I am really sorry, I intended for this to come out about ten hours ago but this day (and chapter) just did not cooperate with me. I'm glad everyone enjoyed Mondays chapter and I really hope you like the way I've decided to characterize pink diamond, I had fun trying to figure out her personality.
Thank you guys for reading, no beta this chapter but she'll be back next time.
Enjoy!
When the mission had departed it had been behind schedule. Pink Pearl and Domina had lingered giving each other reminders and assurances for long enough that Feldspar joked about adding an extra month to their mission time. Domina had actually followed them into low orbit until they entered lightspeed and even she couldn't keep up.
So it was strange that Pink Pearl hadn't heard anything from her in 2 days. Especially considering they were due to land today.
"I'm sure everything's fine," Feldspar said after her 3rd call to Domina went directly to the diamonds inbox.
"Probably, but still." Pink Pearl glanced up at the screen that showed the ship docking in Homeworld. "It's unlike her."
Blue was waiting for them when they finally departed the ship. Just Blue. Pink glanced around the hangar confused, expecting to feel a gentle breeze or hear a cry of joy, or anything really.
"Welcome back," Blue said softly, seconds before she was enveloped in a hug from Feldspar.
"Stars I never thought I'd be happy to be back on homeworld" Feldspar put her down and Blue pearl laughed while trying to straighten her cape. Pink Pearl smiled slightly.
"Just you?" she asked.
"Yellow and Jet are back at the citadel"
"And Domina?" Pink pearl took another glance around, and after a thought looked up.
"She's back on Earth," Blue Pearl frowned slightly. "Some kind of an emergency I think, she canceled a meeting with Yellow two days ago and no ones heard from her since. I assumed she would have told you."
A black pit of dread formed in Pink Pearl's gem. Realistically nothing had probably happened to Domina but it was rare for her to just disappear like that.
"Has anyone tried contacting the Crystal Gems," Pink Pearl asked. "surely White or 5XG would respond."
"No, but you know they would let us know if something was wrong," Blue said.
"Yeah besides, Domina's a diamond, she can take care of herself." Feldspar patted her back gently. None of this was really reassuring. Theoretically yes, Domina could take care of herself. She was a fully developed gem that was well over four thousand years old. In practice, though this was the same woman who had thrown herself out an airlock when there were dozens of beings that actually could survive the vacuum of space standing nearby.
"I should still check in." Pink Pearl said "She was having issues keeping track of time and it's odd that she hasn't responded to any calls"
"Well, before you go running off to Earth can I at least convince you both to come back to the citadel to help us sort through all this information. We need to get processes in motion."
"Ah yes!" Feldspar said taking a step back "On that note, I think I'll make sure everything gets unloaded"
"Feldspar," Blue Pearl said with a small smile. "Are you telling me you don't want to go try to talk to two diamonds about everything that's wrong with their colonies?"
"Oh I hate to steal your spotlight, anyway someone has to make sure these bubbles make it into the right holding cells."
The Crystal Gems had been a thorn in Pink Diamond's side from almost the moment gem activity had started on Earth. And she had thrown as much at them as possible until the other diamonds had finally gotten tired of her inability to regain control and took over the war effort.
It was then that she had finally met Rose Quartz in her new position and when she had finally decided that perhaps some of the Crystal Gem's ideas were less radical than she had thought.
That still didn't make it any less awkward when they showed up and saw her standing over two unconscious... Somethings and a human that was panicking. Thankfully there were only three of them though, White's old pearl, who basically knew what was going on and the fusion who should pick up pretty fast, after all, it was part sapphire. There was also an overcooked amethyst who was just adorable
"Woah...what?" the amethyst stared at her, she had drawn a whip but it was held limply at her side.
"Pink Diamond." the fusion growled, both of its gauntlets had been summoned as it took an aggressive stance. Pink Diamond didn't even know if she could summon her weapon, and more importantly, she was not here to fight.
"Look I didn't do anything! Where's Rose? What are..." She gestured at the things with gems lying nearby.
"Steven!" White's pearl rushed past her to the male with the quartz gem in his stomach.
"He's fine I think, other than being unconscious." The human said she had two fingers on the male neck, Pink Diamond was pretty sure she was human. "And Domina's still corporeal so she's...probably ok?"
"So where the crap did she come from?" the Amethyst asked gesturing to Pink Diamond
"Stevima healed her." The human said getting to her feet.
"Who's Stevima?" Pink Diamond asked, trying to get at least some answers
"What how can they even do that?" The amethyst completely ignored her. White's pearl shrugged.
"What do you mean healed?" Pink Diamond tried again, gritting her teeth.
