Hello, everyone! Welcome back to 'An Odyssey to Remember!" I'm really excited to get back on this story, and I hope you are all enjoying reading it. If you are enjoying the story, please be sure to favorite and follow, and be sure to check out my other stories as well if you haven't already.
Enjoy the chapter!
I do not own 'Steven Universe.'
Chapter 11
Fight for Survival
Fire Agate lounged on her back upon a flat, smooth slab of stone. She held her wrist up to her forehead in a dramatic fashion, staring morosely up into the Homeworld overworld. The gloom of the Underground matched her forlorn expression.
"An ode to my dearest Gregory Universe," the Agate crooned. "My desire to destroy you is only surpassed by the delight which I relish in the very pursuit of you. The way you so narrowly escape my wrath by the slightest of margins fills me with a determination so great, it brings to life the very flames within the core of my gem."
Fire Agate let out a sigh. "How can you both love and loathe something in such a balanced manner? I often fantasize how I shall terminate you. The very thought of running my blade through your soft, fragile body and witnessing my fire burn you from the inside out fills me with prodigious glee."
The red Gem ran her hand through her crimson, demon-head hair. "And yet, I am given pause. I stay my blade in the hope that you know more than you let on. Have you learned the truth? Can you help me retrieve what was taken from me so long ago? The idea that hope is not yet lost keeps my sword at bay and fills me with a frustration so violent… Oh, Greg…nothing in this world anymore gives me the amount of excitement and animation that you do."
Fire Agate looked to her side. "How was that?"
The Topaz fusion remained unresponsive, standing still and emotionless like some kind of yellow golem.
Fire Agate let out an aggravated groan. "Topazes," she grumbled bitterly. "They can stand guard and keep sturdy until the end of time, but the entire variety is just so dull."
Fire Agate then felt a vibration on her side and sat up off of the stone. She pulled out her communicator and answered the transmission, seeing the face of Yellow Diamond on the device's screen.
"Ah, Yellow Diamond," Fire Agate purred. "To what do I owe the pleasure of your call?"
"I believe I have determined the human's location," said Yellow Diamond. "Take the Topaz fusion and head southeast of your current location."
Fire Agate's eyes lit up with excitement. "Is the human alone?"
"Not likely," Yellow Diamond answered. "But, I'm sure it's nothing you cannot handle. Be quick about it. If my calculations are correct, then the human is getting close to Pink Diamond's Off-Color Factory. The human must not be allowed to reach sanctuary at the Factory. It will be untouchable once more if it gains asylum in Pink Diamond's territory."
"Of course," said Fire Agate. "I will contact you as soon as the matter has been taken care of, Yellow Diamond."
"My Diamond."
Fire Agate blinked. "I'm sorry?"
"I am your Diamond, Agate, and I expect to be addressed as such." Yellow Diamond narrowed her eyes. "Now say it."
Fire Agate managed to maintain a neutral mask. "But of course…my Diamond."
"That's better." Yellow Diamond waved her hand dismissively. "Let me know once the mission is complete. I am looking forward to finally getting rid of Pink Diamond's pet. The wretched creature. A true shame we were never able to wipe out that entire planet."
"Yes, my Diamond."
Yellow Diamond nodded, then the screen went blank.
The device shook as the hand that held it trembled. Fire Agate stared at the blank screen with an unblinking gaze. The fire in her eyes gradually burned brighter and brighter.
"...You…are not…my Diamond."
"Yes, my Diamond."
Yellow Diamond nodded, then with a wave of her hand, the holoscreen displaying Fire Agate's face fazed away.
"After all this time, she still has difficulty addressing me as her Diamond," Yellow Diamond mused.
"YELLOW!"
The entrance to Yellow Diamond's control room opened and Pink Diamond stormed into the yellow room. The look on her face was furious. Pink's Pearl followed behind her, staying by the door.
"Pink, what have I told you about barging in here?" Yellow Diamond calmly asked.
"Call off your Fire Agate, and any other Gems you have out there hunting down my human," Pink ordered. "Do it now!"
