Disclaimer: I don't own Steven Universe
Title: Ashes And Blood
Summary: Connie is forced to come to terms with her humanity after a battle with Homeworld.
Author's Note: Last pre-written chapter, folks! And the much-needed Ruby and Sapphire chapter. =)
...
Dante Watterson- I will keep that in mind. =)
Sueanoi- Taking that as a compliment. =)
The Keeper of Worlds- Yeah, I kind of figured. I won't lie; I don't have a better way of expressing the trauma here than I already have. I just don't know. Most of the time, when it's a story like this, the characters all go through phases of intense drama- and don't get me wrong, I don't blame them- but I wanted to take a newer approach. Show the numb time between the injury and when it fully sinks in.
(Also, to your family in the military, police force, and possible EMT's; thank you. Thank you for service and going above and beyond for the country and the people in it. Just. Thank you.)
...
"Hey, do we have any heat resistant cups?"
"I... don't know, honestly." Pearl paused for a second in thought before joining the search with a shrug. "Sapphire's having a bad night, I presume?"
Ruby grunted as mildly as she could in reply. "She's thirsty." She said finally. "And I'll melt any other cups you could give me, I'm so irritable."
Pearl thought about remarking that Ruby was almost always angry on one level or another, but immediately threw the thought out the window. The gem was honestly concerned about her partner and their usually stable fusion was in tatters. It wasn't her right. It wasn't anybody's right.
Cup procured, Ruby carefully filled it with tap water. They were both mildly surprised that nothing melted in the process.
"Thanks."
Pearl went to nod in reply, but the red gem has already left her side, intent on seeing Sapphire through the night. That kind of bull-headed loyalty and support, Pearl decided, was exactly what the other gem needed.
"Wait a sec." Amethyst cut in front of her to open the door to her own room. "I got something I need to give you."
"But-" She was gone, the door slamming behind her. Ruby let out a sigh that sounded more like an angry roar and twitched her leg impatiently.
"Come'on, Amethyst. Hurry up."
Pearl got the feeling that she was hurrying, struggling through the piles of junk in search of something. It wouldn't be the first time.
Amethyst reappeared with a fuzzy brown blanket. It was old, with a few holes in it, but it was clean and ready for use. "Here."
Ruby studied the blanket for a moment before flashing her a grateful smile and draping it across her left shoulder. "Thanks."
She stepped out of the way. "S'all yours."
Ruby left without another word. The smile on Amethyst's face faltered the moment the door shut. She exchanged a glance with Pearl.
"Those two seriously need to fuse. They're driving themselves crazy."
"They'll work it out in their own time." Pearl returns briskly, walking away.
"I'm not sayin' they won't. I'm just stating the obvious; the separation is ripping them apart."
Sapphire wrapped the blanket around her shoulders without a word, holding open a space for Ruby to sit on her right under the blanket. She takes it and hands the cup over.
It freezes in her hands. Ruby smacks her forehead. "Right. Heat resistant." She took the cup and touched her pointer and middle finger to the surface. It melted almost immediately. Ruby put the cup to her lips and gently tilted it, her other hand cupping her chin to catch any spills.
"Thank you." Sapphire says softly, once the cup is empty. Ruby sets it aside.
"No biggie. Better?"
"Mmm." She nods. There was a pause. Sapphire chuckles ironically. "The children are doing better with fusion than we are."
Ruby blinked. "They... fused?"
"Yes."
"Oh." She broke out into a smile. "Good for them, then."
"Yes."
Ruby suddenly felt awkward. "Sapphire, I'm sorry."
Sapphire didn't reply. She gripped the blanket and pulled it closer. Ruby noticed a layer of ice forming under her hand and made a mental note to clean it before she returned it.
"We don't have to talk about it if you don't want to."
"No, no. Keep going."
"Okay." She wrapped her arms around her knees. "I'm sorry I took control. Garnet is a partnership, and I broke that."
"Right."
"I hope you understand my reasons behind breaking that. And, before you say anything, I know that doesn't make it right. I just want you to know I didn't do it just to hurt us."
