And now it's time to see just how the Crystal Gems reuniting with Rose goes!
The afternoon sun shone bright in the sky as the Crystal Gems stood around the galaxy warp, actually planning on using the central warp pad for the first time. For Steven, it was still strange to recall when the giant pad being active was a terrifying prospect to the point it sent Garnet into a brief panic. And now here they were waiting to use it themselves. He clutched the suitcase he brought with him that, along with his cheeseburger backpack, held the possessions he would be taking along for his visit.
While only he, Greg, Connie and her mother all had possessions with them, the others were in a similar boat as they stood around waiting in various levels of unease and trepidation. The only calm ones were Kunzite and Zoisite who stood by simply waiting for their job to be complete.
Some tried to pass the time with idle chit-chat while others just stared off into the expansive ocean all around them. Even Fluorite, who sat on the edge of the pad in her humanoid form with her legs sitting the water, had a serious look on her face. For her and the other Off-Colors, this was her chance to meet their idol and yet they knew how hard this was for the others.
Then, like a switch being flipped, the central pad had a lustrous new sheen to it. Everyone knew the time had come. Zoisite and Kunzite stepped on only when everyone else was situated before the gold-adorned gem gave the silent to warp them all off. For all the anticipation, the trip across several galaxies took less than ten seconds.
The dazzling blue lights receded revealing an odd site. The pad they were now own was surrounded by graffiti somehow painted all along the ground creating a spiraling abstract swirl of colors that was pretty yet cluttered. A second look showed that it was complimented with carvings into the stony surface to add depth and texture like someone tried painting on an etching.
"Well, that's an obvious sign this place is different," Peridot said, stepping onto the paint warily, "I can still hear my old bosses demanding this all be cleaned up."
"Oh, Rose encourages that gems release their artistic creativity wherever they please," Zoisite told them, walking off happily with many following her, "Regardless of who they are, everyone is welcome to express themselves."
Once everyone was off the pad, the humans were grateful for the apparent atmosphere of the planet although Pearl brought supplies to compensate for that on the off chance they needed air. They looked to be in what used to be a drop zone for cargo that had been scribbled all over by mad artists and several boxes had been looted and smashed. There were also a handful of ships decorated willy-nilly flying around with some heading out and others simply gliding along. More of them, however, were simply parked on random spots or laying partially to fully dismantled.
"I like this place already!" Amethyst approved, "I never saw Homeworld before, but all those rules sounded awful."
"But where is everybody?" Adamite noted, "You'd think gems would frolicking around everywhere if they had no set schedule."
Kunzite answered that one. "We're a fair distance away from the main hub where the majority of Rose's followers are. We should be able to get transportation without much issue."
And true enough, the dark gem merely walked up to one of the larger ships parked around them, opened the door from the outside and a few minutes later she invited everyone inside. The others were a bit puzzled until a three-armed fusion none of them recognized simply said she was happy to give them a lift. Said fusion then asked several of the gems if they were interested in fusing later, getting a few blushes for her bluntness, but the ride was uneventful otherwise.
The real attraction became the main hub once they arrived. Gems had truly sprawled out everywhere doing whatever activity suited them. Arts and crafts, games, chatting, dancing, fusing in some cases and even some sparring with the vibe being so laidback that the other gems started to wonder how anything productive was done. Their ship simply landed on top of the massive spire overlooking this odd complex with Kunzite instructing them to follow her. A lift would allow them to descend into the tower but it was far too small to hold everyone.
"Well, it looks like we'll have to split up temporarily," Zoisite said, "Kunzite will take some of you to meet Rose while the rest can explore the compound. There's quite a lot here for your entertainment!"
She was about to give them some time to deliberate but the choices were obvious. Pearl, Amethyst, Bismuth, Greg and Steven all moved towards Kunzite while Garnet, Peridot, the elemental trio, Topaz and her crew and the Maheswerans all moved over to Zoisite with the last two confident someone would give them a way down. Once the other group was off, Kunzite looked to the others as a holo-screen appeared.
"Is everyone ready?"
