LOG-033.

  "Listen-Becky-I really think you should perhaps just slow down for a moment-"

  My protests went unheard by the giggling blonde, even as she happily led us through a pair of automatic doors, glancing around the interior of the store.

  "Nah nah, s'okay! I'm good!" Rebecca replied, waving her hand dismissively. The bright, artificial lights of the convenience store were a stark contrast to the colorful chaos we'd left behind, still ongoing just a short distance outside. Shelves stocked with an array of goods lined the walls, and a bored-looking cashier glanced up briefly, raising an eyebrow at our glowband covered forms, before returning to their magazine with a sigh.

  Seconds later, I was practically being marched towards the refrigerated section, where rows of colorful bottles and cans were neatly arranged. My newfound friend wasted no time in grabbing a few, inspecting them with a critical eye before placing them back.

  "Hey so uhh...like what were we looking for again?" She asked, looking back at me with wide, earnest eyes.

  I tilted my head ever so slightly in response. "Well...I needed something to base tastebuds and possibly a digestive system off of in order to actually consume human foodstuffs and beverages, but then you dragged us in here to try and buy one."

  My deadpan tone prompted a pout from the dancer, her brows furrowing in understanding. "Oh. Okay well in my defense I'm kind of high as a kite right now? So like work with me Honeybunches."

  Blinking, I slowly nodded as the woman giggled to herself. "I am somewhat aware of that fact, yes."

  She laughed at that, and for whatever reason, I found myself laughing and eventually snickering along with her. "You're funny. But like we totally need to get you some snacks anyway. Maybe something sugary will inspire those missing tastebuds of yours! I'm pretty sure they have jars of hazella in here somewhere..." She turned back to the shelves, her eyes scanning the colorful array of items dubiously.

  As she browsed, I instead took the opportunity to study the convenience store in more detail, walking through some of the aisles and glancing around myself. The sound of a bell (barely heard over a clearly overworked air conditioning system of some kind) jingled, indicating the incoming presence of yet another potential customer, presumably at least.

  Personally, I was more fascinated by the intricately stacked pyramid of green cans that just about reached the ceiling, and had thus been in the middle of slowly circling it for a better look when a quickly moving form had suddenly bumped into my back.

  "Woops. Hey, sorry maaaaaaaaan...?"

  Turning slightly, I checked left and right before slowly tilting my head downward to find the source of the slightly raspy voice.

  "Oh that's quite alright-"

  And as a distinctly purple face came into view, my eyes widened rather significantly to match the shocked expression attached to that face, for a variety of reasons.

  ---

  Rose Quartz would be the first to admit that, despite her many thousands of years of experience in navigating the planet she'd eventually come to call home, her sense of direction had always been a little...wonky, at times. Back near the apex of the rebellion, that problem had been handled by being part of a massive force of Gems that were all dedicated to looking out for each other, in between...well, fighting for the rebellion.

  The night around her was alive with a vibrant energy that part of her would have likely been taken in by, were she not already worried. Neon lights flickered from storefronts, casting a colorful glow on the bustling streets around them.

  The distant thump of bass from a nearby rave (yet another thing she'd come to absolutely adore about the modern human age) added to the chaos, making it even harder to focus. The sidewalks were packed with pedestrians, many of whom were dressed in wild, eclectic outfits that reflected the party atmosphere that had taken hold of Empire City.

  "Amethyst! Amethyst are you there?!"

  Perhaps it hadn't been the absolute best time to be distracted by the fascinating display of human entertainment (televisions really were starting to get more and more popular these days, it seemed) carefully tucked away behind a large glass window, but the salesman on the screen had simply been so earnest in his attempts to sell her used automobiles!

  The man's enthusiasm had been captivating, even amidst the sensory overload all around her. And she'd only been distracted for a few moments!

  A few moments too many, it seemed.

  But well, that didn't matter now. Her fellow Crystal Gem had likely gone on ahead without her, and now she was going to have to waste even more time in searching for her, all while also keeping an eye out for an almost definitely hostile invader!

  A small, guilty part of the rebel leader felt very much thankful for Garnet's suggestion to split into teams, it gave her a brief moment of respite, allowing the stress of the whole situation to twist her expression without the rare outlet concerning and scaring the others.

  Rose Quartz had to be perfect, after all. She had to be their rock, because if she wasn't...then who would be left to run to?

  Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.

  Oh but the Earth was supposed to be safe! Hadn't the war been enough? Hadn't the Diamonds' attack been enough?

  And yet thousands of years later, when she'd finally begun to think she could dare to relax slightly, to stop making plans and contingencies and give up her silly habit of shapeshifting fingernails just so she could bite at them, an Imperial vessel had arrived. Newer and more advanced than anything she'd seen back in her day as well, barring perhaps her old ship, with the Gems within leaving to move on foot with Stars knew what intentions.

  It was almost enough to make her want to-

  "Woah-oah-oah-OAH-HEY-"

  Huh?

  "Where do you get off trying to whip people!? Huh!? Who even owns an actual whip these days!? This isn't the middle ages!"

  "I'm trying to help you here!"

  "LEAVE HONEY ALONE YOU FREAKY WEIRDO!"

  "HEY!"

  Her hopes lightened slightly as she recognized Amethyst's voice. Then her carefully shapeshifted stomach dropped as she quickly turned and took in a...well. A sight. A very complicated, confusing, worrying, bewildering and possibly slightly hilarious sight.

