Aboard the Aegis Hand
"So let me get this straight, you're jus' gonna wait 'ere and let the Diamonds clean up your mess?"
It took all of Jasper's fortitude to keep her from strangling the little gem. However, it was becoming rather difficult to complete the casualty report with trembling fingers.
"Yes," she said. She felt a light weight on her shoulder, and the soft noise of watery wingbeats indicated Aquamarine had landed there. She simply stared as Jasper checked box after box of gem soldier in Pink's entourage that had been reported missing. The longest list, those gems that had been destabilized but not shattered, was all that was left, but that would take the longest.
"Well, I thought you quartzes were dullards, but I suppose you're cowards instead."
Jasper was unable to stop herself from grabbing at the persistent gem in her ear, but she managed to lift herself in the air just in time.
"Listen here, you pebble, you're not going to trick me into disobeying a direct order from the Diamonds. I'm no Amethyst."
"Amethysts, Jaspers, Rose Quartzes...it doesn't matter to me," Aquamarine sneered, Jasper reflected in her beady eyes. "You're all expendable in my opinion. If I were Yellow Diamond, I would've put you to use in a Kindergarten, not on the front lines with the real soldiers."
"And if I were Blue Diamond, I wouldn't have some snobby noble on the front lines!"
Aquamarine stuck her tongue out and flew up into the dark rafters of the ship, her high-pitched giggling echoing throughout the ship in the dusty silence.
"Brat," Jasper muttered under her breath, hoping her voice had followed Aquamarine up into the rafters. It was time to move onto the final list. After completing casualty reports for gems shattered (4), and gems missing (15), Jasper was shocked to see only 16 gems remained.
"How could one Rose Quartz do all of this?" she said to herself. Rose Quartzes, though Pink's prized soldiers and lethal in combat, wouldn't stand a chance against an entire platoon of elite Citrines, Jaspers, and...other Rose Quartzes. There was no way she had defeated every gem…impossible, in fact!
But as each gem flashed into view, and Jasper compared it with the casualty report in hand, all 16 of the remaining gems indeed had been destabilized in the attack. Jasper wondered if a second gem had been involved in the attack; after all, this particular Rose Quartz had an entire band of rebels behind her. They called themselves something ridiculous, like the "Crystal Rocks" or something along those lines, and up until Pink's shattering their activities had been rather innocuous. They ranged from such things as verbally harassing visiting Sapphires to throwing rocks at quartz soldiers as they worked.
The only gems known to be under her employ were Pink's former Pearl, a grotesque gem fusion, a Bismuth, and a Tiger's Eye Jasper that Jasper herself had shattered. That amounted to five gems, still barely enough to rival a Diamond entourage, let alone a full Quartz platoon. Not to mention, Jasper had destroyed the other Jasper only a fortnight before Pink's shattering, which left her with four gems. Factor in the reports that Bismuth was active in the southeast, the complete opposite end of the continent where Pink was at the time, and Rose was left with only the Pearl and the fusion.
Jasper always had the sense the Diamonds kept things from her, especially Pink. It had nothing to do with Jasper's ranking; Aquamarine also was left out of many of the Diamond's secret sessions and decisions, something that bothered her to no end, even if she denied it. Now, Jasper was feeling this suspicion tenfold. Surely, Yellow would've assigned at least a platoon of Quartzes to hunt down Rose; why in the stars were they being ordered to return to base? Why was Jasper being given the busywork Aquamarine typically did? Why were they letting the most notorious gem criminal of all time walk?!
Her musings were interrupted by a tiny droplet of cool water on her cheek.
"If your wings drip on me one more time…"
"Hey, that wasn't me! This ship's ceiling is leaking. What were the Diamonds thinking, giving us a shoddy little base like this…"
"Don't question the Diamond's decisions," Jasper said, realizing how ironic that statement was.
"Aw, c'mon Jasper," Aquamarine cooed, descending until she was level with Jasper's head. "Even you have to wonder what the Diamonds are thinking. There's nothing wrong with that, it's not like they can 'ear you."
"Be quiet," Jasper growled.
"No, I don't take orders from you, remember? And besides, you know I'm right. I can tell you want to be out there in the field with your crew, hunting down the wicked gem who did this."
