(3 – cosmic power)

Sapphire steps into the cockpit of Meteor Mash, still steaming from her unexpected encounter with that guy. She glances over her shoulder, checking to make sure she hasn't left dents in the floor from stomping all the way here.

"Sapph'? What's up?" Pearl asks as the technicians strap him in proper.

Sapphire whips her attention back to her partner, moving into her designated position alongside him. "Nuh – Nothing," she says with a hearty laugh, brushing the hair out of her eyes as she grabs her helmet and slips it on, adjusting it so that it fits comfortably over her neck.

Sapphire can tell without looking that Pearl is ticked off by her flippant reply. She doesn't know if this intuition is due to the effects of the Drift or because she just knows him well enough.

"It's not really 'nothing', is it?" he asks her with an arched eyebrow, showing that he knows her too.

"You'll find out soon enough," Sapphire reminds him. "And it's no big deal, don't sweat it."

Hearing her half-hearted excuses, Pearl falls into a displeased silence as the Conn Pod whirrs to life around them. The Jaeger technicians complete their final checks and exit the cockpit, leaving their well wishes behind. As Meteor Mash creaks and rumbles awake beneath their feet, Pearl leans over to squeeze Sapphire's arm. Even down to these small gestures, he's a firm and determined person.

"You sure?"

Pearl is such a mother hen. Instead of teasing him for being such a worrywart like she sometimes does, Sapphire brushes his hand off softly and gives him a few reassuring pats on the shoulder in return. "Yeah, yeah. I'll be fine. C'mon, let's focus on the Kaiju first."

"Yup!" Diamond's voice blares out from the intercom. "Neural handshake beginning in 20 seconds," he tells them, voice muffled. He must be snacking on something again.

"Alright," Pearl coughs, refocusing his attention. Sapphire follows his lead.

The last thing on her mind should be Ruby. The rules and procedures of the Drift have been drilled into her at this point. Don't bring lingering sentiments into the Drift, don't bring something into nothingness, don't distract yourself or you and your co-pilot will suffer more than just a failed neural handshake. This has always been the toughest part for Sapphire, who fuels herself with emotions and memories, a clutter of feelings she can't ever finish clearing through. They give her the energy to push herself forward, after all. But after three gruelling years, she's learned, she's grown. She's no longer the same as the girl who left Ruby behind, not anymore. In the background, she hears Dia counting down the last five seconds.

The moment the Drift opens up, Sapphire feels a part of herself jerk back into the cool surge of memories old and new and tries to snap herself out of her previous thoughts. Pearl, attentive and waiting, is able to just catch it by the corner as it brushes by them. Like mist, the thoughts slip through his fingers and disappear. Oh, so that's it? He's finally come back to you? That's the reason why you're so jumpy?

Sapphire can only feel sheepish. Even though Pearl would have found out sooner or later, it doesn't make this any easier. She's never told anyone here about Ruby, about what he means – had meant. But Pearl – Pearl has been in her mind enough times to at least have an inkling of who Ruby is. He had the tact to never ask her about who exactly he was, but, after today, Sapphire's almost certain that Pearl will have a question or two to interrogate her with.

"Neural handshake is shaky, but stabilising," Dia says with a hopeful lilt.

Blue joins in the next moment: "Alright then, sweeties! Prepare for the drop!"

Sapphire and Pearl ease back, bending their knees and bracing themselves for the descent. As the hurtle down the mechanical shaft and onto the rest of Meteor Mash's body, they feel each other out, settling into the frame of each other's mind. It's gotten easier after their many deployments and test runs with one another. The fact that they agree on many things – from the ideal weather for adventure to the best way to subdue with a shrieking Kaiju – and think the same way makes Drifting so much more bearable and familiar in a way. Meteor Mash has taken down three Kaijus and counting – Sapphire's looking to add another to their growing list today.

While they receive instructions from the LOCCENT, Sapphire tries again and again to jerk Ruby out of her head. He's like an annoying piece of tape stuck on the sole of her shoe. No matter how hard she shakes her foot, Ruby remains just barely attached, never fully leaving her alone. Not good. She doesn't want to think about him and end up dragging Pearl down with her in a whirlpool of unnecessary baggage.

