War-Torn Hearts - An Empires SMP S2 War AU

Chapter 9

Hello everyone! Incoming chapter of War Torn Hearts! Enjoy!

She was running out of time.

What was she doing?
She wasn't a coward.
She was just doing what fWhip told her.

Spending just a bit more time on Hermitcraft than necessary couldn't cause too much harm, could it?
The hermits didn't often question her strange disappearances. After all, about half of them figured out that there was another supposed 'version' of her in a different universe.

And with a war brewing, she'd much rather answer a few questions instead.
Gem hoped that this battle would simply just die out. Maybe the anger that Shelby and Joey felt towards each other would slowly disintegrate into the atmosphere, morphing back into the subtle dispute that the emperor's dealt with before.

It was unconvincing, to say the least. Yet, it was the last thread of hope that Gem could cling onto - especially if she wanted to think that fWhip and the rest of the rulers would make it out alive.
Either way, she didn't exactly want to stay and find out.

Her green eyes, trained on the purple portal, studied it for longer than necessary.
Was she stalling?
She couldn't tell.

Maybe it was just her, but the portal felt...

Unwelcoming.

It probably disapproved of her cowardice.

I'm not a coward, Gem reminded herself. I'm just following orders.

With that thought ringing through her brain, she stepped into the ominous purple hue.

For a mere second, nothing happened.

Then all of a sudden, a freezing wind attacked her from all sides like a giant tidal wave, slippery and chilly and extremely unpleasant.
It was as though her body had evaporated into miniscule particles of flesh and bone as the icy wind held her in its grasp. Every cell in her beating body shook with screams of the eternal cold, like arrows piercing her skin, slick with blood, sweat and tears in a blinding blizzard of vengeance.

She couldn't think. She couldn't pry her eyes open, even if she wanted to. A ferocious wind whipped at what the Princess of Dawn could only associate with her ears, howling in a vicious cry of rage and fury. Wisps of ginger hair slapped her face like beating canes a plenty, cold and harsh as she travelled the multiverse.

Gem couldn't recall enduring such painful circumstances from any other time she had jumped to another world.

Then again, she didn't really remember what it was like jumping from server to server. Worldhopping wasn't exactly something you could remember - it was something that you did, and that was it.
This time, however, that did not seem to be the case.

The freezing feeling that had coated her entire body had become a numb cocoon, wrapping around her like a snake constricting its prey.

And then outside of that harsh, hazy mentality she could feel more pain.

The numbness morphed into a stinging sensation as the bitter cold bit at her skin and slashed at her insides.

Her glorious monarch butterfly wings that protruded from her back in a regal swoop began to retreat, leaving the entirety of her aching body, shoulders to hips, cramping and hissing with the unnatural feeling of wings being pushed into her like swords sharp enough to glint in even the clouded moonlight.

Her head ached while her antlers began to shape into her skull and pierce through her skin.

Words couldn't describe the absolute pain she was in.

Why did it hurt so much?

It was so painful that she didn't realise the floor had fallen under her.

So painful that she couldn't feel the unnerving gaze of the watchful Grumbot.

So painful she didn't register a short, colourful avian drop his items with a loud clutter at the sight of her, bloodied and bruised, at the foot of what used to be the Rift.

In fact, it was so painful that when she saw the hope of falling unconscious - escaping that terrible nightmare - she embraced it with open arms.

*****

"She's been unconscious for almost half the day..."

"You didn't think that'd be good to mention?"

"You two were busy! I informed everyone on the chat, see for yourself!"

The sound of two figures bickering, accompanied by a silence filled by a barely audible tapping on a communicator sounded beside her.

"Basically everyone dropped by, huh?" a third voice chimed in, sounding ever so guilty.

"Mhm," the first voice agreed, beginning to also sound as though they felt bad as well.

Gem dazedly opened her eyes to a... hotel room?

Nope, that was wrong.

She opened her eyes to three arguing figures standing before her.

"Gem! You're awake!"
Pearl ran towards her, skidding to a halt beside her bed as though hugging her would cause her to disintegrate into a pile of ash.
Impulse followed suit, though a little slower, whilst Grian turned towards her, intrigued, before turning away from Gem, like he was disturbing the reunion between the Soup Group.

"What happened?"

"We were so worried!"

"You've been unconscious for hours!"
"Do you remember anything?"

Gem chuckled, a smile on her face. "Nice to see you guys too," she said, attempting to sit up and immediately wincing as fire tore through the muscles in her back. "Sh-shit, that hurts...."

Impulse and Pearl's expressions immediately traded out for concern at her remark, and Gem, upon seeing her friends so worried, forced another cheeky grin on her face. "Nothing GeminiSlay can't handle, though."

The ginger felt her grin spread willingly as her three friends, Pearl, Impulse and Grian - who even though was turned away, was unmistakably letting a small smile play on his lips - offered up a smile.

"There's the Gem we know and love," the avian said, turning towards the trio and ever so surreptitiously tilting his head towards her bedside.
The elf followed his gaze to the plethora of items on her bedside..

"What in the..."

"All of the hermits stopped by," Grian explained. "Sending you a get-well-soon... to be honest, I don't know what to call that,"

Gem couldn't agree more with the man in the red sweater. She spotted a handful of cards, a tin of Scarland cookies, a couple of diamond blocks, more Scarland merchandise, a stack of TCG cards, coupons to shops and dozens of more items that Gem quickly tore her eyes away from.

Instead, her gaze landed on Scott's fedora, hung up on one of the hat stands.

She immediately recognised her surroundings: this was Scar's hotel, and she was in the room Scott had decorated.

Scott...

War.

Blood.

Death.

fWhip.

Coward.

The thoughts rained down like arrows, quick and sharp, and before Gem knew it, she was pulling up the covers as the people before her called out in concern.

Coward..

You're a coward.

What have you done....

Word Count: 1065

Hello everyone! Chapter 9 is up! I hope you enjoyed this chapter of Gem beating herself up over nothing ^^

As always, stay safe, spread kindness and of course have fun!

Seeya!

Fox Out!