Chapter Ten- Fallacy of the fallen

Pearl tred through the house. She couldn't sit still. The others had to know soon. She had to explain what she had done. If not, they'd think she was a traitor. Well, they wouldn't do anything, but they'd surely be upset. She needed to explain. She just didn't know how.

She still didn't know why she had done it.

Perhaps this was how Steven had felt. To take pity on the prisoner. Show empathy through her pain. Peridot's torture had been just as much torture on her. She couldn't stand to watch the gem limbless, suffering. It brought back too much of the war.

Pearl needed to tell Garnet. Make her understand. Perhaps, Peridot could change. Steven had tamed monsters before. He could do it again. Peridot would be smart enough to adapt to human culture, right? Or perhaps she was too smart. She was in a very able position to take advantage of the child's kind nature.

Ugh. She rested her back against a wall. She just didn't know enough.

Still. She'd seen Peridot cry. That was new. The space gem had suffered silently through her torture, barely giving any signs of being hurt. Is that how she'd been trained? Is that how Homeworld made soliders, now? By making sure their torture there would pale in comparison to the outside galaxy? The thought made her violently uncomfortable. But she had cried when she was treated with kindness. Homeworld had not managed to scrap out that part of her. She still had feelings.

Peridot would, indeed, be a useful ally with her knowledge. She could tell them Homeworld secrets and weaknesses after she'd become accustomed. Yes. But would she? Would her loyalty let the Crystal Gems fall to their doom?

She scrunched her eyes shut. They were doomed anyway. The fiasco at The Left Hand had merely been a scouting mission. Nothing more than a pebble of a mountain compared to Homeworld forces. They weren't an army. There was no way they would be able to stand up to anything like what was inevitably going to be on offer. Hell, they had difficulty just fighting corrupted gems on their own.

They needed inside knowledge more than anything.

She knew the others were in the house. She could hear their voices in the kitchen. She made her way slowly, brain churning on the thought of approaching the topic. She needed to be careful. Garnet was speaking, her voice still as usual.

"We need to find a way to get her to retreat into her gem. She's a danger if she is not bubbled soon."

Had Pearl actually had a viable human heart, it would have been at risk of myocardial infarction. Garnet's word was absolute. If she wanted Peridot bubbled, that was usually that. Her dread grew as Amethyst replied. "Yeah! She needs to be taken out and brought down! I dunno how she's managed to stay out of it for so long."

"It appears we need to intensify. I don't like it, but… She needs to pay for her crimes. That Cluster ordeal was too much."

"I don't get it. She's all weak anyway." Amethyst said casually. Pearl could hear by the munches inbetween words that she was eating again. At least that was some sign of normality. The purple gem had completely stopped upon them finding Peridot's fingers and limbs scattered through Beach City. "She should be ready to get in."

She couldn't take this any longer. Pearl strode into the kitchen. She was met with a gaze from Garnet, who fixed her glasses and nodded. "We're trying to figure out a way in which to make Peridot get back into her gem."

"I know. I heard." The pale gem replied, colder than intended.

"Geeze, what's got you so grumpy? We finally caught her!" Amethyst folded her arms as she tucked the rest of her sub into her mouth. "You were the one all scared by her running about and getting to shenanigans. You oughtta be happy."

"I… I don't think we're handling this right." The other two both raised brows simultaneously. Pearl sighed. "Is holding her this captive really the right thing to do?"

"In case you forgot, it's exactly what she did to us!" Amethyst said, stepping forward. "Don't tell me you wanna let her go!"

"I'm not suggesting that. All I'm saying is that by our treatment carrying on like this, we're not acting any better than them. This is not what Rose would have wanted."

"And how do you know what she wanted?" Amethyst snapped, getting much too close for comfort. Her teeth bared. "Don't start acting like you're her spiritual medium or some shit again! I hate it when you act that way!"

"You two." They both stepped back as Garnet called. "Stop it. We're in a delicate situation and infighting won't help. Pearl. Please, explain what you want us to do."

"Look, I'm not saying we should let her go freely, but there is a chance we could very well use her. She'll never become one of us, that's true. And she might not even help, but what other options do we have? She is stuck on this planet and you both know there will be more sent. We need all the information and help we can get before that happens. And clearly, interrogation isn't going to get her to spill."

"You want us to give her a chance." The tallest of the three spoke, lowly.

"Y-Yes. That's-"

"That's ridicilous! She could attack us! She already did! Why the hell would we want her help? We should just beat her up and bubble her now!" Amethyst ran a hand through her alabaster locks agressively.

"The future of Peridot needs to be a group decision. We are a team." Garnet spoke as Pearl opened her mouth to retort. "Both of you are bringing up valid concerns. But one thing is certain. There is a storm coming, and all of us need to be prepared for whatever happens. We have a priority. We need to protect. Both ourselves, the earth, and Steven. Our decision needs to be one that can fulfil all three to their best possible outcome."

However, as concerned glances were exchanged, the Crystal Gems knew one thing. The best possible outcome, however possible, still looked bleak. They were facing another war.