Ruby had chosen the worst time to disappoint her. She'd always looked up to him, always admired him in a way, but would sooner wear a frilly dress than admit this to anyone. She had been a young child, careless with her heart and foolish with her feelings.

Sapphire tries to blame her poor judgement on her age. It's frustrating to realise that she has to continually sell her own idea to herself. Maybe it's because sometimes, just sometimes, it's hard to blame Ruby. After all, she doesn't fully understand him. Has she ever tried?

Pearl is the one who reacts to these thoughts. Sapphire feels his mind tighten with her regret, but she won't apologise. As long as she pretends it doesn't exist, it won't. Pearl doesn't say anything to her, not in the cockpit and not in the Drift, but that alone is a message in itself. Sapphire clenches her hands.

"Sapphire? Sapph'? Are you alright?" Dia's voice is clearer now. He must be seeing some irregular readings on his screen.

"Yeah, I'll be. Promise." Sapphire makes it a promise so that she can't break it.

"We'll be fine," Pearl backs her up as Meteor Mash exits the Shatterdome, ushered by a number of helicopters. "Just give us the coordinates, Dia! Hurry it up!" he shouts an order to his friend in an effort break the tension.

Pearl, despite having such a short fuse, doesn't have as much erratic thoughts as Sapphire first expects of him. The stability of his mind had initially been a welcome surprise. Now, it's something that she relies on to keep herself grounded in the Drift.

As Sapphire closes her eyes and tries to reposition herself. She feels emotions that are both hers and aren't hers wash over them, like a gentle tide pushing and pulling away. She sways along with Meteor Mash as the Jaeger wades across the shallow waters of the dock, headed for the open sea. Then, she feels a prickle at the back of her mind, something like a tap on the shoulder. It's Pearl's feelings for Diamond and Platina, his unmovable, unshakeable trust and belief in them, his desire to protect them and to be protected by them – a loving, energising warmth that engulfs her own heart without drowning it out.

Sapphire has things and people she needs to protect too. That's why she and Pearl are in this fight, that's why they can Drift.

"Neural link is at 85% and rising," Dia reports.

"Thanks," Sapphire says to her partner. "… See, I told'ya I'd be alright!"

"Hmph." Pearl smirks.

Rocket proves itself to be different from its predecessors – intelligent, almost analytical in the way it eyes Meteor Mash. As Pearl and her step back and recline into position for the Miracle Charge, the adrenaline and the eagerness to end the fight bubble in Meteor Mash's core and echo in their beating hearts. They take off at the same moment, barrelling forward and locking onto the Kaiju.

The strangled roar that breaks into the air when they catch the neck of the monster with their elbow is satisfying. With the inertia of their pell mell run, Meteor Mash drags Rocket back a considerable distance. But, before they can react, they feel its weight slip out from under their hands.

It's Sapphire who first registers Rocket's next move, but Pearl is the one that yells.

The force of a tusk piercing through the heart of Meteor Mash rattles the entire Jaeger, lifting its feet off the ground for a split second. Unable to endure the stinging wham of the impact, their knees buckle underneath them instantaneously. Meteor lets loose an agonizing groan and crumples with them into the sea, sending gigantic ripples of water out in every direction.

"Pearl?! Sapph'?!" Dia is calling out to them.

Sapphire wants to reply, but it's hard to speak when it feels as if the wind has been knocked right out of her lungs. They brace their hands against the head of the Kaiju and try to push back and remove the two tusks twisting and crushing the centre of the Jaeger, but it's no use. As Rocket hammers its tusks deeper still through Meteor Mash, Sapphire curses violently. She masks the wringing pain with anger – Pearl's boiling too, as infuriated as her, and together with Meteor Mash, they raise their fists to pummel the gigantic monster.

Over and over and over again, Sapphire doesn't care if she can't breathe; she'll keep doing this past her last breath. They're not going to go down without a fight. The thought of death looms overhead, shadowing both her and Pearl, chilling their nerves even as their bodies burn with sweat and stress. Pearl's thoughts immediately run for cover, to his father and Diamond and Platina. Sapphire thinks about her parents too, and all her friends, and then, Ruby. Of all people, it has to be him. A tiny sound escapes her throat, but she can't tell if it'd been a sob or a laugh.

