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“Are you sure about this, Topaz?” A small, pink and green Gem uttered, quietly enough that it almost couldn’t be heard over the sound of the clattering little wagon she was tugging along behind her. The red wagon had an assortment of items already in it that had been collected that day, a couple of bottles, a string of lights that didn’t work, a bottle cap, and other items that could be considered useless all jumped and shifted with every bump. “I’ve seen enough Kindergartens, they’re all the same.”

“But this one is different!” The orange being chirped excitedly, beaming as she skipped along beside her companion.

“I know,” Cyel replied, her voice gentler. “It was the one you were made in, right?”

Giggling, Topaz smooched the Watermelon Tourmaline on the cheek, dancing ahead of her. “Mmhm! So that means it’s special!”

“Y-Yeah,” the other murmured with a dazed smile, touching her cheek absentmindedly as a warm blush crossed her features. Shaking her head, as if to free herself from some kind of spell, Cyel started jogging to catch up with the Imperial Topaz. “But-- it could be dangerous, what if there are homeworld gems there? Like that Peridot the human Steven is keeping in his plumbing facilities?”

“They wouldn't bother sending anybody here!” Topaz waved her hand dismissively, then folded both of her hands behind her back. “They think Earth will be destroyed soon by the cluster anyway, I doubt they’d risk sending gems to something that’s about to self destruct.”

“You’d be surprised...”

Topaz stopped suddenly, causing Cyel’s shoulder to bang into hers. “Huh?” She peered up at the other Gem, but then looked down, realizing they’d come to the edge of a steep cliff. Cyel let the handle of the wagon drop from her grasp and slowly lowered herself to rest on her knees in front of drop, staring down the deep, dark violet walls of the Kindergarten. After all this time on Earth, it just looked… wrong to Cyel for the land to look so dead and dark. Almost all the planets she’d ever been too looked just like this, but it was only in two isolated locations here on this planet. Everywhere else was teeming with life; green, vibrant, thriving life. It really was strange, how Earth had changed her mind about so many things. Well, it wasn’t JUST Earth…

“I haven’t seen this place in so long!” Topaz exclaimed, plopping down carelessly beside Watermelon Tourmaline and stretching her arms above her head. “It really never changes!”

Cyel moved from her position and sat back on her behind, letting her legs dangle from the cliff’s edge. Her magenta colored irises stared down at the seemingly never ended depth of the kindergarten’s walls, before finally speaking up. “Hey Topaz.. I’ve always wondered something, but I was too nervous to ask you, but…” She wrung her hands together. “Topazes come in pairs and I just wondered.. where is your other half?”

“Oh,” Topaz was quiet for a moment, and Cyel feared the worst. However, the orange gem perked right back up. “don’t be silly! There’s no reason to be afraid to ask me anything!” She leaned back on her hands, staring up at the cloudy sky. “I dunno! She could be anywhere, really. I was trapped here for the entirety of the Rebellion, so who knows what happened to her. I don’t think she was shattered or anything, maybe she’s on homeworld living the good life!” Cyel’s eyebrows furrowed; she’d never heard of a partnerless Topaz on homeworld ‘living the good life’, but…

“Could be.” Cyel shrugged her shoulders, then continued. “But Topaz, you never did tell me how you ended up getting stranded here in the first place, anyway.”

Topaz’s expression appeared to be one of shock. “I haven’t?” When the other shook her head, she blinked several times. “Weird! Well, I was trapped under a mountain of dirt! I just couldn’t reform under all of that, I guess. Some nice humans found me a long time after that though and they set me free!”

Cyel’s eyes widened and she jumped up to her feet. “What! How did you get under all of that?? You were awake the whole time!?” Her fingers clutched at her hair in distress, but not necessarily because of anything Topaz did, of course. Knowing that she had gone through something like that made Cyel feel helpless, upset that she hadn’t been there to help her. That was silly, they’d not even known each other way back then, but still--

“Yeah, but it’s okay! I had a lot of time to think!” Topaz winked up at Cyel, then stood up with her. “Really, it’s okay!” She grabbed the pink and green gem’s hands, swinging them cheerfully. “I’m glad I got stuck! Because I got to stay here and I got to meet you! And you got to stay here and realize how great Earth is! It’s like.. fate!”

“But… How did it happen, Topaz?” Cyel asked, her expression softening; Topaz had dodged the question and Cyel was far too clever to let that go.

The orange Gem parted her lips to answer, but suddenly, her golden eyes were staring straight past Cyel; a look she’d never seen on Topaz’s face caused every fiber or Cyel’s being to freeze. She was afraid. Turning on her heel to face whatever caused the Gem she loved to look so frightened, Cyel was shocked to find a strangely familiar Gem staring back at her from some distance away. It was.. Another Topaz? Realizing that this Topaz looked incredibly similar to her companion, the Tourmaline did a double take, looking between the two of them in shock.

“Topaz,” The stranger uttered, voice dripping with poison.

“Azotic..” whispered Topaz in response.

