Summary: Some more answers, and angst
Pearl looked over the paper. "Congratulations Steven, you've gotten the gem language down pat." She smiled. She was worried the dialect would've been too different from baseline English, and thus, too difficult for her baby's moldable but smaller human mind, but her boy was an overachiever.
"Yes! And it only took two nights of no sleep to achieve it!" Emphasis on Over . The black rings around their eyes was a worrying factor and something that popped up far too often for Pearl's case. "I could show this to Connie and we can finally write secret messages to each other!"
"Aww come on, you've gotta tell me everything Steven." Amethyst begged. "Tell me these dark and dirty secrets."
"Well I can tell you one … Lonely Blade only got three out of five stars from us." He responded in a whispery tone.
"Oh the scandalousness." Amethyst mocked fainted. "Their minds have fully been corrupted, there is no salvation for this child except a quick and painless death." She pounced on the boy and tackled him with a bear-like hug.
"No…too smothery…too much love…I can't take it….." Steven played along as if he was actually in pain. He still acted just a little too silly for Pearl's taste at times, but she supposed it was just all a part of that naive human charm Rose liked so much.
The warp pad opened, as a familiar face emerged. "I found the map." Garnet deadpanned, dropping a safe onto the floorboards … which went straight through them. "Just need to break it out."
"Garnet, your back!" Steven quickly rushed over to the fusion and wrapped his arm around her legs. One thing that never changed throughout the years was Garnet being Steven's favorite, try as Pearl and Amethyst might. "Where'd you go!? Where does the map lead!? Buried treasure!? Hidden temple?! Secret society of fish people!?"
"No, the fish people live off the planet now." Garnet joked, picking the boy up. "It leads to a temple on an uncharted island … if we could get it open that is. It'll probably be an all day thing."
"For some people maybe, but not for the Purple Puma!" Amethyst shapeshfited into that ridiculous wrestling persona and slammed dived into the hole of the floor, where a giant thump could be heard. "Owwwww."
"Amethyst, don't go hurdling into dark and deep pits! That's exactly how gems are cracked!" Pearl reiterterated to the troublemaker for what seemed like the millionth time in the Pale gems lifetime.
"So what's on your agenda today Steven?" Garnet asked, ruffling the boy's head as she placed him on the couch.
"Nothing much. Connie has to stay late because some girl at school keeps giving her trouble." Steven answered. "She said she was getting ready for summer vacation and finishing up all her school stuff. Since she always tells me what she learns when she comes over, I figured I should learn as much gem stuff as fast as possible so I can teach her something for once. You know, as thanks."
"Ah, young nerdy love." Amethyst's voice echoed from the hole. "So cute and so nerdy. You going to make out in a library in a fort made of books?"
"Amethyst…that's not what you use books for." Steven tried to dismiss it. He shouldn't be so embarrassed. If he liked her, he should say it before someone else comes along and takes Connie away from him.
Pearl looked at Steven blush a bit before turning to the hole. "Since we'll be busy … Oh, I know." She pulled out a special little mirror. "A gem recording tool."
"Whoa….magic mirror."
"Not magic, just highly complicated technology that seems magical upon first glance." Pearl corrected. "Gems have been able to use devices such as this to record their history, memories, sights, you name it. Just tell it what you want to see and it'll show it off."
"Tell me the meaning of life!" The boy shouted. The mirror did nothing, showing off a regular reflection. "Is the meaning of life me?" Steven began to gasp. "Is life nothing but an extent of my thoughts, hopes, dreams, and perspective? Does life truly exist if I'm not alive? Is perspective all but a trick we tell ourselves to hide the grand void that makes up the universe as a whole?" Maybe Pearl shouldn't have given him that philosophy book as a beginners guide to reading.
"It would explain the platypus." Amethyst snickered as she finally crawled out of the hole.
"It would only know and show things it's seen before, Steven. Here, let me show you." Pearl grasped the mirror. "Mirror, show me the galaxy warp." The mirror did nothing. "I said, show me the galaxy warp!" Once more, it showed nothing.
"Maybe the galaxy warp is just thoughts focused by the pads … and all of us can travel by thinking hard enough." Steven thought aloud.
"If that was the case, then you should be wapring by now." Amethyst pointed out. "Weird you can shapeshift but not do that."
