A/N: So, my family went on a trip, which had me writing lots of one-shots to pass the time. This is basically the only one I'm proud of. I really don't know where I got the idea honestly. If you've seen this on PicCollage on an account called Fanfictions, that's me.

Before we start, I want to clarify a few things that I think will confuse people. 1) This is thousands of years before they go to Earth and possibly meet Rose, so I'm pretty sure they have different forms.

2) Ruby and Sapphire just met.

3) In the episode "Love Letters," Garnet said that love takes time. This doesn't really have shipping because of that line. I mean, I figured that they fell in love after how long being friends instead of instantaneous love.

Disclaimer: you all know the drill.

Edit 1/6/16: Please note this is NOT canon! This was my own headcanon on how they met, until Stevenbomb 4.

"Jerks!" Ruby yelled before running off into the woods. She didn't stop until the red trees parted into a clearing. Ruby knew where she was. This was where she would go whenever she needed to release some fume. It was filled with broken rocks and fallen trees that couldn't survive her merciless anger.

She panted hard, raging inside. She lifted her gem-bearing hand, balled it into a fist, then punched the closest tree to her with all her fury. The tree was uprooted from the ground and hit the tree next to it, both falling onto the yellow grass.

Ruby continued panting, her rage not leaving. What was their problem?! What was wrong with her form? She grit her teeth and clenched her fists hard as she thought back to earlier before she ran off.

...

Ruby had to retreat into her gem after a fight she had with Onyx. Everyone insulted her for her size, which made her seem weak. In her gem, she decided to choose a form that made her feel strong, but also felt right at the same time. When she came out, she thought no one would make fun of her anymore.

She shortened her dark maroon hair so that it was an inch higher than her shoulders. Her body and limbs were broader than before, giving her more muscle. Her clothes were similar to a karate fighter's uniform, though they were a pale red instead of white. Around her waste, she tied a red belt, and she wore nothing on her feet.

Like a young child, she was excited to show off her new look. Unfortunately, Ruby didn't receive the reaction she was hoping for.

They laughed. They laughed, they pointed, they sneered.

"Look at her," Emerald said. "She didn't even grow, not even a bit!" Ruby felt herself flush with embarrassment, even though she knew it was hard to change your height when creating a new form.

"Her clothes are so uninspired and unoriginal, they're hideous!" Beryl teased. How was her fashion choice uninspired?

"Does she really think that looking masculine would make her stronger?" Tanzanite laughed. "At that height, she looks like a weak male!" Ruby couldn't bring her eyes up to these Gems; she was too ashamed of herself for believing they would like her new form.

Suddenly, everyone stopped laughing and insulting her. Ruby looked up, and saw them parting to make way for another Gem. This Gem was very tall with silver skin and shining black hair in a braid that went down to the middle of her back. Her arms and legs showed some muscle in them. Her gem was black and smooth, and was located just below her neck. She wore a light gray tank top and black, skin-tight leggings. On her feet were white socks and black and gray sneakers. Ruby recognized this Gem as Onyx.

Onyx looked down at Ruby, her gray eyes filled with disgust. "So the runt thought it was gonna come out like that," she said softly. A few Gems around them giggled.

Ruby glared up at her with hatred. Why did Onyx do this to her all the time? "It was what felt perfect to me," Ruby said through gritted teeth.

Onyx laughed. "What felt perfect?!" She smirked. "No one wants what feels perfect to you, the Diamonds want something to prove you're not a waste of space." She kicked Ruby down hard. "That's exactly what you are, runt. A waste of space!"

Ruby felt the corners of her eyes sting with tears. "NO, I'M NOT!" she yelled as she stood up, summoning her gauntlet on her left hand. She aimed her punch in Onyx's direction, but the dark Gem dodged the attack.

Onyx brought her hand to her gem, and summoned her weapon. It was a black lance that started out short, then grew longer once it was out. She hit it against Ruby's side, then used it to knock her down once more.

"You think this is stronger, runt?!" Onyx taunted. "You only made yourself weaker!"

Ruby attempted to lift herself, but Onyx took her foot, placed it on Ruby's back, and pushed it down hard, causing her to fall on her front.

"You're a joke, you runt," Onyx hissed at the small, red Gem on the ground. "Don't forget what you are." She took her foot off of Ruby's back.

Ruby brought herself up to her hands and knees as the Gems surrounding them began to call her names.

"What a failure!"

"She must be defective."

"Onyx is right, she is a waste of space."

"And a runt as well."

"She's just a huge mistake."

"She should go crack her gem since she's so unwanted."

"Such an idiotic Gem."

Their words stabbed her so hard, she could no longer take it. "Jerks!" she yelled as she quickly stood up before running into the forest, everyone laughing behind her.

...

Ruby hated this. She hated everything. She hated other Gems, she hated Homeworld, she hated her life, she hated herself.

The words the other Gems called her entered her mind again. She began to grit her teeth even harder and grabbed the hair on the side of her head as she thought of how other Gems saw her, their taunting voices floating around in her mind.

"Runt!"

"Waste of space!"

"Weak!"

"Joke!"

"Failure!"

"Defective!"

"Mistake!"

"Unwanted!"

"Idiotic!"

She couldn't stand it. "I'M NOT!" she yelled at no one in particular. She took her fist and banged it against the nearest tree, snapping it in half like a twig. She stood there, panting hard once more. They were just words, but why did it hurt more than their physical blows?

