Ruby wasn't there in the first days of Homeworld, when the first gems clawed out of the ground and looked about for more places to grow. She imagined that when places were assigned and basic touches were denied the thought of soulmates was nothing more than a strange glitch in the system.

But some things could not be hidden forever. Back then, she figured, there was some minuscule drop of pity to forcibly separate gems from their soulmates. But it could be easily taken care of, and the Diamonds probably breathed a large sigh of relief.

When Ruby was assigned a soulmate, for the first and only time she was grateful that there was thought that rubies were dumb. She had touched the hand of the other Ruby and everything was still monochrome. But she had said something vague about the prettiness of everything around her and the upper gems were satisfied.

The Ruby, Facet 1922 CUT 0513, was brash and rough but never mocked Ruby when she was irritated with something. Ruby hoped to someday find her among the Crystal Gems.

But when she had actually seen color the whole world tilted and she felt disorientated. When the stress of Sapphire grabbing her and both of them falling to Earth had evaporated, Ruby felt as though all of her insides had been carved out. She didn't know if she would laugh or cry or scream and if she was organic she might have been sick.

As the days went on, Ruby had gotten to know Sapphire, though touches were still scarce. Expectations don't disappear in one day.

One day, on this strange planet teeming with possibilities, Ruby had invited Sapphire to look at the Earth sun set.

They settled on the grass, and Ruby quietly brushed her hand against Sapphire's.

The world burst into color and Ruby couldn't stop the words.

"Isn't this beautiful?"

For a gem like Sapphire, the idea of soulmate was not worrisome. If she continued the way she did, she could see a murky image of that gem, clouded and waiting. She had not been assigned a soulmate in the midst of rumors of a rebellion but she knew whoever had been chosen for her would calm her Blue Diamond.

Things do not always go to plan.

Sapphire had felt her world shaken up when Ruby had pushed her out of the way of Pearl's strike and they had fused. Her predictions had never been incorrect (they couldn't afford to be) and in desperation and panic she had grabbed Ruby's hand and fallen to the Earth.

It had been disconcerting, what her impulsive action had caused, but the world had eventually adjusted itself and though the pieces were broken up Sapphire felt free.

Ruby had invited her to see the Earth sun set, and they headed up the hill together.

Ruby rested her hand on Sapphire's and Sapphire didn't draw her hand away.

"Isn't this beautiful?"

Sapphire looked at the gem that had changed her future so much and had continued on with her on this planet.

"Yes. Yes, it is."

Originally posted on Ao3 on December 27 2016

Inspired by a comment that said "What if you could see color but your soulmate couldn't" (paraphrase)