Dust, nothing but dust and rock. What a sad little town this place was, thought the hooded figure as they entered the entrance of the town. Behind them were two others. A rather large solid woman who wore her hat low, and a beautiful lady in a rather scandalous dark blue dress and wore a bow in her hair to match. Her smirk making the bystanders on the street sweat more than they already were. "My, my, what a cute little… town." She said in a snarky tone. The lager woman looked over from under her hat and just gave a nod.
"Topaz…. Do you think you could find me some water?" She giggled. "Im sure you can find something in this little dust bowl town." Topaz just gave a quick silent nod before riding up next to the hooded figure, who only held up a hand for them to stop before pointing to a bar. They halted and looked to where the hooded figure pointed. "Huh, you two sure have a way with words." The woman huffed. "I take it we go in and get a few drinks before we room for the night?" Topaz turned back and just gave another nod. "Yes, Aquamarine." She said in a hoarse whisper. The three road over to the side of the bar and dismounted. Sloppily tieing off their reins to a post.
The three then walked up and pushed open the saloon doors. A sudden hush fell over the semi noisy bar, some patrons glanced up at the hooded figure who quickly walked over to a far end table and pulled their hood down further. Topaz shrugged and walked over to the bar, with the shorter, Aquamarine following right behind her. They stepped over some broken glass and what looked to be stains of blood as they reached the bar. A few townies stared at the giant woman as they sipped their drinks quietly. Greg had no idea he had customers as he was busy cleaning up some glass from the floor under the bar. Topaz seeing this cleared her throat loudly, starteling Greg into shooting up and throwing his hands up. "DON'T SHOOT!" He yelled. The whole bar burst out laughing. He looked up sheepishly at Topaz who looked down at him from under her hat with an arch eye brow.
Greg blushed in embarrassment and lowered his arms to his side. "I-I mean- *ahem* pardon me!" what can I get you?" He leaned on the bar, trying to act casual. "Just three ales please." Topaz spoke in an almost quiet tone. Aquamarine sighed. "Yes, and make them quickly, Im dieing of thirst!" She gave him a wink before pulling back a bit of her skirt to reveal a small gun strapped to her inner thigh. Greg began to sweat and nodded quickly. "Co-coming right up!" He dashed to the side and quickly pored three ales, before running back over, nearly tripping, and placing them all down infront of the two.
Aquamarine grabbed her drink and another and giggled her way over to the table with the hooded figure. Topaz watched her walk to the table before turning back to Greg. "know of any rooms?" Greg almost didn't hear her, as his only thought was, "…. Gun…." Greg quickly looked up. "Rooms?" He looked up her dumbly for a moment before processing what she asked. "oh! Rooms! Of course! We have two rooms up stairs and the price is pretty cheap I-" "Just one is fine. Thank you, Ill look at em later." She threw down a few bits to pay for the ales before picking up her drink and heading to where the other two were.
Topaz sat down with a sigh. Aquamarine reached over and took her hand. "There, there dear. You did very well." She grinned before turning her attention to the hooded figure. "So, whats the plans?" The figure took a long sip. "We stay a few nights, I take care of a few things, and then we leave with some riches and good memories." The two grinned at one another. "What about this bar? Isnt this where Leggy said th-" "No, we leave this bar alone. The guys okay… It's the sheriff were after." The two grin widely. "I take it we make a move tonight after some rest?" Aquamarine said with a wink to Topaz. The hooded figure nodded. "Yes, tonight… we have our fun."
**Ruby and Sapphires place**
Lapis felt sick. Her head was pounding, along with her stomach twisting and untwisting into one big knot. She felt as though her whole body were under a giant weight. She could hear a bit of noise…. Voices… but faint…. "What where you thinking?!... I couldn't lie….. why couldn't you just… I know….. Im sorry Sapphire…" Sapphire?... SAPPHIRE! Lapis shot up! Bright light blinding her immediately, as she turned over to her side and threw up her breakfast from earlier. "Lapis!" She could feel a soft hand on her back. "Lapis I-" Lapis grabbed onto Sapphire shoulder, her head still lowered as she was still heaving from vomiting. Sapphire hushed as she kneeled down next to Lapis and held onto her other hand, patting it gently. "I shouldn't have shown you that….." Lapis was still silent. Sapphire continued to rub the back of her hand, before turning to her wife, "Ruby quickly get me some water."
The curly haired sheriff quickly made her way to the kitchen as Sapphire gestured that her and Lapis stand from the floor and sit on the love seat. Shakily and with a little extra pull and lift on Sapphire's part the two stood and plopped onto the seat. Lapis was still looking down to the ground. Sapphire only sighed and scooted over a bit. "I… I know what I showed you was wrong…. But Lapis… this doesn't mean that Peridot is dead." Lapis' head snapped up, tears daring to spill before throwing herself into Sapphire's arms and crying. Ruby just stood in the enterance of the hall with the cup of water, thankful that the kids were out side playing in the garden.
