"Wow- Who knew that Ruby's remains would be so...beautiful." Pin whispered, cradling the remains and limbs of the deceased jewel in her arms.

A soothing aura had filled her body, as she stared at the light that reflected off of these shards.

She had to admit- this was all beginning to weigh her down. The thought of her dead lover was slowly etching back into her mind, seeping through the slightest cracks in the barrier that had formed between her corrupted sense of being, and her true personality that she had lost long ago.

A small part of her wanted to break through- she wanted to throw it all down, and scream, scream until she couldn't scream no more.

Apologize. Turn herself in. And let those three fools bring back the brats that had their lives painfully cut short by Pin's hands.

She didn't care about what would happen to her- as long as she payed for what she's done, and let everything in the city go back to normal.

That small part wanted to end it all.

But, that tiny glimmer of hope inside of her has since been long gone- the memories and feelings of now quickly burning that flame out.

The power.

The garden.

Your strength and capabilities to create elaborate plans and schemes to help keep this garden, as well as yourself, alive.

The ecstasy of your friends begging for mercy, as you stand above them- ready to snatch their lives away from their puny little hands.

These have been the ultimate motive that had silenced her quiet voice of reason.

But no matter how much she tried, she could still feel that voice trying to crawl back up to her mind- and breaking her out of the darkened fog that haunted her mind.

And so...here she was.

One down, and three left to go.

While she clutched Ruby's remains closer to her, she began to hear the faint, frantic footsteps that were quickly approaching to the area. Pin raised her eyebrow in curiously- quickly sliding behind a large building and waiting for the figure to pass by.

And most importantly, she waited to see who it was,

and too see their sweet reaction to what would be waiting for them ahead.

"RUBY?!"

Book dashed through the city, her eyes frantically scanning every corner and every window to see if she could find her shining gem.

Her Ruby.

Where did she go?

She had to keep the panicked thoughts hidden away, and make a stand for her friends around her. She wanted them all to feel secure and safe, and she wanted them to survive more than anything else.

But two are back at the TLC, not knowing that Book was out.

And Ruby was missing.

She ran through the streets, forcing the tears in her eyes back into her head. She had to stay strong, she had to stay strong,

Stay strong...

Her chest began to ache.

Be a leader...

Her legs burned.

Protect them.

She slowed down...and a glimpse of red quickly caught her eye.

Protect them.

"RUBY?!" She called out, rushing towards...

The puddle of blood shined from the sunlight that reflected off of it, as the shards stuck out of it like a sore thumb.

This, was what was left of her.

Book stumbled towards the puddle...

That day, the contestants in the TLC swore they could hear the most heartbreaking and chilling wail- one that had managed to reverberate through out the city, and even break through the walls that had trapped them all.

Days went by, and soon, the colors of the leaves began to shift their colors. Going from a sweetened shade of green, to a vicious scarlet, somehow showed the mood that was portrayed from the city.

Harsh.

Weakened.

Dead.

The breeze danced through the air, the autumn chill carrying an eeriness as it passed through, what was once, a city that thrived with the scampering objects that called the city 'home'. Darkened puddles of dried blood stained the science museum, and the laboratory that once belonged to the science duo was now untouched and abandoned- a date similar to the museum before they had found it all.

Not much was heard through the city. One could usually hear Firey's screams of terror from afar- of course, it being because of his fear of heights.
There was also the whirring that came from the countless inventions and machinery Golfball had created, was now silenced, as each machine eventually died out, one by one.
The chatter from the freesmarters that had annoyed the others living there, left nothing but dread in replacement for it all.

Everyone,

Those who had brought the city back to a partial functioning,

Had died off.

And as for our three remaining residents...

"Book, we're running low on food...I think we should try to get some more.." Ice Cube suggested, her tone hushed and gentle.

No response.

"Maybe we can all go together...I-..I know it's hard, b-but like you said..we have to keep going..maybe we can move out and go hide in Golfball's lab?"

Nothing.

Ice Cube frowned, staring at the figure in front of her. She was curled up, facing away from the two as dents and tears that were created into the seats of the van, surrounded her.

She had never seen her like this. Ice Cube never saw Book as a violent, raging object. She was kind, clear-headed and rational- someone who kept their heads up high through out this entire crisis.

But now, here she was- after raging through the van, and destroying nearly everything inside, she laid pathetically in the corner, clutching a few pebbles in her bloodied hands.

Well...not really pebbles.

Shards.

Her shards.

Ice Cube grimaced, quietly stepping out of the van before she turned back to face Bubble.

