Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

It was about that time in the morning where the cheerful Spiral Hill hadn’t quite woken up yet. The sun was only about halfway over the horizon, nesting birds were too busy yawning to start singing, and the streets were mostly empty. The most damning piece of evidence for this could be found in the home of its star resident.

Tangle looked like she had stuck her head in a washing machine. Her hair was messy and unkempt, with random strands sticking out all over. She looked like the definition of bedhead, with a droopy face to match. She idly scrolled on her phone, barely keeping her eyes open and resting her chin on the dining room table.

Bark stood at the stove nearby, sporting a pink “Kiss the Cook” apron to keep bacon grease from hitting his chest. Bean sat across from Tangle, blowing bubbles in his glass of milk with a straw. Whisper yawned and stretched as she walked down the stairs, having just woken up. All was quiet and tame.

A *ding* sounded out from Tangle’s phone, accompanied by a sudden notification at the top of her screen. It was a text from Jewel.

“Today’s the day,” she wrote.

Tangle made a face and opened the message.

“For what?” she texted back.

Tangle slowly forced her half awake eyes to the corner of her phone. Her blurry vision soon focused on the date displayed. Her eyes widened instantly.

“OH MY GOD TODAY’S THE DAY!!” she audibly yelled and texted.

“LOL!” Jewel messaged.

“DON’T YOU DARE TELL HER I FORGOT!!! I JUST WOKE UP!!!”

“I won’t, lmao.”

“Tangle? What’s wrong?” Whisper asked.

The lemur turned and instantly grabbed her girlfriend’s shoulders.

“Today’s the day, Whisper!!!” she cheered.

“Wh- For what?”

Tangle didn’t reply. She instead let go of her and looked down at herself.

“Oh gosh, I’m not even remotely ready for this, though! I look like I just crawled out of a crater! I need to shower, hang on!”

She bolted past Whisper and up the stairs while screaming, “TODAY IS THE DAY!!!”

Whisper stared with wide eyes. Bean stopped blowing bubbles and Bark leaned around the corner to stare with her. Whisper turned around and was met with the boys giving her a strange look. She just shook her head and shrugged.

**********

A couple of hours later, Spiral Hill was in full swing. The sun shone down on the town, birds sung from the rooftops, and its star resident was giddily waiting at the arched entrance. Behind the bouncing lemur stood Whisper, Bean, and Bark, still utterly confused on what exactly they were waiting for. Though, since questioning Tangle was useless at this stage, they just decided to wait.

A soft buzzing could be heard behind them. Everyone turned to see Jewel hurriedly flying up behind them.

“Good morning everyone!” she waved cheerfully.

“Wassup Buck Bumble!” Bean waved.

Whisper and Bark silently waved to her, but Tangle grew a cocky smile and put her hands on her hips.

“You’re late!” she teased.

Jewel scoffed playfully, “I had to make sure everything looked good in the Mineral Museum! Do you have any idea how much hell she’d give me if she found even a speck of dust around there?”

“Just sayin’,” Tangle shrugged, “It’d be a shame if she found out her little beetle couldn’t beat me to the entrance.”

Jewel flew up and poked Tangle in the chest with a huge grin on her face, “You talk as if you weren’t the one who forgot she was arriving today. You have no ground to stand on, lemur.”

“Alright, alright,” Tangle surrendered, “I suppose I’ll keep quiet if you do.”

“Hm,” Jewel smirked triumphantly.

“Wait…” Whisper hummed before opening her eyes wide, “You don’t mean?”

Tangle and Jewel both smiled knowingly. Whisper’s face lit up at once and she smiled from ear to ear.

“Oh, yeah, okay, cool,” Bean grumbled, “I guess we’re being left in the dark again…”

Bark’s ear flicked at the sound of more buzzing wings. Jewel was grounded, so it wasn’t coming from her. All eyes turned towards the town entrance, Tangle and Jewel bouncing giddily again.

“Don’t worry, guys,” Whisper soothed, “It won’t be dark for much longer.”

The buzzing soon died down. In its place was the rhythmic clicking of high heels against the stone path leading to the village. Two green antennas rose up from the walkway, and soon the figure they were attached to came up with them. The beetle looked a lot like Jewel, but her shell was all red with a beautiful sheen. Her skin was green instead of blue, and she was just a little taller. She wore an all purple dress with red high heels, a pair of thick red glasses, and a pearl necklace with an embedded ruby around her neck.

“Aunt Ruby!!!” Tangle and Jewel cheered, lunging towards her.

“Hello dears,” Ruby smiled as she hugged them, “If I didn’t know any better, I’d say you missed me.”

“Oh we did!!” Tangle grinned widely, “How was Spagonia?!”

“Oh it was lovely. Such a beautiful city. But it is nice to finally be home.”

“Of course,” Tangle smiled, taking the bags Ruby was holding.

Ruby turned and smiled sweetly upon spotting Whisper. She flew over to her and gently put her hands around the wolf’s head.

“Hello Whisper, dear,” she greeted, kissing the air on either side of her face, “How have you been? Keeping Tangle on a tight leash?”

Whisper chuckled, “You know it. It’s good to see you again, Miss Ruby.”

Ruby nodded, “You too. Always a joy to see your beautiful face.”

Whisper blushed and wagged her tail as Ruby glanced back at Tangle.

“Tangle’s not the brightest, but she makes a good decision every once in a while.”

