AN: Hello! I hope you all have been doing well! I actually started writing this a little earlier due to Sring Break and it feels good not to be posting this at the last second. Most of you guys figured out where I was headed in the last chapter, but if you haven't or weren't sure, I confirm it at the end of this chapter. ;)
On another note, I made mention of an upcoming project on my Tumblr. For those of you who don't use Tumblr and are fans of my Templeschool series, I decided that I will be writing a prequel for it. I won't release it until it's mostly or completely finished, which probably won't be until sometime this summer, as I've just started working on it. For my full explanation and a fun little trailer artwork I made for it, please click here .
I hope you guys enjoy this chapter!
They had just arrived at the warp pad when Peridot made a huge mistake. If Peridot could breathe, she would've been hyperventilating. Instead, she shrank in on herself as she looked back and forth between Steven and Ven. "WHAT DO YOU MEAN HE'S PINK DIAMOND?" Steven winced as he realized what he'd just revealed. The technician's thoughts were racing. This wasn't what she was expecting when she offhandedly asked what gem Steven and Ven were. She just wanted to know what tasks they'd be able to handle when it came to the drill. She didn't expect Steven to tell her that he and Ven were the long-thought-shattered Pink Diamond! Peridot couldn't wrap her head around it.
Ven knelt in front of her, though he didn't get any response from her. "I think you've caused her to malfunction."
Steven carefully walked up to her. He had been hesitant to reveal their true gems, but secrets had been what caused this whole situation. The gems had been secretive about their suspicions, and Twoie had been secretive about his time. The misunderstandings from those secrets had been devastating. "Peridot? Are you okay?" He couldn't bring himself to lie to her, but maybe he should've waited until they had returned. Twoie was good about discussing delicate topics. He should've let Twoie explain it.
Peridot squeaked and jumped to her feet. "Y-yes, my Diamond! I-I mean, no, my Diamond! I mean-! I have no idea, my Diamond!"
Steven panicked and pleadingly looked at Ven for help. Ven wasn't sure if he was aware enough of his emotions to convince her. He tapped into his memories of Twoie and their experiences. Hopefully, Ven would be able to say something along the lines of what Twoie would say. The gem turned to Peridot, who was now looking at him while performing the diamond salute. "Peridot. Steven, Twoie, and I know that we are diamonds but do not follow the Diamond Authority. We don't give orders, and we don't expect you to follow us like you would the other Diamonds. On earth, the gem hierarchy doesn't exist." Peridot opened her mouth to object, but Ven cut her off. "If we give orders in the heat of battle, we hope that you would listen because you respect us as your friend. If we ask you to do something, you have the choice to deny it. You are our friend. You aren't a servant or a lesser gem. You aren't beneath us."
"But you're a diamond! A supreme being of one of the highest authorities in the Diamond Authority! Why do you not want to go by your status? Why didn't you just command me to build the drill and stop the Cluster?" Peridot felt betrayed all over again. First, they freed her from the prison and interrogation from the other gems. She believed Twoie when he said that it was because she was one of his best friends in the future, but this? Being Pink Diamond? They were one of the rulers of all gem-kind! Why were they keeping this hidden? She didn't understand.
Steven grabbed one of Peridot's hands. "We're not rulers, though. Like Ven said, we're friends! Friends don't demand things from each other. We would never force you to build the drill." Peridot looked between Steven and Ven. She could tell that he was sincere. "We all care about you a lot. We asked you to help because we want you to be happy, not because we have the pink diamond gem. And we don't expect you to do this for us. We'll be helping you every step of the way!" Steven looked up at Ven, who nodded in agreement.
Peridot could tell they meant it. She took a deep breath. It would be hard to treat them like other gems. She had been programmed to regard the diamonds as her leaders. If her diamonds wanted to be treated a certain way, then she needed to respect that decision. No matter how much it didn't make sense to her. "O-okay, then. Well, we still need to complete our mission of obtaining the coordinates for the Cluster. Let's continue." Peridot looked unsure, but she stepped onto the warp pad with her companions. As the warp activated, she found her questioning her new life.
Ven was beginning to wish that he had remained behind with his human half. Don't misunderstand, he enjoyed being around Steven and Peridot, but he and Peridot had spent the entire trip since their arrival Kindergarten talking about different earth facts. It was most likely a mix of a convenient distraction and actual interest. Peridot wanted to know everything, from the blades of grass at the barn to the clouds in the sky. He noted Steven's simple answer for Peridot's question of the uses of barns and farm so Twoie could add that to one of his lessons for Steven. Their group had quickly cleared through the cliffs surrounding the Kindergarten due to his floating abilities. The truth was, Ven didn't mind hearing Peridot ask questions or Steven answering. Instead, he felt a great longing to join in. However, it seemed to him that Peridot had not fully gotten over the reveal of Steven and Twoie's gems being pink diamonds. His friend quickly relaxed around Steven but continued to regard himself with an air of fear and respect. Ven didn't like the feeling of worry that stirred inside him every time she flashed him a cautious look when she did not think he was watching.
