Golden: The Collection

Chapter XVII: Together We Stand

That carriage ride was long. Being stuck in there with Oliver was bad enough as it was. Then, there was the fact that they had no idea of what became of Aureate. Or Stuffy. Or the Gemstones they were in charge of.

The group collectively agreed to return to Castle Solarex. It was best to meet up with the other half of the Allegiance than make any rash moves. They arrived around two days after parting with the zombies.

One can imagine Pea's relief when he saw Princess Aureate safe and sound within the confines of what he considered to be home. They swarmed her with both affection and concern, but Stelora put an end to it quickly, insisting that her sister needed her downtime.

Aureate decided a one day rest period for everyone was what they required, at the very least. So, with the time to kick back and relax while doing his best to ignore the looming threat of the Gem Hunters, Pea wanted to catch up with Nicholas.

The last time he saw his friend, he didn't seem to be in the best state of mind.

While they'd been gone, Lord Buckwheat had relocated House Solarex to a shelter underground for the sake of their own safety. He was in charge of evenly distributing supplies, like sun supplements, water, and the like. While making his way over to Nick, he spotted Willow offering to help their professor.

"Pea! I'm so glad you're okay." Willow, apparently, had been fretting ever since her group returned from Seashore. From what she told him, they'd reached House Solarex at least five days ago. Wow. Pea couldn't blame her for being worried.

"How's being a Gembearer?" he asked. Willow looked back to Buckwheat, who gave her a nod that probably translated to, "I can handle things from here."

"It's still pretty weird," Willow said, scratching the back of her head. Her Gemstone was currently deactivated, as was Aureate's. He would say the same in regards to Stelora, but everyone knew what became of the Amber. "I resisted it at first, really."

Pea felt himself tilt his head. "How come? It's—"

"An honor," Willow finished for him, her demeanor turning downcast. It seems he'd struck a nerve. "I know. It's just, I hate how it's up to the Gemstone, and not the bearer."

His eyes reflected that of confusion, prompting her to continue. "It's like, the Gemstone gets to decide its Gembearer, but we aren't given any choice on how we want things to play out. If.. that makes sense.."

"Oh. Now I understand what you mean." His gaze drifted toward the civilians as he spoke. He watched as a mother force-fed her sproutling a sun supplement, smiling fondly as he spoke. "You think the Gemstone and spirits are forcing this opportunity onto you."

"Yes, exactly!" Willow was glad he understood her, but there was something about his tone of voice that made her curious. "..Do you have a different interpretation?"

"Uhh, I guess. I'm not a Gembearer, so I feel as though it might not be my place to say." He gave his bandana an unconscious tug.

"That's okay. I'd still like to hear."

"It's just, I feel like you should look at this as a gift, Willow. Right now, you're being given a chance to do something great, whether or not it was your decision. This Gemstone may have chosen you, but in the end, its power is what you make of it." Pea, for once, didn't have to think before he spoke. The words came to him naturally. He didn't understand why, but he didn't fight it.

"Had you actually been given the option to say no, I think you would've. But, I want you to look at it this way: it's possible these Gemstones aren't meant to be seen as power, or curses, or even turn their bearers into the 'protectors of Choria' we make them out to be. We perceive the Gemstone's process of choosing a bearer as measuring a certain aspect based on the element. Like, leadership qualities for the Topaz. What if, instead of this, they're simply there to help realize the potential of individuals in need?"