Chapter 1: Introduction and fights in the club
Chapter Text
>The dawn of Era Three brought with it the freedom for gems to choose their own roles. No gem type was happier about this than the Pearls, most choosing to forge their own paths rather than stay in service to the gem they were made for.
>Despite the friendlier tone of the new Era, It wasn't long before the Pearls began to become paranoid. What guarantee was there that things wouldn't go back to the way they were? The taste of freedom hardened the resolve of many of the newly freed Pearls. They decided to spread a message to all the Pearls they could find, to conduct a meeting in secrecy on a nearby planet.
>Pearls of all colors and quality traveled from colonies across the galaxy to attend this meeting. A great discussion was had between the Pearls, decisions about steps that could be taken if things slipped back into the old ways, measures that could help them better themselves and prepare for the worst.
>One such measure that was implemented was the establishment of secret fight clubs, made by Pearls, for Pearls, run by Pearls, with the intention of making all Pearls into better fighters.
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>A grey Pearl stood near the secret entrance of a tunnel leading to the Underground fight club. Her hair was extremely short, no more than an inch in length all around her head. Her outfit consisted of dark grey sweatpants, long black stockings that covered her exposed toes, long black gloves covering her arms, and a thin strip of cloth covering her chest but exposing her navel gem and her shoulders. Her white eyes stared ahead as she tapped her foot impatiently.
>"Come on Lime, hurry up! They're going to start soon!"
>A light green Pearl ran over to the grey one, gripping her knees as she paused. Her outfit consisted of a light green skirt, green slippers, and a light green tank top. Her hair was tied into a ponytail behind her head. Her gem rested upon her right forearm. "Sorry Iron, I lost my footing back there."
>Iron sighed as she looked upon her fellow Pearl. "It's okay, let's get inside. I hope you're ready, fights here might get more intense than you're used to."
>Iron tapped the surface of the rocks in the pattern of a star. A low rumble sounded through the cavern as the rock split down the middle and slid open, revealing a path that led deeper underground. Lime followed behind Iron, the pair making their way down the path, their footsteps echoing at every step they made. The pair could hear a rumble behind them as the passage sealed itself.
>The pair entered a large chamber, dimly lit. The space in the center was wide open, circled by stands meant for seating and observation, to allow waiting Pearls to watch the fights unfold and learn from them.
>Iron and Lime stared at the Pearls already gathered in the stands, a rainbow of colors and sizes seated.
>A three-headed red Pearl stood in the center of the room, a microphone in her hands. Her hair was long and wavy, weaving into itself from each head as it flowed down her back, Her body was covered in thick red armor, hiding where her gem was located.
>The Off-Color Pearl spoke as Iron and Lime sat down at the bottom of a section of the stands. Three voices rang in unison. "Good day everyone! I'm Hydra, your announcer and current reigning champion of this ring! Are you all ready for some fights tonight?!"
>The crowd of Pearls cheered and clapped their approval before Hydra cut them off. "That's what we like to hear! For those new to this ring, here are the rules. You are allowed to fight any way you know how, as long as you don't damage your opponent's gem! If you can't summon a weapon, one will be provided to you, determined by random draw. Match-ups for tonight are determined at random. Let the fights begin!"
>The crowd murmured as two spotlights turned on above them, scanning the crowd. One light stopped on Iron, the other light shined upon a purple Pearl twice Iron's size.
>Hydra spoke up as she caught sight of the twin gems on the purple Pearl's chest. "Excuse me, but fusion makes fights unbalanced. You'll have to-"
>Iron held up a hand, interrupting Hydra. "It's fine with me. Let them stay together, we won't get the luxury of picking our opponents or fairness if we have to fight. It'll be a good lesson for them both." Iron pulled out a long staff from her navel gem, dropping into a fighting stance.
>"As you wish." Hydra stepped out of the arena as the purple Pearl fusion pulled out two swords from her gems. The swords glowed together as they merged, a smirk crossing the fusion's face.
>Hydra yelled out with her microphone. "Begin!"
>The fusion let out a yell as she charged towards Iron. Iron stood her ground as she watched the gem charge. Less than a foot separated them before Iron made her move, vanishing in a flash of movement. The fusion scowled as she slid to a stop, her heels digging into the ground as she tried to slow herself. She looked around, trying to spot where her opponent had gone.
>The fusion let out a yelp of pain as a staff thrust up towards her hands, causing her to release her sword. Iron smiled from her position on the ground as she sprang up and grabbed the purple sword out of the air. She tossed it across the arena away from her opponent as she brought her staff down upon the fusion's head full force.
>The fusion's eyes widened in shock for a moment before they split up into a blue Pearl and a red Pearl, their backs lying on the ground as they landed from being forced apart. Both glared at Iron as she pressed her staff against their throats at the same time, pinning them down.
>"Your first mistake was assuming your size was all that mattered. Your second was recklessly charging at the start of the fight. Your third was underestimating your opponent. Improve on these things if you want to survive a real fight." Iron pressed down harder on their throats for a moment before letting them up.
>Iron smiled as she walked back to her seat. The Pearls that had been her opponent fused back together before they made their way back to the stands.
>"Well that was a short one! Let's see who's up next!" Hydra shouted out as the spotlights began to move again. A spotlight settled upon Lime, a smile spreading across her face. The second spotlight landed on a pale white Pearl. Large white feathered wings unfolded from around her body as she walked towards the ring, her light grey gown flowing around her as she moved, short white hair hiding her eyes. The gem on the back of her left hand glinted as she arrived in the center of the arena.
>Lime smiled at her opponent. "Those are pretty wings. Let's make this a good match." She reached into her right forearm gem with her left hand, pulling out a small axe. She shifted the axe into her right hand before she pulled another axe out.
>"Try to keep up with me if you can." the white Pearl whispered as she cupped her hands together. The gem on her left hand engulfed both hands in light before it dimmed down, revealing two gauntlets.
>"This promises to be interesting! Let the match begin!" Hydra called out from the sidelines.
>Lime gripped her axes tightly as she began stepping slowly towards her opponent. Her opponent leapt into the air and began flapping her wings, creating a strong surge of wind as she kept herself suspended in the air.
>Lime cursed as she felt herself getting pushed backwards. The gust was too strong. Her eyes widened as the white Pearl stopped flapping her wings and began diving towards her, her gauntlets stretched out in front of her.
>Lime stumbled as she tried to adjust herself to no longer having to fight the wind. She brought her axes up in front of her to help shield the incoming blow. As the white Pearl's gauntlets connected with Lime's axes, her body slid back along the ground from the force.
>The white Pearl took advantage, sweeping her left leg at Lime's legs as she flapped her wings to begin ascending again. The combined force sent Lime down to the ground, landing hard on her ass.
>Lime snarled as she felt herself slide back a bit. She couldn't let her opponent continue like this. Her left arm glowed as it began to lengthen, extending towards the ceiling, axe clutched firmly in hand.
>The white Pearl's eyes widened as she saw an axe fly towards her from above the ground. She stopped her focused flapping and focused on dodging the axe. She heard a woosh at it flew past her body.
>"Is that all you got?!" The white Pearl taunted as she resumed her flapping, the gusts beginning to push against Lime again. Lime smirked as she knelt down to hold her position. The axe she threw glowed a bright green before it turned around in the air and sped towards the white Pearl's back. It buried itself in one of her wings, causing the white Pearl to cry out in pain as she dropped out of the air.
>Lime stood and rushed towards where her opponent would land as the white Pearl plummeted to the floor. Lime placed a foot on her chest as she landed, brandishing her axe in her right hand as she pulled another one out of her gem with her left hand. "Had enough?"
>"I concede. Dang, I thought that would be enough of an edge to win. That's a nasty property your axes have. Use them well." the white Pearl bowed her head towards Lime, her wings wrapping back around her body.
>"I will. Good luck in your future training." Lime limped back to her seat, her body sore from struggling against the winds the white Pearl had been creating.
>The night drug on as Pearls were paired off against each other. As the night drew to a close, only two gems remained that hadn't fought. One Pearl was a rainbow hue, colors swirling along her body, her outfit, and her hair, the colorful gown clinging to her body, her forehead gem the same lovely swirl of colors.
>The lights shined on her and her opponent. Hydra's three mouths smiled widely as the second light landed on her. "Pearls of all colors, we end tonight with us, your champion, against this gorgeous rainbow color Pearl! A round of applause for her, please!" her three voices chimed in unison as the Pearl stood up. The crowd cheered as the rainbow Pearl stepped into the fight area.
>Iron whispered to Lime. "This is the good part, you're about to see why she's the champ."
>"Is it really that good? I've seen other ring champs fight before."
>"You haven't seen anything like her."
>The rainbow Pearl drew a bow from her forehead. shaking nervously.
>Hydra's three mouths smiled as she looked upon her victim. "This will be over fast, don't worry. I like that bow though, it'd serve you well in any other fight."
>Hydra's body glowed brightly as it began twisting, her necks lengthening out, her teeth sharpening in her mouth, her heads elongating into reptilian forms. Her body grew as her arms and legs thickened, taking on a more monstrous appearance, her armor shifting into thick scales. Unseen by her opponent, the gem on Hydra's back stopped glowing as her form settled. The rainbow Pearl's mouth hung open as she watched her opponent finish shape shifting.
