Ages
Steven - 5 ( almost 6 )
PeeDee - 5
Sour Cream - 9
Pizza Twins - 10
Buck Dewey - 10
"Ruby!" Pearl cried out. Ducking below the crab-like corrupted gem's pincher. Trying to reach her - Ruby's gem fell to the ground as she dissipated. She was still too far away to reach. Pearl couldn't let her gem get damaged. A pincher tried to grab Pearl and she had to drop to the ground and rolled desperately out of the way. She leapt back onto her feet, pulled out another spear and attacked the shelled creature with renewed vigor, making it step back from Ruby's gem.
It was too strong, too tough, and she was forced to duck back as another pincher came in towards her. Her spears couldn't pierce its shell; there was nothing she could do. Its pincher again closed around her spear, shattering it into light. She glanced behind her at Ruby.
She ducked below the Pincher, duck, weave, step, duck, weave, step, always taking another step closer to Ruby's death. She was going to fail. Ruby was going to be shattered.
Do It For Her.
A mantra. Pearl had repeated to herself for thousands of years, a reason to live. One she had thought had been lost with Rose. Do It For Her. Ruby deserved to live, not for Rose's sake, but for Ruby's own sake. She had to protect her friend.
Her mind raced. There had to be a weak point, a way to outsmart it, there always was. There was no other Crystal Gem. No one to protect Ruby if she failed. Duck, weave, step. The sunlight glistened off of its carpus as it went harmlessly past her. The joint next to it ringed with yellow. She ducked, one last time, under its pincher and moved to the side. "I'm over here!" She yelled at it. And it turned to her, away from Ruby.
She pulled out another spear and waited as it charged her. Twirling to the side and slashing through the weak point of its joint. One pincher fell to the ground. The other came towards her and she leapt into the air, leaping over its head and landing between the spikes on its back. She slashed through its other pincher, leaving it defenseless and enraged.
She jumped off of it and as it flailed helplessly at her she stabbed it through the eye. A wave of relief crashed over as it dissipated its form.
She reached down and picked up Ruby and cradled her to her chest "It's alright. You're all right. Let's get back to the temple."
She reached out a hand and bubbled Bixbite "You too. You're safe now." She said, tapping the top of the bubble and sending her to join the rest of their friends.
Steven had been with other kids and the gems on the beach when the Crab monster had attacked. Pearl had told them to go back to their parents before her and Ruby had run after it. Kofi was the nearest and after checking the danger didn't seem to have followed them had set them up at an empty table letting them play tic tac toe on napkins, occasionally checking out the window to see if the gems were coming back.
The danger seemed to have passed by the time they finished up their pizza for lunch, although the gems still hadn't returned, and Kofi reluctantly let them head across the street to play on the beach under strict orders to stay in sight of the restaurant.
An order that Jenny immediately forgot "Hey! Buck is back!" She yelled and took off running across the beach. "How was Rich Kid Camp?" She asked him.
"It sucked." He said shortly.
Sour Cream took off running to them as well, and Kiki looked down at Steven "You'll be alright for a few minutes, right?"
"Aren't we supposed to stay here?" Steven asked.
"We'll be right back." Kiki said. "We're just saying hello to Buck."
She took off running as well and Steven wondered why Buck couldn't come over here.
He kicked the sand disappointedly before sitting down, he could clearly see the older kids walking away from him on the beach and not towards him. He pushed piles of sand together to make sandcastles. "I wish I was older." He muttered.
A blond boy walking across the beach paused. "I know, older kids get to do everything."
The boy looked to be about his age and came over careful to avoid his sandcastle.
"And they never have to listen to anyone." Steven said.
"And get to help Dad at the fry shop!" The boy said.
"Your dad runs the fry shop! Dad and I got there all the time! We get the bits!"
"Oh!" The boy's eyes widened. "You are the ones Dad complains about!"
"Yeah!" Steven said.
"Want help with your sandcastle?"
"Yeah, what's your name?" Steven asked.
"PeeDee. My brother's over there dissecting a sand alien. But I was 'getting in the way"
"I know how that is, my friends think I'm such a baby. But I'm not, really! I'm a big boy!"
PeeDee nodded in understanding. "Rolando gets to help dad in the shop, but when I try, I'm told "it's not safe." I'm very safe!" He helped Steven pile up the sand as they continued grumbling about the pains of being too young.
It was only a few minutes later Kofi opened the door "Steven! Get back in here! Where are my girls?" He yelled.
"Sorry. Gotta go." Steven told PeeDee.
"It's okay." PeeDee said "I'm here most days. Wanna play tomorrow? We could make a better sandcastle."
"I would love too!" Steven said, before hurrying back to Kofi. "Buck is back from summer camp, so all the kids wanted to play with him!"
"Stay here, I'll go get them, I swear that boy is a bad influence." Kofi said, running out to fetch his children.
Pearl sat in the cave of obsidian's hands, still holding Ruby in one hand, afraid to let go of her. Afraid to look away from her for a second. Afraid she would be truly alone. She ran a finger around Ruby's gem, reassuring herself it was whole, that she would return.
But it was taking so long, Ruby normally came back so quickly, running to check on Sapphire. But hours had passed, and Pearl wondered if Ruby didn't want to return. She couldn't blame her, but you couldn't hide in your gem forever.
"Ruby, come back." She whispered to her, knowing she couldn't hear. "It will be okay…we'll figure it out. You said you wouldn't leave me alone." She sighed. "I don't know what I'm doing without Rose, I know you don't want me to talk about her. But I'm so lost, how long can I live for her? How many of our friends can I bubble for her when she's not here? How long will her son need to be taken care of? What do I do when…her orders run out."
