Episode 10: Birthday Clash

Warning: Long Chapter.

June 7th 5:00 p.m.

A calm and swift breeze swept itself through the air. The warm rays of the sun shined through the trees with various birds chirping happily as they flew. Pure silence within the kingdom of nature. You couldn't ask for anything else that can put you at ease.

Up ahead there was a small river with a massive waterfall. As the water rapidly descended below Kameron sat within it's path next to two large boulders. The very sound of the waterfall continued to enter his ears as he was getting drenched. Arms crossed. legs crossed, and eyes closed he sat there with only minimum breaths exiting his nose. The water itself was understandingly cold when he began, but due to the sun and time h had grown accustom to it without moving or flinching.

His eyes slowly opened. Uncrossing his arms and legs he exited out of the waterfall. Walking through the small portion of water near him his feet soon felt the touch of grass as he made his way forward. Straight ahead were his belongings next to a tree, surrounded by a small crystal wall. Raising his left hand he placed his middle finger and thumb together before initiating a snap, causing the wall to retract into the ground. Grabbing a towel he began drying himself off. Summoning a small crystal spike with an extra spike piercing from the side he hanged the towel and started getting dressed.

Clothes on he grabbed his goggles and placed them on his head before straightening them. Reaching into his pocket he pulled out his phone and checked to see if there was anything he missed. Luckily there were no messages or phone calls, so he put the phone back into his pocket. Turning his body around he placed his back against the tall oak tree in front of him and slowly slid down until he sat on the grass. Raising his right arm out his Gem began to glow, and soon Venganza was summoned out of it. Putting his left arm up it started to get crystallized until it was fully covered. Grabbing Venganza Kameron took hold of her grip and placed her on his lap horizontally before putting his crystallized left arm onto the blade.

This is definitely the life, ya know? - The voice said.

'You're not wrong. It's nice to just get away from it all. So far there hadn't been any Corrupted.' Kameron replied in thought as he slowly raised his arm up and down.

True. The solitude is so peaceful. Just us and nature, and on a day like today makes it even more special. - The voice said.

Continuing to ascend and descend his arm Kameron carefully made his way to the edge of the tip and all the way to the end near the hilt. From up to down, above and below, top to bottom small screeches entered his ears, but he didn't care. If you are to have a weapon you must take care of it. Poor care leaves it dull and will make it break easily. They are your arms, and by extension apart of you, so care for them like you care for your own health.

"Yo! Kameron!"

Pulling his arm away from Venganza Kameron looked up to see his friends coming up to him. As they got close he raised himself up from the ground and placed his blade back into his Gem. "Hey everyone. Didn't know you all would come here." He added.

"Your father said you would be here," Angela replied as her eyes observed their surroundings, "And I can see why." She added.

"This is my usual spot. I like coming here for the quiet, ya know." Kameron said, placing a hand in his empty pocket.

"We get what you mean." Scarlet said as she approached him, wrapping her arms around his body. "Happy birthday. I know we've already said it earlier, but I wanted to say it again." She added.

"Thanks." Kameron replied, returning her hug.

"So, Badass. We've got a little surprise for you on this very day. Would the guy who literally can beatdown a monster accept this?" Chelsea said, taking a bow.

Kameron and Scarlet soon separated as he placed his eyes on Chelsea, "Sure. What's the surprise?"

"If we told you it wouldn't be a surprise in the first place." Sadie said with a small giggle.

"Plus after those hand-aching Final Exams, this'll be the kick start for the summer." Lars added with a grin.

Final Exams. Lars was on point with that, they were a nightmare. Thankfully, and some how they were able to pass them. Even Mrs. Cherry screamed in joy when we all passed. All that hard work paid off big time and they so deserved it.

Kameron cupped his chin at this "surprise" they told him. It was pretty obvious that his family is gonna be responsible for it, and while there was a variety of themes, activities, and suggestions he could point out, it'll be a lot more interesting to just witness it firsthand and play along.

Soon a large black portal erupted directly near them. Turning their attention to it Kameron and his friends walked up to it and soon walked into it.

June 7th 6:00 p.m.

Exiting out of the dark portal Kameron and his friends found themselves in a strange land.