Part One
Part Two
Part Three
Part Four

Description

“Are you sure about this, Topaz?” A small, pink and green Gem uttered, quietly enough that it almost couldn’t be heard over the sound of the clattering little wagon she was tugging along behind her. The red wagon had an assortment of items already in it that had been collected that day, a couple of bottles, a string of lights that didn’t work, a bottle cap, and other items that could be considered useless all jumped and shifted with every bump. “I’ve seen enough Kindergartens, they’re all the same.”

“But this one is different!” The orange being chirped excitedly, beaming as she skipped along beside her companion.

“I know,” Cyel replied, her voice gentler. “It was the one you were made in, right?”

Giggling, Topaz smooched the Watermelon Tourmaline on the cheek, dancing ahead of her. “Mmhm! So that means it’s special!”

“Y-Yeah,” the other murmured with a dazed smile, touching her cheek absentmindedly as a warm blush crossed her features. Shaking her head, as if to free herself from some kind of spell, Cyel started jogging to catch up with the Imperial Topaz. “But-- it could be dangerous, what if there are homeworld gems there? Like that Peridot the human Steven is keeping in his plumbing facilities?”

“They wouldn't bother sending anybody here!” Topaz waved her hand dismissively, then folded both of her hands behind her back. “They think Earth will be destroyed soon by the cluster anyway, I doubt they’d risk sending gems to something that’s about to self destruct.”

“You’d be surprised...”

Topaz stopped suddenly, causing Cyel’s shoulder to bang into hers. “Huh?” She peered up at the other Gem, but then looked down, realizing they’d come to the edge of a steep cliff. Cyel let the handle of the wagon drop from her grasp and slowly lowered herself to rest on her knees in front of drop, staring down the deep, dark violet walls of the Kindergarten. After all this time on Earth, it just looked… wrong to Cyel for the land to look so dead and dark. Almost all the planets she’d ever been too looked just like this, but it was only in two isolated locations here on this planet. Everywhere else was teeming with life; green, vibrant, thriving life. It really was strange, how Earth had changed her mind about so many things. Well, it wasn’t JUST Earth…

“I haven’t seen this place in so long!” Topaz exclaimed, plopping down carelessly beside Watermelon Tourmaline and stretching her arms above her head. “It really never changes!”

Cyel moved from her position and sat back on her behind, letting her legs dangle from the cliff’s edge. Her magenta colored irises stared down at the seemingly never ended depth of the kindergarten’s walls, before finally speaking up. “Hey Topaz.. I’ve always wondered something, but I was too nervous to ask you, but…” She wrung her hands together. “Topazes come in pairs and I just wondered.. where is your other half?”

“Oh,” Topaz was quiet for a moment, and Cyel feared the worst. However, the orange gem perked right back up. “don’t be silly! There’s no reason to be afraid to ask me anything!” She leaned back on her hands, staring up at the cloudy sky. “I dunno! She could be anywhere, really. I was trapped here for the entirety of the Rebellion, so who knows what happened to her. I don’t think she was shattered or anything, maybe she’s on homeworld living the good life!” Cyel’s eyebrows furrowed; she’d never heard of a partnerless Topaz on homeworld ‘living the good life’, but…

“Could be.” Cyel shrugged her shoulders, then continued. “But Topaz, you never did tell me how you ended up getting stranded here in the first place, anyway.”

Topaz’s expression appeared to be one of shock. “I haven’t?” When the other shook her head, she blinked several times. “Weird! Well, I was trapped under a mountain of dirt! I just couldn’t reform under all of that, I guess. Some nice humans found me a long time after that though and they set me free!”

Cyel’s eyes widened and she jumped up to her feet. “What! How did you get under all of that?? You were awake the whole time!?” Her fingers clutched at her hair in distress, but not necessarily because of anything Topaz did, of course. Knowing that she had gone through something like that made Cyel feel helpless, upset that she hadn’t been there to help her. That was silly, they’d not even known each other way back then, but still--

“Yeah, but it’s okay! I had a lot of time to think!” Topaz winked up at Cyel, then stood up with her. “Really, it’s okay!” She grabbed the pink and green gem’s hands, swinging them cheerfully. “I’m glad I got stuck! Because I got to stay here and I got to meet you! And you got to stay here and realize how great Earth is! It’s like.. fate!”

“But… How did it happen, Topaz?” Cyel asked, her expression softening; Topaz had dodged the question and Cyel was far too clever to let that go.

The orange Gem parted her lips to answer, but suddenly, her golden eyes were staring straight past Cyel; a look she’d never seen on Topaz’s face caused every fiber or Cyel’s being to freeze. She was afraid. Turning on her heel to face whatever caused the Gem she loved to look so frightened, Cyel was shocked to find a strangely familiar Gem staring back at her from some distance away. It was.. Another Topaz? Realizing that this Topaz looked incredibly similar to her companion, the Tourmaline did a double take, looking between the two of them in shock.

“Topaz,” The stranger uttered, voice dripping with poison.

“Azotic..” whispered Topaz in response.

Part One
Part Two
Part Three
Part Four