The boy froze up, before Granet gave his arm a light squeeze. "Don't feel bad because you can't do it Steven. Everyone has things they can't do, even us."
"Yeah, like how Pearl can't even eat a crumb of bread without throwing up, meanwhile I get to experience everything great about humanity." Amethyst laughed as she took a bite of the floorboard. "Show mulch fiber in this." She mumbled in between bites.
The boy giggled. "I guess that's one way to get a healthy meal …" The boy looked over to Pearl. "Hey, if that Mirror's broken, can I have it? I could go to town and see if anyone's interested in a mirror?" That might be a bit dangerous.
"Aww come on Steven. Don't you know the fun of mirrors is breaking them?" … Nevermind, it was clearly safer than here.
"Don't be like that, Amethyst. It would be a shame to just let a nice looking mirror like this get smashed to pieces. It has more worth than that." Steven took the mirror and headed outside. "Now I'll be off to the second more magical place in Gravesfield!"
"Don't eat your donut too fast or you'll choke!" Pearl called out. It was better to be safe than sorry.
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Masha leaned against the walls of the Big donut. There was much they could think of to do with the inevitable coming. In about a day or two, Masha was going to be sent off to Reality Check camp to correct her 'bizarre' behavior. You try to do one satanic ritual in your room one time and suddenly you get labeled for life.
The only consolation prize they got was that everyone else weird and crazy was gonna be there with them, so they had that going for them, misery loving company and all. But otherwise they would be forced to learn taxes before they even made it to senior year at highschool. Yikes, annoying.
Masha had just barely enough time to enjoy their last day of freedom, and they didn't know what to spend it on. They could ride one of the funland coasters a hundred times and barf all over people. Or they could buy some subtle items that they could combine at camp into another ritual. Or maybe she should finally try that forbidden donut….the dognut….the unholy combination of hotdog and donut.
"Are you going to order something or are you going to loiter in the lobby all day?" The cashier with the earlobes grumbled as he lazily slept at the cash register.
"Can't a good old customer in an empty store do both?" Mashe grinned.
"Of course, more people to make my life miserable, why not." The guy groaned. "They only thing that could make it worse is…"
The door swung open and in came a short chubby kid in a pink shirt with a big yellow star in the middle. "Hello Big Donut employees! How do you do on this fine near-summer day?"
"....That." The earlobe guy banged his head against the counter. "Steven, I am not giving you any more freebies, not after last time."
"Don't worry." The boy smiled. "This time, I actually saved enough money for a donut."
"... Well, it's a change of pace." The teenager stood up. "What can I get for you then, because miss lazy over here isn't taking anything."
"Oh, can I got the charco-choco flavored one?" The boy questioned with sparkly eyes.
"You do realize that's just a chocolate donut deep-fried until it's black, right?" The earlobe guy raised an eyebrow.
"Yeah, but between the lines of sweetness and bitterness, there's a certain harmony that's achieved that can only be appreciated when you eat it all the way. It's not just eating a donut, it's about having an experience."
The man stared at him for a moment. "Whatever. Your funeral." The man immediately grabbed the donut and handed it out, taking money.
"I didn't think Gravesfield had anyone brave enough to eat over fried pastries for the experience." Marsha smirked.
"I like to think of myself as a grand explorer of all life on earth. Every stone must be uncovered, every rock turned on its head, every grain of sand walked on by bare feet, otherwise what is the point of living life?" The kid was certainly cute in his naivety.
"I'll try to remember that when I get shipped off to Reality Camp." Masha laughed. "Hey, I'm Masha, nice to meet you."
"The pleasure's all mine, dear Masha. The name bequeathed upon me is Steven Universe Esquire." The boy bowed, before laughing. "Just kidding, It's just Steven universe. I don't even know what Esquire means."
"Wow, named after the cosmos itself, the goddess must favor you." They grinned.
"Maybe? Apparently my family might worship a moon goddess if that sunken temple meant anything." Steven muttered in confusion.
"Sunken temple? Oooh, is your family a clan of pagan ritualists? Because I'd totally be down for a blood sacrifice if you're planning one." This was the most engaging conversation Masha's had in her life. Finally, someone who actually spoke their language.
