#i actually thought gem had just cut into her sentence it was that uncanny

[legally-allowed-to-slime]

they’re besties your honour

[cibeewastaken]

Ten Proposals and Nine Drinks

Summary:

Malfoy has been proposing to Harry all night. Harry wants a turn to propose as well. 

(On Ao3)

═══════════════════════

“Here’s an idea,” Malfoy said.

“Uh-oh,” Harry said. “We haven’t even got to the pub yet.”

“Piss off.”

“That’s the plan.”

“Shut up,” Malfoy said. “I’m trying to say something.”

“Aren’t you always?”

“For the love of — My plan involves a lot of free alcohol, what are you offering beside your mouth?”

“My mouth is always opened to you,” Harry said cheerfully.

Malfoy took a deep breath. “My idea is — ”

“That maybe you can’t finish a sentence?”

“Oh, for — ” Malfoy stopped to kick an innocent mailbox. “ —  fuck’s sake!”

Harry couldn’t help but marvel at how much of a brat he became in the five years he’d been together with Malfoy. Though, it was either become a quippy brat himself or get railed on day and night by Slytherins. Honestly, it was just Darwinism at its finest. Harry only did it to survive, no matter what Ron said (“You get the glow every time you snark with Malfoy, really, it’s actually more disturbing. You’re getting the after-sex glow without the sex. What the fuck?”)

Malfoy drew in a deep and slow breath. “You know how they give away free drinks to people on special occasions? Birthday, engagement, their bastard of an uncle died, you know, that sort of thing?”

“You want to pretend it’s one of us’ birthday,” Harry guessed.

“I would, but the whole magical world knows a certain twat’s birthday,” Malfoy pinched Harry’s side and Harry yelped, squirming away and bumping into a few girls.

“Sorry, sorry!” Harry flushed, glaring at Malfoy when he laughed. “So who are you killing off?”

“I was thinking Weasley, but I don’t want you to burst into tears.”

“I wouldn’t!” Harry said. “I can take a joke. You just have a shit sense of humor.”

“I do not!” Malfoy cried.

Harry ignore Malfoy’s protests and ducked into their first destination, which just meant whatever pub they see first. Malfoy was still talking indignantly when he sat down next to Harry. Harry cut him off.

“So, you want to propose,” Harry said. Of-fucking-course. “And I’m guessing you want to do the proposing.”

Malfoy latched onto Harry’s arm and batted his eyelashes. “You know me so well.”

Harry snorted. “Have at it, then.”

═══════════════════════

“Told you it would work,” Malfoy preened beside Harry as they head to the next pub.

Harry raised his eyebrows. “I never said it wouldn’t.”

“I could hear you think it!” Malfoy insisted. “Well, never mind that. Wasn’t I amazing at the end?”

“You certainly were . . . something,” Harry said.

“I admit I hadn’t thought of an exit strategy,” Malfoy skipped on the icy road, making the back of Harry’s neck prickled with anxiety and he untucked his hands from his pocket so it would be easier to grab Malfoy if the prick slipped and fell. “But they all seemed eager to send us off into our bright future together.”

Malfoy’s “exit strategy” mostly consisted of grabbing Harry’s face and snogging him until Harry was weak in the knees, before loudly declaring “I must have you now, my love! My sun! My petit four! (“Petit?” Harry had sputtered and Malfoy shut him up with a hard pinch to the face) I cannot wait to have you until after our joyous union, let’s go now, fiancé!”

They were ushered to the door by a harried bartender and laughing crowd. Malfoy blew a kiss at the pub at large before they stepped out, and his face made Harry wished this was always how every one of Malfoy’s plans went- dramatic and ridiculous with the backdrop of happy grins. Not anything else, never badly. Not for the first time, Harry wondered how his life could have been like if Malfoy had been kinder, and they had ended up friends when they were children.

Harry took Malfoy’s hand in his. It didn’t matter right now, or anymore. They still had a young night, and many pubs, and many more proposals to make and receive.

