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Both Gem and Joel had assumed after Wild Life they would continue to the next game. Maybe a quick special involved if it was demanded of them, but ultimately they just needed to wait.
Apparently, they had run out of lucky rolls.
It just so happened they didn't kill enough, weren't violent enough. That's why they were favored before, why they were chosen. At least that was the little explanation they were offered.
What was done was simple enough, so "they" said. Kill 100 people each.
These "gods" would provide a copy of the Life Games, real enough to where it counted. A simulation, a time loop of sorts to keep it contained, under wraps.
"It would never effect the reality of the games you've lived, breathed, and died in. No need for guilt, just keep it entreating."
With that they were discarded, alone without the other.
For Gem it was a simple game to play now. She had access to the seasons she had never been in before. 3rd Life, Last Life, Double Life, and Limited Life.
Although she had once had a taste of Limited Life's spoils; just like the other ones, she finally got a full experience of it.
She went for sneaky kills, anything to get this over and done with. Sometimes by fire, lava, or a trap. Most times by unexpected PvP.
No one have ever expected her, after all. Swift and silent as death should be. Painless, in its execution.
Gem would hear echoes as she'd change to another game after a kill. People blaming Cleo because of their shared color of hair, disbelief by lucky witnesses who saw her.
Their chaos faded when the world shifted beneath her feet, the ticking of the clock reversing or whirring forward in her ears depending on when and where she went next.
There wasn't much guilt for her, not in the old games where she was wholly unallied, unaffected by her own personal recollections.
However, her first official game appearance onward did source some guilt. Killing allies always made her insides squirm.
Remembering the blood on her hands after Scott had instructed her to kill him. The desperation, the slow stop of his heart as his body fell down. How much her team's had believed in her, trusted her. That she wouldn't kill them, unless there was a need for it. A benefit for them all.
She couldn't kill her Scott's in Secret Life, or Pearl- after their time together on the Murder Camel. She had already killed them all at least once, seeing the past repeat itself was bad enough. So whenever Wild Life came back around for her, she wouldn't kill that unknowing Joel either. Or the Bamboozler's unless she was desperate enough.
It seemed the same for the Joel that knew too.
Running into him was a bit of a shock, the recognition rather than confusion in his eyes. His shoulder's dropping in relief as he ran to hug her, relieved laughter as he looked up and down to make sure it was her.
He had confessed he hadn't killed anyone yet, but that he felt Grian should have a right to know, if he had a chance at somehow remembering. So he wouldn't blame himself if it seemed like the game was broken, when it was really "their" will.
Gem had understood, and left Joel to his own devices so she could decide who to kill next. When the deed had been done, when she had killed Martyn having a little bit of time left when she ran into Joel. Being able to say goodbye before she was taken away to another time and place.
When Joel had run into her the second time, he had a bit more concern on his face. But he had denied anything when she prodded him about. Of course, she decided to move on, because whatever it was didn't seem to affect her. It only put a slight damper in his mood every so often as it seemed.
Time would continue on, in it's strange looping way. Replaying past events with slightly varied results. New every time, but the events were distinct enough. It could never happen, after all. This was an odd and outlier occurrence that would only happen to them if they did well enough. Played their game how they wanted it, with flair and the occasional drama. With each death it seemed to inform her more of "their" ways, however twisted "they" were.
The ground was moving again, forward to a series after Double Life- after getting a double kill which seemed to occur mid-season. It was all falling forward, flashing through days and nights. Earth shaping and reforming until it was decided.
Night, in Secret Life, near the end of the finale, after Bdub's died. The scene was familiar enough, despite the fact she had never needed to repeat this particular time. It seemed much too slow for this to actually be what was happening. As Scott had just stopped and had freshly gained his hearts, the thunder crackle seemed to be echoing just that little bit too slow.
In the slowed chaos of the scene, Gem could see that Joel had the distinct outline that showed the slight of difference between them. One that was suffering the same judgement as her, and one that hadn't yet earned that fate- a simulation. The crow wings folded upon his back not yet obscured into the night's shroud, and the shimmering thin purple line that outlined where there should be a scar he hadn't yet obtain from his permanent death.
He seemed to recognize the situation much quicker. Retreating from Scott and diving back into the lake. Scott seemed ready to throw his pearl, his swing was interrupted to be met by her outstretched arm. She could feel his recoil as much as she wished it didn't even need to happen.
Scott grunted, pushing her arm down with all too apparent annoyance. "Gem- what are you doing? Joel is our enemy and you're letting him get away!"
"I know!" Gem winced, as the options ticked down in her brain. No one was a good option. "I know Scott— but this is something you won't understand."