"Nah, just a group of space refugees that fight monsters all over the world." The boy shrugged. "They gave me this magic mirror that's supposed to tell me all their space history, but it hasn't shown me anything."
"Magic mirror?" Masha asked. "You try hooking it up with some tarot cards?"
"I don't know how a card would taste like carrots."
"Heh." Again, the naivety is very cute. "Here, let me see. If there actually is something magical about it, I might be able to work with it."
"Okay, better than letting Amethyst smash it." He handed over a very ornate looking hand held mirror at them.
"Oooh, a very fancy looking mirror….one with a definite spiritual presence locked inside." Masha observed it, pressing her hand across its surface, including the crack gem that was on the back. "Worn down and broken from isolation, a prison of solitude that spans hundreds of years, without comfort without sensation, without a clear thought."
"You got all that from one look?" Steven questioned, before gasping. "Are you psychic?"
"Nope, just spiritually attuned with the world." Masha answered back. "You know, maybe you could get the spirit out with some kindness."
"Really? What should I do? What should I say?" The boy looked at the mirror. "Hey, you're looking fine and….shiny today? Wanna hang out and be friends forever?"
There was a silence that came over the room, before a static showed up. " Friends Forever?" It repeated, using images from what Steven had just said.
His eyes opened wide and became adorably sparkly. "Yes spirit, we will be friends forever! We'll watch movies, tell knock knock jokes, and discuss the controversial messages of fantasy books."
"How have I spent so long in this town and not met someone as fun as you?" Masha chuckled.
"I spend a lot of time on the beach trying to learn as much space stuff as possible. That and my dad's…not the best…" Ah, crappy sperm donors.
"No need to explain, I get yah." They nodded. "So, I got about thirty-six hours left before I have to head out…mind if I tag along on this spiritual quest of communication?"
"Yeah sure, I have free time." He smiled. "Come on … do you have a name?" He asked the mirror.
" Do…Have….name….Friend."
"Huh, guess it can only use whatever words it records." Masha asked.
Steven looked curious. "Wanna shout out a bunch of words and see which one they take?" Now this was a kid who knew how to have fun.
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Steven was nice, friend, warm, caring. A gentle soul that nurtured all things around him. He talked to them, constantly asked opinions, and treated the mirror like it was a person. Steven was the first thing they could call nice in a long … long, time. After thousands of years of loneliness and isolation, the mirror…they couldn't quite remember who they were…they finally found something that was worth existing for. Had they not come, the mirror's fractured mind would've just fallen into the realm of unconsciousness.
Masha was nice enough too, they guess. Humor was a bit weird and morbid, but that was appreciated since the world they lived in was a horrible and dark place with little redeeming qualities.
"Alright, I'm gonna head back inside. I would introduce you but Pearl is a bit wild with light night guests without notice." Steven explained.
"It's cool, I have a curfew anyway." Masha waved off. "Catcha in the future, cutie!" She shouted as she walked away.
"... Did um, did they just call me a cutie?" Steven asked the mirror.
" Friend. Steven. Cutie. Masha. Says. True." The mirror heard absolutely nothing wrong with that sentence.
Maybe they should find a way to check on his health, their face was looking like it was overheating. "I um … lets just head inside." Aww, embarrassed. "Hey Garnet, Pearl Amethyst, check it out. The mirror works!"
"Oh, that's great Steven!" The…. Pearl…how did the mirror know that…shouted proudly. "Did you learn all the information you wanted to know?"
"What, or, I sort of forgot about that." He laughed. "But I got it to talk to me! Apparently it's a real person with emotions and feelings, and we've been talking all day with this new girl I met…well…I think Masha's a girl, they kept saying they when referring to themselves."
"Been there man. It was just easier to say 'she' with all the weirdos around four hundred years ago." The … Amethyst rolled her eyes.
"Wait…you said it talked to you….like a person?" The fusion asked…their face looking stoic but their voice conveying worry.
"Yeah. We were trying to figure out a name but they couldn't remember it, so we just called them 'mirror'." Steven explained. "Hey, tell them a knock knock joke." The mirror stayed silent. They couldn't say anything. Not in front of these gems. "Come one, I want them to know how funny and smart you are. Everything that shows you're my amazing friend." Don't fall for the puppy eyes. Come on, you can resist. "Pleeeease?" … They couldn't resist.