The skies have gone dark with a crescent moon shining in the sky, accompanied by a plethora of stars. Right in from of them lied a large stone bridge with a steel gate at it's entrance. From behind there were massive trees with apples growing from the branches. Passed beyond the trees there were lights and various buildings. And though it would be interesting to see if the surprise lied in that town, just pass the gates of the bridge lied a gigantic castle encased in crystals.

"Um, Kameron?" Angela said, gaining his attention. "It's rather obvious, but does that castle belong to your father?" She added.

"Yeah. He was a king back in the day." Kameron answered as he approached the gate.

"No way! Your dad was a king?" Lars said as they followed Kameron.

"He told me himself." Kameron replied. "Everyone stand back." He added.

"What are you going to do?" Sadie asked.

Without responding to her Kameron placed his eyes on the gate. There weren't any locks on it, so opening it seemed rather easy, but you can't always believe what you see right in front of you. Locking his eyes onto the gate Kameron rapidly spun his body and raised out his leg. Extending it out his leg connected to the gate door and it instantly busted open. Putting his leg down he turned his eyes to his friends who were frozen in place.

"Sorry for startling you all. A normal kick wouldn't have done much, plus I had to see if applying some force would've worked, and it did." Kameron said.

"Just give us a bit of a warning next time, okay?" Scarlet replied, receiving a nod.

With the gate opened they all started traversing across it. Making it to the other side there was a large wooden door with a large keyhole at it's center.

"This time, Kameron, please use your hands." Angela said.

"Alright." Kameron replied with slight annoyance.

Going up to the door he placed both hand onto it and added some pressure. Step by step the door began to open up and soon after it was now wide enough for everyone to enter inside.

Kameron being the last one to go in he turned around and closed the doors back. It was a rule to always close a door whenever to open one. As he turned around he looked at his friends who were in awe by the scenery. From left to right there were small windows showcasing images of knights wielding different weapons. At the center there were four large pillars connected to the ceiling and the floor. But the highlight above all was the large portrait of Green Diamond at the end of the hall, though he didn't have any sideburns.

"Dude! This is so unreal!" Chelsea yelled in pure joy.

"Glad you like it." Kameron replied as he walked toward the center of the hall.

"I can only imagine what transpired in such a place. Was your dad a good king?" Angela asked as she gazed at the portrait.

Just as Kameron was about to answer a large black portal opened up near the portrait. From it Citrine stepped out, wielding his hammer.

"Glad you could make it, brother." Citrine said.

"I was told there was gonna be a surprise, so I let my curiosity take over. So tell me Citrine, what's gonna happen tonight?" Kameron replied, crossing his arms.

Without a response a black portal abruptly appeared under Angela. She let out a yelp before she fell in just before it closed.

"Angela!" Chelsea yelled.

Kameron soon narrowed his eyes at his brother, "What the hell!? Where did she go?"

Citrine remained silent as Kameron turned around, witnessing the rest of his friends getting pulled into numerous black portals. He felt his pupils shrink. In just an instant they were gone in mere seconds.

"Now that the distractions are gone why don't we play for a while, just like before." Citrine said, gripping his hammer.

Turning himself to face his brother Kameron soon formed a glare at him. There was a chance his friends and him would separate sooner or later, but this quickly? There was something going on here, but for the time being he needed to just play along to whatever this was.

Raising his right arm Kameron's Gem glowed as he summoned Venganza. "Alright. Let's see how this goes, brother."

Citrine's lips stretched into a grin. Soon his Gem began to glow and a large orange aura surrounded his body as he leaped into the air before dropping down, smashing his hammer into the ground. The very impact created a large wave of concrete heading straight at Kameron. Quickly moving out of the way he then dashed straight at his brother, gripping Venganza's handle as tight as he could. Coming in close he jumped into the air, extending a leg straight for Citrine's face.

Placing his hammer Dhara in his left hand Citrine quickly grabbed his brother's leg. Turning his body around he threw him down onto the floor with a loud thud. A loud gawk left Kameron's mouth from the sheer force placed in that throw. As he attempted to recover a loud stomp entered his ears before his body was suddenly pulled up. Without warning Citrine jumped high into the air and as he was falling he raised his knee out, hitting Kameron's stomach as they landed. An even louder gawk left his mouth with some added saliva before he was tossed away.

As his body rotated through the air Kameron soon slammed into one of the stone pillars. Crashing onto the floor he slowly turned his head to see Citrine walking up to him.