She never got to make up with Ruby, she never got an answer to her feelings – she's far from being ready to die. It dawns on her that if she does end up losing here, he won't let her live this down. This is what helps Sapphire hold on for a while longer.

"We're dropping Flare Blitz," Blue says through the static. Though she's trying not to sound shaken, the tremble at the ends of her words gives it away.

"Listen, Pearl, Sapphire." It's Green's voice now. His unflappable composure calms them down, if only for a moment. "You've got to use Meteor's core, it's the only way."

Use her core? How? They thought.

"Raise its temperature and burn the Kaiju," Green explains. "Quickly."

Pearl and Sapphire don't need to be told twice. They reach for the central control panel and punch the necessary buttons, overriding a few command prompts and warnings along the way. An explosive reaction from the Jaeger's core should be damaging enough to kill the Kaiju, but what about them? What would remain of Meteor Mash? Pearl and Sapphire share the same uncertainties, but as their Jaeger squelches and shrieks against the tusk of the Kaiju, they make their decision without further hesitation. Emerald wouldn't mind if they busted up the Jaeger a little, he'd whine but,

"He loves fixing them as much as you love breaking them," Pearl finishes the sentence out loud.

"Whaddya' mean me?" Sapphire finds herself playing along with the joke. "You ready?" she asks between laboured breaths.

"Y-yeah. Do it." Pearl nods.

…

The smoke has cleared, but the picture is blurred and pixelated. He can just barely make out two figures on the feed. "What's happening?" Ruby turns to Crystal, waiting for an answer. He grabs onto the sleeve of her lab coat when she doesn't reply.

Crystal shakes her head. "I'm not sure." She grips her clipboard close, collecting herself before breaking into a walk towards the doorway of the lab. "Let's go back to the LOCCENT." Ruby trails after her, not realising how fast his heart had been beating until the pace of his feet come to match its palpitations.

"Sapphire's alright, right?" he asks as he catches up to Crystal. The desperation in his voice is hardly flattering, and he hates it but he can't swallow it down anymore.

"Yeah, she's a tough one. I'm more worried about my Jaeger than her," Emerald says with a shrug. Ruby looks back to the scientist, at the poorly concealed doubt written across his face. Emerald and Wally both look as if they want to follow Crystal to the LOCCENT, but remain glued to their work benches.

"… Update me about it later, Crys! From the looks of things, I've got to build better Jaegers," Emerald shouts after them before returning to his work.

"Em' doesn't look like it, but he's a compassionate person," Crystal says in an endearing tone as they shuffle through the security doors they had passed through not too long ago. "Every time something like this happens, the first person he'll blame is himself," she sighs with a mother's disposition. "He'll say, 'I could have done this better' or 'I should have gone with my other design'. He really doesn't cut himself any slack at all."

Ruby doesn't know what say in response to that. He doesn't even understand why Emerald would voluntarily blame himself – he's already done his part. If there's anyone to blame, it should be the Kaiju.

"But it's the Kaiju's fault, isn't it? It's because of them that this all started."

"You're not wrong," Crystal says, "they've been getting bigger, smarter, a lot more difficult to predict. We can't keep using the same tactics anymore. Sometimes, I wonder if the Jaegers we're using can even keep up with the rate of evolving Kaiju."

If that's the case, then, "Then, how are we going to win against them?"

Crystal looks at Ruby with a smile that could bear a heavy burden.

"I wish I knew the answer."

If the LOCCENT could be anymore messier or noisier, it would rival a hurricane. The moment the doors part and Crystal and Ruby enter the room, they get swept away in the turbulent flurry of activity. There are people who don't look like they were here half an hour ago, including a pair of girls. The blonde and the brunette are standing beside Diamond, caught in discussion. Ruby does a double take when he realises that the brunette and Diamond are holding hands, their attention fixated on the tiny screen set before Dia.

