A/N: I'm so sorry babies! 😭 It's been a while, hasn't it? I really appreciate you guys and how patient you've been with me, and how cute your comments are too! ☺️ They made me smile in my time of need, and now that I'm feeling better I'll start posting again.
"Alright, I'm all set", you said with a sigh, zipping up your last suitcase. You pushed yourself from the floor, dusting your hands off before placing them on your hips. You looked over the room one last time before picking up your dufflebag from the bed and one of your suitcases from the floor. You then walked into the living room, exhaling slowly once you put your bags down.
"All set", your mom asked from the couch. She was petting Sarge lazily, who's head was in her lap. He appeared to be halfway asleep, which made you chuckle.
"Yeah, I just have to get my last bag out of the room and put my shoes on and then I'll be good to go", you replied.
"I'm kind of sad that you're leaving though", your mom said with a light laugh.
"Weren't you the one that wanted me gone", you called from your room as you dragged your final suitcase out into the hallway.
"I mean yes, but now I don't want you to go", your mom replied with a pout. You chuckled, slipping your feet into your shoes by the door.
"You can always come down to see me. I'm only a few hours away ya know."
"Yeah...", your mom said with a sigh, "I know." There was a pause of silence throughout the living room before your mother spoke again. "Oh! Before I forget to tell you", she started, patting Sarge's back. The canine's eyes opened fully and he stood up, stretching before shaking his body. "I had some stuff sent down to your place for Sarge. He's a big dog, and when I got him, I was given some advice on how to take care of him. As far as living conditions and diet goes of course." You nodded, throwing your duffel bag over your shoulder. "I just wanted to let you know so you aren't surprised by the boxes outside of your place—or the changes to the physical building..."
"What", you asked, raising an eyebrow as you paused in your action to grab one of your suitcases. Your mom let out a nervous giggle, patting your cheek quickly.
"I—may have gotten a copy of your key made so that the workers could get into your place to arrange things for Sergeant's arrival."
"You let random people into my house", you deadpanned, blinking at your mom.
"They're completely trustworthy, I assure you! But if anything is missing, I have a list of those who were inside and they will be dealt with accordingly." You crossed your arms, tapping your foot slightly as you smirked at your mother.
"What did they change in the building?"
"I had them convert your old bedroom into something for him."
"Jasper's room", you nearly screamed, your voice filled with worry.
"Yes, but they didn't get rid of anything of importance in there, I promise", your mom said softly, rubbing your shoulders. You let out a sigh of relief, visibly relaxing.
"So her belongings are still in the house?" Your mom nodded, pursing her lips.
"I would never let them get rid of her stuff! I had them store her things in your room, but other stuff such as the bed and other furniture were disposed of."
"What of my PC?"
"Oh! That's a surprise", your mom said with a giggle, bouncing in front of you excitedly. You sighed, rolling your eyes as you chuckled.
"Well...I'll be seeing you Mom", you said before kissing her cheek. She pulled you into a hug before petting Sarge one last time. She then walked across the living room to open the door for you as you dragged your suitcases behind you with Sarge in tow.
"Remember to call me when you make it back", she called down the hallway as you stepped into the elevator.
"Don't worry, I will", you called back before the doors closed.
*time skip brought to you by Starburst Jellybeans*
You sighed, leaning back in your seat after shutting off the car. You closed your eyes for a moment, relishing as much as you could in the warmth of your car. You were finally home. You giggled quietly to yourself, turning your head towards Sarge. "Ready to see your new home, buddy", you asked excitedly, to which his tail began wagging. You rubbed his ears, stepping out of the car and yelping. I didn't expect the snow to be so deep. You shivered again, already beginning to feel your socks moisten from the snow in your shoes. Sarge looked concerned in the front passenger seat, his tail wagging slowly behind him. "Don't worry, I'm good. Just gotta get the door closed..." You slammed your car door shut, sighing as you trudged through the powdery snow. You finally got around the vehicle, letting Sarge out before popping the trunk to get your things. You couldn't help but look down the beach towards Steven's house, a twinge of pain stabbing at your heart. You really had left your friends without much of an explanation, and haven't even spoken to them since. You sighed, grabbing your belongings before laughing at your 'oh so serious' dog. He was walking strangely in the snow, stepping high and jumping around. "It's just fluffy water, boy, it won't hurt you", you said with a chuckle. Sarge looked at you curiously before looking back down at his feet before sticking his face into the snow. He rolled around for a while before looking back up at you, his tail wagging feverishly as he panted. Aww! You dropped your bags, pulling out your phone to take a picture of him to send to your mom. "Alright, alright...stop being so cute! We gotta go inside, it's freezing out here!" Sergeant sniffed, following you obediently up the porch steps. You pulled your keys from your pocket, pushing the door open. You stomped your feet on the mat you were standing on in attempt not to track any snow onto your carpet, and your dog copied your actions, making your heart swell. You tossed your bags to your right, gasping loudly when you saw the surprise your mother was talking about. You closed the front door with haste, kicking off your sneakers and pulling off your socks before jogging past the couch over to your bookcase. The mahogany shelving now covered most of the wall with your desk sitting snuggly underneath it. Your PC seemed to be in perfect condition, if not better, but you couldn't get over your bookcase. "They tore it apart and rebuilt it, making a perfect little space for my desk and with enough room to still get into the bathroom down here!" You ran your fingers over the wood, smiling softly. I am such a nerd.