═══════════════════════

Well, Malfoy certainly had a knack for proposal, unfortunately, he also had a bigger knack at mortifying Harry.

Twice, Harry had to stop Malfoy from describing Harry’s dick with details even himself didn’t know about. Twice, Harry couldn’t even understand what the hell Malfoy was saying because he was so drunk from the previous congratulation-this-is-on-the-house drinks.

(Harry had been ready to call it a night by the fourth pub, but Malfoy, who was so determined to get free drinks, had brewed sobering potions to take with him.

“Drink up, Potter,” Malfoy had said. “I am not a rich man any more, and I insist on milking this dry since I’m sure this is going to blow up in the Prophets tomorrow.”

“You don’t care about ruining my reputation?” Harry had said.

“What reputation?” Malfoy had said, and downed the potion.)

Once, though, Malfoy went from loud and sappy tirade to fervent whispers against Harry’s lips. His hands, cold, clenched Harry’s jacket, and he spoke like he was kissing Harry, swaying them both, with Harry gasping for air.

They had gotten champagne for that one.

By the time they were drinking their third Sobering potion, they had successfully gotten nine drinks from both magical as well as non-magical establishments, and Harry was a little irritated.

“I want to have a go,” Harry said.

Malfoy rolled his eyes. “Please, Potter, you barely got through your speech at the Granger-Weasley cult séance, and you knew most of the people there.”

“Barely being the keyword,” Harry argued. “I want to try. And stop calling their wedding a séance.”

“All weddings look like a séance to me,” Malfoy said loftily. “And do not try to tell me that the abomination Granger and Weasley called a dance wasn’t a ritual to summon the devil or an attempt to murder me through sheer mortification?”

“I’m telling her you said that.”

“What makes you think I care?”

Harry squinted at his boyfriend. “You don’t have the guts.”

Malfoy flushed. “Please don’t tell her.”

“Let me propose next and I won’t.”

“Fine!” Malfoy said. “Good god, cease the histrionics, Potter, it doesn’t become you. But just this once, if I don’t get the attention at the next bar, I shall certainly perish from neglect, and who is going to tell you your hair look atrocious in the morning, hmm?”

“You talk way too much,” Harry said, pushing the door open, and let it slam in Malfoy’s face.

Malfoy caught it smoothly. Damn. “Come now, darling. Betrothed lovers shouldn’t be so testy with each other.”

Harry sighed. “If you’re this annoying before we’re engaged, I can’t imagine how much worse it’ll be after.”

“I have great plans for it,” Malfoy said as they sat down. “I’m waiting, lovely.”

═══════════════════════

Draco looked away, gleefully awaiting the abysmal attempt of Potter’s proposal. He was never good with words, was he? Let him see what happens when he tries to best Draco at his game. They would never get their free drinks with it depending on Potter, but that was quite alright, the privilege of knowing - and saying - he was better at this was worth the lost alcohol.

He waited and waited for the stuttering and ers to come, but instead someone nearby gasped.

Draco turned around to look for Potter sputtering, but instead he found Potter kneeling. Draco stared. Potter smiled.

Harry’s smile settled into his face - it became him - it looked as though he was meant to always be so — smiling.

And yes, somewhere, at the very back of his mind, Draco knew he would be so lucky to have Potter’s smile sunk into him for the rest of his life.

At the very front of his mind, however —

═══════════════════════

Harry smiled at Malfoy. He looked very startled.

“Hi,” Harry said.

Malfoy didn’t say anything. His eyes were wide and bright and lovely.

“Really lovely,” Harry mumbled.

“What?” Malfoy said.

Harry shook his head. “I just — ” he swallowed. Even though Malfoy’s dramatics unexpectedly set this whole night up for Harry, he was still shaky and scared. No matter how comfortably familiar the sight of Malfoy was for Harry, he was still trembling.