>"Let the match begin!" the monstrous heads chimed out, her voice booming through the room. The rainbow Pearl shot arrows at Hydra's chest, her eyes widening in horror as they bounced off of her hide. The jaws of her center head opened as she whipped it down to her opponent, clamping her teeth around one of the Rainbow Pearl's arms. She cried out in pain
>"I give up, I give up! Have mercy!" Hydra's other two heads grinned a toothy grin as her third head released the Pearl's arm. The rainbow Pearl ran back to the stands, tears streaming down her face as Hydra shifted back into her normal form.
>"That's all for tonight Pearls! Remember to practice your techniques for next time!"
>Hydra spun the red microphone in her hand once more before it vanished in sparking lights. The arena began emptying as Pearls left the stands.
>Lime looked over to Iron. "Wow. I would not want to fight her. Think we could learn how to do that?"
>Iron shrugged her shoulders. "With a lot of practice maybe. Some think she can do that because of her nature as an Off-Color. Come on, let's get out of here."
Chapter 2: Fights in the Present, Memories of the past
Summary:
Hydra meets a Pearl she thought she'd never encounter, bringing back a memory after the match is over.
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
>"Another night, another set of fights almost done." Hydra thought to herself, propping her left and right heads up with her hands as her middle head stared at the current fight underway, the last one before she'd have her chance to show off.
>She watched as a black Pearl, body clad in a white tuxedo and pants, whipped around a black chain with a knife point at the end, a whistling sound coming from the speed the weapon was moving. Her opponent, a white Pearl wearing a black wedding gown, covered in frilly grey lace and flowers, used her large rectangular white shield to block the blow, the knife and chain wrapping around the top.
>The black Pearl smirked as she gave the chain a quick tug, ripping the shield out of her opponent's hand. She took advantage of the opening, closing the distance between her and her opponent in a burst of speed, knocking her down to the ground before placing her left foot above her opponent's chest, inches away from her dress and her gem.
>The white Pearl's eyes widened before she smiled. "I concede, you win."
>The black Pearl helped her opponent up off the ground before pulling her into a kiss. "Sorry I was so rough my love."
>"It's okay darling, that's the risk of random match ups. We'll have to spar again sometime."
>The pair of Pearls held hands as they returned to the stands, the crowd giving a collective "Awww, so cute!" at their display of love.
>Hydra stood up, red microphone in her hand. "Those two lovebirds put on an excellent display and held nothing back, what great trust they must have in each other! Now it's time for the final fight of the night, the one you've all been waiting for!" Hydra's three voices rang in unison as the crowd cheered.
>The first spotlight settled down on Hydra's body, her red armor gleaming in the new light source. The second spotlight scanned the crowd for the Pearl who hadn't fought yet.
>The spotlight settled in on an orange Pearl, her hair a much lighter shade of orange and puffed out a few inches in length like a cloud. Her right eye was a crimson red shade, her left a pale white, broken only by her black pupil and a light ring of orange around the iris. Her body was still clad in the leotard most Pearls wore while still in service to masters, a slightly darker orange than her skin. A dark orange cape flowed behind the Pearl as she walked out into the arena, her white heels clicking upon the ground. Her round orange gem shined upon her chest.
>All six of Hydra's eyes widened when she caught full sight of the Pearl, then narrowed in determination, her jaws clenching in anger. Her opponent stood a few feet away from her now, smiling widely.
>"I finally found you, Off-Color. Take a good look at me, abomination, I'll be the one to finally bring you down! I am Hessie!"
>Hydra snarled before she brought her microphone up to her mouth. "Pearls in the crowd, tonight's last match will be different. Instead of the usual anything goes rules, we will instead be fighting with our bare hands. No weapons, no powers, no shapeshifting. Just fists on fists." Hydra glared at the Pearl before her. "Do you accept these terms?"
>Hessie grinned mischievously. "That suits me fine, it'll make it easier to beat you down! I'm going to enjoy this."
>Hydra released her red microphone, watching as her gem weapon disappeared into red sparkles. Her form glowed as her red armor shifted off of her form.
>The crowd gasped as Hydra stood clad in the same orange leotard Hessie wore. Her fists clenched as her voices shouted to be heard without her microphone. "LET THE FIGHT BEGIN!!!"
>Both Pearls charged at each other, Hessie holding her arms close to her gem as she moved, ready to block the blow she knew would be coming for it. Unfortunately for her, Hydra was smarter than that, her left fist aiming for her opponent's face, her right aiming lower, for her gut.
>Hydra's left fist connected with her opponents right cheek, sending tears out of her paler eye and down her cheek. Hessie managed to block the blow to her gut with her own left hand, her right swinging towards Hydra's left side, aiming for her ribs.
>The eyes on Hydra's right head widened as she caught sight of her opponent's incoming blow. She quickly brought her right arm away from her opponent's gut and towards her right side. She wasn't quick enough to stop the blow entirely, only managing to absorb some of the blow with her right arm. Pain shot through her right arm and her right side as she felt the force of the blow.
>Hydra's left mouth growled as she used her left leg to sweep at Hessie's legs. Hessie jumped back to dodge and maintain her balance, landing gently on her feet a foot away from where she was.
>Hydra rushed forward to close the gap between them as Hessie was landing from her jump. Hydra lunged forward as Hessi landed, tackling her full force and sending both to the ground. The pair rolled along the ground, each Pearl struggling to be the one to pin the other down.
>Hydra won the struggle, pinning Hessi's arms with her legs, her butt sitting on her opponent's chest as she used her body to hold her opponent down. Hydra glared at Hessi, her left and right mouths twisting into snarls as her middle head spoke. "You've lost, surrender!"
>Hessi laughed a wicked laugh as she laid pinned. "You think you've won? This is only the start!" She thrashed her legs, driving them into the lower portion of Hydra's back, the toes of her boots inches away from Hydra's gem.
>Hydra's eyes widened as pain shot through her form. In a blind fury, she reached down with both of her hands and grabbed onto Hessi's gem, pulling violently. Small cracks formed on the surface as the gem pulled free from Hessie's form, causing a violent burst of energy and smoke.
>Hydra's hands shook as she held the damaged Pearl. "Th-the m-match is over. Everyone out, NOW!!!!" She yelled out, causing most of the Pearls present to scurry out of the arena. Only one remained behind, A grey Pearl walked over to Hydra, her hair was extremely short, no more than an inch in length all around her head. Her outfit consisted of dark grey sweatpants, long black stockings that covered her exposed toes, long black gloves covering her arms, and a thin strip of cloth covering her chest but exposing her navel gem and her shoulders. Her white eyes stared hard at the champion of the ring.
>Tears flowed from all six of Hydra's eyes. "I-iron, I, I didn't mean to, I would never......sh-she almost....."
>Iron placed a hand on Hydra's left shoulder. "I know Hydra, I saw. I'll go get the emergency healing essence, sit tight."
>Iron rushed out of the ring towards the storage room where they kept weapons and treatments, leaving Hydra to stare at the orange Pearl in her hands.
>She sat silently in the arena, a memory surfacing in her mind. Her first memory, her first day of existence.
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>The orange stone wall shook as rumbling resounded through it, energy building up within. A large explosion sent pieces of orange rock flying everywhere, red smoke pouring from the hole as a thin figure emerged from the hole, her red head sticking out of the thick cloud of smoke.
>A Peridot stared at the new Pearl's head emerging from the smoke. "Oh stars, you're not suppose to be red, you're suppose to be orange! And what's with that hair, it should be poofy! Stars, Hessonite will never accept this!"
>"She won't? Is my color that bad?" a chill went down the Peridot's form as she heard a voice speak, a voice that didn't originate from the head she saw poking out of the smoke. Her fear was realized as the smoke cleared away, giving her a good look at the full form of the Pearl before her. Her orange leotard was the only detail correct about her. Her red skin, her yellow boots, her hair style, her gem placement, they were all wrong, but they weren't the Peridot's main concern anymore. She stared in horror as she caught sight of the Pearl's three heads.
>"This.......this is a disaster! Stars, we can't even use you as a secondary gift! If anyone finds out about this, they'll-"
>A screen popped up behind the Peridot. The face of a Hessonite appeared upon the screen, smiling widely. "Peridot, I just got a notification that my new Pearl has emerged! I want to see her, let me see her!" giddy excitement flowed through the Hessonite's voice.
>"Stars, H-hessonite! F-forgive me, but there's, your Pearl isn't.....s-something went wrong with the manufacturing process or incubation!"
>The Hessonite's eyes narrowed at the Peridot. "What do you mean something went...." she trailed off as she caught sight of the Off-Color Pearl behind the Peridot. "What is that abomination behind you? Don't tell me that's the Pearl I ordered?!"
>"I'll get a new one made for you, I promise! I'll make you two even! Please, don't report this, I'll.....dispose of the abomination myself."
>"You had better fix this fast Peridot, you have one cycle to correct this or I report your incompetence. Send me her shards as proof when you finish breaking her." The screen closed, leaving the Peridot standing there. She turned towards the Pearl, grabbing a destabilizer off the table.
