Beach City - February 4th, 1938
The clink and clack of the busy soda shop filled the air on a bright spring morning at Beach City. Outside, the sun was still low on the horizon and the wind coming in over the Atlantic stung the skin, but inside it was warm and comfortable. The voices of the local humans intermingled with the latest hit song playing on the nearby radio.
The man who only lives for making money
Lives a life that isn't necessarily sunny
Likewise the man who works for fame
Pearl hummed along to the tune, settling into her seat at the counter. Sipping lightly at a glass of cherry soda pop, she perused through the day's newspaper, a steaming plate of peach pie by her elbow..
She didn't really like eating, but lately Rose had been adamant that the Gems should get out and mingle with the local humans. The soda fountain near the temple seemed the ideal place to accomplish this mandate.
Looking across the counter to the mirror on the opposite wall, she smiled at the Gem reflected in it, admiring her current form.
There's no guarantee that time won't erase his name
The fact is, the only work that really brings enjoyment
Is the kind that is for girl and boys meant
Fall in love you won't regret it
That's the best work of all if you can get it
The Gem in the reflection was dressed in a light blue blouse tucked into simple tan slacks, with yellow suspenders completing the simple outfit. Never one for gem clothing styles, Rose had encouraged the group to try modifying their outfits somewhat to make socializing with the local humans easier.
Some human men thought it was odd to see a woman dressed in pants. Though none challenged her on it, there was the occasional glare. Pearl herself didn't care much for overly girly attire, but she secretly did admire the occasional voluptuous beauty in a nice feminine outfit.
"Everything alright over here? How's the pie and soda?" asked a soft and friendly voice off to the side.
Pearl turned and smiled over to Deedee Fryman, who was managing the counter that morning "Yes, everything is fine over here. This food is surprisingly good. What did you humans call it again?"
"You don't know what pie and soda are?" Deedee's jovial face briefly took on a note of confusion. "Um, well...that's peach pie made from fruit harvested from the orchards in the hills. The drink is soda pop, made with fruits, sugar, and carbonated water."
"Oh, well, it's quite nice. I think I have enough money for another. One more, please," Pearl said with a smile. Deedee nodded and went to fetch another plate.
"Maybe humans aren't so bad after all," Pearl whispered quietly to herself. Picking up the newspaper again, she hummed along with the last verses of the son. The melody was strangely pleasant.
Just imagine someone waiting at the cottage door
Where two hearts become one
Who could ask for more
Loving one who loves you
And taking that vow
Nice work if you can get it
And you can get it if
Won't you tell me how?
The music began to fade, giving way to the radio host's voice. It was almost certainly another urgent news announcement about the latest events developing in Europe. Pearl sighed, shaking her head. The news was getting increasingly grimmer with each passing day.
Hello, folks out there in the world! This is Empire City radio coming to you live on station WNYE, FM 91.5. I hope you folks are doing well this fine morning. Today's temperature is a high of fifty-four degrees and low of thirty-four, with sunny skies predicted in the morning.
News out of the Old Country today. Word is that Adolf Hitler has gained control of the German Army and has begun appointing loyalist members of the National Socialist German Workers' Party to key government positions. I don't know about you, folks out there, but that firebrand makes me nervous. But don't blow your wig just yet, as so far it's just a lot of bumping gums and booshwash out of him. That's all for today, now back to the music!
Pearl slammed the paper down on the table with a loud smack, nearly squashing her pie, then took an aggressive sip of her soda. Humanity was at it again. With her eons of experience, she didn't need Garnet's vision to see what the future held.
With this latest news out of Germany, their maniac of a leader now had the full support of his government, and with it, the nation's military might. With that kind of power, he could start making real possibilities out of whatever crazy plans he had in mind. If someone didn't do something quick to put a stop to him, then war would be inevitable. And it would take place on a scale unmatched by history.
Pearl growled to herself in frustration, staring down the pie which no longer tempted her palate. It was hard to enjoy the sweets of this world, knowing that it would all probably turn to ash in a few months.
"Something the matter, Pearl?" asked Deedee with some concern. "You've only been coming here a couple days, but I haven't seen you get so riled up like this. What's got you all bent? Was there some rotgut in the soda or something?"
