Liberty
The failing light made the sky look red as the wind drew spirals of dust into the air. A steady breeze breathed heavily through the narrow spaces, humming as though in deep thought. Feathery clouds streaked the sky high above, stretching from horizon to horizon. Leaves of maize and nightshades danced and grasses bent while the air filled with the scents of the forests and meadows and orchards.
As the sky darkened, it was going to be harder and harder to spot the ship. Lapiz had listened to Connie's conversation on her cell, and knew Steven and the others would be returning shortly, but only when they touched down and stepped off of the landing ramp would she relax. She knew Connie felt the same way, even if she was too young, as a human... hatchling- to understand how to express it, and paced nervously.
Connie's parents stood behind her, just outside the main door to the old barn hangar. Behind them stood Greg's cousin, Andy, whose feet shuffled noisily in the gravel. His arrival was a bit of a surprise, but in Lapiz's experience, that was simply his nature, to come and go as he pleased. She felt a small pang of jealousy. She smiled it away, and composed herself. There was nothing forcing her to stay on the farm, or on Earth for that matter. But she longed to return to the homeworld, which she had not seen in an age.
An object caught her eye. It must have caught lion's eye as well as he shoved himself under her arm, almost knocking loose the sleeping pumpkin. It grew from a speck against the orange clouds over the ocean, and she knew it was the ship, returning finally, after a few short, eternal hours away on Mars. The profile and path of the ship was clean, without the usual wobbles, and came overhead.
Connie instantly brightened, and prepared to charge the ramps when they lowered and greet her friends. The landing legs unfolded, and the ship touched down point by point in its old landing footprint where even the weeds wouldn't grow. Lion pulled away from Lapiz as the ramp folded itself out to ground level. Lion had almost begun to scale up to the ship when he crouched and growled. A small, red Gem was backing out of the hatch carrying one end of a crate, which had another Ruby on the other end.
It took all of Lapiz's own self-discipline not to react to them. Doctor Maheswaran grabbed Connie by the shoulders on seeing Lion. However, when the Rubies continued to struggle with the crate and made clear their interest was only in moving the box, the big cat changed his crouch into a stretch and his growl into a yawn, as though it was what he'd intended to do from the start.
More Rubies emerged carrying various items, and then Pearl and Peridot, and finally Garnet and Steven. Once Steven was visible, Lion shoved his way up the ramp and began sniffing and checking Steven. "I'm okay, Lion. I missed you, too!" he exclaimed. Her Mother had just let her go when Connie began to rush forward to greet Steven. She stopped when Andy and her Dad gasped.
A light source within the ship began to move, changing the shadows Garnet and Steven were making. The light was like water where it shone. Connie redoubled her pace when she realized who it was. Topaz joined Steven at the top of the ramp. "This planet is much more dense than P17-4, and the atmosphere is so heavy with water-" she spotted the girl running up the ramp "Oh! The Connie!" Topaz's curious look was overtaken by a bright smile while Connie hugged Steven, then went to Topaz, who curtsied in greeting.
The yellow and purple gem looked around as Connie replaced the curtsey with a hug, which Topaz returned. "Oh- more Connie-s! And another Greg-" Lion shoved past Connie and sat down squarely in front of Topaz. He looked her in the eye as she remained motionless. "S- Steven-" she began quietly. Lion finished his inspection, snuffed once, clearly unimpressed, jumped off of the ramp and began cleaning his ears. "I, uh, guess that means he likes you," Steven offered.
Topaz nodded, still uncertain if the big cat was going to take issue with her despite Steven, when she looked down at the grass. "Oh- where do we step? There's organic life on every surface, we don't want to harm anything," she said, trailing off as she looked up at the side of the barn, and then out to the fields of crops and forests and finally at the sky. She stopped where she was. Her arms wrapped her elbows, and she backed up quickly and disappeared through the hatch of the ship. "So big, all these life forms," she gasped breathlessly.
Steven looked at Connie, and they both went inside after her, followed shortly by Connie's Mother. Inside, they found Topaz
huddled next to a console, peering back out through the hatch. "We don't understand. The universe feels so much larger now. We want to go and explore and learn, but" she shuddered "so much has changed." Steven stood next to her and looked up. "We won't make you go, but you're not gonna learn anything hiding, either." She closed her eyes and nodded.
"Is there an official we have to greet, or a ceremony or declaration we must complete before we may step foot on your Earth?" Dr. Maheswaran laughed. "No, it's a free country. Go say 'hello'." Connie realized introductions were in order. "Golden Topaz, this is my Mother, Dr. Maheswaran. Mom, this is Golden Topaz," she said. Connie's Mother held out her hand.
Topaz laid her left hand on it, and curtsied deeply. "It is a pleasure to meet you." Dr. Maheswaran blinked at her, and took in the withered hand she had been given, only just remembering to return what she knew of a curtsey. "Uh- welcome to Earth. You can call me Priyanka." she said. Connie looked at her Mother, and knew that look. It was one of assessment and diagnosis, but whatever she was thinking was put away for the moment. "Please don't be afraid."
Topaz straightened herself, corrected her robes, and drew her braids out and wound them again in one easy gesture. Other gems pushed past them into the ship and began to collect more crates. As they did, Topaz stopped Navy, who paused, knowing the next question. "I feel fine, really," she preempted. Topaz leaned in and examined her gem, turned her, and lifted her arm. Navy's sour face looked like a young child whose parent was wiping their face with wet cloth.
"Eh, lemme give you a hand wit dat," said Andy as he reached up to get another of the crates packed into the overhead. Topaz saw Navy's expression and giggled. "You'll be fine," she said, and dismissed the Ruby. Connie turned to Steven. He knew he was in for it when he saw her brows turned up at the edges, and how her pupils narrowed. "She'll 'be fine'- Steven, what happened?"
"Well, heh, you see- er," he stammered. "There was a misunderstanding," said Topaz. "A 'misunderstanding'?" Connie repeated. "What kind of misunderstanding?" she demanded of Steven. Suddenly, Andy found himself toppling over under the weight of the small crate he'd selected. "Oh- I don't got it!" he said, losing his balance and his grip on the box. Steven bubbled his Uncle instantly, shielding him from the crate, and Pearl caught it.
"What kind of misunderstanding?" Connie pressed. "It was nothing. Case of mistaken identities," said Garnet, with a crate in each hand. "It's hardly worth mentioning. We're at peace, and Navy is healed," offered Topaz brightly, floating the last large box down from the overhead. "Wait- healed? Steven! Was there a fight!?" Connie was now bright red.
Topaz hung her head. "In our pride and rage, we mistook the Rubies for the fusion that- who- We were mistaken." Steven braced. "You let her fight a FUSION!?" Amethyst sidled by everyone crowding the door. "There was no 'let' about it. It was awesome. I think," she said as she passed. Lapiz stood in the doorway, surveying Topaz.
"She fought a Ruby fusion. Alone." Her narrowed gaze and crossed arms said more than her words, as doubt nearly clouded the space between them. Peridot piped in brightly. "Oh, yeah. I got the video! We can watch it later." Topaz noticed Lapiz. She curtsied fully to the floor. "We are honored to be in your presence, your Purity. Surely organic life on this planet owes you and your team a debt of gratitude-"
Lapiz didn't shift, though Steven thought she might have blushed a little. "Yeah, yeah. You don't look like the Topazes I remember from Homeworld." Topaz remained in her bow, on the floor. Steven looked at her. She would fit flawlessly into any ancient court and not look even slightly amiss. Pearl rolled her eyes as she went by with Andy's crate. "Topaz, it's not that formal here. This is what you might call a common space." Pearl took her box down the ramp as Topaz returned to her feet. "We're sorry. We have to learn how things work here."
