~O~
Chapter Thirty-Seven: Island of Bells
The gems were standing in a field where towers of bells had been placed. They were on an island surrounded by water as far as the eye could see. Spinel had decided to laugh and reach out with two hands to gesture around her.
"The Island of Bells!" she cried.
"I wonder why they call it that." Pearl quipped, surreptitiously.
Pearl, Steven Amethyst, Jasper and Garnet were with them. Lion was tagging behind and sniffed around, ignoring the chatter by the others.
"Have you asked her yet?" Garnet asked, looking down at Amethyst while the others began to talk.
Amethyst blushed a little. "No. I mean, do you just walk up to a gem and just ask 'Hey, wanna fuse'?"
Garnet stared down at her silently and Amethyst huffed, folding her arms across her chest. "You know what I mean."
"Amethyst, you've fused many times." Garnet pointed out.
"Yeah, but it's different when you..." Amethyst's blush deepened and she hid her face in her hair. "When you like somebody a lot."
"Just walk up and ask. You have little to lose." Garnet assured her.
Amethyst huffed, thinking about the suggestion. Then, she nodded and murmured, determined. While they were talking, Steven and Spinel were taking a moment to look at the various sizes of bells around them.
"So, you've been here before, Spinel?" Steven asked.
Spinel smiled, nodding. "Yeah. I had to deliver a few messages back and forth for the Spirit Quartz's. They're not a social bunch, I'll tell you that much."
"Why's that?"
Spinel shrugged. "They're into that whole 'peaceful silence' kind of thing. I dunno."
Jasper sighed, staring skyward. "What makes you think we'll even find what we're looking for?"
"It's a long shot," Garnet agreed, "But we've met gems who've survived the battle before. Maybe there's a slim chance we'll find one. Or the location of one."
Spinel stepped up to an enormous brass bell and stepped beneath it. "Whoa! Hey, guys! Hey, look at the size of this bell!"
"Spinel, please be careful," Pearl said.
"Pearl, I'm older than these bells. I'll be as careful as a puppy in - " Spinel patted the bell, but her light gesture caused it to snap from its post and fall to the ground with a loud crash.
She winced, shut her eyes before opening one and smiling sheepishly. "Oops."
"Spinel, honestly!" Pearl protested, "That's a gem relic!"
"It's a BELL, Pearl." Spinel argued back. "You can always have bells. In my defense, that was probably going to fall, even without me."
Pearl groaned and rolled her eyes.
Amethyst wandered over to another bell, following Spinel as she studied it. "Hey, Spinel?" she said.
"Yeah?" Spinel stuck her head in one of the bells, giving a soft 'ooh' at the sight.
"Hey, I was wondering if you've ever...uh...thought about fusing with me." Amethyst seemed shy about the question.
Spinel abruptly knocked her head into the bell, drawing a wince from Amethyst. She reached up with two hands and held her head, grimacing in pain as she looked at her.
"Uh, sorry." Spinel said, laughing weakly. "I just thought for a minute there, you asked me to fuse with you."
Amethyst looked a little confused. "Yeah. I... I did."
Spinel started laughing again, as if the idea was utterly silly. When she noticed Amethyst looked dead serious, her smile disappeared and now she looked a little uncomfortable.
"Oh, you're not kidding." she said.
"Why would I joke about that?"
"Well, no, no, I didn't - " Spinel sought to explain. "It's just..." She was silent for a moment and looked confused now. "You really want to fuse with me? A lowly Spinel?"
"I don't think you're lowly or stupid!" Amethyst snapped at her. "That's..." She blushed a little. "That's kinda why I wanted to fuse. I wanted to show you... You know..."
Spinel thought about that. She knelt down so she could properly embrace Amethyst at her level. "Maybe we will, if you want." Spinel told her, cheeks blushing bright pink. "But...not now. I'm not..." An awkward giggle. "I'm not ready yet."
"Alright. That's fine with me." Amethyst said, smiling.
Spinel actually looked quite relieved and Amethyst gave her a kiss on the cheek. The gem flushed again and giggled, embarrassed.
"Hey, guys!" Steven called, cupping his mouth.
