Ruby: I don't get it. Why?
She looks down at the pendent and pockets it. She makes her way to her teams room but finds a note on it. The note says to come to the cliff outside of the stadium. A small stone is taped where the signature should be. A garnet to be precise.
Still out of sorts Ruby walks out to the location. The hooded figure is sitting against a tree. The sun is beginning to set into the sea.
Garnet: Me oh my what ever happened to you? That fire seems to have left your eyes.
Ruby: The hell do you care? Why did you want to see me?
Garnet: I've reviewed your files Ruby, I've also analyzed what I've seen today. I'd say I have a 40% chance of beating you in a straight up fight.
Ruby: So what? You're hear to jump me with the other gems? Poison me, throw me off this cliff?
Garnet: Hardly, I despise Topaz and Diamond's artificial flesh, poison doesn't work well on you, and you would surely drag me down with you should I manage to throw you like that. No I just wanted to talk to you about those you associate with. I will be fighting Judas in the next round.
Ruby: I'm still wondering why I should care.
Garnet looks up at her smiling.
Garnet: I was hoping you wouldn't take it personally if I took some of your toys. I promise I won't break them.
Ruby: I'd like to see you try.
Garnet gets up slowly, she walks over to Ruby and places a hand on her shoulder. She touches two fingers to Ruby's neck and snares her. Runes appear on Ruby's neck and begin to strangle her as they try to bind to her. A small symbol appears on the back of her neck and begins to glow red. It flashes for a few seconds before it blows and the collar is destroyed.
Ruby is still on the ground recovering from the shock of repelling the binding.
Garnet: That's the rune collar we all have. It binds us to our handlers, the ones who cast it on us. We can't go against them so long as these runes are on us. Of course there is one catch to this type of binding. The subject has to be in an extremely weakened state otherwise their energy pops the main seal.
Ruby: What the hell does that have to do with...
She rushes to her feet and nearly puts Garnet through the tree. She keeps her forearm firmly at Garnets throat.
Ruby: You even try that s**t on Judas, and tournament or not I will ******** liquefy you.
Garnet: *gasping* Well then...
She kicks Ruby hard in the stomach causing her to slide back.
Garnet: Guess that means we won't be friends when this is over. And here I thought you'd be willing to share. By the way I wasn't thinking about Judas, no I had my eye more on Kat. She looks so cute, like a little doll almost.
Ruby seethes and fumes, she seems on the verge of going nuclear.
Garnet: It doesn't matter, once this tournament is over only one of us will be left truly standing. And if that person isn't you then your protests will mean nothing.
Ruby: You know what. Screw it, I'm going to pummel you.
Ruby charges Garnet and aims a punch squarely at her face. Garnet throws aside her hooded coat and catches Ruby's fist with one hand. She pulls Ruby in close before flipping her over her shoulder and into the tree.
Garnet stands at 5'10 with an almost herculean physique. Her piercing orange eyes stare out from her pale face. Most of her body is covered in blue fur with white and black patterns running through it. She has wings with orange feathers but the edges of the wings are clearly demon as is evident by the sharp points at the tips. Her tail is wrapped around her waist like Ruby usually has it.
Ruby regains her senses and leaps to a low branch as Garnet kicks where Ruby had been nearly getting her foot stuck. Ruby swings back kicking Garnet in the face but Garnet recovers quickly and grabs Ruby's foot slamming her into the ground. Ruby kicks her free foot out making solid contact with Garnets knee... but Garnet's knee doesn't break, in fact it hardly moves.
Garnet tosses Ruby aside allowing her get up. Ruby charges again but instead of one solid punch goes for many quick strikes. She tags Garnets face and torso a couple of times before Garnet catches her arms again.
Ruby blows fire at Garnet who breaths fire at the same time. The two stand there locked in fire breath before Garnet's fire proves to be the stronger and over powers Ruby's flame throwing fire in her face. Garnet knees Ruby in the stomach as she staggers from the fire before clocking her in the jaw.
Ruby gets back up.
Ruby: What the hell are you? Your bones don't break when they should, your strength is unnatural even by our standards, and your breath is better then mine.
Garnet: Maybe I'm just better, did you ever think of that?
Ruby's eyes light up.
Garnet: Not going to work, soul gem contacts. Incredibly painful to install but worth it.
Ruby goes for a gut check and is blocked, but this was a fake out so she could place her free hand on Garnets forehead. A brief flash and Garnet is stunned.
Garnet: What was that?
Ruby lands three devastating blows before planting her fist right between Garnet's eyes knocking her down.
She raises her hands to do Ruby Flare but security has heard the fighting and come to check it out.
The two see them and decide to call it quits for the night.
Security: What is going on out here?
Garnet: Oh nothing, I just couldn't wait two more days so I decided to ask Ruby here to a sparing match.
Ruby eyes Garnet but nods in agreement.
Security: Please refrain from such conduct during tournament time. It doesn't do you any good to spare so violently and then be too injured to fight the next day.
Ruby & Garnet: We heal fast
Security: Very well, as long as this isn't one side trying to remove competition. Carry on.
The guard leaves and Ruby looks at Garnet.
Garnet: Just when we were getting warmed up. But I suppose it's for the best. Here take these.
She tosses the formula for the collars and three mana gems.
Garnet: Get used to it. It's gonna be the thing everyone will be wearing shortly.
The gems are perfect mana signatures of Garnet, Diamond, and Topaz.
Ruby: And these?
Garnet: Diamond wants you dead and Topaz is a loose cannon. Wouldn't want anyone getting the drop on you. See you tomorrow Ruby, tell everyone I said hi.
Ruby makes her way back to her teams room and looks at the items. She sits in at a desk in the corner of the room.
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