Lapis had managed to lay Pearl in a more delicate position, on her back and cushioned by her dirtied jacket. Lapis sat next to her, face in her hands as she tried desperately to hold back tears.
"Fuck. Fuck, what am I going to do?" She was shaking, and she was almost surprised that the panic eating at her was more for Pearl than it was for herself. "Oh God, how am I going to get you out of here?"
She turned back to Pearl, a hand cupping a cold cheek. Her thumb passed over the crimson that speckled Pearl's chin, wiping away a thick trail.
"Pearl?" She quietly implored, hoping that she could jog her awake. "Pearl, can you hear me? Please wake up." She almost cried again when all she got was a pained groan in response. Pearl's eyes tightened for a split second, a grimace tearing its way through her features. Lapis sucked in a shuddering breath. She figured a reaction was better than none.
Lapis dragged her hands through her hair, pulling her bangs back roughly against her scalp as she looked over the mess surrounding them. Intermittent glimmering speckled the dark beyond, the shattered pieces of bright seekers catching the soft light of the bloody device that lay next to Pearl. A viscous liquid, like thick water, was splayed across the concrete, swirling with what almost looked like glitter. Lapis had the same substance coating her arms, albeit she had tried to wipe them clean. The crystal water had left behind a sticky sheen, one that radiated cold and made the hairs of her arm stand on end.
"I hope this washes off," Lapis grumbled to herself. She looked back at Pearl, almost hoping she would be awake and have an answer or retort ready. But she was still on her back, eyes squeezed shut in unconscious pain. Lapis brought her knees to her chest, curling in on herself.
Her head snapped up when she heard a groan of pain followed by a groggy "Lapis?"
Lapis looked, wide eyed, at a stirring Pearl, her eyes fluttering as her fingers curled in on her palms. Lapis scrambled to all fours, crawling over to Pearl's side. Pearl's skin still held a too white pallor, but her eyes were fully open now, although with a twitch of pain that ran through them as she attempted to sit up. Lapis put a hand on her shoulder, not needing much force to keep Pearl down in her weakened state.
"Careful," Lapis said. "You're hurt pretty bad."
"Help me up, at least," Pearl insisted with a wince. Lapis only nodded, bracing Pearl's weight with her arm as she helped to prop her up, Pearl's sharp shoulders leaning into Lapis's chest.
"Ugh, my head is killing me." Pearl reached a hand behind her head, giving the bloodied area a rub that was attempting to be soothing. When she pulled the hand back with a crimson stain, she merely scoffed. "Of course. Typical." She rolled her eyes, and Lapis was a bit put off by the reaction.
"Your head is bleeding," she began, "and that's your reaction?" She gave her a bewildered look, face scrunching up as she peered up at her. Pearl only sent her eyes skyward again.
"It's fine. I'm just irritated by the fact I let myself get hurt like this again." Pearl shook her head. "Stupid mistakes made on my part." She gave a heavy sigh, unintentionally leaning into Lapis. Lapis held back a surge of heat to her face at the flushed contact.
"I think your injuries are more important than your performance. Are you tired? You probably have a concussion." Lapis shifted her weight, allowing Pearl to sit up straighter.
"I don't get tired, I get results," Pearl grumbled, a slight slur pulling at her words. She slumped, a look of discomfort rippling through her expression. She brought a hand up to cover her eyes, her other arm wrapping around her torso to cradle her ribs. "I just noticed how much my chest hurts." She then gave a wracking cough, flecks of blood coming with it.
"Geez, I wonder why!" Lapis gritted her teeth. "You pushed me out of the way of that shatterer and let it beat you to a pulp. So yeah, pretty stupid." She couldn't keep the waver in her voice, a coating of worry covering and seeping into the wet anger.
"I couldn't let it get you," was all Pearl said, pointedly not looking at Lapis. Lapis huffed.
"Oh yeah? And what about you, huh? You should have just let it get me, and then you wouldn't be all fucked up."
Pearl exhaled, a wheeze rattling it. "No, I couldn't just let it get you. Lapis, it would have killed you."
"You don't know that," Lapis retorted. "And so what? At least you could get somewhere without me. If you died, I probably would have ended up dying soon after."
Pearl rubbed her eyes. "Can we please stop talking about this? We need to move."
"What part of 'you're hurt badly' do you not understand?" Lapis tightened her grip on Pearl.
"Well, we can't stay here, regardless. It won't do either of us any good if we just laze about because I have a few bruised ribs and a headache."
Lapis looked at Pearl with wide eyes, mouth hung open in disbelief. "You're kidding right?" Pearl just looked at her questioningly. "You probably have a few broken ribs and a smashed in head, you idiot."
"It's not smashed in," Pearl said softly in a defensive tone, hand reflexively touching the base of her skull.