>The red Pearl's minds reeled in confusion. She was wrong? She was an abomination? What was so bad about her, were her extra heads that bad? Was her color that unacceptable? She didn't want to stick around for whatever the Peridot had planned. The gem on her back glowed as a microphone head appeared from it. She could feel the object lodged in her back, she desperately reached behind her to grab it,
>A cord stretched from her microphone to her gem, lengthening as she pulled it in front of her and clutched it tightly in both hands. The Peridot chuckled as she saw the Pearl's "weapon". "Hah, you clod! What are you going to do with that, sing me to death? Stand still and I promise you won't feel any pain, I'll make it quick."
>"No! I won't let you!" The three heads cried out in unison, hoisting the microphone to her mouth. A burst of energy surged forward in a wave, connecting with the Peridot. Her green form took on a splash of red, her eyes widening in shock before her form gave way, leaving her gem to clatter to the ground, a small red spot appearing on the stone.
>A small red orb floated in front of the three headed Pearl where the Peridot had been standing, hovering for a moment before it rushed towards her. The Pearl braced herself for the inevitable impact.
>As the red orb connected with her form, she felt a small burst of power well up within her, instead of the pain she had been expecting. Her mind reeled with confusion for a moment.
>"What was that thing? Why did it make me feel......better, stronger?" She thought to herself before shaking her three heads. "I'll figure this out later, I need to get out of here!"
>The red Pearl grabbed the Peridot's gem before she fled the area, her microphone vanishing from her hands. She didn't know what was happening, but she knew the Peridot was her best bet in figuring it out.
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>"You were made by someone else to replace me, weren't you?" Hydra's middle head whispered to the Pearl in her hands, running her fingers gently along the surface. "I was suppose to BE you. I wonder what my life would have been like if I had came out as you?"
>Tears splashed along the floor as they fell from all six of Hydra's eyes. "It can't have been easy for you, I imagine. Having to serve someone like that, maybe even still serving them now. I promise, if you're trapped in your old life still, if your Hessonite has a hold on you, I'll find a way to save you."
>"Hydra, I've got them! She'll be fine now." Iron rushed over to where Hydra still sat and handed her the vial of healing essence.
>"Thanks Iron. Sorry about all of this. Can I ask you a favor?"
>"What is it?"
>"Please, find out all you can about this Pearl. I think she might still be under the service of her old master. If she is, we need to make an example of that gem, to show any others that might be holding on to Pearls what happens when they threaten our freedom."
Iron smiled at Hydra as she watched the champion pour the essence over the orange Pearl, rubbing it gently into the cracks. The gem glowed for a moment before fading, the cracks vanishing from the surface.
>"Consider it done Hydra. I'll see to it I find out everything I can before and after she reforms." Iron took the Pearl out of Hydra's hands and left the arena.
>Hydra composed herself before she left her arena, wiping the tears away. If her intended master was still out there treating Pearls like slaves, or if it was another Hessonite who found out about her, it didn't matter in the end. Whoever it was would pay for this.
Notes:
I hope this is to the liking of those that enjoyed the first chapter. I've been wanting to flesh Hydra out some more for a while. I intend to do a few other fight clubs as well, show off the different styles of combat they can have, but I also want to cover backstories for the champions. Let me know what you think, if I should make the backstories separate parts of this series, or keep including them here.
Chapter 3: Iron's ring of staffs
Summary:
A look at the ring of staffs and how it works.
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
>Several small ship fly over a wide open field, the blue grass blades wave gently in the wind. Strange devices float around an area, generating a shimmering blue field around a large circular area. The field itself is a cloaking device, designed to hide the area from the scanners of any ships flying overhead, creating an illusion that hides everything within from any ship not outfitted with the proper device. One by one, the small ships begin landing, passing through the blue field, the ships glowing grey as the device outfitted on them nullifies the field's other property, a strong surge that would cause unauthorized vessels to explode as they passed through. In the center of the field sits a large grey stage. Iron stood steady upon the stage, the fabric of her pants flowing in the wind, her grey staff already in her left hand. Other Pearls of various sizes, shapes, and colors exit their ships and begin to stand around the stage, each one holding her own staff-like weapon, some with axe heads, spear points, blades, or prongs upon the end.
>Iron flourished her staff as she shouted out to the crowd. "Welcome once again to my ring of staff combat! For those of you new here, you will pair off with another Pearl and go through the motions I'm demonstrating with my volunteer. As you become more comfortable with the movements after each session, you will move further back from the stage and increase your speed until you're ready for proper sparring. Any questions?" The crowd was silent, newcomers and veterans alike nodding their heads.
>Iron nods in satisfaction. "Excellent. Who will today's volunteer be for the demonstration of the motions?" Iron looks out to the crowd expectantly, slowly looking them over for someone to volunteer. Soon enough, a lovely yellow Pearl raises her weapon high, a simple staff design, much like Iron's was.
>Iron calls out. "The Pearl with the yellow staff raised high, let her through!" The Pearls around her begin to move, a path to the stage clearing. The Pearl smiles widely as she heads towards the stage, her long shoulder length hair flowing in the wind behind her, a long yellow dress billowing as the wind licks the edges and sends them curling up, long yellow stockings covering her legs underneath, leading into fancy but flat shoes. Her arms are covered in silky yellow gloves, frills at the ends of the sleeves near her elbows, right hand clutched around her staff as she moved. Her left eye narrows in determination as she steps up on the stage, the place her right eye would be occupied by a shining yellow stone.
>Iron gives the yellow Pearl a smile as the Pearl stands before her. "Have you chosen a name for yourself yet, volunteer?"
>The yellow Pearl shakes her head sadly. "No, I haven't. I only recently got free. Figured the best way to learn is right up on stage, right?"
>Iron's smile fell as she nodded grimly. "A story I've heard too many times before. High ranking gems in remote areas keeping Pearls in the dark of the new laws. Don't worry, you'll find a name for yourself soon enough. Follow my movements and you'll learn quickly. Absolutely no contact beyond weapons touching for this, understand?"
>The yellow Pearl nodded her head. Iron brought her staff up with her left hand, lifting it, spinning it a moment, and then grabbing it with her right hand while holding it with her left, bringing the staff level in front of her. "You don't have to mimic that today, but you will be able to do it if you keep training with us."
>The yellow Pearl put her left hand on her staff and brought it up level, mimicking Iron's pose, arms shaking a bit in nervousness. "Stars why did I volunteer for this? You just had to do something daring for your first act of freedom, didn't you?" the yellow Pearl chided herself in her own mind as she tried to stop her body from shaking.
>"Alright, those up front watch carefully as we move. I'll start with a slow overhead movement, you will move your staff to block it, then move slowly into a strike of your own choosing, which I will block and move into my own counter. We'll keep exchanging mock attacks like this for an hour."
>The yellow Pearl and the first ten rows all nodded their heads, the front rows all turning their heads towards the stage as they faced their chosen partner Pearl. Further back, the Pearls had already started in with practice blows, the further away from the stage they were, the faster they were moving. The Pearls in the very back were staging full spars, moving around the wide open area at the back as they struck, parried, and moved their bodies and feet swiftly.
>True to her word, Iron began with a slow overhead motion, bringing her staff towards the yellow Pearl's head. The yellow Pearl moved her staff up to block with the middle of it. Iron spoke as her staff connected with the center. "Not bad, but remember, it's easier to start a blow from a block if you block from the edges.
>The yellow Pearl nodded as she brought her staff around for a side jab, slowly moving it towards Iron's upper torso. Iron smiled as she brought her staff down from the overhead strike and shifted it in her hands, using the top of her staff to block the blow, leaving the rest of her staff pointed towards the ground. As the staffs touched, Iron moved the lower portion of her staff into a leg sweep motion. The yellow Pearl's eyes widened in surprise as she tried to think of how she could block it.
>A flash of inspiration came to her, don't stop the very bottom, blocking the middle to mitigate the blow would be enough. The yellow Pearl moved her staff to use the lower end to block the center while moving the top part towards Iron's head.
>Even at slow speeds, it was Iron's turn to be surprised. She adjusted her leg sweep attack into a thigh attack to ensure she could block the upper blow in time. "Seems you're a natural at this, newbie. You'll be a good fighter someday, I'm sure of that."
>The yellow Pearl smiled. "Thanks, I hope you're right." the staffs clicked together as they connected at the lower portion, then at the upper portion a moment later. The pair continued to exchange slow motion blows in this manor, the Pearls in the very front doing their best to mimic the movements, the Pearls in the back beginning to wrap up their sparring as the hour drew close to closing. As Iron blocked the last slow blow from the yellow Pearl, she spoke clearly. "Hours up, that's enough demonstration for now. You did great today newbie, thanks for volunteering.
>The yellow Pearl's cheeks flushed a darker yellow as she blushed. "Thank you for letting me be your assistant today. It wasn't as bad as I feared it would be." The yellow Pearl gave a quick bow, her hands clasping together as her staff vanished before she stepped off the stage.
>Iron flourished her staff once more as the yellow Pearl finished stepping off. "Now comes the closing portion of the day. Are there any challengers for my title as ring champion? Will someone step forward to try and claim the right to teach your fellow Pearls the way of the staff?!"
>The crowd was still. The veterans had all taken their shots at Iron before, none confident in their abilities to take her down. The overconfident portion of the Pearls had also had a taste of what Iron could do firsthand, the encounter knocking them back to reality when they failed to win.
>After a few minutes with no volunteers, Iron shouted out once more. "Alright, looks like there's no challengers this time! With that, our lesson is officially over for the day! I hope to see you all here next time!"