You giggled, turning around and clapping your hands. "Okay! Let's—" You cut yourself off upon seeing the mountain of boxes in your kitchen. You groaned, dragging yourself over to your puppy who was sniffing around the boxes. "I assume you're hungry...well. We should handle that first." You pulled open a drawer, fetching a knife to slice open the first box you put your hands on. "Okay, this box has food and treats", you said as you took the huge bags out of the box. "Oh! And there's two metal bowls in here. They're labeled too", you said with a chuckle, walking over towards the screen door to place Sarge's new bowls down where Storm's once were. You sighed, sitting on the floor as you thought about your beloved feline. I miss her... You could hear the sound of Sarge's paws approaching you before the house went silent again. He huffed, his breath rustling your hair before he rested his head on your shoulder, whimpering quietly. You smiled, reaching up to scratch his chin. "You really are nothing but a big softy. Even though you look really scary." Sarge huffed again in response, making you giggle. "Alright, let me put some food and water in your bowl, while I finish unpacking the rest of the boxes." Sergeant moved away from you so you could stand, taking a seat on the floor in your place. You went over to one of the bags of food you placed on the floor, tearing it open. There was already a measuring cup inside, and you filled it all the way before walking over to Sarge to pour it into his bowl. It filled it all the way up, as you expected, and you told him to stay while you got water from the fridge. You poured the entire bottle into his second bowl, labeled 'water', tossing the bottle into the trash. Sarge looked over at you expectantly, his thick tail beating against the tile in the kitchen. "You may eat now", you said with a chuckle, grabbing the knife from the kitchen island to open more boxes.
Three more of the boxes consisted of food and treats which you were sure would last at least three months. Two of them had various toys for him to play with such as: a variety of balls, a few squeaky toys (which he seemed excited about), two thick, braided ropes (one with a suction cup at the end that sticks to surfaces, and another that can be tied or held), and five identical bones. One box had health related items such as: a toothbrush, clippers for his nails, flea creams and healing ointments; and stuff for grooming like brushes, combs, shampoo, conditioners, and towels with his name printed on them. Mom really went all out, didn't she, you thought with a chuckle as you sliced another box open. You pulled out blankets and stuffed animals, setting them to the side. At the bottom of the box was a huge dog bed that was rolled up and tucked into a bag. You cut the tape from the bag, unrolling the soft but sturdy bed and placing it on the floor. "Sarge, come here." He stood up from his resting place by the door, walking over to you slowly. "See if you can fit in here", you said, patting the middle of his bed. He climbed into it, curling in on himself. He had plenty of room left, and you smiled softly, pulling the last and smallest box towards you. You cut it open, pulling the cardboard flaps away from each other to look inside. You gently pulled out the first thing you saw, which was a gold chain leash with matching collar. On the end of it was a pendant that had his name printed in bold letters. You ran your thumb over your puppy's name, the coarseness of diamonds rubbing against your finger. You sighed, shaking your head with a small smile as you pulled the next leash from the box. It was a plain, leather leash that felt similar to a belt with a matching black collar with gold studs. The collar could be closed and opened like a belt, and had a tag on it with Sarge's name and your address on the back. You put the black collar to the side, planning to put that one on his as his 'daily collar'. "Alright, that's everything. Let's call Mom while we move your stuff upstairs, baby", you said, gathering things in your arms. You whistled for Sarge to follow you and he obeyed immediately, dragging his bed with him. You chuckled, making your way up the steps. You pushed Jasper's old room door open with your hip, sadness slightly washing over you at the sight of the bare space. You sighed, placing the toys and stuffed animals you had carried with you on the new, white shelving in the corner of the room. You arranged the toys according to what they were, starting with the stuffed animals on the bottom shelf. You then placed his squeaky toys above them, leaving you with drawers and more shelving to put Sarge's balls and bones and everything else your mother had gotten him. Almost forgot, you thought, pulling your phone from your back pocket to call your mother.
"Hello?"
"Mom, what in the hell", you said with a laugh, putting her on speaker and then stashing your phone back into your pocket. "Does Sergeant really need all of this stuff?"
"Yes! He is a puppy, and they need plenty of things to occupy themselves!"
"He's such a serious dog though", you said, looking over at the black dog. He was adjusting his bed to sit in the center of the room, stepping back to look it over once he was satisfied. "It's almost like he's human...kinda scary." Your mom laughed as you stood back up, stretching.
"So, what do you think about the bookshelf?"
"Oh, it's great! I love what they did. Not gonna lie, I was kind of expecting my place to be trashed, but they did a pretty good job. Especially with Sarge's room", you said as you trotted down the stairs, gathering more of your pet's things to take back up with you. Sarge followed behind you, only a step behind, doing his best to help even though he could only carry one or two at a time.