The rest of the LOCCENT is filled with shouts of terminology Ruby doesn't understand as people assign tasks methodologically and work on dispatching others to the scene. He follows Crystal as she weaves her way through a few people, searching for Green. They find him perched near the front of the LOCCENT, near Blue's seat.

"What's happened?" Crystal asks. Ruby shrinks behind her, losing his words when he sees the picture broadcasted before him.

It's as if the Jaeger and the Kaiju have been frozen on the spot. Rocket's tusk is still wedged into Meteor Mash, but neither giant shows any signs of movement. The Jaeger's hands remain locked around the white skull of the Kaiju. As Ruby gradually takes in all the little details, he realises that the reason he can see the whiteness of the skull is because the reptilian skin there has been chipped off. The entire front of the Kaiju is now a charred black while the Jaeger's armour is thoroughly cracked, burned into a lighter shade of blue than before. The two figures look as if they could crumble to dust at any moment.

"The Kaiju's dead. The heat managed to melt enough of its organs," Green explains.

"What about Sapphire?" Ruby finally manages to tear his eyes away from the screen.

Green pauses, studying Ruby with a measured glance before deigning to answer him. "The Rangers are fine. The Conn Pods of the Jaegers have been built to withstand the core overheating."

"The rest of the Jaeger, unfortunately, doesn't," Blue chimes in, pursing her lips. "Oh well!"

Ruby has to lean against the control panel as relief hits him. The suffocating weight on his chest is now gone, and he rubs a hand across his face as he gathers his bearings. His skin feels so clammy. Sapphire has once again succeeded in getting him to pointlessly worry over her antics. When he gets the chance to speak with her, he's going to give her a piece of his mind. He's been through this suffering enough times to halve his lifespan.

Right – he's assuming she's willing to talk to him. Ruby knows the idea is mostly idyllic at this point.

As the LOCCENT settles down and returns to its normal operations, the same blonde and brunette from before approach Green

"Green, I've spoken with Red. His team is already on the way to retrieve the samples. If he can get back quickly, we should be able to add something to our current findings by the end of the night," the shorter girl reports to Green. After receiving a grunt of acknowledgement from the Marshall, she shifts her gaze over to Ruby and Crystal, a friendly smile touching the corner of her lips.

"This is Ruby," Crystal introduces him. "A potential – I mean, a visitor," she corrects herself.

"I'm Yellow and this is Platina. We're from Kaiju Science."

"To be more precise, I'm a researcher. Miss Yellow is a Hazmat Officer," the younger girl says curtly.

Upon closer inspection, she could be even younger than Ruby. The eyeliner she's using doesn't fully complement her beautiful eyes, but Ruby decides to keep that to himself for now. Yellow is rather pleasant-looking too, come to think of it. Ruby takes a step back, cupping his chin as he gives her a once over. She manages to pull off her cropped hair with a feminine touch.

"Yes?" Yellow notices him staring.

"You should consider using a hairclip," Ruby says, "to bring out your eyes," he adds.

Yellow looks surprised, but takes the advice with goodwill. "I've never thought about it. Alright," she says with a grin. "And Crystal, we need to send some neutralizing agents to the Strike Zone right now, could you help me work out the numbers?" Yellow gestures to a high desk drenched with papers. Crystal doesn't waste a moment, slipping a pen out of her coat's pocket as she leaves Ruby to join Yellow.

Ruby feels awkward standing between Blue, who seems to be playing Tetris on her monitor now that the disaster has been averted, and Platina, whose distant eyes indicate that she's thinking about something unrelated to them.

"… Excuse me, what was your job again?" Platina asks him when she realises that no one else is around.

"I don't have one," Ruby replies, tapping the heel of his shoe against the floor, exhausted by the number of times he's been mistaken as a part of this Jaeger Programme. "What's yours? What does K-Science do, anyway?"

"I'm waiting for the specimens to come in," Platina explains, "I do research on the Kaiju and try to predict when the next Kaiju attack will occur."

"Is it possible?" Ruby asks with disbelief.

"Oh, it's possible," Platina says with a sagely nod. "Accuracy is something I've been trying to perfect, though."

"Alright, then when do you think the next attack will be?"