"Not much, Deedee. The news was just a bit upsetting," replied Pearl, putting on some false cheer so as to not alarm the store owner. "It's a familiar story I've seen before, where a maniacal leader gains power, and then uses it to cause trouble on a continental scale. After a few thousand years of observing human history, the cycle gets quite old. It's frustrating to be stuck as an observer."
Deedee just stared at her. "What do you mean by 'thousands of years'?"
Pearl looked embarrassed for a moment. "Sorry, I didn't mean to be rude. You see, though I'm nearly eight thousand five hundred years old, I honestly haven't interacted with humans much beyond necessity."
Deedee was even more confused. "Uh huh…well, for an ancient…person, you seem okay to me." She thought for a moment, then the confusion turned into a wide smile. "I'd love to hear the stories of your adventures sometime. I'm sure you must have lots, and a local story teller would help attract more customers. If you can bring in enough, then you can eat for free!"
Pearl opened her mouth to reply, but the door of the shop slammed open. She snapped her head around in time to catch a purple blur running towards the counter.
Amethyst skidded to a halt, tugging at Pearl's sleeve. "Pearl! What are you doing in a soda shop? I thought you hated eating? You always go on and on about how gross it is and icky when it comes out later! Hey, are you…"
Pearl clamped a hand over Amethyst's mouth and began pushing her out of the store. Turning to a still-smiling Deedee she sheepishly said, "Sorry about that, this one still has much to learn about manners."
Quickly, she shoved the smaller Gem back out the shop door, then returned to the counter to finish her conversation with the shop owner.
"Pardon my asking, Deedee, but you seem pretty quick to believe that I'm over eight millenia old. Aren't you a little suspicious or concerned that I'm making it up?" asked Pearl. The proprietor's lack of reaction really was odd.
"It doesn't really matter. You'd be surprised at the kinds of people that have passed through the front door over the years," replied Deedee, still smiling politely. "By comparison, your story is rather benign."
"I see. Glad to know I fit in with the other crazies," replied Pearl. "Okay, I need to get going. Amethyst won't stay quiet for long and she gets into all kinds of trouble if not watched properly."
"Wait up a moment!" hollered Deedee, reaching over the counter to grab Pearl's shirt sleeve. "I'll improve my offer! A good storyteller here could pack this shop to the roof. I'll even pay you for your time."
Leaning on the counter, Pearl considered the offer for a moment. It would certainly be a nice distraction from the routine of the temple, and Rose did want her to get out and socialize more.
"Sure, I'll start first thing tomorrow morning. I expect payment in coffee, pie, and tips from the patrons." answered Pearl confidently. She wasn't always so bold, but today felt like a good day.
"Deal!" replied Deedee. The two shook hands to seal the agreement. Pearl turned to go, a big grin on her face. "Rose is going to be impressed and very happy with this news!"
As she left the soda shop behind, Pearl's mind drifted back to the news from the radio. Amethyst continued to babble on about some friends she'd made in town during her own excursion but Pearl was too lost in thought to notice. The events in Europe were indeed troubling. A storm was brewing and conflict wasn't far off.
They arrived back at the temple to the sight of Rose gathering the Gems on the warp pad to begin the next mission. Pearl's smile returned tenfold as the towering pink-haired woman turned towards them, her white dress floating on some unseen breeze. It was a vision Pearl never tired of seeing and always brought out her best.
"Pearl! Amethyst! Thank you for returning on short notice. I'm sorry to cut short your visits to town, but we need to get going quickly. Garnet has been getting visions concerning the corrupted gem that the monks at Ngor Monastery up in Tibet have been looking after."
Garnet nodded in confirmation. "The visions are turbulent, and all lead to the same conclusion. The Gem contained at the temple is quite large and will cause a lot of trouble if it escapes."
"Ready when you are." Pearl stepped onto the warp pad. "It will be nice to see the Monks again. Their temple is always so peaceful, and it will be nice to stock up on the tea they sell."
Rose smiled at the smaller Gem benevolently. The warp pad activated with an airy chime, and the four disappeared in a flash of light.
German Expedition to Tibet - Month 3 base camp
Ernst Schäfer was slumped on the side of his cot, eyes fixed on the blank canvas wall of the tent. He had been staring there for what felt like hours, yet he saw nothing.