"Rose Quartz."
"Yes, her. Surely you want to crush her gem like you crushed that traitorous Jasper's...It would bring you closure..."
"I guess it would," Jasper said, as she finally clicked the transmission icon at the bottom left corner of the screen. The image of the 35 casualty gems disappeared, but only a few seconds later another required document popped up. Jasper groaned; how did Aquamarines and Peridots do this all day?
"You know, we do have...that."
Jasper spun around, pointing at Aquamarine's tiny frame.
"What do you mean by that?"
Aquamarine reached for her hair, so that Jasper thought she was reaching for her wand.
"Relax," Aquamarine said impatiently as Jasper adopted a defensive stance. She pulled a small black chip out of her hair. A single pink diamond shape, the insignia of Pink Diamond, was depicted boldly on the front.
"What is that?" Jasper said, suspicion lowering her voice to a whisper
"The Diamonds use these to keep tabs on the locations of all of their gems."
"All of them?!"
Aquamarine sighed.
"Yes, all of them," she repeated with her hands on her hips. "Court gems, quartzes, guards, even her Pearl."
Jasper, with an agility not even she herself thought she was capable of, snatched the little blue gem out of the air and slammed her against the monitor. The screen went fuzzy for a second, and a red message bubble appeared warning her that she risked losing all of her current progress, but Jasper didn't care.
"How did you get this?" Jasper screamed, as Aquamarine wiggled and squirmed, desperately trying to catch her breath.
"It...doesn't...matter," Aquamarine choked out. "Do...you wanna find...Rose Quartz or not…"
As the power of the chip suddenly became apparent to Jasper, she loosened her grasp on the little blue gem, who finally shook free. She kicked at Jasper's index finger furiously until she had to catch her breath.
"You...stupid...quartz! What was that for? Hey!"
Jasper ripped the chip out of Aquamarine's grip, scanning the modem for any signs of a Diamond chip reader until finally, her eyes found it between the ship's steering and the manual keyboard (it truly was an old ship).
She jammed it in, and the familiar, calming sound of Pink Diamondsong filled the silence of the ship. A bright pink aura erupted from the drive, growing brighter and brighter until finally, a Pearl's voice came through.
"Welcome to the gem profile of Pink Diamond. Please enter the appropriate passcode within the next 30 seconds, or this chip will self-destruct."
There was an eerie beeping noise, and the number 30 appeared, making the same beeping noise with every second wasted. Jasper put her hands on her head. Already, the ship's console was beginning to reek with the odor of burning chromium.
"I told you I had the file. I didn't say I knew how to get in…"
"What!?"
Jasper would likely have struck the little gem down where she stood, had the same Pearl's voice not reminded her that she had only 25 seconds left.
"Try 98765, I recall she used that for the Communicators on the Moonbase."
"That's ridiculous, who would use a code like th-"
"20 seconds."
Jasper desperately typed it in. To her amazement, there was a quick bong and a list of gem identifiers appeared on the screen.
"Told you," Aquamarine said, smirking, but Jasper ignored her.
"What was Rose's facet?"
"I don't know, but I'm pretty sure she was made on Earth. There weren't many Roses made here, so that should limit your search."
Aquamarine landed on Jasper's shoulder, hoping the bouncing motion that resulted from her feverish typing would massage her back. Instead, Jasper flicked her off, and even this small amount of force was enough to send Aquamarine sailing to the other end of the ship. As she came to a stop, prepared to unleash another tongue-lashing, Jasper uttered a monstrous roar that would've made the Diamonds quiver, and slammed her fist down on the console.
"There were no Rose Quartzes on Earth!" she bellowed, glaring viciously at Aquamarine.
"That's impossible...I know for sure she was incubated here. Alright, look..." she said, holding her arms out protectively as Jasper rounded on here. "Look up her Pearl."
Jasper cocked her head.
"Wouldn't Rose have told her to remove it?"
"Not likely. Rose isn't aware of the chip in Pearl's gem. Very few gems are. Even I'm lucky to know what it is, but that's what happens when you're Blue Diamond's favorite…"
Jasper roared impatiently again.
"That won't work! We don't even know if Pearl is still with her."
