Quick Note: Please check out the stories written by Dragon Elexus. Particularly, look at her stories "Putting it Back Together" and "do not fear." Those two are my absolute favorites by her, definitely worth the read. I may make a story that is inspired by "do not fear."

"Yeah, Rose was incredible.." Greg said as he wiped down Jenny's pizza delivery car windshield with a soapy rag.

After he agreed to tell Peridot more about Rose, Jenny showed up with her car, complaining that she couldn't stand the smell of the pizza as she drove anymore. She even agreed to pay Greg with the tips she owned this month just to get rid of that annoying stench.

He agreed to the job, of course. He needed all the money he could get. So after Jenny put the top of the car up, Greg got to work, and Jenny left, saying she would come by to pick up the car in the morning. He asked Peridot if she'd like to help, but she chose to watch instead.

"She was strong, brave, beautiful.. man, she was beautiful."

Peridot was sitting in one of the lawn chairs Greg had set out as he spoke. She listened to every word the man said. The green gem learned to not interrupt someone while they are speaking, even if she found the information to be utterly useless.

"Like I said, I couldn't keep her out of my head." Greg moved around the car, wiping down every inch of the outside with his rag. "She was always so.. patient with everyone. When Amethyst acted up, or when Pearl got jealous, she would always smile and give them her guidance."

"I've heard stories that she was an incredible war machine that cut down everything in her path." Peridot just had to say something here, despite herself. How could such a rumored destroyer become so.. calm and peaceful?

"Well, that's when she was fighting for Earth's freedom.. There's no such thing as a good war." He repeated the words he had told his son to Peridot, and she nodded in understanding.

"She fought so that lives could be spared. If she didn't fight, I wouldn't be alive right now. Steven wouldn't exist, the world would lose all of its color, I'm sure."

"Rose fought because she had to.. not because she wanted to." Greg stood from wiping down the rims on the tires on the car. "That about does it for the car.."

Peridot stayed quiet, pondering over Greg's words. Rose fought because she had to? But she didn't have to. She wanted to betray Homeworld, she wanted to save this planet, but..

Peridot looked at the scenery around her. The mountains were high, the sea was a clear crystal blue in the setting sun.. She could understand why Rose would want to fight for this planet.

Peridot looked back at Greg to see that he had a long, rubber tube with him, which had water coming out of the end of it. The man was spraying the car with the water, removing it of the coat of soap he had applied earlier.

"Why are you removing the cleansing chemicals?" Peridot asked.

"The soap just makes it easier for the dirt to wash away." Greg answered, and true enough, as the soap slid down and off of the vehicle, Peridot noticed that the metal had a shinier gleam to it.

And Peridot realized.. that like the car, Rose cleansed the Earth in the same manner.

The world was filthy, ravaged with disease, poverty, crime.. but it was how the world was. These human wants, human needs, these human lifestyles, they were flawed.

They killed each other for land, fought among themselves for food, used one another for personal gain. No human was void of sin.

Even the animals of the planet were flawed. They followed the 'Laws of Nature', hunting each other to survive.

The world was filthy, but it was its own.

Each human had their individual personality. They enjoyed different sources of entertainment, hated different abominations. Each and every human was entirely different.

Rose dirtied her pure hands for this race. She broke and shattered what used to be her comrades in arms for the sole purpose of allowing the Earth to thrive and evolve.

Rose covered the world in her soap, and left Steven to be the water that removes that soap to reveal a brighter, more stable future.

"I see.."

Pearl's blush couldn't be any darker as she stood neck deep in the ocean water. Now that she thought about it, she should have used her pass. Though most of her body was underwater, safe from prying eyes, she couldn't help but feel a sense of embarrassment at being completely nude outside.

"How's the water feel, Sweet P?" Amethyst asked her girlfriend from the shore.

"Oh, you know.. Salty!" Pearl replied with a laugh, obviously using humor to cover her embarrassment. Her arms were crossed over her breasts, even though she knew that no one was able to see her.

"I get to put clothes on after the next person takes her turn, right?" She asked Ruby, who was grinning widely, standing beside Amethyst.

"Yeah, yeah, sure."

Pearl scowled. Ruby was having too much fun with this, the pristine gem thought.

"Sapphire, I dare you to dress yourself in more casual clothing." Pearl addressed the blue gem, who was still sitting a few feet from Ruby and Amethyst.

The game had long since passed the point where it was called 'Truth or Dare.' Now it was just 'Dare.' Even Pearl was having fun with the risk of the game.

Earlier, when it was Ruby's turn to ask the question of 'Truth or Dare', she dared Amethyst to change the rules of the game.

No more Truth. From that moment on, it was all or nothing.

Amethyst obviously agreed with a malicious grin, much to Pearl's horror.

"That sounds fun." Sapphire had said.

Outnumbered by three to one, Pearl was forced to agree with the dare as well. And thus the game went on.

"Come on, Pearl! You always give us easy ones!" Ruby complained.

"It's a legitimate dare!" Pearl countered. "You weren't complaining earlier when you basically had your tongue down Sapphire's throat!"