"Somehow, yes," Pearl said, a circle of floor several feet wide opening under their feet to take them inside. Everyone was itching to talk and yet stayed totally silent. They wanted to break up the tension but had no idea how. Before any of them knew or could ask for a moment, they were walking into the central control room with Kunzite leading the way inside with a very familiar wall of pink curls on the other side.
"My lady," Kunzite said, bowing her head slightly even as Rose's back was turned, "The Crystal Gems have arrived. Most of them are off with Zoisite seeing your township."
"Thank you," the mother said without moving, "We will be here awhile, I imagine. Go and enjoy yourself now that your mission is done."
Once Kunzite made her way out, Rose finally turned around and gave the others a real look at her. Aside from the absence of her gem, she was identical to the portrait over the beach house's front door. Neither side moved towards the other with the quartz simply smiling and the other five standing in disbelief.
The one who broke that silence was the one who had the biggest beef to pick with Rose – Bismuth. The dreadlocked gem walked up to her with an unreadable look on her face, stopping only a foot from her one-time mentor.
"So…" she grumbled, "You saw everything, right?"
"Yes, I did. Bismuth… I…"
"Shush. Just… There's something I need to do."
"Um, guys?" Amethyst piped up, "This doesn't look good!"
"No, it's fine," Rose stopped her, "Let's hear it. Bismuth, what do you want?"
The violet gem suddenly lashed out with her arms, panicking the others until they realized she only wrapped Rose in a hug. Any doubt they had was gone when she suddenly started bawling, her body wracked with a bout of sobs that made it next to impossible to talk.
"I-I'm sorry, Rose! I… I'm so, so sorry! I tried to…! I should have never…!"
"Shhh," the mother insisted, her own arms going around Bismuth, "It's alright now… You never ended up using the Breaking Point. You got better, didn't you?"
"B-B-But… I…!"
"You wanted to protect your home. You just went a little too far, that's all."
"How can you say that?! After all I did and said… I even almost offed Steven! I thought you'd hate me!"
"I was immensely disappointed, Bismuth. I knew you had so much drive but I didn't see what it was doing to you until it was too late. That's where I owe you an apology… If I had spoken to you sooner, none of it would have come to locking you away…"
"Wow… She is good," Greg marveled.
"T-Thank you…" Bismuth choked out before slowly regaining her semblance, "I wanted… To tell you that for months…"
"And I'm glad I got to hear it. Anything else you'd like to say?"
"No, I'm good… I think I need a minute after that, though."
"Go join the others if you'd like. I'm sure they're all enjoying themselves and you've earned a break."
"Thanks…" Bismuth simply walked out of the room after that, leaving Rose with four other loose ends. She simply waited for the next to speak up which ended up being Amethyst.
"Ehm, hey, Rose…" the purple scrapper said, far more reserved than usual, "Look… I really don't know how to put this, um, stuff but… Well…"
"Amethyst?"
"Yeah?"
Rose kneeled down to look Amethyst in the eye before placing a hand on her shoulder. "You never were part of the first war. You told me ages ago that it made you feel lonely, being the only one on the outside. But let me tell you this: You were always a Crystal Gem to me and you still are one now. And now I know that you have grown so much. Any of the others would be honored to have you at their side like Pearl and Garnet are now."
Amethyst stood stock still for a moment before tears welled up in her eyes. Rose just placed a comforting arm around her as she let out all of the pent-up doubt from centuries of questioning her worth before finally breathing in relief and joining the others. She whispered something into Pearl's ear before heading out with the others, immediately back to her typical free-wheeling self.
Once she was gone, Rose turned her eyes back on Greg. The midde-aged man blushed a bit before stepping forward.
"You know…" she started, "Somehow you haven't changed at all."
"Heh, I don't think so. I mean, the hair's changed, the clothes are different, I've actually got money for a change and-"
"That's not what I meant. It's your eyes…"
"What do you mean?"
"They're just as kind, as optimistic as when I first saw you… All that time I was in Steven's gem I never realized… I-I don't know how but-"
"Rose, are you… blushing?"