"Is that really all you've got? After everything we've been through I thought you had a lot more than that." Citrine said.

"You're...the strongest among us all. Only...Garnet can...match you in strength." Kameron replied weakly.

"That's true, but so can you. If you can't, then I'll crush every bone in your body." Citrine said.

Reaching his hand out he grabbed his brother's head, lifting him up so their eyes would connect. Citrine's eyes were narrowed as he looked at his brother. "Give me more. I want more!" He growled.

Seriously. What the hell was wrong with him? A few grunts exited Kameron's mouth as he swung his body and kicked Citrine's chest. The impact released him from his grip and pushed him back a few inches as he landed back on the ground.

"Be careful what you wish for Citrine, because you might just get it!" Kameron yelled.

Citrine's eyes expanded from his brother's raised voice. Slowly Kameron's legs were soon crystallized before he jumped up and twirled his body before kicking his brother's head. A loud grunt exited Citrine's mouth as he tumbled back. Pulling his goggles over his eyes Kameron placed Venganza back into his Gem, "Whatever's going on, you all don't deserve to clash with my blade. Only dad will, so that alone will give you an advantage, if you can take it." He stated.

Without wasting another second Kameron ran toward his brother as he stood in place. Citrine's eyes shot open as Kameron extended both of his legs in front of him, slamming them straight at his face. He stumbled back a few inches away right as Kameron jumped high up . Raising his right leg he quickly fell below and dropped it onto the back of Citrine's head. A loud gawk left Citrine's mouth as he fell forward, dropping his hammer and collapsing to the ground.

Roughly placing himself on the floor Kameron turned to see his crystallized legs had formed large cracks on them. 'If I were Garnet a few punches to the stomach and at least a punch to the face would take him out, but I needed some extra protection, and had to focus on one place.' He thought to himself.

Pointing his eyes at a nearby stairway Kameron began jogging toward it.

Rushing up the stairwell Kameron kept his eyes forward. Every step he took pushed him further and further ahead right until he made it to the second floor. Upon reaching it there was an upper floor above with crystal railings while the bottom floor was very open. There weren't any windows near the corner walls, only another stairwell straight in front of him.

Taking in some air he slowly exhaled it out of his mouth. His body began to walk.

*click*

That sound entered his ears, making his eyes shot open. Lifting his head a small bolt of electricity was coming right at him. Pushing his body back the bolt passed right near him until it hit the ground, making a small mark.

"Had fun downstairs?"

Lifting his head up Kameron witnessed Amber and Pyrope on the second floor near the railings.

"Citrine nearly beat the crap out of me." Kameron replied. "He's taking a little nap right now."

"Glad to see you still got some fight in you. Let's see how you do against the two of us." Pyrope said as he hurled himself over the railing.

Landing on the bottom floor he then pulled out his hand-axes before they were ignited. Up above Kameron watched as Amber pulled out her revolvers and pointed one straight at him. "I ain't forgettin' whatcha said ta me the other day, hun." She said firmly.

"I already apologized, Amber. I didn't mean what I said." Kameron replied.

"And ah forgave you, but today, we're under different circumstances. Talk ain't worth a damn this time." Amber said as sparks of electricity surrounded her.

'Great. A cop who can generate electricity and a ex-champion who wields axes. This isn't gonna be pretty.' Kameron thought to himself.

Pyrope soon rushed in toward him, raising his axes up before bring them down. Kameron quickly moved his body from them, but soon he repeated the process as Pyrope started slashing at him with rapid movements. The glare in his eyes was enough for Kameron to see how serious his brother was being right now.

Distancing himself from him Kameron looked up to see two bolts coming straight at him. Raising his left arm it slowly began to get crystallized right as the bolts impacted them. Small grunts left Kameron's mouth from the voltage, but that was the least of his worries as Pyrope was coming for him. Crystallizing his other arm he placed both of them in front of his brother, catching his flame covered axes in his hands.

Not too surprised by this Pyrope's glare tightened as he and his brother stared at each other. "This isn't gonna work for long." He warned.

More gunshots echoed in the area with multiple bolts fired off. Without even moving Kameron stood in place, taking the shots to the back, with each one stinging him more than the last. More were then fired off as he just kept his grip on the axes.

"Ya being really stupid right now." Amber called out.

