Part 1: The Mission
Chapter 2: Rhythm and Blues
"Well, we're off to a great start." Sapphire thought, pouting a bit as Ruby's grip tightened and the sped through the cosmos via the warp stream. Ruby stared straight ahead, face frozen in a mask of seriousness. Sapphire decided she would take two actions going forward: assume the little red gem was just nervous or just really bad at conversation and not a complete jerk and that when she was ready to talk she would respond by quote 'un-canning it'.
For her part, Ruby did kind of want to talk; the warp stream was deafeningly silent and increasingly awkward to navigate in , she had a mission and a mission is no place to chat, "Like she'd even listen to a word out of me anyway." Ruby thought, letting out an annoyed huff.
And so they traveled, in silence, the long and borderline miserable journey between their home world and the foreign planet of earth. Though the warp allowed them to move a speeds approaching light speed, it still was painfully slow for the two gems. Finally the two warped to the earth terminal and Ruby trotted off the pad, marching towards their destination and dragging a weary Sapphire behind them.
"Come on, let's get to the Spire warp." She gruffly growled looking straight ahead.
Sapphire hesitated, "can I at least get my bearings?" she looked around at this new, foreign land. The sky was a strange misty blue color that Sapphire could nearly blend into, and all around the warp pad green tufts of native foliage (grass, her report called it) grew over the soft brown land and grew to a height that nearly engulfed the two gems as Ruby impatiently dragged the two along.
"You can sight see when my mission is over," Ruby rolled her eyes, "maybe."
Sapphire sighed, "Look, there's no need to be rude…. I just thought we could both use a break."
Ruby glared, "I don't NEED a break. I need to get this mission over with so I can- NOOOOOOOOOO!" Ruby let go of Sapphire's arm and sprinted ahead, eyes wide with panic.
Sapphire watched, fixed to where she had been left.
"So you can know what…?" she asked, wading closer and slowly realizing the true weight of their predicament.
The warp pad to the spire had been destroyed, presumably by rebels that wanted to disrupt empire movements. Ruby slammed her fists on its shattered remains, hissing in frustration, "d-damn stupid rebels! I'll kill them all!"
Sapphire pouted with concern, placing a gentle hand on the red gem's shoulder, "there's another warp pad south of here, you know…. It's only-"
"I know its ten Earth days away, don't remind me!" Ruby pulled a padded shoulder away, before falling in a slump upon the wreckage. She let out a defeated whine, her hands clasping her temples. Sapphire couldn't help but pity her, but also find the whole thing a bit humorous, even adorable.
"Ruby… I know this is rather improper considering our escort assignment, but I have a suggestion:" Sapphire sat next to her now growling and whining escort gem, "let's find a place to rest for a bit before setting out. Just…. Mentally prepare?"
A moment passed before Ruby responded by standing, turning west and marching straight ahead, "We're moving out. Now."
"Oh don't be so stubborn!" Sapphire shouted, racing after her escort, "and you're going the wrong way!"
/
After a few earth hours of nagging, Ruby managed to turn from west to south. Several hours later, as the blue planet turned away from its sun and plunged into darkness, Sapphire once again placed a delicate hand on Ruby's shoulder, "it's dark, and I'm certain you don't have night vision. We need to stop."
"I- don't need to stop-" Ruby panted, steps faltering, "and I- w-wont."
"Ruby, please-" Sapphire's pleas were met by deep growl from the tiny Brute gem as it turned to face her.
"Fine! I'll make us stop already!" Ruby summoned her bracer, a ten-pound forearm-covering iron that blended well with her overall red palette. Sapphire backed away at the sight of it, worried that this gem might act on her supposed 'violent tendencies'.
"Ruby, I-" Sapphire managed to squeak out before Ruby turned to face a nearby cliff side.
"Stay right there." Ruby commanded, facing the limestone block and smashing her gem weapon into it, slowly pounding out a cave for the two to seek shelter in. Sapphire watched, the looked around at the darkening world around her. Though it had its beauty and uniqueness when compared to her own world, it was still strange and foreign. And while she still had faith that Ruby would eventually warm up to her, the ache in her gem for Bowenite was still quite painful. All Sapphire wanted to do was return to her chamber in the Seer tower and hide in her pillows, and just sing the night away.