"W-Wha?!" Sure enough, Rose's cheeks were actually pink enough to match her hair.
"You know, I don't think I've ever seen that. You were always the one getting to me. It's… Nice to have it be the other way around."
Rose actually stammered for a moment before being silenced when Greg's lips gently met hers. The two were frozen there for a moment until their hands clasped each other for a moment before slowly separating.
"We'll talk some more later, okay?"
"Yeah…" Greg nodded before walking out himself leaving only Steven and Pearl. The de facto mother of the boy seemed to be staring anywhere except at her pink-haired mentor while Steven was the opposite. His eyes never left hers this entire time even when his view was obstructed by someone else. Now Rose's eyes met his and they seemed to light up slightly.
"Steven… I know we've met before but now…" she said quietly, "I can't make up for everything you felt in the past but-"
Her muttering was ended when Steven's arms actually leapt into her arms. Despite just turning fifteen, he felt like that same five-year-old who only just learned that his mother was gone and was never coming back. He still remembered that day when Amethyst cracked her gem and the boy wanted nothing more than a sign, a kind word to assure him he was not a failure. Somehow, he was back at that place and then some only with Rose's very real embrace to soothe that longing.
Neither of them could speak up, but it was not needed. They simply let each other go eventually and the boy headed out, his mind and heart at ease giving him the clarity to give Pearl a quick glance to reassure her. With him gone, that left only the founder of the Crystal Gems and her most loyal follower.
Even in the racing emotions going through her, Pearl remarked how often she actually dreamed of this scenario. Rose would somehow come back, they would have a grand reunion and their life would be happily ever after. She did now kick herself that many of those fantasies involved Greg getting callously dumped and Rose finally reciprocating the smaller gem's feelings but that was at least something she could put behind her. And while those dreams would never go exactly the same any two times, none of them could compare to what Rose actually said.
"Pearl… I was an idiot."
Nearly a minute after actually registering what her idol just said, Pearl just gaped. "What? What do you…?"
"It's… Painfully obvious in hindsight," Rose grumbled, pacing around the room as she went, "The devotion in your eyes, the pride you always held in being my confidante, the dirty looks to all the men and women I saw in the past…"
While that last part made Pearl blush in regret, she did get her voice back. "Rose, it's not your fault! I was… A scared, helpless thing and you changed all that! Anyone would have done the same, at least I think so."
"Yes, perhaps they would. They would have an immeasurable debt to that savior. And that would make perfect sense why their emotions would turn more… intimate, wouldn't it?"
Pearl's entire face started turning blue. "Um… Well…"
"Pearl," Rose sighed, "What I'm trying to say is I owe you the apology here. I was just so blinded, so complacent that I never once considered your feelings. And because of that you grew so reliant on me… That you didn't see what an amazing person you are. You doubted yourself as a fighter, a leader and even as a caretaker. You are the last gem in the universe who deserves that, Pearl. And while I still don't… Return your exact feelings, it doesn't change that what I did was wrong."
"R-Rose… I…"
"Yes?"
"I… I don't know what to think anymore. I thought I was over it but…"
"Don't push yourself, please. Just take some time to think things over, alright? I swear to you I'm not disappearing on you again."
Pearl had no way to answer that and instead simply left the room. With the space to herself again, Rose simply sat down and tried to get her pulse down before doing anything else. At least she finally got that over with…
While the others were reuniting, Zoisite led the rest of the bunch on a "tour" of the township except that there were no proper destinations. The princess-like gem seemed to wander from place to place without any direction and even doubled-back at numerous points. This did not bother the newcomers, however, as it seemed like the entire place was refusing to get organized.
Gems, their ships, demolished equipment and repurposed materials were being thrown together willy-nilly almost in direct protest to the strict schedules of the diamonds. The only constant was how upbeat, positive and welcoming the gems were. Connie and her mother found several gems gawking at them due to being the only organics but they were less concerned since it was apparent they were merely curious. As chaotic as it was, the others found themselves getting into the spirit of the place.