"Stevima's gotten far more powerful than I could have ever predicted." The Fusion said, it had unsummoned it's gauntlets, apparently deciding Pink Diamond wasn't a threat.
"Where's Rose?" Pink Diamond finally snapped, looking around for the only person on this planet who seemed to listen to her. Of course, asking didn't help.
"Well we need to get them back to the beach house," White's pearl ordered lifting the large male over her shoulder who was probably 'steven'. "amethyst grab Domina."
"STOP IGNORING ME!" Pink Diamond shouted stomping her foot, the quarry shook and the indent of where her foot landed began to darken, thankfully she pulled her emotions back before anything started sprouting. "What are any of you talking about? Where's Rose and who are those two?" Pink Diamond pointed at the taller...thing that the amethyst was holding. "What did she do to White? What's going on? "
"-orry my daugh-"
Domina came back to consciousness slowly with her dreams only leaving shards of memories in her mind. She could sense enough to know that people were arguing around her, the rest of her focus was in try not to panic. She didn't open her eyes, instead, she gently raised a hand and prodded at the faces of her gem. Nothing felt cracked. But that didn't explain why her head hurt so much.
"Domina are you awake?" Connie's voice was close by, she could feel a blanket on her, and what was probably the couch underneath her.
"I am," Domina said, finally carefully opening her eyes. There was no burst of pain or blur of colors, so she sat up and looked around. "What happens-"
"Ok ok," Pink Diamond's voice was only slightly familiar to Domina, half-remembered from a handful of recordings she had seen over the years. The Diamond was standing in the kitchen, with a slightly haggard looking Steven. "Even if I can believe that Rose would give herself up to make some kind of hybrid there is no possible way that White would ever turn into something like that!" She gestured at Domina, who carefully got to her feet.
"I wouldn't go that far." She muttered. "What happened, Steven? Stevima wasn't supposed to heal her. Stevima shouldn't have been able to heal her."
"Stevima must have decided that they were capable," Garnet said.
"That's another thing!" Pink Diamond blurted. "White would never fuse with anyone."
"I'm not White Diamond." Domina said with a sigh. All of this was just adding to her headache, this was the last thing they needed.
"Well duh, I can see that." Pink Diamond said rolling her eyes. Domina blinked at the diamond. The third, well fourth depending if her mother counted, that she had ever met. She was trying to rectify what she was seeing with every scrap of information she had ever read about Pink and she had to say she was a little underwhelmed.
"How long have I been out?" Domina asked.
"2 days," Connie said, and Domina felt her heart stop, or it would have. She fumbled for her screen and found it's remains in her pocket. She groaned, the internal circuits were fried.
"Stars Pearl's supposed to be back today, I need to get back to Homeworld and-" Domina's paused and stared at Pink Diamond.
"Yeah, you gotta take her too, otherwise Bismuth's going to break out her Breaking Point plans or something."
"Amethyst!" Pearl snapped. Domina smiled tensely.
"I can come with you if you want..." Steven offered. Domina glanced at Steven and shook her head.
"No, get some rest Steven." She said. "This is... well it's Diamond business."
Yellow Diamond had really expected worse from the report Pink Pearl gave about the mission to the outer colonies. A few of her colonies were included in the report as most had fallen easily into line after the start of Era 3. Several were from Domina's colonies, and the rest were Blue's which was to be expected.
"We should consider a thorough investigation of anyone put in charge of these colonies in the future." Blue Pearl said.
"Yes because we've never done that in the past, we just let anyone manage a part of the empire." Blue Diamond replied dryly. Thankfully they weren't in a public session, the rest of the empire really didn't need to see the leaders of Homeworld sniping at each other.
"Blue she has a point," Yellow said gently. Blue rolled her eyes and was probably about to say something else that would begin the process of derailing the meeting into the usual round of bickering, but she was interrupted by some commotion from outside. Yellow Diamond saw Jet frown and bring up her screen. Pink Pearl continued talking, agreeing with Blue Pearl, outlining her ideas on qualifications. But Yellow Diamond was focused on Jet who's eye went wide before she raised her head to look at the diamonds than at Pink Pearl.
And then the doors to the chamber opened and for a moment Yellow wasn't sure that she could trust her eyes.
She had thought a lot over the years about all the things that she would say to Pink if she got the chance. But she had never thought that she would get the chance. And for the first time in a long time, she felt something other than grief and anger from Blue Diamond. Now it was hope, and joy and relief. She was aware of others in the room as she got to her feet, lagging well behind Blue Diamonds rush to envelope the younger diamond in her arms. She could see the pearl's surprise, Pink Pearl's frozen open mouth, and she did notice that Domina seemed anxious and not quite as overjoyed. But that was something to worry about for later.
Pink Diamond was home.