The temple was unusually silent with no one to be seen or heard. The temple door slid open; the constant sound of metal tearing at metal filled the small house. "Good work Connie" Pearl shouted her eyes gazing at Connie through the sparks; their swords finally broke apart only for them to strike again. "Thank you master" Connie replied with a smirk watching Pearl blush; Connie slid forward knocking pearls blade into the air. Pearl slid back catching the hilt bring the blade back in front of her.
"Nice try" Pearl gave her usual grin before turning around her face twisting into a slight fit. "I almost lost that" she thought taking a few deep breaths. Connie sat poised looking at her sword; her eyes wondered upward tracing Pearls curves "what was that" she shouted internally her sword dwindled on the edge of her hand before falling to the ground. The sword fell to the ground the clanking seemed to knock both to their senses. "Connie, you should really be more careful" Pearl preached spinning around on the tip of her toes; picking up the sword with little effort.
"Sorry, I didn't know where my head went" she giggled trying to avoid eye contact. The room drifted back into silence as the two stood looking off in different directions; Connie's eyes kept passing over pearl again and again. "Pearl is it true that you loved Steven's mom" Connie asked turning to look at the waterfall in the distance.
"It was more like I respected her" Pearl replied quickly her cheeks turning light blue at the prospect. "She was like a mother too is" Pearl rectified her cheeks still a stinging blue.
"So, there Isn't anyone you like" Connie stuttered pulling on her sleeve the embarrassment stinging her cheeks red.
"I like Steven, Garnet, you, and Amethyst to a degree" she declared without flinching or any hint of the same embarrassment that Connie felt. "Why do you ask" Pearl questioned tapping the tip of the blade on the stone.
"What I mean Is do you have anyone you like" The young girl tugged on her left sleeve with her eyes darting between Pearl and the endless cloudscape around them "like, like" she strained to utter the last few words.
"Connie, do you mean love" Pearl answered nonchalantly as she sat against the small rock formation.
"No" Connie shouted her voice bounced around the room "maybe I don't know" she continued to shout the echo became a mess of different words. "I like Steven but I can't help noticing things about someone else" Connie finished tucking herself into a ball.
"Alright, how about a duel" Pearl offered walking over to the young girl her hand extended forward offering to help her up "sometimes a good bout can clear the mind" she continued her hand wrapped around the back of the young girl's collar pulling her up to her feet her other extended offering the hilt. Connie stood looking at pummel for a few seconds before grasping it firmly.
"Alright how about a bet" she spoke slyly a grin seemingly replaced her grimace. Pearl stood back looking up into the endless sky.
"A wager, sounds amicable" a grin replaced her smile; the two blades clanked together before the fight started. Sparks flew as the blades collided Pearl kept her stance as she forced Connie backwards; the young girl winced before lunging forward sliding the blade to Pearls hilt before flicking left throwing pearls arms open. The young girl brought her sword down disarming the Gem. "How did you" she started but hesitated; looking at the sword laid across the ground.
"I don't know" Connie retorted looking back to her teacher; her hands trembling at the prospect that she had won. The room once again fell into silence as Pearl still muddled in her loss falling to the ground. "I'm sorry my mind went blank and suddenly my hands started moving on their own" the young girl blurted out her eyes drifted down to her own hands; the scars and the clear indentation of the hilt pressed into her skin.
"Calm down its alright" she replied taking the weapon from the young girl's hand; the young girl exhaled slowly before looking back to Pearl. "See everything's fine" she spoke calmly her hands gently grasping her shoulders. The room fell back to its usual atmosphere with only the sounds of the waterfall and crumbling rocks filled the room.
"Thank you" Connie sighed sitting back her eyes still tracing over the indentation in her skin. Pearl still sat looking back at the blade beside her a faint smile came across her face.
"Connie, thank you" she sighed sliding the weapon behind her; the small girl perked up looking at her with a small shine in her eyes. "You've showed me that I still have much more room to grow" Pearl confessed looking over the ecstatic teenager.
"Pearl" Connie whispered her hands tugging on the seams of her pants; her eyes avoiding eye contact.
"Oh, yes what was your stipulation" Pearl pondered giving her student a few seconds to think before asking again "go ahead, you earned it" Connie sat pondering why she even asked before a small voice whispered in her causing her to jump forward.
"I want to" she started to speak but stopped admire the Gem that sat waiting patiently. "Let me give you a kiss" she declared transitioning to her knees waiting for a response from the now dumbfounded gem.
"Well I don't see how that would be a prize, are you sure you don't want something else" Pearl pleaded placing her hand behind her to catch herself only to slide on the sword falling on her back. Connie crawled forward grasping Pearls hand pulling her back up; her other hand slide around behind the gems back. Pearl closed her eyes awaiting the inevitable; Connie smirked looking at the tense face the older gem made before closing the distance her right hand pulled Pearl closer until her lips contacted with Pearls forehead. The gems eyes shot open watching Connie pull back.
"I can wait, until you're ready" Connie winked standing up twirling her sword effortlessly in her hand before glancing back to the still open temple door; she gave a wink to the three onlookers before walking off to the stands humming.