"Humans have interesting tasks that you have to perform. I want to know more about this 'farming' you speak of." She hesitated for a moment. "I am curious. As hybrids, how were you two formed?" Peridot noticed Ven stiffen for a moment and immediately sought a way to distract from her question. Luckily, she saw the hidden entrance to the hideout. "Oh, there it is!" The green gem uncovered the tunnel and frowned, realizing that the elevator was busted. "Looks like we'll need to slide down this hatch. Steven, I'll go first to make sure it's safe. When I reach the bottom, I'll call out for you and Ven to slide down."
Before Steven could object, she disappeared into the tunnel. "I hope we'll be able to hear her. If not, I'll probably just go down after a couple of minutes." Steven nervously looked up at Ven. "Would you be okay with me answering Peridot's question?"
Ven blankly stared at Steven. "Yes. Why wouldn't I mind?"
"Well, if it made you uncomfortable, then I could promise to tell her later." Steven awkwardly rubbed the back of his neck. "You don't seem like you're really comfortable right now." Before Ven could reply, they heard a shout echo through the metal tunnel. "I guess that means it's okay to head down now?"
The gem just shrugged at Steven's question. It was probably fine. "You can talk about it." Ven quietly replied before gently nudging Steven forward. The kid smiled and whooped in joy as he slid down the elevator shaft. The gem waited a couple of moments before sliding down as well. He hoped that was enough time for Steven to move out of the way, which was proven correct when he landed at the bottom and found Peridot and Steven waiting together.
"-nch of fusion monsters…" Steven looked around the underground base nervously. He knew he'd be okay with Ven around, but it was dark and a little spooky down there.
Peridot confidently propped her hands on her hips. "There shouldn't be anymore. You guys came across them back then because I was assigned to check on their progress." The green gem turned and led the way towards the control panel. "During the Gem Rebellion, Yellow Diamond was conducting experiments involving the -uh…" She realized that she would be talking about the shattered gems and glanced at Ven. Steven looked at her curiously, but Peridot wasn't sure how much she should say. "Well… They were not the kindest experiments. One of these was creating the Cluster, which my Diamond intended to use as a mass geo-weapon for colonizing other planets. Obviously, that failed when the remaining Diamonds were defeated." Peridot was so glad that they just reached the control room. Ven was staring at her with the same apathetic look as ever, but it felt unnerving while discussing the shattered gems. It was like a sensation of disapproval for the subject matter.
Steven inched a little closer to Ven, lightly grabbing onto his jacket as Peridot looked over the controls. "Did you help?"
"Negative. I wasn't luck-ee…" Peridot stiffened as the feeling of disapproval became amplified. "I mean, I had yet to emerge during the rebellion. The reason I am aware of the goals for these experiments was that I read a few hundred years worth of reports." She cleared her throat in embarrassment. Right. She was on the side of the earthlings, and her new Diamond? Her friend? It was hard remembering how she should behave around Ven. On the one hand, he was Pink Diamond. On the other, he and the others had asked to be treated like any other gem. Steven was easier to treat as a human because he was small and friendly. Ven was taller and more intimidating. She was conflicted between her innate desire to serve her Diamond and her desire to be a friend. It scared her. She'd been a loyal servant to the Diamond Authority her entire life. The rules and expected behaviors were ingrained in her. Yet, her defiance alone warred with her mind. She shook her head. Rules. She could follow rules. They were usually well defined and rarely led to repercussions. Ven had requested she treat him like she was treating Steven. She would honor that request. "If you would be willing, I would appreciate it if you could help me by removing the cover over the control system."
Ven noticed her unease, but he was glad that she was trying. Normally, a gem wouldn't ask a diamond for help with a task like this. "Of course." Without waiting for her to acknowledge him, Ven stepped forward and ripped the metal cover off.