Yellow Diamond's eyes widened. "...So it seems it's all out in the open now, hmm?"
"The incident at Blue's Polonium Mine, that was you, wasn't it? You sent a Peridot to kill Greg and make it look at an accident." Pink clenched her fists. "And then you send your most dangerous Gem to make sure he's dead? What's wrong with you?! Why do you want Greg dead that badly?!"
"Stop being so dramatic, Pink," said Yellow. "It's just a-"
"Shut up."
The sheer force of the command was enough to silence Yellow, who raised an eyebrow at Pink in challenge. Both of the Pearls shuffled back from their Diamonds.
"I have had it up to here with you being so infuriatingly condescending towards me," said Pink. "You act like I'm your burden to bear, and I am tired of it. I have accepted the fact that you and the others don't take me seriously. I am fine with that. I don't respect you either."
Yellow Diamond narrowed her eyes at the younger Diamond.
"Call off your Gems," Pink Diamond ordered. "NOW."
"You hardly have the authority to give me orders," Yellow said with a steely tone. "You are the lesser Diamond, not me."
"Lesser?!" Pink demanded in outrage. "I take pride in the fact that I am nothing like-"
Pink's anger was suddenly replaced by revelation. Her gaze focused on one of the screens surrounding Yellow. Yellow followed her gaze and saw with sudden alarm that Pink was looking at a map of the Underground, with a yellow beacon dotting a particular location, the same location Yellow had directed Fire Agate towards only moments ago. Yellow Diamond quickly waved her hand at the screen, causing it to blink away.
"Pearl!" Pink cried.
"Got it." Pearl had already taken her communicator out of her gem. She tapped and swiped away at the pink screen. "Sending the coordinates to Jasper and Amber now."
"Let's go." Pink Diamond made her way out of the control room.
"The actions I have taken have been for you, Pink, not against you!" Yellow shouted. "I am trying to help you!"
Pearl followed her Diamond out of the room, closing the door on her way out.
Yellow Diamond slammed her fist down on her seat's armrest in frustration, making the entire room quake.
"Okay, so, Thanos got the final Infinity Stone, he snapped his fingers, and then wiped out half of all life on Earth?" Peridot asked.
"That's right," said Greg, walking alongside Peridot.
"And no particular group was affected the most?" Peridot continued. "It was half of every group?"
"Yeah, Thanos made sure to leave the scales balanced," Greg explained. "He took half of every group and turned them into dust."
"So…why do anything?" asked Peridot. "They had the Ronan exterminating what was left of Earth's criminal division and the Avengers, or at least, what was left of them, were still protecting and aiding the rest of the humans."
"Yeah, I agree with Peridot," said Doc. "The whole time travel thing just seems like a lot of extra work for little gain."
"Hey, a lot of people had to watch as their loved ones were turned to ash. Billions were killed," Greg argued. "And it wasn't just that. There was a worldwide economy collapse and all that junk. You can't just instantly wipe out half of the human population and expect everything to keep on working the way it did before."
"Yeah, but think long-term," Army chipped in. "How long would it have taken you humans to reestablish everything? Maybe a decade or two?"
"I'm sure it would've taken longer than that," Greg said. "The entire world was affected."
"Well, still. Eventually, you humans would have a properly functioning homeworld again," Army continued. "And thanks to Thanos and Ronan, overpopulation becomes less of a problem, and criminals around the world will be far fewer in number."
"And they went through all of that trouble only for two of their best fighters to shatter?" Eyeball asked.
"Black Widow and Iron Man's death hit hard for all of us," Greg replied softly. "Look, Thanos murdered billions, and the Avengers were able to save them all. How's that a bad thing?"
"I am on your side, Greg," Larimar said. "Mass murder is never okay."
"Thank you, Larimar," said Greg. "At least one of you guys gets it."
There was suddenly a blue glow emitting from behind them. The group stopped walking and turned around to look at Jaguar, who held up Aquamarine's glowing gem.
