With Stars in her Eyes

1 • Flashbacks

"Pearl... Pearl, are you awake? Pearl!"

My eyes slowly tried to flutter open, attempting to quickly adapt to the lighting and surroundings. My sight wasn't the first sense I gained, though. First it was my hearing, since I heard Rose's low, soothing voice cracking in worry. Next, my smell, because I caught a whiff of Rose's sweet scent mingling with the overpowering smoke smells of a battlefield. I could taste blood in the back of my mouth from being knocked out. But most of all, I could feel a tingling wake-up call all throughout my body. Particularly on my forehead gem. It was a healing sensation; that meant Rose had woken me up.

Oh, goodness. That meant... She kissed me. How come I'm always unconscious when that happens?

"Pearl! Thank goodness, I thought I lost you." Rose Quartz threw her arms around me, leaving my face to be buried into her pink fluffy hair. I felt my face flush a shade of teal. She pulled away and I realized where we were; behind a massive entanglement of strawberry bushes. The battlefield. That meant...

"Rose!" I exclaimed, stumbling to my feet. I looked around frantically. My head gem glowed as I summoned my spear, which I held at my side cautiously. "How long was I out?"

Rose rest a hand on my shoulder. "Pearl, it's okay, calm down," she said with a low tone, looking at me with an expression that read "chill out". "And please, be quieter. We're still in battle."

I slapped my hand over my mouth instinctively. "Oh." I got and sat up on my knees, trying to catch a view from out behind the bush. I gasped. The fight was even more heated... Rose could've died out there.

"Rose!" I whisper-yelled. "Please, how long was I out?"

Rose Quartz hesitated. "A half hour at least," she said. "But it's okay. It's okay. I've been keeping sheltered. I've been dueling the weaker homeworld gems. I need to go out and fight Jasper though. Just stay here-"

"Jasper?!" I rose to my feet and held up my spear in a defensive position. "I'll be there to fight for you, Rose!" I said firmly. "Where's Jasper?"

"No!" Rose whispered sharply at me. Her deep, dark brown eyes seemed to drive into my brain with worry. "Don't go after me. You and I both know that I can take her. She isn't the strongest one on the opposition. I can't lose you."

"But you're my liege-"

"Stop." Her soft hand clasped lightly over my mouth. "I'm going to be fine." She gave me a pained, beautiful smile... I could stare at her for days...

I broke eye contact with her as she turned around. I could hear echoes in the distance of a raspy, bloodthirsty voice calling, "Rose Quartz, let me fight you once and for all!".

Jasper.

Rose waved a hand and signaled the nearest Earth gem to come over.

A blue gem with lighter blue hair covering most of her face sprinted over, holding up the layers of her dress as she ran.

"Sapphire, can you stay here with Pearl? She's very out of it, she had to regenerate rather quickly, but I healed her back to consciousness."

Sapphire nodded. Her hand flashed light blue, and the brass knuckles on her fists vanished. "If you see Ruby, tell me where she is," the blue gem called after Rose Quartz as she charged into battle.

I watched Rose from afar. "I'm here, Jasper! Fight me like a real gem!" She yelled bravely into the fight.

I watched with crippling anxiety as Jasper pushed through crowds of gems. They exchanged words I couldn't make out when Jasper pulled a sword with a diamond on it - the Homeworld crest - from her scabbard. Rose unsheathed her sword. The fight began.

Sapphire turned me away, saying "Don't look. Don't look." Over and over. I could still hear their massive swords clashing over the skirmishes of the gems under them, though. I pulled tight onto the grass on the ground. I had to go. I had to help. I had to...

"PEARL!" I heard Sapphire shout from behind me. I had my spear out. I was charging head on into their fight. It had become instinct by now to protect Rose.

Jasper caught sight of me and froze mid-swing of her sword. "One of our defective pearls," she snarled. "It should be easy to finish you... OFF!"

On the last word, Jasper swung her sword at me with immense force. "NO!" I heard Rose shriek from behind me. The blade was inches from my head gem...

"Pearl."

I blinked, and when I did I noticed tears in my eyes. I was, in fact, at the temple, sitting upright on the couch. I glanced around. Sapphire was sitting next to me, looking at me with concern... Er, I think she was looking at me. I can't ever really tell with the hair in her face.

"Sa... Sapphire," I stammered. I got up and brushed myself off. "Sorry. I'll go-"

"Wait." Sapphire said with a frown. "Take a seat with me."

I sighed, and did so.

"What's wrong? You were staring off, crying."

I shifted my position. "I've been having flashbacks, Sapphire. Of the battle."

Sapphire nodded sympathetically. "Mhm. I've gotten them too. It's easier, with Ruby to comfort me, and for me to comfort her. We work as a team to-" Her voice trailed off. I felt like Sapphire kind of sensed my sadness in that moment. I'd always envied a relationship like Ruby and Sapphire's. I'd always wanted that with Rose...

She cleared her throat. "Anyway. Just know that things will only get better, we hope, okay?" She brushed the hair up out of her face and looked at me with her single deep blue eye.

Quite honestly, the smile she gave me was much more comforting than the words she spoke. I smiled back at her. With a shaky voice, I replied, "O-okay."

Then, Sapphire hugged me. She winked at me (Blinked at me?) as Ruby called her name from outside. "If you want, we can talk later, okay?"

"Okay," I said as Sapphire frolicked out the door to meet her love.

I sat for quite a few moments before I snapped back to reality. I needed to distract myself before I zoned out again. I probably should go get groceries from the city, I thought. Yes... Groceries. A great distraction.

I walked down the wooden stairs of the temple's home. I saw Ruby and Sapphire dancing and laughing on the beach as I walked off, nearly out of sight of the temple. I sighed longingly, envisioning that relationship between Rose and I one day.

I shook my head. Right. Groceries. A great distraction.

That's when I finally willed myself to walk out of sight and into the city.