“I just love you,” Harry said, going for the one thing he knew he would never be scared of saying. Or would never waver no matter how scared Harry was. But then all of the valleys of words inside of Harry came tumbling out, too - ���There’s nothing else, but it’s everything too. I love you, with you, holding you, spending time with you, living with you, being loved by you, everything. It all boils down to loving you, yeah?”

Malfoy looked as scared as Harry felt, so to not drag on, Harry fumbled for his pocket.

Finally, Malfoy started. “Oh,” he said.

“Yeah,” Harry laughed nervously, and it took him two tries to open the velvet box. The ring was pale, with a round moonstone in the middle. Harry remembered the day spend looking for rings, how it was filled with sparkling diamonds and gems, but the grey stones drew Harry in like Malfoy’s eyes always did, and the decision was easy.

Now, with both stone and eyes in the same vicinity, Harry couldn’t help but feel a little sappy at the uncanny resemblance between the two.

“Potter,” Malfoy’s voice was wobbly. “I swear to . . . I swear if this is your idea of getting free drinks, I will maim you.”

Harry laughed. “That was all you, prat. Of course you would mess up my plan, even on this. But then, I want to have you around so you would keep messing up all my carefully thought out plans.”

“Carefully thought out?” Malfoy swiped underneath his nose with his knuckles. The tip of his pointy nose was red. “You must still be drunk.”

“You’re admitting you aren’t as good at potions as you claim you are?”

“Piss off,” Malfoy said.

Sheepishly, Harry said, “I rather not.”

Malfoy’s hand pinched his thigh. His eyes never left Harry. He wasn’t blinking as well. For a moment, Malfoy looked like a statue, like his mind had forgotten it was still in the real world and left altogether.

“Will you, then?” Harry asked, belatedly. “Marry me.”

Malfoy’s laugh sounded manic. “Will I?” he said. “Who is going to tell you your hair looks atrocious in the morning if not me?”

“I don’t know. Hermione does a pretty good job,” Harry said. His knees were starting to hurt, but he didn’t want to get up.

“She does not!” Malfoy yelped. “I am marrying you, Potter, only I can insult your hair.”

“Yes,” Harry said. “Yes.” And he slid the ring onto Malfoy’s violently shaking finger with equally trembling hands.

Beside them, the bartender was frowning. “Excuse me,” he said, “are you still calling the person you proposed to by their last name?”

“Yes,” Harry said. The word felt incredibly gorgeous to say.

“Oh,” the bartender said. “Okay.” He turned around and poured two glasses of white wine. “It’s on the house.”

“That’s lovely of you,” Malfoy said. He had his left hand pressed to his chest. “But why don’t you give it to whoever sits here next?” Malfoy’s eyes sought out Harry’s. His smile made him looked all kinds of shine. “We have a séance to plan.”

[minijenn]

Ever-Changing Self Worth

For the first time in however long she could remember, Amethyst actually needed to sleep.  In the past, the purple Gem would enjoy the human ritual as a luxury rather than a necessity.  She would either do it to kill time or use it to avoid one of Pearl’s constant lectures.  However, recent events had made Amethyst more exhausted than usual.  It was only made worse when she saw Bill Cipher invade one of Pearl’s dream.    After what seemed like hours of crying and comforting, Pearl was finally calm enough to go outside the Temple and clear her thoughts.

Still, what made the purple Gem so anxious was how Pearl reacted to the dream demon’s outrageous claims.  The white Gem had sadly admitted that Bill’s claims of her hatred for Steven when he was an infant was actually true.  Amethyst refused to believe it though.  No matter how jaded Pearl was after Rose death, she could never bring herself to harm that baby in anyway.  However, there still was a seed of doubt in the back of the messy Gem’s mind.

Amethyst had decided to go to her room to process all of these conflicting thoughts.  She thought that laying among all of the treasures she had collected over the years would make her feel relaxed.  Unfortunately, it worked a little too well, as the Gem felt her eyes get heavier.  She assumed that her previous exhaustion combined with her relaxed state had led to this incoming slumber.  Originally, the purple Gem had tried to avoid sleep in hope to avoid one of Bill’s intrusions.  However, the encroaching slumber was too enticing for the purple Gem to pull away from.  “Whatever,” she mumbled to herself. “I’m not afraid of that stupid nacho.  I can take him.  I’m…a…..rock.”