"Ooo-hoo-hoo! She's reforming!" Navy exclaimed. "It's always such a beautiful sight."
Like a glowing, inflating balloon, Aquamarine's physical form bloomed from her teardrop gem. To the small, winged Gem's terror, she had reformed once again in the long, sharp claws of her Maw Sit Sit keeper.
"I will destroy all of you!" The little, blue Gem screamed. "You will all regret the day you-"
Jaguar's claws sliced through Aquamarine's body and poofed her physical form. The small Gem's gem fell back into the Maw Sit Sit's palm.
"Such an angry little thing." Jaguar smiled, showing off her canines. "She makes having to do this so much more fun."
Leggy stared at the tall, green Gem with a look of fear. "Your fingers scare me," she said.
"I kinda feel bad for Aquamarine," Greg commented. "I can't imagine being sliced apart over and over again is any kind of pleasant experience."
"She tried to kill me," Peridot bitterly reminded her human companion.
"And you tried to kill me," said Greg. "No one's perfect."
"Except for the Diamonds," Eyeball said.
Greg rolled his eyes. "If you say so."
The group continued walking through the Homeworld Underground, with Doc and her Rubies taking the lead and Jaguar bringing up the rear where she could keep an eye on everyone. The Ruby Squad's addition to the team both troubled and pleased Greg. He found each one of the Rubies' personalities to be amusingly endearing. Even Eyeball's remote demeanor and Army's aggressive conduct had a weird charm to them. Greg's favorite of the Rubies had to be Leggy. She had an innocent cluelessness to her that reminded him of Spinel and a little bit of Peridot. It brought up a feeling in Greg that he had never even considered the existence of before. Whenever he thought about Spinel, or Peridot, or Leggy, and sometimes Amethyst, Greg developed a feeling that he could only identify as…a paternal instinct.
And yet, like a painful rip of the bandaid, Greg had to remind himself that none of these beings were actually children, despite their attitudes and behaviors. The Rubies were obedient to a fault to a master they had literally been made for. What scared Greg was that if they ever received the order to do so, they would attack and quite possibly kill Greg with little to no hesitation. It was baffling how different these Rubies were from Garnet's Ruby half. Thinking about the fusion made Greg a little more sad. What he wouldn't have given to have Garnet there to protect them, and maybe try to teach the Rubies how to be more independent from their societal ideals.
Greg's paternal instinct was only further induced as Peridot and Larimar, like scared children, kept close to either side of Greg as they walked, wary of the Ruby Squad in front of them as well as the Maw Sit Sit behind them. Peridot and Larimar didn't fully trust Jaguar yet, despite her being the one who had saved Peridot's life. But despite their fear of the Gem who was made to be a killer, she was still the only thing keeping the Rubies true to their word in their agreement to take Greg and his group to the Off-Color Factory. And if they ran into Fire Agate again, they would need all the help they could get.
A watery growl stopped everyone in their tracks once more. The Rubies immediately got in a fighting stance, but stood down when they realized what it was. Greg blushed with embarrassment as he placed a hand over his growling stomach.
"That's the fifth time you've made that weird growling sound," Doc complained. "Will you cut that out? It's annoying and gross."
"Why do you even keep doing that?" Army asked. "Is there something living inside of you?"
"Whatever it is, I can cut it out of you if you want," Jaguar offered.
"Please just eat the salt, Greg," Larimar begged. "You can't hold out forever."
Greg sighed and reached into his pocket, pulling out the ziploc bag that held his last remaining sustenance salt. He opened the plastic bag and took out the salt, staring at it apprehensively before tossing the large pill-sized crystal into his mouth and swallowing it whole. Once he did, the pain of hunger subsided. He never felt full when he ate the salts, but it always kept him from starving.
"Why did you have to put that thing in your mouth in order to stop your insides from growling at you?" Leggy asked.
"Organic beings require nourishment provided by the consumption of other organic matter in order to remain operational," Peridot explained. "Think of it as providing energy fuel to a machine. Without it, the machine will cease to function."
