Part 1: The Mission
Chapter 9: To the Sea
The two gems had been walking the plains in silence, the scent of the burnt out village clinging to them even as the haunting ruins disappeared behind them. Occasionally, one would glance away from the path ahead to one another; to check on their pace and demeanor or whatever else they would internally say to justify their mutual need to watch one another in the silence.
"So, we end as we began," Sapphire thought with a withering sigh "in Silence." But then she noticed the silence was incomplete: Ruby was humming. Her melody was rough and unpolished but it had an air of levity in it Sapphire could not deny.
"You want to sing?" Sapphire shook her head, but smiled nonetheless.
"Yeah, why not?" the little red gem smirked, despite everything, "it can be about anything. You start."
"Um…. Ok" the mental gem hummed a few bars, catching up to her escort's unique tempo.
"We've crossed over a hundred miles of land."
"And we've got twenty more to go."
"And it's been one long trip for both of us"
"But we'll make it to the Spire before you know."
"To the Sea, To the Sea, To the Sea, To the Sea"
"So long as we stick together, We can make it through whatever."
"We're going to make it to the Sea"
The two gems laughed, taking a moment to leap over a bend in a stream before Ruby picked up the next verse.
"In this long mission I have found a friend."
"Sometimes a friend is all you need."
"You make me feel like I can overcome any challenge I come upon."
"And in that I can say we are agreed"
"To the Sea, To the Sea, To the Sea, To the Sea."
"When we're working as a team, Nothing's harder than it seems."
"We're going to make it to the Sea."
Ruby and Sapphire crested a hill, each chanting "To the Sea" enthusiastically. With boundless enthusiasm the two rolled down the hill, bending the uncut grass into two thin stripes. As their momentum petered out at the bottom, the two laughing and panting, their song of triumph found its final lyrics.
"To the Sea, to the Sea, to the Sea, To the Sea."
"I'd be lost without you, and without a doubt that's true."
"We're going to make it to the Sea."
Ruby smiled at Sapphire, and Sapphire smiled at Ruby. The red Gem leaned up, and cleared her throat, glancing away; her cheeks were flush with exertion, from what she could tell.
"Hey Sapph, I just had…. A hypothetical idea." She asked, scratching the side of her head.
"I'm listening." The blue gem leaned back, hugging the fold in her dress where her knees were hidden.
"Well, picture this…. Instead of, you know, going to the sea spire…. We just stayed out here in the wilds of Earth?" the brute smirked with both mischief and hope, "we could live in a cave somewhere, watch over stray earth creatures, defend men from total annihilation-"
"What you're suggesting is rebellion." Sapphire responded flatly, but without any tone of judgement.
"No! No, not rebellion. It's a mixture of, you know…. Desertion and insubordination without direct conflict, you know?"
Sapphire sighed, opening her perception to her future vision, "I'm sorry, but it would not work. When the rebellion is crushed, we would be hunted down and executed as traitors, direct confrontation or not."
"Yeah, but… I just thought…." She sighed, "I can't hide my corruption forever. And even if I do, when we get to the spire I'm never going to see you again. I-I'll lose my only friend." The tiny red gem teared up, fighting back flames of frustration from erupting from her and setting the plains ablaze. Sapphire put a hand on her cheek, tenderly wiping away her tears.
"I can make an appeal Ruby, for a permanent guard." Sapphire leaned in close, speaking quietly and emphatically, "I'll ask for you by name."
Ruby Sniffled, looking away, "those appeals take a long time Sapph…. I'm going to be cannon fodder in the war… or worse…."
"Ruby, I doubt they'll assign you to attack a human settlement."
"What if they do though?" The red gem whimpered, "I'm not going to… I can't….. I'm not a monster!"
"And you won't be." Sapphire moved to hold her escort's face between her hands, "we'll find a way to make this work…. I promise you." Ruby's blush broadened, only to be shaken away by her nod.