"I'm glad you like it, sweetie! What about Sarge? He adjusting well?"
"Oh, yeah, for sure", you said with a giggle. "I haven't seen him wag his tail this much since I've met him. Did you see the picture I sent you?"
"No...wait, hold on", your mom said from the other end. The sound of her shuffling traveled through your speaker and you hummed quietly as you put the rest of your puppy's things away. Once you were done, you sat on the floor with him, watching as he stretched out on the floor, yawning. "Oh my gosh, he's so cute", your mom screeched. You laughed, pulling your phone from your pocket upon hearing it vibrate. You had gotten a text message from Lukas, causing you to smile softly. "I didn't think it would still be so much snow on the ground there. You'll be okay, right? I wouldn't want your power to go out and you be there alone to freeze..."
"Nah, I'll be okay, Mom. I think the worst of the weather is over with."
"Oh, okay. Well that's good. I'll talk to you later though, baby. Miguel is calling me", your mom said rather quickly, making you raise an eyebrow. You then gasped, looking at your phone screen.
"Wait—!" Before you could voice your thought, your mom hung up the phone, leaving you pouting. You were about to toss the device to the side before remembering that Lukas texted you.
Lil Lukas 🤠❤️: Hey, did you get home okay? I was just wondering since I remember you saying you were gonna go back a little while ago...
You: Yeah, I just got back not too long ago. Just trying to get Sarge's room together before I start unpacking my own things.
You put your phone in your pocket, quietly walking out of Sarge's room. He was sound asleep on the floor, and you didn't want to wake him. You closed the door behind you, making your way downstairs. You grabbed all of your luggage, wobbling upstairs with it. You kicked your room door open, putting your things down in the middle of the floor. Your closet door was open, displaying Jasper's clothes on one side of it. Your face fell as you walked over to the garments, sliding one of the doors to cover them. You then went to sit on the edge of your perfectly made bed, beginning to unpack your things. They did a little bit more than just rearrange some things in here, you thought, but you couldn't complain.
Your phone vibrated suddenly, causing you to jump. It had been silent in your home for about twenty minutes, so of course the feeling startled you. You reached for the device in your pocket, turning on your phone to glance at the screen.
Lil Lukas 🤠❤️: Sarge?
You: Yeah, my new puppy. I thought I told you about him?
You sighed, falling back into your sheets. You swiped down from the top of your screen, looking at the time. 1:06 PM. Dang, time really does fly by. Your phone vibrated in your hand again, Lukas' contact name popping up in front of you.
Lil Lukas 🤠❤️: No, you didn't tell me 😂 you probably just forgot. Can I see this, 'Sarge'?
You smiled softly, clicking in the message box. You then clicked on the icon to access your photos, attaching the only picture of Sarge you had to your next message.
You: Here's the little guy! Don't be fooled though, he doesn't always look like that so enjoy it while you can 😂
Lukas texted back almost immediately, making you laugh.
Lil Lukas 🤠❤️: LITTLE?! That's a bear. No, a horse...idk what that is but it isn't a puppy.
You: Oh, stop! He isn't that big 😂 just wait until I introduce you to someone else
Lil Lukas 🤠❤️: Who?
You chuckled to yourself, an evil smirk across your lips.
You: You shall see in due time child...you shall see
You then sat your phone down on the bed, going back to putting things away. Once you were finished, you stacked your suitcases in your closet, sliding both of the doors closed. You also closed all of your drawers, but not before you took out a warmer outfit to wear. It was pretty chilly in your place even with the good insulation. I should turn on the heater, you thought as you gathered some underwear and a bra. As you were prepared to go into the bathroom to shower, you received another message. Your curiosity got the best of you and you grabbed your phone from the bed, smiling at the device.
Lil Lukas 🤠❤️: Whatever you say weirdo 😂 but I've got some things to do, and I'm sure you do too. I'll talk to you later, jitterbug. Love you 💕
You smiled at the nickname Lukas had given you, giggling quietly. You texted him back quickly, tossing your phone back down before going into the bathroom.
