notes – The title of the fic is derived from an amazingly hilarious shoujo I've read recently called Heroine Shikkaku (translated as 'no longer heroine', 'heroine who lost'), do check it out. This fic goes hand in hand with 'Hide the Guns'.

Also, this is exploding with GreenBlue. This is actually a GreenBlue fic, sorry guys. Oh, and also a Silver+Blue fic. Actually, this is a Silver and Blue character study. No wait, this is just about Blue and the people who revolve around her. She is the sun. Expect the same hot mess you read in 'Hide the Guns'.

Heroine No More

"Blue!" Silver calls out to her when he spots her white hat surfacing in the thin crowd of people on the streets. He waves to her and when she sees his black jacket through the sea of people, she breaks into a dash.

Silver watches her close in on him and he doesn't know what to do next. A 'long time no see'? A… handshake? No, Blue isn't slowing down. She spreads her arms wide and Silver realizes that she's swooping in for a hug. He slowly cranks open his arms, unsure of what to do. Blue doesn't give him time to think. She slams against him with the force of a Hydro Pump, squeezing his shoulders and holding him tight. He's close enough to see her favourite black earrings.

Early in the morning, he agreed to meet with Blue for tea at their usual café. He did a fair job of bottling the excitement and joy through his daily routine (helping Professor Elm with odd jobs, visiting his father, training his team), having spent the last five months out of direct contact with her. She'd spent the summer exploring the regions outside of Kanto, returning only recently, adamant at meeting Silver as soon as possible. The occasional written postcard and fuzzy pokégear call didn't prevent her from missing him – or him from missing her.

Silver feels his cheeks warm at the contact. It takes him awhile to return the gesture, intimacy never one of his fortes. He finally manages to overcome the initial embarrassment, awkwardly placing his hands on her back, glad that no one else is around to intrude on this reunion with Blue.

"Wonderful!"

"How bold! Are all the people from Kanto and Johto like this?"

Silver stiffens as he peers over Blue's shoulder. Standing in plain sight are Ruby and Platinum, one with a camera in hand. Oh, god, no.

"Say cheese!"

Silver folds his arms. He didn't sign up for this.

He had expected a quiet afternoon with his sister. This consisted mostly of her relating her travels to him, and him lending an attentive ear, as always. What he wasn't prepared for was the fact that when Blue stopped by Sinnoh, she'd dragged the three greenest pokédex holders along with her to Hoenn, where she proceeded to recruit Ruby and Sapphire, before making a round trip back to Kanto. She'd returned with five travel companions under her wings, two of which felt the need to accompany her today.

"The tea here is sublime," Platinum says with a light smile. She sits with her elbows tucked neatly at her sides and her back pin-straight against the chair. Blue's slouch is more pronounced because of this. She stirs her smoothie with a languid calmness in her actions, and Silver can tell that she's been nursing homesickness.

"The view is great too!" Ruby adds, scanning his surroundings. The top floor of the Celadon department store offers a picturesque view of the neighbouring cities, and the lush maze of greenery curving between the urban areas must remind Ruby of Hoenn.

The young girl and boy chatter over their mutual unfamiliarity to the exotic Kanto, finally giving Silver the chance to share a somewhat private conversation with his sister.

"So, how have you been?" he asks her, brushing his bangs out of his eyes.

"Great! You wouldn't believe the sights I've seen! All the priceless artifacts in museums, the top clothes brands in Hoenn, and the food! Lava cookies are to die for, Silver!" Blue springs to life, wandering off in her words with a distant look on her face. It eases him to know that she's been doing well.

"But I've missed Kanto," she laughs, "it's the only place I know how to escape arrest. You wouldn't believe the trouble I almost got into in Sinnoh…"

"Had I not been there to vouch for you," Platinum says sheepishly.

"Thank you for taking care of Blue." Silver inclines his head, used to apologizing for Blue's flights of fancy by now. Still, as Silver recalls, Blue has mostly abandoned employing her sneaky crafts, at least, when no enemies are involved. Red persuaded her to kick the habit as often as he was around her.

"The temple in Snowpoint looked like it held a lot of loot, I couldn't resist!" Blue explains. "Oh, and there was something about the place there attracted me to it. It was cold and it looked so daunting but I could tell that there was something special inside it, something I had to get my hands on," Blue trails off. Who knew she could get so affectionate over an ancient piece of infrastructure?

"Are we still talking about a temple?" Ruby snorts.

"Of course! What else could I be referring to!"

