“Hey! No fair, you’re hogging the book…!”

Ruby giggled and held up the book just a tiny bit higher as he read on. It proved to be a terrible idea because Topaz wasn’t one to give up so easily. Climbing up Ruby’s body to knock the book out of his hand, he wound sending them both flopping onto the plush carpet.

Topaz scowled at Ruby. “Look at what you did.”

Ruby smiled apologetically and patted Topaz’s head. “Sorry.”

Topaz clicked his tongue, guilt over making Ruby apologize filled him and he flopped down against Ruby’s body. “...I’m sorry too.”

Ruby petted his head gently and Topaz wanted nothing more than to fall asleep just like this.

How nice that would be.

Then he remembered the purpose of his quest and snatched back the history book, crying out in victory as he did.

Ruby giggled again and gave chase as Topaz tried to run away with the book.

Children studying the history of a kingdom.

Perhaps these memories were why Topaz found history so comforting. He missed days like this, fooling around and studying freely. He missed the days where they’d read books together and talk excitedly about history, legends, and myths.

He missed seeing the excitement in Ruby’s eyes when he made a new fascinating discovery. Their dreams of exploring ancient structures together.

He missed Ruby despite never leaving his side.

Consciousness swam with drowning memories and Topaz wasn’t sure what his last memory was.

He wasn’t sure where he was either.

Sharp pain vibrated through his body and he could hear the familiar sound of his fathers rage but he couldn’t focus on any of it.

…is this what it feels like to die?

Topaz couldn’t quite explain the thought. He shouldn’t be dying. He’d lost his consciousness and he was being punished, that was normal. Nothing unusual.

Topaz feared his father but he knew that his father wouldn’t kill him. At least, not until Topaz had served his purpose.

So why did he feel so certain that he was dying?

Topaz let out a shaky breath and heard his fathers voice darken with even further rage. The pain got so much worse and Topaz realized the problem.

He couldn’t feel anything.

The pain was ferocious but it was everywhere and nowhere. There wasn’t the familiar feeling of a whip slicing through flesh or bones cracking. No one spot or specific pain. It was everything.

I’m dying.

For a moment, just a second, the thought brought him peace and the tension fled from Topaz. Death was an end, death was the end and he would never–

…Ruby…

Topaz’s fingers spasmed and for one horrible moment he felt more alive than ever. His body jolted to life and a world of colors surrounding him. Glowing symbols and his fathers fearsome face.

If he was dead, there was no one to protect Ruby.

Topaz ignored the agony as he thrashed against the chains holding him down and broke them into shards of life. The last thing he saw was his fathers shocked eyes as he tackled Diamond to the ground.

Topaz was going to die and he couldn’t stop that.

But he could take his father down with him.

His fathers pupils shook with horrible emotions and Topaz prepared for contact with the ground.

But they kept dropping.

His father was screaming something and he felt the searing pain across his cheek of a slap before his fathers large hands wrapped around his throat and squeezed.

“–useless brat–”

Topaz thrashed and clawed and screamed soundlessly.

They were still dropping forever into nothing, the glowing symbols all around.

He pressed his feet against Diamond’s chest and kicked as hard as he could, gasping for air as he slipped out of his fathers grip.

His vision dimmed again and Topaz knew it really was the end this time. Falling for eternity and surely dead.

He smiled though.

Diamond was dropping too. Ruby should be safe. Ruby…

Pain slammed against Topaz’s spine as he crashed into the ground, his eyes bursting open with shock as he looked up into an unforgiving sky.

…the sky was wrong…

He couldn’t place it but it was wrong.

He coughed violently, blood bubbling from his throat and painting the ground around him a dark brown.

He was alive.

He’d survived the fall.

A pair of feet filled his vision and Topaz lost his battle with consciousness yet again.

“Did you hear about the temple they discovered in the forbidden city?”

Topaz raised an eyebrow skeptically but curiosity danced in his eyes as he waited for Ruby to explain more.

Ruby, glad to be the first to know, burst out with more. “They say it’s proof of the Pillar myths.”

Behind him, Diamond slit Ruby’s throat with a wide grin.

Topaz jolted awake, gasping and clutching at his chest as his eyes searched the room in panic.

“Oh goodness, please lie down.”

The voice wasn’t familiar and Topaz flinched away from it instinctively, his vision finally locking onto a slight girl with a concerned frown on her face. She gently pressed on Topaz’s shoulder and it was more than enough to press him back onto the mattress.

…he was on a mattress…?

Confusion overtook him once more but words failed him. He choked on dried blood when he tried to speak and within seconds, the girl handed him a glass of water and held up his head to assist him.

“Take it easy.” She said, her voice fluttering with worry. “You were in bad shape when Emerald found you.” She frowned, puzzled by her own words and finding better ones. “A–and you’re still in bad shape! So please stay still until you’ve had time to heal, okay?”

There were certain people who had a natural way of soothing others. A knack for taking the wind out of tension and filling the gaps with comfort. The woman assisting Topaz was certainly that sort of person, her soft words and motions were beyond disarming and entered into the realms of charming pacification.

If she was nursing anyone else other than Topaz at this particular juncture, they would have been sure to listen to her.

Topaz smacked the glass away, shattering it on the ground and scuttled away from her and into the furthest corner of the mattress.

His breathing came out in jagged gasps.

“Who is Emerald?” He snapped harshly, his body poised for violence if she grew too close. “Who are you?!”

Where was his father?

Where was he?

How was he still alive?

…what about Ruby…?

The woman smiled gently and held out a hand to him, fearless of his nonverbal threat of violence. “I’m Sapphire, it’s nice to meet you.”

Topaz smacked her hand away and regretted it instantly, the way she winced in pain wasn’t what he wanted at all.

He couldn’t understand it. His scattered memories didn’t make any sense. He was with Ruby and then… had his father punished him again? What was that fall? Had he really attacked his own father?

Topaz trembled with the terror of reality and bile built up in his throat, causing him to vomit violently.

The gentle support from Sapphire scared him but he was too weak to reject it as she patted his back and held up his hair.

Tears stung his eyes.

Where was he?

Broken sobs joined the vomiting.

Who were these people?

He nearly collapsed, only held up by Sapphire’s arms as she guided him back into a seated position and hugged him gingerly, careful to avoid the words while wretched sobs wracked his body.

What happened to him?