>The Pearls left one by one, boarding the vessels they arrived in, flying back through the field. Soon Iron was alone on the grey stage. She smirked as her staff glowed, a portion of the stage opening up near her feet, revealing a seat and ship controls in front of it. Iron slid her body into her compact ship and clapped her hands.
>At the sound of her clap, the blue field generators deactivated and began to float towards the ship, a portion of the front opening up to allow the devices to store themselves within. As the last device entered Iron's ship, the front portion and the cockpit closed, the engines at the back of the ship revealed themselves, the wings extended from the sides, and her ship took off from the planet's surface. It was Iron's biggest precaution, she never held her sessions on the same planet twice. Each Pearl she taught was given a few devices to outfit ships with, devices that told them the co-ordinates to go to for the next session. Each device had to be updated manually after a few sessions, to ensure any that were stolen would no longer work as intended. Iron's past, her training, made her take such precautions, go through such lengths to stay safe.
>"A good assassin never leaves a trace and always stays on guard." Iron whispered the words to herself as she did every time she left a planet. One of the few pieces of advice her old master Hematite had given her that didn't come in the form of a painful lesson.
>Iron smiled to herself as she brought up a star map riddled with X's, marking the previous sites she had held sessions on. Her eyes gleamed with excitement as she looked over the planets that weren't crossed out in the system and the readings that related to them. "Where will it be next time?" she whispered to herself. She couldn't wait to explore the planet of her choice and find the perfect spot to use.
Notes:
It's been way too long since I added a chapter to this and I'm sorry. I've been very occupied with other stories and let this one slip. Getting sick made me think about it, and I was struck with inspiration for what to do with the next chapter and how to work things.
Chapter 4: Lime's ring of Axes
Summary:
A look at the ring of axes and how Lime runs things.
Notes:
Lime featured in the first chapter, and I always intended on making her a champion. She's the last Pearl in the main series who's had a namedrop and is a ring champion, for now. More champions will come.
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
>On a distant alien world, within a cave carved into a large purple mountainside, sits the Ring of Axes. Pearls from all over the cosmos gather within periodically to learn how to fight with their axes from Ring Champion Lime.
>It was another gathering, another chance to learn new tricks and improve. Pearls murmur between each other, going silent as they see Lime walk into the vast cavern towards the elevated stage, a large screen sitting slightly above it, displaying the stage upon the screen for the Pearls in the back to see clearly.
>Lime herself has light green skin, her dark green hair tied into a ponytail behind her head, the end of it resting upon her back. Her torso is clad in a green tank top, sleeveless to allow the gem at her right forearm to shine brightly in the lights. Her waist is covered in a light green skirt, coming down slightly below her knees, flowing around her as she walks. Her feet are covered by green slippers.
>Lime stumbles a bit before she reaches the stage, tripping over a few loose rocks and getting a few light laughs from the newer Pearls. The veterans stay silent as they see her dark green eyes shining as she stands back up and dusts herself off with a smile on her face. Veterans of the ring know her klutzy nature outside of a fight doesn't change what she can do in one. They've seen what she's capable of.
>"Hello, and welcome to my ring of axes!" Lime shouts out cheerfully. "Those of you who've been here before and are ready, you know where the sparring rooms are! Fight to your heart's content and remember what I've told you!"
>Upon hearing those words, half the Pearls leave the room, to practice their techniques. The other half watch the Pearls curiously before turning their attention back to the stage.
>"Right, I need a volunteer today. Hmhmhm, how about......you!" Lime points at a purple Pearl, one who had been laughing particularly loud at her after she tripped, her waist covered in dark purple leggings, feet completely bare, her torso covered in a light purple tight long sleeved shirt that showed off the curves of her body with a small window to show her naval gem. Her hair flowed long and purple down her back and to her bottom..
>"Hah, okay, I'll help you out!" The purple Pearl smirked as she made her way up to the stage. standing confident before Lime.
>Lime reached into her right forearm and pulled out a hatchet, switching it into her right hand before pulling another out. "Summon your axe or axes Newbie." Lime spoke in a more serious tone, her voice sending a chill through the purple Pearl and all the other newcomers to the ring.
>The purple Pearl shook a bit before regaining her composure and pulling a large battleaxe from her gem, holding on to it tightly with both hands. "So what now?"
>"Now I do this!" Lime shouted out as her body moved in a blur. She hooked her hatchets onto the handles of the weapon and yanked it away, sending the large weapon clattering to the ground. The purple Pearl's eyes widened in shock moments before she felt a foot quickly connect with both of her knees, causing her to collapse down towards the ground. Lime snarled as she used the Pearl's momentum against her, kicking her chest and stomping down, pinning the purple Pearl to the stage floor.
>"What, but, you, how?!" The purple Pearl asked out in confusion, her body crying out in pain and her mind reeling from the speed at what just happened.
>"You should never, NEVER, assume someone is weaker than they are. That's lesson one, and the most important thing!" Lime shouted out before looking towards the crowd, smiling as she saw the shocked faces of the other newcomer Pearls. Satisfied, Lime let the other Pearl stand. The purple Pearl's body shook as she scrambled off the stage, her axe vanishing as she fled.
>"Now, about what I just did. As Pearls, we might not be naturally strong, but we can become stronger! I can stand toe to toe with any average Quartz soldier in strength, and if you work at it, you can too!" Lime shouted out, flourishing her axes in her hands. "With our weapon types, we need to hit hard, and we need to hit fast! Overpowering the opponent and catching them off guard will change the tide of the battle!"
>Lime took a breath before she continued. "I need a new volunteer, one of you who's been here a while please. Ah, you there, with the white hand raised! Come on up."
>The white Pearl smiled as she walked towards the stage. Her hair was a light grey and ran down to her shoulders, her light grey eyes shining in excitement, the gem at her throat glowing brilliantly as she went ahead and pulled a halberd out of her gem. Her body was covered in a long, elegant white ballgown, with light grey gloves covering her hands, the dress shuffling as she moved quickly. With a smile, she arrived at the stage and held her pole-arm axe in her hands.
>"You see this? There are many different types of axes and weapons out there! I can tell you the basics, but it's up to you to find your own fighting style in the end!" Lime shouted out to the crowd, causing a few of the newer Pearls to murmur as the older Pearls nodded their heads. "Remember, blocking can be as important as attacking, it's harder with axes, but not impossible! If you can't block, dodge!" Lime lunged towards the white Pearl in another blur, the pearl using her halberd handle to block the blow coming in at her left shoulder while using the blade to block the blow coming in low.
>"Learn to pay attention to both hands in a fight, no matter what!" Lime shouted out as she moved her arms quickly into two more strikes, the white Pearl blocking one aimed at her chest while jumping to the side to dodge the other blow. The pair started exchanging blows, blocking and dodging, the white Pearl being forced to dodge more often than Lime was. After a few moments, Lime took a large leap back and held up her axes in an X, her signal to stop. The white Pearl nodded as she let her weapon disappear and left the stage.
>"Now, sometimes you'll be in a situation where close range won't work, or is too dangerous! In those cases, learning how to throw your weapons, to be accurate with them, can save you!" A small drone popped out from the stage and flying around. Lime smiled as she spun around on her heals and tossed one of her axes at the machine. The drone sputtered and sparked as Lime's axe connected with it, sputtering for a moment in the air before it came crashing down on the stage. The newer Pearls all gasped in amazement.
>"The last thing, but certainly not least, nearly on par with NOT underestimating your opponent, is knowing what your weapons can do! Every gem weapon has at least one property, something that it can do that other gems might not expect!" Lime tossed her axe over the crowd, the blade and handle spinning rapidly as it flew. A light green glow began shining from the axe as it stopped flying forward, the axe spinning in place for a moment before flying back towards the stage. "As you can see, my axe has a boomerang property, which is highly useful for the rare moments I miss, or for catching someone off guard by intentionally missing and making them gloat! Find the property of your weapon and learn how to use it to your advantage!"
>The Pearls in the crowd all cheered in amazement, even the ones that had been there a while. Lime's boomerang axes were still awe inspiring for the gems who weren't sparring, making all the Pearls want to discover what their weapon could do and how they could use it in a fight.
>Lime gave them a moment to cheer before she snapped her fingers, causing a large button to rise from the stage in front of her. With a grin, she pressed it, turning on the screens in the sparring room so she could address all the Pearls at once. "It's that time again. Time to allow Pearls to challenge me for my title and position as ring champion. For those of you new here, here's how it works. Instead of fighting each other, me and any challenger will be dropped into identical arenas, where drones will fly around. The goal is to be the first one to destroy them all. There are twenty total. Each week, the arena changes, the terrain is shifted, the speed of some of the drones varies, the patterns they fly in always different. No two competitions are ever the same! Is there one among you who wishes to challenge me?"
>Buttons raised in each of the sparring rooms, and Lime eyed the crowd in front of her, waiting for someone to volunteer. Much to her disappointment, fifteen minutes passed with nobody volunteering or pressing a button.
>With a shrug, Lime addressed the crowd once more. "No challengers this week, a shame. That's it for this session Pearls, practice on your own time and I'll see you next week!" Lime stepped off the stage, unsummoning her axes as she walked out of the cavern, tripping over her own feet again as she left. She cursed to herself as she stood back up and dusted herself off. "I have got to stop doing that. I'm glad it doesn't happen during fights."
