User:Nextoy/Rogue Gems/4

The two had overstayed their welcome. There was no looking around it. They needed to leave, especially since it was only a matter of time before someone from Home World found them. Still… it would make Agate sad again.

Lapis walked behind the little goof, already imagining what was about to happen. Reluctance, grief, disappointment. She was tired of this cycle, and so was Agate. It had to happen, but it was still painful.

“Do we have to?” Agate asked, sitting down into her specially made chair. Everything about her was pushing against Lapis’ desire to leave.

No, it wasn’t desire. She didn’t want that. She wanted to stay, but they couldn’t.

“You know we do. That man doesn’t deserve to get involved.” Lapis reminded, walking up to Agate. “Now fix the pod.”

Agate, perhaps by instinct, followed the command. She wasn’t happy, but she was obedient. Like any good gem should be.

...Was that thought really her own? After all this time, did Lapis really believe that?

With the pod fixed Lapis snapped out of her thoughts and started to walk in, but the door refused to open.

“First, I want you to answer something for me.” Agate told her, getting truly serious for the first time. “Why do we have to keep doing this?”

“Because we’re renegades.” Lapis answered bluntly and without hesitation.

“No, you are. Why do I have to do this?” Agate asked.

So she was aware. When did she learn? Or had she known the whole time?

“...Because I don’t want to see you hurt.” Lapis answered, trying to figure out what tipped her off. “The people chasing us won’t care about you. You were bred to be a soldier, and nothing else.”

Naturally, Agate was shocked to hear this. The lack of subtlety alone was jarring, but…

“That can’t be true. You don’t believe that, do you?” She asked, backing away.

“No, I don’t. I think that people work best when allowed to do as they please. However, what I think doesn’t matter, does it?” She asked in return, arms crossed and a glare aimed at Agate. “Now let's get going before I’m proven right.” The dwarfed gem froze for a moment before bowing her head. Every time this happened. They stop somewhere, and then when it was time to leave Lapis got like this. Agate didn’t know this side of Lapis, and it scared her. Scared her enough to open the door and walk in after her commander.

Lapis felt like she was no better than the people chasing after her when this happened. It was necessary, however. She had a sincere advantage over most gems that go rogue, she knew how Homeworld thought. Sure, she never exactly met a Diamond, but she knew what kinds of commands would be made.

In fact them stopping at so many planets like this was something of a gamble. Homeworld would never expect them to stop, but they did. The small amount of camouflage was worth the potential of having their pursuers pass them by. With a bit of luck this could easily make it so that they could just stay on a planet and relax once this was over, as they’d already be hiding out on one.

“I’m sorry.” Lapis practically whispered as the pod was once again out in space, looking away from Agate.

“Sure.” Agate barked back, staring out the window. Many people thought the stars were beautiful to look up at, but Agate was sick of them. Sick of this empty void and being thrusted into it! So what if those dumb gems wanted to try and push her around? Let them try!

It was at that moment both of them snapped out of their thoughts, looking at a metal spike that had grown from Agate’s hand. Unlike the pod around them this was black, with copper-colored lines shifting through it not dissimilar from its creator’s. Agate repaired the pod with ease before going back to staring out the window.

If only you knew how much I wish I could change things… Lapis thought to herself, a ball of water being rolled between her index finger and thumb as she quietly gathered her thoughts.