  Namely the Quartz in question getting effectively pummeled by a near constant barrage of carefully aimed metallic soda cans being chucked at her by an utterly incensed (and rather scantily clad, considering the temperature outside) human woman, all while a Pearl practically hid behind the now dented doors of a large convenience store.

  An...awfully big Pearl, actually. And her colouring was rather more chaotic (were those glow sticks?) than most Homeworld Gems Rose had seen in her time, though...maybe styles had changed since the war-

  The larger than average Pearl shifted slightly, a hand settling atop the woman's shoulder as Amethyst huffed angrily from her new position, namely being buried in a small pile of beverages. The sound of one of said beverages being crunched into a fizzy mass in between the Quartz's gnashing teeth indicated she was likely alright, though.

  But that wasn't what held Rose's attention. No, that particular honour went to the unknown Pearl's midsection, namely, the duo of Gemstones neatly sitting next to each other upon its surface, shortly followed after by the Gem's wide, panicked eyes as she caught sight of her in turn.

  Oh.

  Oh.

  Oh pebbles.

  ---

  It had all happened so quickly. A weapon of light forming in the diminutive Quartz's hands before I could even get a word out, a pair of golden gauntlets barely flowing forth from my own lightform in order to catch the end of the Amethyst's attack.

  It had been a case of surprise, fear, and utter panic. That was the excuse I was going to stick with for how I'd somehow gotten the idea to tighten the hold I now had on my sudden opponent's weapon, allowing me to pull and then effectively snap her back into and then through the doors she'd come in from.

  To her credit, the purple Gem had gotten up in a flash, already moving to rush back at me when Rebecca of all people had saved me.

  Namely by chucking a can of soda at the Quartz and yelling what I was absolutely certain were several varieties of slurs in what sounded like several different dialects.

  From there, what little fight I'd had left in me had effectively evaporated, and it was all I could do not to simply flee in form discorporating fright as my rapidly rising in regard friend continued to violently pelt the Amethyst with the conveniently placed pyramid of soda cans just next to her, screaming at the Gem all the while.

  Which...really shouldn't have done anything. The Quartz shocktrooper was still a shocktrooper after all, even if she seemed much smaller than normal, but Rebecca's fury was somehow winning out. Somehow.

  I'd been in the middle of debating whether I should try to calm the practically frothing at the mouth party goer down before she potentially broke something when I'd noticed the other figure standing slightly further away.

  I narrowed my eyes and tried to focus past the dim light, looking upon the somehow familiar, distinctive form of-

  Rose Quartz.

  Terror. Utter terror threatened to consume me as the spitting and horrifically pretty image of a Diamond Killer presented herself. The rebel's own eyes widening as I took a fearful step backward, right before both of her hands promptly went up, fingers splayed.

  "Wait! Wait don't run! I-we won't do anything, I promise!"

  Her attention flicked to the side for just a short second, before her conflicted expression (she looked tense, yet her dark eyes were shining, why?) settled slightly, both hands still in the air as she took a small breath.

  "Amethyst, stand down."

  A sputter escaped the soldier Gem as she angrily gestured to the pile of cans surrounding her.

  "I'm literally buried in Fonta here, Rose, not exactly threatening."

  A firm nod answered the annoyed reponse, the action causing the gigantic mass of curly pink hair attached to the large Gem's head to bob up and down with her.

  Then her attention was back on me, and her expression went from authoritative to soft in an instant.

  "I just want to talk. Is that okay? Can we just...talk-"

  Then a can smacked into her cheek, prompting a surprised yelp from the rebel leader.

  My jaw dropped slightly as Rebecca tossed a second one up and snatched it out of the air, visibly preparing for yet another throw before I finally tore off the coat of hesitation holding me back and snapped forward, grabbing her wrist.

  "Rebecca!"

  Slightly hazy eyes turned to glance at me in confusion.

  "What?"

  I paused, glancing at a now utterly flummoxed looking Rose Quartz.

  "I...uh...you haven't paid for any of those yet! And she didn't actually do anything!"

  My exclamation prompted a slow blink from the woman, before she snorted.

  "It's cool Honey, I've got my dad's credit card with me!"

  It was in that moment that the sheer absurdity of the situation finally hit me. Here I was, standing between a furious, mentally compromised human armed with a dwindling supply of pop soda, a warrior Gem trying to obey her leader's orders, and the rebel leader herself, who looked as if she was torn between laughter and exasperation.

  Really, it just kind of said something about my life at the moment, namely in that the situation was only further complicated seconds later by a Pearl with a spear leaping from atop one of the nearby buildings with a cry on her lips.

  "I'll protect you Ro-oof!"

  Only to land and promptly slip on a stray soda can, sending her careening in my direction instead in a startling display of physics apparently taking a backseat to Gem gravitational adjustment.

  The impact wasn't too bad, to be honest. I was big enough in my current state that catching the thin Gem and stopping her from flying into the store wasn't actually all that hard. It was the...slightly awkward position that the abrupt save left us in that left me feeling a little silly, after the fact, what with my nose practically bumping into her own.

  Ah fuck it.

  Definitely not silly enough to stop me from smiling widely at my fellow Pearl, however.

  "Well hello there gorgeous, seems like we're both in the thick of it tonight, huh?"

  As if to enhance the utter fiasco the situation had somehow devolved into, Rose Quartz, infamous rebel leader and shatterer, just started giggling happily, large hands clapping together as the Pearl in my arms blushed a bright blue and began sputtering.