"And I just ate my last sustenance salt," Greg said. "If I can't get back to Pink Diamond and get more of these things, I'll die."
"Well, that's inconvenient," said Eyeball. "We should have just brought you back to Blue Diamond ourselves. Taking you to Pink Diamond's Factory was a stupid idea."
"I won't abandon Peridot and Larimar," Greg stated.
Doc looked at Jaguar, who bared her teeth at the Ruby Captain. Doc gulped and looked back at Greg. "We'll get you to the Factory, don't worry."
Greg nodded gratefully.
"Let's move!" Doc ordered, continuing the group's trek down the Underground trench.
As they moved down the dead landscape, Eyeball glanced behind her at the human and his three Gem friends sourly before moving in closer to the Captain. She spoke softly, as not to be heard over the sound of the Rubies' marching.
"I'm sure the five of us could take on the Maw Sit Sit," Eyeball said. "Once she's out of the way, we shatter the Peridot, and bring Aquamarine and the human back to Blue Diamond. We can explain to her that the human had a Maw Sit Sit ally that prevented us from–"
"We're proceeding as planned," Doc interrupted her. "We're almost there, Ruby, we just need to keep the human alive and moving for a little bit longer."
"Yellow Diamond's Gems are still looking for it," Eyeball reminded the Captain.
"So are Pink Diamond's Gems," said Doc. "Odds are, they'll end up keeping each other busy while we make our way to the Factory."
"But, Captain–"
"You have your orders." Doc gave Eyeball a sideways glance. "I expect you to obey your Captain."
Eyeball relented, focusing her gaze on the path ahead. "Yes, Ruby."
Behind them, Larimar stared at Eyeball and Doc. She hummed thoughtfully, not being able to hear them but suspecting what they might be talking about.
"I do not trust the Rubies," Larimar whispered to Greg and Peridot.
"They're Rubies. They're basic soldiers with minimal levels of intelligence," Peridot whispered back. "As long as we have Jaguar to intimidate their Captain into doing as we ask, the rest will follow."
"Larimar, we don't have a choice but to rely on the Rubies' help," said Greg. "Let's face it, we need all the help we can get."
Larimar still seemed unconvinced. "How much longer until we reach the Factory?" she asked Peridot.
"Actually, we should be almost there," Peridot replied. "It won't be long now."
"Oh, thank goodness," Larimar said. "It will be good to finally get out of this dreary place. Right, Greg…? Greg?"
"What?" Greg blinked and looked at Larimar. "Oh, sorry. I was just lost in thought there for a second."
"It would seem you have had something upsetting your cognition ever since we departed from the scrapyard," Peridot noted. "Is it something that Larimar and I should be made aware of?"
"I just…" Greg furrowed his brow in concentration. "Something about that sheet of metal you guys dug up. The one with the Great Diamond Authority's logo on it."
"The misprinted one?" Peridot asked. "With Pink Diamond's emblem being red instead of pink?"
"Yeah, that," Greg said. "I feel as though…as though we may have stumbled onto something important. I just got a weird feeling about it, ya know?"
"It was just a misprinted shuttle bay door, Greg. The scrapyard was full of faulty equipment," said Peridot.
"Maybe…maybe it wasn't a misprint."
Peridot raised an eyebrow at Greg. "What do you m-"
The ground shook violently as something suddenly crashed down in front of the group. Greg was the only one who couldn't maintain his footing, falling down onto his butt.
"What the hell?" Greg looked past the Rubies and his eyes widened with fear. "Oh, crap. It's her. Or, them, I guess?"
The yellow goliath that had crashed in front of them rose to her feet. She pulled a mace out of either of the gems on either side of her head and clasped them together, putting together her pugil stick.
"A Topaz fusion!" Peridot cried out fearfully. "Their molecular density and superior strength make them nearly impossible to stop!"
Through her visor, Topaz's gaze settled on Greg as he stood back up.
Greg gulped. "Well, at least it's just her."
"It's not though."
