What should have been a simple life in the desert sand and stars becomes anything but. Haunted by dreams of a life of violence, and seeking answers as to why, Peridot and her friends find themselves caught in an ancient battle between Light and Dark...and find that the cost of being a soldier is higher than they might have ever thought.
*hurried exchange in Sixamese*
Dawn: Uh...anyone getting that?
Peridot: Nope. And I think that's the whole point.
Fern: Six right now, but I was thinking about opening it up to more? Yeah, I bet it went over well! Hey, come on, you trust me by now, don't you?
Fern: *laugh* I bet! Okay, so--wait, hang on, say that again? You want to--oh. Boss are you sure--
Fern: I mean, yeah, I'd love to, but--you opened this place yourself! Why would you want to give it up so soon?
Fern: Oooooh you're gonna open another one--yeah, no, that makes more sense. Okay, then yeah. I'll need to talk to Citrine, but...
Fern: I'd be happy to take over entirely. This means I can open more classes and hire more staff, right? Great!
Fern: No, I won't change the name! It'll stay the Rock, I promise. And--yes, of course, it'll still offer free classes and everything to veterans!
Fern: I...cannot believe that happened. Holy crud. He wants to sell me the gym.
Fern: And I've got...so many ideas for it already.
Moonstone: With the promise now made in their hearts, Sora knew he would never really forget it. The warmth of that new friendship held back the cold as the pod closed around him, a bud closing up for the night. Namine watched from outside, holding her hands to her chest.
Moonstone: "Sora," she said as the pod doors hid her from side, "Remember the other promise you made. The one that's the most special to you. I couldn't erase it, so if you can remember it again...you'll remember her again, too."
Fern: Hey, kids! head on in--I'm waiting on a call.
Peridot: Everything okay?
Fern: Yep! It'll be good news this time.
*phone buzzes*
Fern: Oh! Speak of the devil. Excuse me. Hey, boss! Yeah, they're here.
Fern: Nothing has to change, boss. Just my name on the office door, is all. *laugh* I'll talk to Citrine and let you know. Yeah, thanks. G'night.
*call ends*
Fern: ...whoa. That happened.
Fern: He wants to sell me the gym!
-
Fern: How're we doing in here, kiddos?
Peridot: We're--doing--okay! Oof--was that Mr. Army?
Fern: Yep! He wants to sell me the gym. This whole place could be mine early as tomorrow morning.
That night...
Moonstone: "Yeah," Namine said, "You're right. Okay, it's a promise." Sora smiled. Extending his pinky to his new friend he said, "Good. Until later, then.
As the pod finished closing, Sora dug deep into his pockets. He pulled out the strange shell charm he'd found on the floor below, staring at it as a thin white fog filled the pod. He knew this thing. Someone he cared about had given it to him. Not Riku, but...oh, what was her name? He'd promised to give this back to her but--oh!
Moonstone: Who says it's not both? Listen, Citrine, you don't have enough pieces yet. If I know you--and I'm sure I do by now--you'll find what you're looking for when you need it most. Don't lose yourself in it now.
*music playing, happy chattering*
*music playing, happy chattering*
Citrine: I still can't believe Army sold you the whole gym for fifty. Like, didn't it cost him thousands?
Kairi!
He smiled at the good luck charm, holding it tight to his chest as his eyes fluttered shut. That was right...Kairi. He'd promised to come back to her...and he would keep that promise.
Moonstone: Well, that's that! Two down and...eight to go.
Peridot: *laugh* Gramma Spinel really loved writing, didn't she. ...Gram?
Moonstone: Hm?
Peridot: D'you think...d'you think that maybe there's things we never forgot, too?
Moonstone: Like memories deep in our hearts? I don't see why not. What brought that up?
Peridot: Just...having some weird dreams, that's all. They feel more like memories than dreams, though.
Moonstone: Maybe they are.
Moonstone: What have you been seeing?
Peridot: My friends at school, but...older. Like, out of high school older. We're all together in this weird place where there's no sun, just a moon...and we're all learning to fight.
Moonstone: Fight?
Peridot: Yeah, with swords and magic and stuff...I dunno, it's weird.
Moonstone: ...yes it is. Well, so long as they're just dreams, I'm sure it'll be fine. Now come on, scoot. it's time for bed.