"Let's see." Platina retrieves a notepad from the pocket of her skirt, flips to a blink page, and begins to scribble out something with her pencil. Ruby watches her pour numbers out onto the paper, completely absorbed in her math. The broach she's wearing on her blouse matches her refined air, even if it's a bit garish.

"... Somewhere within the next week or two."

"What?!" Ruby jumps.

"Probably in nine to twelve days. I have to work on my calculations." Platina doesn't seem the least bit phased.

"Platina, dear, spare the poor boy," Blue says. "Some people feel better off not knowing."

"Is that so?" Platina wonders.

And Ruby wonders if that had been a thinly veiled jab at him. These thoughts veer him back to his father, whose absence is an uneasy comfort. "Where's…?" he begins.

"Norman? He said something about sorting out logistics," Blue informs him before starting another game of Tetris.

"Then what am I supposed to do?" Ruby wails loudly. "Wait for him here?"

Diamond overhears this lament, caring enough to leave his seat and waddle over to speak to Ruby. "Hiya, there! You're Sapph's friend, right?"

Ruby can't bring himself to say 'yes'.

"I… know her."

"Well, they'll be back in ten minutes. Red's just radioed in to update us," Diamond says. "Missy, why don't we check on Pearl and Sapphire together?"

"I'm afraid you'll have to do that yourself. I have matters to attend to," Platina answers. She checks her wristwatch and nods to herself. "I'll see you in a while. Please make sure Pearl is fine on my behalf."

As Platina makes her leave, one question remains in Ruby's head. Why did Diamond call her 'Missy'?

"That's an odd pet name," Ruby blurts out.

"Oh? It - It's not a pet name," Diamond says, and Ruby swears that the young man is blushing. "Both Pearl and I call Missy that."

Pearl? Isn't he the other person who pilots Meteor Mash? So 'Missy' is a shared pet name? Are the three of them close friends? Or maybe… ? Ruby massages his temples, deciding not to think too much about it. Still, the notion that this Pearl is close to Diamond and Platina makes Ruby feels oddly relieved for some reason. It's a different sort of relief from when he'd heard Sapphire would be fine. Ruby doesn't dwell on it because something else strikes him.

"Wait a minute! Wait a minute! Why are you assuming that I want to see her?" Ruby cuts in.

A thoughtful expression spreads across Diamond's face. He takes an absent bite out of the pork bun in his hand. "… Do you have a reason not to?" he asks. His question is innocent instead of taunting, and Ruby can find no way to reproach him.

I do, he wants to say.

Diamond just smiles and points him towards the Jaeger docking bay before leading the way.

When he enters the large, open air hangar with Diamond, Ruby notes that three other Jaegers have been stationed in the docking bay. He recognises the one on the extreme left as Flare Blitz. Its copilots standing at its feet, looking like ants next to the Jaeger. Gold and Silver are still clad in their Drivesuits, speaking to Wally.

Meteor Mash must still be at the site of the attack, because it's nowhere to be seen. However, its pilots have already arrived back to the Shatterdome. He watches a descending helicopter drop off a few personnel, including a young girl in a blue Drivesuit.

"Ruby!" Sapphire, abandoning all the fury she'd thrown at him earlier, stampedes down the ramp towards him, looking almost smug.

Ruby's first instinct is to run. Yet, whether it's because he's surrounded by onlookers or because Sapphire is looking unblinkingly at him, he doesn't. His feet root him to the floor of the docking bay.

"Didja' see us back there?" she says with a grin. "Proved you wrong, didn't we?"

"Proved me wrong how?"

Sapphire crosses her arms – and, with that, her temper is back. "By showing y'that a Jaeger can beat a Kaiju," she answers sharply.

"I never said that they couldn't!" Ruby folds his arms too.

Sapphire takes a deep breath, looking prepared to shout. Ruby inches back to brace for the unnecessary noise, but it never comes. He's shocked when Sapphire exhales loudly and looks away, giving away a prime opportunity to fight with him.

"… This doesn't mean that I forgive you," she says suddenly. Her voice is level this time, but this makes it much scarier than any shout.

Sapphire doesn't turn to face him after having said this. He can tell that she's expecting a reply. Ruby wants to say something, he even considers apologising, but what good would that do now? The longer the silence draws out between them, the harder it becomes for him to find the words he wants.