Andy paused as he followed Pearl, clearly vexed by her ease with the heavy crate. "You keep sayin' 'we' and 'we're'- are you some kinda royalty or somethin'?" he asked indelicately. More people shuffled by onto the ramp carrying treasures collected from the Shrine, but Connie and Priyanka stayed to listen. Topaz giggled. "Oh, no. We're not a monarch, and only the radiant presence, Champagne Diamond, may appoint offices of responsibility." Steven jumped up and down.
"Oh! Oh! Like 'Counselor and Healer General'?" he elated. "So, how come then?" Andy pressed. She touched her gem. "Fluorite. She's a part of us now, and we speak as one. She will never be forgotten," she said. Lapiz had seen Steven's drawing, but even that hadn't prepared her for the reality of what had been done. She stifled a gasp and covered her mouth. Dr. Maheswaren noted her reaction, and looked from Lapiz to Topaz's gem.
"Howbout we get outta here, and have a seat an' relax," suggested Andy. He led the way down the ramp, and the rest followed. He led them to the old fire pit, and set up the lawn chairs. Peridot and Topaz both watched in fascination as he undid the tri-fold. "It's brilliant!" observed Peridot. He offered it to Topaz after setting it up. "Thank you, Andy. We need to sit- the fields this planet possesses are powerful and intoxicating. She has a strong core, large and molten-" Topaz flinched. Steven could almost hear the voice of that wicked quartz in his ears, even if he couldn't make out what she had said.
Those not moving crates had a seat around the pit as the last light of the sun receded, permitting the humble chorus of stars to take the stage behind the thinning spread of clouds. Greg clicked the old grill lighter several times without success, and looked at the dried grass and kindling in dismay. "Here- lemme at it," suggested Andy. He sat down with an old battery, some wires, and a piece of steel wool. He connected the leads to the battery, put on some gloves, and touched the leads to either end of the wool. Instantly a flame sprang up. Greg took over, blowing gently on the ember, while Andy went back to the barn to put the items back.
"That was awesome! Where did you learn that?" asked Steven as he followed closely. "Oh? Uh, lemme think. I was out in the bush- Huh. Was that down in Tramwell Station? Yeah, Down Under." He stopped at the main entrance. "So, what's all dis stuff?" he asked, looking at three yards of crates and strange machines. "Oh- these are things Topaz said we could bring home with us!" elated Peridot. Pearl turned to him after balancing the last crate. "Andy- we need some help," she started. Andy promptly set the items he was carrying down. "Whadya need?" he asked with a smile.
"We need to rearrange the barn, but we didn't want to displace anything without getting your input. All these things are yours," she said, gesturing to stacks of aluminum body panels, canvas stretched over spars, and bald tires. "Hey, Steven, gimme a hand here," said Andy heading to the front right corner of the Barn. There stood a stack of bald tires on aluminum rims. "Help me move this stuff." He and Steven set to pulling the tires off of the stack and rolling them just outside the big doors.
Mr. Maheswaran poked his head inside and found them un-stacking the next load. "Hey, Steven, Connie's looking for you." He paused. "Do you two want a hand moving those?" Andy nodded. "Every bit helps. Out front with the other ones." They soon started a chain, passing tires one by one until a hatch in the floor was revealed. Lapiz and Peridot stared. "I had no idea that was there- the floor doesn't even sound hollow!" Peridot emphasized her point by stomping on the floor.
Andy nodded, and dug a small LED torch out of his pocket. "Hey, stand back. I dunno what's tryin' ta live down here- might be bats or somethin'" he warned as he got a grip on the inset handle. He counted down after the others stepped back a bit, and lifted vigorously. Dust billowed into the air, but no animals bolted past them. Andy lay on the floor and traced his light around below until he was satisfied.
He reached down and flipped a light on, then descended into the basement, clearing the way once he got to the bottom of the ladder-well. "Hang on- okay, that got it. Come on down." Steven leapt up and dashed back to the campfire and almost crashed into Connie. "Connie! Connie! Connie!" She was about to speak, but found herself being taken by the hand and rushed back to the barn.
They arrived back at the entrance of the barn. Pearl and Peridot were at the top of the opening, looking down into it. Steven could hear his Uncle rummaging in the basement. "Eh. Well, let's make a space over 'dere. I gotta throw some o' dis old junk out anyhow." Connie's dad replied. "Are you sure you're okay burying the wings like this?" he asked. "Yeah. Peridot and Lapiz, and Topaz too, I guess, are gonna need the space, an' this ol' plane hasn't flown in two years." More objects shuffled out of view, cardboard by the sound.
"Okay. The floor is safe if you wanna have a look," Andy invited. Connie gasped. "There's a basement?" Peridot went first, followed by Pearl. Once at the bottom, she motioned for Steven to come down. Steven descended into a dimly lit space where his eyes had to adjust. They were just coming into adjustment as Connie reached the bottom of the ladder.
The floor was concrete, encrusted with sawdust and hardened mud. The air was heady with the scents of earth and sawn wood and petroleum. He was right about the cardboard, as boxes upon boxes were arranged on a fancy silver surface that was covered in rivets and then brushed to a sheen. The basement spanned nearly the entire width of the barn, and with the ceiling as low as it was, seemed to extend off into the distance.
Immediately in front of Steven was a concrete ramp which seemed to lead up the ground level at the front of the barn. Along the sides and the back were shelves covered in various objects. There were also different gas operated machines; mowers, snow-blowers, edgers, and several machines he didn't know the names of. There were a few early-era farm implements as well. Ploughs, sickles, and some trappings from when the farm employed horses to pull.
In the center of all of this were the boxes he'd heard earlier on their riveted tables. Between the tables was what was obviously a fuselage with a giant canopy. Canards adorned the nose. On the canopy was an enormous crack, and it didn't sit correctly in the collar where it met the brushed aluminum. Between the boxes in the back on either side were two vertical struts. On top of each was a streamlined cylinder Steven assumed were the engines, as at the back of each was a small, five-bladed propeller.
"Uncle Andy- did you fly this?" he asked in awe. "Well, I mean, only three times for flight testing-" Steven and Connie both whispered 'wow' as Peridot turned to him. "This model is objectively superior to the one you operate now. Cleaner lines, lighter frame, greater lift, better payload, more overall efficiency- why don't you use it?" Andy raised his eyebrows and nodded slowly in approval. Then he took a long, deep breath, and sighed heavily, hanging his head.
"We crashed." The lines that mapped his weathered face gained definition, disappointment overtaking him. "No – I crashed." He touched a blade on the propeller nearest him with affection. "You din' do nothing wrong. I messed up, pushed when I shoulda been thinkin'. Meh," he said, then straightened himself and smoothed his coat. "Was everyone okay?" pressed Pearl. "Oh, yeah, no injuries but some dinged-up pride. And this," he said, indicating below the craft.
Everyone stooped to see. On the bottom of the body and cabin of the sleek ship were streaks of mud and scars left by rocks. Where the doors for the undercarriage were, heavy denting had clearly distorted the shape enough to keep them from opening. "It's smashed. I don't have replacement parts, I don't have a machine shop, and even if I had the money, the manufacturer went under." Andy looked down at the shiny metal, jaw set.