"Knock knock."
"Who's there?" Steven smiled brightly.
"The coolest spirit around."
"The coolest spirit around who?"
"The coolest spirit around you, obviously."
The boy let out some joyous laughter. "See, they have an awesome sense of humor. Right guys?"
The three gems looked at each other, horrified expressions being plastered against their faces. "Steven….hand us the mirror." The fusion held out their hand.
No, no, no, no, no! This couldn't be happening. The mirror just found a reason worth existing, she couldn't go back to being alone! "Huh…are you guys afraid of them?" Steven asked, holding it away from the gems.
"Steven it's not supposed to do this. It may be dangerous." The fusion explained.
"No, Please, No, Darkness, No."
"Guy's, calm down, you're scaring them." Steven began to back away more. "They just really like knock knock jokes, there's nothing dangerous about them."
"Steven, trust us, it's for everyone if the Mirror just goes back into storage, away from anyone." Pearl told them, the trio crowding the boy.
" No, no more loneliness, no more loneliness! DON'T WANT TO BE ALONE AGAIN!"
"I … they …" Steven looked confused, constantly switching back and forth between the gems and the mirror.
"Trust me Steven, I'm just trying to help." The fusion reached forward, hand closing in to seal them away again.
"I'm sorry Garnet!" Steven shouted before- jumping out of the window.
"STEVEN!" Every voice shouted.
"Soft skin and bones, soft skin and bones should cushion the fall." The boy muttered as they fell to the sand. "Well nothings broken … just in pain." He winced.
"Get your butt back here mister!"
"Oh crap…I made Garnet mad….for the first time….I'm so getting grounded for this." Steven looked to the mirror. "I really want to help you, but I don't know how, and I can't run away or fight the gems, so if we don't come up with something, we're both in deep trouble!"
" Free. Gem. From, Back. HURRY!"
"Gem?" They asked with confusion, turning it around. "There's a gem here … it looks just like the others to … were you a crystal gem?"
"Crystal. GEMS. Bad, Mirror. Trap. Need. Freedom NOW!"
"Okay, OKAY, i'll pull it out! Stars, I hope I'm not doing anything I'll regret!" The mirror wouldn't do anything bad. Once it was free, they'd get rid of everything that made them unhappy.
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Connie was being hit with a lot today. First Luz was being her usual bad self, then there was the missing OCEAN, now she learned that Steven accidentally unleashed a new gem, the Crystal Gems admitted they're OUTLAW ALIENS, the monsters they fight are just like them but crazy and deranged, and now they had to stop the unleashed gem and save the ocean.
Aka, the most fantasy novel-like event she's ever experienced since meeting Steven. The gems didn't take on many missions due to him not having many powers other than his shapeshifting, but here they were, roaming the empty desert that was the drained ocean fighting a water witch trying to steal earth's water.
Due to the lack of mobility, they had to get a ride … from Steven's dad … the biggest fantasy went to the awkwardest road trip real quick after that happened. The boy looked especially uncomfortable with the silence, given that he was getting the silent treatment from both Mr. Universe AND Garnet.
Garnet was understandable, given it was her he disobeyed, but Mr. Universe was another story. From wha Connie knew, Steven hardly saw his dad most of the time, so why the man was so passive aggressive was a mystery to the girl. "I take it that's the ocean?" The man questioned as the van stopped in front of a giant pillar of water.
"We'll take it from here, you can just wait here." Pearl answered as she got out. "Connie, stick next to Steven please."
"No problem." Connie clutched to the shivering boy as hard as possible. He had been nerve wrecked the entire trip. "It's okay Steven, everything's going to be alright."
"No it's not Connie. Garnet's mad at me, Dad hates me, and the whole world's in danger because I didn't listen." Steven sighed "All because I stuck my nose into something I shouldn't have."
"You couldn't have known this would've happened, Steven, this isn't on you." Connie reassured him. "You just wanted to make a friend, there's never nothing wrong with having a heart as big as yours."
Steven looked up at the pillar of water. "... Is it bad I still want to help her then? Even when she's trying to hurt us all?"
"A little." Pearl bluntly answered. "Don't worry, once we bubble her, everything will go back normal."
