lady Freya, it is me, your friend, Rosemary. I am writing to send you the best of wishes. I am in Burmecia right now, though I understand through Edwin and Selma that you are not. You would probably like to know I saw Fratley recently and he seems to be doing well. I heard you attended the Alexandrian wedding."

"Perfect," Garnet nodded, forcing a smile. "Maybe also add-"

"Your part is over," Edwin told her with a flat voice. He snagged the jar from the woman, earning a protest, which he blatantly ignored. He helped himself to more Starspice, finding himself growing more and more jittery. He was quick to set back to work on his letter. Garnet straightened her legs out in front of her, settling her hands in her lap. She tucked a lock of hair behind her ear, looking around the room again. The windows were foggy from rain and she couldn't make much out beyond the panes. The floor was in serious need of a sweeping. She could feel the humid air from the marshy soil beneath the shack lifting through the floorboards. When Garnet raised her dark eyes, she realized the woman was staring at her with keen, glazed eyes.

She left her chair and came down on all fours. With her loose body, she crawled towards the young woman. Garnet brought her knees back to her chest, placing her hand on the floorboard nearest to her knife. "A little wayward girl named Rosemary. It's like something you read in a book. Don't'cha think, Edwin?" He only grunted as his hand glided across the parchment. "A little farm girl, like myself. I've always wanted to get a wild hair and travel. But there are obligations, y'know?" She paused for only a beat, her eyes burning straight into Garnet's face. "Did your father ever worry about how pretty you were? Did he give you that scar knocking you upside the head?"

Garnet reached up, running her fingers along the fleshy scar. "No," her voice was airy as she shook her head. "I just had an accident, that's all."

"Life is just full of accidents, isn't it?" The woman continued, her eyes never leaving Garnet's face. "When I was young, I fell off a hay wagon and broke my arm. Look, I still have the scar from where my bone came through my skin." She extended her elbow out, pointing at a nasty scar that no one could have missed. "So," she said, sitting up straight. She wobbled for a moment, a smile on her face. "How long are you staying with us?" Garnet was absolutely silent, bewildered by the question. What did she expect of a doped up woman, though? Garnet moved her ankle a bit, the sound of the rusty shackle dragging across the ground.

"Selma," Edwin sighed, hunching his shoulders. "Would you please stop talking to her?"

"Well, why bring her here if you had no intention of talking to her?" Selma climbed to her feet, putting her hands on her hips.

Edwin stood, slamming his palm to the table. "The only reason we need to talk to her is to find out what the hell she thinks she's doing in our home lands."

"Isn't that obvious now?" Garnet furrowed her brow and both the Burmecian's heads snapped towards her. "Burmecia is a major port city."

"Everyone in this room needs to shut their damn mouths," the angered man sneered. "Selma, don't you have some pots and pans to wash?" His companion seemed quite dismayed by his remarks. After a moment, she grabbed the jar of Starspice and marched out the front door again, back into the muggy haze of rain. Edwin sunk down into his chair, reviewing his work on the table. "I can get this letter to Lady Freya by next morning. And then, you'll have some true explaining to do for her."

"I have nothing more to explain," Garnet told him, her fingers curling against the knotted floorboards. "I have already told you the truth."

Edwin flew from his chair in the next moment and sent his fist into the wall, just barely missing Garnet. She gasped sharply and pulled away. "I know you're plotting against us. The people who meander through our lands are ragged merchants, vagrants, minstrels, what have you! No one of your sort ever dares come to Burmecia. Taking a boat to Treno?! That festering, seedy underbelly?!" Edwin was getting quite worked up now as he knelt and grabbed Garnet by the lacy collar of her tunic. "Your backpack was full of quite a few characteristic staples of a Burmecian. The thermos, the clay bowl, the linens? All handmade Burmecian items. The fences in Treno never ask questions. Who did you kill?! Which Dragoon of ours have you defiled!?" He gave Garnet a shake.

"They were given to me by a friend."