Pearl put her hand on his shoulder. "Well, we're glad you weren't hurt." He nodded, then composed himself. "Thanks. Look at me, grown man fussin' over ancient history." He indicated several spaces that had been cleared against the walls and along the ramp. "We need to get squared away, an' make some space for Miss Topaz." Content the subject had been changed, Pearl felt free to offer her opinion.
"I think Peridot and I should be in the basement because, er-" Andy nodded. "Because you're stronger. No worries." With that, the small task began. Steven was the man of the hour, receiving tires and panels and sundry objects on the ladder itself after proving to be the strongest Gem present. The space was whipped into shape in short order, and with many of the idle objects moved downstairs, the barn seemed to double in size.
"Hey- could you two come upstairs for a minute? I gotta ask somethin'." Steven took his Uncle's hand-up, and then helped Peridot and Pearl. Andy led them to a corner where several objects stood in a neat stack. The whole thing looked very deliberate, with bricks separating each layer of tires, two stacks side-by-side. Inside both was a small brass lamp. "Dis looks like, eh, a... thing. Somebody made it. I don't wanna ruin it."
Peridot stood by it proudly. "It's a meepmorp! I made this one. What do you think?" Andy scratched his head. "Art," said Steven quietly. Peridot suddenly remembered something, and pushed a plug into the socket on the wall behind her work. One side illuminated, casting shadows onto the wall and floor. Andy nodded, scratching his chin. "Yeah. Yeah, I get it. The dichotomy of inner light and darkness. 'S good." Peridot beamed. Then she turned to Pearl. "See- Andy gets it." Pearl shrugged.
The smell of hot dogs and seasonings wafted in through the big double-door, and all four humans turned. "Ohh, yeah!" said Steven, not realizing just how hungry he'd been during the excitement and activity. He and Connie raced back to the circle of chairs and logs, where Greg was knelt down next to the fire and the cast-iron mesh that held the franks. The fire was very bright, and Steven realized even over the short quarter hour they had spent arranging the barn, how dark it had become.
The curtain of night had fallen fully, and the stars blazed against the satin darkness and splash of the galactic plane. The air was so pure on this night that even the colors of the distant suns came through. The clarity of the evening added to some new strangeness that had descended onto the farm. Nothing had really changed, besides his learning about the other aircraft, and how the barn had a downstairs and looked different now. He wondered if it was just him cooling down from an adventure, or something bigger he didn't yet understand.
"Steven, aren't you gonna eat?" Greg was holding out a small plate with two franks on it, which he received with a 'thank you'. "Dad- does the farm seem different to you?" Greg looked around. "Not- no, not really. Just Golden Topaz. What's up?" Steven looked across the little fire to where his new friend was increasingly reclined. She was giggling with Amethyst and Connie's Mother as they chatted. "Um. Nothing, I guess." Seeing her socializing, with people he knew, delighted him so much that the weirdness that the farm had taken on left his mind. He moved closer to listen, chose a seat right of Dr. Maheswaran, and looked around.
In the center of the circle was Greg, with the fire, cooking. Arranged around it was nearly everyone but Pearl and Peridot who seemed to be working on something in the barn. On his right was Connie and her Dad, Doug, in a double sports chair, with Andy at the edge on a log. To his left was Connie's Mom on an old folding aluminum and nylon weave lawn chair that matched the one Golden Topaz was on, in its garish pea green.
Beyond her were the Rubies, and then Garnet, and finally Lapiz, all seated on logs. Pumpkin was snuggled and sound asleep in her lap. Lion was lying with his huge head on his paws behind Topaz. Both of his eyes were closed, but both of his ears were focused on her. She continued her story, something about when she was a young Gem. "- so enthusiastic that every time we came across one of her excavations, we would 'heal' it, and all of her work would return to the ground and its original state. Poor Zirconia," she giggled again. Her voice seemed strange and uneven. She continued.
"When she finally figured it out, she chased us from the new gem areas all the way to the primary storage. She was so angry, it took two Rubies to hold her back," she laughed so hard she was gasping for breath. The Rubies were laughing heartily at her story, and Amethyst was in tears. Even Garnet had to stifle her smirk. Pearl and Peridot finally joined the camp and took their seats. Pearl looked confused, and Peridot shook her head. "I knew she'd have to acclimate to Earth's magnetic field, but I didn't think it'd affect her this much."
Topaz noticed the Rubies laughing, and sat upright clumsily. Only Priyanka's intervention kept her from swerving off of her chair, catching her from behind by the shoulders with both hands. Despite this, Priyanka was starting to laugh. Topaz, on the other hand, had gone from giggly to somber. "We're sorry! We were so wicked-" Doc interrupted. "This has to be the fourth time you've apologized! It's okay!" she said, beginning to laugh at Topaz's state.
Steven squinted at the yellow and orange Gem. "Are you okay?" he asked, not understanding what was going on. "Oh! That's Steven! She's the one who saved us from that hideous recording," she said brightly, needlessly explaining to Lapiz, who nodded patiently. "Where are you?" she asked, facing the wrong way as she searched. With all the care a much more delicate operation might require, Topaz slowly eased around until she was facing the right echelon of the group. She brightened on seeing him, warm yellow sunlight rippling across the camp and crops.
"We are splendid, Steven, thank you! You liberated us," she said in her funny, uneven voice. Andy cleared his throat. "Ehem. Steven is a 'he', a boy," he said. Steven stood, and stepped over to her, holding a hand out to his Uncle. "It's okay, that's Earth stuff. She doesn't know any of that yet." He moved to the other side of her chair, and she weav-ily turned to follow. "Oh, it's true. 'Boy' and 'Mother' and 'Dad' are all strange ideas." Steven helped her lay back again.
Andy frowned. He looked at the Gems, at Lion and Pumpkin, at the ship. "So, 'Earth stuff'- Greg, when you said 'alien' you meant-" Andy pointed at the sky. Greg rolled his eyes. "Yeah, Andy. That kind of alien." Connie's Parents eyes narrowed as they listened to Greg and Andy. Steven could see them looking at the ship, at Garnet and Lapiz, at Pearl and Peridot, at Amethyst and the Rubies. At Topaz's inclusion.
Topaz clasped her hand over her gem. "You," she began, taking in Connie's Mom, "are a healer. We can tell by how you look at people," she said. "You're looking at features and gestures, vital indicators, and you can't stop." Doug laughed and nodded. "You have no idea." This earned him a poke from Connie. Topaz laughed with him. "When one is a nurturer by nature, it cannot be suppressed." She turned to Steven. "You are part warrior, but you have a very strong nurturer in you," she told him. Lapiz shuffled.
"Bark. Bark? Barkbark!" Pumpkin wriggled free from Lapiz. "It's about time you woke up," she said. Pumpkin hopped down from her lap and dashed out into the light of the fire. As it did, Rubies cascaded away from it over the log they had been seated on, and peered back over. Connie and her parents stared at it, and Topaz sat forward to see. Pumpkin found Steven and submitted itself for a belly rub. "You crazy thing," said Steven as he picked it up and lavished attention on it.
It settled happily with Steven for a moment before noticing Topaz. She realized it had seen her and sat back just in time for it to spring for her lap. She caught it in the air. Unfazed, Pumpkin began licking her face. She set it down in her lap gently, where it sat expectantly. "What do I do?" she asked. "You could pet her," said Lapiz, making the gesture. Topaz began to pet Pumpkin, and scrutinize it. For a moment they all sat in silence as Pumpkin drank in the attention.