You: Love you too ❣️
*time skip brought to you by poopity scoop (don't ask me, ask my dumbass son)*
After you had gotten out of the shower and changed into a (f/c) sweater and new jeans, you slipped your feet into some fuzzy socks. You then grabbed a pair of boots quickly from the closet, walking out of your room and into the hallway. You slowly pushed the door open to Sarge's room, peeking inside. He was still asleep, but you knew you had to wake him up so he could do his business outside. He did eat a while ago, so I'm sure he's gotta pee. You stepped into the room quietly, kneeling down on the floor in front of your puppy. You gently petted his head, rubbing his ears and running your hand down his back. His tail slowly began to thump against the carpet, making you giggle. "Wake up, baby. I gotta take you outside for a while." He slowly opened his eyes, your (e/c) ones meeting with his bright amber. You booped his nose, causing him to sit up and look at you curiously. "You ready", you asked, pushing yourself up from the ground. Sarge stood up with you, stretching before following you out of the room and down the stairs. The sound of his paws thumping down the steps gave you a sense of comfort. Your house had been quiet for so long before you left for Empire City, and now there was finally some life in it again; making it a home. You made your way through the kitchen and pushed the back door open, shivering at the cold air that hit you in the face. "Jesus..." You stood in the doorway, waiting for Sarge to walk out. He jumped into the snow, making the powdery substance fly everywhere. You giggled, sitting on the patio and pulling your knees to your chest. You sighed, watching as your breath rolled out in front of you in the frosty air. Even though it was freezing, you had to admit that the snow was beautiful. It covered the ground like a thick blanket, hiding your patio steps completely. You jumped slightly at the feeling of Sarge's cold nose against your hand and you looked down at him curiously. "What? Go and do your business, I won't watch", you said with a chuckle. He snorted, his eyes glancing to your left. You turned your head to see what he was staring at. There was a figure standing in the snow and you gasped, standing up and waddling over to it.
"Well, hello, stranger." You laughed, smiling brightly at the sound of Garnet's rich voice. "Glad to see you back...even though I knew you were here already." You wrapped your arms around her waist and she hugged you back, smoothing your (h/c) hair down.
"How is everyone", you asked, looking up at her. The gem adjusted her visors, pinching your nose.
"Why don't you come and see for yourself?" You blushed softly, puffing out your cheeks.
"I-I would but—", you sighed, looking down at your feet, "Amethyst is probably still upset with me, and I didn't even give the others a reason as to why I left..." Garnet hummed before picking you up and walking over to your patio. She sat you down and then took a seat next to you, crossing her long legs.
"I understand. I'll keep your whereabouts a secret for now, but I'm sure Steven would be ecstatic to see you." You chuckled softly, looking up from your hands to see Sarge finally doing his business. He had dug a little trench before doing so.
"Yeah, I know. But I'll come and see him at some point. I just want to make sure I'm completely okay before I do so." Garnet nodded, pursing her lips.
"What is the name of the new creature you've obtained?"
"That's my new puppy", you said with a small smile. "His name is Sergeant, but for short I call him Sarge. Would you like to meet him?"
"I would", the fusion answered with a chuckle. You called Sarge over to which he slowly walked over, never taking his eyes off of Garnet. He was growling lowly, his eyes narrowed.
"Hey, hey, easy", you said, petting his nose. "This is Garnet. She's my friend. Well...she's my friends", you said with a laugh. Sarge moved closer to the gem, sniffing around her before allowing her to pet him. His tail began to wag slowly before he laid down in between the two of you, finally relaxed.
"He's very protective of you", Garnet mused, patting Sarge's back. "That may come in handy later on."
"Why do you say that", you asked curiously, rubbing your hands together.
"Just a hunch", Garnet said with a smirk before standing up. "I have to go, but I'll come and see you later." You nodded, standing up as well and brushing snow off of you.
"Alright. See you later, Garnet."
*big time skip brought to you by blue grass*
You sighed, pushing back from your computer. You leaned back in your rolling chair, staring up at the ceiling. It had been a little over a week since you spoke to Garnet, and you were still thinking about what she said. Maybe I should go and see Steven today? It is Valentine's Day, and that boy is all about love. You chuckled, turning your head slightly to look at Sarge. He was sprawled out on the kitchen floor, basking in the heat of the tile. Your mom had the workers that came to your house a while back install heated tiles, and you just found out about them not too long ago. Sergeant was clearly enjoying them more than you though. You smiled softly, turning back towards your desk upon hearing your phone vibrate against the hard surface. You furrowed your eyebrows, tilting your head to see the screen better. You gasped, snatching your phone up and propping it against your monitor. "Hey, Lukas", you said with a giggle, looking at your best friend on your phone screen. He smiled brightly, about to speak, but you cut him off. "Uh, uh, do not give me that pretty smile. I haven't heard from your ass in a while."
"First of all, thank you", he said grinning again, making you giggle. "And second, rude", he finished, stretching in his chair. "I've been busy setting up the new crib since I got relocated."
"Too busy for me? The greatest person alive?" Lukas chuckled, rubbing his head.
"Yeah, yeah, whatever. What are you up to on this fine day of loving?"
"Not shit", you said with a sigh, leaning back in your chair again. "I would love to be balls deep in some pussy right now, or have someone balls deep in my pussy, but, unfortunately, that cannot happen." Lukas was silent for longer than you liked, causing you to glance down at him again. He had his arms crossed, one of his hands covering his mouth. "What", you said laughing. "If you weren't so chocolate, I'm sure you'd be blushing right now..."
"No", he said all too quickly. You smirked, crossing your arms.
"Mhm...whatever you say best friend. But what are you doing for today? Celebrating a special lady?"
"If you mean my grandmother, then yes", Lukas said with a light laugh. You shrugged, nodding.
"True, she is a wonderful woman. I would send my mom something but, I'm sure Miguel will do something for her. I'll probably call her later on though."
