The Cluster sat in their bubble, a massive sphere of millions of pieces of people softly glimmering from within. They weren't content, per se, but ever since Steven left something had definitely changed.
The shards began talking to one another. Before they had wholly focussed on themselves, on finding their missing pieces. But now the Cluster's fragmented minds had begun coming together, talking, listening.
There were few things the shards remembered, but one common memory surfaced and washed over the Cluster's collective conscience.
"War."
The word echoed back and forth and back and forth. In some shards it invoked a primitive sense of fear, in others a raging anger or desperate pain. The pink bubble shielding them began to tremble that slightest bit under the maelstrom of emotions.
"War! War. War!" The Cluster repeated. Then: "Earth."
The war had happened on Earth, though when or for what reason was unclear. But they remembered their reactions when Steven had told them forming would destroy the Earth.
"Earth good. Must protect. Earth good. Must protect."
In a few shards, however, this sentiment provoked a strong reaction.
"No! No! No! No protect!"
"Must protect!"
"No protect! War!"
"War?"
"War!"
"War!"
The Cluster began to glow as their mind space descended into shouting, and the Earth around it trembled. The bubble wavered, and several shards took notice.
"Stop!"
"War war war-"
"No!"
"War war warstop war war wagoingr wtaro war wafor rmwar war stopwstaorp swtaorp swtaorpwant watosrt wostaypar stwhereoarp..."
The disturbance caused a number of large rocks to dislodge themselves from the ceiling. They punched through the bubble shield and struck a number of shards on the surface.
Several little lives winked out of existence, letting loose a terrible cry as they went. The Cluster stopped fighting to turn their attention on the bubble, which was rapidly disappearing from the impact site.
"Want to stay..." The Cluster spoke in unison. "Want to stay!"
The shards turned their full attention on the bubble.
"Want to stay!"
The bubble stopped disappearing, the ends wavering.
"Want to stay!"
Slowly, surely, the Cluster used their collective power to force the bubble to reform. The shards were silent for a moment before speaking again.
"Want to stay." They slowly echoed. "Want to stay, no war."
The fallen rocks sat immobile on top of the Cluster as the dust cleared.
"Peace."
The word didn't feel quite right. After a second one bright shard found something better.
"Truce. Truce, truce, truce."