"Steven, this creature seems to be equal parts organic and gem magic," said Topaz finally. "Is the fusing of organics and gems so common here?" Steven blushed. "Uh, no, it just kind of happened." He could tell by her expression she didn't follow his meaning. "There's just me, and then I planted Pumpkin. Oh, and the watermelon people. That was sort of an accident," he admitted. "He healed me," added Eyeball. "And me," added Lapiz. Topaz turned from one to the next as each party testified, nodding and growing a little brighter.
She leaned over and gave Steven a warm one-armed hug, to the jealous Pumpkin's dismay. "You're a caretaker. You couldn't stop if you wanted to," she said, squeezing. "But you need to learn caution. We'll teach you to apply your power judiciously, and how to focus it for specific effects. Once you've been taught the fundamentals, we can start looking at your friends, like your Centi-person and Jasper, and see if we can heal them sooner rather than later." Steven beamed. She stood him back gently, and put her hand on his shoulder.
"Unsolicited healing can cause more harm than the injury you were trying to help," she said. "It can damage trust, or create a rejection. Please be more careful in the future, Steven," she admonished. Topaz hugged him again and reclined back into the seat. "I will." As she settled, Pumpkin began shuffling her robes and made itself a shallow nest from the folds on her lap.
Connie looked at the little creature as it settled in. "Topaz?" She lay back to see Connie behind her parents. "Other gems don't wear clothes. How come you do?" she asked, unsure if she was entering into a personal space or not, but Topaz seemed at ease. She sighed. "Certain gems are more delicate than others. Topazes, for instance," she gestured to herself, "are susceptible to high frequency light waves, like the ones emitted by the local star here," she said, gesturing to the ground behind her, where the sun had recently set. Steven and Connie realized that Topaz seemed to know exactly which way the sun was.
"This garment was made by Fluorite for us. She drew the silicates and wove them. They're opaque, and protect us from strong starlight. That's why the collars are so thick," she said, examining a fold of the material. "What happens if you get too much light?" Steven asked. "We fade and become somewhat transparent. Our surfaces become sensitive, and some of our abilities become much weaker. In reality, we Topaz are not powerful Gems." Garnet cleared her throat.
"That hole you made in the shell of the shrine would suggest otherwise," she said. Topaz turned her face away from Steven, and down. "That was inappropriate of us," she whispered. "And we are an outlier in your sample. Most Topaz are far less adept with such things, content with our place as servants of our people. There is little need to train Topazes in combat or in healing. Combat is for Quartzes," she motioned to Amethyst and Steven, "or Rubies." Doc and the others smiled broadly as she nodded to them. "Healing and protection come naturally," she went on quietly.
Andy and Doug returned with armfuls of logs. Greg began putting some of the larger ones into the embers. "Didn't realize how low the fire was getting. Thanks," he said as he worked to get the fire and light rekindled. Heavy shadows played behind the onlookers, creating strange images on the corn and trees. "You showed real restraint, not using that blast against the Rubies," offered Pearl.
No one else seemed to notice, but Steven was acutely aware of a sudden and brief instant of tension as all the hair on his arm nearest Topaz stood on end. Her eyes widened and jaw dropped in shock at Pearl's suggestion. "Such energies must never be directed at a Gem! We would never even consider such a thing! It would be unforgivable!" she said. Pearl put her hands up in surrender. "I didn't mean anyone should, but, you know, bad Gems, uh," she began.
"What she means is you kept your cool," said Amethyst, attempting to preserve the moment. She left it there for a moment as the air cleared and emotions eased down. "You used that staff you made, instead of using your own weapon. Do you have one? Not every Gem does," she pressed finally. Topaz looked back down between herself and Priyanka. On the ground there lay the staff. Even with lion casually laying his huge paws on one end, the obsidian glass, cool as it was, seemed to glow periwinkle in the dim light of the moon and the low fire Greg was still kindling.
"No," said Topaz, averting herself, and looking deeply into the moonlight staff's glass. "We did, once, but it's gone now." She unconsciously adjusted her collar near her stone. Deep, oily shadows danced against the barn as the moon went behind a heavy cloud, leaving the fire the only illumination. "Do you remember what it was?" asked Amethyst softly. Topaz nodded. "As if we were holding it now. It was a singing staff, my companion in healing, and defending-" she began, getting lost in the memory. There she stayed for a moment, until remembering where she was. "It's gone."
They sat in a new silence for a moment until Lapiz spoke. "You called me 'Purity' earlier. It's been a long time since anyone called me that. Nobody talks like that anymore," she said and paused. "It's pretty." Topaz turned to her and smiled. "You were a general- did they have an honorific for you?" she asked. Topaz rolled her eyes. "Our honorific, ugh. Yes, there was one." She corrected her robes. "If you can stand such a thing, it was," she began, trying not to smirk, "Resonance. But please, just 'Topaz' will do." Lapiz laughed. "Your 'Resonance', I like it." Pearl nodded. "It fits." Topaz blushed orangely. "Please, just 'Topaz'. That's our name. Golden Topaz, Facet GHZ23, Cut RF8. Just 'Topaz' is fine."
Steven blinked. 'RF8'- there was something. Something, somewhere wanted him to remember it, but whatever it was wanting remembered didn't have the grace to take shape. It just wanted to nag from the shadows. The fire was now kindled, and a fine blaze for a campfire burned, casting sparks and gray smoke skyward. Greg began to pluck and tune his guitar, and instantly Steven forgot his concern. He easily found his Ukulele and returned to find Connie and Greg sharing a little improv duet, Greg with his acoustic guitar and Connie on her violin.
Greg slapped the space next to him, inviting Steven to join in. Music began to dance with the sparks and smoke, and small conversations began to spread quietly, while others sang to the tunes. The rubies had begun to move about restlessly, and were talking to Peridot. Garnet sat down beside Topaz where the Rubies had been. Topaz seemed to be content to giggle and watch the trio of musicians perform silly songs and compete and collaborate. The performance seemed to improve as the evening wore on.
High overhead, a passenger jet left a contrail in the bright moonlight. They watched it pass, and the contrail widened and thinned into a silver ribbon that spanned the sky from one edge of vision to the other. After a while, another aircraft, much lower, droned vaguely overhead. "Lotta traffic tanight," said Andy, peering upward. "Beech Twin, headed ta Dover," he concluded. After a few more minutes, a huge cargo plane, miles up, pulled another silver ribbon across the sky.
"Once, the sky on Mars bustled with such vehicles," said Topaz. "You miss the old days, don't you," observed Garnet. Topaz nodded. "Yes. And no." She gestured to the farm. "But this is the present, and we will live here, and now." Garnet nodded. There was a pause. "We can't answer if you won't ask," stated Topaz plainly. Garnet blinked, but retained her demeanor of cool. "Can you tell me about her?" Topaz glanced away from the sky. "Fluorite?" She smiled deeply, and gazed into the rising smoke.
"Fluorite was our dearest. She was clever and kind and beautiful." Faintly, and image formed in the air above her. Greg stopped playing and stared. "Whoah," gasped Doug. Fluorite was tall gem, close to Garnet's height, but slender. Warm shades of pink and purple were swirled throughout her. Her face as tall and slender as she was, and bright and joyous. The still image was mid-laugh. Steven recognized her at once and jumped up. "Oh! That's her!"