"It might as well be with how stupid you're acting!" She almost threw her arms out but reminded herself she was the main thing supporting Pearl at that moment. She kept them in place. Pearl scowled.
"Hey."
"Hey yourself." She glared at Pearl. Pearl just pursed her lips in response. There was a beat of silence between them. And finally, Pearl spoke.
"Bright hunters heal quick. I'll be fine." She shrugged her shoulder, a futile attempt to get out of Lapis's grip. Lapis held firm.
"I'll be even better," she continued, "if we get to Beach City as soon as possible. They have resources there to speed up both of our healing processes." She cast a sharp glare towards Lapis, eyes meticulously taking in the damage that she sustained. Lapis grimaced.
"Okay, fine, whatever."
They shuffled between each other, Lapis wrapping an arm gingerly around Pearl's waist, careful to keep it well below her ribs. Pearl attempted to put some distance in their proximity, but Lapis only tugged her closer, bearing the majority of Pearl's weight. Pearl scowled but said nothing.
Pearl nodded her head sluggishly towards the stairwell. "Up we go. Lucky we're on the right platform." Her voice was weak, and Lapis noticed the way Pearl's lids would droop before fluttering stubbornly. Her eyes were unfocused, even more so now that she was standing up as opposed to lying down. Despite herself, Lapis did not remark on it, but filed it away to the forefront of her mind.
They took slow steps together, Pearl's feet dragging with the sound of scuffing concrete. They ascended the steps at an uneven pace, Pearl with an arm outstretched to lay a bruised palm against the wall, and Lapis with both arms clinging to Pearl like a limpet. Pearl tried to suppress the rattling breaths that came out with every few lurches up the stairwell, but the shudder of her ribcage vibrated against Lapis and gave more away than she could hide.
"Not much longer to go," Pearl said. Lapis got the sense that Pearl was trying to reassure Lapis more than anything. It wasn't working. "Even at this rate we should be there in an hour. This train was used by Beach City quite a bit as well." Her words were strained and slow. "I, uh, I used it once or twice. It was fast."
Lapis gave her a worrying look. She was rambling, shaky pauses hitching the muddied thoughts she warbled out. Pearl was blinking more, and a heavy sway carried her limbs like a wispy tree in a gale. Lapis shifted to bear more of Pearl's weight.
"Pearl, be quiet. You aren't really in the best condition to be using energy to speak." Lapis furrowed her brow.
Pearl didn't quite look at her, eyes hazy as they were, but gave an almost comical pout, lips downturned with tiredly squinting eyes. "Please. I'm fine."
"Yeah, okay, sure you are." Lapis rolled her eyes as she guided them up another few steps. "Just try to focus on the task at hand, alright?"
Pearl hummed. "Yes, I suppose you're right. The task of… getting home. Beach City." Her words held an uncertainty to them, like she was reminded herself what it was they were doing. Lapis felt the worry compress tightly around her head. The concussion must have been worse than she initially thought.
Pearl's head lolled, rolling on her neck before slumping against the top of Lapis's. She grumbled above her, head heavy.
"M' head hurts." Pearl's free hand, the one not steadying against the wall, curled around Lapis's shoulder, cold fingers catching the hem of Lapis's sleeveless top. Lapis grimaced, but not at Pearl's cold touch.
"You're more messed up than you were trying to let on, huh?" Lapis nudged back against Pearl's head. Pearl made a gravelly sound in her throat.
"As I said I'm… fine. Head. Just hurts." Pearl's sentences were broken up, like she was concentrating on each word she spoke. Lapis was about to retort when they suddenly stepped into light. But not light of the outside. An unnatural light that flooded the stairwell in sterile white.
Lapis felt her heartbeat quicken, thudding flooding her ears as her pulse pushed blood in fear. She instantly tensed up, accidentally knocking her head against Pearl's. Pearl grumbled both from the wash of light and the smack to the side of her skull, eyes squeezed tight.
"Pearl, we have to move-" Lapis only managed part of her frantic warning before the light focused in on them, temporarily blinding her with a void of white.
"Hey! Holy shit!" A voice echoed down the stairwell from the light, loud and with a rasp of youth to it. Lapis stood frozen, arms squeezing Pearl much too tight. It wasn't a bright seeker, but that was only a slight comfort.
"Pearl!" The light wavered away from her eyes, but came closer with the loud pattering of feet on stone. Lapis looked to Pearl, who seemed to react to the voice, eyes squinted in concentration.
"Amethyst?" She managed to slur out.
A short girl, younger than Lapis and most certainly younger than Pearl, was now above them on the steps, wild hair blending with the bleached light of the heavy flashlight she held. She looked sturdy, sturdier than either Lapis or Pearl, and she doubted either of them could take her in a fight at this point.