She gave a deep sigh. Sometimes her wife could be so rash. Ruby took it as something that she had taught Sapphire all too well. Be bold, rash, and a little over the top sometimes. Quietly she sat down the water as Lapis bawled into Sapphires chest. Sapphire looked up to her wife and just gave an apologetic smile. Ruby grinned widely and blew a small kiss her way before exiting to the front door to leave the two alone. She walked out and quietly shut the door behind, before looking out from her plant covered veranda. She could hear hear the kids playing in the back garden around the house. She grinned as she walked down the steps of the house's veranda and over to the side, where a small barn was.
She had decided to ride on into town while the ladies had their talk, knowing that once they finished they would bring the kids in for supper and most likely have them spend the night, so Ruby decided to ride into town to tell Greg. She would have sent a carrier pigeon, but each one had been sent off to Sheriffs in other cities. Word was getting round about the bandit, Jasper, having been spotted and apparently alone, wondering by the cities, but never stopping in them. Ruby shivered at the thought of Jasper, that mad woman had nearly killed her that night that, Peridot, that towns clockmaker, had given herself over for their safety. Were it not for her Ruby would have never seen her Garnet, nor her Sapphire. Ruby let out a huff as she climbed onto her steed and clicked her tongue. The two galloped out of the open barn and out into the setting sun.
**back at the bar**
The three had drank and eaten as much as they could, while being eyed suspiciously now and again by the locals. The large woman and loud mouthed girl had stuffed their faces and drank as much as they could, while the hooded one ate slower and would ajust their hood, to hide their face now and again. One man at the end of the bar had, had one too many a drink and had been staring down the hooded person and decided he had enough of guessing why they were hiding. Wobbely, with drink in had the man walked up to the table. "S-saayyyyy ladies…. Why.. why your friend hiding?" The three snapped their attention to the drunken man,
who swayed at how fast they responded. "Ah, ya must have one aweful messed up face to hide ssuuurrr…" He slurred, with a hiccup. Topaz stood up, towering over the man. A few patrons quickly fled the bar, knowing the out come would be messy.
The man swayed again, rocking back and forth on his toes, his eyes, looking straight down at Topaz's feet. "I-I say, are you a man? Or a woman? You s-surtenly do-" But before he could finish Topaz sent him hurling across the room and into a mirror in the back of the bar. "Nooo!" Greg groaned, "Not another brawl." Greg felt like pulling out the rest of his hair from his balding head, this city was just getting to be too much. Topaz silently walked over to him and hopped over the bar. Greg felt his heart stop. The rest of the patrons quickly scrammed. Topaz stepped closer. Greg's eyes widened. "uh- uh…. " Topaz looked at him then glanced down at the unconscious man on the ground. Greg was biting his cheek, in fear this might be his last feeling of anything.
Topaz shrugged and scooted him over with her giant arm. "Pardon me, I will clean up my mess." Greg looked like a fish in a fish market, as Topaz lept over the bar again with the man slung over her shoulder. She then walked to the entrance and threw the man through the doors and onto the street, dusting off her hands after. "Sorry, about that, and your mirror." She threw down a sack, which jingled with coins. Greg was still in a state of shock. Topaz just shrugged and walked back over to the other two. "I think it best to turn in for the night." Aquamarine chirped, standing up and leaning into Topaz, who just shrugged and looked to the hooded figure, who only nodded. Topaz nodded back and both her and Aquamarine left up the stairs on the side of the wall, leading to the rooms, leaving the hooded figure alone. Greg slowly followed them with his eyes until they disappeared, then back to the figure. "Uh…" He stumbled forward a bit, grabbing the sack and hiding it in his pants pocket.
"Hey! Uhmm…. Do you need anything else tonight?" The hooded figure looked up to him before looking back down and letting out a sigh, shaking their head. Greg looked down at the plate. There was still potatoes and veggies, mixed together and looked as though it was played with more than eaten. "Oh, okay, well if ya need anything, im here all night!" He let out a nervous chuckle. The hooded figure looked up from the plate again and just nodded. Greg felt a bit uneasy, but this person didn't seem to be as much danger as the other two. He let out a sigh and looked down at the glass, before walking to the back to grab a broom and dust pan. When he popped back out the hooded figure was at the bar. He almost jumped out of his skin. The person poked a scared hand with a prosthetic metal pinky that had gears and metal bars, allowing it to move with the rest of the hand, that released a few gold coins onto the bar table. With the other hand it lifted the plate, its contents still there.