“Oh, pthththt,” she spat.

Suddenly, the Wisps popped out of their capsules hanging around Whisper’s ankle. They swarmed Ruby happily, clinging to her all over.

“Hahaha! Yes, yes. I didn’t forget you little troublemakers either!” Ruby chortled, “I’m sure Whisper’s been keeping you on tight leashes too. Wouldn’t want you going around, nearly destroying my museum again.”

“Hey! It’s not your museum anymore!” Jewel huffed playfully.

“Oh, Jewel honey…” Ruby smirked as the Wisps let go, “It will always be my museum. No matter who is running it.”

Jewel pouted and turned away. Ruby chuckled to herself before moving her attention over to the last pair awaiting her arrival. Bean and Bark looked on with intrigue, but also a hefty amount of confusion.

“Oh? And who do we have here?” Ruby said, walking up to them.

Tangle slid over and put her arms around their shoulders, “Ruby, I’d like you to meet Bean the Dynamite and Bark the Polar Bear! They’re the fourth and fifth members of the Diamond Cutters and our housemates!”

Ruby chuckled, eyeing up the boys.

“So these are those criminals you and Whisper decided to take off the streets?”

“Ex-criminals!” Tangle corrected, “And that they are! They make for great Badnik fighters and even better company!”

“I’m sure,” Ruby smirked before extending her hand to Bean, “It’s a pleasure to meet you two. I’m Tangle and Jewel’s Aunt Ruby.”

“Uh…nice to meet you too, ma’am,” Bean laughed nervously as he gripped her hand.

Ruby turned back once the handshake was done and gave Tangle a look.

“You never told them about me?!” she said in mock anger.

Tangle rubbed her head nervously, not replying. Bean snickered and jabbed Ruby’s side with his elbow.

“You’d think with how much she talks she’d blabber about everyone at some point!”

Ruby hummed in agreement whilst Jewel and Whisper laughed. Even some of the Wisps cackled in their warbled language. Tangle pouted, crossing her arms while Cyan jabbed her with his tiny elbow. Ruby turned back and shook Bark’s hand too.

“Well, I look forward to getting to know you boys. While Tangle may not be able to remember her own Aunt,” she turned her head to face Tangle for a second, “She has told me a lot about you.”

“Wait, so you were just okay with Tangle rooming with us?” Bean asked, “Even when you knew we were criminals?”

“My girl can handle herself. Even with that scatterbrain of hers.”

“What the heck?!” Tangle fussed, “Why am I catching so many strays?!”

Everyone laughed. Ruby waved her hand dismissively at the lemur.

“Okay, okay,” she said, “I’ll leave you alone, dear. I think it’s about time we move on to the fun, anyway.”

“Fun?” Whisper questioned with a smirk.

“Just a nice day out on the town,” Ruby waved, “Want to come with, dear?”

“Sure,” Whisper nodded.

Ruby turned to Bean and Bark, merely raising a brow at them.

“Er…no thanks, Miss,” Bean declined, “Me ‘n my buddy wanted to take it easy today.”

“Fair, fair,” Ruby said, “Either way, I say we quit standing here doing nothing. We’re burning daylight.”

Ruby smiled at Tangle and beckoned her to follow. The lemur shifted the bags in her arms up and started walking after her. Jewel, Whisper, and the Wisps followed, leaving Bean and Bark.

“I’ll see you boys later!” Ruby waved back, “It’s time for Spiral Hill to learn who’s back in town!”

Bean and Bark waved again as the girls started chatting to each other, their cheery voices echoing around the streets of Spiral Hill.

“Huh…that’s…now what I expected,” Bean chuckled.

Bark shook his head, staring at the street the red beetle was buzzing down.

**********

Now was the time of day where Spiral Hill was winding down. The once blue sky was now a purple hue with orange clouds reflecting off the setting sun. Some shops were closing their doors while others were just opening up for their evening rush. Back home, Bean and Bark sat on the couch, idly watching the TV when the front door swung open.

“I can’t believe you delayed your arrival just to miss Market Day! What’s wrong with you?!” Tangle fumed, “It’s the Spiral Hill tradition!”

Ruby waved her hand, “Tangle, dear, I’ve been through more of those than you could imagine. If you’ve seen one Market Day you’ve seen them all. The whimsey of buying useless stuff and squeezing through huge crowds wears off when you hit forty.”

Tangle huffed and turned away, “Then you’re an old fuddy duddy who hates fun!”

Ruby flicked the lemur’s ear, “Don’t you say that to your Auntie! I’m still young enough to give you a whooping!”

The girls all laughed as Whisper closed the door behind them. Tangle stretched her arms up, her tracksuit stretching with her.

“Hoof,” she sighed, “I think it’s about time we get outta these clothes and into something more casual. What d'you girls think?”

Whisper and Jewel nodded, looking down at their professional attire. Tangle excused herself, her girlfriend, and her bestie upstairs. Ruby watched them ascend with a smirk.

“Hey there, Miss Ruby!” Bean waved, “Watchya doing here? Are you planning to be our new roommate or something?”

“Ha! No, no. I’m just here for dinner,” she laughed, sitting down on the couch, “I’ve shared a house with Tangle for long enough as is.”

Bean and Bark snickered. The trio watched the game show playing on the TV for a while, but none of them were really paying attention. Bean eventually glanced over to Ruby.