"You quartzes," Aquamarine sighed, shaking her head. "Even Pearls who rebel against their masters are highly dependent on other gems. If Rose Quartz is the leader of those 'Crystal Gems' or whatever, Pearl will be by her side at all times.
"Oh, just find her already!" she said with a furious flap of her wings.
As Pink Diamond's Pearl was the first gem to come up, it only took a few moments. A grid of the continent Valentia appeared, but at first there was no indication of the Pearl's location. Aquamarine flinched, preparing for Jasper to lash out again, but finally there was a quick blip and a single dot appeared in the northwestern quadrant.
"There you are…" Jasper muttered to herself, smiling for the first time in weeks. "And you're sure Rose is with her?"
"Positive."
"Good, then I'm off."
"W-wait!"
The door to the ship opened, Wyrmtsym breathing its cold, dry air through the Jasper-sized opening, but as she prepared to step out Aquamarine flew in front of her.
"You know I was just messing around, right? I mean, do you have any idea what the Diamonds would do to you if they found out you disobeyed a direct order?"
Jasper wrapped her traveling cloak tighter around her head and torso, so only two fiery eyes were visible
"You're right, Aquamarine...But you were also right before, when you said I was a coward? Pink Diamond was my Diamond. From the moment I broke free of this miserable planet's crust, I dedicated my life to her service. We may not have seen eye-to-eye when it came to this planet's worth, but it doesn't matter. I was made to serve her...and if she's not here to give orders, than all I have left to do is to avenge her."
"The Diamonds will harvest you, if you're lucky. In the mood Yellow's in, you'd probably be shattered on the spot without a trial!"
But the thought of a battle-hardened quartz like her, standing next to some irritable Zircon in a dusty trial chamber that would give the wrecked Aegis Hand a run for its Homeworld Credits, was trivial to both of them.
Aquamarine's lips uncurled, and her wings suddenly began to flap with greater fervor; Jasper knew what the gem was thinking.
"You're gonna tell them anyway, aren't you?"
"Well, of course! I want to be the favorite. Don't take it personally, just run along now!"
Jasper smirked, pounding her fist into the little gem's chest, so that she gasped as the wind was knocked out of her.
"I didn't expect anything less," Jasper said as she disappeared into the angry light of the setting sun. Aquamarine clutched her throat, and watched the figure grow more and more distant, until the ship door finally closed again.
"Well, I may have been wrong about her being a coward…" Aquamarine began as she finally caught her breath, searching her person for her Diamond Communicator. "But she's still a dullard."
Lost Treescape
"Don't trust this guy, kid," Bismuth said for what was certainly the hundredth time. A light flurry of snow commenced as they took the last few forks out of the confusing wood, Celica's toes growing increasingly numb and wet as she trudged through the thickening layer of snow.
Celica still wasn't sure whether or not she agreed with Bismuth. Halcyon hadn't joined in the assault with the other fiends of Duma's domain, like one would expect of a Duma Faithful. Yet, the woodland was growing more dense as they walked, so that they were surrounded by a world of dull brown and white. Was he leading them into a trap?
As they reached what felt like the heart of the forest, and the canopy couldn't get any more oppressive, the blanket of trees retracted, revealing a small village in the midst of a spacious forest clearing.
The cabins and houses, though thatch-roofed and composed of mere branches, stones, and mud, were homely and plump like pumpkins, the cozy glow of a fireplace escaping their windows. Snow and ice coated the roofs like frosting, but long tongues of smoke kept the snow from accumulating around the chimneys. There were only a few residents wandering about when the trio and their guide arrived, but upon seeing the outsiders, all conversation and commerce came to a halt, as they stared at their new visitors as uneasily as the trio stared back at them. Celica noticed how all the men wore pointed hats associated with magecraft. The women's faces barely visible from beneath their burkas.
"Wait here," Halcyon growled. He wandered into the square, where the intricately painted design of the sun smiled up at him from what remained of the mosaic street that wasn't covered in snow. The painted sun's rays stretched in nearly every cardinal direction, except, strangely enough, the two entrances of the village.
"These outsiders mean no harm. Please show them the proper courtesy"
This seemed to placate the gathered crowd, although a couple of the men continued to stare at Bismuth in particular, as if not sure what to make of her gaudy, long hair.