The two looked over and noticed the others starting to approach a tall white-blue tower made up of bells.
"Are you coming?" Steven yelled.
"Yeah! Hold up!" Amethyst yelled back.
They quickly rushed to follow the others inside the tower.
O
The tower was quite a sight.
It was filled with ancient statues of gems, walls painted with images of gem history, and various bells littered the tall ceiling over their heads. Even old tarps and rugs still lingered in what was surely once occupied with Era One gem life.
"Wow, this place is OLD." Amethyst remarked.
"Well, what we're looking as is an Era-One Bell Tower." Pearl explained, wandering around the great hall. "I've heard of them in rumor, but I was never able to stand in one myself. The architecture predates most of us."
"Not me." Spinel said, smiling up at one of the tapestries. "I remember sending a message to the gems who made this place. It was REALLY cool."
Pearl raised an eyebrow. "Appropriate choice of words, Spinel."
"Thanks!"
Pearl groaned, rolling her eyes.
Amethyst looked up at Spinel curiously. "Whoa, so what was it like seeing all of those places being built?" she asked. She grinned, punching her palm. "Did you get to see stuff knocked down?"
Spinel beamed, delighted by the attention. "Yep! All of that and more." she told her. Then, she raised an eyebrow and tapped her chin. "I delivered a message to a Flint who worked here before Bismuth's started being used."
Hearing the mention of Bismuth made Steven's heart sink a little. Sometimes, he still wondered how the life with the gems would be if she had been here. He wandered over to Jasper, who seemed interested in a table covered with various statuettes.
Jasper furrowed her brow.
"What is it, Jasper?" Steven asked.
Pearl noticed it too, what Jasper was looking at; the larger gem ran a finger over a shelf and looked down at it. The shelf had been cleaned recently and Pearl herself took notice. She looked at Garnet and the gem nodded her head.
"Someone's cleaned here," she told the others. "Be ready."
Spinel laughed, leaning on a shelf. "What are we ready for? The cleaning gem?"
The sounds of footsteps caused every head to turn toward a door. A few moment passed and it opened, revealing a large, purple gem in robes. She had short violet hair that covered her eyes and a pointed gem on her shoulder. She had large, puffy cheeks and was walking barefoot across the stone.
"Wha..." she gasped. "Who are..."
Then, she lifted her bangs and looked toward Jasper, Pearl and Spinel. Her eyes were purple.
A grin lit her face and she laughed with joy. "Oh, my Stars!" she cried. "I cannot believe I'm seeing this with my own eyes!"
The gems looked at one another, confused by her excitement. Then, the large gem quickly walked over, grabbed Pearl, Jasper and Spinel into her arms in an embrace. Spinel laughed, delighted by the hug while the other two looked at Garnet in disbelief.
"Garnet, what's going on?" Pearl demanded, "Are we being attacked? What is this? Who is this gem? Explain why this is happening to us!"
Spinel continued to laugh before looking at her and answering for Garnet. "This is a Spirit Quartz, Pearl! The one we were thought we wouldn't find!" she said. "And they like to hug! A lot!"
"So I can see..." Garnet quipped, chuckling.
"I..." A grunt from Pearl and she grimaced a little from the tight embrace from the larger gem. "I didn't think one still lived here!"
Spirit Quartz set them down, smiling brightly. "Well, I never thought I'd see another gem come through here! I'm happy to meet gems still alive from the court of Pink Diamond!"
"How do you know who we are?" Jasper asked.
Spirit chuckled at her. "Do you know what I am? I can feel the energy of the gems in this room." Her eyes landed on Steven. "But you? You're different."
Steven smiled, embarrassed. "I get that a lot."
Spirit approached him, kneeling down. "Ah yes, you are VERY different." she said, scrutinizing the boy, "I see. You possess the energy of a powerful gem, yet...not."
"I am half human." Steven offered.
"Ah, yes, I see..." Spirit tilted her head curiously. "What an oddity you are. Hm. Well, if you'd be comfortable with it, I'd be delighted to talk with you about your existence. Maybe we can discuss some things about - "
"Spirit, how are you still here?" Pearl was curious and interrupted her before she could finish. "After the damage by the Diamond's, we assumed most of gem life had been corrupted."
