Chapter 4- You Don't Love Me
Paz had to think quickly. How could she escape and rescue Greg? She racked her brain for a solution. But nothing reasonable was coming up.
Then it hit her.
A Jasper guard passed by and Paz yelled for her to come over. The Jasper did.
"What's wrong? The cage too small or something?" The Jasper asked but she didn't really seem to care.
Paz had to act fast. Her gem began to glow a soft pink and she stared into the yellow orbs of the Jasper. The Jasper stopped talking and blinked multiple times. "Or...Uh..." Her cheeks went a shade of orange darker than her body.
Paz, feeling more guilty then she let on, cleared her throat. "Can you help me out? I really need to save my friend."
"The human right? Jasper 3-67-9 said you two were yelling at each other when she brought him in." The Jasper asked as she went to the keypad that would unlock her cell.
Paz nodded her head. "Yes! Him! He needs to be returned home and I have to do it." She left out the part that she was also going to stay their too. The green wall dissipated after the Jasper had pressed several buttons and Paz ran out of the cell faster than she had meant to. "Thank you!" She yelled to the Jasper and began to run down the corridor to find the door that would open to the human zoo.
"I'm coming too!" The Jasper called out and followed Paz in pursuit.
Before Paz could say no the two had already reached a locked door. In a fast motion the Jasper unlocked the door and the pink walls and floor of the human zoo opened up to them. Paz already knew her way around the facility, Pink Diamond had taken her here many times before.
"This way!" She ordered turning left. The Jasper copied.
Paz felt the guilt rise up in the pit of her stomach. This Jasper was merely her loyal subject. A fool who would do anything Paz asked of. All because the Jasper thought she loved Paz. Of course the truth of that was the Jasper did love her but not on her own. No. Paz had manipulated that factor.
"You were the Topaz Pink Diamond made right?" The Jasper asked as they ran through the halls, avoiding any other gem.
Paz turned right. "Yes. I was." She answered blandly. Another Left.
"Oh and of course we don't get.." An Agate gem boomed down the hallway as she walked in front of a group other gems.
Sapphire, Ruby, and Pearl all followed the Holy Blue Agate. Paz hide behind the corner and pushed the Jasper next to her quickly. If she was caught now she would be screwed. Quickly Paz tried to come up with a plan. Her options were low, her skills were also low. Not to mention that Sapphire and Ruby were separated so that meant that they were undercover. If she let on that she knew the three of them then she could ruin it for them to.
Paz began to panic. She couldn't come up with anything. She had no plan forming and soon she began to not think strait at all as the panic rose up inside her as the group of gems walked closer, the Agate's voice becoming more and more clear. It was useless, Paz had thought she was able to handle this but she couldn't. Her inner self screamed at her. Tearing out every rational thought like a black hole. Sending it to a void of nothing.
You weren't made for this!
Pink you can't do this! You have no idea what you're doing! Give up! Go back to Homeworld and let everything happen without you! Whats the point in saving Greg? The others are on it. Why would they need a gem like you?
Paz slide down the wall and hugged her knees. She could here the voices coming closer.
Suddenly the Jasper's hand fell onto her shoulders. "Here. Let me help." She smiled sweetly. For the first time Paz noticed that the Jasper had a red stripe that started from the base of her neck and reached up to a point right under the right side of her lips. It reminded Paz that all gems, even Jaspers, were unique.
"O-okay." Paz agreed and with some help stood back up. She decided to name the Jasper, she named her Jay.
Jay gave her a reassuring smile and turned the corner they had been hiding around. Paz, feeling very uncertain and scared, followed.
The Agate looked at the Jasper. "What are you doing out here!?" She yelled.
Without missing a beat Jay responded back in a confident manner. "Blue Diamond asked me to escort her guest around the facility."
"Guest?" Holy Blue raised an eyebrow in suspicion.
Paz took this as her Que to make the lie seem real. She stepped out from behind Jay and put on her best neutral face. Pearl instantly recognized her along with Sapphire and Ruby but said nothing. Only watched.