"Enjoying the view?" Bismuth called out to the men, who blushed and quickly resumed pushing their wheelbarrows of potatoes. "I don't like the vibe here. I feel like a Sapphire among Quartzes."
Celica didn't get the chance to ask Bismuth what a Sapphire or a Quartz were, for Halcyon was already beckoning them to enter a cabin only a few feet from the mosaic sun.
"In," he said simply, and the trio, with seemingly no other choice, followed.
It felt as if they had stepped inside a madman's apothecary. The shelves were overflowing with vials containing the severed limbs and wings of woodland creatures, making bile creep into Celica's throat. Pages and scrolls containing grotesque images of screaming men and women, realistic (far too realistic) images of animal and human organs, and the properties of plants were scattered amongst the floor. A fire had already been started in the wood stove at the back of the room, but upon closer inspection there didn't appear to be any wood where the fire was raging.
"Excuse me," Halcyon said, and the trio moved further into the home so that he could open a trapdoor beneath the threshold, revealing a staircase downHe disappeared for a few minutes, leaving the three in a warm, though anything but cozy, silence. Halcyon returned with a tray of glasses with an unsettling purple liquid in them, offering them to his guests.
"No," Celica and Saber said in unison, but Bismuth eagerly grabbed one and threw it back before the others could stop her.
"Mmm, that's good," she said. Celica shook her head; had it not been Bismuth, who only a little while before had warned her not to trust him?
"Relax, it's not poison," Halcyon assured Celica. "It's Sage's Brandy, a specialty around here. It'll warm you."
"I've never heard of a purple brandy before," Saber muttered, though she took a glass from the tray and drank anyway.
"You'll learn that things are different here in Sage's Hamlet."
Celica's mind raced.
"Sage's Hamlet?! You're telling me this is Sage's Hamlet, the place where Duma and Mila founded Valentia?"
"The very one," Halcyon said with a wink. "Though I'm surprised a well-trained priestess such as yourself wasn't able to deduce that on the journey here."
He laughed at the mingled expression of confusion and indignation on Celica's face.
"Come now. Were you not put off by the lush countryside? Did you not realize you were lost in the mythical Lost Treescape?"
Celica would have eagerly recited the legend about the Sage's Hamlet, except that as it ran through her mind, another more pressing question had come up.
"Sage's Hamlet is said to only appear to those with an inexorable connection to Mila or Duma. How is it that I am here?"
"I shall explain. Please, sit."
With a wave of his staff, the clutter covering the table in the center of the room returned to their shelves. Celica's legs bounced against the bottom of the table as she waited for Halcyon to begin, and after he took a lengthy draught of his brandy, he cleared his throat and did so.
"As you surely already know, Mila and Duma once served the almighty Naga, leader of the Divine Dragons. However, when Duma waged war on Naga, both were expelled from their homeland, eventually forced to settle on the continent we now call Valentia. Having fought by Duma's side, Mila was fiercely loyal to her brother in the dawning days of the continent.
"However, as she grew older, she grew to resent Duma's obsession with war and hardship. Their clashes would eventually lead to them splitting the continent, Mila founding Zofia with the ideals of peace and Duma founding Rigel with the ideals of war. Despite their differences and the creation of two different nations, both understood that one could never overpower the other, lest they become as oppressive as Naga had been.
"As a safeguard, Mila proposed the idea of the Heritors of Arcadia, Arcadia being the legendary domain where only the Gods dwell. The Heritors would have no trace of divine blood, no connection to either God; they would simply be humans who represented their qualities best. It would be their responsibility to slay the overpowering God, thus saving the continent from certain annihilation. These pacts, along with the creation of Zofia and Rigel as the two official nations of Rigel, would make up the Divine Accord."
Celica chanced a sip of her brandy, and was surprised at how delicious it was. She had never had a sip of alcohol before, however, and wished to avoid the consequences of over drinking in the vicinity of someone she still didn't trust.
