Vapor and Energy (Me and Mono)

[gantzgun74]

The first thing the gem realized when she touched open air was falling like a stone towards the surface.

Really, after everything that had occurred up to this point, one would think Aquamarine would be good at handling heights. Given her body build, it only made sense that she'd be good with it. She could either be as heavy as lead or light as air...

So when she found herself falling face first down to what looked like MILES of ice below, her first instinct was to quickly turn into water vaper. "Ahhh YEAH~! Now that's what-"

Only for the cold air to freeze her rather instantly. "MMM!!!! MMMMMMM!!!!!!!!!!!!!" And thus she continued to fall.....

CLANK CRCRCRCRCRCRCR....................

...............

.............................

.....................................

Thankfully the icy body helped to break the GEM'S fall to the ground and the gem slid harmlessly across the ice, eventually slowing to a stop.

.........

WELL THIS WAS AN ISSUE.

........

..................

..........................

.................................................

................................................................

It was a few hours before the gem finally started glowing again and the gem started spouting water vapor. However it was notable that the vapor was moving FAST ATTEMPTING TO KEEP ITSELF WARM WITH SHEER FRICTION. THEN, ONCE THE FORM WAS SOLIDIFIED the water vapor quickly solidified.

Once more creating Aquamarine, whom was quick to start moving fast, trying to keep herself warm. "C-c-c-c-c-c-c-cold-......!!" This was exactly why she never traveled up north on Earth. The cold was murder on her vaporous form. And it seemed that the cold here was enough to freeze her up quickly enough if she took her gaseous state. It royally sucked. "F-f-f-f-f-f-fuck.... Wh-w-w-w-w-w-w-where am I-?"

Had that strange... hole brought her to Earth's northern or southern wastes? Well if so, where did she even begin to look for a way back? "sh-sh-sh-sh-sh-sh-sheesh.... Okay... d-d-d-d-don't panic... You're only trapped somewhere where you can't fly... It's not like you're gonna die out here..."

.... Though by the looks of things, it would likely take her a while to find... SOMETHING around here.

The girl let out a grumble. "Well ain't this just a fine little piece of taggert bullcrap......."

[Monolilith]

I imagine it wouldn't be hard to notice a maroon bodysuit in a massive tundra like this, especially not one robing such a distinctive figure. The cold doesn't bother her in the slightest - few temperatures can. It's not a big deal that she landed in the wastes. She'd find a town eventually. She knows it. It's not a big deal.

But Garnet doesn't see everything. It's not that she can't, it's that she chooses not to. She's not to blame for that - infinite possibilities mean infinite headaches. Five thousand years is only barely long enough to get used to the incessant changes that Fate has birthed since Garnet herself was born. In that way, seeing a figure isn't a surprise, and her even pace through the ice doesn't change as she advances towards it...

but she stops dead when she recognizes it. Still, silent, and dreadfully familiar.

That's around when the gauntlets appear.

[gantzgun74]

It took a number of moments for Aquamarine to see much of anything in the cold and ice, and dear DIAMONDS would any kind of sight be welcome at that point in time-

Or at least she was thinking that before she finally turned around and looked behind her.

..................

...................................

UM... I WOULD LIKE TO TAKE THAT BACK. FINDING ANYTHING ELSE WOULD BE GREAT RIGHT ABOUT NOW.

SHE DIDN'T UNDERSTAND.

HOW WAS THIS POSSIBLE?

AND EVEN IF IT WAS?

WHAT WAS SHE DOING HERE?

"......" The blue gem took a step back. "U-UM.... U-u-u-u-u-um....!!!!!" PANIC WAS INCREASING, NO NO DEEP BREATH CALM DOWN, YOU CAN'T AFFORD TO LOSE BREATH HERE. "H-H-H-H-HEY-!!! H-H-HI G-G-G-G-GARNET-!" It was hard to tell if she was stuttering because of the cold or the sheer terror slowly eclipsing her mind. "H-H-HOW'S C-C-C-CRIME?"

SHE THEN SAW THE GAUNTLETS.

........................

.............................

....................................

"SWEET HOLY DIAMONDS WHAT IS THAT?!?!?!?!?!?" She didn't even wait to see if Garnet would fall for the old 'Look out behind you' trick before RUNNING FOR DEAR LIFE.

OH CAUSE YES. SUDDENLY THAT WAS AT STAKE NOW.

[Monolilith]

Wordless and with no clear expression, Garnet takes off after her, and naturally catches up. From there, it's a simple matter of nailing her in the back (only hard enough to slow her down) and hefting her up, teeth clenched tight. "You. Aquamarine.

"What were you THINKING? How could you have abandoned Rose Quartz when we needed you most?! Coward! TRAITOR!"

[gantzgun74]

Aquamarine screamed in utter panic and mortal terror as Garnet nailed her in the back and quickly hefted her up. In her current state she couldn't even turn into vapor to slip out of her grip. What followed only served to terrify her more....

But no matter how much it did, it also sparked a nerve.

She didn't care how much Garnet felt about the whole thing, a fact was a fact.

"T-T-T-T-TRAITOR? T-T-T-T-TRAITOR?!?"

