Chapter 1:
Pearl soared into the air as she fired a lengthy spear at the Amethyst warrior gem charging toward her at an alarming speed. From this height, she could almost make out the figure of Rose Quartz across the sickeningly beautiful, flaming, strawberry battlefield. The field itself was currently coated in a thick carpet of sparkling rainbow dust collected from thousands of fallen gems. They had been at war now for 300 years, ever since their rebel army formed from a number of gems opposed to the expansion the gem world's galactic empire and their plan to destroy the earth. Trying to focus past the rainbows reflecting in her eyes, a horrified Pearl could now faintly see the rebel leader Rose Quartz being tackled to the ground by a hulking, orange, Jasper warrior.
"YEILD TO ME, ROSE QUARTZ!" roared the powerful Jasper, as she slammed into her opponent. Toppling over, she pinned Rose to the smushy, strawberry littered ground under her massive weight. She was sweating profusely as spit dribbled slightly from her gigantic, snarling grin. She growled under her breath, "Finally the time has come for you to die. I can't tell you how elated I am for fate having granted me the ultimate satisfaction of getting to be the one to kill you," her voice dripped in a crazed tone. Rose Quartz was struggling hard to get out from under the Jasper, but to no avail; there was a small crack growing larger over her pink gem and she was losing strength fast. The currently dominate gem quickly shifted Rose's hands together, holding her by her wrists with only one hand. With her free hand, she shape shifted her pointer finger into a dangerously sharp dagger. Wedging the digit into the now prominent crack spreading across Rose Quartz's gem, she prepared to deliver the final blow. "Any last words, oh powerful leader," taunted the Jasper, when all of a sudden everything went black for the home world solider. However, Rose Quartz witnessed what happened: seconds after she defiantly shot a wad of spit in the Jasper's face, an enormous, sunset colored war hammer entered into view and connected hard with the enemy's head. The Jasper was then shoved off of Rose by white gloved hands, as a four armed, triangular haired fusion came into view. That's all Rose saw before falling unconscious. The impressively tall fusion's eyes scanned her leader for signs of injury, immediately landing on the gem fracture threatening to take Rose's life. With some effort Sardonyx lifted Rose off of the ground and located a path through the chaos to a small, wooded covering. She leapt the couple hundred yards there, immediately un-fusing after reaching relative safety.
"Rose!" Pearl shrieked, her already pale face turning three shades paler. She stumbled toward Rose and dropped to the ground of the shady grove. Garnet lingered in the background, unnerved by the events just taking place. In her hands Pearl frantically caught the magical healing tears rolling down her unconscious leader's rosy cheeks and wiped them tenderly in the gash on her gem. When no more of Rose's tears came, Pearl let out her own sobs, resting the iridescent pearl on her forehead on the Quartz's bosom. Garnet stepped forward, laying a gentle hand on the smaller one's back, "Only time will tell if she'll be able to heal. You need to stay here with her, and I need to go protect this spot from any potential threats." Pearl snapped her gaze to the taller gem, eyes blotchy and wet, "No! I need to find that Jasper and finish her, dammit! I need to fight for Rose, I need to protect her!" Garnet let out a sigh, "Pearl, I have no doubt that you would find a merciless end for that ugly Jasper, but Rose needs you to stay here with her more than she needs you to go risking your life. Plus, you know it needs to be you not me who stays. " The furious, blue blush that engulfed Pearl's face faded slightly as she silently relinquished to the fusion's proposed plan of action. Repositioning the giant head of curly, pink hair in her small lap, Pearl took to stroking the forehead of her friend, as she watched Garnet disappear past the tree line.
Alone, Pearl watched the wounded gem like a hawk for any sign of recovery. Finally, after an hour she noticed the fracture slowly begin to decrease in size; upon this realization, Pearl allowed herself to breathe a tiny sigh of relief. For hours more, Pearl alternated between cradling her beautiful leader, investigating the occasional rustling of bushes, and practicing her fencing techniques on a few unlucky trees. As dusk approached, the pink gem's wound fully healed allowing Rose to retreat into gem to fully regain her strength. As Rose poofed, her gemstone dropped from the air to the ground in front of a crosslegged Pearl. Awkwardly, Pearl's hand now stroked the thin air where it had just been buried in thick, pink locks. Terrified, Pearl snatched the gem in a millisecond, searching it over an over for signs of any persisting cracks. Relieved upon finding no fractures, Pearl concluded Rose would reform soon and wasn't lost forever. Rose's gem in hand, Pearl quickly stored it in her own gem and headed back to the battlefield to find Garnet. As she wandered out of the woods, she felt thankful the excruciating wait was over. Of course she never regretted a single moment she spent with Rose; it was just that Pearl didn't cope well with situations where her love might leave her life forever.