"You know who I'm referring to. You like the cold and aloof types."

"Who, again?"

Ruby glares at her, but Blue remains silent. It takes all of six seconds for Ruby to break.

"– I've had enough of this!"

"Do you mean the lack of contest halls in Kanto, or the fact that you and Sapphire haven't outgrown cooties, or the fact that you wear the same hat every day?" Blue sips her drink as she finishes her questions.

The gasp Ruby makes sounds like it could have punctured a hole in his lung.

"I'll have you know that it's not the same hat. I have seven for each day of the week and even two for the festive season," he informs Blue pointedly. "And it matches my clothes. You don't fix something that isn't broken."

Silver notices that Blue is wearing her 'I'm-pretending-to-hear-you-when-I'm-actually-not' face. He doesn't feel the need to tell Ruby.

"And while the absence of contest halls here is a travesty, that's not what I meant too," Ruby continues.

"So, it is about you and Sapphire?" Platinum's eyes widen with interest.

"Absolutely not! There is no 'me and Sapphire', I have no idea where you got that idea from," he tells her. As if to punctuate his point, he uses his fork to cleave a slice of cheesecake in half.

"Well, that isn't what Blue told me," Platinum says quite seriously, lifting her cup of tea in one fluid and graceful motion from the table.

Ruby stares daggers at Blue, who can't seem to be bothered. The metaphorical blades bounce off her easily. "I thought we had something special. I helped you pick out those shoes, after all," he clicks his tongue, betrayed.

"And I helped you and Sapphire bond," Blue counters.

"Locking us in that dark room for ten hours did no such thing! My life was at stake!" Ruby shrills. The large flock of pidgey gathered around the rooftop scatter into the air.

They were getting totally off point here.

As if she can read Silver's mind, Blue catches herself. "Anyway– " She pats Ruby's hand to placate him. " – Back on topic. What is this all about, then?"

Ruby clears his throat. He picks up the salt and pepper holders on the table to illustrate. "You– " He shakes the pepper. "And Green." He shakes the salt. Silver wonders how this could ever be a good example. No one adds salt and pepper together unless they wanted an extra explosion of flavour in their meal. Then again, maybe that's the point. Blue and Green don't go well together.

"What about that meanie?" Blue crosses her arms and leans back, off-put at the mention of the Viridian gym leader. She adjusts the brim of her hat so that it hides her eyes. "I didn't receive a single letter or call from him all this time. At least Red bothered to send a pidgeotto my way to see if I was still in one piece."

Silver shakes his head, fingering the edge of his cup of coffee. Honestly, as much as Green is recognized as a gifted trainer, he lacks proficiency in personal relationships. Blue doesn't deserve a guy like him.

"Perhaps he was busy?" Platinum offers. "I'm sure he didn't ignore you on purpose."

"Oh, it was on purpose," Blue says, "Green never does something without a reason. That's what makes him so Green."

"Well, he's going to get a reality check when he realizes that he likes you!" Ruby informs the table, clapping his hands together. Blue pulls her chair closer, interest piqued. Silver holds a mental breath, readying himself for whatever scheme Ruby has up his sleeve. It probably won't hold a candle to Gold's ludicrous plans. He can handle it.

"You have to catch his attention, and this is how you'll do it!" Ruby brandishes a poster he takes out from his bag.

"Miss Vermillion?" Platinum tilts her head.

"A contest to crown the most beautiful, charismatic and skilled pokémon trainer in Kanto," Silver reads the subtitles aloud.

Ruby rolls the poster back up in a flourish, jabbing it in Blue's direction. "With my help, that's going to be you!" he declares. "I've mastered over thirty pokemon contests. A simple beauty pageant should be a cakewalk. It'll look good on my resume, and besides, it sounds fun."

Silver imagines Blue on centre stage, under a spotlight with all eyes on her, dressed in a revealing outfit of some sort. What if there's a swimsuit category? He can't possibly let her wear that in front of a crowd of strangers. He snatches the paper from Ruby without a word and skims down the page. No mention of a swimsuit-wearing section. Still…

"I don't know," Silver says as he passes the poster onto Platinum's open, waiting hand.

"Why should I even bother?" Blue sulks, her hat still covering her face.

"This sounds intriguing. The rewards include a lifetime supply of Clefairy face products, an appearance on national television. Oh, and some prize money, the sum isn't too extravagant." Platinum folds the paper precisely and moves to return it to Ruby. She gets intercepted when Blue's hand darts out.

