Lions' portal cut through the warm summer air lingering above the strawberry field. Lion emerged, gliding through the air with the Heretic on his back, tightly gripping his mane. Upon landing he lost his grip and rolled through the field, coating him in strawberries. Butterflies, attracted to the sweet nectar, begun to descend upon him in swarms.
Brushing away his assailants, the heretic stood up and took a deep breath. A sweet aroma filled him, putting him at ease. As he looked around, he noticed several large weapons scattered across the field causing his heart to sink. This was the same battlefield he stood on that fateful day. But something was different, the battle had only occurred only a few weeks ago and yet many of the weapons were missing, and the remains of his regiment were absent from the field.
He turned around and faced Lion who was sitting calmly before him. "Why did you bring me here? How long has it been!?" The Heretic shouted, but Lion offered only an innocent gaze in response.
Realizing he was yelling at a Lion, the Heretic calmed himself and switched his attention back to the battlefield. He ran, searching for any clue or sign that could aid him. Quickly becoming frustrated, he dropped to his knees and begun to dig. Pushing past the untamed growth of the field and digging up the earth, his hand felt something metallic. Ripping it out from the ground he held a familiar blue and white striped helmet, the same one that once belonged to the warp navigator. A skull had fallen from the helmet, the pink hue proof this was once a member of the immortal legion.
How long have I been gone? The Heretic thought to himself. He struggled to remember what had happened to him or why Garnet and Pearl had sealed him away, but it didn't matter. He needed to find Nora and make sure she was safe. The last place he remembered seeing her was in the caverns beneath the stronghold, but he had no idea how to get back there. He turned back around and began sprinting back to where he had arrived. The Lion was his only lead right now, and he needed his help. He did not know why he had saved him, but he had no one else he could trust.
Lion was laying in the same spot he was left. As the Heretic approached, he raised his head and looked patiently toward him.
"Listen, I don't know if you understand me and I don't know why you helped me, but right now your my only hope. I'm looking for a young girl who was travelling with me, and I'm struggling to piece together my own mind," the Heretic asked Lion as he pet the sides of Lion's face. When the Lion did not react, he let out one last plea. "Please, I need to know that at least Nora got out alright." Suddenly, Lion stood up. He was unsure of his intentions, but he quickly mounted the kind beast. Before he could figure out where to grip, Lion bolted off and let out a roar which opened another portal.
Inside it was like they were soaring through a tunnel of pure light. He tightly gripped Lion's mane as he struggled to hold on amidst the immense speed. The portal rapidly coming to a close around them as they neared the exit.
Lion landed gracefully upon the wet pavement outside It's a Wash car wash, but the Heretic did not take the journey so well as he was flung off Lion's back upon arrival. His armor screeched as he slid across the moist concrete before slowly coming to a stop.
"That's quite a bit more difficult than warp travel. How do you do that?" the Heretic inquired, rain pattering upon his armor as he slowly rose. Lion only stared blankly back at him. Finally taking a moment to look Lion over he began to consider the implications. "Can't say I've ever seen a pink Lion, but it looks like you and me got that in common at the very least. You must be Rose's, kinda obvious innit?". He said with a small laugh, looking into Lion's eyes. Lion only yawned before wandering off again.
The Heretic looked at his unfamiliar surroundings. Two structures stood before him, one large and one small. The large had a glowing sign sat atop it which read, "It's A Wash" and seemed to depict an elephant. The small one stood directly in front the other and similarly had wording on the side. "Mr. Universe" the structure read. He was perplexed by its many doors and small size. "Why did you bring me here, friend?" He asked, watching as Lion walked over to the small structure and began climbing it, or pawing it? He was not sure, but he figured it must be important.
As he investigated the structure, Lion had successfully climbed atop and began stomping his feet. This caused a blaring sound which sent him into a panic as he looked around for enemies. The sound could attract any nearby corrupted, but instead one of the doors swung open revealing a large, bearded man.