Luckily, the familiarity in Pearl's voice and the fact she even knew this girl's name comforted Lapis in telling her that maybe they wouldn't have to bite and claw their way to survival for once today. She gave a grateful shudder, even if the sight of a new stranger still put her on edge. Even if Pearl did know her, she could never be too wary.
"Oh my god, Garnet, I found her!" The short girl turned sharply, a hand cupped around her mouth as she yelled back up the stairs. Another light melded with her's, brightening the area, stinging Lapis's eyes.
"Pearl!" This woman was tall, dark skin and an even darker shock of hair looming above them all. Her eyes were hidden by iridescent pair of shades, expression muted to Lapis. It made her nervous.
Both Garnet and Amethyst stepped closer, but stopped a few steps away from them both. They focused a wary gaze at Lapis, deciding to keep their distance.
"Who the heck are you?" Amethyst asked, brows furrowed and lips downturned. Garnet was also frowning, but if she was scowling like Amethyst, Lapis couldn't tell.
Lapis was quiet, shell shocked. She felt herself shake, and she willed words to stutter up her throat. But before she could manage them, Pearl spoke for her.
"Lapis. I found her. She's safe. Saved me." Pearl's voice was weak, but she put a forcefulness behind her words. She managed to lift her head up, a charade of steadiness.
Amethyst directed her attention to Pearl, but Garnet kept her head tilted towards Lapis. Lapis felt cold prickle the back of her neck.
"I told ya' we'd find her here," Amethyst said, motioning towards Pearl as she glanced back at Garnet. She turned an almost apologetic look to Pearl, shrugging. "Sorry Pearl. Had to spill the beans."
Pearl heaved a heavy sigh, one that Lapis could feel shaking her damaged ribcage. "It's fine, I suppose."
Garnet's head turned sharply towards Pearl.
"It is not fine. But we'll have that discussion later. You're pretty beat up." She paused, and Lapis could only assume she was looking Pearl over. "We're taking you back to the house, now."
Pearl held up her hands placatingly, head turned away almost shamefully. "No arguments here." It seemed Garnet's disapproval had a sobering affect on Pearl's slushed mind.
Garnet turned her head towards Lapis again. There was a tense beat of silence before she spoke up once more. "We'll talk about all…" Garnet paused, gesturing a hand at Lapis, "… this, when we get back. You've got a lot of explaining to do, Pearl."
"I know." Pearl sounded defeated. Lapis was confused, but mostly grateful they'd be getting to Beach City now, and the responsibility of that no longer on her shoulders. Literally.
Garnet stepped forward, and Lapis suppressed the urge to step back. She was really tall. Taller than she had first anticipated. Garnet raised her hands.
"Sorry," she said. "Didn't mean to scare you." She lowered one hand, sweeping it towards Pearl. "Mind if I take over?"
A part of Lapis almost reared in defense, afraid to let go of Pearl. But the part of her at the forefront, the rational part, simply nodded after a moment of hesitation.
"Really, Garnet, I'm fine," Pearl attempted, even pushing herself away from Lapis. Lapis looked at her affronted, but Pearl didn't seem to notice as she wobbled.
"You are not fine." Garnet took an imploring step forward, long but delicate hands taking hold of Pearl's shoulders. "Come here."
"Garnet!" Pearl drew out her name in a whine, like a child protesting. Lapis saw the telltale signs of a smirk twitch at Garnet's lips. Then, before Lapis or Pearl could even react, Garnet swept Pearl up into her arms, cradled like a bride. Or in this case, a sleepy child. Pearl's face resembled a tomato, scrunched up in an embarrassed pout. She pointedly was turning her head away from Garnet and everyone else's eyes, giving Lapis a view of her red tipped ears poking from the hair that framed her face.
Amethyst gave a low whistle. "Oh man, Pearl's gonna love that, Garnet." She gave a cheesy grin. Garnet didn't react, but Pearl only seemed to go redder, shoulders hunching around her just as red ears. Lapis felt a twinge in her gut.
Garnet just nodded to Amethyst. "Help Lapis and let's go." Amethyst gave a mock salute.
"Righto, captain Garnet." She hopped down to Lapis's side, poking her shoulder.
"You good or need to be carried too?" Amethyst raised her arms, crossing them behind her head.
Lapis blinked a few times. She then shook her head. "Uh, no, I'm… I'm good. Thanks."
"Cool," Amethyst said. "Cuz I wasn't gonna carry you like Garnet with P over there." She gave a loud laugh, turning heel and walking back up the stairs. Lapis felt her face twitch.
"Okay." She stood there a moment, looking at the backs of the two new strangers walking up the stairwell. She shook herself, blowing air from her mouth as she ran a shaky hand through her hair.
She didn't know what to think of this development, but it couldn't be worse than more bright seekers.