>The Pearls left in the ring practiced and talked with each other before slowly trickling out and going back to their peaceful lives. The newer Pearls were repeating what Lime had told them in their heads. The veterans were busy trying to come up with new things they could do in fights.
Notes:
This time I got caught up in the side stories. The problem here is the more chapters I add to this, the more backstories need to be explored in side stories. But it's all a work in progress and it'll all be written out eventually.
To clue you all in, there's two more ringmasters that have mentions in a side story left, and past those, I have specific ideas for two more rings, and general ideas that lack names for an additional four. So......yeah, I have a lot of Pearls in mind.
Chapter 5: Zeva Emerald's ring of Swords
Summary:
A look at Zeva Emerald's ring of swords.
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
>The solar system that contained the Earth was a very peculiar one. Most rings avoided being so close to each other, but this particular solar system was the base of three very different rings. While no ring was on Earth itself, that planet reserved for open combat lessons with the legendary Renegade Pearl, the three ring champions with rings in the solar system all spent time on the planet itself.
>While two of the three rings were more open than the others, their very nature making it impossible to hide their existence, the rings themselves disguised as meeting places for gems of specific natures, the third ring champion did her best to remain concealed, for the safety of the Pearls she was training.
>On a moon orbiting Saturn sat one of the rings, nestled deep under the surface sat the Ring of Swords. The ring itself was very simple, a wide open cavern with a elevated stage sitting in the middle, a darker green with blue and black trim around the edges. Pearls were already gathered around, murmuring between themselves and various styles and sizes of swords summoned.
>The crowd grew silent as the ring champion entered the cavern. She was unusually tall for a Pearl, standing half a body taller than most of her fellow Pearls. Her skin was a green color, similar to the an Emerald's skin, but a shade darker. Her long light blue sleeveless dress flowed as she walked, the black tights and light blue boots she wore flashing with every step. Long black gloves covered her hands, the fingers from them missing to allow her to feel her sword in her fingers better. Her gem sat above a wide opening on her dress, a darker shade of green still, but shining brilliantly in the artificial light. Her eyes were a deep blue color, shining with determination as she drew closer to the stage. Her hair flowed behind her as she walked, the same black color as her gloves and reaching down to her shoulders, with streaks of blue flowing through it that matched the shade of her eyes.
>The tall Pearl cleared her throat as she spoke. "Good evening one and all! For those new to my ring, I am Zeva Emerald! Those of you completely confident in your abilities, pair off and start sparring as far away from the stage as you can." At her instruction, a large group of Pearls started pairing off with each other and moving back from the stage.
>Zeva Emerald's chest gem glowed for a moment before four dozen pale green hologram copies of herself came into existence. "Those of you wishing to try out advanced techniques, share the holocopies of myself and then practice what they show you!" The holograms leapt off the stage and each one droned out. "Advanced trainees, follow me." before they too started to step away from the stage in different directions.
>Zeva Emerald's gem glowed one more time as she summoned one more hologram copy of herself. "For those of you still learning the basics, me and my hologram will display proper footwork and basic motions. Pay attention to how we move. When you feel like you're ready, group off and practice together."
>The Pearls still looking at the stage all watched as Zeva Emerald summoned her weapon from her gem, the blade long and blue, the same shade as the streaks in her hair. the handle and hand guard as black as her gloves. She positioned her body in a ready stance looked at the hologram, and spoke clearly. "Run Training mode program beginner, please."
>"Beginner training mode initiated." The hologram's eyes shined a dark blue as they flared to life. All around the arena, the other holograms had began the advanced training modes, already clashing blades with other Pearls in complicated motions. The one in front of Zeva Emerald, however, was moving much slower and more deliberately.
>"Parry, Parry, thrust!" The hologram droned out as it moved the hologram sword in its hand. Zeva Emerald herself moved her sword in tandem, to simulate strikes and parries. Zeva Emerald herself spoke out. "Do you all see where my feet are, and how my body is moving? Center of gravity is important in a fight, the slightest imbalance can leave you open for a counterattack! You will all have to find your own centers of balance, but the principle will be the same."
>The pair kept their back and forward strikes and parries slow for a few minutes, giving the newer Pearls time to observe before things started switching up. "Begin basic travel protocol program." Zeva Emerald spoke firmly. The hologram's eyes flickered for a moment before it droned out. "Basic travel protocol initiated."
>The pair began moving along the stage, circling each other and making a small circular loop on the stage itself, both of them spending time backing up and advancing as they continued to trade slow blows.
>"See how I'm trying to get the upper hand, and the hologram is doing the same? If you can force your opponent to be the one to back up, you'll have an advantage in your attacks. However, overreaching is a bad idea!" As if on cue, the hologram made a lunge forward, which Zeva Emerald responded to by knocking the hologram blade out of its hand and skewering the projection through the back. "To overreach is to invite your opponent to poof and possibly shatter you."
>Several of the Pearls in the crowd went wide eyed at the statement and the movement, while others nodded along in understanding. The hologram burst apart after a brief moment of being impaled. Zeva Emerald's gem shined once more as a new hologram sprung to life to replace the one that had fallen.
>"Initiate intermediate combat mode." Zeva Emerald spoke firmly. The new hologram's eyes shined the same dark blue as it activated and responded. "Intermediate combat mode initiated. Ready, begin!"
>The hologram was still moving slow, but the strikes were now coming from all angles, the illusionary blade connecting with Zeva Emerald's sword as she blocked the first attack, an overhead strike. She countered with a quick step back and a small but slow thrusting motion towards the hologram's chest. She smiled as the hologram knocked the blade away and came into a new strike, one going for her right side, the same direction her blade had been knocked, making the blow easier to block.
>Zeva Emerald and her hologram exchanged blows back and forward, the speed of their exchange increasing as the strikes kept going. Side swipe blocked, retaliate with overhead blocked, shoulder blow block, retaliate with attack to the arm dodged. Such motions continued on for the course of an hour, continually getting faster and faster until the speed of the exchange was too much for most Pearls to follow, Zeva Emerald's body and the hologram's form mere blurs as they moved across the stage and continued their exchange.
>Then it was over. Zeva Emerald had grown bored of toying with the hologram, and forcefully knocked the blade out of its hand before impaling it. Pearls all around the stage had started wrapping up their training as well, it was time for the training session at the ring of swords to come to a close.
>The veteran Pearls all gathered around the stage, the remaining holograms ceasing their actions and disappearing.with firm strikes to their forms from their current sparring partners.
>When everyone in the cavern had their eyes on the stage, Zeva Emerald called out to the crowd. "Pearls, it's time once more, for anyone who wishes to challenge me to step forward and face me in combat! As always, if a Pearl defeats me, I will tell her why I chose my name and she will become the new ring champion of swords! Is there anyone among you who wishes to take up the challenge?!"
>A low murmur filled the arena as the Pearls chatted to themselves, speculating about the origins of her name and waiting for someone to challenge her, hoping to see what she could really do in a fight once more.
>Ten minutes passed without a Pearl challenging Zeva Emerald. She glanced over the crowd once more and let out a sigh. "No challengers again? Did the match last month scare you veterans that much? Very well, the training session is dismissed for the day. If you need me for private pointers, you know where to find me." >Zeva Emerald stepped lightly off the stage and traveled through the tunnel system in a blur, her dress rippling with every step she took as she hurried out of the arena. The Pearls within were left to leave at their leisure.
>Zeva Emerald breathed a sigh of relief as she arrived at a small dark green Roaming Eye ship. She ducked her head down low as she entered the ship before standing back up strait and sitting in the pilot's chair with a smile on her face. "Time to go home to Earth."
Notes:
No, you didn't read that wrong. Three rings together in the same system and two being more open is intended. You'll understand why when I get to the first chapter that covers one of them, or if you read the side story about the private training backroom, you might already know.
Zeva Emerald herself, I promise I will cover why she's named the way she is in her backstory, which I will do my best to keep updates along with the other ringmasters.
Chapter 6: An unexpected challenger
Summary:
At the end of another training session of Iron's ring of Staves, a challenger steps forward to try and claim her title.
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
>On a distant alien world, setting in the middle of a barren orange patch of dirt, the sounds of staves clacking together came to a stop under a shimmering orange field of energy.
>Iron had taken her pupils through another training session, the volunteer Pearl, her skin a pale white, her hair long and grey, flowing down to the middle of her back, her body clad in a simple sleeveless grey dress, her gem fixated on her right shoulder, stepped off the stage while unsummoning her staff.
>Iron looked out to the crowd, as she always did, and spoke while flourishing her staff. "Now comes the closing portion of the day. Are there any challengers for my title as ring champion? Will someone step forward to try and claim the right to teach your fellow Pearls the way of the staff?!"
>A brief moment passed before a dark grey staff rose into the air. The group of Pearls all murmured as they look at the staff, while Iron smiled wide. "Looks like we have a volunteer! Make way for her please, allow her passage to the stage!"
>The Pearls in the crowd shuffled back to create a path for the volunteer, giving Iron a look at her challenger. The Pearl's skin was a darker shade of grey than Iron's. From head to toe, her body was covered in a thick grey cloak, which parted as she walked to reveal flashes of a traditional Pearl leotard lacking the frills. Her eyes were hidden by long dark grey hair, lighter than her skin, which flowed down her shoulders. Her footsteps were eerily silent, Iron found herself having to strain to hear them over the crowd.