"Yes, I've studied the tale many times, Halcyon," Celica said with an air of superiority, for his comments from earlier still stung. "The Heritors were chosen in the subsequent war that the two Gods waged, thus saving the continent and allowing the two to join the soil of their respective nations-"
"Unfortunately, that is not entirely accurate," Halcyon interrupted, and Celica's face turned a deep shade of red. "You are recounting only Mila's telling of the legend. But I have dedicated myself to Duma's teachings, and his input sheds more light on the tale…"
"You would trust Duma's account over Mila's?" Celica replied indignantly. "Duma is a tyrant, who willingly plunges his subjects into poverty. Why trust anything that madman says?"
"Why trust anything Mila says, when she spoils her subjects and allows herself to become a mere symbol?"
The stool Celica had been sitting on flew across the room as she ferociously got to her feet. To Bismuth's surprise, Saber followed suit.
"How dare you insult the Earth Mother! I would think spoiling my subjects would be a far better fate than leaving them to fight one another over a scrap of corn! Or entertaining myself by starving them!""
Halcyon beckoned for them to resume sitting, and calmly took another long gulp of brandy.
"Perhaps it would surprise you to know that I agree."
It did, but not enough to placate Celica. Saber did sit, although she did not take her eyes off the old mage.
"Truth is sadly subjective in this time and age. What's true for one person is fiction for another. When we think we are doing good, we believe everything we say is the truth, even if it isn't. Who is to say Mila is immune from that? Duma certainly isn't."
Celica reluctantly took her seat, though her extremities were still trembling.
"One must look through both perspectives to get the full account of the legend. Mila's account places the Heritors during the ancient war. Duma's account, however, states that the Heritors still have not been chosen. I am inclined to believe the latter account…"
"Naturally," Celica interrupted.
"Then allow me to ask," Halcyon continued patiently. "If the Heritors had truly come into being during the ancient war, how is it that both Duma and Mila continue to control their lands? Were the Heritors not destined to inherit their connection to Arcadia, and exist in the stead of the Gods?"
Celica's expression remained steadfast, even though doubt was beginning to trickle in. She took another sip of brandy, using the brief moment to collect her thoughts.
"But why would Mila lie?"
"As I am not a student of the goddess, I wouldn't hazard a guess, lest I test your temper again."
Celica shook her head and took another sip of brandy.
"I think it would be safe to surmise that Mila has always cared deeply about the safety of her subjects?"
Bismuth winced, prepared for another outburst from Celica.
"For once, you assume correct."
"And would it not comfort Mila's disciples to know the ancient feud is over, even if it isn't?"
"Are you implying Mila lied to give us the illusion of safety?"
"Excuse me, I'm a bit warm, gonna step outs-"
"Sit, Bismuth," Saber said without taking her eyes off Halcyon, as the gem tried to shuffle outdoors. Bismuth complied slowly, rubbing her head.
"Precisely," Halcyon answered Celica.
Another uneasy silence. Celica could see now there was no way to shake the man's beliefs; he was a disciple of Duma. She was a disciple of Mila. It would be impossible to find a common ground.
"You mentioned you were once Duma's High Priest. Why aren't you anymore?"
"That is a long tale, one that delves into the very heart of the human spirit. I see, however, that you will not be dissuaded, so I will keep it short."
Halcyon finished his brandy, cleared his throat, and spoke thus:
"Though I am no longer his high priest, Duma's teachings are ingrained in my very soul. It is not the easy path that leads to greatness, but the one that challenges them. The path that chips away at the person like a pickaxe, until they are in their perfect form."
"Yeesh, sounds like something Yellow Diamond would say…" Bismuth interjected, wiping her chin as a thin dribble of brandy ran down it. Halcyon gave her a strange look, before clearing his throat again and continuing.
"But I have never condoned warfare to reach that end. I have never condoned famine, pestilence, disease as a required hardship to reach greatness. Though it pains me to say it, Duma has lost his way. He's become a caricature of himself, and as his High Priest, it was my duty to remind him of the values he had once ingrained in me. In every citizen of Rigel. Instead, I was deposed."
"By who?" Saber asked.
"The royal family of Rigel."
"Blasphemy!" Celica exclaimed. "The crown has no place in holy affairs."
"It matters not, for it was Duma's will. And I, his most loyal retainer, had no choice but to obey," he finished bitterly, gazing solemnly out the snowed-in window.
A warm prickle of pity found its way through Celica's heart.
