Rejuvenate, Relive

Chapter six...Promises

          I sat down, holding up a rock and throwing it at the water. It bounced a few times before plopping down beneath the surface. I sighed. Steven had taught me that. "Spinel?" Obby whispered beside me, her fluffy ears twitching as they swiveled around to catch any dangerous sounds.

I glanced at her, not turning my head, "Yeah?"

She hesitated, "Well, why... Why have you seemed so upset?" She asked. I simply shrugged and she decided to drop it.

STEVEN'S POV

I sat in my room, thinking hard. "Why is it so hard to help her without messing it up!? Why'd I yell!? WHY AM I EVEN UPSET!? Should I apologize? Should I let her cool off? Should I-"

"Steven," Pearl interrupted. "You need to calm down. She'll come back, unfortunately." She added spitefully.

"Yeah," I replied, "You're right."

"About what? Her coming back or the fact that she's coming back is unfortunate?" Pearl asked in amusement.

I laughed half-heartedly, "About her coming back." Pearl laughed too, but, like mine, it was kinda hollow.

"You guys lookin' for Spinel?" An unfamiliar (but still familiar, if that makes sense) voice said from the doorway.

"Well, uhm, yeah." I muttered, "Who're you?"

"Obsidian, but you can call me Obby." She answered.

"Oh, well, d'you know where she is?" I asked. Obby grinned and nodded.

Spinel was sitting on a rock tossing stones at the water. She was sitting in a crisscross position and flinched as I said "Hello."

"H-hi Steven...?" She muttered.

"Hey." I replied.

"H-how're you?"

"I was gonna ask you the same."

"I asked first."

"Fair enough, I'm fine."

"I'm... Okay..."

"I think we should set lies aside."

"Are you calling me a liar?"

"Possibly."

"You jerk."

"Whatever."

We both went silent, smiling. She looked back at the water, "The lake is so pretty." She whispered. I nodded happily. She put her feet in the water and sighed in relief, "Why can't it stay this way?" She asked.

"Dunno. It's gonna change a lot, that's how life works." I answered.

"That sucks." Spinel said softly.

"Yeah..." I said quietly.

We quieted again, and I sat beside her on the rock. I put my feet into the cool water, letting it relieve me of my stress.

"So." Spinel said after I had explained my plan, "We're gonna use you as bait because you don't poof? That's a horrible idea! What if we can't get your powers back?"

"Bait." I pointed out, "I didn't say I was gonna run into the Rejuvenator. I said I was gonna act like I was giving up, not actually give up." I explained.

"Oh." She said, "Well it's still crazy and dangerous! Let me take care of it, Steven."

"I've got this, Spinel, stop being so persistent!" I assured her.

"I don't want you to get hurt... You aren't someone I wanna throw away... Ever..."

"Spinel...?"

"Please, gimme a chance..."

I sighed; She was so insistent. "No Spinel." I said sternly. All she did was glare at me, no protests, no argument, no "but", not even a sigh. Just a silent glare of spite. I glanced at the door and back at her, "I-I've gotta go if this is gonna work..." I murmured.

"Yeah. Go ahead." She said softly.

"Spinel?" I asked.

"What." She snarled. That deserved a period for how closed and stiff it seemed.

"Don't get hurt." I said after a second of biting back a wail of regret.

"Whatever." She hissed.

"Steven? So, you came, but she didn't? Wow, what a coward." The Topaz gem, or Topaz, jeered. We were at the garden where Topaz had told Spinel to meet her.

She's trying to make you upset, I told myself, don't listen to her! No matter how hard I tried, however, I couldn't expel the vile anger rising like smoke. "Is her wittle hero gonna step up foh her?" Topaz cooed, "Aw, my hero, NOT!" She added suddenly. I flinched away, "You think you can come here when I asked for her and turn yourself in!? NOT HAPPEINING LITTLE HERO!" She roared, lunging at me. I dodged away, but she swung something around and struck my chest.

"Ow!" I exclaimed, feeling blood seep from the wound. I pressed my hand against it as she jumped again.

"No! YOU WON'T GET ALONG THAT EASY!" She protested. I lurched back as she swung again and again, my wound only half healed. "You are NOT going to beat me like I'm some BUG!"

"Maybe not like a bug," I began, healing again, "but I will beat you."

"Is that a threat?"

"No." I said as my injury finally closed, "That's a promise."