"Who!?" Garnet's dark eyes stared intensely at him. If anyone asks, I never saw you. I ask the same courtesy when you're in Burmecia. She pursed her lips and only shook her head. Edwin shoved her to the ground and paced for only a moment before he began folding the parchment up. He pointed it at her sharply. "You can't hide your sins for much longer. Lady Freya will find out the truth. And then you'll hang for it." Edwin marched out the door, slamming it loudly. Garnet remained splayed across the floor, her breaths shallow in her ears. She gazed across the room to see her rucksack against the wall by the wardrobe. It had obviously been gone through. Garnet sat up and turned towards the wall. She wrapped her hands tightly around the shackle and pressed her boots into the wall. She ground her teeth together as she pulled with all her might. Nothing. Not even a budge. Garnet let out a huff and tried again and again, the rusty metal digging into her palms. Finally, she let the metal links clang to the ground. She breathed heavily as she looked around the room again.

What was she going to do?

…

The next day, Eiko's flats were muted against the running carpets of the Alexandrian Castle as she hurried through the winding hallways. Her heart was thundering in her chest as she picked her silken skirt up and dashed down the stairs. She spilled into the front foyer and glanced back and forth before she continued out the massive doors and into the garden. Her gleaming purple fishtail braid followed her hurried movements as she pressed herself around hedges and beds of blossoming summer flowers. Her lace and silk gown certainly wasn't intended for the season, but she hadn't packed many dresses for her stay in Alexandria. Eiko tilted her lips as she continued her journey through the garden and came to a screeching stop when she spied a Knights of Pluto on his shift.

"Hey, you!" Eiko said, pointing her finger and running towards them. "Have you seen General Beatrix?"

"She's making her son lunch in her private quarters," the soldier saluted upon seeing Lady Eiko.

The young girl wasted no time in quickly darting off. She swatted a dangling rose vine from her path as Steiner and Beatrix's living quarters grew into sight. The building had been repainted after the attempted insurrection. An additional backroom had been added during the reconstruction of the soldier barracks as well to accommodate their growing family. The humble little house was now a bright white with hunter green shutters. The door had been painted to be an inviting red, but Beatrix hated it. Eiko rapped her hand against the door but didn't even wait a beat before she barged in. Immediately to the left of the front foyer was the narrow kitchen. Steiner was sitting at the kitchen table beneath a series of windows, entertaining Addam. Beatrix was making sandwiches at the counter. They both looked up, clearly shocked by the intrusion. Behind Eiko, the summer daylight was shut out as the door swung closed behind her.

"There was another clue in my vision," Eiko told the General.

Beatrix paused, her knife hovering above the sandwich. "What did you see?"

"My ankle was chained to a wall," the young girl replied. "I had my boots planted against the baseboards and I was pulling the shackle with all my might. Except, nothing happened. I looked around the room. I was in some country shack of the sort. It was very small, very plain. I saw a wood burning stove. A bed… I think it was in the corner. I couldn't see outside the windows, though. They were all fogged up."

"You think Her Majesty is being held against her will?" Beatrix passed the toddler's lunch to Steiner, doing her damnedest to remain calm. "Are you certain you're looking through her eyes?"

"Well, nothing is one-hundred percent…" Eiko shook her head. Beatrix crossed to the stove and gave the vegetable stew a whisk. "But it has to be her, Beatrix. Dagger and I are mentally and emotionally tethered together. The universe is trying to warn me. They want us to help Dagger."

"Of course, we all want to help her," Beatrix sighed, setting her spoon down. "Her Majesty was not herself all those days ago. Something inside of her… snapped. Things unraveled so quickly... If you believe she truly survived that fall, where do you think she is now?"

"I don't know," Eiko admitted. "I couldn't see outside because the windows were foggy."

Steiner looked up from where he was cleaning Addam's face. "It sounds like it was raining."

Beatrix's eyes darted back to Eiko's large blue ones. "Burmecia…" The front door flew open again and Freya appeared in the archway of the kitchen. She tilted her olive green cap up, her cotton vest waving back and forth on her slender figure. "By all means, everyone just barge in," Beatrix threw her hands out at her side.

"I'm sorry," Freya let out a huff. "I wasn't thinking. I just received the most peculiar letter."

"What does it say?" Eiko asked, tilting her head back to look at the Dragoon.

"It's a letter… from two people," Freya furrowed her brow, obviously perplexed. "Rosemary and Edwin…" Freya only shook her head, staring at the words in front of her as if they were pure gibberish. "Rosemary claims she saw Fratley in Lindblum not too long ago. But I just received a letter from him not too long ago. He's been in Daguerreo for over a month, studying. Rosemary even goes on to ask how the wedding was. But then… it shifts to this Edwin fellow. He says this supposed Rosemary was found along the royal highway to Burmecia and he felt it was his civil duty to confine her until my return. He claims she has killed a Dragoon and stolen their garb and belongings. That she's heading to Treno to fence them."

