Part 1: The Mission

Chapter 3: The Pursuit

Ruby was up and stretching at the rising of this planet's glowing yellow sun feeling revitalized by last night's jam session. She was determined to get back on track with this mission, seek it and destroy it.

"I thought you said we'd be leaving at first light?" Sapphire asked, watching the red gem proceed into a set of squats, face betraying mo emotion.

"Well yeah, but I need to keep up with my routine." Ruby grunted back smirking, "Only strong gems will make it out here, you know."

"Oh?" Sapphire responded, half listening. She thought she saw something on the peripheral of her future vision, something big and hairy and aggressive…

"duuuh, haven't you heard?" Ruby dropped into push up position, "this planet not only has rebels on it, and it's got monsters too."

Sapphire's vision focused: This wasn't something that might exist, it was a thing in the immediate vicinity, "Describe it." She urged flatly.

Ruby blinked, then smiled mischievously at the blue gem, "well they're big, hairy, ugly animals that can smash a gem in seconds if you're not careful."

Sapphire winced, the thing was getting closer, and appeared to fit that description perfectly.

"And they're cleeeeeeever. Way stupid, even compared to a gem like me, but really clever." Ruby continued, rolling over to get in some tight crunches.

"You are not stupid." Sapphire chided quietly, her attention focusing on a grove of briars. The thing was watching them, making her feel ill at ease.

"And the scaaaary thing about these things is that they will literally chase their prey for days until they drop dead." Ruby stood up, a foot away from the edge of the sharp briars, "briefing calls these monsters 'men'"

Sapphire looked at Ruby blankly, a moment passing, "run."

"wha-" Ruby started to stay before the beast burst from the thick brambles, forelegs flailing as it bellowed ferociously. Ruby whipped around, startled, before being physically lifted by Sapphire, who took off in a smooth sprint.

"Hey!" she flailed in Sapphire's arms, trying to face the hairy beast, "I-I wanted to fight it!"

"Yeah, no, not worth the risk." She coolly replied, the beast keeping pace with her unnaturally well."

"But it's a man! I hafta fight it!" Ruby protested, desperately trying to wriggle free. The animal was almost within her reach, "Just one punch…." She summoned her bracer and lined aimed her gem-studded knuckles at the beast's big, fleshy snout, but as she went for the swing Sapphire took one mighty leap and landed them in the branches of a tall tree.

"Oh come on!" Ruby growled, glaring at sapphire indignantly, "I could have killed it!"

Sapphire's sarcastic glare could be sensed, even though ruby could not see her eyes, "one, that thing is three times taller than you, minimum. Two, if you missed or didn't hit it hard enough, it would have trampled your gem. Three, if it did that you would automatically fail this mission. Do you want that to happen?" the two gems let their frustration simmer down, and waited for the beast to snort indignantly and then finally trot off, allowing them to climb back down.

"Whatever, come on." Ruby hopped out of the tree, letting sapphire follow freely behind her. She would dare not admit the mental gem was absolutely right.

/

The two left behind the valleys and cliffs of the plains and entered a temperate swamp, their sloshing steps loud enough to be heard for miles in the silence of midday.

"I'm telling you Sapphire, I'm stronger than I look!" Ruby said for what had to be the twentieth time, "I beat up things that big every single day. Sometimes twice a day."

Sapphire sighed, "Because you want to, or just because you can?"

"What's that supposed to mean?" Ruby asked, eyebrow raised," you think I'm not strong? Is that it?"

"Not at all," the blue gem placed a gloved hand on her escort's shoulder, her voice calm and even, "what I mean to say is that are many kinds of strength. You have been taught to accept one form of strength, the kind where you must kill or be killed. Fight or be beaten down. Am I right?"

Ruby blinked, staring at Sapphire as she spoke. The words she spoke seemed to sting somehow, but she felt strange truth hiding in them. Her annoyed look melted away.

Sapphire continued, "Ruby, you may be as strong as Blood Diamond for all I know, but you limit yourself if that is the only strength you consider. You're smart, deep down I sense it; perhaps also intuitive, or even kind. Nurture these-"

A wicked roar interrupted the speech as the beast approached the two gems, tearing foliage in its way.