It had been a week since the last mail call, a week since the black envelope had arrived with the news that had broken his spirit. For seven days he had shut himself into his tent to grieve the loss of his wife to illness. Those few words, scrawled on the coarse stationery of the seaside resort where she'd spent her last days, had weighed him down and sapped his strength.
A voice called out from just outside the tent. "Herr Schäfer! Herr Schäfer! You're needed at the planning tent! Please collect yourself and come when you are ready."
Heaving himself off the cot, Schäfer took a moment to freshen up. He dashed a cupful of water from the washing basin on his weary face, ran a hand through his hair, and threw on an olive-drab uniform and cap.
He headed out into the morning, grateful for the distraction from his misery. Entering the planning tent, he was presented with a scene of cluttered tables, maps, assorted artifacts, and empty ration packs.
His assistant, Bruno Beger, was standing over a large map with several little flag-pins in it. An elderly Tibetan man and translator stood off to one side.
"Ah! Schäfer! Thank you for joining us. You're looking better today. Time heals all wounds, and I'm sure you'll be feeling well shortly." Beger gestured to the local man to his right. "Ihis man…. Dah, is it? He has been telling us the legends of a most peculiar creature that is said to inhabit these mountains. The stories say that an ancient spirit has wandered these mountains for thousands of years, occasionally harassing villages and making away with people."
Schäfer looked at Beger with an unamused expression on his face. "Herr Beger, these villagers have been telling us stories like that for months now. Ask any culture like this one about legends and you'll hear dozens of tales that they'll swear up and down are true." He paused, glancing at the map on the table before picking up some recently written notes and thumbing through them. "What makes you think this story is special? We're here on assignment to find artifacts of Aryan superiority and the fauna that inhabit these mountains! Not to chase old ghost stories."
Beger's face still held that smug, know-it-all smile which had intermittently annoyed Schäfer for the past three months. "Because they got a picture of it last year." He handed Schäfer a photograph depicting a large, four-legged form the size of a house, with long, shaggy hair on its body and even longer locks on the head.
"Sorry, still not convinced, Mr. Beger. Those people look like they're at a festival. That's probably just a large puppet. Stop wasting my time. We've got work to do." Schäfer handed the picture back and turned to exit the tent.
Beger grabbed Schäfer's arm and held him back, the smile still on his face
"Schäfer," he began slowly, "this man knows where the spirit is currently located. It's up in an old monastery not far from here. The monks have been watching over it since it was 'poofed' in a rockslide a few months ago. I've been to the area, and there are giant claw marks in the stone. Nothing I've seen in all my travels could have done that."
Schäfer pulled himself free, and looked at the map again. "Very well, Mr. Beger, I can see that you're not going to let this go. Perhaps the monastery will have artefacts we can take with us back to the Fatherland for the museums being built there."
Finally, Beger's smile relaxed. "Wonderful, Herr Schäfer! I'll put together an expedition at once!" he said gleefully, before running out of the tent.
Schäfer nodded to himself. Yes, this was just what he needed to get his mind moving again.
...
In the courtyard of the ancient Ngor temple, the warp pad activated with a flash of light and the three Crystal Gems stepped off into the late afternoon sun. Looking around, Rose sighed and breathed in the fragrant incense of the temple, taking a moment to admire the architecture and colorful murals of the temple plaza. The uniqueness and ingenuity of humans never ceased to amaze her.
She started towards the main hall as the other Gems trailed along behind her. To her surprise, the head monk Chodak rushed out from the temple waving frantically for them to stop, and began to motion them towards one of the smaller side rooms.
Once out of the courtyard Chodak closed the door and turned to address Rose. The poor, elderly human was worked up over something and could barely contain himself.
"Rose! Your timing is terrible! There is a German expedition here, exploring the temple and stirring up trouble." Pausing to catch his breath and straighten his robes he continued in a calmer tone. "Nothing we can't handle on our own, but if they see you it will be even harder to convince them to leave."
Rose smiled at the elderly monk. She and the Crystal Gems had been visiting the temple occasionally over the centuries and Rose had known Chodak since he was a young boy. "Garnet has been getting visions of something happening with the mountain spirit contained here at the temple. We've come to inspect the containment box and make sure it's secure."
Chodak thought for a moment before answering. "I think we'll be okay, Rose. The sacred artifact is deep in the temple, hidden within my personal chambers. They won't find it… I hope."