"Yes. Guest. I am Pink Topaz." Paz cringed at saying that. "Jay...sper was just taking me to the room where all the..." Paz froze for a beat. "Rose Quarts are bubbled so I can repay my respects to my fallen diamond properly." She finished.
"Oh! Of course! Right then. Carry on Jasper." The Holy Blue Agate continued walking and went right back to what she had been talking about before they showed up.
Pearl, staying a few feet behind the group looked at Paz. "What are you doing here!?" She cried.
"Blue Diamond snatched me up and wants to take me back to homeworld but then Greg got captured and I was going to save him and return back." Paz hastily explained. "Look I have an idea. But you have to get Greg now...wait! If your here then where's Steven?" Paz finally took notice.
Pearl shook her head. "He's here but to save Greg. We'll keep doing what we are and you do what you have to." The gem smiled at Paz. "Be careful too." Then she ran to catch up with Ruby and Sapphire to give them the update.
"Right." Paz inhaled and looked at Jay. "Okay so change of plans. We gotta head to the Rose Quartz room. I'm sure Blue Diamond is there and once I'm inside I'll need you to lock the door behind me. Then get back to the ship and act like you were there the whole time."
Jay nodded. "Okay."
It didn't take them long to find the room and like Paz had predicted, Blue Diamond was in there. But so was Yellow Diamond.
The door was already locked behind Paz after she noticed this fact. The two diamonds seemed to have been discussing something but stopped and looked at her.
"Pink Topaz?" Blue questioned. "How did you get-"
Paz cut her off. "I wont go to homeworld." She started.
"Blue...is this her Topaz?" Yellow Diamond asked as her eyes narrowed in suspicion.
Blue nodded her head then spoke. "What do you mean you wont?" Her Pearl looked between Paz and her Diamond.
Paz took an unnecessary breath. She was Paz. She didn't belong to anyone and she got to chose her own life. And she was going to let the diamonds know that. "I mean that I wont be going to homeworld. Not now. Not Ever. Pink Diamond gave me Earth has my home, it is where I was created and it's the place I love. She may be shattered but what she gave me is still mine. I am allowed to make my own choices because that is how I was made. There are things on Earth that homeworld will never have. If you feel even the smallest love for Pink Diamond, which I know you do. Why else would you be mourning her still? You'll let me go without a fight."
Blue Diamond pondered over her words. "Alright. Return to Earth and cherish the few moments you have left I suppose."
And that was that. Suddenly the Holy Blue Agate entered the room with Ruby and Sapphire and Pearl and Amethyst who had joined them. Paz, out of the corner of her eye saw Greg and Steven sneak out of the door and followed suit. A few seconds later the rest of them as well. Greg and Steven hide behind Amethyst as Holy Blue talked about the diamonds as if they were gods. Paz began to follow them.
However Paz saw Jay waiting. "What are you doing? I thought the plan was you go back to the ship." She asked and stopped following to talk to Jay.
Jay coughed. "I didn't want to leave you. I don't want to. Ever...Kinda weird I know but.."
Paz felt the guilt hit her again. "No. That's not how you feel. Please go back to the ship and forget you ever met me." She began to run to get to the others and leave the human zoo as fast as possible.
She had run until seeing the ship the other gems had come here on. Holy Blue was fangeming without realizing that Steven and Greg were sneaking past her. And when she did, Garnet, Amethyst, and Pearl took care of her pretty fast. Paz began to board the ship.
"Wait! Pink Topaz! Take me with you!" Jay yelled out as she caught up with them.
"Paz?" Steven whispered in confusion.
Fed up and angry at herself that she made Jay like that, Paz walked up to her. "I didn't want to do this earlier encase you ran back to the diamonds and I didn't want to do it in front of Steven and the Crystal Gems but looks like I have no choice." She ranted and grabbed Jay's uniform by the collar and smashed their lips together.
When Paz pulled away she had a hard glare set in her crystal blue eyes."You don't love me."She stated and boarded the ship once more to finally to return to Earth, leaving a confused and disoriented Jay behind.