“Hey…Miss Ruby?” he said, “Y’mind if I ask you something?”

Ruby perked up and turned to the bird, “Sure, dear. What’s on your mind?”

Bean looked over to Bark. The bear nodded, and Bean turned back to the beetle.

“It’s just…something’s been bothering me all day. You said before that your Tangle’s aunt, but…I mean, I don’t want to be rude, Miss, and I’m no mathematician, but last time I checked lemur’s and beetle’s don’t usually share a family tree,” Bean stuck up two index fingers and jabbed them together longways as he spoke, “So all I’m saying is, that math doesn’t line up.”

Ruby hummed quietly, glancing over to the stairs where the loud giggles of Tangle, Jewel, and Whisper echoed from.

“Those girls really don’t tell you boys anything, do they?”

“Just know…Whisper holds some baggage, and you shouldn’t push her to reveal it to you.”

Those words from Shadow echoed in Bark’s head as he and Bean shook their heads.

“Of course,” Ruby sighed, “Then again, I can’t imagine this sort of conversation comes up often…”

She paused, “Have you two met Tangle’s father, Lash?”

“I haven’t, but Bark has and I’ve been given the rundown on him.”

Bark nodded, a sudden scowl forming on his face.

“Oh thank Gaia,” Ruby huffed, “I did not want to talk about him for very long. All you need to know is that when he threw Tangle out on that cold, rainy night, she came straight to me. Poor dear had nowhere else to go. I took her in immediately and never looked back.”

“Heh,” Bean chuckled, “With all the mud you’ve been slinging at her I would’ve thought differently.”

“Oh, believe me dear, Tangle is a pain, but she is my pain, and I love her very, very much.”

Bean snickered. Bark put a finger to his chin, then looked back over to Ruby.

“What about her mom?” he asked.

Ruby’s eyes widened. She simply stared at the polar bear for a moment. Bean waved his hand in front of her eyes and snapped Ruby out of it.

“Sorry, sorry,” she chuckled, “It’s just…I wasn’t expecting to hear you speak, hun. Tangle’s told me you talk even less than Whisper, so…forgive me.”

Bark waved dismissively.

“Plus, I did not think you would have such a handsome voice,” Ruby continued, “If you ever find someone you fancy, you might just make them very happy.”

Bark blushed profusely while Bean laughed like a maniac. Ruby cleared her throat and waited for the boys to calm down.

“Tangle’s mother is…strange. I always thought she was a strange woman. I mean, no one in their right mind settles down with a deadbeat like Lash, let alone births a child for him. Though, even that’s not her worst offense…”

She had to take a deep breath before continuing.

“When Tangle was about three, she just…up and left. Abandoned her own child with that bastard. Never said why, she just left. I never learnt where she left too. All I know is that she’s probably off on one of the bigger islands all the humans live on.”

“Yeesh…” Bean hissed, “Great family those lemurs are.”

Ruby shrugged, “Their only positive contribution to the world is Tangle. Which, in a way, makes up for the scumbags they are.”

Bean and Bark nodded. They turned their attention back to the TV for a moment.

“Wait…” Bean said, “What about Jewel? Are you actually her aunt or is that a nickname they gave you?”

Ruby frowned sadly and shook her head slowly, “No, I am really her aunt. Jewel’s father was never in the picture. He turned heel and ran off to who knows where before she was even born. And her mother, my sister…bless her soul…she tried her best, and I helped her a lot, but she came down with a terrible illness one winter. She never recovered…and when she died I was given full legal guardianship of Jewel.”

Bean and Bark’s mouths hung open. They stared on sadly, glancing at each other every once in a while.

“I’m sorry for your loss,” Bark said.

Ruby took another deep breath, “It happens. That’s just how life is…At least I can say she is no longer suffering…and I have the most beautiful girls to call my own.”

As if on cue, Tangle, Jewel, and Whisper all descended the stairs. The lemur, now in a white T-shirt and jeans, immediately made her way towards the kitchen. Ruby smiled at the boys and winked, putting a finger to her mouth. They nodded.

“Don’t think you’re going to start cooking without me, young lady!” Ruby said, flying over to the lemur, “You’re forgetting who taught you those delicacies in the first place!”

“What? No, no, Ruby,” Tangle chastised, “I can cook for us. You just got back, I don’t-”

“Don’t worry your pretty little head, dear,” Ruby said, taking off her gloves, “Spagonian food is great, but I have been dying to cook some real Spiral Hill delicacies with some real ingredients.”

Tangle smirked, “Well, whaddya know. I just so happened to get some freshest of the fresh at this last Market Day!”

She reached up with her tail and pulled down several bags sitting atop the cupboards. She rested them on the counter and both she and Ruby began pulling produce out of them.

“See? You would have been able to get your precious ingredients for cheap if you were here for Market Day.”

“Oh, spare me, dear,” Ruby chuckled.

Tangle chuckled too, and moved to the sink to rinse off some tomatoes. As Ruby began cutting apart some garlic, Tangle looked back at the couch where Jewel, Whisper, Bean, and Bark were suddenly really into the game show they were watching.

“I still kinda wished you were back by then…” Tangle said quietly, “It would’ve kept…y’know…him away from me…”

Ruby frowned. She buzzed up and put a hand on Tangle’s shoulder.

“Hey, it’s alright dear. You’ve already got a great family that cares about you living under the same roof. Don’t let him consume your mind with worries.”