Pearl relaxed a little. "Whew. That's good to hear. Surely those clowns won't be so bold to break into the inner sanctums of the temple. They must have some respect for places like this!"
Chodak frowned. "Actually, Pearl, they've been examining and trampling on everything, searching for evidence of their precious Aryan civilization."
At that Pearl tensed back up a bit, turning a worried gaze to Rose. "I think we should collect the mountain spirit and take it back to the temple for safekeeping, at least until this German expedition wraps up and heads home. I've been listening to human news on the radio about this Goebbels fellow running the German propaganda machine. His goons won't leave until they've stripped everything of value from this temple."
Rose returned Pearl's look with a stern expression of her own as Chodak's mood began shifting from friendly to annoyed. "You can't be serious Pearl. Firstly, I'm sure Chodak would tell you that removing the mountain spirit would violate multiple tenants of their faith."
Pearl made to speak, but Rose cut her off. "And secondly, you know full well that we are not to interfere with human affairs, even when we feel strongly about them or if they affect those we care for. If we keep interfering when it suits us, then how is humanity going to learn from their mistakes?"
Pearl's argument died on her lips; there would be no reasoning with Rose at this time. Resigning herself to the inevitable ransacking of the temple, she went to inspect the tapestries hanging along the rooms walls.
"Thank you Rose," Chodak bowed in agreement. "I would ask that you please depart soon. We have things well in hand here..."
No sooner had he spoke when there was shouting from the courtyard outside, followed shortly by the unmistakable sound of a very large gem forming. An primal roar shook the ground, far too loud to be any regular animal.
Chodak's eyes went wide and he pointed towards one of the tapestries hanging on the wall. The Gems followed his gaze. In the dim light they could make out the illustration on the banner, displaying a large battle. In the center was a massive four-legged beast with a wild shock of hair, spiked tail, and crushing jaws.
Amethyst was the first to speak. "Crap."
~~ A few minutes prior ~~
Eberhard Waldemar stood on the balcony of the Tibetan temple Ngor. The thin mountain air made his head ache, and his dry skin itched under the wool uniform, further wearing his already-stretched patience thin. He had been at the temple for most of the day, waiting around as the incandescent monks jumped up and down complaining about the expedition's research at the temple.
He was relieved to be out of the stuffy SS offices at Prinz-Albrecht-Straße, but this wasn't the assignment he had in mind when he got his orders. Instead of fighting the enemies of the Reich, he was climbing into the mountains to babysit an academic on his long voyage around the globe.
At least I'm seeing the world, he thought to himself. Just like the Army had promised when he signed up
He had been assigned to watch over Ernst Schäfer, who was on assignment from the German Government to acquire evidence of Aryan superiority and to investigate rumors of 'monsters' in the mountains. Being a zoologist, Schäfer was tasked with conducting preliminary analysis of any beast they could find, before bringing it back home for deeper study and research, to see if it could be used to benefit the growing military might of Germany.
"Ah, Waldemar! Come see what we have found!" shouted Schäfer as he waltzed out of the temple carrying a large stone box in his arms. An angry monk trailed behind, shouting after the officer, who had a large grin on his face.
Waldemar moved into action. "No, Monk! We are here on the business of the German Government! We can and will do as we please. Step back and allow us to study this prize!"
The monk stopped in his tracks, looking up at the imposing figure of Waldemar standing over him. "You fools don't know what you're doing!" he said angrily. "Inside that box is a being of great power. We only trapped it last year by accident when it was caught in a landslide. If you open that box, then no force of man will have the power enough to subdue it again. It will wreak havoc on our lands once more! Please, I beg you, don't..."
Waldemar struck the monk with a hard blow across the jaw. The older man crumpled to the ground, moaning in pain. "Do not talk to us that way, Monk!" he spat. "We are the Third Reich and we bow to no one, especially not to some old religion and its childish ghost stories."
Schäfer rounded on Waldemar, glaring. "Hey! We might be superior and all that, but please don't go beating up the locals. We need them to be friendly with us if we want this mission to be a success. We can't have a successful mission of discovery if it turns into a mission of war! Now help that man up and make amends before a mob shows up!"