Moonstone: A world with no sun, fighting with magic and swords...I wonder...
Citrine: ARGH!
Moonstone: Oh boy.
Moonstone: I know that sound. What happened?
Citrine: It's this stupid article...I don't have enough info to make it work...
Citrine: A hundred robberies where nothing was taken, between here and Wineburg...this doesn't make sense! What am I missing?
Calcite: Probably the same things those thieves are.
Moonstone: Do you have any idea what that could be?
Citrine: Some, but it's not like I can write--hey, these thieves may be looking for magical crystal shards based on a prophecy I heard fifteen years ago! *sigh* Dangit...
Moonstone: Prophecy? okay, I am completely lost.
Citrine: *sigh* There was a Seer...Oracle person back in the Realm when we went after Sanguine. She said she'd had a vision of Peri both living a good life here and fighting in some magical war and said that, "when the nine shards are reunited, look to desert warmth for truth and justice." Nine shards. These stores all sell crystal shard.
Moonstone: ...okaaaaaay then. And you think that all these robberies have something to do with that?
Citrine: I don't know, but it's way too coincidental to be just a coincidence. *sigh* If I could just find the thread...
Moonstone: Honey, maybe you shouldn't.
Citrine: What're you talking about? Of course I should.
Moonstone: Citrine. Some stones are better left unturned.
Moonstone: if this is all connected, then poking at it is just going to draw attention you don't want.
Citrine: ...I know, I just...*sigh* None of this magic stuff makes sense to me, Gram. What would those shards even do...and are they people or rocks?
Citrine: I know, Gram, I know. I just want her to be safe and happy...
Moonstone: She can be both. I don't think we have a reason to worry yet, honey. And if we do...we'll handle it then, too.
*Harvestfest*...
*music playing, happy chattering*
Fern: It did, but he likes me so much he figured I should have it for cheap. And besides, I'll be eating the costs of running it now, so it's not all sunshine and rainbows...sunshine.
Citrine: Ha! Very funny.
Clover: *chuckle* Well, I know a gym is pretty different from a diner, but if you two ever need help running the place just let me know. I'm happy to share what I know.
Citrine: Oof...thanks, Clover...we're going to need that help.
*music playing, happy chattering*
*music playing, happy chattering*
*music playing, happy chattering*
*music playing, happy chattering*
*music playing, happy chattering*
*music playing, happy chattering*
*music playing, happy chattering*
*music playing, happy chattering*
Some days later...
Spangle: Citrine?
Citrine: At my desk!
Citrine: Just...one second...
Spangle: Still caught on that robbery article, huh?
Citrine: There were six more in Wineburg over the weekend. This is getting some real attention now.
Spangle: But nobody knows why they're being hit?
Citrine: Nobody. And I can't find a single one thing that connects them. The first few all had catering from one specific company, but the rest don't, and the ones from out of town really don't! The only connection is the goods they sell, but...
Spangle: but nothing's ever taken, so we don't know why.
Citrine: Exactly. And these aren't high value cut gemstones, either! These are the raw ones, so this makes no sense at all! I can't put it together...
Spangle: Wineburg PD's asking around, but my contacts up there haven't learned anything either. I think it's time we get some outside help.
Citrine: *scoff* From who, the Fae? Honestly, Spangle....at this point I'd take it.
Spangle: Well, I don't know about the Fae, but I do know a PI who might be willing to help out.
Citrine: Like a PI could make more sense of this.
Spangle: Outside eyes, Citrine. Outside eyes.
Spangle: You can't always see the forest for the trees, remember?
Citrine: *sigh* I know. I know. Okay, sure. What's their name?
Spangle: Virtue Knight.
Citrine: Knight? Wait a second...
Spangle: You know him?
Citrine: Maybe? One of Peri's friends lastname is Knight.
Citrine: Have you known him long?
Spangle: A few meetings here and there. He's from San Marsh, has a daughter about Peridot's age, and he's...well, he's stoic but he's solid. I trust him.
Spangle: Here. He works out of his home office in the Bend. I'll call ahead, let him know you're coming.
Citrine: Coming? Why not just email him?
Spangle: He doesn't trust email much, says it's too easy to get hacked.
Citrine: ....right. Spangle, are you sure you didn't mean paranoid when you said solid?