Just then, a young, blonde boy wearing the same suit as Sapphire approaches them. "You're Ruby?"

Ruby is about to respond before Diamond steps ahead of him. "Pearl!" He walks up to the blonde. "Are you fine?"

"What? Of course I am!" Pearl frowns. "Though, I'll admit that we underestimated that Kaiju. Sorry if I worried you or Missy," he says as he scratches the back of his head. His hair is just as messy as Sapphire's. Ruby can only attribute it to the helmets they're forced to wear in the Jaeger.

"It's fine," Diamond laughs. "Do you want one?" He holds out a second pork bun to his friend.

Pearl takes the bun and returns his attention to Ruby and Sapphire. "So, Ruby, right?"

"Yes," Ruby coughs, feeling nervous for some reason. Even though Pearl is a stranger, the way he's looking at Ruby is disconcerting for some reason. Before Ruby can pinpoint what exactly Pearl is trying to do, Sapphire jumps between them.

"P-Pearl! Don't y'have something to do right now?" The girl grabs Pearl by the shoulders and steers him towards Gold's group.

"Huh? Aren't we doing the post-event report together?"

"I'll join you in a bit!" Sapphire assures him.

"You're just trying to separate us, aren't you?" Pearl says perceptively. "You hate doing the report. I'll end up having to do it myself!"

"Just get going, will you!"

Sapphire gives Pearl one final push forward. The young man sighs, but seems too tired to argue with Sapphire any longer. He trudges towards Gold and Silver, Diamond following behind him.

Ruby thinks this situation is worse than the previous one. When it's just him and Sapphire, it's harder for him to find an excuse to leave. She keeps trying to establish eye contact between them, and Ruby keeps breaking it, because that's what he's good at.

When Sapphire she realises that she's not going to get the response she's hoping for, she presses her lips together in a thin line, but doesn't do anything else. This routine feels old and overused somehow. Still, Ruby isn't interested in making any change. They stay frozen on the spot until Diamond comes back to tell her to change out of her Drivesuit.

"Why're you following me?"

"I'm not!" Ruby stresses. "I just… don't have a specific place to go to right now."

"And hence, you're following me," Sapphire says with a roll of her eyes.

"It's not like I know anyone else around here," Ruby mutters. Having exited from the Jaeger bay, all the hallways look identical to him, as if inviting him to get lost in them. Personal survival is the only reason he's sticking with Sapphire. Maybe they'll run into his father somewhere along the way.

"How do you even navigate your way through this dreary maze? Everything looks the same."

"There are signs, y'know."

"Signs don't do much for someone who doesn't even know the places they're referring to."

Too caught up in their squabble, Ruby doesn't realise that a cart of boxes is in his way until he trips over, his stomach landing with a flop on the box at the top of the pile. Without missing a beat, Sapphire yanks him upright by his collar.

"I see you haven't gotten any gentler," he grumbles as he soothes his poor neck.

"And you're still as light as a feather." Sapphire is giving no ground.

Before they can continue hurling figurative daggers at one another, they're interrupted by the person pushing the cart.

"Ah. It's Sapphire and…" Platina drifts off, leaning over the handle beneath her hands.

"Ruby," Ruby reminds her with a polite smile.

"What're doing Plat'? Moving some Kaiju parts back to your lab?" Sapphire asks.

Kaiju parts? As in, damp, yucky, previously-pumping organs? Is she referring to the sealed boxes that Ruby had just fallen straight into?

"Yes," Platina answers.

Ruby feels like fainting.

"Need any help? You look like you're strugglin' there," Sapphire says, effortlessly ignoring Ruby's paling face.

Platina straightens her posture and wipes the sweat off her forehead. "I'm not struggling," she corrects Sapphire. "Not at all," she says in a bid to sound convincing.

"Really? Cause' it looks like you're taking a break in the middle of the hallway," Sapphire explains. "Don't y'usually make Pearl and Dia do this work for you?" she chuckles. "C'mon, lemme' help out for once!"