Waldemar glowered at Schäfer but obediently bent down to pick up the monk, herding him back to the temple with a not-too-gentle arm around his shoulder. Schäfer turned his attention back to the stone box in his hands.
He wasn't a particularly violent man, preferring science and adventure to war. The whole Aryan pride thing was nonsense, but playing along served his needs and funded the expedition. Turning the box over in his hands, he set it down and began to open it.
A question burned in his mind: What kind of 'beast' could be crushed, yet still lived on in such tight confinement? He needed an answer, preferably at once.
...
To Schäfer everything happened in slow motion. One moment, he was opening an ornate stone box, seeing an ethereal glow from within surrounding the largest gem stone he had ever seen. Then it floated up out of the box, and with a blinding flash a huge orange beast had appeared.
Across the courtyard, Waldemar shoved the monk the rest of the way into the temple and unslung his rifle. He racked the bolt, slamming a round into the chamber.
The crack of the rifle shots echoed off the mountainside and the stone edifices of the temple as the corrupted gem took its form, or at least tried to. Its form fizzled, shrinking down to the size of a large pig.
Schäfer sat up, surprised to find himself alive. Waldemar stopped shooting and lowered his rifle, and a dozen other Germans flooded into the courtyard carrying ropes, rifles, bags of loot, and other oddities.
Schäfer looked at the mountain spirit, and the mountain spirit looked back at him. A moment passed as the two watched each other, before the now much smaller mountain spirit shrieked and took off running towards the Temple entrance gates. The soldiers clustered around it, blocking the way through.
"Don't just stand there! Capture that thing!" shouted Schäfer, and the soldiers began to chase the little monster.
…
One of the few films Pearl had been able to watch featured an odd little mustachioed man in a bowler hat whose antics always left the theater in hysterics. What was his name? Charles Chaplin?
The scene unfolding before her eyes as she burst through the door, spear in hand, could've been straight from one of his movies. She had expected a massive beast of destruction laying waste to everything in sight. Instead there were about a dozen soldiers scrambling after the hairy corrupted gem, knocked this way and that like bowling pins from its desperate attempts to escape.
"I've got him!" yelled one as he dropped right on top of the little beast, wrestling it to the cobblestones. Then it secreted a foul liquid and wiggled free, leaving the soldier reeling from the stench.
"I'm herding him your way! Get the net ready!" ordered a lieutenant as he ran after it, waving his arms to try and drive it towards another group holding a large cargo bag. Seeing the officer, the monster wheeled about, streaking straight into the bag. With an almighty ripping noise, the canvas gave way and it tore through the other side of the bag and to freedom once more.
"Stand aside!" declared Waldemar. "I'm going to shoot its legs!"
He shouldered his rifle and drew a bead. The rifle cracked and a round hit home, but to no effect. The rest of the soldiers resumed trying to tackle or get a rope around the corrupted gem.
Up on the temple walls, the other monks had emerged to watch the chase, some pointing and laughing at the soldiers' multitude of failed attempts to catch what was essentially greased lightning.
By this time, Schäfer had moved off to the side and took cover to better observe the strange creature. He'd left his camera behind at base camp, and so he concentrated in order to commit every detail of the beast to memory. He needed to record everything he saw in his notes later.
After a few minutes of the farce in the courtyard, he noticed the three strange figures standing on the opposite side, also observing the chase. Soon, he forgot about the little beast and the soldiers chasing it. These figures were far more interesting. While they appeared human, their proportions were just off a bit, especially the large one with the pink hair and the African-looking one to the side.
Carefully, Schäfer began to make his way around the courtyard to get closer to them.
...
As Rose watched the comical display, she began to chuckle. Sheathing her sword, she motioned for the others to do the same and took a seat on a nearby bench.
"Um, Rose?" began Pearl, "shouldn't we do something? Capture, or poof the mountain spirit, or…you know...something?"
Rose turned her large smile down to her. "We are doing something, Pearl. We're getting a free comedy show watching these clowns try and catch that Gem."
Garnet placed her hands on Amethyst and Pearl's shoulders and guided them down to the bench as well. "Don't worry. Future vision has shown me that the Gem is too small in this form to damage the temple, and the soldiers probably won't be able to capture it."