"She's pretty," Connie remarked quietly. "She was the recorder of facts and events. It was her purpose to create and store data. She was assigned with us after we distinguished ourself as a potent healer when the Peridot we were made for was caught in an explosion with her team," she explained. Peridot squealed with delight. "When our Diamond finally heard of the incident, we were reassigned to a hazardous duty company to train newer Topazes. Fluorite was assigned to our group to record advanced healing techniques, things like treatment of specific injury by Gem Magic, Harmonic Resonance in Determining Fracture Depth, Combined Effort Healing, Emergency Diagnosis, Proper Seeding Methods, things of that nature," she said, re-settling herself on the chair.
Lion opened one eye to see what she was doing. Pumpkin settled with her. Greg poked Steven. "Pay attention. This is another kind of time travel," he said. Steven looked down at his Dad, confused, then up at the image. Greg was right. In the smoke above him was the image of a person who had lived... Millions? -of years ago. More? During the dinosaurs' rule? Before then? Steven tried to fathom the number, but soon realized that was beyond his understanding.
He turned around to see Topaz. She lay there, smiling up at the image. Without warning, the strangeness returned. It wasn't just the Martian Shrine that was made of memories; Topaz was, too. Many, many, truly ancient memories of people and events, before humans were human. She lived in that time, she was there, a part of it. Fluorite was there, too. "Buddy, what's buggin' you? You've been acting funny since we got back." Greg patted the spot Steven had been during the music. "I don't know," he said. "It's probably nothing. I don't want to ruin the party." Steven sat down again, and readied his Ukulele.
Topaz went on. "She was quite intelligent. She was keeping concurrent records of events, and helped us simplify our patient records. She made it much more efficient. She even experimented with newer data formats." The image changed to a movie of Fluorite with a floating globe of molten material. She had a smock on, and stood next to a desk with some sort of console on it. As she worked, the globe changed shape. "She couldn't muster the kind of heat she needed. We showed her some of our own methods to muster thermal energy, and she understood very quickly."
Garnet allowed a smile to form on her mouth as she listened. "When did you know? What told you 'she's the one'?" she asked. Topaz closed her eyes. As she blushed, so did the color of the watery light in the smoke and on the trees, warming the color. "It was that day, when we were, eh, I was, dictating notes, and complaints to the recorder. She seemed to think I was talking to her, so she listened. She sat there and simply listened for what had to be a fair part of the day. Just listening. She didn't even stir. And I was oblivious, absorbed in my tirade and notes. Didn't realize she'd come in until I'd thoroughly embarrassed myself." The image changed again to one of Fluorite seated in an classroom style seat, head propped in her hands, eyes focused, interested. "She had to know part way through the monologue that I was dictating, but she remained and listened, to all of it. Every rambling, nonsensical thing." Topaz frowned at the sky.
"That was the day w- I was diagnosed with Chronic Involuntary Illumination. And she paid attention." All of her features softened, and she settled further into the lawn chair. "Though, telling her how I felt, about her, was another matter. Hers was the greater courage. She declared her feelings not too long afterward." Topaz sighed. "The wait was terrible. My courage at that time was not abundant."
The memory-movie played on as the scene changed. A classroom filled with various gems, assembled in front of Topaz, who was giving a lecture. Fluorite waited in the back patiently. Whatever little classroom this was, it certainly wasn't the amphitheater in the shrine. The audio was weak. "Great! So, are there any more questions?" Memory-Topaz waited for a moment. "Class is dismissed." Gems began to stand and collect their things, and Fluorite began to weave to the front through the press of people leaving.
"If you think of anything later, I'll be here or in my office, and remember that grain boundaries and stacking faults are important health interests!" Topaz called out to the bustling crowd. Fluorite made it to the front finally, and took a place beside her. "Hello Fluorite, do you have a question?" The pink and purple Gem paused. "I need to talk to you privately," she said and blushed. Topaz gestured to the two Rubies who were posted at the doors. They nodded and escorted the stragglers out, then shut the doors behind them as they exited.
"Is this okay?" asked Topaz. Fluorite nodded, and inhaled. "I like you," she said. Topaz nodded, at the time not grasping the significance of what she was being told. "I like you too. What can I do for you?" she said, oblivious. Garnet giggled as she watched the memory. "You had no clue, did you," she said. Topaz only shook her head. The memory played on. "No, I mean, a lot. What I mean is..." she stopped, and straightened herself, revealing how much taller she was than Topaz. "Love- This isn't how I imagined this going." The memory, which had been blurry against the smoke, drew into sudden sharp focus.
"Oh!" memory-Topaz squeaked. Fluorite blinked and braced. "What?" she asked, evidently awaiting rejection. Topaz began to stammer. "Please! Yes!" she said. Fluorite went on, brightening. "You're not afraid?" she asked. Steven watched as the smoke and the memory and much of the farm filled with a deep, rosy pink glow. "Afraid of what?" asked Topaz. "Of me. Of my feelings for you." Fluorite inhaled. "Of the law."
Sparks flew as Greg added fuel to the fire, and leaves began to burn. The image of Topaz above him set her feet. "The law," she scoffed. "The law telling us only 'like Gems may pair'? That fusion is a 'function of the state'?" She spun to face a placard hung above the door. It was a checkered pattern set up on its corner, each square a different color. "Laws don't govern passion! Gems are passionate people! No law could stop this," she said turning back to Fluorite, "No one could stop us." The pink and purple Gem turned Topaz around, and lifted her into the air, and the image paused there as their lips met.
Steven took in the image for the entire duration it remained projected on the smoke. The joy and affection captured there was the equal of any he'd seen anywhere. Eventually the image faded, replaced only with gray clouds that wove and writhed into the sky, and Steven turned around. Topaz had fully submitted herself to the tender mercies of the reclining chair, with Pumpkin cuddled under her arm. Her eyes were closed, but a curve bent the arc of her lips pleasantly and pink light sparkled faintly from her gem.
"I thought you said Gems don't need to sleep," stated Priyanka. "Normally, that's true, but her circumstances aren't normal," said Pearl. "She's been kept awake by those who imprisoned her," added Garnet. At the word 'imprisoned', Lapiz flinched, and cast a scowl up at the sky. "For days at a time? That's against international law-" began Doug. "Four-Billion, three-hundred-million years," said Peridot. Everyone stared, some looking between Peridot and Topaz, others just staring at the sleeping Gem.
Steven tried to process the number. Dinosaurs. The last dinosaurs lived 65 million years ago, but those were the last ones. Four Billion. The number didn't have any equivalent in his mind. It was simply too big. He remembered some of the science shows he watched likened time to a book, and that humankind's whole existence was the last few words in the book. Had Topaz lived whole chapters? More than half? He felt like a speck, a footnote or a sidebar on the last page '-and then there were people.'
"But that's terrible!" hissed Doug, outraged. "Who'd do such a thing?" he demanded. Amethyst stood. "A monster," she said. "Is this what gems do to each other?" asked Priyanka. Garnet shook her head. "No. Most Gems just want to live and let live. But there are bad Gems," she said. "She's why we fight," said Pearl. "That's not who we want to be. That's not what we are."
Priyanka stood and dusted herself off. "Do we need to move her? She said Topazes are sensitive to bright light. Won't she get a... local... star... fade- if we leave her?" she asked, listening to her own voice produce a phrase she never imagined she'd say. Eyeball moved closer to her. "She said 'delicate'. She doesn't fight 'delicate', but now, just layin' there, she does look like it."