"She isn't responding.." her voice faltered a bit.

Bubble frowned, glancing back towards the van.

"We hoive to do something- like you said, we're running low on food.."

"But I-I don't want to go back into the city! Not after what she had found!"

"We could try to go back to the clubhouse? Or maybe Golfball's factory- she has to have some sort of food supplies in there!"

"I tried telling that to Book, b-but she didn't answer.." Ice Cube looked up at Bubble, her eyes bloodshot, and quickly filling with tears.

"I-I'm so scared Bubble, I-...I've never seen her like this, sh-shes never like this! I-I don't want her to get hurt, b-but-"

"This is a unique situation, and in toimes like these...you see a side of others that usually remain hidden." Bubble placed a hand on her shoulder area gently, sighing.

"We can't really blame her, oicy. She lost Ruby..."

"B-But-" Ice Cube but her lip.

"Sh-She...I-..."

Bubble hushed her, tenderly wrapping her arms around her and holding her close. She was careful to not hold her too tightly, just to keep her safe from the threat of being popped. Ice Cube sniffed, burying her face into Bubble's arms and eventually beginning to cry.

Seconds passed. Her heart throbbed with grief, as her gentle sniffles soon began to raise into broken cries of pain.

She wasn't the one to break down in situations like these. Hell, she'd always hold back her tears when Pencil and Match would mistreat her.

But now..

She couldn't.

Everything was gone. Everything and everyone she has known.

The Book she had once known. Her gentle and kind touch that soothed her whenever she had thrown herself into Book's embrace.

Her words of comfort. Those sleepless nights on the roof, when Book would hold her close against her cover, and reassure her that it would all be okay.

She would bring back the fire in Ice Cube's eyes, giving her another chance to get up and face a new day of, what she thought, were filled with dread and annoyance to an 'alliance' she didn't want to call her 'friends'.

Now she couldn't believe what she would see as a 'problem'.

She sniveled, shaking her head and looking back up to meet Bubble's broken gaze. She managed to crack a small smile, before her trembling voice let her speak:

"R-..Remember...How I used to complain about how Pencil and Match used to treat me?"

"I do." Bubble responded blankly...almost curiously, wondering why she was bringing up the subject of what was happening before this mess.

"I...was an idiot.." she whispered. "C-Complaining about how I wasn't allowed to live with you guys inside of the clubhouse...I-I remembered wishing for them to just..disappear..vanish...get out of my life.."

"Oicy.."

"A-And now...they're...I-I..." She choked up.

"I can't...I wish I d-didn't say any of that..I never wanted any of it to happen! N-Now they're dead, o-our alliance, our friends, I-"

Everything collapsed. Ice Cube wept, her body trembling in Bubble's arms as tears slicked down her frozen cheeks. All the while, Bubble sat silently, letting Ice Cube cry into her arms.

She didn't care about the fact that they were taken away from the TLC.

She didn't care that her head was pounding with pain from the migraine that was hitting her like a truck.

All she could think about was keeping it cool,

For her.

Ice Cube.

She's been through...a lot. Poor girl hasn't been able to sleep well because of the chaos that had been unfolding.

That, and because she was afraid of Book.

She had become more violent, screaming angrily and destroying everything she came in contact with after the incident.

And that, was only the beginning of it all.

"Book! There you are! Where did you go? W-We thought you were taken away, o-or something!" Ice Cube had jumped up in relief, rushing towards the stumbling figure overhead.

Bubble sighed, as she turned back towards the wall she was up against.

"Whats going on now." Fanny grumbled.

"She just coime back..."

"Did she find her?

"Well-"

A panicked scream made Bubble jump up, as she quickly turned back to face the two.

"AH- OICY?!"

"We're leaving." Book gritted through her teeth, holding Ice Cube tightly in her her arms. She stomped towards Bubble, her eyes blazing with rage and sadness.

Bubble moved back.

"B-Book, What hoippened?!"

"We're going back."

"B-But- But Foinny! Bracelety! We can't-"

"WE'RE GOING BACK, I SAID!"

Now that Book was moving closer to her, she noticed the cuts on her knees; blood oozing out of each tiny gash. Her cheeks seemed sunken in, tears staining them while bags hung heavily underneath her eyes. Her hands also had blood snaking down her palms, the droplets of crimson staining the ground below them.

And all the while, the others were yelling in the back.

"BUBBLE?! BUBBLE, WHAT IS SHE DOING TO YOU?!"

"ICE CUBE?!"