Spangle: He can be both, you know. He's not entirely wrong, either, but the man's got a nose for weird. If there's something off here, he'll find it.
Spangle: Besides, it's either him or bang your head on the wall a few more weeks.
Citrine: ...Mmph, okay. Okay I'll go.
Citrine: but if I get my head cut off by an axe murderer paranoic, I'm coming back to haunt you.
Spangle: *snorting laugh* You'll be fine, Citrine, really. Virtue only hurts people who deserve it.
Some time later...
*knocking on door*
Citrine: Mr. Knight? It's Citrine Crystal--Spangle should have called and said I was coming?
Virtue: Lucky for you, I have time. Virtue Knight--nice to meet you.
Citrine: You too. ...this may be out of left field, but is your daughter Edelweiss?
Virtue: Only if yours is Peridot.
Citrine: She is. I thought I'd heard your name before--our girls are good friends.
Virtue: Very good friends, to hear El talk about it. Here, come inside. I made coffee.
Virtue: ...I can see the issue here.
Citrine: One of many. There's no pattern! Robberies jump from low end to luxury, from the Springs to Wineburg...it makes no sense!
Virtue: If you're looking at it from a money standpoint, no. From a magical standpoint....
Citrine: ...you're not joking. You really think that they're looking for something magical in all these stores?
Virtue: I'd put money on it. Gemstones and crystals have immense power if they're treated properly. Glimmerstones are just facets of the magical crystals that surround the realm, so.
Citrine: ...so if someone wanted but couldn't get an actual Glimmerstone, they'd...
Virtue; Look for something to replace it.
Citrine: How are Glimmerstones even made? Not to mention how do they work...
Virtue: They're magic--pure magic. A piece is taken from the larger whole, faceted down and attached to a necklace, and then anchored with a spell that lets the holder teleport to the Realm from absolutely anywhere. It gets past all the security measures, too.
Citrine: A back door!
Virtue: Exactly that. I don't know how the spell works, not exactly, but if they can't have the stone shard they need from the Realm, a perfectly pure crystal from this side might work, too. That's what they're looking for, I think.
Citrine: great! Now I just need to hunt down where those can be found...
Virtue: They can't.
Citrine: ....what?
Virtue: They can't. The purity of crystal you'd need doesn't exist here. You can make perfectly clear resin or plastic casts, but crystals? They don't grow like that on this side of the Realmgate. These thieves will never find what they're looking for.
Citrine: ...but do they know that?
Citrine: Okay, I'm seriously missing something here. I've been to the Realm--it's pretty, sure, but it's also pretty empty. Not to mention guarded! Who'd want to break in there?
Virtue: Something after what it's protecting. A door into the Abyss.
Citrine: ...Obscuro. They're after OBSCURO?!
Virtue: Or a way to reach him. To bring him back to this side of the Abyss. If what Sanguine said to you, tried to do you, is true, then a new host body didn't work. If that fails...
Citrine: They have to bring his actual body out. Oh, Watcher...
Virtue: And since you can't bring a body out through a pinhole or a mirror the way you can a spirit...
Citrine: A door. Which they need to reach through a spell because the Sages put up a barrier--okay forget I said I wanted sense!
Virtue: Some things can't be unknown, Citrine. Sorry.
Virtue: So what do we do?
Citrine: How do we stop this?
Virtue: Short of warning the Sages and the Council, we have to find the who and stop them, specifically. That's going to be the hard part...and it's why Spangle sent you to me.
Citrine: For what, your excellent freaking me out skills?
Virtue *snorted laugh* No, for my tracking skills. See, I wasn't a Hunter back in the Realm--I helped a few track some people through the Glimmerbrook side of the woods and made friends. Those tracking skills are what Spangle knows I can help with.
Citrine: Even with no trail?
Virtue: There's always a trail. Leave me a copy of everything you've got. I'll find these idiots.
Citrine: At least one of us is confident. I'm going to have to scrap the article now--admitting the Realm exists is kind of...not great.
Virtue: No, the council does love its secrets. We'll keep this between us for now, and go to them if it gets too big. So...
Citrine: So d'you mind if I ask how Edelweiss came to you? I'm guessing she's adopted, but...
Virtue: No, she is. I knew her parents--basically, when she was born, she had a Vision laid over her and it attracted some...attention. It was safer if I raised her out here.