Peridot glanced at the barn. "We made a spot for her- can we move her?" she asked. Andy and Doug got to their feet, but it was Amethyst and Eyeball who lifted the lawnchair. Andy and Doug went ahead of them and cleared a path. At first Pumpkin watched them with suspicion, but when it was clear no one was altering its sleeping situation, it quickly cuddled back in and settled down. Lion casually stretched, and meandered around the campfire.
It was a small matter to move her and get her settled into the barn. Soon she was situated near an inner wall, in a makeshift cell whose walls were burlap-and-twine. Steven and Amethyst looked at her as she lay. A tiny movie played on the ceiling above her as she dreamed, and images projected from her gem. They watched for a moment, before Amethyst tugged the glass fiber collar up. "A little privacy," she said. Lion nosed the burlap 'wall' aside, and seemed to have casually meandered his way in.
Topaz stirred, and rolled onto her side. Briefly, her eyes fluttered open. They found Steven and Amethyst before shutting again, and the pleasant curve of her smile deepened as she returned to sleep. "She just needs to adjust," Steven asserted before he realized what he was saying. He'd just blurted it out, and had startled himself. But he knew he was right, as well. "Oh. Okay," said Amethyst simply as she looked on. Lion pawed a big tractor tire that was lying on its side, and got onto it, and sat, facing them.
He stared at them for a moment, then began to scratch his chin. He did this for a moment, then stopped mid-scratch, and stared at them again, waiting. Steven cleared his throat. "So- we'll be by the fire," he explained lamely. Lion stopped scratching, and curled onto the tire with his back to them. His ears were still tracking. Steven and Amethyst smirked as they left, tying the curtain shut behind them, the last to leave.
He hesitated with his hand still on the nylon boat line that held the grommets cinched. He wanted to watch over her. "Don't worry, Steven. She's got lion with her, and he looks pretty determined." Amethyst was right. She was protected by a magic lion. And an animated pumpkin, who, if nothing else, could alert her and lion to any danger. And Lapiz and Peridot would be here as well. Steven nodded, and led the way back. Still, some vague tickle in his mind made him feel derelict in his duties.
As they reached the fire, now burned well-down, they discovered the people there looking skyward. They both looked up as well, and were rewarded as a particle entered the atmosphere high above them, and drew a streak across the sky. Connie spotted them and ran to Steven. "The Perseids!" He blinked. "What?" Connie giggled. "It's a meteor shower! There's this comet that comes through, and this is tiny stuff from its tail!" she explained. Another bit streaked overhead.
Steven smiled, a clean, happy smile. Even with the farm's strangeness, even with the nibble in the back of his mind, he was happy. Genuinely happy. What they had all accomplished today, however small his own part in it was, was monumental. Another particle streaked noiselessly overhead. He had been a part of something great. He settled into his spot next to his Dad, who was toying with a tune, turning it silly. Connie giggled, and joined in, and Steven couldn't help himself.
More streaks animated the sky as they played. They played merrily until only the red embers burned, illuminating just the inner rim of the rusty metal ring. Eventually, the energy of the performers waned as well, and only Greg strummed out an old, slow ballad. Once the song was done, they sat, staring into the old fire pit. Andy stirred, and got to his feet. "Well, I'm whupped. I'll be turnin' in. Yous guys feel free to stick around. Greg, can you bury da fire before ya finish up?" Greg nodded. "Oh- it's 12:15!" Yelped Dr. Maheswaran. "Yeah, it's time to call it quits," Doug agreed. "Connie, grab your violin."
There was a bustle of activity as people began to straighten the little circle. Garbage was collected, embers were buried, and ancient aluminum seats were folded as much as they would still allow. Andy had switched on the outside floods mounted on the barn, and the electric light made the farm look cold and haunted. Soon belongings were packed into cars or stowed back in the barn. Connie hugged Steven and Greg. "Thank you for having us, I'm so glad you made it back, and everything worked out!" Steven hugged her back. "See you tomorrow?" he asked.
Connie's smile diminished a little. "Tomorrow is Sunday- I have violin practice, so maybe later in the afternoon?" she said. "Yeah!" Steven said. Priyanka and Doug exchanged goodbyes with Andy and Greg. "Thank you for the food, and thank you for letting us join you this evening. We didn't mean to impose, but Connie was unconsolable," explained Priyanka. "It wasn't no imposition." Andy looked over at the two youngsters. "Steven's got a real friend in Connie. He couldn't do no better," he said and smiled. "Take care, you three. I'll be at the car wash tomorrow. Sunday's a big day," added Greg . "Hey- if you bring the wagon by, I can get you a free wash."
"Oh! Thanks! I might do that after we drop Connie off," said Doug. Priyanka found Garnet, and took a breath. "Would it be alright if I came by sometime to talk to you, and the others? I want to learn about Gems, and I want to observe Golden Topaz." Garnet frowned. "Observe?" she asked simply. The Doctor nodded. "To understand her injury, and to hear some more of her stories." She shifted her feet. "I learned more about Gem- uh- 'kind'? -tonight than in the entire time I've known of you." Garnet nodded as she spoke. "Yeah, I think we can manage that," said Garnet, a little flattered. No humans in a very long time had expressed so specifically an interest in her people, and simply asked. Then there was Ronaldo-
"Okay, let's get going." Doug opened the doors for his family. The Maheswarans all waved their goodbyes as the piled into the wagon. Doug started the car, and they eventually disappeared in a cloud of road dust and tail lights. Steven looked around at the farm. He'd never been outside the barn this late, or after a gathering of any kind. Certainly Uncle Andy and his Dad seemed perfectly at home with it. Maybe this was how it was a lot in the old days. Pearl and Peridot had returned to the first floor of the barn and were back to setting up their strange machines.
Garnet had 'hopped' up to the roof, and had sauntered out of view to the other end, probably overlooking the road and out to sea. Lapiz was inside reading. Uncle Andy and his Dad were over by the old airplane talking and working on something. As he got closer, he realized they were talking about the aircraft. "I mean, it's expensive, ya know? Nobody wants ta insure her, 'cept as museum piece, and she gulps down gas so bad these days I can barely afford fuel, even givin' joyrides to and sky tours." He sighed, and it seemed as though even the fields and trees shared the deep breath, leaves and limbs shuddering in the breeze.
"I may have ta sell 'er, and get some kinda used bush plane. Or stop flyin'." Greg watched Andy stomp with added vigor on the foot pump that was connected to the limp air mattress that was draped over the wing. They noticed Steven joining them. "Hey, buddy! You wanna take over for a minute pumping up the mattress while Andy and I get the shelter halves hung up?" asked Greg. Steven took over without a word, and watched the men set up the shelter halves, which simply snapped directly onto the leather collar surrounding the open cockpit.
"Are you sure you don't want some help with the plane? I could help-" Andy cut Greg off. "Look, I appreciate it an' all, but this is sort of a personal thing. If I don't sort it out, I dunno, I think it'd feel like I din do it right, like I cheated er somethin'," he said with conviction. Greg only nodded, conceding the point. He knew better. Steven watched them and concluded that when his Uncle made a decision, only fate or acts of nature could sway it. He was now even more glad he'd decided to let Lapiz and Peridot stay on farm. "You use dat money ta take care o' my Nephew," he said, casting a smile in Steven's direction.