"Is it even right to bubble her?" Steven asked. "She's not like the monsters. She thinks and talks just like us. We'd just be holding her prisoner."
"I was once bubbled once." Amethyst answered. "It wasn't that bad. It was kinda just like a dream … that you couldn't wake up from."
"That sounds even worse!" Steven cried out. "Can't we just talk with her and ask her to not hurt anyone?"
"We crossed that line already." Garnet responded, moving to the water pillar, a gauntlet formed.
"STAY AWAY!" And proceed to get launched by a water gauntlet hitting her back. "I just want to go home. Get in my way and I'll retaliate!"
"We can get you home without hurting anyone!" Steven shouted.
"If she goes home then Homeworld will send an army to destroy all life on earth!" Pearl shouted, forming a spear. "She can NEVER go back to Homeworld!"
The water bubbled and boiling, before a Pearl clone made out of water emerged, attacking the pale gem with a watery spear. "I think it's saying those kinds of words that make her angry." Amethyst mumbled off to the side.
"LAPIS!" Steven called out. "I know you're really scared and angry right now, but stealing the ocean isn't the answer. You're going to hurt a lot of people on this planet if you keep it all in one spot like this!"
"I don't CARE about the people on this planet. You're literally the only good thing about it, and Masha was decent enough. That doesn't erase the thousand's of years of pain and suffering those Crystal Gems put me through!" Wait, who was Masha?
"Well if you won't stop, neither will I!" Amethyst rolled up into a ball, launching herself forward, only to collide with a water clone. "Oh come on, you should not be that durable!"
"Look. I know that the pain won't go away after so many years of heartache, but you can't just take it all out on the people on this planet, that's not fair! They had nothing to do with you being trapped-"
"NOTHING to do with it!? It's because of their damn leader Rose Quartz took pity on the people of this plant that the war started! It's because of the people that I got caught in the middle of it when I wasn't even fighting! I was minding my own business when one of their damned Bismuth's attacked me from behind! That's unfair!" A water clone of Steven was made. " Now get out of here Steven, I don't want to fight you, but I won't let you get in my way!"
"I don't want to fight either!" The boy shouted as Garnet once more went flying, going toe to toe with a water clone. "I know we can talk this out."
"Steven, now, isn't, the time!" Garnet shouted as she fought. "Go back to the van with Connie!"
"No, not until I get the point across!" Steven continued to shout. "Lapis..!"
"I warned you, Steven!" The water from the Steven clone shot forward.
"LOOK OUT!" Connie shoved the two of them down underneath the attack…passing over them, and into Mr. Universe's van.
CRASSSSH
"GAH!" The man shouted as the vehicle flipped in the air.
"GREG!/MR.UNIVERSE/DAD!" Everyone shouted as they rushed to him.
"Agggh…!" The man crawled out. "My leg…she broke my leg!"
"Dad, I'm so sorry, that was meant for me and-"
"FUCK YOU!" Everyone became silent, turning to Greg Universe, a furious look on his face. "Every moment I've tried to have something positive in my life it's ruined! Rose is gone, you prefer the gems, the van is wrecked again! My career is gone, and my leg is BROKEN …." The man complained. "Sometimes … I wish you'd never been born."
The moment he finished, Garnet grabbed the man by the collar, and threw him against the busted car. "After today…you will never… ever come close to Steven again. If you're so much as even within breathing distance of him, I will shove you in this broken car, seal you inside, and dump you in the darkest, deepest hole on the planet where you'll never see the light of day again." She said in a threatening tone that Connie felt no reason to argue against for a multitude of reasons.
"Fine by me!" The man called back. "See if I care!"
She turned to Steven … and saw a blank look on his face, eyes almost dazed and unfocused, as he turned to the pillar of water. "Lapis … please, can we talk?" He questioned in a tone that was filled with repressed emotions. "I'm going to swim up there, so don't drown me." He dove inside, his feet becoming fishlike as he went up.
"Steven…STEVEN!" Connie cried out, not sure how well this was going to turn out.
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This was all his-her…their fault. Not just the mirror thing…this whole…being Steven universe thing. When they took on this life, they thought everything was perfect. They had a home, friends, family that accepted that they weren't completely normal because they weren't completely normal. They didn't have to hide, the magic water filled up every bit of hunger pain she had. And…and she had Connie…sweet…kind and caring Connie.
