(Lapis's P.O.V) The Chase...

     My head hung down at the ground, heavy with grief. My heart ached and throbbed in my chest, a feeling  I hadn't felt for such a long time...e-ever since-no. I couldn't think that way, not that, not here. I wiped my tears away and cleaned my nose with a spare napkin. C-clod? I only wanted...t-to help... I sat down in the other girl's seat, it seemed everyone was back to being normal. Doing normal things. Chatting away, talking normally...with ACTUAL friends. Friends... I never really had any friends...rejection was all I've ever been through, my whole life, I was a reject. That kid. My elbow shifted and bumped something on the table. Wha?  My eyes snapped into focus on a little notebook, it was green...with bold letters that read: WORK AND ASSIGNMENTS ORGANIZER FOR ALL YOUR HOMEWORLDLY DUTIES. I noticed a little Yellow Diamond symbol to the bottom right.  "She's from the Homeworld Mission Forces...I-is she a novice? Or much higher up?"

     I was quite surprised. She was from the rich region, the one with the most beautiful sights, tall buildings, and the region with the best HMF (Homeworld Mission Force) participants ever. I wonder if she's planning on being a lieutenant there. Without hesitance I snatched the notebook and opened it up to the last page written on. "....Assignment...342? This is really hard to read, she writes so...so small. " I strained to read the rest. "Return and complete by 14:38 PM...Issued by head forces under Yellow, consists of: Kindergarten Maintenance and/or updating new maintenance tech...?" I gazed over the bullet notes and essays written along the bottom in small print. " Apparently, this is due today!" I rushed up and ran out the door into a crowd of more people. If I don't return this, she'll be in big trouble with the leaders of the HMF. They're gonna kick her out! 

     It hadn't occurred to me that she'd be gone. I stopped halfway at the regional gates that separated her world, from mine. She had to be somewhere past those gates. I knew I wasn't going to get past those guards, and even if I did...I couldn't return here. Damn. I fastened the bow on my dress up at the top, and took off running towards them, FULL SPEED.

     "HEY!!!! HEY STOP!!!!!!!!!" The guards in front of me shouted, summoning their lances and pointing them at me.

     I prayed my plan would work. My water wings shot out gracefully and I jumped to avoid them, spraying water in their faces so they couldn't see. I flew straight up and over the tall gates, the wind carried me higher, until I spread my wings out flat and glided along it, riding horizontally over the region above the clouds. I sweeped left, then right, cheering freedom! The three suns that bordered this planet beamed their light down on me from above. I held onto the notebook and dipped down fast past the clouds to one building in particular. I hovered over the building, looking for any guards as I descended from the air. None. My dress swayed at my feet and my hair covered my eyes; has it really been that long? Since I've flown... I inspected the notebook and rubbed my thumb along the spirals.

     What now?  There was thumping then, LOUD thumping...pounding! Like someone was coming at me! I turned sharply- "ACK!!!" Someone's strong giant hands grabbed me by the neck and hoisted me up off the ground.

     "YOU! I SAW YOU COME FROM THE SKY, BASTARD!!!!!! WHO THE HELL ARE YOU!!!" A deep woman's voice rang out. She tightened her strong firm grip on my neck, choking off my air, I was speechless. I gritted my teeth tightly and grabbed at her hands, pinching, scratching, and pounding them furiously. Nonononononononono I CAN'T BREATHE!!!!!!!  I wheezed, giving no answer. The notebook slid from my hand and I kicked at her as much as I could before slumping down in defeat and succumbing to the dark black shapes in my vision...

     "AH! Jasper!! STOP!! STOP NOW!!!!!!! SHE'S WITH ME NOW!!!!!!"

     I was thrown to the ground and the impact made me cough up a little blood. My back ached and I continued coughing, trying hard to get more air as quickly as I could. I wiped my eyes and looked up at 5 light green cylindrical fingery things.

     "..Ah, a-are you ok, um whatever your name was..?"

     "I-It's Lapis...I-I think...th-that I-I'm fine..." I slipped and missed her hand but she caught me quickly.

     "Sorry, about Jasper. " She blushed and looked away, pushing me away to stand on my own.

     "Oh, uh, yeah. Was I too late? "

     "For what?" She questioned.

     "Your assignment. I brought it, uh..." I looked around. "Where-"

     " That's ok. I h-have it. " She stammered. "I, um, I was actually on my way to get it too. B-But Jasper was uh...nothing..." She blushed brighter. It was cute.

     I giggled then winced at the pain. "O-ow..." My hands felt around my neck, there were deep bruises, they had turned dark no doubt. "OHMYGOSHMYGEM!!!"

     "Wh-what about your gem? It isn't cracked right????" Peridot walked around my body and rubbed my gem searching for any gashes or slight cracks. "None. Your lucky, she did throw you down pretty hard...but your back's badly bruised. " Peri rubbed her hands along the deep lacerations and I closed my eyes tightly and sobbed. "L-Lapis?"

     "I-It h-hurts...r-really bad..." I wiped my tears. "D-Do you ha-have anything...for it?"

     "Can't you go home?" she asked.

    ".....n-n-n-n-n-n-n-n-n-no....." The tears started falling faster, I could feel the run of the blood rushing down my back into  the other cuts.

    "Do-don't cry! I'll take you to my place!!" she wrapped her arm around my shoulder and helped me walk in the direction of her place. I hoped she could do something...because apparently...the cut was fatally deep.