"Who goes there? I got a waffle iron!" the man shouted. His eyes meeting with the strange, armored man who stood before him. It was like he was staring at a man out of time. "Um, can I help you . . . sir?"
Lion leaped down from atop the vehicle, startling the man who fell backwards.
"Lion!? You nearly scared the last of the hair off my head," the man said as he looked back towards the Heretic. "And who's your buddy here? A friend of the Gems?"
"I am. . .," the Heretic began, but he hesitated to speak. What was he to tell the man, that he was a heretic? He would never get help like that. Would this man support him if he knew who he really was? He looked up at the man who was nervously awaiting his response. "I am a friend of Rose Quartz, and I have come seeking your aid."
"Rose?" the man asked solemnly. "Excuse me, where are my manners, I think I should have some by now," he said with a laugh. "Please come inside and we can talk outside the rain."
The Heretic accepted his offer and entered the structure, Lion followed behind him. He struggled to fit inside, needing to sit hunched over to keep his head from hitting the roof. Their combined weight caused the vehicle to creek and shift, prompting a concerned look from the man. "I'm sure that's fine," he said. The interior was filled with a wide variety of garments and other strange objects he could not identify. Once inside Lion violently shook, splashing water all over the interior of the vehicle before he laid back down.
"Agh, gross. Not sure what else I expected from a wild animal," the man said jokingly. "Anyway, I'm Greg, what did you say your name was?" Greg asked, extending his hand toward the Heretic.
His name? The Paladin thought about it for a moment. His mind was still hazy as he struggled to recall such a simple thing. He may not have heard the sound of his own name for centuries, but surely it was not something he could forget. He slowly reached his hand out to Greg and gripped his hand tight, not realizing his own strength. "Pleased to make your acquaintance, sir Greg. You can just call me Paladin, or buddy if you prefer."
Greg flinched as his hands made an ominous cracking sound. "Sir? There's no need for that" Greg responded, rubbing his hand. "So, Paladin, you said you needed some help. I'm not sure how much help I'll be. I'm certain my son, Steven and-"
"I apologize for interrupting, but might I ask you if we're safe here?" The Paladin asked as he nervously peered out the rear window. "How have the corrupted not found you?"
"Corrupted? Are you talking about some gem related business? Cause the gems told me not to get involved in magic stuff," Greg said as he raised his hands.
The Paladin whipped his head to face Greg. "You know the gems?" He asked with a sense of urgency.
"Um, yeah. My son, Steven, is one of the crystal gems. Have you not met them yet? They are always mixed into all sorts of magic gem stuff," Greg replied as he cracked open a can of cherry soda and took a drink from it.
The Paladin thought back to when he emerged from his prison. The young boy with the star shirt and pink coat. Could that have been who he was talking about? And he was a member of the Crystal gems? The Paladin was getting sidetracked by his thoughts. I need to stay focused, he thought. While the Lion seemed to trust this man, if he was connected to Garnet and Pearl, then he could not. "I can't say that I have, Greg," the Paladin said calmly. "You see, I'm looking for one of my companions. A squire of Pearl's errantry. Her name is Nora."
Initially Greg assumed he was talking about Connie, but when he heard the name, he nearly spat out his drink. "Nora?" Greg asked, surprised.
"Do you know her?" The paladin desperately asked.
"No, no, I'm sorry. I don't know any Nora's. I was just surprised was all"
"Surprised?"
"Well, you see, before my son was born," Greg began, rubbing the back of his neck. "Me and Rose had said we would name our child Nora if it turned out to be a girl. But-"
"Rose has a child!?" The Paladin exclaimed, jumping up, but his head met the ceiling putting him back down. "Where is she now!? Maybe she can still help me."
Greg's face shifted to a frown as he turned his eyes away. "Rose is gone. When my son, Steven, was born she gave up her physical form so that he could live. Her gem was given to him and with it all of her burdens," Greg's said as his dour voice trailed off.