She holds the poster in front of her and her eyes are shining with anticipation when she's done reading. "Platinum, sweetie! This is enough to for me to buy a brand new wardrobe!" Blue's expression is blissful as she looks to the sky, probably already picturing herself swimming in money.

"It's settled then!" Ruby smiles.

"No, it's not," Silver says. He isn't going down without a fight. "You don't need to do this Blue, especially not for someone like Green. And you don't need that many clothes. You probably have a truckload from your holiday."

"Think of this as a long-term investment. When my new clothes get old, I can wear my newer clothes!" Blue insists. "Come on, Silver. Please?"

Blue turns away for a second. When she faces him again, tears are dotting her eyes. No, he can't fall for this trick. He won't.

"I won't be able to do it without your support. And you want me to be happy, don't you?" Blue bats her eyes.

No, Silver. Stand your ground. Be as immovable as the earth. You can make it through. It's just Blue. You are stronger than this. You got frozen in ice once and petrified to stone another time. You've travelled through time on the back of a legendary pokémon, and remember three years ago when you were up against that fake Kyogre? You've endured all that. You're a man.

"Pretty please?"

"Okay," Silver gives in, defeated.

On second thought – Gold's ideas don't sound so bad right now.

"Blue's going to be in a beauty contest, hmmm," Platinum hums to herself. She raises her hands and poses in what seems to be a modeling stance, one hand behind her head and the other at her waist.

"Are you… posing?" Silver stops in the middle of the room to observe her.

Platinum swivels around to address him with a perfectly composed face. "No, I wasn't."

"Okay then." Silver shrugs.

The girl looks at him with what almost seems like disappointment, as if she expects him to say something else.

"Where are the other two? You and them are usually joined at the hip," Silver asks as he takes a seat on the sofa, thumbing through the books he's left lying around.

"Pearl's been busy with the others. He's spending all his time with Green, Gold and Sapphire and acting peculiar around me," Platinum says, a thoughtful expression on her face. "I haven't been able to figure out why yet, but Diamond tells me not to worry."

At that moment, Blue walks out into the living room, clad in a plain dress. "Sometimes you just need to let your boys have their own guy time, you know?" Blue teaches Platinum, wagging her finger before pointing at Silver. "It's the same with Silver and Gold."

Silver feels the overwhelming need to protest –

"Is that true?" Platinum looks puzzled, one eyebrow arched. "This is something I have no knowledge of. I'd appreciate it if you could enlighten me."

"Oh, you know, they hang out and watch po– "

"Blue! There's no need for you to teach her that!" Ruby interjects the two girls, slashing an arm between them. He's holding sewing needles between his fingers in one hand and a measuring tape in the other. "And it isn't always true anyway," he harrumphs.

"Like you'd know. You aren't exactly the benchmark for the average teenage guy." Blue sticks her tongue out.

Ruby holds his hand against his heart, his face a picture of insult and resentment. "Who's the one designing your outfit from scratch?"

"My point exactly." Blue nods, falling onto the seat beside Silver.

"Don't sit down, I'm not done yet," Ruby tells her. He glances at the clock on the wall before sighing and putting his arsenal of weaponry down. "Actually, let's take a break. Sapphire asked me to meet her at the park for some reason."

"Oh, you're sneaking off to go on a date with your girlfriend?" Blue snickers.

Ruby frowns. "Say what you will! I'm sure she has a perfectly sophisticated reason for wanting to meet me on such short notice. You'll see when I get back."

Ruby returns an hour later with stray flower petals wedged under the brim of his hat.

"Ooo," Blue purrs suggestively, "did things get rough with Sapphire?"

"Blue." Silver gestures at Platinum with his most discreet hand twitch. The girl in question is too entranced by the game show on the TV to notice, cupping the mug of hot chocolate in her hands and whispering the answers to the quiz questions under her breath.

"Yes! She threw flowers at me and wasted a perfectly good box of sweets," Ruby retells his apparently horrible experience. "I will never be able to understand her."

"You've still got something stuck there." Silver points as he walks by Ruby to grab the broom and dustpan. He likes keeping his apartment clean.

Ruby claws lightly at his hat and examines the petals stuck to his palm. He stays like that for a moment before realization blooms on his face. "Silver, you're a genius!" he says, seizing him in a quick involuntary hug before taking Blue by the wrist and tugging her into the room.

Silver picks up the broom and dustpan that fell out of his grip when Ruby grappled him, unfazed by the activity in his usually silent house.

"Moonstone," Platinum quips from the couch.