"This has to be connected with my vision," Eiko hurriedly looked to everyone in the room. "He says he's confining her? So, he's taken her prisoner, right? Rosemary has to be Dagger!"

"You don't know either of those people?" Beatrix asked.

Freya crossed her arms over her chest, falling into a deep thought. Her ashen hair framed her face as she searched her memory. "Rosemary, absolutely not. It's such an outdated name. I certainly would remember one as bold as that. But Edwin… that sounds vaguely familiar…" She shook her head as she drew in a deep breath, narrowing her eyes. "I believe Edwin is Jakarn's son. They own a farm on the outskirts of Burmecia, right outside of city walls. His father has since passed and I've rarely interacted with him. I remember him having a lot of spirited energy for the Nation of Burmecia. Almost a little too… nationalistic."

"It sounds like this Edwin-man is holding some poor woman against her will," Beatrix clucked her tongue.

"He's holding Dagger against her will!" Eiko flailed her arms. She took the letter from Freya's hands. "This is all some coded message from Dagger asking for help."

"Dagger ran away from us," Freya replied flatly. "Why would she reach out to us for help when she's actively avoiding us?"

"Because Dagger knows we're still her friends and we still love her. None of us would even think twice to help her," Eiko said confidently. "Dagger is chained to the wall. I saw it in my vision."

Freya sighed and looked to the General. "What do you make of this?"

"Her Majesty or not, this unhinged man is reaching out for your counsel," Beatrix shook her head. "As the Lady of Burmecia, you have an obligation to follow up. This cannot go unanswered."

"Fine," Freya said, taking the letter back from Eiko and tucking it into her vest. "I shall ask Liam to take me to Burmecia on his Dart Ship."

…

The engines hummed behind Freya as she found herself with Liam in the control room of the Dart Ship. Since it's initial release, Liam's blueprints and design ideas had been greatly updated. The newest model was a bit longer and wider than the original. The steam powered engines were upgraded with additional pistons to compensate for the size change and still deliver the exquisite speed the original was touted to have. The control room was completely enclosed now with latching doors and large, sprawling glass panes. Safety and emergency aids had been greatly enhanced. Two chairs were now equipped at the rear of the control room with harness belts to keep passengers in place. The front of the ship was equipped with a smaller engine that could detect when the main engine failed. If that happened, it would activate itself. It by no means could keep the ship in the air all alone, but it was meant to aid the pilot in descent during an emergency. The ground below whirled by in a blur. Freya tensely held onto the grapple bar by the door, watching as Liam, with ease, flew the ship.

He glanced to Freya, his dark hair falling over his forehead. "Do you think this Rosemary girl is… Garnet…?"

"I don't know, Liam," Freya said, looking out the windshield. "When we arrive, I want you to stay here on the ship."

"Why?"

"The more I remember of Edwin, the more I realize how volatile and unstable he is. He's dangerous. I remember his love of Starspice."

"Starspice?" Liam echoed, furrowing his brow as held the wheel.

"It's a drug," Freya told him. "One that can easily drive any man mad. We don't know what we're walking in on. I don't need you getting hurt. You should stay out of sight so I can defuse the situation and free this poor soul he's holding in custody."

"What if… it is Garnet, though?" Liam shook his head. "What do we do?"

Freya sighed, pressing her temple against the cool steel of the bar she held. "I don't know, Liam."

"I'm sorry if I am annoying you," Liam told her, pulling at a lever to stabilize the heat in the pistons. "I'm just worked up as of late. There's so much protocol and red tape. Not to mention waiting. It's driving me up the walls. I just want to see her again. Alive."

"I'd wager you're not the only one," Freya said, seeing in the distance the familiar jagged mountain range that surrounded Burmecia.

"Who am I kidding?" Liam sighed, his voice suddenly very heavy. "Even seeing her wouldn't change a thing. She wants nothing to do with me, Freya. I don't know where it all went wrong."

Freya pursed her lips, her fingers tightening around the grapple bar. She looked to him,"Best not to go down that route, Liam. Especially not now."

"You're right, I'm sorry. There's just still so much processing to be done."

"Yes, well," Freya looked away, adjusting the hat on her head. "Let's just focus on the problem at hand."