"DON'T YOU FUCKING HURT HER- PLEASE DON'T DO ANYTHING TO HER! PLEASE!"

"We're going back to the VAN, and we are NEVER LEAVING." Book screeched out, angrily grabbing Bubble's arms and yanking her onto her feet.

"No!" Bubble yelped out, trying to pull her arm away from her..

But what made all the voices dissipate around her, was when Book whirled her head around and stared her down-

Her gaze.

Her emotions.

Her heart...

Shattered.

Just like she was.

"Do you think we're gonna make it out of this..?" Ice Cube hiccuped, still curled up tightly in her loosened embrace. Bubble's glance shifted towards her, as her eyes dimmed slightly at the thought.

It was three against one.

Armless, fragile, and...the only one who can stop her,

Against the one who managed to wipe out an entire city.

"...We Just hoive to pull through...no matter whoit happens."

"B-..But if we die..?"

"..Oicy, we just have to pull through. We do our best to survoive, and if we don't...we don't."

"B-But what about Bracelety? And Fanny? Th-they don't know what's going on, she took us away and all they must've heard was the-"

"I know...but they just have to woit a little longer. We're in a serious situation...and as much as I love Fanny, we hoive to stay here and leave them be. They'll be fine."

"But-"

"They'll be fine." Bubble looked down at her, her eyes closed as she gently placed a finger onto her lips, hushing her.

"We Just...have to make it through. For us."

A sense of unease filled Ice Cube as she sat up, gently squirming out of Bubble's hold. As much as she wanted to help Book through,

Help everyone in the TLC become free,

Help Fanny and Bracelety..

...she just had to pull through.

Keep her cool.

...

"What now..?" Ice Cube sat up in Bubble's arms, letting Bubble gently wipe the tears that had made their way down her cheeks.

"Well..we hoive to get Book back up on her feet." She mumbled lowly.

"I hate seeing her loike this."

"It scared me.."

"I know...which is why we have to bring her back. She's just lost...and I don't blame her."

Bubble gave Ice Cube a gentle squeeze, before standing back up, facing the van calmly. Her heart thumped with a slight panic, knowing that if Book went off on another raging rampage, she'd be the one who bit the dust.

But she had to do this.

Book has to snap out of it. They have a chance to fix it all- a chance to fix the recovery center and bring everyone home.

And a chance to defeat Pin's plan.

She stepped up, and slowly moved forward to where Book was lying down, letting the silence hover above the two for a solid minute.

"Book, we have to keep moving. There's no point in woiting around and planning anymore."

Book didn't respond.

"Book, PLEASE." Bubble gritted through her teeth.

"I-If you want, we can help you- I don't knoiw- bury what you have left of her, but-"

"NO!" Book shrieked out, tears pouring down her cover.

"YOU AREN'T BURYING HER ANYWHERE!"

"Book, Ruby isn't there anymore."

"I MADE A PROMISE!" She wailed.

"A PROMISE TO PROTECT HER! AND I-I'M NOT LETTING THAT GO! I'M NOT LETTING HER GO!"

"Book, you did what you could-"

"LEAVE US ALONE!" She slammed her fist against the bottom of the car, shakily lifting herself up.

Bubble squinted.

"Book, 'us'? What do you-"

"R-Ruby says she wants you to leave us alone." Book stared straight into Bubble's soul, her eyes filled with insanity.

Bubble began to back away, cautiously trying to not set her off.

"Th-Those are her SHARDS! B-Book, she's gone! SHES GONE!"

"No she ISN'T!"

Book watched as Bubble stumbled out of the van, all while she shakily made her way to grab the door. She shot the two a angered glare...

..before it slowly lifted into a crazed smile.

"..Bubble...don't you see..?"

Pin gently patted the mountain of dirt that held Ruby's hand in the air, smiling as she brushed her hand against Flower's lifeless hand.

Book held back a sob..yet..

Pin giggled.

"S h e ' s...right h e r e...!"

"Don't worry Flower...she's right here."

————————————————————————————————————————————————-

To whoever said senior year was easy- perish

It's just busy
BUT GOOD

BECAUSE IM GOING TO HOMECOMING with a very pretty girl so!!! Gay time

But hey everyone!!!!! It's been too long and I'm sorry ):

Anyways we got some sad boy hours up in this part. And we're getting close to a infamous scene........I'm excited!

And as you can tell, my writing has gotten! WORSE!

But it's ok. It's ok.

Anyways, I'll talk with you guys next time! Hope you guys enjoy!

~ice