But no…no…she made everything worse. She wasn't Steven Universe, she didn't have the powers they expected him to have, power that would've helped them out a whole lot better than she ever could. She ruined whatever good aspects Greg Universe had just by existing in this dimension. She hurt his life beyond repair, and she didn't have the ability to help the stress on gem missions, which made helping others harder … so Steven couldn't fix this problem.
But they could. They finally came to the top, taking in a gulp of air as they climbed onto the surface of water, that was weird, and rested. "... Hey Lapis." She awkwardly greeted the gem. "I take it you're enjoying the view?" He questioned, looking at the starry horizon.
"It's the first starry sky I've seen in six thousands years…it's beautiful." Lapis moaned. "I know what you're going to say Steven. I know this is wrong…but it's the only chance I have. Even if I only make it half way, I'll be closer to home, closer to freedom."
They looked up at the sky. "Is it nice … your home?" Steven questioned.
"I.." Lapis paused. "It's just…home. It's what I'm familiar with, what my whole life revolved upon." The blue gem sighed. "You'd never understand, just..just how desperate I am to get off of this prison."
"I do…I understand more than you'll ever know." Steven looked at Lapis as they changed their skin. "Except for me, the place I was from was my prison …" They changed back to normal … unfortunately shredding the pants because they were real and not grown. It was just easier in the long term of magical supply to own actual clothes. "... My name is V … the roman numeral for Five … the fifth Basilisk resurrected from the dead."
Lapis just looked at them weirdly and confused. "Basi-lisk? You're not a gem?"
"No, I'm not a gem, I'm not a human, I'm not even from this dimension." She let out a long sigh. "The details are…unpleasant to bring up..but..long story short..Fourteen years ago, the gems lost the real Steven Universe in a snow storm. Before they found him, someone from my dimension, a witch, took him to where I'm from. I got scared when I heard someone approaching…so I took his place and lived his life."
Lapis was quiet, so she continued on. "And I … kept doing it … I played games, ate food, learned facts … this place was amazing." She began to cry. "I even made some friends …" They sniffled. "I … I found this well of rose tears … they can heal your gem if you need it. Maybe you could get off the planet without taking the ocean."
"Steven…Vee….why do you want to help me?"
"Because you need it." Vee …Steven … or SteVeen actually had a fun ring to it-not the time. "You said Rose Quartz was responsible for the war? I can shift into her, and you can take me in, you could probably get a lot of rewards, saying you found me on some isolated planet, and I can tell them about the Boiling Isles." Vee went on. "... Just spare Earth please? It's the only happiness I've ever had and … I don't want them to suffer because of a choice I made." She curled up. "Please don't let them get hurt because I wanted to help someone, Because I stole someone else's life…"
"They'd kill you." Lapis responded.
"I know…I've gotten to live fourteen peaceful and fun years on earth though..,so I'll be okay with it." Vee sniffed. "A short but fun life is better than no life at all." She found a sense of family and friendship living in this world. If this was the price for taking someone else's life, she'd gladly pay it tenfold.
"... It's not fair …" She heard sniffling, raising her head to see Lapis crying. "You shouldn't have to hurt yourself for my sake …"
"Yeah … it's not." Vee tried her best to hug the gem. "Life's not about being fair..it's about doing your best with what you got…so this is our best option."
"…Maybe not." Lapis hugged her back. "You said that the fountain water can heal my gem?"
"It can heal anything." She nodded.
"Then I'll heal myself with it….and then I'll stay on earth." Lapis continued.
"Really? Even though you hate it here?" Vee asked skeptically.
"I don't hate everything…this planet has you." Lapis rubbed her head. "And as long as you're here on this planet, then it'll be perfect."
"Thanks …" Vee smiled. "Um, you wouldn't mind keeping my secret, would you?" She asked, switching back to the Steven disguise, shedding skin to grow new clothes.
"What disguise?" The water gem smirked, zipping her lips. "I have no reason to tell any of those crystal jerks. If you want it quiet, I'll stay quiet."
"Thanks." Steven smiled, looking down. "Now let's figure out how to get down without drowning them all."
"I'm pretty sure that old man was asking for it."