"Of course," Liam nodded, pulling back on the engines power. "I wish I could handle things such as you do, Freya. I'm just afraid I'm not used to this much excitement. But there seems to be a lot of in all your world's."

"A bit too much if you ask me…" Freya mumbled, shaking her head.

…

The moment Garnet had woken up that morning, she was confronted with the sight of Edwin in a chair, a javelin leaned up against him, simply watching her. Slowly, Garnet pressed herself against the wall, staring back at him. The clock ticked between them. The Starspice was well within reach. Garnet placed her hands on top of her knees and licked her lips. "I need to use the bathroom." Edwin said nothing. He only kept his dark eyes on her. Garnet sighed and glanced around the empty room. "Where's your friend?" Again, silence. Hours passed before Edwin decided to cook. She watched as he sliced and diced vegetables and then mixed it with shiny golden yolks in a skillet. He whisked it all together, sprinkling salt and pepper over the top. He then wrapped a linen around the handle and slid it into the stoked wood burning stove. Edwin was still silent as his dark eyes fell across her. He reached for the gleaming jar on the table and roughly unscrewed the lid.

"Lady Freya should have received my letter by now," he finally said as he collected some of the Starspice together. "I'm sure it piqued her interest and she's on the way now."

It was Garnet's turn to be silent now and she lowered her eyes to look at the confining shackle around her ankle. She couldn't help but feel foolish. She had tried so hard to get away, but how could this be how far she had actually gotten? Freya was her friend, but she knew she had probably worried all of them sick with her actions. Freya would want to get her help. Garnet had no doubt she'd be dragged back, kicking and screaming against her will. She felt so trapped and undermined. Her journey wasn't over. No, it was far from it, she was decided. Until she had answers for her strange dreams, before she set eyes on Zidane once more, she wasn't done in the least. Garnet looked up as Edwin fetched his sizzling omelet from the stove. He sat down at the table, eating it directly from the skillet. It seemed he had no intention of sharing. Garnet sighed, tilting her head against the wall behind her. She had to think of something fast. She had no plans for ending her day back in Alexandria. But what could she do? The metal may been rusty and rotten, but Garnet seemingly lacked the strength to break the links. Her eyes darted about the room. Was there a key somewhere? Or at least something with enough brunt energy to shatter the connection? She gazed at the opposite wall. The wardrobe. That's probably where the key was, she thought. But her shackle wouldn't take her that far.

Edwin finished his breakfast and wiped his face. He then grabbed his javelin and turned to Garnet. "Now we play the waiting game," he grinned, before he saw himself out into the foggy rain beyond the door. Garnet listened to clock tick, her fingers nervously tapping against the floorboards. She ran her hand along her swollen, flushed cheek as her mind whirled in several directions. Garnet paused, however, doing a double take towards the table. The fork. Garnet sat forward and waited a few moments, being sure Edwin had everything he needed from the house. On her sore knees, Garnet began crawling on all fours. Her leg snagged quickly, however, and she looked over her shoulder to see her shackle at the end of the line. She was so close, though. She could smell the remains of the breakfast. With all her might, Garnet grappled onto the chair. She ground her teeth together as her free leg came beneath her. Slowly, she came eye level with the table, her arms shaking as they pulled against the confines of the chain. The fork was gleaming in the late morning light. Garnet began reaching out, but gasped sharply and caught herself from plummeting off the back of the chair. Garnet pulled against the shackle even harder, feeling a pain well up in her hip. Garnet started reaching again. Her palm slammed against the table, making the cutlery jump. Her nails clawed against the wood as she pulled herself closer and closer.

"Come… on…!" Garnet wheezed, her eyes narrowing as she tried to focus on the fork rather than the immense stress her body was under. Her fingers flailed out and suddenly she felt the cool metal of the fork. Garnet slammed her palm down and began dragging the fork towards her. Her arm slipped in the next moment and she crashed to the floor. Garnet let out a yell as all the air escaped her lungs and the chain clattered to the floor. Garnet lifted her head and sighed miserably, a black onyx lock dangling in front of her face. A beat later, however, there was a clang and Garnet's eyes widened when she saw the fork fall right in front of her. She let out a relieved sigh this time as she hurriedly tucked the fork into the side of her boot, clambering back into her huddle against the wall once more, completely unsuspecting.

8