No response was given to her, though none was needed as Pyrope's axes were getting hotter. The flames began to grow more and more with every passing second. Muffled grunts exited Kameron's mouth as the flames were now searing through his crystals. Sweat starting appearing on his face as they began to drip down and evaporate before they even touch the ground.

"Don't forget that your brother is a walking inferno." Pyrope stated firmly.

"Believe me. Prometheus is as hot as lava from an active volcano. And don't even get me started on how Amber handles Aaron and Jonah. I honestly respect how you both are capable of handling them in controlled ways." Kameron replied with a soft tone.

"You really want me to burn you while lightning strikes your back, don't you?" Pyrope asked.

"Not really. Just seeing how much I can take this." Kameron replied with more bolts hitting him. "I think it's time we wrap this up." He added, raising up his leg and kicking his brother away.

Placing his eyes on his arms there was steam emitting from them with some the crystals cracked open, revealing several burnt marks. Re-crystallizing his arms and legs he dashed up to Pyrope, kicking him straight in the stomach and making him release his axes from his hands. A loud grunt exited Pyrope's mouth from the force as he then crashed into the wall behind him. Just as he was about to stand Kameron kicked him in the face before turning his body and kicking the corner of his head, knocking him out.

He is so gonna be pissed when he wakes up, but that's a worry that Kameron will deal with later. Turning his attention onto his sister he raised his arms out and fired off two long sharp tendrils onto the railings, piercing them before pulling himself toward it.

Watching him come to her Amber quickly moved out of the way as he flipped over the railings and ran up to her. Gripping onto Aaron and Jonah in her hands she pointed them out, rapidly firing off bolt after bolt. Crossing his arms near his face Kameron ran up to his sister, taking every shot fired right until he was right in her face, gripping onto her arms.

"Ya afraid of me?" Amber asked.

"Of course I am." Kameron answered honestly. " What we're capable of. What we can do. And if we were given the chance to actually cut loose and let it all out. I am afraid of all of you deep down, but ask me this. Are you afraid of me?" He added.

Her firm expression started to soften slightly. "Ah am. Especially after what ya been through."

"You all have it way worse" Kameron admitted.

"But yer still new at this. And ah just wanna make sure ya go down the right path in life." Amber told him.

Locking eyes with her he could see it in her. What each word meant. That fear in every living being.

"I'll do my best to hold that up. For now, either surrender or take a nap. Which is it gonna be?" Kameron said.

A small smirk stretched across her lips. Before a response could even be made she raised her leg up and kicked him where the sun doesn't shine. A loud grunt exited Kameron's mouth as he released her arms before falling to his knees, covering his injured area.

"Ah think you've gotten enough punishment. Ah'll leave ya for the others." Amber said as she pointed Aaron at her brother. "But...if ya ever talk ta me in that kinda tone again ah won't be as forgiving as ah am right now. Understand?" She added.

"Yeah...yeah...I get it." Kameron replied with a groaned voice.

Dismissing her guns she cupped her brother's chin, making him look at her eyes. "Ah love you." She added, pushing her lips on his forehead.

Releasing her hand from his chin she turned to the railing and jumped over it. Despite the pain Kameron stood up and watched her go to Pyrope. Removing his hands he jumped over the railing, coming back down to the bottom floor. Turning around he made his way to the stairwell.

Arriving at the next floor there were windows, even on the ceiling illuminating light from the moon outside. Though only portions of the floor showed light while the rest was nothing but shadow.

Walking forward he stepping into the moon's light from above and stopped in place. Just like the second floor the stairwell was right in front of him. No protection, nothing keeping it secured. Soon a faint sound entered his ears. Turning his head Kameron's eyes shot open at the sight of an object coming toward him. Raising his right arm he opened up his hand and immediately grabbed it. He then opened his hand and narrowed his eyes at the sight of it, a kunai.

"It's good that you crystallized your hand. Wouldn't want you to get cut." A familiar voice said.

"Charoite." Kameron replied.

"She's not the only one here." Another familiar voice said.

"Lepidolite." Kameron replied as his eyes observed the area. "A kunoichi and a Capoeria master. Hiding in the darkness." He added.

Footsteps entered his ears as he turned his head. From his left Lepidolite walked into the moonlight with a small smile stretched across her lips.

"I'm not gonna hide from you. Charoite on the other hand is another story, so let's see if you'll be able to handle us." Lepidolite said.

