Ruby's POV

"Ruby!" Jasper's voice traveled through the building. Ruby could feel her footsteps getting closer. She didn't dare move. Ruby couldn't bear to think what would happen if she was caught.

"That's the last straw! No wonder production was stopped. You're just as defective as the rest of them. I don't know what I ever saw in you!" It was becoming more difficult for Ruby to remain silent now with tears threatening to stream down her face.

"You better hope I don't see you again because if I do you're going to wish you were never made!" and with that Jasper was gone. Ruby didn't know what to do. She couldn't stay in the gem training building for much longer or she would no doubt be caught. Ruby moved the floorboard just enough so she could wiggle through the gap and make her way up from under the floor. She placed the floorboard back leaving it just how she had found it. Making her way to the back exit Ruby found herself in a daze. What was she going to do now? Ruby was the last of her kind and now without Jasper's protection she knew the diamond authorities would have no problem destroying her once and for all. Ruby stopped suddenly and quieted her breathing. She could hear footsteps. This was a trap Jasper never left! Before she could run a familiar voice called out.

"Ruby?" She stopped mid step to face the undeniable voice of

"Lapis!" Ruby exclaimed running forward to embrace her only friend left on home world.

"What are you doing here?" Lapis' voice was filled with concern for the small gem. "I thought you weren't fighting in the war!"

"I'm not. Jasper chased me down here. Let's just say I'm no longer on her good side."

"Ruby! What did you do this time without Jasper you're as good as dead!" Lapis couldn't believe what she was hearing. "What is with you Ruby? Are you just incapable of following orders?"

"No not after everything they have done to me I refuse to fight for them." Ruby was once again trying to hold back her tears. When did she become so emotional? Maybe she was nothing more than another defective gem. "Listen lets go talk somewhere else I feel like I'm being watched here." They both looked around the dark hallway knowing camera's probably lined the ceiling. Ruby took Lapis' hand and dragged her far away from the building.

"Ruby I'm not going to lie I'm scared for you."
"I'm scared for me too." The small gem admitted. They both looked out over the water. Watching it gently splash up against the bank a countless amount of times before Ruby decided to speak what was on both of their minds.

"I don't have much time before Jasper tells them she was wrong. That I'm just as defective as all the others were."

"Ruby you are not defective! Please stop saying that!"

"Just look at me Lapis! I'm supposed to be a warrior! But I'm small and I'm weak and I'm soft!" Ruby decided it was time to give up the act and just let herself go. Tears began streaming down her face with no intention on stopping anytime soon.

"Ruby you can't listen to what everyone says. They're wr-"

"Right! Lapis I'm kidding myself here of course they're right. They've always been right about me. I should just walk up there and let them shatter me into bits and pieces." Ruby covered her face trying to wipe away the tears that lingered on her face. This time Lapis didn't say anything. The silence got to the point where Ruby finally lifted her head out of her hands to see if she was still sitting beside her; or if her negativity finally drove Lapis away. She found her friend looking back at her.

"Let's leave."

"What?"

"Let's just leave." Ruby couldn't believe what her friend was suggesting

"How? Where would we even go?"

"Come on can you not think of even one place." Lapis could see the confused look written all over Ruby's face.

"Where's a place lots of gems are leaving to go to?" Ruby gasped at the meaning her friend's words held.

"You're not saying we should go to Earth, are you?"

"That's exactly what I'm saying. We could leave this awful planet. Maybe there's a better life waiting for us out there."

"But Lapis even if we could find a way off planet I could never ask you to come with. You have a great life here, gems they look up to you." Ruby looked at her friend who was once again staring off into the water.

"I wouldn't call it a great life." Where did that come from? Ruby knew how nice Lapis had it compared to some of the other gems living here like herself. Lapis turned toward Ruby placing both her hands on her shoulders and looked her straight in the eyes.

"Ruby we both know our society is breaking apart it's just a matter of time before it collapses completely or something drastic happens to keep it forced together. Ruby if you stay here we know what will happen and I don't think I could live on a planet where my best friend was killed." Now Lapis was the one with tears beginning to form in the corners of her eyes. Ruby was the one to break eye contact. Both gems forced a giggle trying to shake away the seriousness of the situation they were now in. Ruby sighed. They would have a whole new wave of problems to deal with if they decided to try and even get to Earth. Just thinking about it made Ruby's body feel heavy.

"Lapis you do realize we can't just hop on a colony ship and be on our way. You have to have months of training before they even consider letting you leave."

"I know. I wasn't thinking about getting there on a colony ship." Ruby was once again confused.

"But Lapis those ships are the only way off planet." Lapis smiled giddily at Ruby. With that she stood up and closed her eyes. Now with her vision gone she could focus all her energy into her gem. Ruby watched Lapis as she generated a pair of wings crafted out of nothing but pure water.

"But Lapis? How?"