"Yes, I remember that." Spirit stood up with a sigh, "What had become of the war and the fight for Earth. Honestly, I didn't expect to survive the damage. But this island itself protected me. You saw the bells outside, correct?"
A few nods and murmurs in response.
Spirit looked at Spinel and made a face. "One of them that YOU so kindly broke. I heard the sound from quite a distance."
Spinel huffed, putting her hand on her hips. "Well, how'd you know it was me?"
"I didn't. You just told me."
Spinel gasped, clasping a hand over her mouth. Amethyst giggled a little in response.
"The bells do more than just supply me with music and pleasurable sounds," Spirit continued, regarding all of them. "They protected me from the Diamond Song. After the battle, I simply...went to sleep to collect my thoughts."
"Sleep?" Steven asked.
"Indeed. Well, perhaps what a human might consider to be sleep. It was a period of silent reflection on my part."
Garnet looked at her now. "Spirit Quartz; as Pearl said, we didn't expect to find you here." she told her, "But since you are here and well, we needed you for a very specific request."
Spirit tilted her head, but nodded. "Yes, of course. I suppose discussions can come later. Time to resume my duties. What is this request?"
"We may believe that Spinel holds some connections to Pink Diamond. We were hoping you could Read her and find out for yourself."
Spirit looked at Spinel and smiled. "Alright. Come with me, little messenger."
Spinel looked at Amethyst for reassurance and she took her hand. They followed Spirit into another chamber filled with bells and mirrors. On the center was a rug made up of fine material surrounded by candles. Spirit took a seat and crossed her legs.
The others stood on the sidelines, watching her curiously.
"Tell me, what would I be looking for?" Spirit asked them.
"Spinel has an important message she was supposed to give White Diamond from Pink." Pearl explained, "But she's unable to remember what it was."
"I see." Spirit looked up at Spinel. "Sit in front of me, please."
Spinel nodded and took a spot across from the larger gem. She looked down at how Spirit was sitting and winced, trying to cross her legs in the same fashion. Amethyst tried not to laugh and hid it behind her hand. Spirit watched as she got comfortable enough before reaching out with two hands.
"Give me your gem, dear." she told her.
Spinel reached out with her hand and Spirit placed her hand over Spinel's gem. She closed her eyes and the gem on her shoulder began to glow.
"Alright, I want you to relax, Spinel." Spirit said, gently.
Spinel blinked and shut her eyes now.
"Your gem was damaged," Spirit continued, brow knotting. "But the memory is still there. All of your gem type can imitate the message perfectly. Can you find it?"
Spinel grimaced. "I...I don't know."
Amethyst walked up to her and sat down at her side. "Hey, you can do it." she assured her, taking her other hand. She smiled up at Spinel. "I believe in you, dude."
Spinel looked at her, uncertain for a few moments. Then, she smiled and nodded once, closing her eyes. She took a deep breath, was silent for the longest time before her eyes opened. They were white, much like Pearl's when they presented data to their gems.
"Spinel 5-3F2 Cut-6FP," she spoke, in an imitation of Pink Diamond's voice, "I have a message for you to deliver to White Diamond. Please report to my chambers immediately."
The others reacted with several shocked gasps. Jasper withered at the sound of her Diamond's voice and her eyes brimmed with sorrow. Amethyst was amazed. She waved a hand in front of Spinel's face, noticing no reaction or change in expression.
She continued. "White, this - No, no, I can't start it that way... Oh. I know... White, you've been my teacher since I first jumped out of the ground. You've shown me how the universe is, how I have to be; but I've seen that there's so much more to it. Blue and Yellow won't understand, they never will. Maybe you have once, but now, I'm not so sure.
I'm going to make a decision; the first decision I've ever made on my own. I'm choosing to live. I've seen a world filled with life, with choices and possibilites; the possibility that we can change is there, but I don't know if the rest of you are ready for that change. But I am. And I will take it.
This will be the last time you hear from me. I will fade away. You will probably blame the humans, the gems. I know you'll blame everyone. But please, forgive them. Find it in your heart to see what they really are - more than slaves. More than toys for us to break. I hope the day comes where we can be together again and when it does, I will be there. But please, do them no harm. They're already suffering."
