When Will I Hatch?
Amethyst was hanging back at the temple while the other gems were out on a mission. It was going to be boring anyway. No adventure, nothing of value to sneak back to the temple to freak out Pearl, and no Steven. He was over at Connie’s house watching the new Dogcopter movie that came out on DVD.
What was Amethyst supposed to do until Steven got home? “I mean, I guess I could change into a big snake and make him cry again, but that could take hours!” Plus, being a snake was not very exciting, either.
She could try putting eggs into the microwave to get them to hatch. Maybe they just exploded last time because she had them in there too long. She just has to find the right time….
When Steven came home Amethyst shouted from the kitchen with her back toward him, “Yo, Steven, do we have anymore eggs somewhere?”
Steven closed the door behind him and responded, “There should be plenty in the…” he cut off as Amethyst turned around. There was a literal explosion of eggs in her wake. On the counter, on her face, the floor had broken raw eggs scattered everywhere, and, wait, the ceiling too?
“Amethyst, what happened?”
“Steven, why won't these eggs hatch?”
“What?”
“Why won't they hatch? Eggs get warm and a bird comes out of them right?”
“Amethyst…”
“Once I shape shifted into a chicken and sat on it for like a week”
“Yeah, I remember, but…”
“Then Peridot looked it up on her fancy screen, or whatever, and said that it takes at least 3 weeks. So, ugh, then I sat on it for 3 weeks and, nothing!”
“Wait, you asked Peridot? Why didn't you ask Pearl? She would have been able to tell you that…”
“Because Pearl doesn't need to know everything I do,” explained Amethyst, “Anyway, then it just bothered me that I couldn't do it! So I tried putting them in this microwave, because it makes the food hot, right? But then they kept exploding, and I couldn't figure out what I was doing wrong!...”
“Amethyst, please listen!”
Amethyst looked at Steven in paused animation, with her hands in the air and mouth still open, “What?”
“If you would have just asked Pearl or me we would have been able to tell you that these kind of eggs don't hatch.”
“What do you mean ‘these eggs’?”
“The kind of eggs you eat. The chickens are fed a different kind of food so the eggs aren't fertilized,” Steven paused, “so they won't hatch.”
Amethyst’s face dropped, “Oh.” This bothered her, for some reason.
Steven saw the change and tried to lighten the mood, “I saw something Dogcopter did that made me think of you!” He giggled. “In the movie he is making himself breakfast and he has a pan that comes out of him to cook the eggs!”
“Yeah, so what, I can do that too,” Amethyst said. She didn't sound interested.
“Yeah, I know! But you would make yourself into the pan and the when the egg was done you could just open your mouth and eat it!” Steven laughed, “And Garnet could just keep putting them in your pan!” Steven paused, placing his fingers around his chin.
But before he could finish his thought…
“How come I didn't think of that?!” Amethyst said, throwing up her hands in the air, “you guys always come up with the best ideas.”
She stalked off, head hung a little lower than before.
“Amethyst…”
“When we’re out on missions you, and Garnet, and Pearl always come up with the ideas that get us out of trouble. Garnet and Pearl are out front and I’m always pushed to the back of the line. Steven, they hatched into a chicken. You guys came out right with feathers and everything. And I’m….never going to hatch. I’ll always be this way.” She grabbed the last egg left in the carton, “I’ll always be an undergrown gem that can’t become anything else.” Amethyst, tears starting to form in her eyes, threw the egg onto the floor, breaking it open. The yoke, amazingly enough, stayed intact.
Steven was struck, “Wait, you think I’m a chicken?!” He looked down, “ I...at least you are all the same species! Everyone expected me to come out the biggest, baddest chicken around. But when I hatched? I came out ‘The Ugly Duckling’ instead.” Steven looked back up at Amethyst, eyes big, round, and a little bit sad, but lips spread wide and pursed forward trying to make them look like a beak.
Amethyst’s eyes softened, “We both came out a little different, didn’t we?” But something more deep was troubling her. Her voice lowered in pitch, and she had a hard time stopping a small quiver, “The gems don’t want to fuse with me. They don’t like it. Opal can’t stay together, and no one can stand Sugilite. I’m either of no help or am too destructive…”
Steven had a revelation, “Ok, so you’re an egg, right?”
Amethyst grumbly interrupted, “Thanks, I don’t need to be reminded.”
“Yeah, but listen. You can cook eggs all different kind of ways! You can poach them, scramble them, make them over easy or sunny side up...it’s amazing! And they can go into so many different thing too! Like, burritos, sandwiches, burgers, fries…” He was losing track.
And Amethyst was losing her patience, “What’s your point Steven?,” she growled.
“Oh,” said Steven, coming back to the conversation, “All your fusions are SO DIFFERENT. I mean, when Garnet fuses they’re all big, and loud, and a little crazy to be around. And Pearl always makes her fusions a little bit,” he was searching for the right word, “...polished. But yours are all different from each other and that’s amazing! Eggs are amazing! Even though eggs are amazing, not everyone loves a poached egg. I love scrambled eggs. I love being Smoky Quartz. I love being fused with you.” He smiled and went to give Amethyst a hug.
Steven wrapped his arms around Amethyst. At first, she wanted to stay angry and resist Steven trying to make her feel worth the time. But, after feeling his warmth, she responded with her own bear hug.
“Thanks, Steven. I’m glad you’re here. You always encourage me. Just like Rose used to.” Amethyst let go of Steven, “I miss her.”
“Me too,” he sighed.
Amethyst brightened, “If every hot dog were perfect…!”
Steven laughed.
By @moonlitfern aka Bb Gleason