And with that, Amethyst had fallen asleep, unknowingly drifting off into a certain demon’s trap.  

Amethyst’s eyelids felt heavy as she slowly opened her eyes.  Her room was darker than she remembered, and was certain duller.  It was only until she was more awake that she realized where she was.  The dark, gloomy atmosphere combined with the thousands of exit holes on the cliff faces surrounding her could only mean she was in one place: The Kindergarten.  The purple Gem’s former home was still as lifeless as it always was, with the injectors still attached to the walls. 

“Ugh seriously, this place?!” the purple Gem groaned as she summoned her whip.  She may not be the smartest Gem on the team, but she was smart enough to realize how she had inexplicably moved from her room to this place.  “Get out here already!  I know you’re here, you stupid triangle!” she yelled.

As soon as Amethyst said this, a blinding light emitted from behind her.  From the light, emerged the infamous dream demon himself.  The purple Gem put on a defensive stance as Bill Cipher floated down to her.  “Well well well,” the demon began. “If it isn’t everyone favorite little mistake!  How’ve you been Half Baked, still doing that thing you call ‘your best’?”  Amethyst responded by waving her whip straight at the triangle, only for it wrap around the demon’s cane and having it pulled away from her.  “Yep, there’s that inadequacy that you’re so famous for Half Baked!”

The purple Gem was becoming more and more agitated by the minute.  “Stop calling me that!  And why the hell are you bothering me?!  Can’t you do something useful like pissing off?!” she yelled.  Amethyst normal cut back on the swears, mostly because Pearl would constantly scold her about it, but she didn’t have to worry about filtering herself here.  The demon just rolled his eye at this and answered.  “Oh, lighten up Half Baked, I just thought I would visit one of my favorite screw ups!  Besides, where do you get off by saying I’m invading your privacy.  You didn’t really think about that when you totally eavesdropped on Bird Brain’s dream.  That was rather rude might I say!”

Amethyst felt a little guilty at this but then quickly shook it off.  She wasn’t going to let this sadistic triangle get the best of her.  “Oh screw you, Bill!  Don’t turn the tables on this!  You’re the one who told Pearl all that junk about Steven!  You’re nothing but a sham!” she accused the demon.  Amethyst was finally going to prove to herself that Bill was wrong about Pearl.  Amethyst knew Pearl, and she knew that the white Gem would never have ill feelings towards the young Gem.  Unfortunately, Bill was more than prepared to give the purple Gem the harsh reality that she desperately needed.

Oh Half Baked, it’s really hilarious how wrong you are about EVERYTHING!  You think you know anything about your friends and comrades?!  Ha, fat chance!”  The dream demon started to back away from the purple Gem, who was still ready to pounce at whatever danger the dream demon plan to throw at her.  “I think you need you need to get better acquainted with those idiots you think you know.  How about we start with Bird Brain!  Let me give you two some alone time to talk about things!”  Bill was then suddenly shrouded in the mist that covered most of the Kindergarten.  Amethyst summoned her whip again, ready for a surprise at attack from any direction.  However, after a few minutes, a new figure seemed to appear from the mist.  Someone that the purple Gem instantly recognized as one of her comrades: Pearl.

Amethyst had to rub her eyes to make sure that she was seeing things right.  She had heard that Bill had impressive powers of mimicking other’s appearances, but she wasn’t prepared for the level of accuracy before her.  Everything about the Gem’s attire to her stance was exactly like Amethyst was familiar with.  It only became more unsettling as she heard the duplicate speak.  “Now Amethyst, you really shouldn’t bother me over trivial matters that should be fairly obvious.  I suppose I’ll have to set the record straight with you, just how I always constantly have to do!”

