Author's Note: I combined the themes again because I am a slow writer and a lazy person. Day 3 and 4 themes are Music and Earth. Enjoy!
Someone was singing.
Amethyst rubbed her eyes and sat up in bed, gazing at the moonlight coming in through the window. She strained her ears in the following silence, wondering if the ethereal singing was a creation of her own mind.
Or perhaps it was a ghost; a castle this old had to be haunted by something- beheaded monarchs or mistreated servants. Something.
She stiffened as the singing wafted through her door once again, quieter and slower this time, like a ghostly humming in her ears. Amethyst threw her covers off and slipped on her boots, keen to hunt down the source, whatever it was.
Amethyst stepped out into the hall, pulling her door closed before she set off down the dark corridor. She had a suspicion that it was Pearl so melodramatically wandering the halls and singing, but then again, the voice was all wrong. Pearl's singing was always so high in pitch; this song was low and faded, muffled by the castle walls.
She turned another corner and into the great hall, vaguely proud of her navigation skills when she realized the voice was closer. She noticed the heavy doors to the gardens were parted, allowing the moonlight and night air to creep in and allowing her ghost to sneak out. Amethyst darted to the door and outside, laughing as it became clear as to who was singing in the queen's garden.
Garnet, now humming, stood in a flowing night robe amongst all the rose bushes, seemingly unaware of Amethyst's eyes on her. Amethyst smirked and stretched her arms behind her head before setting into a run. She leapt and shifted into a mottled owl, cackling as she swooped towards Garnet's head.
Garnet cooly sidestepped, shooting the owl a grin. "You're going to have to be quieter if you plan on ambushing me," she said, extending one arm out for Amethyst to perch on.
Amethyst circled back to settle on Garnet's arm, hitting Garnet in the face with one of her wings as she landed.
"Pfhh." Garnet blew a feather out of her mouth and made a face. "That was unnecessary."
Amethyst stretched her wings halfway out into a makeshift shrug. "I can't say I'm sorry."
"Tch. Why are you awake?" Garnet asked, absently stroking the owl's chest feathers. Amethyst puffed up happily in response.
"I heard you singing," Amethyst said, "Why are /you/ awake and strolling round the castle?"
"I was restless."
Amethyst made an impressive show of swiveling her head around to stare at Garnet with unblinking eyes. "What about?"
Garnet hummed evasively and moved her hand to pet Amethyst's feathered head.
"You won't distract me with head scratches!" Amethyst declared, fluttering her wings. Garnet drew her hand away but kept silent. Amethyst grew concerned when she realized Garnet didn't make a retort in return. "...Was it a bad sort of restless?"
Garnet shrugged slightly with her free arm. "Eh."
Amethyst shifted her weight, careful not to dig her talons into Garnet. "Well... Are you okay now?"
"Much better actually," Garnet said, giving Amethyst a final pat on the head before extending her arm again. "Can you turn back for me?"
"Sure." Amethyst stepped off of Garnet's arm and shifted back into her own form, feet hitting the ground. She brushed her hair out of her face. "Why?"
"It would be difficult to do this with a bird perched on my arm," Garnet matter-of-factly said, kneeling down in front of the rose bush. She drew a dagger from her hip and cut the stem of a rose, plucking it up and offering it to Amethyst.
Mystified, Amethyst took the rose and twirled it between her fingers. "How did you...?" She trailed off, motioning to the rose's petals, half pink and half blue, mixing in the center.
Garnet laughed. "Queen Rose made these for me; I don't know how she did it either."
Amethyst wasn't sure whether it was Garnet's laugh or her gift that made her feel so warm. "Thank you. It's beautiful."
Garnet smiled and rose to her feet, looking like she intended to say something else but kept quiet.
"Garnet, I uh..." She stepped closer to Garnet, reaching out hesitantly. Garnet didn't withdraw (out of shock or acceptance, Amethyst didn't know) and Amethyst dared to wrap her arms loosely around the woman's waist. She felt Garnet exhale before she returned the embrace, holding her tightly and setting her chin over Amethyst's head.
There was no rush, so they stayed like that for a while, listening to the chorus of nocturnal creatures, surrounded by the smell of dirt and roses and each other.
Author's Note: P.S. Garnet was lovesick.