"Miguel? That her boyfriend or something", Lukas called from the other end of the room. This gave you the chance to observe his background. There wasn't much to look at though. The space was pretty small, from what you could see, and very bright. There was a huge bed in the background with bright, white sheets, and on either side of it were nightstands with lamps sitting on top. You couldn't see to the right where Lukas had disappeared, making you grunt.
"I'm not sure yet. She won't tell me who the lucky new man in her life is, but I have reason to believe that it is Miguel."
"You know him", Lukas asked, scratching his throat loudly.
"Gross", you yelled, causing him to laugh. "But yeah. I've known him for a long time. He's her manager and is like a father to me."
"Aw, that's cute", Lukas said, plopping down into his chair again after putting a plate on his desk.
"Whatcha eating", you asked, looking to your left upon seeing movement out the corner of your eye.
"Garlic Parmesan noodles and steak", he answered, blowing the forkful of noodles on his fork.
"I want some", you pouted, watching Sarge closely. He seemed to be on high alert, his ears standing up more than usual and his tail straight and unmoving behind him. "What is it, Sarge", you asked him before he began walking up the stairs. You raised an eyebrow, standing up from your chair. "Hold on, Lukas...let me see what Sarge is up to." Your best friend gave you an 'okay', and you began following your dog up the stairs. He pushed your room door open, walking to your closet. "What?" Sergeant barked, never taking his eyes off of your closet. "Something in there", you said softly, sliding the door open, only for something to fall out. Sarge began growling, circling the object. "Oh, shit! My khopesh", you said laughing, grabbing the curved blade. "I completely forgot I had this—you must have heard it fall in the closet", you said, scratching behind Sarge's ears. "Such an observant boy! How did you even hear that? And you were asleep too", you giggled, standing up again. "Come on, let's go back downstairs." You trotted back down the stairs with Sarge behind you, sitting in your chair again. "My bad, Lukas. Sarge heard something fall in the closet upstairs."
"Damn", your best friend said, "good ear." You chuckled, nodding as you looked down in your lap at the weapon. I never got to train with this either...maybe I can start today? "Oh, shit. I'll talk to you later jitterbug, my boss is calling me."
"M'kay. Love you!" Lukas blew you a kiss before hanging up, making you smile. You sighed, looking over at Sarge who had made himself comfortable on the kitchen floor again. "I'm going to go down the beach, baby", you announced, standing up again. "I don't know how long I'll be down there, so I'll fill your bowls, m'kay? The back door is open if you need to do your business." You quickly filled Sarge's bowls, unlocked the patio door, patted his head, and then threw on your jacket and boots. You flung the front door open, shivering at the cold before closing the door behind you. You trudged down the beach, squinting to see Steven's house. You slowly made your way up his steps, standing at the door. You hesitated for a moment before knocking, waiting patiently. Pearl opened the door, gasping quietly before smiling warmly.
"(Y/n)! What a pleasant surprise", she said, pulling you into the warm shelter. You hugged the gem back, laughing lightly. "Steven isn't here if you were looking for him", Pearl said as she walked back into the kitchen where she seemed to be cleaning. "He's on a mission with Garnet and Amethyst." You let out a sigh of relief you didn't know you had been holding. Guess I really wasn't ready to see him.
"How come you didn't go on the mission with them, Pearl", you asked as you took off your jacket.
"Garnet told me she had a vision where it would be best if I stayed here. I'm not sure why, but I trust her judgement." You chuckled quietly, leaning back in the chair. "Hm? What's so funny, (y/n)?"
"Nothing, it's just—I feel like Garnet knew that I was going to come over here and ask you a favor so that's why she told you to stay here."
"Really? What's this favor of yours?"
"You and Bismuth are close, right", you asked, looking up at the pale gem. Pearl's face turned a light shade of blue and she averted her gaze, clasping her hands in front of her.
"Well...yes. But that depends on your definition of close. She was one of the original Crystal Gems, so of course we're friends, I just—"
"Pearl", you said with a laugh, standing up. "It's fine. I'm not here to dabble in your relationship with that hunk of of gem." Pearl giggled, covering her mouth. "I was just wondering, since Bismuth made this for me", you said, showing off the sheathed sword, "and since you two are friends, if you would know how to use it? Connie's told me that you've trained her, so I was wondering if you'd do the same for me." Pearl clapped her hands together excitedly, floating over to you and grabbing your shoulders.
"Oh! I would be happy to! When shall we start? Today? I'd have to develop a schedule for your training...around your work of course, and around our missions as well. Oh! There's so much to do! I have to sew you an outfit as well. Something flexible, and easy to move in, but also durable as to not get you hurt...you know you humans are fragile. Goodness, this is going to be so much fun!" You giggled, watching as Pearl ranted, her eyes lighting up with every word.
"How about Fridays and Saturdays, after I get off work and if you guys don't have a mission, and then early on Sunday mornings since I don't have to work at all those days?" Pearl smiled brightly, clutching her shirt.
"Yes! That sounds great."
"Great", you said with a smile. "I'll see you on Friday, Pearl."