"I'm sorry, but moonstone is the correct answer," the television blares.

She smiles confidently and takes a sip of chocolate to reward herself.

"Something's missing." Ruby furrows his brow.

Blue twirls around to showcase the swish of the skirt, the flower petals Ruby stitched to the sleeves and neck of the dress rustling with her movements. Silver can't help but find that it really does suit Blue's beauty.

Platinum mimics the older female, spinning on the spot.

"This is splendid, there's no need to add anything more. I'll clinch the title without any trouble!" Blue says, flipping her hair over her shoulder. Ruby cups his chin, refusing to agree with her just yet.

"Speaking of which, I met Green on the way over here today. I'll be going on a date with him tonight!" she tells the group, an accomplished smile on her face.

"Wow, how'd you get him to agree?" Ruby asks as he checks the seams of the dress.

"With this!" Blue begins reaching into her dress, causing Silver to redirect his line of sight. She takes out a leather wallet.

"So this is how you arrange a date with the boy you like?" Platinum looks educated.

"Whatever you do, Platinum, don't learn anything from Blue," Silver advises her, his voice tired.

The next day, Silver finds a woman sprawled on the floor of his apartment, face buried in the carpet.

"Blue! Are you okay?"

He rushes to her side, rolling her over and propping her up in his arms. "What's wrong?"

When Blue doesn't respond, Silver feels his heart beat quicken with worry. He places a hand on her forehead and checks her neck for a pulse. The contact of his glove against her skin causes a giggle to escape out of Blue's mouth. As her eyes flutter open, Silver heaves a sigh of relief. "Honestly, Blue, you shouldn't worry me like that," he tells her, blushing when he realizes that she's still in his lap.

"I was asleep," the girl defends.

"On the floor?"

"Green only went on a date with me to get his wallet back," Blue huffs. Silver wants to think that this is just her being overdramatic again, but when he looks at the colour of her eyes, he realizes that she's being very serious.

"Did you return it to him?" Silver asks cautiously.

"I did!" Blue exclaims, offended. Silver offers her a patient look in response.

"… Most of it. He won't miss a dollar or two."

"Anyway, that isn't the point here," Blue continues, knuckling the corner of her eye. Silver sits down beside her on the floor, grabbing a tissue box from the nearby coffee table, only to find out that it has already been emptied of its contents. "Sorry, I guess I got a little carried away," Blue chuckles, tucking her legs and resting her cheek on the peaks of her knees.

Silver whips his gaze to the dustbin at the corner of the room, where a mountain of tissue papers sat.

"What did that bastard do to you?" he growls, unable to suppress his irritation.

"He had no interest in asking me about the Miss Vermillion contest! I expected him to show at least a little disapproval or something. Getting a reaction is better than getting no reaction at all, you know?" Blue leans on his shoulder. Silver feels his emotions settle when she does this, and he starts thinking rationally.

"It's his loss if he doesn't care," Silver consoles her. Or at least, he tries to.

"I thought he was going to show at least a little bit of interest in the show!" she says as she pokes her pedicured feet. "He knows that I'm in the contest, doesn't he?" Blue mumbles, disheartened.

Silver thinks. He remembers giving Gold the message to pass along to Green. Then again, Gold wasn't the best person to trust with any sort of responsibility. He might've forgotten to mention it to Green.

"Maybe not. If Gold forgot to tell him, Green was probably clueless." Silver can't believe that he's defending Green, of all people. This is the opportune moment. If he had the choice, severing Green and Blue's ties would be the best thing to do at a time like this.

But it isn't the honest and right thing. And in all his years since befriending (god, he used the 'f' word) Gold and regaining his father, Silver has learned to separate the things that he wants to do from the things that he needs to do.

"It's probably my fault Green doesn't know," Silver admits.

"Well, whatever. I don't blame you, Silver. But I can't bring myself to go along with Ruby's crazy scheme now," Blue tells him absently.

Suddenly, the front door bursts open with a loud smash. Standing behind the swampert that bulldozed over his perfectly good door are Ruby and Platinum, the former looking especially livid.

"Nope, missy! You are not getting cold feet just one week before the big event! I've poured too much heart and soul into this for it to fail!" Ruby waves the dress in his hand like a flag.

"You can't make me!" Blue shouts in response, getting on her feet and pivoting around Silver, using him as a shield.

"You're twenty-one! Stop acting like a child!" Ruby reminds her. "Get into this dress and practice your strut! We've spent all this time training you and your pokémon, and keeping tabs on your diet. I've never lost a contest in the last three years, and I don't plan to!"