O
Spinel blinked, her eyes returning to normal. She looked at the others, who were stunned by the message. Lion's ears simply flicked in response and he rumbled.
Jasper's eyes were wide and she looked as still as a statue. She didn't breathe, she didn't speak. In fact, Pearl had begun to worry that Jasper was somehow frozen by this news. She raised one hand and rested it on her shoulder, somehow snapping Jasper from her trance.
"She wasn't shattered." Jasper gasped. "She left. She chose...Earth."
"What? Are you sure?" Garnet asked, speaking now.
Spirit nodded her head. "Any message given to a Spinel can be archived within her gem." she explained. "Though they do fade in time in place of new ones. We were lucky that her last message happened to be one from Pink Diamond herself."
Jasper looked haunted now. "But that would mean that..." she began, struggling to find the right words. "That would mean that she turned her back on the Diamond Authority and chose to-to - "
Steven walked up to her now and Pearl had been oddly silent about the revelation. She looked away, grimacing sadly.
"Jasper, we don't know what this means just yet," Steven assured the larger gem. "But what we DO know is she wasn't shattered! Maybe? That's good news...right?"
Jasper didn't seem sure. She rubbed her head with one hand, trying to make sense of this. "That means she CHOSE EARTH!" Jasper shouted now, unable to comprehend the news, "She chose Earth over Homeworld!"
"Jasper, please," Pearl reached for her now, "We should probably sit down and - "
Jasper was already walking to the doors of the tower. She walked right outside and slammed them behind her. The others watched her go, disappointed. Pearl sighed, lowering her head and Spirit put a hand on her shoulder. Pearl looked surprised by the gesture.
"Let me speak to her," Spirit offered, "This is my area of expertise, after all."
Pearl and the others didn't argue. Spirit made her way outside, looking for Jasper. She searched for the quartz until spotting her sitting in an enormous, broken bell. It was lying on its side, which gave Jasper plenty of room to sit inside of it.
"Jasper?" Spirit queried gently. "May I sit beside you?"
Jasper didn't look at her or respond, so Spirit took a seat anyway. The larger gem snarled with frustration, clutching her head with one hand.
"She CHOSE EARTH!" she shouted.
"I do not know exactly what happened," Spirit argued gently, "The will of the Diamonds is never easily understood. When I heard the news of Pink Diamond's shattering, I didn't want to believe it. Not at first. I had accepted it in time. But this message that Spinel possesses. It proves that she may still be alive."
Jasper nodded her head. Yes, she had to think about that. If Pink Diamond was truly still alive, then her fighting wouldn't have been for nothing. She could truly understand what it had all been for.
"May I have your hand for a moment?" Spirit suddenly asked.
Jasper frowned, but considered it and reached out with one hand after a few moments. Spirit took her hand, studied the splotchy marks that still lingered. Her other hand reached out to touch Jasper's gem and she closed her eyes for a moment.
Jasper shut her eyes and said nothing as Spirit had become overwhelmed by her emotions. The older gem had begun to softly cry.
O
Jasper had returned to the tower with Spirit beside her. Pearl reached up and placed a gentle hand on Jasper's cheek. She looked up at her worriedly and Jasper smiled weakly in return. They would talk about it later, she assumed. It was probably best to do so in private.
"We need to return to the temple." Garnet told them. "And we need try to figure this out on our own. Spirit Quartz was helpful in finding out what we needed."
Spirit took a step forward, reaching out as they began to depart. "Wait, might I ask you for something before you go?"
"I suppose." Garnet replied.
"I understand that it would be presuming upon our meeting, but could I accompany all of you?" Spirit asked her. "After all, I would like to offer more of my services in the company of my fellow gems."
Steven seemed doubtful. After all, he'd been cautious lately. "You do?"
Spirit nodded her head. "I have never left this tower in such a long time; but it would do some good to see the world and how much it has changed." She read their suspicious looks and sighed, hanging her shoulders. "You do not trust me, I understand given the circumstances, but I only want to help. After knowing what I know, I can't sit by and do nothing."
Steven looked up at Garnet. "Garnet? What do you think?"