*time skip brought to you by KFC*
You hummed quietly as you zipped the front of your jumpsuit. It was a sunny Sunday morning, and you were getting ready to train with Pearl again. She had finished your training outfit within a few days and had it ready for you the same week you had spoken to her. It was plum colored with red detailing. It was mostly made out of cotton, so that it was breathable and kept you cool, but the areas where your joints met the fabric were made of spandex for a full range of motion. You laced up the ballerina-like shoes that Pearl made with the outfit, stretching before grabbing your bag. Training with the pale gem the last couple of weeks had been fun. Hard, but fun. Pearl in training was no where near the kind and sweet gem she was everyday. She didn't go easy on you, and you liked that. It made you feel powerful. You sighed softly as you stepped over the threshold of your front door, turning to close it behind you. Sarge's snout stopped you from slamming the door close, his bright eyes looking up at you expectantly. "Sergeant, you know I have training with Pearl today", you said with a chuckle, scratching his chin. "I don't know how Pearl will feel about you being there, so I can't bring you with me." Your puppy snorted, sticking his head further out the door. "Sarge, no." You tried pushing him back into the house but he resisted your hand, managing to get his front paws onto the porch. You sighed loudly, tossing your bag down and opening the door more to push him in for good, but he bolted out, snatching your bag in the process. "Sarge! Get back here", you screamed, shutting and locking your door quickly before chasing after your dog. He was exceptionally fast, but that was expected. He did have four legs after all. You went from a jog to a full sprint, the muscles in your legs pulsating under your clothes. He took a sharp left turn, running up the steps leading to Steven's front door. You gasped loudly, growling under your breath as you ran up the steps after him. How did he know where to go?! Sergeant stood up on his hind legs, dropping your bag to pull the door open with his mouth. He went inside, the screen door slamming behind him. "Sergeant! Bad dog", you screamed, grabbing your bag and going into Steven's room. "You don't just—", you cut yourself off, looking around for Sarge. Your eyes caught onto the maroon gem sitting on the couch, her thick legs crossed over one another, a playful smirk on her face.
"Hello, (y/n)."
"Garnet, where's Sarge? I have training with Pearl today and I have to get him back to the house before she gets here!"
"Pearl won't be coming. I'll be bringing you to the ruins today, and Sarge will be coming along."
"Wait, you're going to watch me train today", you asked excitedly, your annoyance with your puppy completely gone. Garnet nodded once and you giggled, running to hug the fusion like a child. "I can't wait to show you what I've learned! You're usually on missions so I thought—" Garnet chuckled, patting your head.
"Well today I'll be watching. Might even show you a couple of things myself."
"Why is it that you want Sarge to come along as well though?" The fusion stood to her feet, placing her hands on her hips.
"I told you that his protectiveness would come in handy, so I figured why not let him watch for today? He might learn something that will help you in the future", the gem said, adjusting her visors. You groaned, skeptical about allowing Sarge to be in the same space as your training. You didn't want him getting hurt, let alone jumping into your training session thinking that you were in any real danger. "I promise I'll keep him off of the training field. He'll sit up on the steps with me. Right, Sergeant?" Your puppy came out from behind the kitchen island, his tail wagging. You frowned at him, snapping your fingers and pointing to the floor in front of you. He grunted, slowly walking over to stand in front of you, his tail limp behind him.
"Promise you'll stay with Garnet the whole time?" His amber eyes met your (e/c) ones with surprise, his tail wagging quickly and his tongue falling out of his mouth in a pant. You chuckled, rubbing his ears before walking to stand on the warp pad with Garnet. You stood with Sarge between your legs, not wanting him to float up in the bright light.
Once you made it to the ruined Ruins, courtesy of Steven and Amy, you followed Garnet up the stairs and through the entrance. Pearl stood in the middle of the arena, her hands on her hips and eyebrows furrowed in frustration. "Oh! You are impossible! This was supposed to be a secret! Why do you always have to butt into things?!" You gasped softly, grabbing the fusion's arm as you hid slightly behind her.
"Because I was bored and wanted to see what you were up to when we weren't on missions during the weekends! And now that I know you've been training (y/n), I want in! She's my friend too, Pearl, and I wanna help her get stronger just like you!" Pearl rolled her eyes, crossing her thin arms as she huffed. "Besides...I-I haven't seen her in a while", Amethyst added, her cheeks sporting an indigo blush. Your (s/c-t) face flushed as well, your ears boiling.
"Are you two quite done?" The other two female members of the Crystal Gems looked up with wide eyes at Garnet, Pearl giving the fusion a weak smile.
"Oh! Garnet! I—we didn't see you there." The fusion hummed and your face heated more as you made eye contact with Amethyst. She quickly looked away, her face flushed as well as your shoes suddenly became rather interesting. "Are you ready to start, (y/n)? I assure you Amethyst won't get in the way if that's what you're worried about", Pearl said, sticking her nose in the air.
"Hey", the purple gem yelled, glaring at the taller of the two.