"Don't make me come in there!"

"It's alright, Ruby." Sapphire said, and Ruby turned to look at her partner. Her jaw dropped.

Sapphire had already used her pass before, so she was forced to take this dare. Though, the blue gem felt content with it.

She had changed into something more casual, alright. Really, with how often Sapphire kept her dress, this new change of clothes would be considered lewd of her.

She was now dressed in a dark blue one-piece swimsuit. It was rather simple, really, not too significant to anyone else.

But for Sapphire, the change was tremendous.

She was propped on one arm in the sand, her other hand resting on her thigh. Her slender legs were crossed, her toes playing with the sand between them.

Ruby made a mental note to thank Pearl later.

"You're going to catch flies in your mouth like that." Sapphire said, and Ruby immediately closed her mouth. The blue gem giggled and stood up, arms behind her back.

"What's the matter?"

"It's, uh.." Ruby stuttered, her eyes practically devouring Sapphire's body. She looked so.. so beautiful.

"It's been a long time since I've seen your legs.."

"Well.." Sapphire spoke softly, taking Ruby's hands in hers. "I'm glad that they can enrapture you so.."

The two shared a quick, chaste kiss. It would have lasted longer, but Pearl called out from the ocean.

"So I can get out now, right?"

Ruby turned to face Pearl, unconsciously wrapping an arm around Sapphire's waist.

"Yeah, you're good!"

Pearl sighed her thanks and dressed herself under the water. She walked back to the shore to sit in the sand again, glad to have that little dare over with.

"Amethyst." Sapphire said to the purple gem, who was busy rolling around in the sand. She was still laughing from all of the reactions that Pearl and Ruby were having to their respective situations. Though, when her name was called, she sat up, rubbing her eyes of their tears as she chuckled.

"Heh, you better give me your best shot."

"I dare you to be Pearl's slave for the rest of the game."

Amethyst shot a sideways glance at her girlfriend before looking back at Sapphire.

"You call that your best shot?" Amethyst asked, and Pearl scoffed.

"Are you saying I'm incapable of giving you orders?"

"Not at all, Sweet P." Amethyst nudged her girlfriend, chuckling. "They'd just be really boring."

"But you are taking the dare?" Sapphire asked.

"Well duh." Amethyst mocked offense that the blue gem would even think that she would turn down such an easy dare.

"That means you do anything she says.." Ruby warned.

"I'm pretty sure I can take whatever Pearl can dish out."

"And I'm pretty sure.." Pearl cut in. "That I can think of at least one thing you'd never do in thousands of years."

Amethyst doubted that. She got on her hands and knees, putting her face as close to Pearl's as possible without kissing her.

"Really..? And what do you think you could make me do, huh Sweet P?"

Peridot is on her way back to the beach house. The directions were rather simple, and this 'Beach City' was much easier to navigate than the structures of Homeworld.

Greg had decided to shut down his car wash for the day after washing Jenny's vehicle. Peridot took the opportunity to excuse herself from the premises.

He was.. an odd creature. Wise, in his own right. Then again, Peridot grew to learn that every living creature had its own experiences in life, its own story to tell.

Though she wouldn't admit it outright, Peridot still had so much to learn about the planet known as Earth.

She was pulled from her thoughts when she neared the beach house. The green gem heard yelling, and looked up to see Amethyst on her feet, her arms crossed while Pearl seemed to be.. laughing?

"Amethyst, you agreed to the dare! You have to do it!"

"I'm not cleaning my room! I like everything where it is, P!"

Of course, Pearl was just having fun. She didn't actually expect Amethyst to clean her room, but the purple gem didn't know that.

Sapphire and Ruby were sitting beside each other as they watched the spectacle. Sapphire had lifted Ruby's dare to stand up for the rest of the game so that they would be able to cuddle in the sand.

"Is everything.. alright?" Peridot asked.

All eyes turned to the green gem, and most were relieved that she didn't cause any trouble in the town.. as far as they knew, at least. Amethyst, however, was the most excited to greet Peridot.

"Okay, new rule!" Amethyst said loudly as she gripped Peridot's hand, pulling her into the group. "Peridot's new to the game. She's tagging in and taking my dare!" Before anyone could protest, and before Peridot could even regain her balance after being handled so roughly, Amethyst was making a mad dash toward the house.

"Amethyst, you cheater!" Ruby called after the purple gem, but she couldn't help the laughter that escaped her. Sapphire and pearl were laughing as well.

"What just happened?" Peridot asked, having obviously missed something important. The green gem looked to Ruby and Sapphire for the answer, but it was Pearl who spoke first.

"Well, you just became part of our little game, and now.." Pearl found it difficult to keep giddiness from her voice. "..you have to do everything I say."

Peridot's reaction a couple months ago would have been one of utter disgust. She would have completely belittled Pearl and gone on this whole speech about how she had no right to give orders to anyone.

But now.. Peridot didn't think twice about Pearl's words. Instead, she sat in the circle of gems, her knees brought up to her chest. After all.. she did have a lot to learn about this world, as well as the Crystal Gems.

"Can you.. explain the rules, first?"