"I could ask you the same." Garnet said.
Steven sighed and the group made their way out of earshot while they talked about Spirit. Amethyst seemed okay with it and Spinel was also not opposed. Garnet looked down at Steven.
"Spirit Quartz would be useful to have on our side," she told him, "She can see into the past and relive them for us as needed. But what bothers me is that I can't see any future with her. Nothing about her crosses any possibilities in my Future Vision."
Spirit stuck her head between them. "That's because Spirit Quartz's are made to be precise opposites to a Sapphire or any particular Seer gem type." she explained to them. "We see the past, but that it something you cannot do. In other words, we contradict everything that you are."
"I don't like that." Garnet frowned.
"I can't imagine why. You contradict me and I don't dislike you."
Garnet pouted a little, annoyed by the somewhat coy response. Spirit looked down at Steven now and crouched a little to meet him at his level.
"What is your answer?" she asked.
Steven frowned thoughtfully.
O
Many faces stared at them.
Spirit Quartz marveled at Beach City with wide, delighted eyes. She waved at a few staring humans and chuckled, amused.
"My, there are so many natives!" she exclaimed. "I think they may have multiplied in greater numbers since Era-One!"
Steven grimaced and Garnet looked down at him. "Are you going to be alright here with her?" she asked him.
Steven sighed, looking over his shoulder. "Don't worry. I think I can handle it. We can all talk later."
Garnet nodded. She quickly jumped off to the beach and made her way back to the temple. Steven looked over and noticed Spirit occupying herself with a car. She studied it with fascination and ran her fingers over the metal.
"Joy was given to this," she remarked. "What wonders humans can create!"
Steven looked at her curiously. "You can feel things from cars?"
"No. Well, not just that," Spirit turned to face him, "As a Spirit Quartz, I am able to sense the past through objects themselves, as long as something of great emotional drive was present."
Seeing that Steven looked a little lost, she sought to explain better. She looked around and picked up a piece of paper from the sidewalk.
"For example, say you had this paper with you when you...say...experienced great emotional sorrow. I would be able to sense the emotions, pinpoint it precisely and witness exactly what occured there."
Steven looked impressed. "Whoa! I think I get it now!"
Spirit chuckled gently, nodding. "Well, perhaps you could help me better understand you?" she suggested. "After all, I've never seen a half-breed such as yourself. You must do..."
She trailed off and looked toward a human, who had been standing outside the Big Donut. She heard his wolfish whistles to passing women and furrowed her brow, a little taken by the behavior. As an older gem, such lewd attitude seemed inappropriate.
"What's going on over there?"
Steven followed her gaze. "Oh! Not sure."
"Perhaps I should speak with him. I am, after all, ignorant to human customs."
Steven didn't seem to object, so Spirit made her way to the human man. When he noticed her approach, he chuckled, raised an eyebrow and took a sip from a soda cup.
"I'm not looking for spiritual enlightenment, lady," he said.
"That's fine. You certainly don't seem the sort." Spirit quipped. "Tell me, human male. Why do you insist on shrieking such untoward things to females of your species?"
The man blushed a little and frowned indignantly. "What?"
"Is it perhaps a mating ritual?" Spirit asked, genuinely curious. "Does your high-shrieks and nasal-filled words work as a means to entice a female?"
The man looked completely flustered now. He sputtered a few words and glared down at Steven.
"Hey! Tell your weird grandmother to - " he began.
"I can assure you, I'm no one's - " Spirit started to argue, but Steven took her hand and gently started to pull her away.
O
After searching for hours, Pearl could see the shape of Jasper at the very top of the temple. She made her way up and found the gem sitting beside the washer and dryer, watching the ocean before her. She sighed and slowly approached.
"Jasper?" Pearl said. "I really hope you don't make a habit of running off like that. I don't know if I could handle another disappearance."
She laughed nervously at her joke, but noticed nothing but dead silence from the other gem. Pearl walked up and sat down beside her. She looked at Jasper and saw that her face was still streaked with tears. The heartbreak of it was enough to make Pearl's heart clench.
"I don't understand..." Jasper began, her words grating out of her. "Was it all a lie?"
