Don't Mine At Night

Save File 1 - Together Again

     Rarely was there ever a time when she could feel the excitement rising in her chest as it was now. All morning she'd been pacing back and forth between the living room and the kitchen, peering out the large windows, and hoping to hear the doorbell. Her expected guests were two of her closest friends and she couldn't be more thrilled for their arrival.

As the afternoon drug on into lazy hours her joy didn't die out but the exciting pacing sure did. Eventually it ended with her lying on her back on the floor, her legs rested against the couch that overlooked the whole room, and some of her ponytail in her mouth. She sighed deeply. They weren't coming today were they? She knew they were busy, leaders of the rebellion and all, but couldn't they spare a little time for her? Didn't they care? Why should they though. She was a nobody from nowhere. Probably the last gem on Earth.

As her hope was starting to dwindle suddenly there was a knock at the door. Sitting up, she waited, listening, hoping she'd heard right. More knocking. She hastened to the door and threw it open. There on the other side was a green gem, the heart shaped gemstone on her chest glittered in the fading daylight, her yellow hair just as fluffy as ever, and instead of her usual uniform she wore a pair of denim shorts and a purple tank top cut just low enough to expose most of gemstone that rested just above her bust. Like always, she wore her pale green "gloves", as she called them, as well.

Beside her stood a slightly taller gem with navy blue skin that was marred but countless tiny white freckles that almost looked like stars in the night sky. Unlike the smaller gem, she was dressed in typical attire. Knee high boots in various tones of muted blues, sage colored leggings, a simple skirt, and a high necked tank top of sorts that came down just low enough under the arms to show off her darker blue undershirt.

"Peri! Onyx! You guys came!" The gem at the door all but squealed as she excitedly ran into the arms of the two gems. It felt good to be wrapped up in a warm embrace. If she could've, she'd have stayed there forever. It felt safe. For the first time in a long time things felt alright.

"Of course we came Snow!" Peri chipped excitedly as she hugged the gem tightly.

"You said you wanted to show us something and we weren't going to miss that." The blue gem kept her cool. She wasn't as excitable as her best friend. There was that quality to her. It usually took something big to get her to outwardly show that much enthusiasm.

"I do, I do! Just," she paused searching for the words, "just give me a moment."

Peri smiled against the gem and kept hugging her. "Missed us, eh?"

"It gets lonely here, all by myself, day after day..." Snowflake let her voice trail off lost in thought.

"Don't worry," Onyx put her arm around Snowflake and gave the gem a smile, "I know what you mean."

In reality, Onyx probably didn't. Nor, did she fully understand what it felt like to be so isolated. Onyx still lived on Homeworld with Peri and the others in the rebellion. If she ever needed someone to talk to or help all she had to do was find a warp and she could be to any number of safe places in a matter of minutes. Snowflake on the other hand lived on Earth. It felt like she was the last gem there, living alone in the woods, fearful of humans still to some degree. Somehow her fears and sorrows melted as she was hugged though.

After a long moment Snowflake pulled away from Peri. "I've missed you guys."

"I wish you'd come stay with us." Peri's voice was just as pleading as the look in her eyes. Even her posture seemed to exude a little pleading energy to it. "You could sleep on the couch, or we could make you a makeshift bed, or you could sleep in my bed and I could sleep on the floor!"

With a chuckle, Snowflake ruffled Peri's hair. "That's a very generous offer."

"And that's the tone that says you won't." Peri sighed and put an arm around Onyx.

"You know I would if I could," She lifted her gaze to the sunset, "but I can't. Not now. I need to stay here where it's safer for me."

"We'd protect you! That's what friends do. They have each other's backs."

Onyx now was the one to chuckle. "Per, it's ok. Snow's not ready. Now before we sit here and debate this any further, Snowflake, didn't you have something to show us?"

Forcing the pity from her mind Snowflake turned back to the gems. "Right! The whole reason I called you here today. Come on, follow me."