"Since then the crown prince of Rigel, Berkut, has acted as the de facto High Priest. He's even gone so far as to incorporate the Faithful into his own military, and rumors are swirling that he is planning a massive invasion of Zofia.
"This," he said, a dramatic inflection in his voice, "brings me to the legend of the Heritors once more."
"How so?"
"As Duma's Account, Book IV, Thesis XI, Paragraph III states, the Heritors would be tasked with removing the Gods from the physical realm, therefore inheriting and maintaining the connection between our continent and Arcadia. Mila's Account, Book III, Thesis VIII, Paragraph III, however, states that this task alone would be impossible. Thus, when the Heritors would be decided, they would be granted three magical seals of immense power, and a contract with a powerful spirit with power equal to the Gods."
Halcyon's eyes immediately landed on the three marks on Celica's hand. She retracted her hand within her cloak instinctively. He turned his attention to Saber, seated to her right.
"Explain how you two came into contact, Celica."
Instead, Celica took a long sip of brandy and averted her eyes from the table, taking particular interest in a jar of bat wings above Halcyon's bed.
"Allow me," Saber said. "My master's magical seals were activated in response to a sensation of overwhelming danger. I heeded her call, verbal or not, and came into being in order to protect her."
"I see," said Halcyon, studying Saber as if she were one of the grotesque specimens in his jars. "You refer to the girl as master."
"Yes, for I am her Servant."
For a moment, the table was silent again. Then, Halcyon did something very strange. He stood up and moved over to Celica, placing a hand on her shoulder, tears forming in his eyes all the way.
"In 60 years of service, I never thought it would be me who would bear witness to a Heritor of Arcadia."
Celica flinched and got to her feet.
"You're mad…"
But the man followed her, his skin at once pale but his face an impassioned red.
"You...must be mistaken…I...I am merely a traveling priestess," Celica said, backing away from the man, reaching for her sword. I am making a pilgrimage to the Tower."
"Confront your destiny, my dear. You have the seals of the Heritor, you have the Servant of a Heritor...you, Celica, are one of the Heritors of Arcadia."
Celica felt every muscle, every vein, every gasp of air in her chest seize. It was something nearly everyone on the continent of Valentia dreamed about. Something young boys and girls would fantasize about at night, being the hero of their own storybook. Even Celica, who had been taught to forsake all semblance of greed, would imagine herself in that position in her younger days.
But now, standing in the midst of a town that wasn't supposed to exist, with the realization that she would need to do something near impossible, those childhood dreams had become a nightmare. The world had never seemed so fragile, so fleeting.
"But...but summoning a spirit is no outstanding feat. I've met many holy men who can invoke spirits…"
"True, but those spirits are illusory. They have no compass, no mind to guide their actions. But you...you have summoned a hero of legend. That is magic that only a God can grant."
Celica didn't know what to think. Right now, she wished Boey or Mae were here, to either pump her up or console her. Neither would likely have been much help, for the sheer reality of what her life and her journey had come to mean was still overwhelming, but it would be far more comforting than the look of sheer bewilderment on Bismuth's face and Saber's indifference.
"I...I…" she stuttered.
"I am a bit disappointed, however, for the sword is believed to be associated with Mila, representing purity, honor...The servant of the bow is associated with Duma. Thus, it appears you are Mila's chosen Heritor."
From the sound of it, Halcyon had been hoping to meet Duma's Heritor instead, but Celica couldn't have cared less about his apparent disappointment.
"Uh...may want to lay off that 'Heritor' stuff for a while, chief," Bismuth said, concern etched on her face. "You...gonna be okay kid?"
"Master, if I had known this was our shared destiny, I would have shared it with you immediately," Saber said. "I apologize if this is a lot to take in."
Celica tried to speak, but her throat had gone dry. The taste of brandy was heavy and sticky in her mouth, as every muscle was tense and charged.
"There is also the need to discuss the other Heritor's identity. If I am correct, it is someone who will be quite close to you."
A single thought broke through: the image she had seen in the Mindful Mire. A similar marking on the boys hand, one that they would laugh about in front of the fire. Back then, it didn't mean anything; it was a strange coincidence, if anything. But now...
"Alm," she finally choked out.