The resemblance was completely uncanny.  The Gem looked, moved and spoke exactly like Pearl.  Even as an expect shapeshifter herself, Amethyst could never achieve such a clear copy as the dream demon could.  But that was all it was, a copy of Pearl.  Amethyst knew that she wasn’t talking to the real Pearl.  The dream demon was just trying to convince her that she was, and the messy Gem was not buying it.  “Hmph, nice try Bill,” she snarled at the duplicate.  “You can put on your best Pearl impression all you want, but it won’t change the fact that Pearl never hated Steven!” 

The Pearl copy paused for a few seconds, only to slowly put on a dark smile.  “Oh but Amethyst, I did rather hate that ungrateful brat.” She simply said.  It was something about that sentence uttered in Pearl’s gentle voice that caused Amethyst’s spine to shiver.  The clone then continued on with her train of thought.  “I was so devastated when Rose was unfairly taken away from me, only for her to be replaced by a filthy infant that was holding her precious gemstone.  I was so appalled by that abomination that I just wanted to…just get rid of it.  Looking back at it, I really should have done it while it was easy.  I could have just gone to the lake, rip the gemstone out of that parasite and toss the creature into the water and out of our lives.  It would have been so simple, but of course you would have thrown a fit about being ‘unethical’ or ‘monstrous’.  Typical Amethyst, always being a burden on the team.”

Amethyst was beginning to feel uncomfortable now.  She knew that this wasn’t really Pearl that was making such horrible claims.  Yet, just seeing and hearing the words coming out of the white Gem’s mouth and in her voice just made the purple Gem feel sick inside.  It was like Pearl was admitting a terrible truth to her and she hardly even cared about what it sounded like.  Amethyst immediately shook that thought out of her head, knowing that was what exactly what the Bill wanted her to think.  She then decided to offer a counter argument instead.  “I-I’m not a burden!  I contribute just as much as anyone else does!  I give it my best and everyone appreciates that!”  The purple Gem failed to notice in her anger that the mist was enclosing on the again.

Pearl shook her head and gave a light chuckle.  “Really Amethyst?  Because I think that someone else might have a few words on that matter.” She said as the mist enclosed on her.  Amethyst had it with these games now.  She unraveled her whip and was ready to attack whatever came out of the fog, no matter who it was.  A figure began walking out of the shroud, but it was still unclear who it was.  Amethyst hardly cared about that as she ran full speed at the figure, ready to finish off the dream demon’s latest illusion.  She was about to make the first strike before she saw what had emerged.  The iconic fez atop his head and flashy suit fit for a showman he had on caused the purple Gem to stop dead in her tracks.  The man that stood before Amethyst was Stan Pines.

“S-S-Stan?!” was all she could mutter at what was before her, unknowingly dropping her whip from her grasp.  Her mind was spinning at what she was seeing.  Would Bill go as far as imitate one of the best humans that she had the pleasure of forming a bond with?  Before she could answer her own question, the Stan copy spoke for himself.  “Well duh kid, I am one of the only ones who know how much of a screw up you are.  While those Crystal Chumps were off and actually getting stuff done, I was left to babysit you so that you wouldn’t cause any more damage!”  The conman looked annoyed at this thought.  “But, I guess it wasn’t all bad!  Those ‘Revenge Trips’ that we took certainly made you a lot more useful than you were before.  All I had to do was make it seem like a ‘friendship’ thing and you were on board for just about anything!  And if we were to ever get caught, I would’ve let you take the blame for it and I could get away scot-free!  Like that one time when the Gems had to bail us out of that jail!”

Amethyst felt her heart ache at this.  Stan would never do something like that to her.  What they had was a genuine friendship that had lasted for years and was built on trust and respect.  So why was Stan telling her all of this?  It just couldn’t be true.  “Liar,” she screamed.  “You would…I mean Stan would never just use me like that!  We make sure to look out for each other!  He trusts me!”