Tangle smiled, “Yeah…you’re right. A-And I won’t.”

Ruby then smirked more cockily, “Plus, Spiral Hill knows who’s back in town now. I’m sure when the news hits him he’ll be cowering in his shitty little house for days on end. Believe me, dear. He won’t be bothering you for a good long while now that Auntie Ruby is here.”

“Heh. That I know for sure!” Tangle snickered.

Chapter Text

The next day, Tangle and Ruby stood outside the Spiral Hill Mineral Museum, watching Jewel unlock the front door. She pushed it open and stood to the side, inviting Tangle and Ruby in. Jewel closed the door behind them while Tangle reached for the light switch with her tail. The overhead lights shone down on the countless gems and rocks on display in cases and shelves, making them twinkle as if they were stars.

“Hmm…” Ruby hummed, “Seems like the collection’s gotten stagnant.”

She smirked at Tangle, “You girls have been slacking in your mineral finding careers.”

“Hey! We’ve got other obligations now!” Tangle clapped back playfully, “Saving the world is a busy job! It takes priority!”

“Suuuure. Let this poor old woman’s museum get stale and dull without any new donations. You are so cruel,” Ruby said dramatically.

“Yes. Because the quintillion rocks we already have aren’t enough,” Tangle scoffed.

The trio laughed as they followed Jewel further back in the museum.

“Well…that’s exactly why I wanted to bring you two here,” Jewel said, “You see…we did recently get a…very interesting donation.”

She opened a door to a supply closet and led the others inside. She closed the door behind her and flew up to pull on the switch for a single lightbulb hanging over them. The closet mostly held cleaning equipment like brooms, dusters, mops, and various towels and spray bottles. Though, the most curious thing was a small suitcase sitting on a stool in the center of the room. Tangle and Ruby watched Jewel enter a combo and unlock the case.

She pulled the lid open. Tangle and Ruby’s jaws dropped. Inside the suitcase were seven brightly colored emeralds. Even in a room with subpar lighting, their inherit glows shimmered and baked the girls in a myriad of colors.

“YOU HAVE THE-”

“SHHHH!!!” Ruby hissed, clapping a hand over Tangle’s mouth, “Volume, Tangle.”

“Right, sorry, sorry,” she whispered, turning back to Jewel, “You have the seven Chaos Emeralds?!”

Jewel nodded, “Blaze came by the other day and borrowed the blue Emerald from me. She promised to bring it back and…well she sure did…along with the others…”

“Wha…Jewel this is so cool!” Tangle squealed, “These’d be the best centerpiece for the museum ever!”

“Uh…a-actually, I don’t want to keep them here…”

Tangle’s expression didn’t change for a solid few seconds.

“What?”

“If past experience is any indication, these gems are not safe from being stolen while they’re here. Displaying one of them is one thing…but if we have all seven, we need to keep them safe. Hidden. And I can’t do that in this museum. Not without putting a giant target on its back. I don’t really fancy having Spiral Hill attacked for a fourth time, Tangle.”

“Oh…yeah, that’s a good point,” Tangle said.

Jewel closed the suitcase and locked it back up, “I wanted to ask you two if you had any ideas on where we could keep them. If you knew anyone who could keep them safe and secret better than I could.”

Tangle and Ruby glanced at each other. Both put a finger on their chins, the lemur tapping her foot in thought.

“I’m afraid no one comes to mind, honey,” Ruby said, “I don’t really know the same kind of people you do.”

“Well…” Tangle said, “What about Team Dark? They’re a super tough team that Eggman wouldn’t try and mess with. Plus, Rouge would definitely know how to keep them hidden!”

Jewel scoffed and crossed her arms, “I wouldn’t trust these with that bat if my life depended on it.”

“Jewelllll…” Tangle groaned, “Come on…”

“No,” she pouted, “Trusting the most powerful gems in the world to a thief is a terrible idea. I’m not even considering it, Tangle.”

“Ugh! Fine…” Tangle paused, thinking for a moment, “What about Amy? She’s also got a pretty tough team living with her twenty four seven. She could probably keep them safe.”

Jewel pondered for a moment, “I dunno. That feels like we’d just be moving the target from us to her. She’s tough, sure, and so are all her girlfriends…but she doesn’t really have any ways of keeping them secure better than us.”

Tangle nodded and went back to thinking. Ruby looked between the girls, both deep in thought. The lightbulb flickered above them, but turned back on even brighter when Tangle gasped and held her finger up.

“I got it! Tikal!” she beamed, “She’s an expert on the Chaos Emeralds! She’d probably know exactly how to keep them safe!”

Jewel snapped her fingers, “There we go! That’s perfect!”

“Great!” Tangle shot two thumbs up, “I’ll go see if I can find her at HQ! Be back in a flash!”

She hurried out of the closet and rushed through the museum doors. Ruby chuckled, shaking her head lightly.

“You two sure have met a lot of strange people, though a jewel thief may be among the strangest,” she said, “I expect to be introduced to at least a few of them by the end of the week.”

“Oh, please. That’s nowhere near the weirdest person we know,” Jewel waved her off, “Just come by Restoration HQ sometime. You’ll probably meet most of them in an hour, tops.”

Ruby nodded, then turned to leave.

“I’ll let you two figure out this business. Those specific Emeralds are in your field of expertise, not mine. I’ll be around town if you need me.”

“See you later, Aunt Ruby!” Jewel waved.

