It's not always the shiniest who stand out the most...
Username;
Kirbylover901
Name;
Glimmer
Gender;
Female
Personality;
Like the crystals she's based on, Glimmer has multiple facets and quirks. Usually, Glimmer is a little self-absorbed and adventurous, which causes her to go where she wants to explore, not where anyone else does. She also tends to be oblivious to other opinions and the world around her, unless something catches her attention. Due to this, she tends to be aloof to the disapproving remarks of others, all though she is very quick-tempered when she hears something rude about her. Glimmer is also rather talkative, and likes talking to anyone who will listen, although it's often to herself, as not many enjoy having conversations about what the crystal Plumerian likes and not much else. Despite this, Glimmer thinks of herself as a leader, and is indeed a natural born one- while her own judgment often gets in the way of her decisions, she is generally a fast thinker and can easily come up with a solution.
Short story;
Every cave I had been to didn't daunt me- none of their crystals were shinier than my fur, and none were as terrifying as they seemed. At least, that's what I had known before discovering some uncharted territory.
I had searched in all the nearby caves and even some farther away ones, but at their summits there was only rock or small gems that were fairly lackluster. Even so, today was another day. Picking up my flashlight and mirror so I could see inside, I headed into the new, promising cave, ever hopeful for adventure.
The first thing I noticed was the damp smell that filled the tunnel. Like most of the other expeditions I led, it was going to start out boring. The only thing that one could see was rock, rock, and more rock. Unglamorous as it was, it was still part of the trek.
Fortunately, a little hill of step-like rocks became visible a little farther ahead, thanks to my flashlight. They weren't very tall compared to some of the stalactites, which hung down from above as if they were the kings of the ceiling. They can be kings of the cave ceiling, at least. I thought, frowning.
"It's not like you can be the kings of the sky. There's nothin' for you to hold onto up there." I muttered idly to them, moving on as I climbed up the miniature staircase of rocks and hopped down. Easy. Another group of little stepping stones lay farther ahead, just taller and more vast than the first. Sigh. Getting up these was just as easy- simply climbing up the steps. Leaping down, I looked around. Just another section of the cave, probably leading to nothing. That's how it always was.
"Right... nothing here- wait a second." I looked down. A skull, not bleached white but almost yellow, like the color of old paper, had appeared. While it was already dead, it looked disturbing. Certainly not of a Plumerian, right? Right. I decided, trying to reassure myself. Barely audible echoes whispered through the shadows, taunting me with the little noises of footsteps. Even the cave itself seemed to have gotten darker, wanting to swallow me up inside its veil of darkness. Fumbling for my flashlight and swiftly turning it on with my paw, I looked up again, seeing only monotonous walls of rock.
"I let myself get fooled by rock? Really?" I said aloud, shaking my head. Nothing. Just a relic of the past in a tunnel. And speaking of a tunnel, it was actually starting to get fairly stuffy, although it was still pleasantly cool. I should be getting out soon. Wish I had brought my pickaxe, but I suppose I'll have to do the dirty work myself. Setting my items down, I began to stare at the rock, impatiently looking for cracks. There! A little crevice revealed a speck of lighter rock on the other side. Smiling, I attempted to dig through, having little success. Fine. We'll do this the hard way. Narrowing my eyes, I walked back and then slammed into the area where the crevice was, only earning a bump on my head for my effort. I tried again, this time hearing a little bit of dust or stone falling from the blow. Three times I tackled the rock, and it finally gave way to a larger hole. It wasn't very tall, but I coudl probably squeeze in if I tried. Wait- I would probably need my tools first. Grabbing my mirror and flashlight, I pushed through the opening, emerging dust covered and dulled on the other end of the wall.
Unfortunately, it was still fairly dark, although a few pinpricks of light escaped from minuscule holes in the cave's predictably bland ceiling. Picking up my once again useful flashlight, which seemed to have turned off as I tugged it through (something had probably hit it, I thought), I pushed the button to make it flare to life again, which turned out to be a mistake.
The light landed on crystals, countless crystals of all hues and sizes- whitish ones, blue ones, tiny ones, huge ones. Every one gleamed with an unmatched brilliance, shimmering like my pelt did in the glow. Looking at myself, I realized I wasn't shiny anymore- just covered in gray dust. I suppose that was a good thing; the bright crystals nearly blinded me for a second. As I gazed upon the structures through barely open eyes, a peculiar thought occurred to me. What if the others saw me like this- blinding and overwhelming? Perhaps they could be thinking negative thoughts about me. How infuriating! Suddenly growing angry at the crystals, I turned the flashlight off, turning off the light show as well. Headbutting the wall again, I began to hear crumbling noises. It was going to collapse! Quickly snatching up my items, I burst through the structure, charging through it. Slamming into the stone steps from before, I barely hesitated before clambering up them and speeding back down. Gasping for breath, I jumped over the other set of stones, landing on the ground but dropping my mirror on impact. The surface shattered, only a few pieces feebly clinging to its frame.
"What do they say if you break a mirror, seven years of bad luck? Well, they'll only be seven years of pain to whoever comes in here next and steps on this." I said, holding on to my flashlight and leaving the shards behind but keeping the mirror itself. This can be a memory of the time I went here. I decided, exiting the cave with dust clinging to my fur. I looked like an absolute mess, but I survived. Looking up at the beautiful blue sky, I pondered the notion that I came up with at the crystal clearing. Perhaps being second best is a good thing. I thought, looking back. Being too shiny makes you repulsive instead of a shining star.
(993 words, according to Word Counter. Sorry that it's so lengthy! ^^")
Sometimes the dullest ones can shine brighter than any gem.