"Nooo," Blue whines, "I just want to eat ice cream and lie down on the floor for the rest of my life."

"Oh no," Platinum mutters softly. Silver thinks she's referring to the absurdity behind Blue's words, but then he watches the girl wade towards Blue and wrap her arms around her.

Blue is crying again. Only this time, she's crying silent tears – the absolute worst kind of tears.

"No way can you be this depressed over a guy," Ruby says incredulously.

Silver nudges the boy and a fist.

"Ouch! I was just being honest!" He rubs the aching spot on his arm.

"Says the boy who makes Sapphire cry every night in her sleep," Blue hisses through her tears.

"I - wait really?"

"No. Sapphire isn't that affected by your poor romancing skills," Platina assures Ruby coldly. "But what's wrong, Blue? Is it because of Green?"

"It's not," Blue sniffs defensively, "I – I don't know why I'm so upset over this. Sure, I might fancy Green, but it's only a small attraction. I'm don't have real, serious feelings for him."

"Blue, you're a master at conning, but I don't think you can con yourself," Silver explains. "I – I mean, maybe you really do like him. A lot," he falters as he hears the words coming out of his mouth. Blue stares at him before dismissing his words, pretending she can't hear him. Silver feels his heart sink.

Platinum squats next to Blue, handing her a cup of tea. "My family's secret recipe, it's a heal-all remedy," she tells the older girl. "Factually, it probably can't heal all illness, but I hope it will make you feel better."

Blue takes the cup and blows her nose in a tissue.

"Thanks, but I don't think this will help me with the contest." She takes a sip anyway, her hands still trembling.

"Here, I'll lend you this." Platinum reaches into her shoulder bag to take out a beautiful brooch. "It's my family's crest, made from materials found on Mount Coronet."

"Ah, I think that could be the missing touch on her dress." Ruby takes the brooch, admiring the detail. "Yes, this could work."

"What do you say, Blue?" Silver asks her quietly.

"I can't stand on the stage," Blue replies.

"You've always been confident! Where did all that go?" Ruby asks her, hands on his hips.

"What's the point, if the person I like won't even look at me when I'm standing beside him. I'm not as pretty as all of you say I am," she cries out.

"Weren't you doing this contest for yourself? Not for Green or for anyone else, but because you wanted to?" Silver says, almost angry. Blue jumps at the tone of his voice, considering his words this time.

"You shouldn't let anyone, let alone a man, decide if you're pretty or not," Ruby tells her, cradling his head in one hand. "My master taught me that beauty comes from in here and shines out." He prods his chest to demonstrate. "Why do you think I like contests so much? It's because anyone can be beautiful as long as they put in the effort. I enjoy being a part of that."

"Ruby, that sounds… intelligent," Blue says with surprise, wiping away the remaining tears.

"Are you implying that I'm usually not?" The boy springs onto his feet, his face comically red.

"You only answered half of yesterday's quiz show questions right," Platinum says with tact. "Silver got 90% and I got 100%."

"You suck at anything that isn't fashion or battling," Blue laughs, sounding more happy than sad.

"Sapphire says the same thing," Ruby laments. "I can't possibly be good at everything, can I? I am human too, you know. Majestically flawed."

Blue clutches her stomach, lying on the floor and breaking into a tirade of laughter that is dangerously contagious. Platinum smiles and Ruby continues to question everything between his chuckles. Silver feels the corner of his lips curve upwards as well.

"Okay, I'll do it."

She exchanges a smile with Silver.

"For myself, not for Green or anyone else."

She opens her arms, taking the three of them into a warm embrace.

"Almost there!" Ruby takes a step back to admire the ensemble he's thrown together for Blue. "We just need to fix your hair and add a few finishing touches. When I'm done, you'll knock them dead. I'm staking all my contest ribbons on it."

Blue scrutinizes her image in the full-length mirror, fixing the strands of hair at her ears and puckering her lips.

"You look great," Silver reassures her.

"Thanks." His sister crushes him with a one-armed hug. "Do me a favour, would you?" She fishes around the purse Platinum is holding for her. She holds her hand out to him and opens her palm, revealing her favourite pair of black earrings.

"Help me hold onto these. Return them to me when I win," she tells him.

"Are you sure?" Silver asks her just in case.

"Of course! They clash with this dress, don't they?" It's her turn to reassure him. "And think of it as a good luck charm."

