Where Loyalties Stray

Chapter Four

"What's your weapon? Tell me! Tell me!" Steven started yelling as he ran in circles around Ametrine.

"Okay! Okay! Just relax," Ametrine said.

Steven sat down in the sand and looked up at Ametrine.

Ametrine closed her eyes and started to hum a tune. When she started singing, the tune seemed to continue with her.

"The lights, spread across the city,

all over this small town.

The lights, trying to take over the stars,

turning a glowing smile into a frown.

The stars outshine the masses,

trying their hardest to be true.

But more people turn on the lights,

and the stars take their cue.

The light invades the beauty,

the light destroys the glory.

The stars are disappearing,

one by one, just another story."

As she sang the song, Ametrine retrieved her weapon. She took a light purple four inch tube from behind her back. Then she took many yellow darts from her throat. By the end of the song, she had ten small darts in her hand. Ametrine was staring up at the clear sky.

"Why is the song so sad?" Steven asked. "Why can't you sing a happy song when retrieving your weapon?"

"That is two questions Steven. But I will answer both. The song is just how I feel. I got kicked out of my only home, and am stuck here. I have no hope." Ametrine said.

"But we are helping you!"

"I know. The feelings of abandonment are still there. To also answer your questions: I do not have to sing to retrieve my weapon. I can just hum a melody, or even think of one. I just wanted to sing to show you." Ametrine said. "Watch this."

Ametrine took a dart and put it inside the tube. She sat down next to Steven, leaning back on her right arm as she held the tube in her left hand. She blew into the tube, facing it upwards. The dart shot into the sky. Once it was a far enough distance away, the dart exploded into a large ball of fire. The sudden heat blew back Ametrine's and Steven's hair.

"Woah," said Steven, as the fireball disappeared a few seconds later. "That was... amazing!"

Ametrine blushed, her cheeks turning a dark orange. "Thank you."
She stood up and moved away from Steven. "Watch this."

Ametrine put the darts against the gem at her throat and the gem glowed before the darts disappeared. She held the pipe in her left hand, and gripped it like she was holding a thin pole. She shook the pipe in a sudden upward, then downward motion, and the pipe glowed. When the pipe stopped glowing, it was six feet, almost as tall as Ametrine. It was now a lighter purple, with golden music notes etched on the pipe. She started twirling the pipe.

"It's a staff!" exclaimed Steven, his eyes wide.

"A Bo Staff, to be exact," said Ametrine.

Ametrine started spinning it faster. Ametrine started to twirl the Bo Staff on the tips of her fingers, when it flew out of her hands toward Steven.

Steven's pink shield appeared in front of him. The Bo Staff hit the shield, but a loud clang, like the sound from a gong. Steven shot back against the sand a few feet, leaving a trail.

"Woah! Are you okay b-?" started Ametrine, before she stopped in front of Steven, staring at Steven's shield.

Ametrine picked up Steven, asking, "That shield looks familiar..."

"It's my mom's shield. Rose Quartz," Steven said, holding the shield up to Ametrine.

"Rose? You mean Pink Diamond?"

"Who?"

"Nevermind. Where is she?"

"She -uh- gave up her form to create me." Steven looked down at the sand.

"Oh." Ametrine picked up her Bo Staff.

Steven and Ametrine stood in silence.

Ametrine spoke up and said, "Would you like to practice your fighting?"

Steven looked up. "Yeah! With the blow darts."

Ametrine grinned as she backed up, taking another handful of darts from her gem. She picked up a yellow dart and put it in the tube.

"Get ready!" she yelled, before blowing into the tube.

The yellow dart zoomed straight to Steven. Steven held up his shield, blocking the dart. When it made contact with the shield, the dart sounded

Steven dropped his shield, which dissolved, before plugging his ears. Steven waited for a few seconds after the sound ended before unplugging his ears.

"Is that it? Come on, Ametrine!" Steven shouted louder than usual.

"Alright!" replied Ametrine.

Steven had his shield appear. Ametrine started to maneuver around Steven. She blew darts at random times while Steven blocked the darts with his shield. The two of them where doing this for about twenty minutes when one dart hit Steven in the arm.