Once Ruby had exited the museum, Jewel turned around and hid the suitcase behind a shelf in the corner of the room. She locked up the closet, and looked around the museum. She sighed, seeing all the minerals lining the shelves. They were beautiful, every last one of them, but…Jewel was used to them. Even after hiring her new assistant, she still barely had any time to curate this museum. Ruby had been joking, but she was right. This place had stagnated.

“Helloooo, Gemstone~!”

Jewel tensed up immediately, “Oh god, not you…”

Rouge floated down next to her with a wide smile on her face. Jewel glared harshly at her, though to Rouge it was adorable.

“How did you get in?” Jewel hissed.

“I let myself in through the skylight,” she pointed upwards, “Hope you don’t mind~”

“I do.”

“Oh, come on, Gemstone. What’s so wrong with wanting to see you?”

Jewel looked down, a tiny blush forming on her face. At least, that’s what Rouge thought it was.

“Well, I’m sure you’re very busy at the moment. You always are, but…if you were free tonight, I wanted to propose something to you.”

“…like what?”

“Oh, nothing too fancy. Just a little dinner date.”

“…Dinner…date?” Jewel questioned.

“Of course! I hear your lovely little village has plenty of restaurants. Tangle’s cooking is to die for, so I’ve been wondering how other folks handle your cuisine.”

Jewel shook her head and turned to walk away, “You’re pulling my wing.”

“Oh, no, no, no. Nothing of the sort, Gemstone~” Rouge purred, cupping the beetle’s face.

Jewels’ breath hitched as the bat gently turned her head to face her again. She blushed, feeling her glove gently caressing her chin. The bat’s eyes blinked slowly, enticing her with their sheen. She smiled, her lipstick pursing on her lips.

“I’ve been dying to spend an evening alone with you~”

Rouge moved her fingers from Jewel’s chin to her cheek. Jewel continued to stand completely frozen, just staring at the hand holding her face.

“So…is it a date?”

Jewel looked back up into Rouge’s eyes. Her smile alluring, her eyes holding her still with their half closed gaze. Jewel clenched her fist.

“No!!” she shouted, swatting Rouge’s hand off her face.

Rouge was taken aback, “No?”

“I’m tired of this!!” Jewel yelled, “I’m tired of you toying with me like this!! Like I’m some…some pretty rock you’re trying to steal away!”

Rouge clutched her chest, “What? G-Gemstone, what are you-”

“Stop calling me that!!” Jewel interrupted, tears beginning to spill out, “Stop this stupid act!! I don’t know what you want, but I’m tired of you pretending that you like me!”

“Wha- Jewel, I’m not pretending anything! I love you.”

“NO YOU DON’T!!! NO ONE EVER HAS AND NO ONE EVER WILL!!! SO STOP…ACTING…like you do…”

Jewel broke down crying. She held her hands to her face, her gloves getting soaked as she choked out tears. Rouge slowly reached out her hand again, but Jewel batted it away.

“GET OUT!!!” she screamed, “I DON’T EVER WANT TO SEE YOU IN THIS MUSEUM EVER AGAIN!!!”

Rouge gasped in genuine pain. She held her side, just staring at the weeping beetle in front of her. Jewel’s face was red, but it was certainly no blush. The bat’s ears drooped, and she slowly flew upwards and back out through the skylight, her own tear hitting the museum floor below. Jewel choked and sniffed, falling back and leaning against a display case as she cried.

**********

“WOOHOOOOO!!!”

It was like a signal to all the residents of Spiral Hill that Tangle was arriving back. The lemur’s cheers, like a kid on a rollercoaster, spread throughout the valley and into the walls of the town. Tangle never used the pathway up properly, she always flung herself around with her tail, slingshotting herself upwards using the stone archways of the rising viaduct.

Tangle backflipped over and onto the platform at the top of the path. She grinned to herself, striking a pose at the end of her landing. Though, instead of audience cheers, the show-offy lemur heard sniffles and hiccups.

Tangle opened her eyes suddenly and instantly spotted Rouge on the other side of the balcony. She was leaning heavily on the guarding wall, looking down and outward to the world below the village. Mascara ran down her face and coated her gloves, only smearing more everytime she wiped away her tears.

“Rouge?!” Tangle gasped, “What’s wrong?! What happened?!”

Rouge gasped herself and snapped her head towards the lemur running up to her. She turned away quickly and successfully cleaned off her gloves and face…mostly.

“It’s…i-it’s nothing, hun. Don’t worry-”

“Rouge, don’t give me that crap. You can tell me. It’ll stay just between us, buddy to buddy.”

Rouge dropped her phoney smile and sighed, “Jewel…snapped. She went off on me…”

“What?! What the heck for?!”

“…she doesn’t believe I really love her…”

Tangle’s eyes widened in horror.

“Oh my gosh…” she whispered, covering her gaping mouth.

There was a long, unbearable silence. Aside from Rouge sniffling every now and then. Tangle put on a brave face and grasped her shoulder.

“Don’t worry, Rouge. I’ll talk to her. I’ll fix this!” she turned and bolted through the town entrance, “Stay right there!”

Rouge watched her lanky tail disappear from behind the arched entryway. She sniffed and wiped at her nose.

“S’cuse me! Coming through! Hi Ron, bye Ron!” Tangle said as she squeezed through the crowded streets.