Stan then rubbed his temple and then continued with his tangent.  “Trust you?” he said, as if he had heard something idiotic.  “How could I ever trust you, kid?  You are so easy to manipulate, how could anyone depend on, let alone trust, you?  You wanna know why didn’t let you in on what I was doing to get my twin brother back?  It was because you would mess up everything!  You would’ve blabbed about the portal to the Gems and all of those years of work would go to waste!  You’re too eager to impress everyone, you end up being just a tool.  Just when the portal was about to open, you actually decided to stop the Gems from shutting it down.  You had no idea what the portal would do, and yet you STILL trusted me and went against your own kind!  Do you really think I can trust someone who flips sides in a heartbeat?!  I think not!”

Amethyst had to sit down from this.  What was happening right now?  She thought she was doing the right thing when she stopped the other Gems from shutting down the portal.  Sure, things were rough with them after that for a while, but they eventually made up and became a team again.  And Stan was so grateful to her and because of her actions, he was able to get back his long-lost twin brother.  Now Stan was saying that she was just a tool for his schemes, and that she was being just as stupid back at the portal.  The purple Gem felt like everything she knew was being ripped out from under her.  She was speechless at what was being told to her.

“And this isn’t just a recent problem, kid,” Stan said as he was walking towards her.  “This goes way back long before I was around, and I think I know just the broad to point that out.”  Stan was then engulfed in the mist while he was still marching toward the Gem.  Amethyst could only crawl backwards away from the enclosing cloud of mist.  She couldn’t take this anymore.  She couldn’t bear to listen to what other people close to her had to say about her mistakes.  She saw another figure begin to emerge from the mist and began to panic.  She began to recognize the figure that stepped out of the shroud.  Amethyst eyes began to well up at who she saw.  The beautiful, pink curls; the large, radiant figure; and the gemstone centered at her stomach confirmed one of Amethyst’s worst fears.  Rose Quartz was standing before the purple Gem cowering on the ground.

“My my, look what we have here,” she said in her gentle tone.  “The defective Gem cowering at my feet.  How expected.”  The purple Gem looked up into Rose’s eyes not to find pity or angry, but just a neutral, unimpressed look.  The pink Gem then lifted one of her feet and pressed it against the purple Gem’s face.  Only Amethyst noticed that instead of being bare foot, Rose was wearing pink, Stiletto heels that continued to stab at her cheek.  “Rose…..when did you….start wearing heels?” was all the purple Gem could mutter under the pressure of the former Gem leader’s foot. 

“Oh, these?” the pink Gem said.  “I’d just thought I would try something different; something more appropriate.  You would certainly know about that, what with you always changing to make up for those many shortcomings of yours.”  Rose then pressed further down on the Gem’s face, digging the tip of the heel deeper into her cheek. 

“I must say Amethyst, I am rather disappointed in how things turned out.  When we lost most of our comrades from the war, I thought that would be it for Gems on Earth.  But, then I came across you, a defected Amethyst that just so happen to survive.”  Rose then turned her gaze over to the hundreds of exit holes that covered one of the cliff faces.  “Out of all these capable Gems, I was stuck with the runt of the litter.  Of course, I immediately thought that I would never associate myself with a Gem as pathetic as you.  But whether it was from pity or curiosity, I decided to let you join the remaining Crystal Gems.  I thought that by some miracle you actually be of some use.”  She then looked back down at Amethyst, starting with resentful eyes.  “However, it turned out that I was right the entire time.  Anything you did either complicated or jeopardized the mission.  Leaving you behind and letting do whatever you pleased seemed to be the best course of action.  But then you disappoint me again by spending time with Stan.  It’s almost impressive at how pathetic you can really be.  And it would appear that nothing has changed since my passing.  You disappointed me in life and your disappointing me in death.”

Tears were now streaming down Amethyst cheek.  The pain was just too much for her, both physical and emotional.  Amethyst’s entire existence had been an uphill battle for her.  Yet she was told that her resilience was one of her best traits.  She had felt accomplished at what she had overcome.  But now Rose was telling her that is was all a sham.  She was just as worthless as she was when popped out of this planet.