Pearl exhaled gently, leaning her head on her shoulder. "Jasper, I don't have all the answers for you." she replied, carefully. "But Pink Diamond's choices are...strange. I don't think any of them are because of you or anyone else of her court."
Jasper looked at her, like a child who had been slapped for no reason. "If it's really true, then she's been alive all this time. What does it mean? Why would she pick this miserable rock over Homeworld?" She looked at Pearl. "What do you know about it?"
A look came over her now; Pearl's hands closed over her mouth and she uttered a quiet whimper. Jasper sighed, shutting her eyes before she looked out toward the ocean. She didn't notice how tormented Pearl looked, how she held her mouth as if stifling many words she tried to get out.
Jasper sighed, reaching up to hold her hands to her face.. She shut her eyes and fresh tears began to fall now. Pearl pulled her hands from her mouth. She stared at the larger gem sadly before leaning up and kissing her on her gem.
Jasper didn't want to return to the others just yet. Not with the storm raging in her head. She saw the static and er hands began to shake and Pearl noticed it when she felt the slight tremor's on her shoulders. The stress put on her mind caused this. And being with Pearl helped ease it.
If only until the static returned again.
O
Steven and Spirit Quartz sat down on the beach and Steven had spent a good hour explaining everything to her about his birth, what had happened and everything that was going on. Most of his discussions involved Rose and how he felt weighted by the sins of her past. Spirit had been listening silently, taking in it all.
"I see. So much has happened in my absence." she said, furrowing her brow.
"I just don't know who I'm supposed to be," Steven told her, with a sigh, "I still feel responsible for my mother and the gems she hurt. I still don't know why I'm here and I don't know if I'm good enough to do what everyone expects me to do."
Spirit frowned. "I think for a child, you put entirely too much expectation on yourself." she explained, "You are young and you should never carry the burdens of your mother. As long as you spend your days trying to do good, then that should be enough. Everything else will fall together eventually."
Steven smiled a little, relieved by her wisdom. "You're really smart, Spirit."
A chuckle from the larger gem. "It comes with the make, naturally." she teased. "But honestly, boy; you have more on your plate than you should. Don't forget that besides leading them, you are still a child. That in itself is so easy to forget for your kind, it seems."
Steven nodded his head. "Thanks, Spirit Quartz. I think I needed to hear that."
"Good. Now, may I meet the rest of your group? This Peridot sounds like quite a character."
"Sure!"
Steven and Spirit made their way to the barn. Spirit seemed particularly intrigued by the various decorations and "meepmorps" by Peridot. She smiled, delighted.
"Ah, this is the craft of a peridot, no doubt." she said. "I've always found their meticulous nature to be endearing, despite their lack of appreciation for spiritual enlightenment."
She stopped in front of the culmination of Peridot's tape recorder and ran her fingertips over it. A soft, sympathetic sound escaped her.
"Sorrow. Confusion." Spirit mused. "Ah, a flicker of curiosity."
"Hey!" Peridot was standing in the barn now, scowling. "Steven, who's this touching my stuff?" She advanced. "I don't want you - " Her eyes widened and she withered a little. "A Spirit Quartz!"
Spirit smiled when she saw her. "Ah, so you're the peridot I've heard about."
She walked up, gave Peridot a tight embrace as the gem struggled and cried out in angry protest. Once Spirit was done, she set her down and Peridot huffed with annoyance.
"Steven, can I have a word with you?" she snapped.
"Uh, okay."
Steven followed the gem outside, and Spirit simply occupied the time by observing her surroundings and occasionally commenting on what she saw. Steven looked at Peridot and frowned at her. She seemed...bothered by something.
"I don't think having a Spirit Quartz around is a good idea," Peridot told him.
"Why?"
"Because they don't just see the past, Steven. They can also understand emotions, even if someone is a master of lying. Do we really need something with that kind of power running around?"
Steven looked over his shoulder before staring at her worriedly. "Something else is bothering you. Not just Spirit."
Peridot continued to scowl until her features smoothed out. "Honestly, Steven; it's Lapis."
"What? What's wrong with Lapis?"