"If you say so, then I believe you." She stood, shaking out the brown cape a bit to dislodge some clinging blades of grass. Sapphire followed her in standing, but as she went to follow her, a fleeting vision of a red gem getting crushed under the foot of an orange brute gem stunned her from following Ruby further.
"You ok Sapphy?" she asked, looking back. The startled blue gem nodded slowly, advancing forward.
"This… this is probably a mistake." She thought, tensely.
/
The visions were atrocious and unyielding; every potentially awful scenario Ruby could experience was on full display for Sapphire. The crushing, corruptions and permanent separation weighed on the blue gem, who could barely keep up with her escort.
"It's not like her options on earth are great, but…." She watched Ruby moving through the grass, with confidence and power, "she is strong, and intuitive. The two of us together would be caught, but she would likely avoid detection. I-if I can convince her to let me go alone…."
"Hey Sapphire, come on." Ruby called, smiling her growingly charming smile, "we're almost there, why are you slowing down now?"
"O-oh sorry…" Sapphire ran to catch up, keeping pace with the red gem. She watched her, her grim visions overlayed on the present.
"No…. she will never let me leave her side if she can help it. And, the more I think about it, I can't bring myself to think of letting her leave mine." Sapphire's eye widened as she realized how confidant Ruby's smile was. It glowed with a radiance that stilled the chaos of Sapphire's thoughts, visions and worries.
"I couldn't have assuaged her fears that well. Is she… facing death with a smile?" Sapphire turned her eye away, facing ahead of her.
"I-I can't let her face that fate alone. Not after everything…. If she's discovered, I will face the crushing block with her." Sapphire brushed aside the insane logic of this choice; something beyond reason had taken control inside the blue gem. It seemed to fly in the face of the teachings of Bowenite, and of the Authority's dogma. But as Sapphire let it fill and control her mind, her horrid visions dissipated and Sapphire could clearly see reality; just in time for the two gems to crest the final hill between them and the endless expanse of seawater.
"There it is!" Ruby shouted in triumph and in one swift motion lifted her charge and span her gently in the brackish air. Sapphire giggled lightly, clinging to Ruby's arms.
"You did it Ruby, congratulations." The blue gem smiled at her escort warmly, and genuinely. Ruby took the warmth it gave her as a reward for hiding her crippling fear for this last step.
"Come on, I see the warp pad!" Ruby pointed and ran down the hill, towards the sand-blanketed coast. All the while within her mind her mantra played within her mind.
"Do it for Sapphire, Do it for Sapphire, Do it for Sapphire." Faint tears streamed and steamed from her eyes, but if she could keep Sapphire safe for this long and deliver her to the Sea Spire she could keep smiling. No matter how soon her gem was shattered, or her beastly form consumed her sense of self, he could face the future with a smile.
"DO IT FOR SAPPHIRE!" Ruby dove face first into the white sand, letting her heat mix with its residual heat. Sapphire giggled, floating after her.
"Are you alright?" she asked, lifting her from the sand. Ruby's grin did not falter, her eyes drinking in the visage of Sapphire that she may ever know.
"Why wouldn't I be?" she shook the sand from her hair, and turned towards the warp pad. It was unbroken and in perfect working order.
"Are you ready?" Ruby asked, taking Sapphire's gem hand in hers.
"Yes, I'm ready…. Are you?" the seer gem responded, a faint tremor in her voice.
"Why wouldn't I be?" Ruby repeated, holding out her hopeful façade as best she could.
"I don't know." Sapphire shook her head and stepped onto the warp pad with her red escort, whose eyes were fixed ahead, onto the endless blue waves. As the warp pad glowed to life she threw her arms around her; pulling her into a fleeting, tender hug.
"But I had to make sure." Ruby's face grew warm and pink as Sapphire's darkened in kind. The small lonely gems let themselves experience this unbridled, unknown joy until the Warp faded and the interior of the Sea Spire overwhelmed the two with the bustle of countless Brute and Mental gems. Their mission was complete, in all but paperwork.