Greg stared in horror and shock when he realized the whole hand, and from what he could see, the rest of the arm was metal and geared just like the pinky on the other hand. Greg was staring in shock at the all metal hand. Never had he ever seen something like this before…. Sure he had remembered an old man, who once owned the now abandoned clock shop, had created little metal toys and such that were almost human like at times. He also had a child-. The hooded figure cleared their throat. It sounded gravely and strained. Greg quickly snapped out of it and looked up to the hooded figure's 'face.' "Ah! Thank you! Sorry, uhmm your hands, did you make them yourself?" He asked nervously. The figure just nodded. Greg then noticed the height was just a little bit below him.
As he was about to ask more the double doors of the front swung open. Greg jumped a bit as he turned to see it was just Ruby. She was grinning widely as usual. "Ah Ruby! Back so soon?" From the corner of Gregs eye he could see the figure had gone rigged and stiff, lowering their head even more. Ruby waltzed up to the bar. "Yup, back again, just wanted to let ya know Lapis and Steven will be staying with us tonight." The figure went even more rigged and turned to walk to the table. Ruby noticed this and stared at the figure. Her grin disappeared, as she squinted hard at them. "Oh! That's fine, I most likely will need someone to watch Steven tonight anyways, I know Lapis usually watches him, but well ya know." Ruby looked away from the retreating figure and back to Greg, her smile returned. "I getcha, man that girl Lapis works hard." Greg shrugged. "Well shes been through a lot." Ruby leaned onto the bar. "Oh and you haven't?" Greg just rolled his eyes and shrugged, "in this town, who hasn't gone through something." Greg noticed Ruby staring at the figure again, who had sat down leaning over their half finished drink. "So, can I getcha a drink? Or are you just filling in for a carrier pigeon?" He joked. Ruby snapped back to Greg. "Sure, Ill stay for one. Sapphy and Lapis are having a long talk about…. Ya know… her." She looked down at her own scared hand that had scars from a knife fight. Greg could see the figure stiffen again, then relax.
"Ah, I see, well then take a sit and ill grab ya you're usual." He walked in the back to grab his special liquor he hid just for Ruby. Ruby, leaned against the bar, not a soul was in sight. Only the hooded figure, in the back of the bar, was the only one. Ruby eyed them, and made her way over to where they were. The hooded figure looked up, Ruby was right on the other side. "Hey there stranger, new to town?" The figure stared for a moment before just nodding at Ruby. "Mind if I sit with you?" Again they nodded. Ruby plopped down and leaned back on the chair. "So, what are ya doing in this old town? Just passing on through?" They nodded twice, staring down at their drink. Ruby felt bit offended by not getting an verbal answer but brushed it off. "Ah, I see. Well, welcome to town. Staying long?" They shook their head before reaching their hand out to their drink, the pinky being the first thing that caught the observant sheriffs eyes. The stranger brought the drink to under the hood and leaned back their head a bit, but not enough for Ruby to see them. Just enough to see their pointed chin.
"If ya don't mind me askin, how did ya, ya know, loose your pinky there? Looks like it was a bad scuffle." She sat up before leaning onto the table. The figure finished their drink and sat the mug down gently. The hooded figure only shrugged. Greg had made his way over and sat down Ruby's drink. "There ya go Ru! Oh hey, still here huh? Need a refill?" They looked over to Greg just shook their head before pushing back their chair and bowing a bit to them both as they pushed their chair in and headed to the stairs. Greg rubbed the back of their neck. Now Ruby felt angry, she pushed her chair to the side pounding her fist onto the table, "Hey wait! Bout your hand." The figure stopped and let out a raspy sigh. They stepped down their boots scrapping across the floor, making their way back to Ruby. Ruby felt uneasy suddenly. They stood only a foot or two away. Greg suddenly felt even more uneasy. Ruby looked ready to fight. "not again…." Greg thought to himself.
The full metal geared hand poked up from under the hooded figures cloak. Ruby suddenly felt her blood run cold and her breath hitched. That hand…. They Reached up and pulled down their hood. Short blonde and chopy hair stood on end…. their face was gaunt and scarred along with metal hand made glasses that sat rigidly on her face. Ruby just stood there…."P-P-Peri….. Ho-" BANG! Ruby didn't even have time to finish as she was knocked down and over a table. Pain shooting through her side as her head hit the floor. Greg screamed, in terror. "RUBY!" Running to her side he shook her. She was out. Peridot just stood there, gun drawn still. Topaz and Aquamarine had hurried down the stairs guns drawn. "Whats up boss?!" Aquamarine shouted. Peridot lowered her gun, slinging back into a holder she had under her cloak. "Time to get out of here Im afraid…. Looks like we'll have to raid now instead of later my friends." She spoke with no emotion to her voice.