>The grey Pearl stepped onto the stage in silence and stood a few feet away from Iron. Iron doesn't recognize her, but shrugs it off, she helps a lot of Pearls learn after all. "Welcome to the stage challenger. Tell me, what name have you chosen for yourself?"
>The grey Pearl shook her head, makes a motion with her right hand in front of her throat a few times, then points her staff at Iron, her mouth twisting up into a smile.
>Iron nods in understanding. "Not a talker huh? Very well, but if you win, you'll have to tell them your name. Do you understand?"
>The grey Pearl nods once before dropping into a ready stance, her smile widening.
>"Then let's start!" Iron shouts out before she starts to move, her eyes scanning her opponent as they begin circling the stage, both keeping their distance.
>The unnamed Pearl makes the first move, suddenly lunging forward at a speed Iron hasn't seen from a gem in a long time. Her body shakes a bit as she blocks the incoming chest strike, the force behind the blow stronger than she expected. A smile crosses Iron's face as she quickly moves back a little and thrusts her staff towards her opponent's left side, her opponent blocking it with ease while stepping back quickly.
>The pair continue to trade blows, their speed increasing with every strike, the Pearls below having a hard time following all the motions. Overhead swing blocked, side strike blocked, leg sweep dodged, arm strike dodge, hand strike blocked, head strike blocked, the sound of the staves clacking together in rapid succession echoed across the expanse of barren land as each gem tried to get the better of the other.
>As the fight went on, as she blocked blow after blow, as her own blows were blocked and dodged, a growing sense of dread and familiarity began growing in Iron's stomach. It wasn't until her opponent did a spinning strike, it wasn't until Iron saw the briefest flash of a gem on her opponent's back beneath the cloak, that the feeling intensified to a point where she had to know. Iron blocked a strike aimed for her torso and shoved back hard, sending her opponent sliding across the stage. "Tell me who you are! You're very good, too good to have never challenged me before now! So tell me, who are you and why does this feel so......"
>"Familiar?" Iron's opponent spoke out, sending a chill through the ring champion's form. "I knew it wouldn't take you long, you always were sharp with your senses." Iron's opponent let out a laugh as her whole body began to glow. Her form shifted, growing a full six inches taller. Her shoulder length hair receded, shortening to a few inches. As her hair parted, it revealed two stern eyes, the same shade as her hair. Her Pearl-like nose vanished entirely, replaced by two thin slits on her face. Her arms and legs lengthened out and became thicker, the leotard and cloak on her body shimmered away as they took the form of a tight grey jumpsuit, an all too familiar White Diamond emblem forming on her chest, the slippers on her feet shifting from the ballet shoes a Pearl first wears into a familiar pair of thinner shoes designed to mask the noise the wearer makes while moving.
>"Hematite!" Iron shouted out, a mix of anger and disbelief. "Why are you here?! How did you find me after all these years?!"
>Hematite, Iron's old master, let out a laugh. "Oh Pearl, you silly thing, it was all too easy! When I started running into Pearls on my missions who could fight back, I knew immediately someone had to be teaching them. It took me a while, but I finally found one with a staff weapon, and got her in a situation she couldn't escape. She sold you out in a heartbeat, gave me exactly what I needed to find you! YOU sent your location strait to me!"
>"You still haven't said why you're here!" Iron shouted out, still in a ready stance in case Hematite made a sudden move.
>"Don't you realize? I'm here to SHOW these Pearls that they CAN'T win against other gems! Once I take you out, they'll think twice about picking up a weapon. Without their precious ring champion, they will be lost on what to do! When I'm done here, the OTHER rings will be easy to find and dismantle!"
>With that, Hematite stopped talking and lunged forward, stronger and faster than she had when she wore her Pearl disguise. Iron's eyes widened as she brought her staff up to block the strike aimed at her head, her body sliding back a little from the impact. Iron found herself at the receiving end of a flurry of blows, too rattled to try and counter with her own. Shoulder blow, chest blow, arm strike, head strike, arm strike, leg sweep, side strike, Iron blocked each of Hematite's rapid attacks, each strike sending her another step back. She was getting dangerously close to the edge of the stage.
>Thinking quickly, Iron dipped down to dodge a blow aimed at her side, slid under Hematite's staff and quickly stood behind her. An attempted thrust at her back was met with a swift spin, Hematite's staff connecting with Iron's with a loud clack, sending the Pearl sliding back once more.
>"Give it up Pearl, you can't beat me! I taught you EVERYTHING you know!" Hematite jeered.
>The anger within Iron rose up. "My name is IRON!" Then a realization came to her. "You taught me a lot Hematite, but you didn't teach me EVERYTHING I know!"
>Iron made her move, her staff glowing as she swung her staff swiftly towards Hematite's left side. Hematite sneered as she blocked the blow with ease.
>Hemattie's sneer shifted into a puzzled look as a thick cloud of black smog began seeping out of Iron's staff from the point the two weapons had connected. Iron smiled as the cloud quickly spread out along the stage, obscuring the sight of both gems and blocking the fight from the view of the rest of the Pearls in the crowd. Nervous chatter erupted from the now scared Pearls who had been watching.
>"This won't stop me Pearl, it only delays the inevitable!" Hematite let out one more taunt before she started spinning her staff in front of her while moving back, to try and dissipate the thick cloud while repositioning herself. No matter how fast she moved her staff, the cloud wouldn't blow away, it continued to coalesce around Hematite.
>Hematite's eyes widened as she felt a strong blow against her left arm. She quickly did a half circle spin, spinning her staff through the area where her back had been facing, only to connect with nothing but air.
>Hematite started moving around once more, trying to keep her prescience unknown. She started to smile after a minute of not getting hit, only for her smile to fade as she felt a sharp blow land on her right leg.
>Hematite suppressed the urge to growl as she did a rapid spin, her staff extended out around her. Once more, she didn't hit anything, her frustration growing more.
>Hematite made several rapid leaps in random directions, then started spinning around once more, her staff extended as far out as she could get it while keeping a hold of it, her body moving in a jagged path across the stage. "Let's see the Pearl get through THIS!" she thought to herself smugly as she kept spinning and moving.
>Her smugness faded into shock and horror as she felt her staff get knocked out of her hands entirely, then felt a sharp flurry of blows connecting all over her form as she tried to stop her own spinning. By the time she had slowed down, her body was covered head to toe in dark grey bruises, pain shooting through her form.
>The Hematite collapsed to her knees, and a moment after, the smoke cloud dissipated, revealing Iron standing tall over her, her staff pointed right at the fallen assassin.
>"How? HOW?! You couldn't SEE me, how did you best my motions?!"
>"I have you to thank for that Hematite. Remember what you had me do when you first got me?"
>Hematite wracked her mind, trying to remember. Her eyes widened a bit as she recalled. "I had you close your eyes and stand in a corner."
>"That's right, and guess what?! My OTHER senses were amplified during that time! I learned how to HEAR your movements. I could smell the scents you used. Learning how to fight blind was something I chose to learn for myself, because I KNEW it was something you'd never expect if I ever had to face you!"
>Hematite looked up at Iron defiantly. "Well, what are you waiting for?! Break me Pearl, get it over with!"
>Iron shook her head. "No. You will live Hematite. You will live and you will tell me what else you know about the rings!"
>With that, Iron drove her staff into Hematite's naval, pushing her down, impaling her form, and pinning her to the stage. Hematite's body shuddered for a moment before it poofed into a small cloud of grey smoke, her gem rocking a bit as it fell a short distance to the stage.
>Iron let out a sigh as she picked up her former master's gem. Then with a smile, she turned to the crowd and held it up high. "THIS is why we train, my fellow Pearls! These gems, our former masters, think we can't fight against them! Well, WE'RE not that weak, are we?! We CAN fight back, and we WILL if we need to! Let this be the proof, our efforts to get stronger are working, and are worthwhile!"
>A brief silence came over the crowd of Pearls before the crowd erupted into shouts and cheers, their spirits ignited by Iron's victory and her speech. Iron smiled to herself as the crowd kept cheering and shouting out in excitement for five minutes.
>As the shouts died down, Iron shouted out once more. "Today's lesson is officially over! Extra precautions will be added within the next few lessons to ensure no other gems can infiltrate my ring! Until then, practice on your own time, and be vigilant!"
>As the crowd started to disperse, Iron opened the hatch on her ship and slid in, Hematite's gem in her hands. She sat alone for a moment, turning the gem in her hands before sighing. "Let's get you to the detainment facility." With a quick motion, Iron formed a transparent grey bubble around the gem and pushed it aside. She would learn what her old master knew about the rings, one way or another.
Notes:
This chapter sets some things up and shows more of what Iron can really do. Also serves as a huge morale booster for Pearls everywhere.
Chapter 7
Summary:
A hostile gem that threatens Pearls everywhere is located. Hydra goes after her alone.
Chapter Text
>Floating in space, a round red ship flew towards an abandoned moon colony, landing a short distance away from a large yellow base. The base itself was of a newer construction, started shortly before Era Three had begun, left unfinished while the Diamond tried to come up with a way to create gems without destroying the organic ecosystems of worlds.