"No problem. Let's see how your kicks match up with mine." Kameron replied as he de-crystallized his legs and arms.

"I'd rather have us just put on a party instead, but we'll save that for another time. Now why don't you be a good boy and give your sisters a good time." Charoite said from the shadows.

A groan left Kameron's mouth. Shaking it off his eyes turned to Lepidolite who was swaying her body from side to side. Her rhythm was kicking it, so Kameron started hopping in places to keep his legs going. Launching themselves at each other Kameron leaped into the air and raised his leg up to his head before rapidly lowering it. Lepidolite lowered her body and planted a hand onto the floor before raising her leg up, and soon hers connected with her brother's while a small shockwave shot off.

Flipping himself back Kameron's feet soon hit the ground as he lunged himself toward his sister. When he came in close both of her hands were placed on the floor as she flipped herself forward before using her legs and grappled onto her brother. Rotating her body she pulled herself downward and touched the floor while using her legs to throw Kameron in the opposite direction. Releasing him from her legs Lepidolite pushed herself onto her feet as she watched him crash and roll onto the stone floors.

Raising himself up Kameron watched her sway her body. Though as he attempted to try another round he soon felt something soft pressed against his back. The very touch stopped him in place alongside having a sharp kunai next to his neck. He soon felt a soft touch placed on his shoulder.

"I suggest you give up, brother. We don't want to hurt you." Charoite whispered in his ear.

Kameron gulped as Lepidolite walked over to them. "You know you don't stand a chance against the next floor or with dad, so why not just surrender?" She added, placing a hand on his chest.

"Both of you should already know that I don't surrender easily. So maybe you two should surrender instead." Kameron replied.

In seconds crystal spikes pierced onto his body, aiming directly at the necks of his sisters. "Believe me, you two are the last people I've ever wanted to do this to. So either listen or get poofed." He added.

The spikes dangerously placed themselves close to their necks. Lepidolite and Charoite couldn't even make words as to the actions of their brother, but due to how close the spikes were there was only one choice they could make. Charoite pulled her kunai away from Kameron as her and Lepidolite stepped away from him.

"You win." Charoite declared.

Retracting his spikes he walked away from them and turned to the stairwell.

"Wait!" Lepidolite called out, making him stop in place. "Were you going to poof us if we didn't listen?" She added.

Kameron stood still for a moment and resumed on without giving a response.

Fourth floor.

Right at the center of it lied five massive fountains. Within the fountains themselves were statues of angels releasing gushes of water from there eyes and wings. There was no need to wonder who he was going up against next.

Near the middle fountain a black portal opened up with Azurite and Onyx walking out of it.

"What did you do with my friends?" Kameron said firmly.

"I simply placed them at the top floor with father and mother. Do not worry, no harm has come to them." Onyx answered.

"Then let's not waste anymore time chatting." Kameron said, getting into a stance.

"We apologize in advance for any critical injuries, Kameron." Azurite replied as she and Onyx summoned their weapons.

Summoning her wings Azurite took flight. Placing her bo-staff Amphitrite horizontally the water from the fountains began to push itself toward her. Turning her body as she gripped onto her bo-staff she threw the water right at her brother. As Kameron dodge it he placed himself into a abrupt black portal. As it closed up another one soon opened with him coming out of it, crashing into the floor.

Looking up he saw Onyx summon his scythe Lucifer and slashed it right at him without warning. Rolling his body out of the way Kameron quickly picked himself up and crystallized his arms and legs again. Running up to his brother Kameron took one giant stomp and threw his leg right at him. Not even moving an inch Onyx took the hit with several rapid kicks following after. Seven kicks later Kameron fired the last one right at his face, pushing him back toward a fountain and watched as he fell into it.

Placing his sights on Azurite Kameron leaped into the air, rocketing toward her and extending his leg out just for her. Raising her bo-staff in front of her it and Kameron's leg soon connected, but she then pushed him back with her own wings, sending him down into the center fountain. Holding her bo-staff with one hand she raised out her other, summoning the water from the fountain and encasing Kameron in a large water bubble.

She soon brought him up to her, "Apologize for what is about to transpire."

Confusion was shown on Kameron's face until four large black portals erupted around him in various directions. Without another warning she threw him down into the portal below him. He then reappeared from the portal on the right before going into the left. Soon after he appeared from the lower left diagonal portal and traversed into the upper right diagonal portal. It then became a rapid cycle as Kameron moved from portal to portal at incredible speeds.