Platina has no opening to voice her objection as Sapphire proceeds to lift one box onto her shoulder and a second one onto her hip. She makes the entire thing look like a breeze. Ruby is pretty sure that Sapphire has more than enough brute muscle to make up for her stunning lack of delicacy.

"Which way was it again?" Though Sapphire asks this question, she's already walking down a corridor, leaving Platina and Ruby with the task of keeping up. The two stragglers are left with no option but to follow, and Ruby's been through this enough times to find it normal, even almost nostalgic.

"Don't you have workers assigned to do this kind of stuff?" Ruby asks Platina as she eases the cart along, its tiny wheels squeaking.

"I used to. Perhaps up until a year ago when the Jaeger programme was at its peak. Recently, most of the manpower has been moved to other departments to make up for the shortages. Operations in the Shatterdome have been undergoing difficulties. People like Emerald need the help more than I do." When Platina says this, she doesn't sound disgruntled, far from anything Ruby could call a complaint. He should know. He spends a lot of time complaining – his entire life, actually.

"If the job is so difficult, then why put yourself through it?" Ruby means for this to be conversational. "I mean, why be a part of the Jaeger programme?"

"You know, that might be a reasonable question," Platina starts. "When Pearl and Diamond told me about the programme, I was hesitant at first. After all, I'm not cut out for the nature of the work here," the girl admits, smiling a little as she reminisces. "The Kaiju in general are a completely different entity altogether. I saw them as monsters. I still do. And when I think about the Jaegers - it's always been hard to picture myself in one."

Ruby lightens up as he hears this. "Yes, exactly!"

Platina's got a good head on her shoulders.

Platina nods, and Ruby realises that she's not done speaking. "But once I was told that I could help in some way, I decided that I had to put my best foot forward. Ruby, I think, in times like these, pure knowledge can't win alone. This organisation needs enough willpower and emotion as well to continue the fight. Sadly, it appears that we've been dwindling in all three aspects. The movement isn't as strong or as capable as it once was, but that's all the more reason we all have to work together. That's what we believe in."

The Jaeger programme had always looked as if it had the backing of everyone, that it was a powerful and unstoppable force against the Kaiju. Ruby would've never thought that they would be experiencing manpower shortage, let alone a faltering morale. Behind the scenes, his original image of the Jaeger programme is being eroded away the more time he spends in the Shatterdome.

Just as these thoughts buoy through his head, a man appears at the other end of the corridor. Ruby doesn't need to see his face to know who he is. He can tell from the person's silent strides.

"Mr Norman," Platina greets him once he is within earshot.

"Norman! Hiya!" Sapphire, unable to use either hand, makes up for it by teetering back and forth, waving at Ruby's father with her body.

"Platina. Sapphire," his father replies them, looking almost approachable.

"Where have you been, Dad?" Ruby asks, creasing his eyebrows with suspicion. It occurs to him that he's speaking directly to his father – a completely unintentional slip of the tongue – and this realisation makes him even unhappier.

"Getting you a bunk. We're to remain in the Shatterdome until further notice," his father says.

"What? You said we'd only have to come for a day!"

"The situation has changed. I can't leave now that I know what has to be done." Having delivered the news, his father is already turning around, probably to return to his work – work that he's supposed to have left behind – work that he promised Ruby he'd leave behind.

"You're retired!" Ruby shouts. "You told both me and Mom that you're retired!"

But his father does not look back, and his broad shoulders do not budge. It's a repetitive picture that Ruby is sick and tired of being forced to watch.

"Are you listening?!" Ruby yells out. He asks this question even though he already knows the answer.

When Ruby feels a hand on his arm, he knows it's Sapphire's attempt to comfort him. Her grip is strong and secure, yet sympathetic. It's everything that Ruby knows he lacks. When he finally unclenches his hands, he stares at the marks left behind on his palms.

A week after Ruby begins his unwanted stay at the Shatterdome, Green calls for an impromptu meeting in the early hours of the morning.

The frontlines of the Jaeger Programme are all gathered in the LOCCENT. Ruby feels strange as it occurs to him that he knows almost all of them personally by now. As he scans the faces, he spots Sapphire, yawning and stretching among them. Before she can meet his eyes, he directs his gaze back to Platina, who's standing beside Green in the centre of the room.