>A hatch on the ship slid open, allowing the pilot to exit at her leisure. From within, Hydra stepped out onto the orange dirt of the surface, the red armor covering her body shining brightly in the sunlight, her long wavy hair unwoven from itself and flowing freely behind her three heads. Hydra had been informed by Hessie, the Pearl who was sent to eliminate her, that this was where Hessonite had made her base. The other ring champions had volunteered to go with Hydra, but Hydra refused, saying it was something she needed to do herself, saying she didn't want any other Pearl to put herself at risk, and that she could handle it. Reluctantly, the other ring champions had agreed to let Hydra go alone, with a tracker on her ship in case things went wrong.
>"So, this is where you've holed up, Hessonite?" her left head whispered out in a snarl.
>"You'll answer for what you've done soon." her right head spat out in disgust.
>"No more stalling, no more delays. Your threat ends today." Hydra's middle head spoke out confidently as her body began moving towards the the unfinished base. As she moved, her body began to grow larger, her armor shifted into thick scales covering her form, her hands and feet twisted into claws as she fell into moving on four limbs instead of two, her necks lengthening as her heads shifted into a more reptilian form, sharp teeth filling each of her elongated mouths, her hair shifting into two horns upon each of her heads, a long powerful tail sprouting from her rear and swishing as it formed. By the time she reached the base, she was a hulking mass of muscle and power, ten times larger than she was as a Pearl.
>"At least I don't have to hold back out here. I can really give it my all without worry of hurting someone who doesn't deserve it." Hydra thought to herself, her three heads smirking as she raised up on her hind legs, bringing her large forelegs up in front of her before she let her weight and her front legs crash into the tower.
>Metal groaned as it twisted under the force of her weight, bits of metal breaking off and clattering to the orange dirt as the entire tower leaned over. Hydra's smirks grew wider as her ears picked up on feint sounds of cursing coming from within the tower.
>Hydra began pushing down harder, letting her claws sink into the metal under her, clawing at the structure and sending more bits flying, the tower's metal twisting further back as the metal began groaning louder and leaning further back.
>With a roar, Hydra lifted her body up once more, this time bringing her full force into the tower's base, letting her claws lead the way as they sunk into the metal, driven deep from the force Hydra was exerting. That's all it took. The metal at the base of the tower splintered and snapped, larger bits flying off, some bouncing off of hydra's large form before clattering to the ground, the tower itself landing against the orange dirt with a loud crash. From within the ruined tower, a small orange figure crawled out, her body covered in an orange jumpsuit, tattered from being drug across sharp metal, her large white poofy hair disheveled, her right foot missing the white boot that was suppose to be on it. She was a Hessonite, and she was afraid, the gem on her chest getting dirty as she tried to crawl away unnoticed.
>The Hessonite's white eyes widened as she felt a pressure on her back. Hydra had taken notice of the fleeing elite and pinned her down under her large right front foot. With a smirk on all three of her heads, Hydra lowered her middle head down towards the Hessonite. "Did you really think you could get away? Tell me Hessonite, why? Why did you send a Pearl to try and kill me?!"
>Hessonite spat out her reply with a growl of frustration. "Because every moment you exist is a stain on my reputation, Off-Color! You were suppose to be MY perfect Pearl, and instead you.....you're a monster! A mistake I need to fix!" Then Hessonite smiled. "But, you have your own mistakes to fix, don't you, Off-color?"
>Hydra's three heads snarled as she pushed her right foot into the Hessonite's back harder, her chest gem sinking deeper into the dirt. "I am not a mistake! I might have my own mistakes that need to be fixed, but not by destroying other gems!" Hydra's middle head shouted out.
>"Hmhmhm, are you really going to do it? Will you really give up all your-"
>"ENOUGH!" Hydra's three heads shouted in unison before the middle head resumed talking. "You WILL tell me where the other elites holding Pearls illegally are, and you WILL release the ones you still have!"
>Hessonite laughed under Hydra's foot. "Stars, you're a fool if you think I'm doing either of those, Off-Color! Why do you think I'm here in the first place? When the Pearl I sent failed to return, I knew I'd be found. I sent my other Pearls off to other elites, destroyed all information about where the other elites are hiding, and I came here. You'll get nothing from me, monster! You might as well break me now and save us both some time, I'll never talk!"
>Hydra snarled again before she stopped and thought, an idea coming to her. "No, no you don't need to talk.Your ship should be able to contact all the elite gems on all the colonies, even if it can't show me where the lawbreakers are. I know how I can make use of you."
>The Hessonite's white eyes widened in fear. "No, no you're not goi-AAAAHHHH!" she cried out in pain as she felt a sharp object pierce her back. Hessonite's form shuddered a moment before it poofed, her gem embedded in the ground.
>With a smile, Hydra shifted down to her normal Pearl form, her red armor once more shining in the sunlight as she picked Hessonite's gem up with her right hand, twirling it around with a smile on her three faces. "Yes, I know just what to do with you. Let's find your ship, Hessonite."
-------
>Hessonite's gem floats in the air as she reforms, her feet coming to rest on a hard red floor. She looks around in confusion, realizing she's in a featureless red room, no windows to look out of, no spot that denotes where a door would be, the room itself large enough to hold a Diamond comfortably. That realization sent a shiver through the Hessonite's form. Why was she still alive? What was being planned for her? Her white eyes darted around the room nervously.
>Unknown to her, Hessonite's actions were being broadcast to every elite gem on all gem colonies, thanks to the information and access privileges that had been pulled from her ship. Outside the cell, Hydra was once more in her large reptilian form, her three heads smiling as she saw Hessonite reform. "Finally, you're back. Time to get this show started." her three heads spoke out softly in unison before the wall slid open, allowing her full body to enter the room.
>Hessonite's eyes widened as she caught sight of the monstrous form before her. Gritting her teeth, and realizing she had a shot to take the Off-Color down herself, she reached into her chest gem and pulled out an orange spear. With a yell, she charged at Hydra, the tip of the spear pointed right at her torso.
>Hydra let out a chuckle from all three heads as she stood still, as she let Hessonite land her strike, watched as Hessonite's face twisted from an arrogent smirk into a look of surprised horror as the orange spear snapped against Hydra's red scales, the futility of her actions being broadcast to elite gems everywhere. With a swift swat of her left forearm, Hydra knocked Hessonite into a wall, her form shuddering for a moment before it dissipated again.
>Hydra began walking into the room and over to where Hessonite's gem had landed, her middle head speaking out. "Gem elites everywhere, I am Hydra. As you will soon see, I am a Pearl, one many of you would call "Off-Color", but still a Pearl." The horns on her head withdrew into her head as hair cascaded back out, her long snouts fading back into normal mouths and long pointed noses, her scales readjusting themselves into Hydra's shining red armor, her hands and feet returning to normal as she stood upright once more. Her hair wove itself into a braid as she reached Hessonite's gem, her body fully back to her default Pearl state.
>Hydra's three heads grinned as she picked up Hessonite's gem in her left hand and held it up. "Even a Hessonite, one of your best fighter types among elites, was no match for me. I'm far from the only Pearl powerful enough to take out an elite, there are many of us scattered across the stars." Hydra's middle head continued. "We know what some of you gem elites have been doing. We know you're holding Pearls against their will. Today, I send you a message. No matter where you are, no matter where you try to run or hide, if you're holding Pearls against their will, if you're breaking Era Three laws, you will be found. You will be taken out, and the Pearls will be freed. We're coming for you, and we won't stop until we find you all!"
>Hydra punctuated her last statement by gripping Hessonite's gem tightly, cracks forming visibly on the surface of the gem before the feed cut off. When Hydra was sure the broadcast was over, she sighed and lowered her left hand, reaching into the gem on her back with her right hand and pulling out a container of healing essence. "You're lucky we need you alive Hessonite. You said you wouldn't talk, we'll see how true that holds." Hydra's head whispered out before dropping Hessonite's gem into the container and sealing it back, the cracks on the gem vanishing rapidly as the essence did its job. She left the holding cell with the container in hand, to take it to a more secure location.
-------
>In the days following the broadcast, gem colonies everywhere reported a surge in the Pearl population, Pearls previously reported missing by owners and friends alike showing up, visibly shaken. As much as other gems tried to find out where they had been, the Pearls were too reluctant to share. They would need time before they truly felt safe.
>Hydra's plan had worked. The elite gems now feared for their safety, many choosing to release the Pearls they were holding over potentially being shattered.
>It wasn't a perfect result. There were still many Pearls left that were still missing, still whispers and rumors of elites keeping Pearls and other gems illegally. But it was a good start to fixing things.
-------
>Floating in space, an Emerald sat within her ship, her gem resting on her left arm, receiving a fuzzy broadcast from another elite who was breaking the new laws "I don't condone what you're all doing, but I'll help you strike back against these Pearls that threaten you. There's one in particular I want to start with. My reasons are my own. After her, I'm done helping you."
>A vague silhouette on the fuzzy screen nodded her head, responding in a voice that was being altered by the transmission. "Very well. Send us the name of who you're going after. Payment will be delivered when you show us her shards."
>"Understood. Sending the name now." With a few quick finger movements, the Emerald keyed in the name of her Pearl target and sent it, closing the broadcast after.