She grimaced wildly. If Garnet cared to listen, she would've noted that that was the only term she took real offense to. "Are you being completely serious??? How much good do you think my help would've done against a blinkin 'DIAMOND'?" Garnet quickly noticed Aquamarine was solidifying her body more and more, making her weigh heavier and heavier. "OF COURSE I RAN!! I DIDN'T HAVE A DEATHWISH!!!"

[Monolilith]

Her fist shakes, head lowering in sheer rage. It's a minute, wherein the fingers of her other hand twitch a few times. And then Aquamarine is dropped to the ground, Garnet's fist lowering tautly and forcibly. Her mouth, now closed, is still twisted into a harsh frown, and she doesn't move. She just... stares. Hard.

Are you kidding?! She abandoned Rose! She abandoned US! We gotta -
Ruby, that isn't fair. She was scared. We were all scared. We should at least be grateful she's alive.
Why would we WANT her alive?!
It's better than dead, Ruby, dead or like the Cluster.
That - that has NOTHING to do with this!!!
It has everything to do with it.

[gantzgun74]

Fwip-... ? Flooof....

Aquamarine barely had time to register she was dropped to lighten her weight and brace for impact against the snow covered ice...

For a couple of minutes, she didn't dare move, believing that this was a delusion from getting punched full on in the face, and getting poofed into her gem all the while..... It...

It probably would've been the least she deserved in this situation.

..... Eventually however, she realized that her body was still solidified and still feeling the intense cold all around her... The gem pushed herself up, looked around before noticing the pair of legs still right there, still rooted to the spot...... Aquamarine couldn't help but follow the leg trail up to see the INTENSE GLARE she was getting from Garnet.... Or at least... She could feel the intense glare from behind those visors... Wait speaking of those, where did hers go-? Aaaaagh... She must've lost em when she landed... Crappity shit...

..........

Aqua looked down.

At this point.... It was pretty obvious that if she ran again, Garnet would just easily catch up and give her the lumps she likely rightfully deserved...

She could only imagine what was going on in Garnet's head right now....

But it didn't matter.

For the longest time, she had believed herself the last gem left alive on Earth.... And there standing before her was living proof she had been wrong...

Living proof that there existed people that knew of the 'wrongs' she committed. It was... Rather sobering...

[Monolilith]

"...

"listen to me. aquamarine."

The gauntlets vanish, and her fingers flex. Her expression remains a death glare, but her voice is... moderately calm, at least.

"I'm not going to forgive you for what happened at the Strawberry Battlefield. But I've made reckless mistakes, too, and I understand how it feels to be in your position." All too well, she does. "I think we can come to an agreement. Not forgiveness. But an agreement."

[gantzgun74]

................. Maybe she was expecting to hear that... Though probably, she was surprised that Garnet didn't decide to just outright punch her and bubble her when given the chance... Heck...

She was surprised that Garnet didn't just take the opportunity to break her gem all over the ice...

"............ What kind of agreement........" It was.... Hard to read her voice actually. Her tone was quiet...

[Monolilith]

"A lack of murder would be a good start." She shifts her stance imperceptibly. "Maybe even civilness. I'm not saying you deserve it, just that I'm not a hypocrite. Or not a bad one."

[gantzgun74]

........ Aquamarine glanced up at Garnet taking her in. ".......... ..... H-h-h-h-h-how long has it been? F-f-f-f-f-four thousand? Five Th-th-th-th-thousand years? .... I'd.... Kinda given up hope that I would find anyone else.... Especially after what I saw when.... When I went BACK."

.... She..... Went back-?

"All of the b-b-b-b-b-broken gems... All of the f-f-f-f-f-fallen weapons..." ..... She looked down an expression of guilt present. "Really... What do you even say to that kind of t-t-t-t-tissin' sight..? It was..." .... She was quiet a moment... She appeared to be shivering quite a lot now. ".... Awful...... I.... C-c-c-c-c-can't imagine what that m-m-m-m-m-must've been like....."

..................

"I kinda thought.... I w-w-w-w-w-was all al-l-l-l-lone for a wh-wh-wh-wh-wh-wh-while....."

[Monolilith]

Garnet's silent for a considerable while. Then, she looks away.

"We can talk about it more when we get out of here. You'll pop yourself at this rate."

A change of subjects? Yeah, and not a subtle one. But she really does need time to let this whole thing simmer. It's not easy on her conscience.

[gantzgun74]

...... The thought had come to her mind... But really, she didn't know it was an option. She had almost assumed this was an interrogation and Garnet had very few interests in actually listening to her or even getting her out of any immediate danger. Like say, the cold...

So hearing her say that at least gave her some comfort that that was the case.

.... Still... Where could they seek shelter from this cold?

"Y-y-y-y-you've g-g-g-got F-f-f-f-future Vision.... L-l-l-l-lead the way... J-j-j-j-just get us out of this f-f-f-f-frozen wasteland...."

[Monolilith]

"Mm." A nod. Then forward she tromps, in what seems to be an utterly arbitrary direction. A frustratingly arbitrary direction. But she seems confident, so...

[gantzgun74]

There was a groan but... At this point Aquamarine had no choice but to take Garnet's vagueness at face value... With a hopeful look and an unsure expression, she followed after the fusion, trying to stay close, but keep a healthy distance all the same...