Just watching this put Azurite in a unease position. The mere pressure of her witnessing such a thing was very unsettling. So as she watched Kameron come out of another portal she stopped him in midair and pushed him to the floor, shattering her water bubble. Descending below as the portals vanished she jogged up to Kameron with Onyx appearing right behind her.

Loud gasps and coughs exited Kameron as he gripped the floor. He rapidly exhaled breaths as his vision started to blur. Closing his eyes his breathing started slowing down as his vision was starting to return to normal.

"Brother. That is enough. Let us stop this now before any more damage is dealt to you." Azurite said, reaching out to him.

Without another though Kameron slapped away her hand, earning a gasp from her.

"C'mon *heavy breaths* Azurite. You all put me through a lot more hell than this. Charoite's Mikadzuki and Lepidolite's Fujin can do way worse than that. And *heavy breaths* I've got one more floor left to go through." Kameron replied as he weakly stood up.

"You are being very stubborn." Onyx said with crossed arms.

As Kameron got up as started tumbling back before adjusting himself. "Don't care. So either let me pass or we can go another round." He added as he slowly lowered his body.

Azurite and Onyx glanced at each other before putting their eyes back on Kameron and his current state. Completely drenched, hands burnt, a small cut on his neck, and the several tears on his clothes and jacket. If he was a normal person he'd only needed a single strike to put him down, but being a Gem-hybrid puts him on a completely different scale. And though he was still wearing his goggles his brother and sister standing right in front of him didn't need to see his eyes to see how determined he was.

"Very well. We will let you pass." Azurite declared as her and Onyx moved aside. "But be careful on the final floor." She added.

With a soft nod Kameron raised his body as he walked passed his siblings. This was definitely not what he was expecting his birthday to be like this year, but it was better than doing nothing last year.

Watching him climb the steps Azurite intertwined her hands together while Onyx had his arms remain crossed.

The fifth and final floor.

What a pain in the ass! This surprise better be worth all of this hell. - The voice said angerly.

Reaching to the top a gasp left Kameron's mouth as his eyes quickly expanded. Right in front of him was a massive area. There were stained-glass windows on each side of the walls, including three massive ones at the far end.

Right at the far end were two golden thrones. On the left was his father with his entire body crystallized. His right arm looked larger than normal while he held his sword in his left. It made him look like he was covered in armor. Nearly indestructible armor. And on the right was his mother. She was wearing a long white dress, silver jewelry, and silver heels. There was a small golden crown placed on top of her head covered in golden jewels and silver points.

"Welcome Kameron! Welcome to my throne room! I hope it is to your liking." Green said joyfully.

Step by step Kameron walked toward his parents. "Yeah. I bet the architect was having a field day designing the castle for you." He said firmly. "Where are my friends?" He added.

"You may see them soon. For now, there is one final test you must complete." Green said. "My queen. May I?" He added, looking at Christie.

"You may. But please do not be so reckless." She replied.

Green soon raised himself from his throne and walked several inches away from his queen. Stopping his movements he took Guardian with his right arm and held it onto his shoulder.

De-crystallizing his arms and legs Kameron raised his right arm out, summoning Venganza and taking hold of her hilt. "You've got a lot of nerve kidnapping my friends, your majesty." He added.

"It was the only way to motivate you. I apologize for committing such an act, my son. But be assured, they are not harmed in any way. For now, let us see how well your skills are." Green replied, pointing his sword at him.

Dude, we don't stand a chance. There's a reason why our dad was apart of two rebellions. - The voice stated.

'You really think I don't know that? But we're gonna try anyway. Though from the battles we've had earlier...I don't think this one will last long. You've got my back?' Kameron replied in thought.

I'm apart of you, Kameron. Not like I have a choice. But regardless...I do and I know you have mine, so let's just get this over with. - The voice said with assurance.

Taking his left hand and placing his at the bottom of Venganza's hilt underneath his right Kameron started jogging toward his father. With each step his legs were slowly picking up speed until he jumped into the air. Green watched him coming, raising his sword up high. Gripping onto Guardian's hilt he pulled him back before swinging him at his son. Venganza and Guardian clashed, but with the amount of force Green put in his swing he pushed his son up away.

