Hey everyone! we're back! the chapter has been beta'd by squish into something a little more readable and we're headed full steam ahead into the first mini arc of this section! Just as a heads up, if you check out the blog you'll see that I will be doing in character Questions for the week of the 9th while I am on a business trip and won't have time to write a full chapter. If you want to go ahead and start sending those in now thats fine, Anonymous asks are on so feel free even if you don't have a tumblr!
Hope you enjoy the chapter and see you friday.
"You will do better, I'm sure of it." That's what her pearl had said and Yellow Diamond was inclined to trust her opinion. After all, her pearl had seen her at her worst. Something she never liked to think about. Though what constituted as 'better' was completely subjective. She hadn't dissipated everyone in the room and conscripted the remaining gems to go after Blue directly, that was certainly 'better'.
But she had to admit, though she never would do so out loud, this was all rather impressive. The fact that the New Rebellion had managed to sneak a station out from under their watch. Along with collecting a small but still substantial force. And the fact that this had been going on, from what she could tell, since the beginning of Era 2 was astounding, especially considering they had protocols in place to prevent just this situation. Then again, Yellow thought, they hadn't even considered the pearls.
All of that combined with months in close proximity to Steven's influence and Domina's insistence that she 'behave', meant that Yellow Diamond was at least going to try to accept all of this change.
That and the image of Blue trying to deal with insurgents alone was hysterical.
"Forest has been the one taking care of the main systems," The overcooked feldspar explained as she led them through down into the utility center of the base. "She's uh," Feldspar hesitated in front of a door and looked between her and Domina. "A little... rough around the facets."
"Well, we can take that." Domina said, nudging Yellow. Yellow Diamond rolled her eyes. Domina had been as upbeat as usual but Yellow could tell that she was making a concerted effort to be polite.
"Yeah, I'm sure you can," Feldspar said with a grin that, to her credit, only faded slightly when she glanced at Yellow. Feldspar opened the door to reveal an empty, cavernous room. She sighed and stepped in with Domina and Yellow following her. "Forest? Are you in here?" She called. Yellow Diamond inspected the nearby systems. Everything was neat and orderly but she could see that the repairs made to some of them had clearly just been done with whatever materials had been available at the time.
"Our latest arrivals had a few questions about the gravity regulator." The feldspar continued. Yellow Diamond looked away from the atmospheric stabilizer to see that a pearl had appeared from the high ceiling and was now looking at them upside down, not even bothering to drop to the floor. Her gem was over her right eye and her hair stuck out in a way that reminded her of a report she had read of the emerald who had been over the Sun Incinerator losing her pearl.
"I told you. I. Am. Working. On. It." The pearl, Forest, said through gritted teeth. She glared at the trio, not even blinking when her one eyed gaze passed over Yellow.
"Can I offer some help?" Domina asked calmly. Forest frowned and dropped a little lower, swinging so that she was still hanging from the ceiling, but was upright.
"And just who are you?" Forest asked.
"She's uh-" Feldspar started, Forest glared at the bigger gem.
"I didn't ask you." She said. Yellow Diamond snorted slightly in surprise, that certainly wasn't the personality you expected from a pearl. The sound drew Forest's gaze to Yellow Diamond, where she frowned a little more before turning back to Domina. "Oh, you're Pink's... thing." She said.
"That I am." Domina said smiling. Yellow Diamond sighed, would it kill Domina to keep at least a little decorum?
"Hm." Forest said. "I thought you'd be taller."
"I get that a lot, anything I can do to help?" Domina asked. Yellow noticed that Feldspar had relaxed slightly. Forest frowned and inspected Domina for a moment.
"I suppose." She said, climbing back up into the ceiling. "But don't touch anything!" Domina grinned and hopped up to the support that Forest had been clinging to a moment before. She turned to offer Yellow a hand.
"Oh no!" Forest said reappearing and shooting both Diamonds a toxic glare. "Just you!". Letting Domina go off with a strange and ill tempered pearl was not something Yellow had been planning on. And she definitely was not going to be sassed by some insolent pearl.
"Yellow..." Domina said cautiously. Yellow Diamond snapped back to the present and realized that electricity was flitting across her balled fingers and the bottom of her jacket. Right. Doing better.
"Fine." She said dissipating the remaining arcs, "Try not to blow up the station." She muttered before walking out. Feldspar quickly followed and then looked at her awkwardly.
"Um... well." Feldspar said looking around as if a topic of conversation would appear out of thin air. Yellow Diamond sighed.
"Is there still a Diamond carrel on board?" She asked
"Oh yeah, it's-"
"I know where it is." Yellow Diamond said impatiently, "I've been here before." Though not to this point in space particularly, this particular station had been moved several times, it was old, almost as old as she was.
"Oh... ok, well um." Feldspar rubbed her arm awkwardly. "Red said that there was some information on the diamond computer she couldn't access."
"Probably just some of White's old notes" Yellow Diamond said dismissively, already headed for the carrel. "I'll take a look at them."
Mauve had taken up residence in the lowest level of the station. In place of her chisel and hammer she had somehow procured an engraving tool. Blue Pearl stepped into the spacious room with White and Garnet. Mauve as per usual, was above them, delicately carving into the surface of the metal.
"Possibilities are beginning to connect." She said from above. Blue glanced around at the carvings, she had never been able to understand Mauve's carvings when she had seen them before. And now was no different, though in the better light she was able to pick out patterns that sprawled, ended and collided, all heading towards a central, and still uncarved area.
"What do these mean?" White asked, peering at the nearest ones closely. Mauve hummed for a moment in thought.