"T-there!" Ruby huffed, backing away and de-summoning her weapon. The hole she had created could hold the two gems snugly, without allowing most hostile entities in after them. She crawled in and collapsed, her powers exhausted for the time being.
"Thank you." Sapphire whispered, crawling in after her and curling up, back facing her.
"Yeah… yeah." Ruby huffed, finally allowing herself to relax. This mission was wearing on her, physically and even mentally.
"First the stupid rebels break the stupid warp pad, then that obnoxious mental gem keeps nagging at me, 'oh, just turn right already' 'stop, we're entering a desert', until I'm ready to lose my mind, and then she makes me dig this stupid hole so she can get her beauty rest-" Ruby's irritated thoughts were interrupted by a soft, melodic sound beside her.
"AND NOW SHE'S SINGING?!" Ruby seethed, perceiving an added insult to injury as Sapphire indulged in an art no brute-class gem was ever allowed to partake in.
"Knock it off Sapphire," Ruby growled softly, only for the singing to continue, "I mean it, quit it with the singing."
Though Ruby's voice was raising, Sapphire was losing herself in her little song. The melody she was singing was beginning to calm her, as she had hoped it would. She had not noticed the gem beside her was boiling over in fury and now looming over her.
"I SAID SHUT UP YOU MENTAL-CLASS BRAT!" Ruby barked, her voice drowning out the last notes of Sapphire's song and echoing through the limestone cave. Ruby glared down at her charge for a moment before rolling back onto her side, "remember who's in charge here…" she sighed, finally getting comfortable in the silence… until a quieter noise from sapphire reached her, gentle reserved sobbing.
"I'm sorry," Sapphire managed between little hurt sobs, "I wasn't trying to show off or anything I…"
"Sapphire, wha-"Ruby turned over a bit, surprised by this new sensation of guilt and concern.
"I'm just miserable!" Sapphire hid in her slender hands, curling in and away from her escort in sorrow, "I've lost my home and my mentor, and I thought singing would help me relax but it's just made you mad and-"
"And forget it," Ruby Rolled onto her back, breathing out softly, "forget what I said, you can sing as much as you want."
"Ruby, you-"
"I'm sorry, ok?" she growled a bit, before forcing herself to relax, "I've never done this before, I'm sorry I'm being such a jerk." She closed her eyes and sighs.
Sapphire turned and uncovered her face to look at the brute class gem beside her. She didn't seem mad any more, and though her eyes were closed she was sure Ruby was sincerely sorry.
She took a breath and went back to singing.
Ruby slowly decompressed, putting herself in a state of mind where she could listen to her charge's song. It was a new experience to her; the melody rose and fell and her voice was gentle and even soothing. "I see now why this calms her." Ruby thought, her lips gently curling into a slight smile. The closest she had come to music before this moment in the cave had been the deep bass drums of the sparring ring, which were only permitted in the context of allowing competitors to time their strikes to a rhythm. "Heh, my chest is kinda like a drum, come to think of it." She placed her hands on her stomach and listened closely to Sapphire's melody, then began to tap her gut at moments she felt tapping would be right, getting a bit louder as she grew more confidant with her drumming. After a moment, Sapphire noticed, and her singing stopped.
"Are you tapping out a rhythm?" She asked, turning over a bit.
"NO! I- maybe…" Ruby cringed instinctively, only to be surprised by Sapphire giggling and turning onto her back, so the two gems were lying side by side.
"Want me to keep singing?" she asked, smiling at her red escort.
"…yeah, I do." Ruby smiled back, ready to keep drumming.
Sapphire's gentle voice was greatly complimented by Ruby's well-timed rhythm, and the two kept the song going for many hours. The sensation of relaxation and comfort grew into a crescendo as they eventually ended the song in a fit of impressed giggles.
"t-that was awesome!" Ruby grinned at the little blue gem beside her with new-found respect.
"Indeed it was, Ruby." Sapphire responded sweetly, scooting within an inch of her brutish companion.
"I knew we could be friends" she mused, as the sun rose over the hills outside.