Steven couldn't help but return the smile. The pedal on the pump was getting stiff, and he realized the mattress was filled. "This is done," he said. Andy and Greg had finished staking down the lean-to. Andy received the mattress from Steven, and went inside his small shelter, and let him stick his head in. It wasn't as small from on the inside as it looked. It was very nearly a tent, and a hatch on the fuselage of the aircraft gave Andy access to its contents. "You sure you're okay like this?" asked Greg. Andy laughed. "Yeah- been doin' this for 20 years, give or take. Wouldn't have it no other way."
Greg laughed. "We'll be in the van if you need anything. You said you're staying until Monday?" he asked. "That's just two days! How come you have to leave so soon?" asked Steven. Andy continued to lay out his bedroll. "I gotta go get a charter in Dover an' fly 'em out ta the Motor City with a stop by Flood Memorial for gas." He patted the old machine. "If you love the way ya live, sometimes ya gotta hustle." He kicked off his big boots one by one, each thumping heavily on the floor of the shelter. "Things'r changin'. Maybe once I get stuff figured out, I can be here more often, an' stay longer, an' we can go do fun stuff," said Andy, smiling up Steven.
Steven beamed. "Yeah! That sounds great!" Andy sat back against the aircraft, and stretched his legs out. "See you in the morning. Now go get some shuteye- it sounds like you got a busy day tomorrow, what wit Miss Connie an' all." Greg tapped his arm. "Yeah, he's right. Let's get some sleep. I gotta get up early, which means you do, too."
They bade each other good night, and he and Greg retired to the van. His dad always had a space ready for him, and the familiar smell of the van, popcorn and mint upholstery cleaner and pine air freshener and vulcanized rubber, and the way sounds came through the aluminum skin, tinny and vague and muted, were comforting. They kicked off their shoes, and after a few more 'goodnights', lay down to sleep. Steven was certainly tired. Exhausted. But even as he relaxed onto his pillow, the events and unanswered questions of the day piled into his mind and vied for priority.
The battle between Topaz and the Rubies still rang in his feet, and he remembered the how the blows raced through the floor and ground. He still didn't know that much about Fluorite, or what she did, or what it was about her that could make the wordiest Gem he'd known since Pearl inarticulate and blushy. He wanted to hear more about how new Gems are made. He'd heard how the kindergartens on Mars couldn't start without her. What did she know that no one else did? There were the great fusions, and the Gems that made them. He wanted to meet them, or for Topaz to tell him about them. About Golden Star Sapphire, about her spells. About Zirconia, about the Bismuths, about Diorite.
About Champagne Diamond. Was she a tyrant, used to casually balancing lives on her moods? Did the Diamonds have different jobs? Did Diamonds do jobs, or did they just rule, living lives of luxury, bemoaning the weight of their domains? And then there was the question of the Amethysts. One was certainly the one who- Steven shuddered. The one who ordered the shattering of Gems. The thought of her was a dark place in his thoughts, malevolent shadows twisted and curled into inaccessible corners where one would dread to shine a light, for fear of revealing something more terrible in light than it was in obscurity.
Then there was the other one. Topaz had touched her likeness with such respect and grief. What had really gone on? They were her teachers. He'd seen her dream about learning combat from RG6. He remembered the battle with Fusion Ruby, and the practice session with the Amethyst she was learning from. The restrained rage was something he'd never seen, and it had been restrained. At once he wanted to know what her full fury in battle would be like, and didn't. He wasn't sure he wanted to know. Amethyst RG6 and Topaz had fought, one-on-one she'd said, and Amethyst had lost to her. Amethyst had been defending organic life, and lost. She was, at her core, a good-guy.
So why did Amethyst RG6 conjure the same shadowy, twisted fears as RG7? For whatever reason, the place she held was as dark and unwelcoming as RG7, and he tried to dismiss his thoughts and questions, and focused on the sound of the wind. The winds outside rolled lazily by the edges of the van, causing the fenders to hum. Steven's eyes slid closed. The wind hummed again.
He remembered his first day on Mars, how the wind would blow the sand and dust into the air. How the dust devils would form, and rain material down for miles, a fine silty coating on everything, and cast everything into shadow. The shadows were sharp, and long, a mild change in brightness on Mars' red and black and orange rocks and soil. In his mind, the shadows began to writhe. The hammer had cast a shadow, too. These shadows would reach, stretch, grasp. It was as though the hammer had life inside it. Merciless life, thirsty, greedy, never satisfied. The face was gouged by numberless impacts, and some of the crevices reflected sparks of color. The striking face was carved to look like a maw, filled with great, curved teeth. Wedged into the spaces between the teeth were tiny, lifeless gem shards.
It was coming closer.
"Start with that one."
Steven sat bolt upright, and clutched at his sleeping bag, panting. Greg opened his eyes and sat up, putting a hand on his shoulder. "Steven?" He took a shuddering breath. "It was a dream," he said simply. "A pretty vivid one, by the look of it. Are you okay?" asked Greg. Steven shook it off. "Yeah. I just- I don't know," he said. Greg scooted over to him, and popped the back doors open. "Nothin' goin' on here. It's just us, in the safest place we could be." Steven nodded. Greg gave him a one arm hug. "Your head is still filled with stuff from today. You got Gem questions, don't you?" he said.
Steven looked up at his Dad. "Yeah. Things are different now, aren't they?" he said. "Yeah. But things are always getting different. It doesn't stop." He let go of his son. "Go talk to Pearl or Garnet. I can't help too much with Gem things, but I bet they can." Steven stood up and put his shoes back on. He gave his Dad a hug. "I'll be here for the human stuff," smiled Greg. "Do you want me to come with you?" he asked. Steven shook his head. "You have to get some sleep, even if I can't." He shut the first door. "I can do this." Greg nodded. "I'm very proud of you." Steven blushed as Greg mussed his hair before Steven shut the other door.
Steven felt the deep sleep in the world around him. Beach City was mostly shut down, its citizens distantly resting in the wee hours. The little camp light was out in Andy's shelter. The distant homes down the hill were dark, and any of the animals that lived there were asleep. There were no birds making any noise, and even the frogs and crickets had quieted down. But there was wakefulness, too. Above, he could hear the bats clicking, and the odd black flitting overhead told him they were collecting insects. For a moment, a shadow against shadow unfurled its wings, swooped silently into the tall maize, and rose again into the trees, an owl, probably the barred owl who lived in the big hollow tree at the end of the field.
Steven peeked inside the barn. Pearl and Peridot worked a square and a divider down the surface of a diagram of some sort and made notes on a chalkboard. They were busy. He walked around the end of the barn. Overhead, he could see Garnet's perfect mane and the reflection of the sky in her visor. Steven coiled, and sprang. As a Gem, he was particularly strong, and had no trouble reaching the roof. He lit gently onto the roof, and went up to the peak to join Garnet.
"Hello. Shouldn't you be in bed?" she asked without turning. "I had a bad dream." He stood next to her, and looked out over the landscape. The moon was low over the water, and reflected fiercely. Another streak above them flared for a moment before it was gone. The view here was unsurpassed without simply flying. Streetlights and the absence of reflected stars were the only sign Beach City was there in the distance.
"Garnet?" She stood silently, and turned to him. "I wanna ask questions." She sat on the ledge, and made a place for him, sweeping away leaves and feathers. "Go on," she invited. Steven sat next to her, and stared at his feet for a moment. "I don't know what questions, um, or what kinds of questions. But I want to ask Gems I know the important ones. The ones that are hard or awful." He paused and composed his thoughts. Garnet took her visor off.