As if on cue, the mountain spirit finally seemed to remember its forgotten ability. It suddenly stopped, then began to rise off the ground on wings made of its fluffy hair. Once airborne, the spirit turned towards the distant mountains and soared away. Soon, it was just a fading dot against the darkening skies.
"Excuse me? Who and what are you?" said a voice off to one side of the group.
As one the Gems turned to see Schäfer smiling back at them, but there was no warmth in it. His calculating eyes swept all of them up and down, lingering a little on Pearl. "You clearly aren't from around here. By your clothes, I'd guess that you're from one of the Western nations. America, perhaps?"
"I'd guess you hail from one of Nordic countries, but your height is extraordinary even for them," he went on, to Rose this time. She wrinkled her nose in annoyance but remained silent.
Unfazed by Rose's annoyance, Schäfer continued his inquiry without pause. "You! Short one! Did you dye your skin purple on purpose? And what an interesting necklace you wear on your chest, quite a large gemstone to wear so casually."
"None of your business," snapped Amethyst with an irritated frown.
Such was his curiosity that Schäfer remained oblivious to the increasing displeasure of the four women.
"African, you seem….never mind." but his voice trailed off when Garnet ignored him fully, staring past as if wasn't there. "I guess we'll talk later," he suggested, moving onto the last of the odd bunch.
Finally addressing Pearl, the cold, analytical eyes softened. "And you, fair maiden, are the picture of Aryan perfection". Schäfer began to reach for Pearl's hand and bent over to kiss it, but she stepped back out of reach. If her eyes could shoot lasers, Schäfer would have been vaporized.
Rose was finally tired of Schäfer's antics. "Sir, I'm sure you know that it's not polite to comment on a woman's figure, and I'm afraid you've quite blown your chance with such a crude opening!"
Schäfer was taken aback by the response but Rose didn't give him a chance to recover. "Now, as it seems your group's business here is done, I think you should take your soldiers and leave this temple in peace."
Schäfer glowered at her. "I don't know who you think you are, but we represent the German government and by right have..."
Rose lifted him up by the scruff of his shirt and began to carry him towards the temple gates. The soldiers, now focused on the strange women, began moving to stop Rose, but a quick glare from her and a hard stomp that left a crack in the rock floor of the courtyard stayed their advance.
Once outside the temple, she set Schäfer down on top of one of the pack mules, and with a final glance turned and stormed back towards the temple. It wasn't long before the rest of the expedition headed for their camp, with Waldemar bringing up the rear.
With the immediate problem resolved, the Gems gathered on the warp pad. Rose waved up to the walls in farewell to Chodak and the other monks, and vanished in a flash of light.
000
It was late evening when Schäfer and the expedition finally arrived back at camp, and the officer went straight to his tent for his notebook. Hastily scrounging around for a pen, he began fervently scrawling on the paper, eager to record his account of the day's events.
When he got to the description of the strange women, he stopped and closed his eyes to recall one in particular, with the large blue eyes and slim athletic figure. The image of her was burned in his mind. He vowed to find her again, learn more about her, and maybe find out if she would be interested in dinner, or maybe a show.
Shaking himself back to the present Schäfer resumed his recording. Only in the early hours of the morning did he finally retire to his bed.
The following day, their mission accomplished, the expedition packed up and began the months-long journey back to Germany. Himmler would be pleased to learn of these supernatural developments, and perhaps more funding would be made available to locate more of these Aryan relics to aid the German cause.
Present Day - Beach City
Connie finished typing the last of the notes into her laptop. Beside her, Steven looked contemplative, his mind processing the story so far.
"So, Pearl, what happened to Schäfer and the German expedition?" asked Connie. "Whatever happened to the temple and the mountain spirits?"
"Not much changed for the monks at the temple after that. They were short of a few relics until after the war, when as part of the reparations, the Germans had to return what they had taken."
"What about that mountain spirit, the corrupted gem?" Steven piped up, as he poked his head over Connie's shoulder to read her notes. "Was it ever captured or returned to the temple?"
Pearl thought for a moment as she recalled the old memory. "The Gem was never recaptured. As far as I can tell, it's still wandering the mountains in its small form. The villagers consider it a blessing when it passes through their villages and view it as a guardian spirit. It's pretty harmless, and given its significance to their culture, Rose decreed that we should let that one continue to wander free."