"Y-Yeah...I'm ready to start. Just let me put my bag down", you said softly, walking into the bleachers to put your bag down by Sarge and Garnet. You unzipped the bag, taking out your khopesh and then making your way into the center of the arena. You cleared your throat as you and Amethyst made eye contact again, looking quickly away from her. Pearl's blue eyes glanced between the two of you before she gently pushed Amethyst off to the side.
"Alright! Today's training session will focus on where we left off. Defense! Your offensive technique is jaw-dropping for someone who's just started out, so we'll warmup with that. You ready?" You nodded, lowering your center of gravity and planting your feet in one of the defensive stances Pearl taught you. You gripped your khopesh with both hands, holding it sideways so the sharpest part of the blade faced Pearl. The pale gem closed her eyes, summoning her spear. When you were on offense she went head to head with you, while if you were on defense, Holo-Pearl would be summoned. The arena was silent, a slight breeze misplacing strands of your (h/c) hair, causing it to brush against your forehead. Pearl pointed her spear straight at you and smiled gently when you didn't flinch. "Now", the gem said softly. You rushed her, swiping your weapon quickly in attempt to cut her. She blocked your attack with the side of her spear, quickly moving back when you broke the standstill. "You're a lot quicker today...is it because you have an audience", Pearl asked slyly, effortlessly dodging your attacks.
"Possibly. I wouldn't want to disappoint, now would I", you replied, running at her and spinning mid-air. You came down, swiping your sword to the right. Pearl gasped loudly, quickly blocking your attack with her spear. The hooked part of your khopesh almost came in contact with her side.
"You would have sliced me in half if I wouldn't have blocked that", Pearl said breathlessly. You smirked, attacking her again after breaking the hold.
"Well maybe my teacher shouldn't be so talkative", you said with a grin, switching your blade to your other hand and slicing the air again. "Stop moving so much", you said when Pearl straightened her posture after bending over backwards to avoid you.
"And let you win? I think not!" You kept pressing forward, jabbing, slicing, and breaking Pearl's blocks as she continued to evade your attacks. The sound of metal clashing filled the arena along with the cheers of Garnet and Sarge's barks. You had managed to back Pearl all the way to the edge of the Ruins, a smirk forming on your lips again.
"No where to go now", you said, the tip of your sword pointed at the gem. She was breathing heavily, not from exhaustion, but more so from surprise you assumed.
"That may be true...but you're open."
"What", you asked, raising an eyebrow. You barely got the entire word out before Pearl swiped her leg across yours, causing you to fall, your khopesh clattering to the ground away from you. The gem then pointed her spear at the center of your neck, standing over you menacingly. Your chest rose and fell quickly as you looked up at her.
"And that is why we will be working on defense some more today", Pearl said with a chuckle, offering her hand to you. You gladly took it, standing to your feet and brushing yourself off.
"Damnit, I really thought I had you that time", you called, going to fetch your weapon.
"The student is not yet skilled enough to beat the teacher", Pearl said arrogantly with her arms folded behind her back. You rolled your eyes, a playful smirk on your lips as you followed her back across the arena.
"(Y/n)! Th-That was awesome", Amethyst exclaimed, running over to you. "How long have you been training with Pearl? There's no way you got that good in just a couple of weeks!" You giggled, pinching the gem's nose.
"You doubting me, short-stuff?" Amethyst pouted, crossing her arms.
"Who're you calling short?! I'm fun-sized! I bet I could beat you right now."
"Oh really", you said with a raised eyebrow, bending at the waist to be at eye level with the quartz.
"Now, Amethyst, I told you not to butt in", Pearl yelled as she fazed her spear away. "This is not time for playing games. This is a very serious training—"
"I am being serious", Amethyst hollered back, rolling her eyes. "If we ever get into a real fight, a real battle, all the gems won't have some lame spear or sword!" Pearl gasped animatedly, covering her mouth.
"Why I never!"
"Amethyst is right, Pearl", Garnet spoke up from her seat on the steps. "If you're truly training (y/n) for whatever danger lies in the future, allowing her to experience fighting against other weapons will only make her stronger." Amethyst smiled smugly at the pale gem, sticking her tongue out. Pearl huffed, crossing her arms.
"Fine! But be serious! (Y/n) is very capable of landing a hit on the likes of you!"
"Yeah, yeah", Amethyst said with an eyeroll, summoning her whip. "We'll see about that..." You pursed your lips, furrowing your eyebrows as you lowered your body into a fighting stance again.
Amethyst was the first to strike, lashing her whip out at you quickly. You gasped, rolling out of the way. She had managed to slice your clothing but not your skin. You looked up at the quartz with wide, (e/c) eyes, surprised she could even move that fast. "Amethyst! (Y/n) is supposed to be on the offense", Pearl shrieked, attempting to come back onto the arena floor but Garnet placed a hand in front of her.
"You said her defense needed some work, so that's what I'm doing! Helping", the quartz hollered back, turning to you again to lash her whip. You dodged again, hearing the cracking sound of her whip right by your ear. Your breathing was heavy, adrenaline coursing through your veins. "Getting a little excited are we?" You giggled, your sword held loosely at your side, your body on high alert.