"They are... the trails and trickles that our actions make." Mauve said, she settled on the ground and walked to where White was standing. "A peridot attempts to smuggle out a pearl due for processing and because of it a tower explodes." She said indicating on multiple branching section. "A diamond chooses mercy over the law and triggers a schism with no end in sight." She briefly tapped another, then paused over an unfinished section. "A gem gives up her form to create a new being and those she left behind deal with the consequences of things left unsaid." There was silence.
"Do you see where our current actions are trailing?" Blue asked in an attempt to break it. Garnet was also now looking at the carvings, Blue wondered if she would have any more luck.
"Some, we will not be here as long as we think." Mauve said nonchalantly.
"Why?" Blue said, they were still weeks, if not months from being close to being able to take the fight to Homeworld.
"I'm not sure." Mauve said, she gestured to the large uncarved area. "I do not yet have all the players involved."
"More on their way?" White asked.
"Mmmm... perhaps." Mauve said.
"Future vision is often inaccurate, no matter the source or form." Garnet said. "We will simply have to be alert."
After the meeting, Pink headed back to the atrium with Blue to find that not much had changed. Blue left soon after with Garnet and White.
"Where'd Domina go?" Zee asked.
"To take a look at the gravity systems." Pink said, she hoped that Forest wouldn't be too... difficult.
"Did my Diamond go with her?" Yellow asked, watching after Blue as she left.
"She did, any change he-" Pink began, she was interrupted by a voice from the entrance of the hanger.
"Moss Agate, your shards are still in service? I would have thought you would have been considered outdated centuries ago." Heliodor 4KV said, walking with her hands clasped behind her back. Pink frowned, nearly as much as Mossy did.
"Heliodor, I wasn't aware you had escaped the secondary fleet." Mossy said evenly.
"I was in transit at the time, along with 6CS and the Rubies." Heliodor said, "I assume if you are here then our brilliant Diamond must not be far behind."
"You know she hates it when you call her that." Zee said lazily from her position leaning against the ship with 9NY and Lapis, watching Peridot 5XG bicker with the rest of her column.
"Well some of us have a sense of decorum, quartz." Heliodor said.
"Yeah and some of us remember to wipe our hands after polishing someone's gem." Zee said. There was a audible intake of breath from Holly Blue Agate.
"How dare you talk to a superior like that you insubordinate-"
"Hey, you're not my Agate. Step off." Zee said shooting Holly Blue a glare. Heliodor rolled her eyes.
"Really, being raised around gems like these there's no surprise our diamond is..." Heliodor began.
"Is what?" Pink asked sharply. Heliodor jumped and gaped at her.
"Is..." Heliodor said before glancing at the others in the group and realizing they weren't following her sentiment. "Nothing."
"Well shards," Zee said. "I was hoping I'd get to see Pinky slash that smug smirk off your face, she's getting pretty good now that she's not limited to an ill-gotten blaster." Pink looked at Zee, puzzled, how in stars' name had she learned about that?
She was distracted by some commotion from the other side of the ship, a conversation between Steven, Connie, and the Gems from the beta kindergarten. Something about a jasper.
Forest's setup for the gravity controls was... interesting to say the least, it took Domina roughly and hour to figure out where exactly the problem was and then another two to find a part that could replace the tertiary graviton coil that kept flickering in and out of synch with the rest of the stations rotational matrix. But, by the end of it Domina was able to walk steadily out of the utility room. Forest hadn't said much as they worked, other than debate the merits of unobtanium over traditionally crystal grown materials. She seemed fairly nice though, if a bit awkward. Though that was to be expected, she supposed.
Sodalite's pearl was waiting outside the ship when Domina wandered back to the hanger to eat something and get some sleep. Domina smiled.
"Hello. You don't have to just hang around here you know." Domina said awkwardly, she knew that Sodalite's pearl had been following around Yellow Pearl, but she was nowhere in sight.
"I... am aware Your Brilliance." Sodalite's pearl said with a bow. Domina shifted uncomfortably.
"Please don't call me that." She said for what was probably the hundredth time in three days. "It's just Domina. Do you have a name?"
"I... no Your... White Diamond, an individual designation has never been necessary, and to be entirely frank, I see no reason why it should be now." the pearl said.
"Well there are quite a few other pearls here." Domina pointed out. Sodalite's pearl simple blinked at her, and Domina sighed.
"Well, your decision." She said. "I am sorry about your sodalite." The pearl looked at her startled, and after a long moment, simply nodded.
"From what I understand of your current plans, it was unavoidable."
"Well, that's a good way of putting it anyway." Domina said simply. She wish she had more experience with pearls, this one seemed incredibly closed off. Maybe she was shy? Then again, this had to be a lot to go through in such a short time.
"Might I tour the facility, White Diamond?" Sodalite's pearl asked.
"I'm sure," Domina said. "You don't have to ask me for permission, you might find Feldspar or one of the others so you don't get lost. Though it is very similar to the others." Sodalite's pearl nodded and bowed to Domina. "And you don't have to do that either." She said. Sodalite's pearl bit her lip and nodded before slowly leaving the hanger.
Domina ate one of the zoo fruits in three bites on her way back to the bedroom. She tried not to dwell too hard on Sodalite's pearl, they would figure out how to help her soon enough. And she had so many other things on her mind.
The door to the bedroom slid open to reveal Connie and Steven arguing. Which was strange because Domina couldn't recall ever seeing them argue before. Even stranger was the bubble between them. It was purple, and containing the corrupted gem of a jasper.
hehehe I miss cliffhangers, let me know what you think!
