SEVENTEEN
Ah, it's getting dark, I thought to myself as I approached the school, watching the sky.
Had I came home this late back then, I'd most likely get a beating. Enough of the old negative thoughts though; like Cinnabar said, I have to keep looking forward and forget the bad stuff.
Stepping into the shelter of the massive building and having the lights from the jellyfish reflect off me, I rubbed my eyes in exhaustion, being reminded of my cracks as I felt them.
Gotta get to Rutile.
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"Doc," I barely called out, encountering the doctor in the middle of a hallway en route to her corner. Hey, there's a gem sleeping on that bench. Isn't that posture a bit uncomfortable?
Getting closer, I noticed that said gem, who was sleeping upright with her head slumped backwards, was a familiar peppermint-colored gem. A familiar peppermint-colored gem that I have not seen for a whole day.
"Hey, what's with Phos?"
"They're just tired, is all," was the reply from Rutile. "It's the first patrol, too. Why did you call me, by the way?"
I pointed at my face.
"Oh, again? What could you be so upset about?"
"I'll rather not talk about it..."
"Hey," Rutile prodded, showing concern, "what's the matter? Did anyone say any nasty things to you?"
"No, not at all!" I hastily replied, lest she gets the wrong idea. "Everyone's been great to me, there's no problem in that."
"That's good," the doctor commented, the look of worry on their face fading away. "I'm out of powder now, unfortunately, so you've got to wait. Is that okay for you?"
I nodded.
"That being said..." Rutile pondered, looking at Phos.
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After carrying Phos back to her room (which was easy by the way, since she was pretty light), I'm now back in my room, in my sleeping robes, writing my diary.
"... and Cinnabar has found about my past. Well, that's not a big deal, especially since she will keep it mum too, but I'm anxious about more people finding out. You can only keep a secret for so long, after all; don't need too many people knowing everything," I wrote. "Judging from Sensei's reactions, it's likely he'll go ballistic if he ever knows what I really was. All the more I should keep this discreet, ideally nobody else will know."
"That aside," I continued, "I wonder how Jane is doing up there, The only person I had as a friend, and a close one too. She wants to see me move on happily; will I really be happy after everything?"
Closing the book and locking it up, I placed it on the window side-seats (or ledge, I'm not sure whether it qualifies though) and laid down, sighing.
"What's the deal?"
"It's nothing, Katsumi. It's just that I've been reminded of a friend."
"Hmm, I see. I'd prod deeper in usually, but I'm pretty tired too. By the way, no need to wish me a good night, lets both take it that we've already said that."
"Hm, alright. Lazy, are we?" I smirked.
"Hehe, not exactly. Just feels awkward, I've never wished anyone goodnight prior to you, it's usually a silent mutual exchange."
"Weird, that's the same as me."
"Told ya you're the closest thing I have for a non-doppelganger counterpart."
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"... aaaaaaaaan. Daaaaaaaaaaaan."
Opening my eyes, I noticed Phos shaking me, standing next to my bed.
"Hm? Anything I can help with?"
"Yeah, Sensei's late orders for you. You're going out with me and Amethyst."
"Really?" I replied, quickly sitting up. "Guess I'll ready myself, give me a bit. Oh?"
Looking behind her, I noticed two purple gems standing behind.
"Ah, Amethysts. Morning."
"Morning," they greeted back simultaneously.
"I'm Amethyst eighty-four," the one with her left eye covered introduced.
"And I'm Amethyst thirty-three," the one with her right eye covered introduced."
"It's a pleasure meeting you," they said simultaneously, hitting their heads together.
I instinctively grimaced internally at the sound of the two gems hitting each other. Hey, new trait?
"Y-yeah, pleasure meeting you two too," I replied, showing a genuinely warm smile.
"No time left," 84 said abruptly, grabbing my clothes and approaching me.
"We're going to go somewhere far today," 33 followed up, grabbing my socks, gloves and shoes.
"Get out of those," 84 told me, passing to 33 my clothes and taking off my sleeping robes.
"On with these," 33 went on and slid my white inner shirt and pants on, put my tie around my collar and sliding my socks up my legs, putting my shoes in front of me.
"Here you go," 84 finished, passing me my black outer shirt and gloves.
"Ah, right..." I replied, getting out of my daze and tying my tie, wearing my overshirt, putting on my gloves and standing up, sliding into my shoes. "Hey, my sword."
"Right here," the both of them said, turning me around and hooking the two belt extensions meant to hold my sword onto my white belt.