Silver pockets the earrings before wishing her good luck, grinning when she gives him a thumbs-up.

Ruby remains backstage with Blue while Silver and Platinum make their way into the hall to get good seats. Platinum settles down beside him with a lively expression on her face. "This is my first beauty pageant," she says when she finds him looking at her, "I wish Diamond and Pearl were here, though."

"Did they tell you they were coming?"

Platinum shakes her head.

Silver hears someone occupying the empty seat next to his and looks over.

"Hey," he coughs, only to be polite.

"Hi," Green mumbles back, dressed in his usual jacket and pants. He must have locked up his gym before making his way over here.

"Why are you here?"

"Gold told me about this, he wouldn't leave me alone till I agreed to come."

Silver nods. Trust Gold to remember his responsibilities at the last minute. There's a brief period of silence between them, nothing out of the ordinary. Silver hesitates, but as the lights in the room dim, he opens his mouth. "She wanted you to be here, you know."

"What for?" Green eyes him, and Silver wonders how such a calculative and perceptive man can be so blind to the simplest of things. Blue totally doesn't deserve him.

"She wanted to impress you," Platinum contributes helpfully from her seat next to him.

Green raises an eyebrow.

"Pesky woman. She doesn't need to waste effort on this," he sighs.

"You don't appreciate Blue at all," Silver grumbles despite himself.

Green kneads the knot between his eyes. "That's not what I meant," he whispers.

Silver catches the reluctance in Green's voice just as music fills the room. He turns to the gym leader, only to find him avoiding his gaze. The lights darken until only the stage can be seen, and the crowd cheers as women begin stepping out from behind the curtains. One of them looks especially radiant. Her hair is twirled into a neat bun and her face glows with her lipstick-red smile. The skirt of her blueberry dress falls above her knees, the striking brooch pinned at her chest making her a stand out from the other contestants. When she reaches her marker on the stage, she cranes her neck, searching. Her eyes meet Silver's and she winks and mouths 'thank you'. Her gaze wanders to the person sitting next to him, and the hand she has in the air begins to fall.

Green shifts in his seat. It is a small motion, but Silver catches him nodding to Blue from the corner of his eye. At this, his sister summons up another smile for the audience, and she has never looked more beautiful or happy.

Silver unfolds his arms and straightens himself against the seat. Green's eyes follow Blue as she walks out of view, the expression on his face unreadable.

"Who knew the battle segment would be the toughest challenge?" Blue chuckles, nuzzling the swampert curled up next to her. "Good thing I had these four with me."

"It was the right decision for us to lend you our strongest pokemon," Platinum says as she pats Feraligator, examining his scales with intrigue.

"And of course, my grooming paid off too!" Ruby held Empoleon's wings out, checking his reflection in the shine of the steel.

Blastoise snuggles up behind Silver and the boy strokes his shell in response. "Congrats, Blue," he says, appreciating the sash she's wearing and the tiara resting on the dresser in the dressing room.

"I couldn't have done it without you all of you," she says with gratitude.

There is a knock on the door Silver's standing against. He opens it a crack, and finds Green in the corridor.

"Is she in?" Green asks, as stoic as usual.

Silver stares at the male, who stares back in response. This all feels nostalgic somehow. He moves to call Blue, but stops himself halfway. He turns back to face Green.

Silver inhales and exhales. He grabs Green's hand and presses a pair of earrings into it.

"Take care of her."

extra notes –
For this fic, I worked around the idea of the water-type dex holders representing a different state of water in the water cycle;

Blue: unrelenting rain, because she just overwhelms everything with her personality, but there is also a beautiful quality to rainfall.
Silver: dew, it forms when water vapour comes into contact with a cold surface, which sums up Silver's cold personality at first glance. But dew can also be water falling back onto the ground after rain, representing his intrinsic relationship with Blue.
Ruby: water vapour, because water evaporates from heat, and Ruby is the one who gets the most heated up out of the group. Water vapour also has the choice to condense in the sky or on the ground, symbolizing the polar opposites in Ruby's personality.
Platinum: clouds, because like a cloud who stores up on water, Platinum is full of knowledge. And the whimsical quality of a drifting cloud suits her as well.

the title – Various things, Blue feeling that she can't be a heroine etc, but mostly with regards to Silver learning to let go, Blue is no longer just his heroine, she is also Green's.
the earrings – my headcanon dictates that her favourite earrings are made out of the masks she and Silver wore as children; she did wear black earrings in the Yellow arc, not sure where they disappeared to after that though.