Before long, they were all drawn to an impromptu game of dodgeball with a gaggle of other gems with the Crystal Gems and Zoisite on one team versus a gaggle of gems on the other side with the opponents ranging from a ruby to an agate. While Connie and Priyanka did have to change into their crystalline forms to keep up, they were soon laughing and having fun with the others despite the deactivated robonoids they were using as balls being anything but soft.
As they kept playing, Kunzite began leading the others who had finished meeting with Rose to their game until the entire group was reunited with the grunge-dressed gem throwing herself into the mix once Pearl showed up. And much like how the game started out of nowhere, the players simply tapered off to do other things leaving the gems from Earth and their two guides.
Once the excitement was over, the group all settled down and the five who met with Rose told their stories which further eased the mood. Aside from a few things that needed to be answered later, all seemed well and they could all approve of a proper home for gems who wanted to get away from the diamonds. There was only one question left on their minds; now what were they supposed to do? The intention was to stay for a few days but what would fill up their time?
Zoisite and Kunzite, still acting as their chaperones, gave them an idea.
"When Rose was recounting her adventures with you and your later exploits," the latter said, "She went on about how exceptional you all were in combat! If its not too much trouble, perhaps we can test our mettle against yours?"
"Uh, all of us?" Rutile asked, "That would leave you pretty outnumbered."
"Not quite," Zoisite corrected, "I'm more curious about the original three Crystal Gems. It's nothing against the rest of you but Rose made it a point to mention you three."
"Makes sense since she fought alongside us," Garnet said, "Anyone have any objections?"
"I'm game."
"I have been getting rusty recently so I'll accept."
"Excellent! Everyone else is free to watch if they want."
"Uh, you have an arena for this or what?" Amethyst asked as the observers all stood to one side of what was just their playing field. Kunzite just told her that activities here just came and went wherever gems felt like it and anyone who stumbled across them would know better than to intercede. As the longtime trio brought out their gem weapons, all eyes were on the celestial pair to see what they would be wielding.
Out of Kunzite's gem, a near-black rhombus on her right knee, came two identical kunai with unusually serrated edges on both sides. While they looked deadly, the wielder juggled them like bowling pins with a third knife somehow getting added in. Zoisite, on the other hand, seemed to have something wrong as her hand reached back to her gem yet nothing came out.
The others were about to ask if she needed a minute until her arm suddenly whipped around holding what might have been the largest sword any of them had ever seen. A golden-bladed zweihander that was only inches shorter than she was from pommel to tip. The even more shocking part was how the saintly woman was holding the weapon aloft one-handed and balancing the massive blade on her shoulders.
"Okay, suddenly glad I'm not involved…" Lapis eked, the others all nodding in agreement. Now the major question on their minds was where the heck Rose found these two.
"Relax, I'm more than careful enough with this to avoid harming any of you," Zoisite assured, "If any of you is overwhelmed, however, please say so and we will stop."
"Indeed! A spar is nothing without equal consent! Are you all ready?"
The three veterans nodded as one, all running in with Amethyst keeping pace with the other two for now. They wanted to gauge the others' abilities first before busting out their special abilities. The sisters did the same until they met in the middle. Garnet threw a punch at Zoisite only for her gigantic sword to easily block and then push back against her to break her stance. The three-eyed fusion had to then suddenly swerve to the side to avoid a kunai flying straight at her.
Kunzite may have briefly had Pearl and Amethyst on top of her, but she proved amazingly hard to pin down as she cartwheeled and flipped around their attacks like an expert while still having the aim to nearly hit Garnet while spinning in mid-air. While she turned her focus on Garnet, the spear and whip pair were suddenly met with Zoisite swinging her weapon in a wide arc to force them apart.
Clearly seeing they were up against two well above-average opponents, the gloves quickly came off and the Crystal Gems redoubled. Kunzite went after Amethyst but suddenly found her thrown knives deflected by superfast whip swings that broke them apart. Zoisite found trying to block attacks with her unwieldy weapon became much harder with five Pearl clones on her at once since she started losing track of Garnet. She also had to move frequently to avoid getting a foot frozen to the floor or step in to save Kunzite from being hit by a surprise fireball.
