Chapter 10
Author's note: First of all, I sincerely apologize to anyone who has actually been reading this fanfic and wondering where I went for the past month or so. Basically, add a few weeks of writer's block to a month-long trip with no laptop, and you get- no updates for way longer than is at all acceptable. Again, I apologise, and I readily admit that this chapter is mostly filler so that I can do the big speech from Rose's perspective.
Also, this feels like a good time to mention that due to a few headcanons made in chapter 3, Rose Quartz is just a random soldier who has nothing to do with pink diamond. Sorry to anyone who wanted to see that in this fic, I might figure out a way to make it work later, but no promises.
FYI, this chapter is hot off the press, so I apologize for grammar/continuity errors/whatever I manage to mess up this time.
Sometimes, I wonder if I'm dreaming. Everything keeps happening so fast, I never get a chance to catch my breath. People rushing all around me, and I'm caught up in the flow, just as eager to help. Because I know I'm working for a good cause.
Rose really is a genius. It takes her less than half an hour to figure out the best way to spread our message, and one hour to make sure everyone knows the plan. Naturally, Amber and I are some of the first to know.
"It's perfect!" Amber exclaims as soon as Rose is finished explaining. "Crashing their party to promote our cause? It's just brilliant!"
"Kinda poetic, too," I remark. "After all, it's practically your destiny to rebel. On the anniversary of the war's end, a new rebellion begins."
"Imagine reading that in a history book!" Li'l Rose adds. We all laugh. It feels good, to share this moment. Even when we know that the stakes are high, even when we all have this responsibility on our shoulders, we can have these little moments, and know that everything will work out in the end.
A lot of time passes in the blink of an eye. Amber and I run back and forth everywhere, mostly acting as messengers between various sections. When I do have time to think, I marvel at how different it is, to be the only ones with a bond. We act as messengers, because we can communicate with each other instantly, and no one else here has that ability. It's amazing, to be so different when all i've known is being normal.
It takes a few weeks for my leg to fully heal, and in that time a lot happens. The abandoned mines are being put to use, with a new tunnel leading directly from the cavern to beneath the town square. Thanks to me and amber's knowledge of the city, we make a secret passage underneath the building behind where the stage will be. Every day, scouts report more and more success with infiltrating the festival preparations- everything will be ready when the time comes.
As I'm getting ready to sleep after a long day's work, Amber sits down next to me. I'm a bit surprised- she usually keeps working during the night.
What's wrong? I ask, because I can already sense her worry and hesitation.
Do you ever miss home?
That catches me off guard, and for awhile I say nothing.
That depends on what you call home, I finally respond. It's true that I thought of our house in the city as home. But, I don't really think like that anymore. In this place, everyone is accepted. Here, we're different, and that's okay, because they won't cast us away like our society did to them. So no, I don't miss home. Because home is here.
That clearly has an impact on her, but she presses on. Don't you miss your parents, though?
That's different, I tell her. Of course I miss my mom, and Pyrite too. I wish I had a dad to miss, but I don't. If- no, when we succeed, we can go back and see them. But life won't ever be the way it used to be.
We knew that when we decided to join, Amber says, and I get the feeling that she's been worrying about this for a long time, and I feel bad for not noticing. To be fair, we have been really busy. Do you know what Rose's plan is for the big speech?
No.
Nothing. She doesn't have one. She's literally just going to walk up there and wing it.
Knowing her, she'll pull it off anyway.
That's the best thing about the plan. It's practically guaranteed to work.
August 13th. 2 days before the festival. Everything is in place- all we have to do is wait.
I'm kinda worried about Rose. She's been working so hard to be a good leader, she's not leaving any time for herself. Often I've found her sleeping in a random tunnel, too exhausted to walk all the way back. Tonight is no exception.
I sigh when I find Rose laying down on a bench in the chamber just beneath the town square. Li'l Rose is sitting quietly beside her, not waking the sleeping girl. She gives me this look as I approach, as if to say Don't you dare make a sound.
I put a finger to my lips in the universal gesture for quiet, then sit down beside Li'l Rose, leaning against the uneven rock wall.
"Are you really going to leave her here?" I whisper to Li'l Rose as Rose starts snoring.
"She needs her rest whenever she can get it," Li'l Rose whispers back. "Besides, I don't have the heart to move her."
I have to agree on the last point. For all that she's been through way more than any 12-year-old should, Rose still looks young when she's asleep.
"Then I guess I'll just have to stay here, too," I reply. Making sure Amber knows where I am, I let myself drift off to sleep.
"You don't understand, there's too much to do-"
"I understand perfectly fine, Rose." I explain for the 4th time. "You need time to rest and prepare yourself. We have all of tomorrow morning to make the final preparations. You really need a day off."
She sighs. "You're not going to back down, are you?"
"Nope," I grin. "Don't worry. Garnet will keep everything running smoothly. And in the meantime, I think it's long past time you've had a proper tour of the city."