"I could ask Topaz things, and she'd tell me, and I know it'd be true. But what she knows might be different from now. I think I could ask her little things about Gems. But I want to learn about Gem history from you, and Pearl. Then, maybe if I understand it better, I can be better at helping when we go on missions." He exhaled. "I think that's what I mean. Does it make sense?" he asked, now bashful, vaguely aware of the weight in the statement.
Red, blue, and purple, all perfect, Garnet's eyes blinked. She leaned closer to him. "You're growing up. Yes, I'll tell you whatever you want to know." When she did, Garnet's smile was a beacon of hope in even the darkest night. All of the fluttering his heart had been doing took its leave without notice, and wouldn't be back soon. She looked over her shoulder in the direction of the van. "Greg probably said something like 'This is Gem stuff', and sent you to talk to me," she said, doing a fair impression of Greg, then turned back to Steven.
"But it's not 'Gem stuff', it's Steven stuff, and he's a part of that." She gestured to the distant peninsula. At the tip was the Temple, and at its base, Steven's little house. "Gem history, and the story of the Gem war-" she paused, glancing down at the barn, "-our Gem war, is violent and ugly. Parts of it will need Greg's approval." She shifted, adjusting her posture on the tin roof. "There are things you'll want to know about her history, too, and I definitely need to talk to Greg about that."
Steven scooted up to her, and leaned against her. "I'll ask a little bit at a time." He sat up. "It'll be nice to have another Gem with us to fight homeworld and gem mutants an' stuff." Garnet stopped him. "I don't think she wants to fight, Steven." He looked up at her. Some part of her smile had gone. "I understand. Maybe when she's done resting, then," he said brightly. "Oh, Steven- I think she may be done fighting. She's fought long enough, don't you think?" Steven thought for a moment.
Garnet was right, of course. She'd spent so long on Mars. How long before that fighting for organic life? But some weird disappointment was filtering through. She was the equal of any Gem Warrior he'd seen. Some element of that idea made his hair stand on end, but it wouldn't oblige him and take shape. There were several things eluding him, and he knew only sleep would bring them forward. He shook it away, and hugged Garnet. "You're right. She shouldn't have to."
She turned back to the ocean, and put her visor back on. "Don't be in too much of a rush to grow up." Steven grinned at her and stood. "I want to check on her before I go back to bed." He hopped down and landed without a sound, lightly. He went to the front and in through the big doors, and found Pearl and Peridot. They were still doing calculations and making drawings.
It was clearly a blueprint, with the classic white lines, measurements, notes and symbols. Line-trees cascaded up, down, left and right, and intermingled. As she drew, Pearl noticed him and turned. "Steven! Shouldn't you be asleep?" she asked. "Bad dream," he answered. "After today? But we did so well- I don't understand." She looked at him quizzically. Peridot put herself next to Pearl so she could face him. "What was it about?" Steven thought for a moment. Dreams were tricky, and he'd been trying to forget, but when Peridot asked, it came rushing back. "That hammer," he said. Everyone shuddered.
Pearl just nodded, and looked him in the eyes. "It's destroyed. Melted down." Peridot nodded. "Even the gem magic it was given was given is gone. It's a lump." They were right. More tension melted away. He produced a smile for them, and looked toward the back of the barn. Inside the little burlap cubicle, light played against the ceiling, telling him that the robe had fallen again, and that she was dreaming. The two gems parted and let him by without being asked.
He reached the outside of the curtain, but a certain tension made him stop. For a moment he couldn't sort out what it was he was sensing. Then he noticed the curtain shift, just slightly. He cleared his throat. "Lion, it's me," he whispered. There was just a swish of movement somewhere on the other side, followed by a hollow 'bump', as Lion went back to his tire. Steven lifted the curtain, and found the big cat watching Topaz's dream on the overhead.
Dimly, sounds accompanied the images, but any speech was lost as the dream seemed vague and nearly shapeless. A green blur mumbled something sharply as other blurs, and several small Topazes rushed around bustling without accomplishing anything. Topaz moaned and rolled onto her side, moving her dream onto Steven's chest. Her hand gripped her robe tightly, and she groaned more loudly. Bad dreams seemed to be contagious. He needed to do something.
"We won," he whispered. "You're on Earth, with Steven and Connie." There was a break in the dream, and for a moment he thought he'd either had no effect or made things worse. Then he heard the familiar sound of the songs he and his Dad had been singing while they waited for her to re-form on Mars. They were faint and vague, but they were there. He sang along softly as they played. Over a few moments, she softened.
Her hands released the edges of the fabric, and she uncurled, and stretched, fully occupying the little lawnchair. He looked at her as she lay. Seeing someone else asleep was unfamiliar. The Crystal Gems overall didn't sleep, except Amethyst, and usually only when he was or she was a cat. Amethyst. She was muscular, and athletic, defined, built for combat and warfare. Every bit of her was power. Her attitude, her obsession with wrestling, her need to challenge authority, and prove herself against stronger and stronger opponents.
Topaz was something else. While she had a certain strength in her build, it wasn't for combat. Where Amethyst was defined and hard lines, Topaz was soft. She was solid in her own way, someone he could hide behind without fear. But her form, given her by whatever governed Gem shapes, wasn't for combat. She'd changed shape for the battle with Fusion Ruby, but now, in her natural form, she was soft, inviting. Like a hard hug, or good but stern advice. Like tough love.
If she'd not been 'soft', would he have been drawn to her in the beginning the way he had? He frowned. That first day could have been very different if she were built like an Amethyst. She knew she wasn't meant for fighting. So why had she? But that was a foolish question. Pearl wasn't meant for fighting, either. It had been thrust upon her, and she'd taken it up. It must have been the same for Topaz.
But she was safe now. Everything that had hurt her was somewhere- and some-when- else. He found an unused tarp, and lay it across her. He knew she probably didn't need it, but it made him feel better. Lion watched interestedly as he worked, then rolled over with his paws against the wall.
The wind had died down by the time Steven reached the van. He opened the door as quietly as the squeaky thing would allow. Greg opened one eye, but Steven was unsure if he'd actually woken. In either case, he rolled over onto his back, and continued to lie still. Steven climbed in, pulled the door gently shut, and got back into his sleeping bag.
Pearl was right. They had done it. What was it Connie's stories always said? 'They had won the day?' He stretched, and felt the warmth build throughout the layers of cotton and rayon. They had won the day. Victory was soundly in their favor this time. But instead of solving a puzzle, or collecting a troublesome gem, they had rescued a person.
Lapiz Lazuli. She had been trapped inside that mirror. When she tried to go back to Homeworld, she'd been intercepted by Jasper and Peridot. When Jasper... The Rubies were sent to retrieve her. Peridot had her conversation with Yellow Diamond. Meeting a new person meant meeting a whole group of people.
And now Topaz. With her came all of her memory people. Fluorite. Champagne Diamond. The Amethysts. Rubies, Sapphires, Bismuths, and Zirconias. A Peridot. He shut his eyes. Sleepiness was getting to him, and it was time to rest. There would be more puzzles, corrupted Gems to defeat, and people to meet. But they had, in the best possible way, won the day. The cool of the night, combined with the stillness of the deep evening drew him calmly into his sleep, and whatever dreams awaited him there.