"Nothing! That...I know of. I mean, she seems...distant with me." Peridot looked a little hurt now, but she attempted to keep it hidden. "These passed few weeks, she's just felt...different. I don't know. Is it me?"
Steven looked worried. "Peridot, no! It can't be you! If it was, she wouldn't still be with you."
Peridot sighed. "I mean, I know I'm not the most easy gem to get along with..."
"Peridot, listen to me," Steven encouraged, "Have you stopped and talked to her?"
"Well... Well, no."
"Talk to her, Peridot. I mean, how do you know until you do?"
Peridot still seemed hesitant, but nodded. "Okay."
As if on cue, Lapis was flying overhead and landed in front of the barn. She smiled when she saw Steven.
"Hey, Steven!" she said. "What are you doing here?"
Steven gestured to Spirit, who was making her way out of the barn. "We've found the Spirit Quartz Spinel told us about. She's just meeting everyone."
Lapis looked at Spirit and held out a hand. "Hi."
Spirit didn't take the offered hand this time. She stared at Lapis in silence, an unusual change to her quick embrace with Peridot. Lapis frowned and lowered her hand.
"O-kay..." she muttered.
"Well, we should get back to the temple," Steven told them. "Jasper's really in a bad way, so we're hoping we can sort everything out."
Steven and Spirit departed. The larger gem seemed momentarily distracted by something and looked back once more at the other two.
The walk home was slow. Steven was asking many questions regarding the Diamonds as well as White Diamond's intentions. Spirit sighed quietly as he talked about how horrible she was and how many gems suffered because of her.
"Steven, it is so easy to judge someone by their actions without first understanding what brought them to that place," she explained. "I knew White Diamond... For a time."
Steven stopped and looked up at her in surprise. "You did?"
"I did. Steven, you must understand that the Diamonds could not be seen vulnerable. White Diamond was certainly put at the highest expectation of this." Spirit sighed sadly. "She wasn't just a cruel dictator as you see her, she was a victim all the same. I know that may be hard to believe, but it's true."
Steven looked surprised to hear that.
Spirit Quartz made her way down the halls when she heard the sound of something heavy striking against metal. Something being broken by heavy blows. Curious, she followed the noise, and found White Diamond standing before an enormous device, smashing it to bits with her scythe. Her features were ashen and her cheeks streaked with tears.
Spirit was stunned, but kept herself hidden when Blue quickly made her way inside the room.
"White! White, what are you doing?" she cried.
White buried her scythe in the device one final time before staggering back. Blue took her hand, feeling a tremble there.
"White, you're shaking..."
"I failed. I do not fail, yet I failed to save her..." White's voice shook out of her like a storm and she continued to repeat it, as if she was trapped in the thought. "I do not fail... Yet...I failed to...save her..."
Blue carefully put an arm around her. Tears fell from her eyes.
"This... I don't want it..." White whispered, "This...thing inside of me."
"That's pain. You are allowed to feel it."
"I WANT it out of me."
Steven looked thoughtful for a long time. His eyes slowly widened as he contemplated Spirit's story. "That's what she does, then."
"They call it many things," Spirit told him, "Sometimes it's referred to as 'Cutting' a gem. A tiny cut. A simple thin trim and that is all it takes to keep a gem from feeling. She takes what makes a gem an individual and calls it 'freeing them'."
Steven looked confused.
White Pearl drifted silently up to Spirit Quartz, her perpetual smile wide and bright. One eye was sealed shut with several cracks lining that side of her face.
But it was wrong.
She floated on the tips of her toes like a marionette on strings; no change in her expression and certainly no will of her own.
"I touched her only once and..." Spirit stopped, unable to answer.
Steven frowned. "And?" he pressed.
"There was nothing," Spirit continued, sorrowfully. "Blank, empty nothingness. Everything that made that pearl what she was... Gone."
Steven shook his head. "No, that's not true!" he said, jumping to his feet. "I healed Onyx! Whatever White Diamond did to her, I was able to reverse it somehow."
"Really?" Spirit looked stunned. She smiled, hopeful now. "Then perhaps there's hope for them..."
It made Steven wonder about that. It gave him hope as well that he could help the gems - corrupted or twisted by White's Diamond's influence.