Original Idea by: Scraps
Collaboration work with: Shortsista
Characters Created by: Rebecca Sugar
Chapter 9: The Diamond, the Pearl, and the Rose Quartz
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The Crystal Temple exterior, 12 years ago
It was a warm day at the temple, the sun was shining, and there was a calm breeze in the air. The sound of the ocean waves on the beach was quite relaxing, especially for the Crystal Gems. Garnet was soaking up the sun's rays while Pearl read a book quietly next to her. All the while, a young half-gen toddler by the name of Steven played with the wet sand in an attempt to create a sand castle. As the hours went by, Garnet looked up from her slumber to check up on Steven, Pearl automatically closed her book, making sure that her fellow Gem did not see what was within.
"Pearl," Garnet asked with a yawn, "Have you seen Amethyst?"
" Oh you know Amethyst" the long nosed gems sighed in irritation at the mere mention of the nuisance she called a "Gem Sister" "She probably is doing something that is either, idiotic, annoying, or both. But as long as we keep away from here, nothing can go wrong."
Just then, as the two Gems and looked to the ocean beside them, there expression turned from curiosity into gaped horror at the large roaring title wave heading straight towards them. Both of the Gems could see a short purple impish figure riding a surfboard that appeared to have been formed from her feet. This was Amethyst, the most unstable and impulsive of the Gems, who was now approaching the gems with a tsunami in tow.
"INCOMING!" Screamed the thick-lipped Gem as her wave towered over the beach, "Here comes the Super Delux Amethyst…uh…splash…err..Thing!"
Steven cooed and giggled at the looming water wall that was closing in on him. Within an instant, Garnet stood before the wave and summoned her Gauntlets. Within moments, she then pulled her hand back and struck the wave with a open palm, causing the titanic wall of water to collapse and sink into the ocean, dragging Amethyst with it. As Garnet tended to a guffawing Steven, Pearl stormed over to the water and dragged a large purple fish out to the beach, which transformed into a laughing purple Gem.
"Oh my God, you should have seen your faces! Especially yours Pearl!" Amethyst gasped between laughs, "Man, I should have brought a camera."
"Amethyst, that was just completely reckless! You could have hurt Steven!" Pearl said to Amethyst in a stern matter, "Just what were you thinking? Now that Rose is gone we need to protect Steven and raise him. Do you know anything about caring for a child?"
"Chill out Pearl, You know that just because we are known as sister does not bean we come from the same planet." Amethyst Said as she rested her back on the warm sand, "Back at Kindergarten, we would do shit like that all of the time to a newbe, and if they got hurt, they would walk it off. I mean, that is what they did to me did and look, I turned out fine."
Pearl clenched her hands as she let out an irritated sigh, Amethyst always knew how to get under Pearl's skin, but what she just said just stuck to her, what she just said reminded her of something when always kept to herself.
Pearl then turned to Garnet, who was just placing Steven into his stroller. Garnet then looked up to Pearl, who gestured to Amethyst as if to tell her that Pearl was right. Garnet just shrugged, a usual response to something she was indifferent to.
"Amethyst was doing nothing wrong Pearl, Steven was alright and that is what matters."
Pearl scoffed, "Well, do you think that an off world tradition is fair to Steven?"
"Pearl, you must remember that Steven is one of the first Natum Gems since the tribunal; we are all new to raising a child and we are trying to understand the process. That is the reason why Amethyst was doing what her father did." Garnet replied as she placed a hand on Pearl's shoulder, "On the Homeworld, Master Diamond taught me how to fight the day I joined his ranks, just as Rose did for Amethyst."
Just then, Pearl pushed away from Garnet and gave a look of distress. Amethyst noticed this and let out a large grin of cheekiness. As Pearl began to collect her composure, Amethyst slithered behind her and gave a smile in a style similar to a yellow sea sponge.
"What about you Pearl, what did your daddy do to you?"
Pearl quickly turned around and gave a look of disgust, "Nothing, he did nothing!" she replied as she pushed the purple Gem away from her. As she did, Amethyst began to skip in a circle around Pearl, singing a small tune to tease her long-nosed friend.
"Ohhhh! Pearl doesn't like her daddy! Pearl doesn't like her daddy! Pearl doesn't like her daddy!"
"Amethyst, stop this right now! My relationship with family is none your business!" Pearl shouted, but her orders were feeble and in vain as the Gem continued her teasing.
"Come on Pearl, so what if you and your dad don't get along? Don't be so much of a prude and let it out!" Amethyst shouted before she continued her teasing.
"Amethyst please, stop this instant and leave me alone!" Garnet could see that Pearl was getting visibly upset, but she knew that it would be best if she and Amethyst figured it out on their own.