She reached the museum and slowed to a steady walk. Gently grasping the doorknob, she turned it quietly and pushed the door open. The loud creak echoed around the deathly silent Mineral Museum.

Jewel was sitting there, curled up into her knees and sobbing in a very similar way to Rouge. Tangle felt her heart tighten, but she slowly approached her anyway.

“Hey, hey…It’s alright Jewel.”

“Go away, Tangle,” she croaked.

“You know I’m not gonna do that. Not when you’re upset like this.”

Jewel lifted her head to look at Tangle. Her eyes were as pink as her dress, and her face a bright red.

“Do you even know why I’m upset? Did you talk to her? Did you collude with her behind my back or something?”

“What? Jewel, no…Well, yes, actually. I did talk to her, but-”

Jewel shoved Tangle back, the lemur stumbling over her own tail and falling on her butt.

“You were helping her!!” Jewel accused, “Why would you help her tease me like that?!”

“What?! No, Jewel! Rouge wasn’t teasing you, she really-”

“You’re lying!! Both of you are!!” Jewel shrieked, getting up in Tangle’s face, “YOU KNOW HOW MUCH THAT STUFF HURTS ME TANGLE!!! YOU KNOW THAT!!!”

“YES!! I DO KNOW THAT!!!” Tangle shouted back, “But this isn’t a prank! It’s not a joke. Rouge really does love you. She’s completely over the moon for you!”

Jewel didn’t reply for a second. Her watery eyes locked on to Tangle’s. She panted with shaky breaths. All that screaming had gotten to her. After a second she grit her teeth and clenched her fists.

“Shut up and get out of here, you dirty liar!!” she cried, punching Tangle in the stomach.

Though her little beetle hands did not faze her in the slightest, Tangle felt hurt. She got up once Jewel finished her barrage of useless punches and walked out.

“Oh gosh…” Tangle sighed, hugging her tail, “It’s…really bad.”

“Tangle?” came a voice.

The lemur perked up and snapped her head to see Ruby flying towards her.

“Is everything alright?” she asked, landing on the ground, “I heard a lot of shouting just now. You didn’t crash into Ron’s stand again, did you?”

Tangle suddenly jumped at her and grabbed her shoulders, “Aunt Ruby, we have a serious emergency.”

“What? What happened?!”

“It’s Jewel. She…well, it’s a long story, let me start from the top…”

Tangle explained to Ruby everything. Her time staying with Rouge and learning of the bat's feelings for Jewel, her helping Rouge return the Chaos Emerald as a gesture of good will to Jewel, and everything that she had learned transpired that day.

“I see…” Ruby hummed, tapping her chin, “Poor dear.”

“I can’t seem to get through to her…” Tangle said, “So…I really need your help.”

She gestured towards the museum doors, “She really needs your help.”

Ruby nodded, “And I am never one to refuse that help. But I would like to know one more thing before I go in there.”

“Of course. Anything!”

“What are we working with?”

“…wat?”

“This girl that’s interested in Jewel. How interested are we talking?”

“Uh…Why is that something you need to know?”

Ruby sighed, “If my Jewel is going through this much anguish over a girl, then I need to know if she’s worth that anguish. Not just any woman can waltz up, make my little girl cry, and get away with it if they don’t deserve her. Either I’m comforting her flat out, or comforting her to apologize.”

“Oh, okay. Well, I can definitely confirm that she is down baaaad.”

“Really now?”

Tangle nodded, making a face, “Yeah. Like. Me and Whisper levels of bad.”

“Okay, good, good. And is she a looker? On a scale of one to ten.”

“Pfft, an eleven, Ruby. Are you kidding me? Rouge is objectively the hottest woman I know.”

“Would Whisper agree if she heard you say that?” Ruby chuckled.

“She totally would! Here, maybe this’ll be the nail in the coffin.”

She pulled out her phone and began scrolling. Eventually she beamed, and held it out to Ruby. It was a selfie of her and Rouge. Ruby’s face went redder than her shell.

“Woah, mama!” she laughed, “That’s no eleven, Tangle! That’s a fifteen!”

“So Rouge is worth it?”

Ruby glanced over to the museum with a grin, “That’s up to her…”

**********

Jewel had curled up in her bed, soaking her bedsheets with tears. The door to her apartment opened slowly and closed behind whoever had entered.

“I told you to go away, Tangle!” Jewel yelled nasally.

“Well, you wouldn’t dare say the same to me.”

Jewel sat up suddenly, gawking at the red and green beetle standing in her doorway.

“May I come in?” Aunt Ruby asked.

Jewel sniffled and didn’t respond. She just laid back down. Ruby took that as a “yes” and stepped inside. She sat on the edge of Jewel’s bed and caressed her head.

“It’s alright,” she soothed, “You’ll be alright…”

“…it’s not fair…” Jewel mumbled, “…why does everyone do this to me…”

“Jewel, it’s not like that this time.”

She sat up again, scowling at her auntie.

“Do you remember Danly Hanlow? In the third grade?” she wheezed, “He put up the same act! He said nice things to me! Gave me cards and pretty rocks! And then he and his friends dumped a bucket of mud on me!”

Ruby nodded, “I do remember that.”

“Or in fifth grade! Dennis Hartman! He invited me out to the park and pushed me into a pond!”

Ruby nodded again, “I remember that too, dear.”