As the two sides evened out, the others all watched in amazement. Neither seemed to gain ground on the other yet the spectacle meant none of them cared. Despite having polar opposite fighting styles, Zoisite and Kunzite complimented each other so well that it rivaled the teamwork of three gems who spent centuries in combat together. And yet even with the intensity, no one had made a mistake that could lead to an injury. When Garnet got closer to the group, Bismuth actually ran up from her spot to offer a switch.
"Sure, help yourself," Garnet said, "Just watch your back. Kunzite had got some serious aim."
"Trust me, I've got this!" Bismuth immediately charged in just as Zoisite was trying to shake off Amethyst's whip wrapped around her leg when an elastic fist to her face suddenly sent her flying. It also meant the smaller purple gem was dragged along with her since she refused to let go of her weapon.
"Oops… Sorry, munchkin!"
"Eh, she looks tough," shrugged Kunzite, actually standing on Bismuth's shoulders all of the sudden. The burly blacksmith yelped in surprise before her sparring rival suddenly backflipped off with her knives suddenly in hand to stop a backhanded swing from her hammer-hands.
"Amazing how the loud ones can actually be stealthy when they want to be…" Pearl mused to herself as she made four more clones to combat Zoisite, her massive weapon proving very good at crowd control.
As both sides kept stalemating, the other gems save for Fluorite and Padparadscha all tagged in or out at one point while Zoisite and Kunzite had the stamina and dynamics to keep up with any of them. The four humans, while idle, appreciated how they got to just watch for a change instead of fighting. Almost an hour later, everyone had gotten their swings in while Rose's messengers were both exhausted but clearly had fun.
"Goodness…" Zoisite sighed, "And here I had… The gall… To think Rose was… Exaggerating…"
"I warned your mistrust was… Misplaced…" Kunzite teased her, "I will say… You all can be… Very crafty."
"You're not so bad yourself," Peridot complimented, "But it does make me curious where you two came from. I've never heard of either of your cuts."
"That's because they were some of the first discarded by the Diamonds," Zoisite said once she got her breath back, "We held jobs in the earliest days before the empire had the equipment and numbers to launch large-scale invasion. I was actually a diplomat who tried to negotiate with other races to evacuate their planets or to acquire resources through trade."
"Wait, seriously?!" Connie gaped, "They could actually do that? They didn't always just seed planets and turn everything on them into dust?"
"Hard as it is to believe," Kunzite told her, "It is true. I, unfortunately, had the much less savory task of being an assassin. If certain foreign leaders were proving obstinate to diplomacy, I was to… Remove them."
"Man, that sounds terrible…" Greg said, "At least that business is long behind you."
"Thankfully so. As sordid as it was, it at least let me Zoisite here and we've been friends ever since."
Steven smiled at that. "Wow, it's cool to hear you've been together for so long!"
"We could tell you more later, but we're going to need some time to rest."
"How will we find you?" Pearl asked, "There don't exactly seem to be concrete addresses around here yet."
"As two of Rose's closest assistants, we will be in the main tower," Zoisite told them, "She's already made rooms for all of you in the base level while we're closer to the top. I'm sure we'll see each other again soon."
As the duo walked off, the others figured there was nothing holding them here and so started scattering off in various directions. Some wanted to get involved in the various activities around the place, others were eager to meet new faces and others still decided to fall into the attitude of the place and simply go with the flow. As surreal as it was, it was still a pleasant feeling to know Rose was already helping this many gems and still more.
While they scarpered off, however, Rose remained in her control room as she was waiting for Pink Diamond to return with the latest caravan of arrivals. Besides that, she was still buzzing from reuniting with the Crystal Gems. She herself was ecstatic to see what would become of this new homes of hers even if a small part of her longed to see Earth once again. Alas, she had a new mission in life and her homecoming could be reached once she found her ultimate goal.
So the Crystal Gems are staying on Rose's planet for a while but what will happen there? Tune in next time to find out!
Thank you so much for reading! Feel free to leave your thoughts in a review.