Citrine: A vision--wait, Edelweiss too?! What was it?
Virtue: When the nine shards are reunited, look to desert warmth for truth and justice to conquer all. I don't know what it means, but....Visions are never anything good.
Citrine: No. No they are not.
Scarlet: It's weird, isn't it? I'm dreaming about that, you're dreaming about that, Peri's dreaming about that...who next, Ribbon and Meadow?
Raven: Gah, I hope not!
Raven: Your cousins are weird, Scar.
Scarlet: Well, they are non-occults...
Raven: Even for non-occults!
Raven: ...but yeah, it is weird. I mean, having the same dream of doing the same thing, like--opening an animal shelter or changing the world, okay, fine, but actual dreams? What's with that?!
Scarlet: How should I know? That's why I'm asking you!
Scarlet: Honestly, Raven, it's starting to scare me a little. That dream world or whatever...things were really, really bad...
Raven: Yep, they were. But we don't live there, so just shake it off.
Scarlet: Raven, I don't think snow's our biggest problem right now!
Raven: Well, no, but. *sigh* Scar, we can't stop dreaming! And whatever it was, it's not like it's happening now! We were all, what, ten years older in those dreams?
Raven: Just--oof--just let it be in the future or whatever. If something happens we can try to change it but for now just. Take it easy....and maybe give me a hand up before I fall please!!!
Scarlet: You big goof!
Scarlet: Do you really think everything's gonna be okay?
Raven: Sure do. There's all these stories about dreams warning people about bad things that're gonna happen, right? Well, here's our warning. We got it, and we know what to look for.
Scarlet: But we don't...not really. We just know how it felt.
Raven: Well, yeah, but I recognized a few of those things we were fighting. If they start showing up we'll know we're headed there and we can stop it.
Scarlet: We can?
Raven: Sure! Especially if we're all together. Who can take on nine weapon and magic wielders like that?
Scarlet: Hm...not many people I don't think.
Raven: Then there ya go! We can handle it.
Raven: I could do without those goofy clothes, though.
Scarlet: *giggle* White's not really your color, no.
Raven: Uh-huh, didn't think so. Besides, it was kinda cool! We were this kick-butt team of Star Guardians!
That night...
Fern: Things are gonna be different from now on, sweetie.
Peridot: What do you mean?
Fern: Well, since I own the gym now, I'm going to be spending a lot more time there. I'm not sure I can make time to teach your class. At least not at first.
Peridot: Oh. Is...is everything okay?
Fern: Yeah, there's just a lot more paperwork and bills than I was expecting, so it's going to be an adjustment. But Miss Caly's agreed to take over your classes if I can't. Is that okay?
Peridot: Yeah? Why wouldn't it be?
Fern: Oh. I just. You don't mind?
Peridot: No? You have grownup stuff to do because you're a grownup. A-and it's not like you're moving out, right? You'll still be here?
Fern: Of course I will be. That won't change.
Peridot: Then it's okay.
Peridot: ...Ma? Does it bother you? Being this busy?
Fern: ...*breathy chuckle* Sometimes, Peri, you're too smart. See, when I was your age? My Dad spent a lot of time away from home because he was busy with his job. I didn't want you to feel as lonely as I did, or that it was because of you or anything like that.
Peridot: Oh. Well...thanks, but it kinda does, doesn't it? You started the kid classes 'cause I brought up Parsley bugging us.
Fern: Not entirely but...
Peridot: but?
Fern: *heavy sigh* It's complicated, sweetheart. To be honest, I don't have the words to explain it. I just want you to be safe.
Peridot: Safe from what?
Fern: ...well, from people like Parsley. And from people worse than he is. That's why I started you and your friends on those lessons, but now that I may not have time for them...
Peridot: Ma, we're not babies. Miss Caly's a great teacher, too. We'll be okay.
Fern: I know you will. It's just. *deep breath* Okay. Let me put it this way. You can know something, like that the walls are yellow. You know that with your head 'cause you see it with your eyes. I know that Caly's a good teacher and that you're all fast learners. Making sense?
Peridot: So far.
Fern: Well, that's what my head knows. My heart's a little harder to convince because I want to keep you safe myself. Even though I know you'll be okay, I can't convince myself of it. Does that make sense?
Peridot: ...yeah. But...what're you scared of? Parsley's just a bully.
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