Jewel leapt off her bed, “Sixth grade! The next freaking year! Jessica Uldna! She flirted with me and then told the whole school I liked girls! Seventh grade, Hannah Jackson played the same trick and when I invited her over she broke all the museum displays I and Tangle had worked on!”

She hid her face in her hands and slid her back down the wall, “It goes like this every…single time…and I’m so tired of people playing with my emotions…so tired of being that ‘ugly bug’ that everyone can pull along just to cut the string when over a cliff…”

She curled up into her knees again. Ruby knelt down and rubbed her back as she cried.

“I…d-d-don’t wanna be everyone’s t-toy anymore…”

Ruby moved in for a hug, which Jewel accepted and clung to instantly. Ruby kept rubbing circles into her back, under her shell, while Jewel just cried into her shoulder.

“There, there, dear…it’s alright…”

She pulled Jewel away when she had finally run out of tears. The exhausted beetle just sat there, looking down at nothing. Ruby rubbed a thumb over her cheek.

“Jewel…all those pranks…those cruel, cruel jokes those horrible kids played on you…this girl, Rouge…she is not doing the same…”

Jewel sniffed, “She is…there’s no other explanation. Why else would some gem thief…some…beautiful gem thief spend any time around me? She’s trying to trick me too…I know it.”

“Whatever for? Why do you think she is tricking you?”

Jewel didn’t reply for a second.

“I-I-I don’t know! To steal from my museum again?! That’s her whole thing!”

Ruby nodded, “That’s not unsound logic, dear. But, I’ll ask you this: how long has this ‘Rouge’ girl been doing this ‘act’?”

Jewel sniffled again, “Uh…i-it started when she gave me the blue Chaos Emerald, so…a few months ago?”

“Hmm…” Ruby hummed with a smirk, “That seems like an awfully long con just to steal a few gems from you, dear.”

“…yeah…”

“I remember those tricks that were pulled on you lasting a week at most. Of course, kids have less patience when it comes to being awful, but do you really think that this gem thief would really play you for that long?”

“Mmnn…” Jewel groaned quietly.

“You yourself know what little security this museum has. And if she’s stolen from you before easily, this seems like a lot of effort just to do it again.”

Jewel groaned again, even quieter. Ruby sighed and looked away from her niece for a moment.

“…Do you remember that boyfriend I had for a time when you were seven?”

Jewel perked up, “…yeah…Rodrick…wasn’t he trying to steal from the museum too.”

“Yes. He was. He tried to play me for a fool. Tried to long con me like you believe Rouge to be doing. Heh…he gave up that ‘long’ con two weeks in.”

Jewel grunted even quieter. If it weren’t silent in the room, Ruby would have never heard it.

“Do you want my two cents, dear?” Ruby asked softly.

Jewel didn’t respond, but looked over to her.

“I think she meant it. I think she really does love you.”

Jewel’s eyes widened again. She looked down at her hands and shook her head.

“No…no, she couldn’t have. I-I know she couldn’t have…The most beautiful girl around…f-f-falling for me?! I-It doesn’t make any-”

“It makes perfect sense dear. And do you want to know why?” Ruby said, holding the younger beetle’s shoulder, “It’s because you are no longer surrounded by dim witted, angry, and confused children. You are older now, surrounded by a great deal of friends I have yet to have the pleasure of meeting. Nobody is drawn to you out of obligation or circumstance anymore…”

She gently took both of Jewel’s hands, “They are drawn to you for the beautiful, brilliant, brave young woman that you really are. Rouge is not toying with you for fun and games like a kid. She is enraptured by you, and has been showing you that for quite some time now.”

Jewel’s jaw fell open. She turned her head and fixated her wide eyes on the carpet beneath her heels for a while.

“OH MY GOD, THAT’S SO MUCH WORSE!!!!” she shrieked.

Ruby was taken aback as Jewel instantly started pacing the room, clutching her head.

“Oh no. Oh my gosh. Oh shhhhhhhit!!! I’ve messed this up so badly! She tried to invite me on a date and I YELLED at her! I’ve screwed up everything!!! I…I-I…I fucked up my chances with her!!! Now I’m never going to-!!”

“Hey, hey, hey! Easy, honey. And watch the language,” Ruby eased, clutching her shoulders, “Listen to me. This is not the end of the world, and it is not unsalvageable.”

“W-What?! O-Of course it is! She- She wanted us to go on a nice dinner date and I told her I never wanted to see her here again! A-And that’s not even m-mentioning what I said to Tangle!!”

“Jewel, calm down. Just. Listen to me, okay?”

Jewel piped down and nodded shakily.

“This all just stemmed from a big misunderstanding, and it can be fixed with an apology,” she said softly before growing stern, “And you’re going to apologize to your sister first and foremost. Then you can go find that bat lady and do the same with her.”

Jewel’s lip quivered a little.

“What if…what if she doesn’t forgive me? R-Rouge I mean.”

Ruby frowned, “Then I’m afraid all you can do is chalk it up to a lesson learned, honey. You can’t make someone forgive you.”

Jewel whined pitifully.

“Hey, chin up dear,” Ruby said, “If my insider source is any indication, and I’m willing to bet she is, I don’t think a few harsh words will deter her from the beautiful treasure she has set her eyes on.”

Jewel tilted her head up a little and smiled. Ruby pat her on the back and turned the both of them towards the door.

“But you better act quick, hon! Don’t let that babe slip away from you.”

