The Halves of Rose

We Are the Crystal Gems

"Come on Greg, is that all you've got?" A bright-periwinkle woman taunted playfully, doing a backflip over a coming blade. The woman had a slender form and two pairs of thin arms. Her lips were rounded and her long, off-white hair was tied into a ponytail in the back. On her forehead and chest were two opal gemstones.

Greg was a rather large man, a strong build about him. While taller than his hair on top, he had long, wild, gray hair coming down to his waist. "Please Opal," Greg jumped over as Opal tried to knock him down with her spear, the man quickly attempting to cut down with his sword. "I'm just getting warmed up."

From the sidelines, sitting on the beach, was a small blue gem, only reaching about to Greg's knee. She had long, sky blue hair, her long bangs combed to the side to show her single eye in the center of her forehead. She wore two white gloves and a navy blue ball gown, a small, ice blue star depicted on the dress' chest. Located in the palm of her right hand was a large, dark blue sapphire. "Whoo, go Greg!" She cheered.

A red gem, sitting next to the blue gem, turned the latter. "Come on Sapphire, whose side are you on?" She was only slightly shorter than the gem next to her and had a dark red, cube-shaped afro. She wore a sleeveless top and a red headband with a dark red star in the front. Embedded in the back of her right hand was a large ruby.

"Who does it look like, Ruby?" Sapphire asked, not turning away from the sparring match.

Greg kicked Opal's legs from under her, knocking the gem to the ground. He quickly put his sword near the side of the fallen gem's neck, a smile on his face. "Checkmate."

"Ah ah ah." Opal taunted.

Greg gave a confused frown before looking down, finding Opal holding her spear aimed at his stomach. He looked back and gave a defeated smile. "Man, you got me again." Greg pulled his sword away, offering his hand to help Opal up.

"I wouldn't say I got you there, Greg. You almost had me." Opal complemented, accepting his hand and pulling herself off the ground. "Good match."

"Gee, thanks." Greg beamed.

"Hey, are you two done playing with your toys?" A woman asked from a grill. The woman had a slender form and wore a casual t-shirt and blue jeans. Her blonde hair, for reasons even she couldn't explain, was in the shape of an onion. "You don't want the hot dogs to get cold.

"Aw yeah, hot dogs!" Ruby cheered, jumping off the ground and running to the grill. "Gimme, gimme, gimme!"

"Whoa, easy tiger. We have a twelve limit for you, remember?" The woman asked, using a pair of tongs to lift each hot dog onto a paper plate.

Ruby snatched the plate, opening her mouth and swallowing the hot dogs and plate whole.

"Geez." The woman said.

"Auntie Vidalia?" A young girl, coming to about Ruby's chest, called, walking up to the group. She was dark skinned and had long, black hair that reached to her shoulders. She wore a sky blue shirt with a pink rose depicted in the center and blue jean shorts. She also wore a pair of round glasses that were a little to big for her, the only pair she chose to wear. "Didn't you say we're not supposed to eat plates?"

"It's alright Connie." Vidalia assured, patting the girl on the head. "Ruby's a..." Vidalia looked back to Ruby. "...lost cause."

Ruby looked offended at first, but shrugged it off. "So, where's my favorite Steven?" She asked, peaking into the back of Greg's van.

In the back was a young, tan skinned boy, about Connie's height, with curly brown hair. He wore a large pink shirt with a yellow star at the center, the article of clothing something that he insisted on wearing after his sister began to wear her large pair of glasses over her ordinary pair. No one understood the reasoning between them, but it made the children happy so they allowed it. In Steven's hands was a ukulele, almost looking like a guitar in his small hands.

"There you are." Said Ruby happily. She took notice of the instrument in his hands and grinned. "Aw, did you finally finish your song?"

Steven blushed and turned his head away. "N-No-"

"Finished?" Greg said. "He's been playing it all week so that it would be perfect when he played it for you guys."

"Daaaad." Steven whined.

"What, you have." Greg said.

"Well then," Ruby plopped on the ground. "let's here it."

"But it's not..."

"Aw, please?" Opal whined, getting on her knees and giving him puppy dog eyes.

Steven looked at his guitar, uncertain.

Connie hopped into the back of the van and sat next to Steven. "Come on bro, they'll love it." She assured him.

Steven smiled, his sister always giving him the confidence he needed. He took a deep breath and sighed. He gave his ukulele a strum. "If you're evil and you're and you're on the rise, you can count on the six of us taking you down."

"Cause we're good and evil never beats us," Connie began. "we'll win the fight and go out for pizzas."

Steven and Connie began to sing together, Steven playing his guitar throughout. "We...are the Crystal Gems, we'll always save the day."

"And if you think we can't," Steven sang alone. "we'll,"

"Always find a way." Connie joined in.

"That's why the people," Connie sang alone, closing her eyes.

"Of this world," They sang together.

"Believe in," Steven sang.

"Opal, Dad, Ruby, Sapphire," They sang together.

"Connie," Connie sang.

"And Steven!" Steven said happily, jumping to his feet.

The group began clapping almost immediately at the children's performance.

"Aw yeah, that was the bomb!" Ruby cheered.

"Yes, excellent you two." Sapphire told them.

Steven and Connie looked at each other, Connie standing next to Steven and the two giving a small bow.

"Yea!" Greg cheered. "But...I don't remember my name in the song."

Steven and Connie smiled.

"Come on Dad, why wouldn't you be in it?" Steven asked.

"Yea, you're a Crystal Gem too." Connie finished, sounding like it was obvious.

Greg rubbed the back of his head. "Well, I wouldn't say I was a-"

"Oh don't be so modest Greggy." Ruby teased. "You're the most Crystal Gem person I know. And that's saying a lot because I've been alive for six thousand years."

"Guys stop, you're making me blush." Greg told them. "Anyway, we still have hot dogs to eat."

"Yea, hot dogs!" Steven and Connie cheered.

Greg wathced the children run off, Ruby following close in case either of them dropped something. He looked over at Rose's sword, the blade resting against his van. "Me..a Crystal Gem..." Greg shut his eyes, looking away. "Nah, I better leave that kind of stuff to the professionals. I mean, what could I ever do anyway?"

"Steven, Connie! Look out!" Ruby cried.

Greg's eyes snapped open, immediately noticing a ball of fire flying towards his children, a large ruby shining at its center.
______________________________________

Steven sat in the beach house, his sister in her bed, the girl's pillow drenched from the tears she had made. He could hear the Gems discussing something outside, keeping their voices down so they couldn't be heard by the children inside. Steven looked over at the ukulele sitting next to him on his bed. With a sniffle, he shakily took the instrument in his hands.

"If you're evil and you're on the rise..." Steven sniffed. "You can count...on the five of us..." Steven broke down there, falling onto his bed and crying.