Standing up, Pearl began to help gather up the snacks and writing supplies. "It's getting late, Connie, and I'm sure your parents want you home for dinner. Any last questions before Lion and Steven warp you home?"
"Yes," replied Connie. "What happened to Schäfer? It sounds like he had an interest in you, but obviously you shot him down, right?"
"Well, he showed up a few times, as his goals and quests sometimes overlapped with the missions. He did indeed hit on me a few times, but I rebuffed him on every occasion, sometimes violently."
Connie looked ready to ask another question, but the day was late and story time was over for the time being. Instead, she gathered up her things, helped by Pearl.
"Okay, children, off with you now. Next weekend, I'll tell you about the events that prompted me to actually leave the temple and join the humans' war."
000
Later that evening, after the house was darkened and Steven in bed for the night, Pearl lay in the center of her room's pools, the rush of the waterfalls a reassuring accompaniment to her thoughts. Today was the first step. The story's just getting started, and there's far, far more to tell.
Steven had been staring at the kill marks on the rifle during the story, which worried Pearl. Soon, she would have to answer those questions. Soon she would confront the memories of the lives she had taken and rules she had broken.
But for now, at least she found herself feeling just a little bit lighter.
Author's Notes
Hello, Readers!
Reader Rodsantos has donated his time and assistance to help clean up and re-write this chapter. It was among the first chapters I'd ever written in 2016 and so was full of typos, run-on sentences and junk. With the help of Rodsantos it finally (after 4 years) has proper grammar, spelling, and story flow.
Please help repay his support by reading his wonderful and well written story "Operation Eclipse". It's a crossover story mixing the "Last Airbender" universe with WW2 navy history.
Thank you for reading! We will continue to slowly clean up and render readable the story.
History notes for chapter 2
* Soda Shops, Soda Jerks (like Deedee Fryman's) and 'Malt Shops" were popular eateries back in the day and were basically the mid-twentieth century version of today's coffee shops.
* WNYE (FM) began broadcasting as a high-frequency Apex band station in November of 1938, giving it an earlier starting date than any other FM station in New York City. But in our AU, they started a little earlier in February, or else Pearl wouldn't have had a good radio station to listen to.
* On February 4th, 1938, Hitler seized control of German army and appointed Nazis to key posts. It's at this point where he basically has full control of the German military to advance his agenda.
* The high of 54°F and low of 34°F was the temperature for February 4th (or close to it) in 1938.
* 1930's slang meanings: "Blow your wig" means 'to lose your cool. "Bumping gums" means "never doing anything useful". "Booshwash" means to "talk about nothing useful". Lastly, "rotgut" is a term for cheap, poor-quality, possibly toxic liquor.
* The song is "Nice Work If You Can Get It" by Fred Astaire, which was a popular song in the 1930s.
* Ernst Schäfer and 1938–39 German expedition to Tibet:
It was led by Ernst Schäfer, under the patronage of Heinrich Himmler, the SS, and various sponsors. This was part of operations begun in 1935, when the Reichsführer-SS Heinrich Himmler founded an organization called Ancestral Heritage to uncover the hidden past of an imaginary Aryan race he and his Führer regarded as the noblest and most vital force in human history. 1938 was the third expedition to Tibet to gather wildlife specimens and other sciences, but in our AU it was also to look for Aryan history.
Of note, when Schäfer decided to commemorate the death of his wife by going onto a ridge to fire a symbolic shot, he forgot to remove the cleaning brush so the breech exploded, throwing him off his feet and burning his face with gunpowder.
* Bruno Beger was a 26-year-old Rassekunde expert and student of infamous eugenicist Hans F.K. Günther. He was said to be the team's anthropologist on the 1938-1939 expedition.
* Heinrich Himmler was one of the most powerful men in Nazi Germany, in charge of the dreaded Schutzstaffel (SS). He was one of the people most directly responsible for the Holocaust.
* Joseph Goebbels ran the Nazi propaganda machine. He was a big supporter of the idea of an Ayran race and a Third Reich. Overall, a nasty fellow whose history speaks for itself.
* Ngor Temple - Ngor or Ngor Éwam Chöden is the name of a monastery in the Ü-Tsang province of Tibet about 20 kilometres (12 mi) southwest of Xigazê . It is the main temple of the large Ngor school of Vajrayana Buddhism.