"Back for more, eh?" Ruby summoned her bracer, smirking "Let's see if we can take this thing Sapphire…..Sapphire?"

The brute gem could not find her charge, but heard her crashing through the swamp ahead of her, "I CAN'T LEAVE YOU ALONE, DARN IT!" she shouted, chasing after the noise of swift feet.

"Ugh, so much for all kinds of strength. She's just a coward, hiding behind pithy quotes." She thought, until a snap of rope broke her thoughts and Sapphire's yelp of shock followed

"Sapphire?!" Ruby entered a clearing and found her charge hanging upside-down from a scratchy rope

"I'm not hurt," Sapphire reassured, looking worried," but you keep running, while you have time."

The thundering of the beast's feet resonated in the distance, and Ruby turned to face it "I am not leaving you, got it?"

Sapphire hissed in frustration and summoned a simple set of claws, "you don't understand. I won't be able to cut myself down before the man gets here. If you run- if you run at least you will survive." She began to futilely cut at the rope, not noticing Ruby's stance widening and her grip on her bracer white-knuckling.

"No, you don't understand." Ruby growled, eyes fixed on the noise of the monster closing in on them, "I won't leave you. Not only am I assigned to protect you, I… I think you're cool. I don't want you to die. If that makes me kind, or brave or whatever other strengths there are, I don't care. If that man touches you, he has to go through me first!"

Sapphire looked down at Ruby, wide-eyed, as she stood her ground and the beast broke into the clearing with a bellowing roar. Ruby stood her ground as the man lowered its head and charged forward, horns threatening to strike them both down. In one swift motion Ruby swung her bracer arm into a spine shattering uppercut, knocking the savage animal head back as it keeled up and away from the two small gems. As the dust cleared Ruby chuckled, then laughed and cheered over the beast, "Take that you dumb man! Ain't nobody gonna defeat the mighty Ruby!"

Sapphire could only smile wryly as she finally cut herself free, gracefully dropping to the swamp floor, but as she looked over the body of the beast threatening them her smile faded to a puzzled grimace.

"I can't believe I defeated a man! Me, Ruby the wimp gem, all by myself." Ruby's smile was huge and proud. "Jasper is going to be so impressed!"

"That's because I'm pretty sure this wasn't a man at all," Sapphire circled around the hoof of the beast and pulled a sharpened wooden spear from the beast's side, "and you weren't alone in defeating it."

Ruby's face fell, as she stared at the crude weapon, "t-then that means the man…"

Another beast, as if on cue, burst from the foliage. It stood on two legs and towered over Ruby and Sapphire. The two tiny gems stood frozen as the beast, most certainly a true man, found the body of its fallen prey and gave a cry of triumph and hoisted its legs over its broad, hairy shoulders. It then turned to Ruby and Sapphire, a broad smirk over its face.

Ruby's legs shook as the giant crept closer, for this beast "R-run Sapphire, I'll hold it off…"

This was a lie, she knew this monster would hit as hard as Jasper and not stop until Ruby's gem was pulverized… at least she thought as much, until the beast tenderly patted the cube of hair on Ruby's head and then with a wave departed for the woods.

"… What just happened?!" Ruby blinked, "Was that a warning attack? Are there going to be more?" she was broken from this stream of consciousness by a silvery, delighted laugh. It was Sapphire, for how could it not be?

"I-it was just trying to show you affection." She took a calming breath, "I think it appreciated your help."

"A-affection?" Ruby turned to her, her face a hanging portrait of confusion.

"You've never… felt that, have you?" the red gem slowly shook her head, looking back to the woods, where the man had left. Sapphire sighed and kneeled beside her escort, her arms wrapping around her, the squeeze getting a yelp out of her.

"what are you doing?!" her eyes bugged as she struggled weakly, not sure what to make of this.

"Hugging you. Consider it thanks, for thinking I'm 'cool'" she giggled again.

Ruby sighed, going limp, "fine, you can do that I guess…" she smirked, "you weird, Laffy Sapphy"

Sapphire blushed, trying to stay her giggle, "he-ey you better not get used to calling me that!"