The silence stretched for a moment and Pearl stared at Ruby's gem like it contained some answer. "She didn't mean them as orders of course, she didn't bind me to them…it wasn't like that. Oh, stars, I'm making her sound bad, it wasn't her, it was never her, it was me. I was the one who needed orders. I'm the one who doesn't know what to do unless she tells me."
"I'm trying so hard to be strong, Ruby. I…l don't have the right to break down. Not when everyone has broken down on you, not when we all fell apart because of the lies. Sapphire and Amethyst, they are so hurt. And it's my fault…I just…. I don't know how to fix any of this." She wiped tears from her eyes. "And now I'm going to be a mess when you come back. But I can't stop crying. Maybe you should just stay in there. There's nothing out here for you. Sapphire's not coming back."
Silence fell again. And then, without warning. Ruby's gem began to glow and lift into the air.
Ruby landed with a massive grin. "Well? What do you think?"
"Oh, Ruby you are back!" Pearl hugged Ruby tightly. " You're back."
Ruby seemed thrown by her enthusiasm. "Ah…yeah? Do you like my outfit?"
Pearl let her go and took a step back. Ruby had never changed her outfits much over the years, preferring to rush back to Sapphire's side as quickly as possible.
It was clear she had put more thought into her outfit this time. Triangle sleeves had been added to her shirt. A bright red belt with black studs added some unexpected bling to her outfit, and most surprising. Three black stars were on the left side of her shirt.
"You look wonderful." Pearl told her. "I mean, I would have centered the stars personally…but you look wonderful Ruby…why, why three?"
Ruby touched her hand to them. "For Me, and You and Steven. We're the crystal gems now. I can't keep hoping Sapphire will come back…when she doesn't want to. She won't even talk to me…" Ruby stared at the wall, suddenly sad again.
Pearl wrapped her arms around her. "I'm sorry."
"I've never been alone before." Ruby said. "And I'm bad at it."
Pearl smiled wryly. "Ruby. I couldn't keep it together for the couple of hours you were gone. I don't think you're the one who can't handle being alone."
"But you've been alone! I was always fused, with other rubies or with Sapphire. Rose left you alone all the time!"
Pearl tried to ignore the stab of pain of the truth of that statement. "Yes…but I hated it." She said, letting Ruby go and sitting on the floor, wrapping her arms around knees.
Ruby sat next to her, looking concerned.
"I was always just waiting for her to return." Pearl said. "When she left on her trips and didn't take us with her. I tried to tell her she could take me - there was nothing she couldn't tell me. But she said she wanted to be alone…so I stayed. Just…waiting for her. Waiting for her to come back, hoping maybe we would fuse again."
"Sapphire and I…we never really thought about whether we wanted to fuse or not…" Ruby said. "During the war…I mean, we were the face of the rebellion you know? Anyone could love anyone. If we fought and came apart…we didn't talk about it, she just waited until I calmed down and we got back together. So that everyone could look up to us…but now she's gone. And maybe we never meant anything at all."
"Of course you did Ruby. Of course you did. You couldn't have stayed Garnet so long if you hadn't… a few fights…even now. All those years still meant something, don't tell yourself it didn't...Rose is gone. But I have to believe that all those years we spent together still mattered…there wouldn't be anything left of me if I didn't."
Ruby's hand caught fire and she shoved it on the ground until it went out. "Sorry." She muttered. "Rose…Pink. I never thought she could cost me Sapphire. Well, I guess I did. But I thought Pink would shatter her. And that was a long time ago."
Pearl looked down. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry you're alone and it's all my fault."
"What about you?" Ruby asked her.
"What about me?" Pearl said, confused.
"You're alone too." Ruby pointed out.
"That's my own fault." Pearl sighed.
Ruby shook her head and stood up. She reached out a hand to Pearl. "Why should we be alone? I don't want to be alone anymore, and you don't either. We can do whatever we want! There's no one to tell us we can't! I don't have to ask Sapphire what she wants, and you don't have to ask Rose!"
She paused and blushed awkwardly "Ah, that is to say, do you want to fuse with me, Pearl? Not…like Garnet or Rainbow Quartz. Just like Opal or Sardonyx…it's alright if you don't."
Pearl didn't hesitate as she took Ruby's hand, standing up. Their dance was easy and barely needed, Ruby twirled Pearl from one hand to the other and when their other hands met a bright light filled the room.
Rhodonite opened her eyes for the first time. She looked behind her to the door of the temple, a room existed for her, but she didn't care to see it now. She looked down at her body. Black ballet slippers, black shorts, red shirt. A transparent skirt over it. Ruby in her hand and Pearl in her forehead, she could feel them, almost hear them, but they were quiet, letting her explore her new existence. Pink skin, pointed hair, four eyes and two arms. She took a step forward and found it was easy, her components, although they had never fused with each other, were in sync, both used to the surrender of control and compromise of fusion.
"Who am I?" She wondered aloud. Comfort. Loneliness. Friendship. Loss. Loyalty. Words she found as easily as she reached for them.
There were stars on her shoulders, she realized. One on both shoulders, one for each of her parts, perfectly symmetrical. Just as Pearl would want them. She left the temple to walk along the beach, she wondered if she brought them peace, or if she only added to holes in their hearts. They didn't answer her silent questions.
So she walked, perhaps she would find a corrupted gem to fight, but perhaps she would just walk until she could watch the sun set, she was sure somehow that she liked to watch the sun set.