A lump formed in her throat, and her eyes welled up with tears. "I-I'm not," she choked out again, much softer that it was almost a whisper. She sat down on the ground, bringing her legs closer to her body, hugging them. There was only so much she could take. She buried her face into her knees and began to cry softly, bitter tears staining her clothes.

"Are you alright?" someone behind her asked.

Ruby lifted her head and used her sleeves to wipe her nose and eyes. She sniffed loudly. "What do you want?" she asked with annoyance, her voice shaking. "Here to make fun of me some more?" Why couldn't she just be left alone?

"I have never made fun of you," the mysterious Gem told her.

Ruby turned around to see who she was talking to. She didn't recognize this Gem. This Gem was pretty short, just a little taller than her. She had an elegant body, with slender arms and legs. She had blue skin and wavy, light blue hair that went down to her ankles. Her bangs were swept to the sides of her face, showing one sparkling blue eye. She wore a light blue blouse with white frills on the sleeves. She had a dark blue skirt going down just below her knees, with white frills as well. On her feet were dark blue ballet shoes and white socks. On the palm of her right hand, a blue gem glowed.

The Gem smiled. "I'm Sapphire," she greeted Ruby, holding out her hand. Hesitantly, Ruby shook it, staying seated.

"I'm Ruby," she mumbled. She didn't trust Sapphire, if that really was her gem. This could be a Gem disguising herself, like Blue Topaz, pretending to be nice, then waiting for the right time to make a fool of Ruby. She couldn't give in to the fake kindness of this Gem.

"I heard what they call you. Why do they make fun of you?" this "Sapphire" asked her as she sat down beside Ruby.

Ruby shrugged and crossed her arms. "I don't know," she admitted. "Maybe because it's true. Maybe because I am a runt, a failure, a mistake, an idiot, a waste of space! And maybe because my form is stupid, just as stupid as they say!" She was starting to become livid as she remembered how Gems thought of her.

"None of it is true," Sapphire said. "No Gem should be called those things, because that's not what any Gem is like."

Ruby looked at Sapphire with disgust. Was this Gem really keeping up with her charade? That was when she noticed something strange about Sapphire.

"Why is your form weaker than the other forms Gems choose?" she asked.

Sapphire giggled. Ruby hoped it wasn't because she was fooled. She wasn't sure how she was going to handle that. "This is my form because it was what felt right to me," Sapphire explained.

Ruby scoffed. "I thought Gems were supposed to choose a form that made them stronger, not what they think feels right," she told her, looking away.

Sapphire continued to smile. "The form that feels right is the strongest form any Gem can have," she said. She placed a hand on Ruby's shoulder. "No one should tell you what you should look like and who you should be."

Ruby grunted and brushed Sapphire's hand off. Why wouldn't Sapphire just start taunting her instead of pretending to be caring? She couldn't take it anymore. "Would you stop playing your mind games on me?!" she yelled at her.

Sapphire frowned. She brought herself to her feet and stood right in front of Ruby. "You think I'm playing games on you?" she asked her.

Ruby felt herself grow hot as she looked up at her. "Um... yeah?" she answered.

Sapphire closed her eye and shook her head. "I should've known. I saw this happening, but I really thought you wanted real kindness for once. I guess I was wrong." She started to walk away.

Ruby watched her with confusion. She was giving her real kindness? Was she actually different from other Gems? What if... She gasped.

"WAIT!" Ruby called after her. She stood up. She had to know something.

Sapphire stopped and turned around. "Yes?" she answered.

Ruby hesitated, staring at Sapphire, before asking, "Were you... really being nice to me, or were you faking it?"

Sapphire stared at her, then walked back over to Ruby. "I meant all the kindness I gave you," Sapphire told her. "You were alone, afraid, and treated unfairly. Sometimes, in darkness, all we need is just a little light of kindness." Ruby looked down at her feet, filled with mixed emotions. Sapphire slowly took Ruby's hand in hers, the red Gem watching. "You're nothing like what other Gems think. You're a beautiful, amazing, one-of-a-kind Gem, no matter what they call you. Don't ever forget that."

Ruby felt herself beginning to cry. Not because she was hurt, but because she could feel herself beginning to mend. For the first time in her life, she felt comfort and joy.

Sapphire wrapped her arms around Ruby gently. Ruby wept with happiness, and returned the hug. For once, she didn't feel like the Gem others saw her as. She didn't feel like a runt, a waste of space, a joke, a mistake, defective, unwanted, idiotic, or weak. She felt just the way Sapphire described her. She felt beautiful, amazing, one-of-a-kind, and even more than that; she felt loved. That love she felt melted away all the fear, hatred, and anger that lingered in her heart.

"Thank you," she whispered into Sapphire's ear as she continued to weep.

Sapphire said nothing, but her silence comforted her. Ruby continued to cry into Sapphire's shoulder for a few more minutes. When she felt better, she looked up at Sapphire and smiled at her with pure joy, something she never did for as long as she could remember. Sapphire returned the smile, her eye filled with nothing but kindness.

Gradually, Ruby and Sapphire's friendship began to grow. With Sapphire by her side, Ruby felt a strength she never felt before. It was stronger than anything she knew. This new strength allowed her to ignore the painful words the other Gems threw at her, especially Onyx's. She could finally stand tall and proud, knowing who she really was. She was a beautiful, amazing, one-of-a-kind Gem, and all it took were the kind words of one Gem for her to realize that.