"Let's go," the twins simultaneously declared, grabbing Phos and dragging her off.
"Hey, why me? Shouldn't it be Dan today?"
"We feel like it," was the nonchalant reply.
Giggling, I remembered something important, reaching out below my bed's mattress and grabbing the two butterfly knives and attaching the holders onto my belt.
After giving the orange butterfly resting above a goodbye look, I walked out, closing the door. Today's going to be a new day.
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I plucked another black seed off the bush.
Rutile had gotten us to go pluck the seeds of the white powder flower while we're on patrol. I was expecting the seeds to look white, but no, they're the opposite of that in terms of color.
Right, my cracks aren't covered up yet, I recalled, touching my face.
I put the seed into the wooden bowl.
The last time I used a wooden bowl, it carried the body parts of my friend. Hmm, that sounds pretty wrong if we were human.
Ah, to hell with that, this is a new beginning of a new life.
Hearing Phos cry out in shock, I looked over to my side.
Oh, she's just startled by a... hey, what is that? Evolved butterfly?1
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Screw me upside down, patrol is boring as hell, I thought as Rutile applied the newly-made powder over my cracks, Phos sleeping on the bench beside me.
"You're an unusual one," the doctor commented.
"Huh?"
"None of us were born like you were. We still had to be cut by Sensei a bit before we come close to looking like this, we need to have new eyes made; you're the only one who came out 'ready' right from the start."
"Eh?"
"Yeah, it's almost unnatural. But I'll not pursue it, anything is possible; perhaps this is a rare occurrence."
Yep, rare it is. Not everyone gets a second chance in life in another universe.
"Alright, you're done. Haul Phos back to their room, okay?"
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"Good. Just sit back and relax like that," one of the Amethyst sisters commented, referring to Phos, who unbeknownst to them was lying down. Or both of them, one at a time. I can't tell, honestly.
It's another new day. Well, the near-ending of another day; it's evening. It's just a boring wait for Lunarians to pop out though, and naturally Phos is tired.
A white butterfly landed on the forehead of the peppermint gem.
"Right?" was the reply from Phos. "Here I am on my third day and already a pro."
"Yeah, yeah," the two sisters answered together.
"Alright, they haven't figured out I'm just too tired to move," Phos mumbled to me. I was sitting to her left, facing in the direction of the Amethyst twins.
I heard a little sigh from those two.
"Hey, I think they just heard you," I replied softly.
The butterfly took off.
"I guess a little change wasn't enough to make this go smooth, huh..." the peppermint gem mumbled.
"Nothing is ever truly smooth in life, Phos." was my reply.
The two Amethyst gems walked over.
"Want to try some..." 84 began.
"... sword practice?" 33 finished.
"Sure," Phos replied. "What I want to do is practice whipping out the sword and tossing back the sheath. It's so cool, right?"
"Oh?" the sisters noticed, turning back.
"Hm?" I looked up.
"Oh, yeah! That!" Phos commented as she sat up, the Amethyst sisters having unsheathed their swords and ran ahead.
Yep, that's a sunspot forming.
"It would appear that you would have to learn on the fly," the two of them said simultaneously, taking their positions.
"Phos, Dan, watch and learn."
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The elegance, the grace, the coordination of those two are phenomenal.
Phos and I watched (me in awe, I'm not sure if Phos was amazed or terrified) as the twins avoided the arrows and spears, launched up onto the cloud, slaughtered their way through to the large Lunarian and sliced it.
"Woah, that was fast..." I muttered.
Naturally, that wasn't the end.
The cloud didn't disperse even though half of the large Lunarian was gone.
"Phos!" the sisters called out as they ran towards the edge of the cloud, facing us.
"H-huh?"
Yep, poor Phos is terrified.
"This might be one of those rare types," 84 explained.
"There might be something inside," 33 added on just as some white flower slithered behind them, revealing two jaws with blue spikes.
"Hey!" I shouted. "Behind you!"
Too late.
Phos watched in terror as the two jaws clamped onto the twins, attempting to break them. One of them had already lost a hand, which had landed on the ground.
"Phos." 84 called out.
"Run." 33 finished, just as the two jaws smashed them into bits.
"Why... No... Sensei..." I heard Phos mutter.
"NO!" a scream came from the cloud.
Strangely enough, I felt calm.+
"Guess it's time for me to go. Phos, stay back," I said, unsheathing my sword.
Wait a minute, what am I doing? I've never fought before!
Oh well, it's do or die.
"Alright. Let's dance."