Peridot squeaked in surprise, then flushed in embarrassment. She wasn't expecting him to do that so quickly. Looking inside, the technician was relieved to note that only a couple of wires were out of place. After a quick readjustment, power was restored to the base, and the lights in the room turned on. Peridot looked over at the control stand and frowned when she realized that the panel was set to her height when she was wearing the limb enhancers. The only one who was tall enough to help her was her Di-, was Ven. She mentally berated herself. Ven was her friend, not her Diamond. "Ven. Could you please lift me for a moment so that I may adjust the height on the control stand?" Ven nodded and stepped forward, easily lifting her. With a quick press of her hand to the panel, the stand lowered, and Ven set her down again. Peridot pulled up several images of gem shards on the screen. Some were small, made of a few small fragments, and others were larger, made of several colored shards. "These are what the early attempts of artificial fusion looked like."
Steven looked at the images with a trace of fear. "That's a lot of gem shards. Is that what the Cluster looks like?"
Peridot input several commands, changing the images to a geographic 3D image of the earth. "We were growing them here at this very sight, but these were just the prototypes for the Cluster." She pulled up an image of a gigantic ball comprised of gem shards. "This is the Cluster. A singular, giant artificial fusion comprised of millions of gem shards."
Steven flinched and grabbed Ven's hand. "You're saying there's a giant mutant gem the size of the earth under us right now?" The pink gem looked down at his frightened companion. He thought about what his human half would do and decided to hug Steven close. It seemed to work as the boy visibly calmed.
Peridot looked at Steven thoughtfully. "What makes the Cluster so dangerous is that although the amalgamation is a little smaller than the planet, it will be much bigger than the earth when it forms. This is why it is imperative that we deal with the Cluster before it is no longer dormant." She turned to Ven with a smile. "Luckily, my-, Ven and Twoie have already gone through this event. Their experience is going to be a great advantage for us. There's no way we will fail!" Between her intellect and Ven and Twoie's knowledge and abilities, she had no doubt that their goal would be accomplished. "I've got the coordinates, so let's head back before we run into any prototypes." Peridot grinned at them, then dashed towards the entryway.
Steven, feeling a little less frightened of the future, smiled and tugged Ven along. Ven didn't protest and matched his speed to Steven's so the kid wouldn't trip. When they caught up to Peridot, they were easily able to take the lift back up. Steven figured now was a good time to bring up his friend's earlier question. "Hey, Peridot? You wanted to ask us something earlier. What was it?"
Peridot perked up as she faced her traveling companions. She hoped this meant it was alright to talk about. "Yes, I did! Earlier, I was asking how you two were formed? I don't understand how a gem and a human could fuse into a hybrid. Especially since none of you have any memories of Pink Diamond."
The kid hummed lightly in thought. "Well, my mom loved my dad, and they decided that they wanted to have a baby. For that to happen, my mom had to give up her form and all of her memories so that I could use my gem. If you want to know more about it, Dad and Twoie could probably tell you." Ven was relieved when Peridot nodded, temporarily content with the answer she had received. He did not want to get into that conversation.
Once the lift reached the top, they began the walk back to the warp pad. Peridot rambled about potentials designs for the drill she wanted to make, but Ven wasn't paying attention. He couldn't explain it, but he'd been feeling off for a bit. Ven thought about the odd feeling before realizing that he was experiencing anxiety. The gem looked around in confusion. They were surrounded by rocks and nothing else. No reason to be feeling anxiety, so why was the sensation present?
"Ven? Are you okay?" Ven blinked as Steven's voice snapped him out of his thoughts. The kid was looking at him in concern.
Ven nodded, trying to ignore the feeling. Suddenly, a sharp feeling of fear jolted through his body. He flinched, alerting his two companions that something was wrong. "My-, Ven! What's wrong?" Peridot ran over to him, hands hovering over him.
"I… We need to go to the barn. Now." There was no doubt about it. These weren't Ven's emotions. They were Twoie's. He scooped Peridot into a princess carry, then knelt down. "Steven." The kid got the hint and quickly hopped onto Ven's back, peeking out on the opposite side of where Peridot's head was.
"Wait! Ven! What is going on here?!" Peridot looked around but couldn't see any gem mutants. Before she could ask anything else, Ven dashed through the Kindergarten at speeds that no human could go. Steven clung tightly to Ven's neck while Peridot shrieked in surprise. Within seconds, they were back at the warp.
"Something's wrong back home." Ven set Peridot and Steven down before activating the warp. Once they were back at the barn's warp pad, Ven sped past them. He heard their cries of surprise, but Ven wasn't going to bring them along if there was something dangerous at the barn. Hopefully, he'd be done dealing with the situation before they caught up. Ven stopped at the edge of the barn to surveil the area. His eyes widened in shock. There, standing in front of Twoie with her arm stretched towards him, was Bismuth.