ASHES ↠ b. barnes [II]

seventeen

        "HOW ARE YOU HERE?" ALLURA asked the older woman, who was still staring at the young girl she had carried when she was a baby.

         She looked so different now.

        She didn't look older. But her strawberry blonde hair seemed to shine a little less, and it was shorter than when she was in Jupiter. Her skin was paler, no hint of any Greek designs on her skin— all due to the oxygen, she concluded.

        When Allura was in Jupiter, she was really skinny. It fit her nicely, but Pearl was now surprised to see that she had gained a few pounds. She had a prominent waist, and her legs and arms were more toned. Her face had gotten sharper with the extra muscle, and she had to admit: Damn did she look gorgeous.

        But what caught her attention the most were her piercing green eyes.

        In the war, she had suffered through horrible things, more than anyone deserved. She had seen her fiancé die, she had been kidnapped, she had rescued her parents, her brother and her closest friends from captivity, and she had watched her planet fall apart; knowing what would happen when her parents put their plan into action.

        But her eyes remained with the hint of light, and Pearl would dare say innocence.

        But now it was gone.

        There was experience, suffering, regret and pain hidden behind her eyes, that she had never seen anyone with. There was loneliness, anger and frustration.

        "Pearl?" Allura asked again, the woman stopping her thoughts and looking at her. It took Pearl two seconds more, before she walked towards Allura and engulfed her in a very needed hug, a hint of tears appearing in her eyes but not falling down her cheeks.

         The strawberry blonde was slightly stunned, not used to hugging people anymore. But that quickly left her mind, as she returned the hug with the same amount of care and strength. She couldn't believe that Pearl of all people was here. When her mother was busy, or attending special cases, it was Pearl who was with Allura, taking care of her and making sure she and Ezekyel never missed anything or anyone.

        Pearl consideres Allura a niece. But there were periods in her life, when Allura considered Pearl a second mother.

        "I got here on 1975, with Lana.They started sending our people way before though." As if something clicked in her eyes, she suddenly looked saddened. Her brown eyes closed and she sighed. She held the younger boy's hand and Allura couldn't help but he intrigued. "Do you have time? We could take a walk or something." The strawberry blonde thought back to when her boss had asked her to say until nighttime.

        Which meant he wouldn't notice if she left now.

        Allura nodded, quickly putting everything back in place and grabbing her backpack from her locker. Once the three were outside, she locked the door and the two observed the world of people.

        Then they began walking.

        "Who's the kid?" She asked, the little boy looking up at her. He was young. He probably didn't know about her.

        "I'm Jordan. I was born here on earth and my parents died after." He said simply, walking on the pavement's line. Allura looked at Pearl, her eyebrow raised. The woman sighed.

        "We were having a problem on 2005. Lack of hydrogen. Parents gave birth as they arrived from the war, and there was only enough for the kids. His father killed himself after his mother died." She explained, as the boy walked further and bought a candy from a stand. "He's been with me ever since." Allura remembered that Pearl always wanted a child. But she couldn't have one because, as the protector of Jupiter, her mission was to look after the planet and it's people—which was a huge responsibility.