"Aawwww," Aquamarine groaned, "but Im sooo tired!" Topaz picked her up and threw her over her shoulder as Peridot turned herself back to Greg who had run to get his shot gun. "D-don't move!" He said shaking. "P-Peridot! How could you just-" Peridot simply grabbed the barrel and tore it from Gregs hands before pushing him over the bar, knocking him out. Peridot sighed as she moved past Ruby, who lay out cold on the ground as well. "My, my, this town has always had softies, but never this bad." She shrugged, slinging Gregs gun over her shoulder. "oh well, the shot wasn't too bad. Nothing vital was hit," She looked back to Ruby then to her companions. "Time to put our plan into action early. Lets ride. The three quickly ran out the doors and onto their horses. "Time to go pay a visit to my old shop first though. I have a few loose ends to tie up there," She grunted as she climbed onto her horse.
The other two trailed behind. Some folks had come out of their stores too see what the commotion was all about. Peridot rounded her horse to a lamp and grabbed it before thundering down towards her old clock shop, Topaz and Aquamarine, both also snatching lanterns, trailing behind. On lookers looked confused and worried, a few ran into the bar only to shout for help, as they found Ruby shot and Greg out cold. The ride to the clock was towards the out skirts of town, it had been year's since Peridot had seen the old place. When the three arrived the dismounted and walked up to the door. "Got a key?" Topaz questioned. Peridot just gave her a glare. Topaz nodded and body slammed the door open. The old door split and flew across the old dusted floor, sending dust fly and any small living thing flee the scene. The old place had been covered up well. Peridot hung her lamp and tore off a sheet from an old desk that had an array of different draws under it. "Thank you topaz, Aquamarine, collect all that you can from the draws in this box, you know what to look for, Topaz come with me to the back." Topaz held her lantern high as the two made their way to the back of the shop, decorated with white sheets, that covered old memories.
The two reached a boarded up old door that looked ready to fall off if someone breathed on it. Topaz simply just pushed, and it was down. Peridot, silently nodded and stepped through, grabbing Topaz's light from her as she went in. "Whats back here?" Topaz said peaking her head in before the rest of her followed. It smelled like rust and rot back here. She noticed the rusty smell the moment she opened the door. Peridot didn't answer, she simply began to pull off sheet after sheet, grinding her teeth. "Come on.. its gotta be back here." She growled. Topaz looked around, the room almost looked like a study, you might find in a rich folks home. She looked to the walls. Old paitings and photos hung. Some of a younger Peridot and, what Topaz assumed, to be her father. There was even one with a girl and her…. Must be sisters…. She continued to look around the room as Peridot angrily ripped through boxes and drawrs. Each one full of random bits and bobs. Suddenly Peridot ripped out a small drawer, photos flew everywhere. Topaz watched as they fell to the floor.
Peridot hadn't even noticed, she just went about pulling another drawer out. And fileing through it. Topaz looked down to the ground and bent down to pick them up, they were pictures of Peridot and that girl again. Peridot was so young… and… happy…. Healthy looking too…. She went through them, until she stopped, the last one was of the two girls kissing. They looked to be at some kind of dance…. "Topaz!" Peridot hissed. Topaz jumped and shoved the handful of photos into her pocket. "Yes?!" She answered back quickly. "Quit messing with that junk and help my flip this table. Topaz nodded and walked over to the old oak table. She grabbed the ends and with all her strength flipped it over. It crashed and split open to reveal something silver under it. Peridot growled and began to tear apart the rest of the table, beneath it lay a silver box. She grinned widely. "This is it!" She hopped happily.
Topaz gave her a questioning look. Peridot just glared. "hey, don't judge, this happens to be whats going to make us rich." Topaz just nodded. Aquamarine popped her head in. "Ide hurry up you two! Sounds like a mobs running this way!" She then dashed out, dragging a large sack of parts and things she had found. The whole place had been cleaned of all important things. Quickly two ran out of the room, Peridot tucked the box away under her cloak as they ran out. "Topaz grab me a lantern!" Topaz quickly complied and grabbed one handing it off to Peridot as the blonde mounted again. Peridot grabbed hold of the reins and looked back at the old shop, grinning wickedly. "Time to burn, you hell hole." She swung the lantern around twice before throwing it into the open door. Flames burst to life as soon as it hit the old wooden floor. Topaz felt her heart drop. All those pictures, and memories…. She looked down at the wad she had grabbed, thankful she had saved those at least.
Peridot cackled as she pulled out her gun and shot it into the air before her and the others took off out of town. Just in time for the mob to see them flee. They road hard into the night, through the desert. "Where to now boss?" Topaz questioned. Peridot was silent and just continued laughing. Aquamarine joined in with a giggle. This is going to be a fun ride…. Topaz was sweating.
(Hey guys sorry for the short chapter, Ive been busy as all hell. Ill be updating this chapter and my other story soon! Cant wait to write more of this story!)