The van fell quiet, only the sound of rain against metal keeping the void of silence at bay. Rose was gone, and she had a child the Paladin thought. Was such a thing even possible? The boy, he must have at least been a squire's age, if not older. Had he truly been gone that long? But maybe there was still a chance Nora was alright. He needed to be sure, he needed to do it for her.
Finally, the Paladin spoke up. "Sir Greg, I need your help. I don't know how much time has passed, but I need to find out what happened to Nora, and I don't know where else to look. The Lion brought me to you, so you must be the key."
Greg looked at the Paladin with somber eyes. "I think the best place to start is with the Crystal Gems. I heard they were goin on some trip and would be gone a few hours. We can wait for them at the beach house. If not Steven, then surely Garnet, Pearl, or-"
"No!" the Paladin shouted as he slammed his fist into the wall behind him. Pulling his hand from the dented metal he looked to Greg who had gone quiet. "I'm sorry, I didn't . . ." He took a deep breath before continuing. "It's just, this is urgent. Do you know any other Gems who could help?"
"Uh, yeah. I'm sure someone down at little home world would be happy to help you. I heard some of them are pretty old, so they probably know all sorts of things I don't. Climb in front and I'll take you right now."
Greg pushed some junk aside and crawled into the driver seat. The Paladin followed behind and tried to make himself comfortable in the passenger chair as his head hit the ceiling. The weight shifted in the vehicle again levelling out as Lion sat in the back. Once they were situated, Greg started the van and started down the road.
The pair sat in silence for a while before the Paladin spoke up. "I'm sorry about your van. I'll help you fix it if you'd like."
"This old thing? Ehh don't worry about it. If every Porkchop were perfect, we wouldn't have hotdogs." Greg said wih a nervous laugh as the paladin did not respond. "The gems have done far worse to it, and it always came through," Greg cheerfully added.
"Your a kind man, sir Greg. I can see why Rose liked you," the Paladin said, his words nearly whispered.
"You know what'll lighten the mood? Some tunes. Mind grabbing one of the CD's out the dash and poppin it in the radio?" Greg said as he pointed towards a pile of CD's stashed in a compartment on the dashboard.
The Paladin sifted through the pile where one caught his eye. The cover seemed to depict the van they were riding in and had a younger image of Greg on the front. After fiddling with the case, he eventually got the CD out and reached to place it in the radio.
"Umm, maybe not that one-" Greg attempted to reach out and stop the Paladin, but the CD had already been inserted.
The Paladin listened as the device begun playing a musical tone when Greg's voice suddenly entered into the mix. "I know I'm not that tall. I know I'm not that smart but let me drive my van into your heart. Let me drive my van into your heart."
The Paladin looked over at Greg, but his mouth was not moving despite hearing his voice. "You really love this van, don't you?"
Greg blushed out of embarrassment. "Oh, well it's not really about the van so much as it is about-. You know what, how about we just listen to the song for a bit."
Driving in silence the Paladin watched through the window as they passed a small beachside town. not a single wall or defense in sight. Were things truly safe? Sergeant Dewey would have loved it here he thought. The poor fool always wanted to take his family and live out life on a beach. The Paladin wondered what fate befell his other companions, but he would likely find out soon enough.
"We're here," Greg said, pulling the Paladin out of his thoughts. "Welcome to little home world. Man, this place just gets bigger every time I see it." Greg drove through the gates of little home world and into the town, but the roads were empty. "Schools closed cause it's the weekend, so a lot of the gems might be out travelling, but there are a pair who live here, so I'm hoping there still here." Greg turned a corner where two gems could be seen playing in the distance. "Perfect, just the gems I was looking for."
The Paladin struggled to make out the two through the thin slits in his helmet, but as they approached, he noticed a distinct blue gem. He ducked down and froze in terror. He could almost feel his heart beat again and the butterflies in his stomach. It was a Lapis Lazuli.