Jewel snapped her head to face Ruby, blushing profusely. Ruby only returned the look with a smug grin. Jewel nodded and flew out of her bedroom, Ruby buzzing closely behind.

Tangle was leaning against the outside wall of the museum, crossing her arms. The doors next to her swung open and Jewel immediately flew out. She looked around frantically for a second before locking eyes with Tangle.

Before the lemur could even wave at her, Jewel shot towards her and enveloped her in a tight hug.

“Tangle I’m so, so, so, so, so, so, so sorry!!” she said, “I shouldn’t have yelled at you like that! I should have listened to you, and I’m so, so sorry I accused you of lying to me!”

Tangle only smiled, hugged the beetle back.

“It’s okay. You were just upset. I accept your apology.”

A light chuckle from nearby alerted the pair that Ruby was now watching them. They still held their hug for a few more seconds before releasing each other.

“I need to find Rouge, immediately!” Jewel said, “D-Do you know where she is?”

Tangle pointed, “I told her to wait at the balcony outside the entrance. She should hopefully still be there.”

“Right! Thank you Tangle!” Jewel then flew off down the street, “And again, I’m sorry!”

Tangle sniffed happily. She glanced over to Ruby, who was also watching on proudly as Jewel disappeared around a corner.

“Thanks Aunt Ruby,” Tangle said, “I don’t know how we got on without you.”

Ruby shook her head, “It’s amazing Spiral Hill hasn’t blown up thanks to you two. Of all the knuckleheads I got stuck with raising.”

“Aw, but you love us!”

“Never said I didn’t.”

**********

The sun was beginning to set. The vibrant oranges, reds, and pinks in the sky were beautiful. Rouge looked out in the valley as it was bathed in their light. Even with the pretty sight in front of her…she longed for something prettier.

Her ear twitched and she turned around at the sound of buzzing coming closer. Jewel zoomed out from under the arch and darted her eyes all over. Their eyes met each other, and the pair froze up. Under the light of the setting sun, even despite the smeared makeup on her face, now that Jewel was looking at Rouge with less cynical eyes…she was…beautiful.

Jewel cleared her throat, slowly landing on the concrete.

“Rouge…I am so…so…so sorry for what I said to you earlier today. I deeply, deeply apologize for accusing your…f…f-flirting as an act…I take back everything. Especially that I don’t want to…s-see you in my museum anymore. I-I was j-just so deep in denial that…I didn’t want to see the truth in case I was being fooled. Even when it was obvious that you weren’t trying to do that.”

She looked down, holding her hands behind her back, “I…I don’t know how many times I should say it. I feel like saying it a million more times won’t be enough, but…I’m sorry…for-for all of it…a-and I hope you can forgive me.”

Rouge blinked. Every word coming from the beetle’s mouth seemed to hold a mighty weight of guilt. She knew how people talked, and she knew what guilt sounded like. The crack in her heart healed up a little and she smiled.

Not only that, but the sun was reflecting off the tiny beetle’s shell, giving it an all golden sheen. It was breathtaking. Even after all this time, Rouge found herself blown away with how beautiful Jewel could be.

“Tangle told me a while ago about your…past relationship issues,” Rouge said, “I should have taken all of that into account when making my advances, and…I should have been more direct. I should have told you outright instead of playing with your emotions. Trick or not, that is undeniably what I was doing…”

Jewel was surprised. She held her mouth open slightly, but then clamped it shut with a shake of her head.

“No…even if you did outright tell me your feelings, who’s to say I wouldn’t still have had my head too far up my ass and accused you of lying anyway? My conduct was unacceptable today. A-And I promise to never speak to you like that ever again.”

Rouge chuckled dryly, “Neither of us are very good at this, are we?”

Jewel laughed hoarsely too, “No…no, I don’t think we are…”

Rouge smirked, slowly stepping towards the beetle. The rhythmic clicks of her heels got Jewel to look up at her just as the bat knelt down.

“Even so…would you still want to give it a try?”

Jewel’s eyes widened. Her heart skipped a beat and put a hand to her chest.

“R-Really? A-After everything I said?”

Rouge smirked. She moved her hand to cup Jewel’s chin but stopped herself and reached down for her hand instead.

“Jewel, my beautiful, beautiful Gemstone…no collection of gems in the world could compare to your beauty. You are the prettiest living thing I have ever laid my eyes on. A beacon of adoration that I want to be beside every minute of every day…and I am more than happy to forgive you for a few harsh words…heh, believe me, hun. Shadow and I have spat worse at each other.”

Jewel stammered and stuttered, jittering in place a little. She looked down at Rouge’s hand intertwined with her and slowly, gently, pulled it up to caress her cheek. Rouge was surprised, but smiled widely.

“Th-Then…I’d b-be m-more than happy t-to make this work.”

Rouge nodded, about ready to cry again. She pulled Jewel’s face closer to her a tad.

“May I?” she asked, puckering her lips.

Jewel’s blush worsened, but she nodded, “Y-You may.”

Rouge closed her eyes. Jewel did too, letting the bat pull her in closer. When their lips met in the middle, both of them started to flutter upwards uncontrollably. Rouge held the back of Jewel’s head while she started playing with the hair curled up on Rouge’s face. They swirled around, almost slow dancing in the air under the orange sky’s lightshow.

From afar, peeking out behind a building, Tangle and Aunt Ruby fistbumped, watching the lovers embrace each other.