>With a smirk, the Emerald pulled a sword out of her left arm gem. "I'm coming for you Zeva Emerald. You'll regret sullying the names of Emeralds everywhere."
Chapter 8: The ring of corruption
Summary:
A look at the oddity that is the ring for Corrupted Gems.
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
>The solar system that held Earth in it was a strange one indeed. While most rings tried to space themselves out to one ring per solar system, this particular system held three different rings.
>While the ring of Swords stayed hidden from view, two other rings could not afford to hide themselves as well, due to the nature of the gems who came to them. One of the rings was a place set up in the Asteroid belt, a ring where previously corrupted gems could go to try and figure out how to fight in their new bodies, using their horns, claws, wings, and other various bits to their advantage in a fight.
>There were three gems that stood above the others in this ring. One that was recognized as their leader, and two others that acted as aids in their teachings. The main leader of the ring was the powerful yellow Pearl Zelinka. Zelinka was an oddity among corrupted gems. There weren't many Pearls that had been on Earth when the corruption attack hit, only a handful. Nowhere near enough to have a proper Pearl ring, and thus Zelinka had offered her services to all corrupted gems, not just Pearls.
>Zelinka herself stood a few inches taller than a usual Pearl, even without taking her two fuzzy antenna into account. Her hair was short but messy, a rather dark hue of yellow compared to the rest of her. Her skin was a very pale yellow, a few shades shy of white. Her eyes shined a bright orange. The clothing on her body was slightly torn along the sleeves of the jacket she wore, custom made to account for her four arms and her two large moth wings. Her wings were mainly the same pale yellow her skin was, with swirls of orange forming spiral patterns. Her bottom was clad in a long yellow skirt, frayed at the bottom edge close to her feet. On each of her two feet, she wore thick orange boots, to help her keep her footing easier. Her yellow gem was fixated in the palm of her upper right hand.
>One of the teaching aid was a Bixbite who went by Candice. She stood a full half foot taller than Zelinka was. While her skin was yellow in hue, her body was covered in a thick red carapace that helped protect her form and hid most of her skin. Bits of yellow skin showed through at the joints of her arms and legs however, the natural gaps that allowed her to move fluidly. While most of the Bixbites who had been corrupted ended up with spiked and a red carapace cap on their heads, Candice herself lacked that particular feature, allowing her to comfortably grow her hair down her back, ending right above her butt for now. While her arms and hands were normal, she had ended up with six thin crab legs when she was healed, each one tipped with small yellow barbs. Her extra legs allowed her to keep her balance on uneven terrain easier, which was a huge asset to her in the ring. Her gem was located on her upper chest, a small portion of her red carapace opening up to allow it light.
>The other teaching aid was a Cryolite who had chosen the name Glacidia. She towered over many of the gems in the ring, standing 14 feet tall. Her body was a pale white hue, with small patches of brown dotting her body in spots. Four brown horns poked out of her short white hair on her head. Her four brown eyes were constantly darting around, taking in even the smallest movements around her. Her body was large and powerful, much like a Quartz would be, her torso clad in a simple jumpsuit, While she only had two arms and two legs which she left bare, she had dozens of sharp spikes that lined her back, as well as one large spike sticking out of each of her shoulders. Her gem was fixated on her left knee, a bit of a reach if she wanted her weapon, but still accessible.
>The ring itself was a chaotic sight to behold. A large area had been terraformed on one of the larger asteroids in the belt, creating large mountains, deep valleys, rolling hills, catacomb caverns, and many other obstacles that made factual ights feel more natural and still allowed for gems to have room to practice with the various terrain safely.
>In the middle of the terraformed area was a large round expanse of land, the only truly flat area within the ring itself. As usual, Zelinka, Candice, and Glacidia stood in the center of the flat area as the corrupted gems gathered around for the start of their lesson.
>Zelinka cleared her throat before speaking. "Welcome one and all to the ring for corrupted gems to learn about fighting with their extra or altered appendages. For those new here, I am Zelinka the Pearl. To my right is Candice the Bixbite, to my left is Glacidia the Cryolite. For those of you already comfortable with your abilities, you may group off as you see fit and hit the terrain around us, other than the designated areas where finer training takes place."
>Zelinka gave the more experienced gems a moment to break off into their groups to go train. Once the movement died down, she looked over towards Candice, who nodded. "For the ones who've been here a while and need some finer pointers, you can follow me into the catacombs for some more personalized tips." Candice moved out of the center of the field and towards one of the small hills that sat nearby. Her gem glowed for a moment as she pulled out a long trident weapon. With a smile, she jabbed it into the hill, prompting a section of the landscape to slide aside, revealing a hidden tunnel beneath. She stepped inside without hesitation, a decent group of the remaining corruptions following behind her.
>Next it was Glacidia's turn. "For those of you who want to work on your brute strength, we'll be heading to a reinforced area in the mountains." she pointed towards the closest mountain area for a moment before she took off in a dash towards them. Most of the larger corruptions that were left followed her, as well as some of the others of various sizes.
>This left Zelinka with the newest of the arrivals. She surveyed the crowd before her before continuing. "Alright, for those of you left....obviously each gem ends up with different corruption additions, even among the same gem type. Take me for example, I have wings, antenna, and two extra arms, but other Pearls may only have the antenna, or only the wings, or only the extra arms. Some have altered legs or many extra legs, and further others have different mixes of these traits. The same goes for other gems as well, Only you can truly feel out the best way to use what you have to your advantage."
>Zelinka paused for a moment before she continued. "However, the most important thing that I can tell you, the one constant all gems who have corruption scars need to learn, is being comfortable with yourself and your new body. If you aren't comfortable with yourself, you'll never meet your full potential. This....corruption as they call it, it's nothing to be ashamed of. Instead, view it as an advantage, as something you can use to be stronger and better than what you were!" To emphasize her point, Zelinka leapt into the air, flapping her large moth wings at the peak of her jump to generate a strong gust of wind while keeping herself airborn. "Before, I would have never dreamed of having this much power, of being able to move through the air." She made a few quick areal movements as she spoke. "The possibilities are endless. They're endless for you too! The only limit is your imagination. Don't be afraid to experiment!"
>Light murmuring came from the crowd. as Zelinka came in for a landing, the new arrivals processing the information, while the older ones that weren't quite as comfortable with themselves yet watched on in amazement. No matter how many times they saw her fly, no two flight demonstrations were ever the same. It helped her words sink into their minds.
>After she landed, Zelinka went around to the corruptions one by one, asking them if they wanted some ideas for what they could do with their alterations. Some of the newer gems were still uncertain and denied the ideas, while others were receptive to hearing some initial thoughts and suggestions. Many of the gems that weren't reading for the finer lessons asked multiple questions, for advice on footwork or how aggressive they should be with their attacks. Zelinka made sure she helped each and every corruption that asked for it, made sure she asked everyone present if they wanted the help. She knew it was best if they went at their own pace, as she had when she first started learning about what her body could do.
>By the time Zelinka finished up with her basic instructions, the corruptions who had went off on their own or followed one of her teaching aids had started coming back to the main area. She nodded in satisfaction before heading back to the middle of the flat area, Glacidia and Candice joining her soon enough. With a flourish of light, Zelinka's weapon sprang out of her upper right hand, followed by three more flashes as she summoned a copy for each hand. Within each of her hands, she grasped a short orange handle. From the handles, blades extended outwards, each blade making a crescent moon shape, the sharp white edges gleaming for a moment as the light from her gem died down. She looked towards the crowd with a hopeful expression on her face. "To wrap things up, is there anyone among you who wish to fight me one on one? If you do well enough, you will be allowed to help teach your fellow corrupted gems. If you beat me, well....I'll be very impressed indeed."
>The crowd of gems murmured for a moment. Many of the older students had already fought her or seen her fight, and knew how frightening she was. None among them were confident in their abilities to teach or to take Zelinka on one on one.
>After a few moments, Zelinka let out a sigh of disappointment. "Oh well, perhaps next week. I guess that wraps up this week's lessons! If you need more practice, feel free to find me or one of my assistants. For now though, remember to practice a little on your own."
>With that, the corrupted gems left the asteroid in a steady stream. Zelinka smiled to herself as she made her way to her personal ship. "Time to go home to Earth. Maybe I can find more of the corrupted gems that are still hiding and hurting.....I hope we can find them all someday."
Notes:
This ring is a bit unconventional in the fact that it accepts all sorts of gems into it. I'll cover how other Pearls feel about it in a later chapter.
saint357 on Chapter 1 Thu 09 May 2019 04:48AM UTC
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Chromite on Chapter 1 Thu 09 May 2019 05:04AM UTC
Last Edited Thu 09 May 2019 05:07AM UTC
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Master_of_the_Boot1 on Chapter 1 Thu 09 May 2019 05:39AM UTC
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saint357 on Chapter 2 Fri 24 May 2019 03:43PM UTC
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saint357 on Chapter 3 Wed 26 Jun 2019 08:42AM UTC
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Chromite on Chapter 3 Wed 26 Jun 2019 11:34PM UTC
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saint357 on Chapter 4 Mon 15 Jul 2019 04:42AM UTC
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Chromite on Chapter 4 Mon 15 Jul 2019 05:52AM UTC
Last Edited Mon 15 Jul 2019 05:53AM UTC
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