"I know."
She nods. "But the thing I'm really sorry about is that you had to see that. You deserve better."
"So do you."
Ruby didn't have a reply to that.
After a few minutes of silence, Sapphire scooched over and leaned against her arm. Ruby supported her without a thought.
"Sapphire?"
"I seem to recall a conversation much like this one. Only it wasn't you doing the apologizing; and it certainly wasn't about Connie."
Ruby vaguely remembered that conversation. It involved future vision and some tears. "That's different."
"How so?"
"Seeing the future is all about possibilities. It's the good and the bad, and most of it can be discarded anyway. This isn't just a possibility; this is reality, and you can't change reality."
"Future vision is a reality." Sapphire reminded her. "It's just a reality we've learned to accept and live with."
"I'm sorry."
"You're saying that a lot tonight."
"Because I feel like it's my fault." Ruby answered honestly, fiddling with her hands.
"As do I. But what you said to Connie is the truth; she didn't make the ship fall on her. We didn't make the ship fall on her."
"You're taking this pretty well."
"No, I'm not." She shook her head. "But I also realize that things are going to be okay. Connie is alive. Steven is alive. Homeworld is, for now, gone. It will take time, and work, but things will eventually work themselves out. We need to focus on that right now."
Ruby sighed and wrapped her arms around Sapphire to pull her into a hug, gently pressing their foreheads together.
The blue gem slowly pulls away and stands up. Ruby reaches out a hand but doesn't try to stop her. "Wait, Sapphy. I'm sorry. I-"
Sapphire turns around and holds out a hand. "Dance?"
Ruby blinks at her. "Dance?"
"Dance. We haven't properly danced in ages. Not even as Garnet."
That was true, but Ruby personally preferred Garnet's style of dance over her own. "But, if we dance, we'll fuse." She points out.
"Yes. I'm ready to give it a try if you are."
Ruby doesn't answer. She gently grabbed the offered hand and intertwined their fingers.
Garnet pauses and stiffens, waiting for the torrent of bad emotions she'd felt before to well up. Even if they did, however, she wasn't going to un-fuse. Not like last time.
They don't come. Not like they did last time, anyway. She breathes out a sigh of relief and crosses her arms as a sort of one-gem hug, smiling to herself.
"That's much better."
Steven and Connie held hands on the way back to the temple. Normally such a thing would hardly even register- they've always done little things like hold hands and bump foreheads and snuggle under blankets- but the hand Steven is holding is the fake one. She can't feel it (although she is, oddly, dead certain that their fingers still interlock perfectly), but he doesn't seem to mind. In fact, he doesn't even act like he's noticed.
And maybe he hasn't, she thought. Steven has never been the type to worry over that sort of thing.
Steven lets go of her hand and lets out a squeal at the sight of Garnet patiently waiting for them at the bottom of the stairs, leaning against the wall, arms crossed. "Garnet!"
"Hey." She gently picks him up and presses a kiss to his forehead. "It's gettin' dark out. Pearl'd have a fit if you were out too late; even if there's no one else around."
"I missed you."
Garnet smiled. "Never left."
"Yeah, I know." Steven smiled back. "It's just... I love Ruby and Sapphire, but I miss you when you're not you."
"Missed bein' me." She admits gruffly, crouching down to set him on the sand. She opens an arm for Connie. "Come'on in. You deserve a hug too."
Connie does so hesitantly. Steven hums beside her.
"Hugs are awesome." He says.
"Yup." Garnet says simply. "Hugs for all."
It's good to have her back.
Author's Note: Garnet's back! =)
Also, I know that may have been a bit confusing, so here's the run-down; Ruby took over Garnet during the severing of Connie's arm, because, while Sapphire had to see it, she could make sure that she didn't have a physical part of it. Garnet is an equal partnership. Ruby deliberately turned that partnership on it's head. Sapphire demanded they un-fuse as soon as Connie and Steven were safe, and Ruby didn't argue. They've been like this ever since.
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