“Yes, Ma'am”

Pearl looked excited, and gave her a thumbs up with a smile.

“Good, here Mrs. Maheswaran, my card. I actually AM a monster hunter, strange as that may sound, and the hours can be pretty inconsistent. Usually also small, so I do actually have the time, but we may have to reschedule a bit to get it working. I’ll pick Connie up the first time so she knows where to walk, we’ll try for tomorrow after school?”

Connie’s mom nodded.

“That should work, see you then”

Pearl left their house.

—————————————————

The next day after school, Connie went home. Just as promised, when she opened the door she found Pearl in the living room talking with her mother, she couldn’t tell what it was about because the second they saw her the conversation changed.

“Connie! It seems we’ll have to cut this off Priyanka, though it was nice talking to you!”

Pearl got up and headed for the door.

“Bye mom, see you soon!”

“Bye Connie!”

Connie followed Pearl, who helpfully pointed out several land marks on the way over to help Connie find the place when she needed to on her own.

When they reached the beach she saw the place, a giant statue with a small, gray building nestled at it’s base.

They went inside.

—————————————————

“Afternoon Pearl. You’re Connie?”

The speaker had violet skin, like a flower rather than the darker color that some people had. A Gemstone of a similar shade was placed on her chest.

“Yes Ma'am”

The short purple Lady, who might have been a child but may just be short, waved at them.

“I’m Amethyst, nice to meet you”

Pearl looked over at her, a slight amount of embarrassment in her eyes.

“Amethyst, could you watch Connie for a second while I grab the training swords I was going to use? I handed them to Garnet last night, who didn’t give me the reason she needed them, and she hasn’t given them back to me”

“Sure thing P’”

“Thanks!”

Pearl went through a door near the back that was in that shape of a five pointed star. Connie had noticed the same symbol on the front of Pearl’s Shirt before, and it was on Amethyst’s sleeve.

“How are you doing Connie?”

She’d normally take Amethyst’s question as her politely making conversation, but there was a tone of seriousness to her voice, as well as sincere compassion.

“I- I’m a bit weirded out to be honest? Everything since I saved that boy yesterday has felt a bit surreal”

“I can see that, I have known people to just decide they must be crazy after meeting us. I never got why, we’ve been here for over 6,000 years”

Connie was quite happy with herself for not having her jaw break up with her to go on a date with the floor.

“You’re 6,000 years old?”

Amethyst laughed.

“5500 myself. Garnet’s 5,750, Pearl’s somewhere around 8,000 to 9,000, and Rubicelle-” Amethyst cut of there, a look of sadness spread across her face. “Sorry, you’d think after over 4,000 years I’d be over that one”

Connie got what she meant, whoever this Rubicelle was, had died. They were clearly close to Amethyst, so she didn’t press.

The door Pearl went into opened once again, the Pale woman coming out holding a pair of sabers.

“Sorry about that, would you step onto the warp pad with me Connie? Let’s go start your training”

Connie stepped onto the blue pad that Pearl seemed to be refering to. Once she secured herself like Pearl asked the world became a pillar of blue light.

—————————————————

End of page three.