We let the bracelet fall. It hit the silvery surface with barely a ripple, sinking slowly into the depths.

The dark bracelet sank deeper, trailing silver threads that began to spread like roots through the mercury-like fluid. The threads pulsed with a faint ruby light, growing and rapidly branching into an intricate network.

Gradually, Emerald began to reform within the bracelet's moving ring. First came the crystalline-organic dragon heart, then delicate structures like frozen lightning stretched away from it - her nervous system sketched in silver and ruby light. Then came her skeleton, materializing bone by bone, followed by muscles and organs weaving themselves into existence like an anatomical time-lapse in reverse.

The bracelet rushed up and down the figure of the girl within the silver fluid, printing her into existence.

The process was mesmerizing and disturbing in equal measure. I could see her heart form and begin beating before she even had skin, pumping silvery Genesis fluid through newly-formed arteries. Her crystalline scales grew last, sprouting like flowers made of living rubies.

Cinder's wings trembled as we watched her friend rebuild herself from nothing. Her feathers shifted through anxious colors - deep purples, uncertain blues, hopeful yellows.

Finally, Emerald's eyes snapped open - brilliant gold-orange against the silver liquid. She thrashed suddenly, panicked, and Cinder dove forward without hesitation, plunging her arms into the pool to pull her friend to safety.

I helped haul Emerald onto the stone ledge as she coughed and sputtered, expelling Genesis fluid from her newly-formed lungs. Her ruby scales gleamed wetly under the crystal lights.

"Easy," Cinder murmured, holding Emerald steady. "You're okay. You're back."

I walked to the robe area and handed the dripping Lindworm a thick towel and a robe. Emerald snatched it from my hands, her gold-orange eyes wild and unfocused.

"What..." Emerald's voice was hoarse. "What happened?"

"You died," Cinder said softly, her wings curling protectively around her friend. "That... thing from beyond the gate. It did something that made all your artifacts fail. You basically melted."

"I... melted?" Emerald wrapped the towel tighter around herself, shivering despite her usually high body temperature. "Oh. Right. Everything just... started coming apart... damn. That was... painful. At least it was quick. I don't understand. How did my attack miss? Hey, Ci.... Where's my sword?"

"Your sword melted too," I said.

Emerald's head snapped up, her eyes focusing on me with sudden clarity. "You... you're that effin' pesky nullie. What are you doing here?"

"Saving you," I crossed my arms. "You're welcome."

Emerald's eyes narrowed.

"I don't need saving from a nullie," she spat. "Especially not from some weak little mixed-blood who can't even..."

"Em!" Cinder's wings flared. "He's the one who got your bracelet out before the gate closed. Without him, you'd be gone. Like, permanently gone."

Emerald's gold-orange eyes blazed with growing fury, turning from Cinder to me. "So what? You expect me to be grateful? Bet you just wanted to see me naked, you scale-chaser!"

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"EM!" Cinder growled.

"Yeah that's my name, you dum beerch," Emerald snarled. "Why the eff is he here, Ci? What, is he your new pet project? Your little charity case? Why was he sitting in the front row? Did you invite him? I told you that I was going to break your wrists if you kept obsessing over him! Guess it's time for..."

"Vesp invited me," I said.

Emerald's eyes narrowed to dangerous slits. "Vee? That thundercunt betrayed me?!"

"No one betrayed you," I said calmly. "Your show went sideways because you forced Io to open a gate when he sensed disaster coming. Then you got your ass handed to you by something way above your level. Now you're taking it out on everyone else because your ego can't handle being powerless for once."

"You little shit!" Emerald lunged forward, dragonfire igniting across her claws. "I'ma snap your spine!"

I felt something click inside me as adrenaline flooded my system. The seventeen stolen hexamesh student and security guard suits I'd layered under my clothes suddenly activated in perfect sync, their beast cores igniting with a harmonious hum.

My fist connected with Emerald's jaw in an uppercut, amplified by the combined force of seventeen magitek suits. The impact sent the Lindworm flying backward with a surprised yelp. She splashed into the Genesis Pool, sending silver liquid spraying everywhere.

"Alex!" Cinder gasped, her wings flaring with shock.

"What?" I shrugged. "She was being volatile!"

"YOU!" Emerald surfaced, sputtering and furious. Her ruby scales gleamed with silvery fluid as she pulled herself out of the pool.

I punched her again, directly in the noggin, making her sink under, the Genesis pool extinguishing the sparks and wisps of deadly dragonfire.

Emerald surfaced again, trying to grab at me. I smacked her in the forehead again, making her sink.

It felt good.

"STOP!" Cinder's wings flared, shifting through warning reds and cautionary yellows. "Both of you! Em, he saved your life. Alex, stop dunking my friend in the resurrection well!"

"I'll stop dunking her when she stops trying to set me on fire," I replied, punting the dragon-girl under the silver fluid again.

Cinder blinked.

My hand closed around one of Emerald's horns and held her under. Emerald flailed, her eyes wide. She clawed at my hand, demolishing my white shirt, but her claws were unable to penetrate the layered suits and dragonfire didn't seem to be functioning within the Genesis fluid.

"Alex!" Cinder's voice cracked with alarm. "Stop!"

I lifted Emerald up, letting her surface. She came up gasping and sputtering.

"You..." she choked out between coughs. "You're dead, nullie!"

"Already died once," I shrugged. "Wasn't that bad. Want to try again?"

I dunked her under. As she swallowed more fluid, thrashing as her eyes glazed over.

"Alex, please!" Cinder tried to stop me but I was resolute, immovable in my layered outfit.

"No," I growled. "She NEEDS this. She has to see WHAT I saw under there."

After a minute, I pulled Emerald up again. She was barely conscious now, her gold-orange eyes unfocused.

"Listen up, you ruby-scaled disaster," I said calmly. "I'm going to keep dunking you until you learn some manners. Every time you try to attack me, every time you insult me or anyone else - splash. Back into the pool you go. Clear?"

"F-fuck... you..." Emerald gasped weakly. "You're just... prey."

"Wrong answer," I said. "Try again."

Splash.

When I pulled her up this time, she didn't even have the strength to curse at me.

"What am I?" I asked her.

"P-ppprrr..." she stammered.

Her horn cracked as I squeezed it with the power of multi-layered, gloved hand.

"I dare you to finish that sentence," I said, lowering her back into the pool.

Wild, tear filled eyes turned to Cinder. The Quetzi didn't move to aid her friend.

"A pp-pp-person," Emerald choked out a moment before I pushed her under again. "You're... a person!"

"Good!" I said brightly. "And what do we say to people who save our lives?"

"Th... thank..." Emerald struggled with the word like it was physically painful. "Thank... you."

Cinder stared at me.

"What? I'm teaching her a valuable lesson about humility," I replied calmly. "Now, Emerald. What are you going to do differently from now on?"

"I... I'll t-try to be... nicer t-to you," Emerald managed through chattering teeth.

"And?" I prompted.

"And I won't... t-try to kill you... t-today," she added quickly. "Or... set you on fire."

"Excellent!" I helped her out of the pool. "See? That wasn't so hard, was it?"

She stared at me with hate-filled eyes. She was totally going to set me on fire tomorrow.

This was fine.