AN: Sapphire is misgendering and misnaming Steven for this entire chapter.
Sapphire watched, only seconds into the future as Ruby came out of her room with Pearl and Amethyst. She thought about what to say to her.
A simple hello.
Ruby would say hello back. No more, she would look sad as she said it.
What's the plan?
Pearl would answer, explaining how the desert glass? Was acting up. Ruby would say nothing to her.
I miss you, my love.
Nothing. That future didn't exist. Sapphire would not say that. That hurt more than anything Ruby could say.
The door opened, Ruby, Pearl and Amethyst walked out. Sapphire didn't say anything to them, too many futures, too hard to act.
"Hey, Sapphire." Ruby said sadly, not even expecting a reply.
"Hello, Ruby" Sapphire managed, and Ruby gave her a small smile in reply.
Ruby was quieter than Sapphire had ever known her, in some ways it was a sadness about her, but in others…Sapphire couldn't place it. Couldn't explain it. It was yet another thing she didn't know, didn't understand, it drove her insane.
"Sapphy" Ruby said quietly. Sapphire hadn't noticed the ice spreading. She stopped it, Pink Diamond came down from her loft, bundled in many layers of human clothing, she ran over to Ruby and threw her arms around her.
Pink Diamond had never been so affectionate before. Not to Garnet at least, although Garnet was not an affectionate gem, like Sapphire herself. Ruby was though, and she hugged Pink Diamond back. "Hey, Steven, how are you doing?"
"Same old. Same old" Pink replied, as she pulled away from Ruby small clouds left her mouth as she spoke.
"Steven. The dessert glass is acting up" Pearl told Pink. "We have to go stop it; do you want to come with us?"
"Yes! Of course!" She said,
It was wrong, all wrong, the way Pink and Pearl interacted, like Pearl was the higher gem giving Pink permission.
Not that they had ever acted like owner and pearl much before, but there has always been something between them, something that if Sapphire had just thought about more, had looked at more, surely would have been clear.
"Well, Sapphire?" Ruby asked softly.
Ruby expected her to know something. A question unspoken but should have been known. She was taking too long to reply, and Ruby would know.
"Do you want to come too?" Ruby finished.
Oh. Yes, a normal question. "I will go with you," she said, although the visions fluttered against her. Too many, too hard to see or think about clearly. She pushed them away, here, now. Isn't that what mattered? Not the haunting past or the looming future.
Amethyst wasn't happy she was coming. It was clear on her face. Ruby was…she thought. Maybe. Pearl seemed indifferent, focused on Pink, some things never changed. "And you will need to bring water with you, Steven," she was saying. "Light colored clothing will keep you cooler."
Pink nodded along to Pearl, although she didn't look like she was listening to her.
They got ready to go quickly, mostly waiting on Pink Diamond to be ready, they warped to the desert and began their search. Sapphire should be able to narrow down the futures and lead them right to it. But she found she couldn't, looking at the future was too much, and she would freeze in place.
Amethyst got sick of it the second time they dragged her out of an ice pile "Whatever you are doing. Cut it out, Sapphire." She growled. "We don't have time for this."
Pink Diamond seemed to enjoy the ice though, breaking off bits and putting it in her drink…she was very committed to her new act…but then, hadn't she been committed to her old one? Had Sapphire for a second considered this betrayal…no. She had been a fool.
This was no time to get caught up in the past and future, unable to stay in the present. But Sapphire was finding it harder than normal to do so, she shook her head and tried to focus as they found the dessert glass and Ruby suggested they leave 'Steven' behind where it was safe.
The dessert glass was dealt with quickly, although Sapphire feared she was not much help.
Pearl and Amethyst bickered mildly on the way back, Pearl trying to get Amethyst to bubble the gem, Amethyst insisting she "just wanted to show it to Steven first"
"Are you ok, Sapphire?" Ruby asked her quietly, falling behind the others to walk with them.
"I'm fine." Sapphire claimed, watching Ruby's brow furrow in worry.
"It's ok if you're not, you know"
But it wasn't, not for her. She was meant to know things, to be collected, to have the answers, she was nothing, without all of that. But there was no way to explain that to Ruby…Sapphire couldn't begin to find the words.
"Ruby! Amethyst! Pearl! Check this out! I have a pet!" Pink yelled.
"You most certainly do not!" Pearl was yelling half a second later and as they came over the top of the sand dune, she and Ruby saw…a pink lion.