Steven Universe: The Diamond Legacy

Synchronized Bodies, Bonded Souls

Author's disclaimer: This will be a short chapter that deals with a natural part of female biology. If this makes you uncomfortable feel free to skip to the end (I'll note when) to a very sweet moment between my two characters. I just wanted to put this out there just in case.

I had the same nightmare again. I was in the Treasure Cove where we encountered Squaridot, and this time Aragonite and Gypsum were there. Squaridot  poofed my friends and I was stuck frozen by Gypsum's bone-binding powers. I couldn't get away, I couldn't move my legs. I could only swing my sword to deflect Aragonite's strikes but I tired out and she overpowered me, impaling her greatsword through my gut and twisting it. I writhed and screamed in such visceral pain I woke myself up crying.

"Nora, Nora! It's okay it's just a dream!" I felt Selene immediately lock her arms around me in a tight hug. "Shh, you're okay. I'm right here." I buried my head into her shoulder, taking deep ragged breaths until I was able to breath calmly again. "It happened again." I said hushed. "I dreamed they came after me -"

"I know." Selene responded in a low soothing voice, rubbing my back. "I'm sorry. I wish I could take your fear away."

"You already have."

My muscles cringed as the pain of Aragonite's sword tore through my belly and pelvis, Selene felt it too and reacted in the same involuntary response. She gave me a panicked look and there was a moment of frightened confusion in my eyes until an all too familiar wetness seeped through my clothes.

"You've gotta be kidding me." I told Selene to look away. "I'm not looking away." She responded tense. "Nora, what is going on? Are you okay?" She gritted her teeth when another cramp tore through her.

Rather, the cramp tore through me.

"I'm fine." I grumbled, removing the blanket. Just as I suspected, the bedsheets and my pajama pants were stained with blood. "Really, this is happening right now?" I muttered irritated. Complete terror seized my chest as Selene stared at the bed, covering her mouth with her eyes shrunken in horror.

"It's okay Selene." I reassured her, taking her hands and holding them. "This is completely normal."

"It cannot be normal to bleed like this!" Selene screamed.

Our combined commotion got the attention of the Gems and Grandpa. "Nora what is going on in here, is everything all right?" Aunt Pearl asked worried.

"No it isn't, Nora's bleeding." Selene told them urgently. That set everyone on edge. "Yes everything is alright. I'm not hurt it's that kind of bleeding!" I said quickly before things escalated and Aunt Pearl poofed from paranoia.

"Oh. I get it." Amethyst said, fully understanding. "Sorry you had to wake up to that, wish I could say I felt your pain, but I'm an alien space rock."

" I do." Selene grimaced from another cramp. "Through our bond."

"Uh I'm gonna head back to bed." Grandpa politely excused himself, having raised a son from a relationship with a said alien space rock, he knew very little of this  issue and didn't know what else to do. "Nora do you need any medicine? I have painkillers."

"No thank you, I have them here." I said, my face flushed embarrassed. "Thank you  for the offer." "You're welcome." Grandpa replied and told me goodnight. With him gone, the Gems asked if I was okay. "Aside from the constant cramps stabbing my innards. Fine. Actually... damn this is embarrassing.... I messed up the bed."

"There's nothing to be embarrassed about." Aunt Garnet. "We'll take care of the bed. You should go shower and change into clean clothes, you'll feel better afterwards. "I was just thinking of doing that." I slowly stood from the bed. "Thank you guys."

I smiled at Selene, passing my emotions of calm reassurance to her. Carrying spare pajamas, underwear, and overnight pads I walked quickly into the bathroom and took a long hot shower. The heated water soothed me despite the cramps seizing my body and literally bleeding out like I had a mortal wound. I stayed in there until the blood lessened and I felt much better.

(Aannd You're good!)

"Hey." I smiled, now wearing clean black pajamas and returning to my bed that had a fresh set of sheets. Selene watched me in relief. "I took some medicine." I sat on the bed with her. "The cramps should stop within a few minuets. I'm sorry you have to go through this with me. When I first found out we shared our pain I didn't realize we shared this pain too."

"It's okay, there's nothing to apologize for. You are all right and that is what matters." Selene said quietly. "The Gems explained it to me, they told me this was normal for your species."

"It is...unfortunately." I murmured awkwardly. "But it means I'm in good health." Selene nodded. "I did not know that was part of a human's breeding cycle. You are of age Nora?"

"Yes." I said, trying not to sound embarrassed, but she already sensed it. "I'm sorry! I shouldn't have asked."

"No, no, it's fine. I'm sorry I scared you twice."


"It's okay, Nora." Selene spoke quietly. "Come, let's go out on the deck so you can get fresh air. That should make you feel better." I nodded, and we sat huddled together gazing at the stars, my my weighted blacked wrapped around me and Selene's arms.

"It wasn't your fault." Selene spoke in my ear. "Garnet said it herself Squaridot would've taken the Core regardless of who pursued her."

"It's not that." I nestled into her. "I couldn't stop her from destabilizing Skyla and Callie. I should've went for the attack faster."

"Nora, they were fine in the end."

"But what if they weren't?" I raised my head. "What if they were badly cracked or I died...?" Tears blurred my eyes. "I never want to be helpless to protect myself or the people I care about again. What if someone I love gets hurt because I failed to protect them, what I get killed?"

"Nobody is going to hurt you." Selene soothed me. "Nora, your whole family stands to protect you, and you are a capable warrior. I don't know much about humanity, but I do know none of them are as brave and selfless as you. You've shown me that time and time again. You are not helpless by any means."

She chuckled thumbed the tears away from my eyes.  A helpless human wouldn't be constantly beating her high score in target training, now would she?"

"I guess not." I chuckled. I took a deep breath and relaxed. "Maybe you shouldn't  hug me right now, I don't want to ruin your clothes."

"My clothes are a conscious manifestation of light, they won't get stained by anything." She pulled me in closer. "Besides, you're very cozy."

"You are too." I smiled closing my eyes. "Do you mind if we stay like this for a while?"

"Not at all, Nora. We'll stay like this all night if only you wish it."

 "Nora?"

"Yeah?"

"I want you to know that I........." her chest rose and fell. "I feel that becoming part of you was best thing that's ever happened to me, and I wouldn't change it for the world." I smiled, closing my eyes and resting beneath the milky way.