The purple Gem’s train of thought was interrupted as Rose grabbed her by the neck and held her up face to face.  “I think it’s finally time I put you back where I found you.”  She then walked toward one of the cliff faces, dragging Amethyst behind her.  Amethyst was able to glance up to see where the pink Gem was taking her.  It was the exit hole that she had emerged from, she was able to tell since the hole was only half the size of the exit holes around it.  The exit hole usually gave the purple Gem some comfort, but something told her that it was going to become her tomb.

Rose roughly threw Amethyst into the hole.  The crevice was dark, with the only light coming from the outside.  The Gem wasn’t normally claustrophobic, but she wasn’t exactly feeling herself at the moment.  Amethyst looked up to see that Rose appeared to be moving something that on the side of the exit.  Her worst assumptions were proven true when she saw that was in fact moving a boulder.  Rose was about to completely cover the hole, but not before giving a final few words.

“Perhaps I will leave in here for another millennium to see if you grow into someone more useful.  Or maybe I will probably forget that I put you here, probably the ladder.  Oh, but don’t worry about Steven.  I have a feeling that he and that Dipper boy will other things on her mind than worrying about you!”  Before Rose completely sealed the exit, Amethyst could have sworn that she saw Rose’s eyes grow a bright yellow.  “So long then…..Half Baked!”

The moment that the darkness had swallowed her, Amethyst awoke from her sleep.  But instead of feeling refreshed, she felt angry, pain, and the need to destroy.

The maze-like layout that was Amethyst’s room really irritated Pearl.  The white Gem was in the Temple looking for the messy Gem for an important reason.  Garnet had told her that all of the Gems needed to be present for an important meeting.  When Pearl asked about what the meeting was about, the Gem leader just said it was an important matter.  So, now she made her way in the Temple to find Amethyst, that is if she could find her in this disaster.

Suddenly, Pearl thought that see heard something.  Upon listening closer, she concluded that it was Amethyst in some type of struggle.  The white Gem immediately followed the sound before finally reaching its source.  What was before her was indeed Amethyst, but she was apparently destroying random piles of junk with her whip.  Pearl knew that the purple Gem got emotional at times, but she would usually take out her frustrations out in the woods instead of in her own room.  Something was definitely wrong.

“Amethyst!” the white Gem cried out.  “What on Earth has gotten into you?!”  Amethyst suddenly turned around to see who had just called out to her.  The white Gem’s heart broke when she looked in to Amethyst’s eyes.  There was sadness, pain and fear all mixed in to one depressive look.  Amethyst only hesitated for a second before she slowly backed up against a nearby wall.  “Stay back!  Stay away from me!  You can’t fool me!” she cried out, trying to put on a false bravado.

Pearl had to approach this situation carefully.  While it definitely not the first time she had to calm Amethyst down, she could tell that this was entirely different situation.  “Amethyst,” she calmly said, slowly approaching the panicked Gem.  “I want you to look into my eyes.  Look into my eyes and just tell me what happened.”

In her manic state, Amethyst was somehow able to follow the white Gem’s directions.  She didn’t see anger, annoyance or hatred in Pearl’s eyes.  She only saw sadness and concern for her long-time comrade and friend.  This was her Pearl.  And as soon as she realized this, Amethyst broke down into tears and tightly embraced the white Gem. 

Amethyst just sobbed for a few minutes before finally speaking up in between sobs.  “I-I’m so sorry Pearl.  He..he just came out of nowhere!  He was you….Stan….a-and Rose!  And he said-“  Pearl then shushed her and just continued to comfort the small Gem.  She knew exactly what happened, for she was in the exact situation.  “It’s okay Amethyst, it’s okay.  Just relax, I’m here for you.” She said as she continued to pet Amethyst’s messy hair.  Amethyst was able to say one more thing though.  “He….Rose said that I was a disappointment.” She solemnly said.  “No Amethyst,” Pearl calmly said, trying to suppress the ever-growing anger at the dream demon.

“You’re just perfect the way you are.”