"A little. I figured you'd be more of a challenge, baby." Amethyst's purple cheeks turned indigo as she puffed them out, her eyebrows furrowed. You chuckled, having successfully threw her off her game. You charged at her, khopesh at the ready, but the gem was two steps ahead of you. Amethyst used the whip already in hand to distract you, flicking it at you expertly, but you dodged it easily. She then quickly summoned another, flicking it until it curled around your legs, making you fall face first, your sword skittering a few feet away from you. You groaned, having hit your head, your vision a little blurry—but that didn't stop you from seeing the black studded weapon coming at you again. You swiftly grabbed your own weapon, rolling across the arena floor to get away from the purple quartz's attacks. Amethyst left no room for even a breath, but your body was beginning to become familiar with her pattern. The way her wrist rolled before she slung her weapon, the sound of it cracking once it hit the air, the feeling of it speeding past you when she tried to wrap it around your body. You smirked, stopping abruptly in your tracks. You had been running, jumping, and rolling out of Amethyst's reach for a few minutes now, so when you stopped, her indigo eyes widened. You sliced one of her whips in half, advancing on her. You could see the slight panic in her expression, even though she was laughing.
"I can just make more! My whips are endless!"
"They may be, but can you summon them fast enough", you replied, slicing the end of the other. The quartz growled, summoning whip after whip, only for you to slice a part of them off, causing the weapon to disappear. You were closer to her now, the tip of your blade almost reaching her. Amethyst summoned another whip at the last second, your weapons colliding—or what you thought were your weapons. You knew that you wouldn't be able to dodge one of her whips at such a close range, so you instinctively swiped your khopesh in front of you, severing the quartz's whip from it's handle, but also slicing Amethyst's head from her shoulders. Your eyes widened tremendously; it felt like they were going to pop out of your head, and you dropped your sword, the sound of it clattering to the tiled floor louder in your ears than normal. Amethyst poofed, smoke surrounding you and her gem that lay in front of you on the ground. Your body began to shutter uncontrollably, and you collapsed, your knees giving out on you. Your mind raced, and all you could think about was the last time you were surrounded in smoke, a gem on the ground in front of you—Jasper. Tears began rolling down your face rapidly, your body being racked by hiccups as you picked up the quartz's gem. "A-Amy...", you questioned quietly. You could feel yourself beginning to hyperventilate, voices calling your name in the distance but all you could make out was the sound of Jasper's roars before she was poofed. All you could see was Amethyst's gem in your hands, and the glint of Jasper's orange one a few feet in front of you. You were surrounded by darkness and the one thing that broke you out of it was the feeling of something cool against your hand. You flinched, blinking away the tears that were welling up in your eyes to see all of the Crystal gems kneeling in front of you, a worried expression on their faces. Garnet was right in front of you, her legs on either side of your body. Pearl was to your right, her hands gripping her shirt with a disheveled looking Amethyst on your left. You looked down to see Sarge's head in your lap, his amber eyes looking up at you. You gasped, staring straight ahead when you felt something squeeze you, your eyes traveling down again to see a chubby pair of arms wrapped around your waist. "Wh-What happened", you asked, wiping your face. Your hands were shaking badly, and your heart was still racing.
"I-I think you might have passed out", Pearl said looking unsure. "It was like you were looking through us!" Garnet nodded once, reaching forward to wipe more of your tears away.
"It happened after you poofed Amethyst", the fusion said softly.
"I-I didn't—mean to", you said, a hiccup harassing you mid-sentence.
"I know (n/n), you don't have to feel guilty", Amethyst said, moving closer to you to hold your hand. "I shouldn't have jumped into you and Pearl's training sesh. That was my b", she said with a small smile.
"I just—"
"Shh, you don't have to explain", Garnet said. "Steven told us what was going on."
"Steven?" You turned to see the curly-haired teenager sitting behind you, his arms wrapped tightly around your waist. "When did you...?"
"I came in a few minutes before it happened. I was looking for the gems all day, and was checking all of the gem places until I got here. When Amethyst poofed, I immediately ran down here to check on you two. We were calling your name, but you didn't answer. You even said Amethyst's name, but weren't really looking at her. So I decided to give you a hug, and that's when you started crying and it was like I could feel what you were feeling and see what you were seeing...sorry if that's weird or if I invaded your privacy." You chuckled, reaching back to rub his head.
"It's okay, Steven, it isn't weird. I just wasn't planning to see you until I knew I was alright again...but clearly I'm not. And I don't think I ever will be."
"It's okay to not be okay, (y/n)", Pearl said in a motherly tone, grabbing your other hand. She rubbed her thumb across the top, the action making you feel like crying again. "We're your friends!"
"And we'll be here for you, no matter what", Amethyst added, smiling brightly.
"So don't worry if you don't feel completely okay right now", Garnet said, adjusting her visors.
"We love you either way", Steven mumbled into your back. Sarge whimpered quietly as if confirming what the others had said, and you smiled softly, lowering your head.
"Thanks, guys..."