"Wait, what?!" Li'l Rose exclaims. "A day off is one thing, but isn't that going a bit overboard?"
"We have everything planned," Amber promises. "Trust us. It'll be fun!"
"I guess I'll take your word for it," Rose finally relents.
Less than an hour later, we're standing at the edge of the forest, right near the blocked-off mine entrance where we first met Rose. Rose is wearing a concealing cloak, and her face is hidden behind a pink mask that was a fashion trend a few years ago. Li'l Rose has shapeshifted into a slightly taller, less childish form, and made her face unrecognisable.
"If anyone does see us, I don't want to be recognised at the big event," I remember Rose explaining 45 minutes ago. "The whole point is that no one will know me, and the effect is ruined if someone recognises me."
Now, I look over at Rose and wait. She's struggling internally, that much I can tell- But she's determined, too, and she takes the first step out of the woods.
I let her lead the way.
As Rose wanders, I provide a running commentary on the various places in the city. We pass through the town square, right past the Archives (we all laugh at the guard standing at the door), and right to the rubble which used to be the school. Already there is a team hard at work clearing the rubble and preparing to rebuild the building. If they're lucky, it'll be done in a year or two. I wonder what'll happen to all the other kids.
"This is where you went to school?" Rose asks after staring for a few minutes. Amber nods.
"What happened to it?" Li'l Rose asks.
"Someone set off a bomb," I explain. "At least, that's what our teacher Valia said."
"Oh right, you did say that it was the school," Rose recalls. "Sorry."
"It's okay," Amber replies. "There's actually a bigger story than you might think."
"Oh? And what's that?"
"Right after the building came down, that's when we first fused," I explain. "And, you know, saved all the people who were trapped."
"And I thought we were being heroic," Li'l Rose remarks.
"Well, you've both certainly done more than we ever could've in the long run," Amber points out. "I mean, look at you! Rose, you're a 12 year old leading a rebellion! And Li'l Rose, you literally didn't know about the gem war a few months ago, but you immediately decided to help."
"Wow, motivational. Maybe you should be the one making the big speech tomorrow," Rose says playfully.
"Tomorrow is your time to shine," I declare. "Now let's stop thinking about the future for a bit and go get some ice cream."
"I've never actually had any," Rose admits.
"This is an atrocity!" Amber and I exclaim in unison. Both roses burst out laughing, and I can't help but join in.
I spend the last of my meager savings on a giant ice cream sundae for Rose and Li'l Rose, while Amber and I share a waffle cone. I'm secretly glad we haven't run into anyone we know while we're here, because I'm pretty sure that if we go home now, we'll be grounded for a month. At least.
Alas, good luck never lasts.
"Nora! Hey, Nora!" I immediately recognise the voice of Sydney, a half-jasper hybrid girl and one of my best friends at school.
"Pretend you don't know me," I whisper to Rose, then stand up and walk over to Sydney.
"Where have you been? Nobody's seen you in like, months!" Sydney exclaims.
"Locked up by my paranoid mom," I say, and it's a bit scary how easily lies roll off the tongue. "After the thing with the school, she kicked us out into the forest for our own safety."
She gives a low whistle. "That's rough. But I have to know, are the rumours true?"
"What rumours?" Amber asks.
"Is it true you two fused? And saved everyone in the school?"
"Oh, it's true alright," I say proudly. "But we haven't done it since."
"Aww," she says, clearly disappointed. Often times it takes months for a human/gem pair to master fusion, especially if the first time was accidental. Obviously, Amber and I have it mostly figured out, but she doesn't need to know that.
"Hey, wanna hear a secret?" Amber asks, her voice low. I know what she's doing before she says it. Sydney nods excitedly. "Tomorrow, at the festival, they're planning a surprise magic display unlike anything you've ever seen. Get there early as you can to get the best seats, and make sure everyone knows."
She nods, delighted. "Hey, how'd you know that?"
I grin. "Let's just say we have an 'inside source'." Yes, I literally make air quotes.
Sydney nods in understanding, although in reality she doesn't understand at all. She leaves to go tell all her friends about the supposed 'show', and we head back over to Rose and Li'l Rose.
"Who was that?" Rose asks once we sit down.
"An old friend," I reply. "We took the opportunity to do some advertising. Don't worry, we kept it sufficiently vague but intriguing."
"I made up some junk about a magic show," Amber adds helpfully.
Li'l Rose laughs. "Whatever helps, I guess. Hey, is this supposed to be liquid?"
Her front is covered in melted ice cream, one hand keeping it from running over her gem.
We all burst out laughing.
And now at last the day is done,
Now we rest with the setting sun.
Tomorrow is a brand new day,
A new world brought in every way.
Tomorrow, everything changes. We're all nervous, but I trust Rose. I know she'll pull it off, some way, somehow. After all, she's Rose Universe.