Rhodochrosite
(65 years after Lapis Lazuli's head was grafted onto Phos)
"Rhodochrosite!"
"Rhodochi!"
"Hey, Pink Menace? Where'd you go?"
A kaleidoscope of colors sparkled in the dusk light as a search party spread out between the school's outer pillars. Raised voices filled the air in concern, beseeching the return of a runaway gem.
"Dia, do you think she's out exploring the field again?" Yellow Diamond asked breathlessly as she slowed from a sprint.
Diamond shook her head, sending dazzling fragments of light into a fitful dance. "She can't have gone that far, she was with me just a moment ago... Oh, Rhodochi! Where did you go?"
"Don't worry, Dia. She'll be fine as usual," Yellow said, putting a reassuring hand on the other diamond's shoulder. "I'll head out to the field to look anywa-"
"Up here!"
All necks craned upward fast enough for the crack of several stress fractures to sound in the sudden silence. Seven gazes alighted on a tiny pink shadow clinging to one of the slanting pillars three-quarters of the way to the ceiling. Even from this distance, a fearless, boundlessly cheerful grin was visible on her face. Rhodochrosite lifted a hand to wave down at them.
The movement turned abruptly into a slipping motion.
The gems below let out a collective gasp. Zircon and the Amethysts surged forward, trying to line themselves up beneath the precarious gem.
Rhodochrosite's body dropped nearly a meter before being pulled tight against the stone by what appeared to be a sheaf of fabric. It was a blanket, rolled and wrapped around the pillar like a rope with the ends clenched in each of Rhodochrosite's hands as she swung her feet back up, applying pressure to hold herself against the side of the structure.
Dia opened her mouth to yell something, eyes wide, only to be preempted by Bortz. "Do you want to shatter into a billion pieces?!"
It was a truly terrifying yell, Bortz's voice cracking on the emphasis. It echoed in the open space and out across the plains - likely to draw the attention of any gem that wasn't present and bring them running. It was so startling that Rhodochrosite herself flinched. The motion became a wobble, then she was a pink streak plummeting down at the slanted pillar's angle.
Bortz acted instantly. Before anyone recognized the black blur moving across their vision, she was bounding off of the nearest pillar and sailing through the air. The wind rushing past her ears covered up the following cries from below. Her eyes narrowed, fixing on the pink comet and the point where their paths would intersect - before widening as she realized that the path was changing. Somehow, Rhodochrosite was swinging around toward the top side of the pillar even as she fell. Bortz reached out, swinging her hair to redirect momentum and correct for the new situation. It wasn't enough.
She landed feet-first against the side of the pillar, cracks spider webbing through the stone. Her eyes never once left the falling gem, even as Rhodochrosite stabilized on the upper side of the pillar and rode it down like a slide, screaming in delight.
The remaining gems funneled outside toward the pond as fast as they could. Yellow Diamond was first on the scene, swinging her head back and forth as the last light faded. Only the faint glow of jellyfish remained to light their search. The calls rose, more frantic than ever, gems stumbling about in the dark, some gathering jellyfish in bowls to pass around while the rest scoured the path on hands and knees.
"She's so brittle. And was moving so fast... what if she's in such small pieces that-"
"Enough," Jade said sternly to a shaken Zircon. "We'll find her no matter how many pieces."
The surrounding gems nodded solemnly, equally shaken but glad for the confidence.
One of the gems gathering jellyfish yelped, stumbling back as something rushed up from below. It was pink like many of the jellyfish, but surfacing too quickly, breaching in a shower of droplets. Rhodochrosite stood at the epicenter, arms thrust into the air as she hopped in place.
"IT WORKED! That was so FUN!"
Something plopped into the water a moment later and the young gem looked down to see her right forearm sinking into the pond, split off just below the elbow. The gems assembled on land stared. A beat passed, then Rhodochrosite burst into giddy laughter, seemingly oblivious to the near-disaster she just avoided.
"If she's laughing, then she must be fine," Jade said, collapsing with the others in relief. Diamond dragged herself across the ground to the edge of the pond, reaching out to point at Rhodochrosite.
"You are in big trouble."
Rhodochrosite winced and raised both arms in a supplicating gesture, which surprised Diamond. She was a little upset about the young gem being so careless, but Diamond certainly hadn't meant to scare her - everything turned out fine in the end and she was just glad no one got hurt. Then Diamond looked up to see Bortz standing above her, glaring harshly at Rhodochrosite with her arms crossed over her chest, and the reaction made much more sense.
"We're going to Rutile. Now."
Bortz led the way, sending the gems who had been helping off to bed. Jade elected to stick around and inform those arriving late that everything was resolved. Rutile, however, wasn't pleased to be pulled out of a nap on what had been a rare night with little to do. It was only one piece that needed to be reattached, but Bortz had insisted on having Rutile check Rhodochrosite for smaller stress fractures that could have weakened her structure and made her more susceptible to future damage.
"But did you see that move, Bortz?! Wasn't it awesome!? I altered my momentum just like you said!"
Rutile sighed as Rhodochrosite moved just when the doctor was lining up the pieces of her arm, throwing off the third attempt to reattach it. The stump waved around, showing off pink-and-white rings like those depicted in old sketches of trees. Beside her, Bortz's scowl intensified, then split into a proud smile, surprising everyone.
"It was very well done. But be more careful, will you? You'll age us all into dust like this - especially poor Dia."
The gem in question, who had been clinging to Rhodochrosite since the walk to see Rutile, nodded vigorously. "That's enough danger for a millennium! You're grounded until the next one."
"As if Dia could hold you to that," Rutile said in response to Rhodochrosite's look of horror. "She might be a diamond, but she's far softer than even you when it comes to enforcing punishment."
"I mean it! She's not leaving my sight for the next five-hundred years!"
"Oh, see? She already lightened the sentence," Rutile commented.
Diamond puffed out her cheeks, her grip tightening around Rhodochrosite's waist.
A/N
I had plans for more of this, involving Rhodochrosite getting closer to Cinnabar and the inevitable drama that ensues (hint: who else does Cinnabar know with a 3.5 hardness?). But if I can get a certain fic off the ground, I probably won't be dedicating more to this OC for a while. Depends if I actually follow through for once in my life. XD Anyway, hope you enjoyed this fun little quickie - I know I did.