Getting pushed back Kameron headed straight for the ceiling. Hitting it with his back a loud gawk left his mouth as he fell back down, impacting the floor with a loud THUD! Grunts and groans exited his mouth as he slowly picked himself up. Gripping his sword with both hands he closed his eyes as he started letting out small breaths. Exhaling his last breath his Gem began to glow. Soon a light green aura engulfed his body.

"I wasn't planning on doing this since mom is here, but I'm not gonna make this drag out. So I'm gonna hit you with everything I've got, dad! I HOPE YOU CAN HANDLE THIS!" Kameron yelled.

As they watched their son, Green knew exactly what he was talking about. He's done the exact same thing many times in his life, but now for the first time he gets to witness his son accomplishing it. "Very well, my son! Go ahead and do what you need to do!" He encouraged.

With that confirmation confirmed Kameron raised his leg up and stomped it onto the floor while turning his body to the side. Pulling Venganza onto his shoulder he gripped her hilt as tight as he could before swinging her as hard as he can. The shear force in his swing launched a large crescent shape blast of energy, heading straight for Green.

With both hands on Guardian's hilt Green swung him back onto his shoulder just as the blast was getting closer and closer to him. With just one swing Guardian made contact with the blast and ultimately shattered it, turning the remains into small particles before they disappeared.

Pulling his goggles from his eyes Kameron's jaw fell open. He knew this would happen, but he didn't this his attack was this weak and fragile against his own father.

His eyes slowly began to shake as his dad pulled Guardian onto his shoulder. That was the last ounce of strength left in his body as he fell onto his knees. His eyes were starting to get heavy as they started to close while he fell forward and everything went dark.

June 7th 8:30 p.m.

"Kameron? Kameron? Are you okay?"

Small grunts left Kameron's mouth as his eyes slowly began to open. With his vision clearing up he turned his head and noticed not only his family, but his best friends with worried expressions. And from how familiar the ceiling looked up high and how soft it was behind him it was clear where he was.

Slowly raising himself up he turned to everyone, "Yeah. Yeah...I'm okay. What time is it?" He asked while rubbing his eye.

"It's eight-thirty. You've been resting for an hour." Azurite addressed.

His eyes then turned to his friends, "Are you guys okay?"

"Okay? Dude, you put on the most epic show I've seen in my life! That back there can never be unseen with this eye." Chelsea said, pointing at her visible eye.

"Huh?" Kameron said, confused. "You were able to watch the fights?"

"Yeah. When we fell into those portals we were sent into this dark room, but there was this large screen showing every floor in the castle and we could see and hear everything that happened." Angela explained. "The way you kept going despite what you were going through...it actually scared me." She added, placing a hand onto her chest.

Kameron's eyes turned away from hers, "But, but, but in a worried way. Not like a "you were scaring me" way." Angela assured.

"Yeah. That was so cool. And we now we understand what you go through when you go fight those monsters." Lars added.

For some reason a grin began to stretch across Kameron's lips. It was such a relief to see them safe.

"And now, it's time for your surprise." Scarlet addressed.

Kameron's eyebrow raised up as he watched her go into the kitchen. "Me, your sisters, and your mom have been working on this while you weren't around. But you had to earn it, and so your dad came up with the idea for those battles at his castle. Now, here is your reward." Scarlet said as she walked out of the kitchen.

Held in her hands was a large cake with white frosting and was surrounded by a variety of fruits. At the bottom was pineapple, in the middle was grapes, and at the very top was several apple slices and a single cherry. Next to the cheery was the number sixteen as a candle.

Placing the cake onto the living room table Pyrope stepped up and lit both candles with just a finger. "Happy sixteenth birthday, Kameron!" Everyone cheered.

Kameron's grin began to turn into a smile. He then lunged over and blew out the candles, earning a round of claps.

"Thanks, guys. This was actually the most interesting birthday I've ever had." Kameron admitted.

"You're welcome, honey." Christie said as she walked over and kissed his cheek. "But next year, let's just settle for a simple party, okay?"

"Okay, mom." Kameron replied. "And dad, I'll keep practicing that move until it's as strong as yours."

Green nodded, "For now, let us celebrate you special day, Kameron."

End of Episode 10.

I'm sorry if this is longer than the others, but I really wanted to do a chapter like this, so I hope you all understand.

Next Time:

Lapis Lazuli