"He was, but it's not completely his fault." Best Vee could do now was stay as far away from Greg Universe as possible.
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Two months. It had been over two months since Camila had heard from her daughter, and the woman was beginning to lose it. She initially didn't think much of it. The texts and calls had stopped for some reason, but Camila thought it was just the councilors being strict on technology use.
After a full week she decided to call the camp itself. 'We don't have a camper by the name of Luz Noceda'. And wasn't that some news to drop on a woman. Their daughter had been lying to them for over a month, and now vanished from the face of the earth. It was then she got the police involved.
They were quick to get involved, but it wasn't very long before Camila began to realize that they weren't going to help much. They searched for evidence around town, but there was no trace of Luz anywhere. In fact, it was almost like she just disappeared from the face of the earth. She tried to check Luz's phone's gps, but it said that she wasn't on the map at all while using it!
Camila tried searching herself. She searched the school, the boardwalk, the park, the library, just anywhere in town that was big enough to hide in/had everything Luz liked. Not one hair of hers was around town, and no one had seen her, or even really seemed to care.
Luz may have had no friends, but that didn't make her life any less valuable! Her baby was now lost out there. Camila had no way of contacting her, of talking to her, of even knowing she was even alive!
This…this was all her fault, wasn't it? Camila knew Reality check Camp was too extreme, but what else was she supposed to do!? She raised Luz all alone, and no one had helped her or offered any advice other than judgemental sneers and peer pressure.
Not to mention the Maheswaran's added in threats with that whole snake bit. She thought it would be alright to just calm down the over dramatic tendencies that hurt people … but she drove her daughter to run away.
Camila looked at the bottle she was about to purchase. Ten years sober … broken today. Because she had to live with the fact she forced her daughter to flee from her. She made her daughter miserable. So what if she didn't understand anything relating to anime and fantasy movies? Camila would've been better off just letting her daughter be herself, damn what other people thought about her. She was a horrible person who made horrible decisions and now she was going to die miserable and alone…
"Excuse me." She was taken out of her rant by a voice near the ground. Turning her head, she saw a bearded man in a wheelchair, with a makeshift splint around his leg made up of a wooden ruler, a wooden spoon, and some duct tape.
"Oh, sorry, let me get out of the way." She let the man pass through. He seemed vaguely familiar. "Uh..you're the man that runs the car wash, right?"
"Yep, Greg Universe." He let out a small nod. "And you're a pediatrician going by the lab coat?" The man asked as he scanned the selection.
"Veterinarian to be more specific." Camila answered. "I run my own pet clinic. It's not too big, but it pays decently enough."
"Animals, the one species better than humans." The man snorted as he picked out a particularly large bottle.
"I take it you've had a long week?" Camalia asked.
"Heh, week, more like a long fourteen years." The man grumbled. "You do the best you can when the universe just wants to suffer, and none of your efforts are appreciated. The sacrifices you make, the trials you put yourself through, all of it was for nothing."
She sighed. "I guess that makes two of us …" She looked at her bottle. "All the damage just makes you dust in the wind in the end, with no one sticking around."
" Exactly. One day everything's fine, you think you have everything you could ever want. You're not greedy, your content with the small blessings in your life, but the world decides to say 'screw you' and takes away any shreds of happiness you had inside." He complained. "Honestly, at this point why bother? They don't care, so why should you?"
"My life would've been better if I never cared." If she never cared what people thought about her as a mother, if she didn't care about Luz's behavior ostracizing her, then everything would be alright. Luz would've been a wild child, but she would still be here with her, and not missing, or worse, dead.
The man looked at her, then at the bottle. "Are you busy this afternoon? If not, we could have a drink at my place."
"Oh, you sure? I don't want to intrude." Being invited to a strangers house with alcohol involved…it didn't seem smart.
"Oh don't worry. I live right at the car wash and sleep in a van. I'm open twenty four seven." Mr. Universe explained. "My son lives with his mom's family, and none of them want anything to do with me. Heck that's where I got this busted leg."
"Really? What kind of people would do something so horrible?" Camila was taken aback.
"The worst kind. I can tell you more if you come by." Well….it wasn't like she had anybody waiting for her…why not allow herself to be miserable with someone else for a change?