"Why? Are you afraid your dads going to find out that you are not a perfect Gem as you say you are?"
"My relationships with my family are none of your concern."
"Oh please! If you've got a daddy issue, let me get you a daddy tissue!"
Pearl clenched her hands as her face turned a bright blue, "You don't know anything about my father..."
"Let me guess: Was he a snobby neglecting type or the strict "Dick"-tator type?" Amethyst turned into an image of Pearl but with a moustache and a monocle, "Pearl, you are grounded for no reason. Go to your room and finish your homework. There will be no space-tea and space-crumpets for you young woman! And no lip unless you want the belt"
Amethyst turned back and fell to the ground in laughter. Only to be stopped by the sensation of a spear smacking her across the face. As the Gem rose up and began to heal the cut on her cheek, she looked up at Pearl, who was looming over her with a look of anger on her face and a spear trembling in her hand. Amethyst then noticed the tears welling up in her eyes and pouring down her face. Garnet, who was watching the whole scene in surprise, noticed that these tears were not black, but clear.
"Hey, chill out Pearl," Amethyst said as she stood up with her arms up in a defensive position, "So what if your dad was a jerk to you, I was just kid-"
"HE DIDN'T JUST ABUSE ME AMETHYST! HE DID THINGS TO ME!"
Both Garnet and Amethyst where speechless, not once did they suspect something like this would come from Pearl. The two Gems did not know what to say or what to think. Pearl then dissipated her spear and knelt onto the sand beneath her.
"He…he did things to me…it makes me sick!" Pearl sobbed to Amethyst as she clenched the sand between her hands. "Are you happy now Amethyst! Well, ARE YOU?
As she rose up to, she felt a hand touch her shoulder as she looked up to see Amethyst before her, as the purple Gem gave her friend a large hug, Pearl then felt another Gem join in to support her Gem sister. As Pearl looked at both of her Gem sisters, a mixed feeling of comfort and guilt washed over her as she sunk her face into Amethyst's
shoulder, bawling as hard as possible, knowing that what she had to do would cost her relationship with these gems who care so much about her.
As the two Gems comforted their comrade on the calm beach, Steven lay within his crib, asleep and quite, not knowing that at that moment, a large figure was looming over his soft body, looking down at the very creature that had put a wrench in his plans.
"So this is my Sister's child, the one who carries all of her powers thanks to Vestibulum's incompetence?"
Steven awoke and cooed at the tall Gem before him, only to be given a look of disgust and irritation in response,
"You are nothing more than an abomination and a thief that should not even be alive."
Diamond reached down and placed his hand in front of Steven's face. The infant Gem grabbed the Gem Master's fingers and smiled at the Gem Master before him.
"However, you still need time to grow before your Vitae become perfect for extraction; nevertheless I am certain that Vestibulum will make sure that you will be ready in no time."
The Master then looked up to the three Gems and gave an expression of amusement as he saw Pearl embracing her Gem sisters in the sandy beach. The sight of Pearl behavior caused him to feel a sudden rush of anger, which he quickly controlled as he turned his attention back to the infant besides him.
"Do you know what I find most amusing but at the same time tragic about loyalty?"
The Master said to Steven as he sat down beside Steven,
"I find that if the servant is broken just right, they will do whatever you say regardless of their own opinion or moral believe, like a machine without a will. However, to make such a servant requires the right subject at the right opportunity and even after that, proper requirements and actions must be met in order for the servant be broken into absolute loyalty…"
"…and what better choice of an obedient servant then one conceived from your own blood?"
The Master then stood up and began to walk back to the temple, but not before turning back to his oblivious nephew.
"Of course, if my daughter proves to be as obedient as I expect her to be. But do not worry; you shall find out soon enough, won't you child?"
and with that, the Master was gone, leaving behind a child who had no idea what was in store for him and what fate he would soon experience.
"Pearl!" Amethyst shouted as she and Garnet returned to the temple, "Come on! Grab Steven and get that curved butt in gear." Garnet sighed in response, seemingly flustered by the thought.
As Pearl walked to the temple with Steven in hand, she looked up at the temple and saw a large being on one of the cliffs. She watched as he slowly shook his head in disappointment as he entered the wall behind him. Pearl cringed at the sight, knowing that her master expected better from her, and that she would have to make the sacrifice to ensure the plan's success. As of now however, she looked down at cooing Steven and hugged him tightly. As tears of obsidian rolled down her cheeks, she whispered to the infant as he clung to her chest.
"I do not know if you can hear me though him Rose, but I hope that you now understand what I have to do and I hope that you can forgive me for what I must do."
As she tucked the child into his crib, she placed her necklace onto a wall and hesitated before she summoned a portal before her. As she felt cold stale air blow before her, she took a deep breath as she stepped inside.