"Then make me understand Gem! We need to win- we already lost Impulse and we certainly can't lose eachother." He held his head in his palms, and he just looked worried. It made her feel sick.
"We need to kill, I really need it especially after.. Grian." That's what caused their whole team such a heavy blow, it had been so long ago. But all her options had their own pain.
Scar purely because his thorns enchantment would kill her, she had already learned how awful it felt. Like rose thorns twisting beneath your skin and squeezing, snakes around their prey. It hurt.
"They all have their own drawbacks Gem," Scott pleaded as he took her hand, "but we need to do this. I understand."
Pearl and Scott, she had already betrayed them. Killed them before, repeating history certainly wouldn't count. Or help her.
"No.. Scott I know what you're thinking and of who but.."
"I know we were all allies, but the only person who was never on our side just got away!"
Gem was almost certain of it. And Joel knew, and she knew, and neither of them wanted to find out if they needed to kill the other what would happen. And somehow that was the worse, because they both had stakes and these versions of people who no longer existed don't.
"On your side you mean." Gem frowned. "I'm sorry Scott, but you'll never understand!"
The tree's seemed to watching, the twisted knots of wood emitted an ominous purple glow. This odd humming even seemed to occur, one voice overlapping, singing as one with the wind. Drowning out what she should have heard.
All too quickly, and none of it even working as she had hoped.
Scott's kill was of course, rendered invalid. The word's were red, searing painfully into her eye's as she sprinted away from his body. Toward's where Pearl would soon be, if Joel hadn't changed that by now. Nearby the Secret Keeper, she recalled that at the very least.
A message however flashed beneath her eye's, from Joel. It came after some lightning struck down on the left of the island, closer to the border. There she could see Joel standing there, a bit wobbly albeit. Blue glimmered into some crumpled body on the ground, enchanted diamond stuck between the ribs of someone. Either Pearl or Scar, but there was just too much red for it to be Scar.
The message had told her to come over, at least that's how it looked before it glitched out of existence. As the world seemed to crumble and fall apart, tree's types briefly switching, the earth's roots temporarily being replaced with obsidian then red sand, then back to dirt again.
Her body seemed to move quicker than her mind as the sight became more clear. A smug grin sat on Pearl's dying lips, her finger's twitching as for some reason she still seemed to be breathing, just a bit longer. All whilst her eye's which seemed to be glossing over still shifted towards the sound of her footstep's.
Joel's hand tightened around Pearl's, his eye's darting away as her lung's rattled in protest against the axe sticking firmly in her chest. "Oh Gem.. I really am sorry.." Blood curled into the corner of her lips, slipping through the small gaps of her teeth. "I bet Scott did the same.. huh? Gosh we really are awful- making you two fight without us.."
Gem hadn't expected this, she had always just- ran. Never looking back because the world was just gone for her once she left. That's what it had been in her mind. "Joel— has this always.. I—" A cry rippled in her throat as the red word's floated through the air again. About as striking as lightning marking someone's death, if it could actually somehow cause more damage.
Fight.
Joel stumbled back, looking about as stubborn as always. "No, not here." While he did sound stern enough, Gem could just about make out a bit of a crack in his words. His hold on the sword looked strong, but unsteady enough to where there was a chance for the grip to splinter and break or fumble out of his grasp.
Oh? And why is that?
"Our kills on our allies should have been satisfactory enough. Maybe not Gem's since it occurred before, but mine should have counted." He had a point somewhat, as much as she didn't want to think on it.
Fine, but you both must fight. It is quite perfect after all~
The red words zipped out of sight, along with Pearl's body and likely Scott's as well. Joel didn't look at back at her at all, just walking in the direction of the Secret Keeper. That last statement didn't seem to quite permanently leave her however. Something about it, if it was just the phrasing or the stupid condensation of it— she couldn't quite tell.
"What the hell were they talking about Joel."
He glanced back, bewildered if just for a moment, something reminiscent of the second time they had a run in. Except now she knew that it wasn't concern she had seen. It was much more complicated than that, it had been like that this whole time. Her priorities had just been too far placed elsewhere for her to recognize it.
"Right— that." Joel shook his head. "We are both on our last required kill, I knew. But I thought that these—" His hands waved about, seeming to become progressively more annoyed. "—Pesky forces of nature, that they'd want me to kill Scott. Because our rivalry has always been some fantastical sort of spectacle. But they seem to like alliance drama more."
"..Yeah, that makes sense." She had seen it quite a bit when she was in Last Life. If it was after an important turning point in a faction, she had once been told by someone's alliance member that they's be better off with one less life. "But Pearl.. were all the deaths I caused like that?" Gem nearly tripped over her own foot, but swiftly corrected herself.