The only thing Green needs to do to get everyone to quieten down is to look up from the report in his hands. He nods to Platina, who doesn't beat about the brush with her announcement: "The next Kaiju attack will occur within the next day. It's most likely going to be by a Category IV," she says simply.

"It's gonna' a Cat IV?!" Gold doesn't bother controlling the volume of his voice. No one is surprised. "Blitz won't back down from a fight, naturally, but– "

"But we'll be deployed as a team, right?" Silver finishes the question.

Blue nods, sitting in her usual seat. "Of course, that's standard procedure. But remember, poor Meteor Mash is still undergoing repairs. That means we'll have to dispatch Cosmic Power together with Flare Blitz. That is, if her pilots are up for it."

"You don't even need to ask," Pearl says, throwing her a thumbs up.

Wait. Wasn't Pearl copilots with Sapphire?

Diamond notices Ruby's confusion and helpfully explains to him: "Cosmic is a cool Jaeger! She looks like one of the big robot heroes I used to love watching on TV. Have you heard of Proteinman Omega?"

Diamond stops to wait for Ruby's reply. Ruby shakes his head, speechless to see the boy looking so enthused over an old cartoon.

"Well, she's something like that… no, she's even better. But, because she's so huge, she needs three Rangers to pilot her. That's why she doesn't see action much. She's what we call the big gun."

"So it's piloted by Pearl, Sapphire, and - ?"

"No, no," Diamond smiles. "… When you think about Kaiju!"

"When you think about Kaiju!" Pearl chooses this moment to slide into place beside Diamond.

"When you think about Kaiju, what is the best way to take one down?" Diamond asks.

"A skilled team? An experienced team? An intelligent team?" Pearl suggests. "The same team we've been using all along?"

Diamond shakes his head, a big grin brightening up his entire face. "Ore, what about a different team all together?"

Silence blankets the LOCCENT.

"… What's the punchline?" Gold whispers to someone.

"Ores – as in, our names: Diamond, Pearl and Platinum?" Pearl tries to salvage the joke. "Dia! I told you that pun wouldn't work!" He slaps his friend on the back.

"… Oh, I get it!" Gold exclaims a few moments later. He breaks into a bout of laughter that in itself is funnier than the joke that caused it.

But Ruby doesn't have the ability to appreciate the joke, too taken aback from learning that Platina is a Ranger herself.

"Gold, calm down," Crystal intervenes, straightening the collar of her shirt, voice strict enough to ward off any further distractions. "Everyone, please be ready for mobilisation. We'll have all eyes on the Kaiju watch for the rest of the day."

After a loud shout of affirmation from everyone, the group breaks off, trickling out of the LOCCENT and back to their respective stations. The Rangers head towards their Jaegers, Sapphire amongst them. But, for once, she isn't the person Ruby wants to talk to.

"Platina?"

The girl glances over her shoulder when Ruby calls her name. "Pearl, Diamond, I'll join you in a moment," she tells them without hesitation. Pearl gives Ruby a wary stare, opening his mouth to say something, but Diamond tugs him along before he can speak.

As the two leave with the rest of the pack, Ruby and Platina are left standing in the empty hallway.

"What is it?" Platina asks, staring down at her feet.

"I don't understand," Ruby puts it simply. "I thought we were alike, that we agreed on the same things. Didn't you say before that you're not cut out for this?"

"I did." Platina says, not registering the irony of her words.

"Then what are you doing?!" Ruby can't help but sound flustered. He just doesn't understand. Why is she doing something she blatantly doesn't want to do?

Platina looks up from the floor, her eyes clear and striking. Ruby expects to see reluctance, a muffled cry of help buried behind a heroic façade. But that's not it.

The only thing he sees is another brave, beautiful girl.

"What I need to do."

notes – Wow don't talk to me about Sapphire/Pearl. They just Get Each Other ok? I feel like they would, totally. And they could stand each other/handle each other without really trying because they're the same type of person!

I do not know if diamond/pearl/platinum are all ores. However, Google did tell me that metal turns blue at high temperatures. You win some, you lose some. See you next time!