"Yes. And it isn't like they just.. forgot either Gem." He kicked the air, and a small pebble was swept to where his foot was. "Grian remembered, albeit distantly what I had told him in my first run. If he saw the messed up death message, then me, his face would change from panicked to something of reminiscence." Joel sucked in the cold night air, his eye's narrowing to look up at the distant stars. "And he'd just, nod at me. With this stupid sad but understanding look."
More of the ground began to resemble a pathway as the sight of the Secret Keeper became bigger. Wisps of wind weaving through their hair as the sky somehow darkened. The earth was much too uneven, but that was they way it was going to be. There was nothing simple about this.
"Joel." Gem sank her heal into the soiled dirt. "No sacrifices, no holding back. I want this to be fair, no regrets- no hard feelings."
He laughed, a similar sour smile on his lips like Pearl had, only less bloody. "Of course, that was our original plan for Wild Life no? Glad to see it can finally happen." His sword raised, polished with only old flecks of blood at the bottom of the hilt.
Gem raised her up sword in turn, pointing it towards him. "God you make it sound so corny."
Joel dashed forward, barely faltering on the bumpy terrain. His sword raised up above her own before slamming down against the blade. The sound screeched against her ears, only breaking as she jumped back.
Gem raises her shield up as a slash hits it. She whips to the side. Stabbing an arrow into his ankle.
He stumbles backward in a bit of a diagonal. His shoulder's waver as he lift's the hefty crossbow. Aiming a firework right towards her face.
It zooms in quickly, popping free from the crossbow with a bang. Crackling and sizzling before hitting the side of her face. Some sort of searing burn on her cheek, leaving her eyesight a bit hazy. The brunt of it's explosion rings in her ears as she swivels her focus back.
Gem swing's her sword back up into defensive. Focusing the better half of her vision on Joel. She dart's toward him, wobbling over the rougher bit of terrain and falling down. Stars whirl in Gem's vision as she shakes her head sharply, picking herself back up despite her bodies protest.
She get's close to Joel, who is staggering just from standing. Letting the weight of the blade tear into his side as he falls down.
He does just the same, with a bit of lag in his movement. The taste of copper bites her tongue as his sword stabs just above her ankle.
Both of them on the ground, heaving for breath they keep swinging. Their swords are too close. Each hilt clashing against the other too early. Until eventually the swords clatter back to the ground. And she is the one to get her sword first. Letting it sink into his side as they both struggle for breath.
Joel laugh's, his voice crackling as he struggles to look back at her. "Damn it— I- I swear I'm usually better.. at fighting than this Gem..." And she can only nod as she laugh's too, despite the tears that seem to slipping down both of her face.
"Ye- yeah.. I have to agree with you.. It's really stupid.." Warm wet blood is gushing out his side, staining her sword and his dumb hoodie. It isn't just him bleeding, they both are. Somehow though, she just managed to be better at managing it. They both have injuries bleeding out for them.
To be fair, she did get the last blow. Since blood is still gushing out of his side as he is just— trembling. His eyes darting back and forth as his vision is about as bad as hers right now. Part of his small intestine is poking through the wound, and it is taking so much of her will power to just keep from throwing up right now.
".. Dammit Joel, I— 'm so sorry.. God I.. your intestine..."
"Wha.. the large one..?" There's a pained snort in his voice, like he knows how wrong he is, and he just wants to make her laugh.
"Pff- I can— hear it in your voice.. You know your wrong.. Don't try 'nd make this better.." Gem sniffles as she wobbles back, pushing up from the ground as her head spins. She only gets about halfway up when she decides just to sit by his side instead.
Joel tilts his head back with a laugh, twin streaks of water trickling down his face. His hand hovers above the pool of blood like it's a disease, to prevent him or her from touching it. "And they say.. I don't know what I'm doing.. ..heh.... " He grin's weakly, finally getting a straight look at her. "..We ride together.. we die together..."
"Don't—" Her word's splinter as a pain rings through her body, both a sour and sorry reminder. "Don't.. let those be your last words..."
"Fine.." He sputter's, rolling his eyes. "See you.. Gem... Almost got ya.. eh?"
She nod's, covering her mouth as the world lurches beneath her. The all too familiar tug of time, sweeping up beneath her. "Sure did."
All Gem can taste is copper and burnt sugar. The stars all fumble together in a more static fashion as sounds slowly dwindles, distorting. There is a tug on her stomach, and then—
A grassy field and blue skies. Gem could everyone, the freshness in their voices. The new world with fluffy clouds and endless grass. Everyone, her and Joel with relieved looks exchanged. And a new, fresh start, to another game. She can't exactly distinct out whose voice is whose, but with the wind ruffling beneath her wings and hair. At last, they can breathe.