Everyone turned around to see Fire Agate standing before them, hands folded calmly behind her back underneath her lava-colored cape.
Peridot began to tremble in terror, shuffling backward to hide behind Greg and Larimar. Greg's mouth went dry at the sight of the tall, red Gem.
"Speak of the Devil, and she shall appear," Greg breathed.
"Hi, Greg." Fire Agate waved her hand with a pleasant smile. "You're a hard human to find. And I see you've made some more friends. A gaggle of Rubies, nice, nice. And is that a Maw Sit Sit? I didn't know there were any of them left. My word, Greg, your talent for making powerful friends is astounding."
Jaguar let out a serpentine growl. She flicked Aquamarine's gem away and extended her claws. "Emphasisssssss on the word 'powerful.'"
Fire Agate grinned and narrowed her eyes. She reached up to her gem and pulled out her flaming sword, brandishing the weapon like a pro. "This should be fun."
"Jaguar, no!" Greg cried. "She'll kill you!"
"Then I shall perish in glory, doing what I was made to do." Jaguar turned her head slightly enough to keep her focus on Fire Agate. "Now run."
"Okay!" Peridot spun around and sped away. Larimar followed after her.
Ignoring the two fleeing Gems, Fire Agate rushed at Greg. But Jaguar intercepted her, leaping upon the red Gem and spinning her around, using the Agate's own momentum against her as Jaguar flung her into the trench wall, leaving a large crater where she landed.
Jaguar took a moment to glare at Greg. "RUN YOU FOOL!"
Greg gave the tall, black-haired Gem one more worried look before sprinting after Peridot and Larimar. Topaz saw this and made to go after the human and the two Gems, but the Rubies got in front of her before Topaz could go after the three of them.
"Assemble!" Doc commanded. The four other Rubies jumped up onto their captain and formed a sort of cheerleader pyramid, almost resembling a body.
"Rubies com-bine!"
The five Rubies glowed, then they began to fuse. In a few short seconds, a giant Ruby loomed over Topaz. The Ruby fusion let out a roar, ready to do battle.
Topaz blinked. She finally displayed an emotion, but that emotion turned out to be worry. And she was right to worry, since the Ruby fusion came forward and kicked the Topaz like a soccer ball, sending the broad, yellow Gem flying over the ground, crashing into one of the canyon walls. The Ruby fusion let out another battle cry before charging after Topaz.
Greg and Larimar followed Peridot as she ran through the Underground. All three of them had come to a unanimous, unspoken agreement that they all needed to get to the Off-Color Factory as fast as possible. And since Peridot was the only one of them who knew how to navigate the Underground without becoming hopelessly lost, it was up to her to take the lead.
"We can make it!" Peridot shouted. "We're almost there!" Whether she actually meant it or was desperately trying to keep her hopes up, it was hard to tell.
Meanwhile, Fire Agate and Jaguar danced the dance of death around each other. Jaguar was fast, but so was Fire Agate. The Maw Sit Sit tried to find and strike at an opening, moving at rapid speeds all around Fire Agate, often running around her enemy on all fours in an attempt to catch her off guard. But the Agate left her opponent no openings. Jaguar's claws would be met by Fire Agate's blade every time she struck. It was beginning to leave burning cuts on her long claws.
Fire Agate took the offensive, putting some distance between her and Jaguar before swinging her sword and sending fireball after fireball at the black and green Gem. The Maw Sit Sit bounced around on all fours like a nimble leopard, fleeing each of the violent explosions the fireballs left when they made contact with the ground. Jaguar leaped onto the trench walls and began to scurry along the wall, dodging each of the explosive fireballs.
A single, tall flame came to life at the tip of Fire Agate's flaming sword. She brought the tip of the blade to her mouth and blew hard, sending a powerful column of fire at Jaguar. The Gem on the wall quickly crawled away as Fire Agate's flaming breath followed after her. Jaguar went up, and the fire followed her. Once she was high enough, Jaguar planted her feet on the wall and pushed off with surprising power, shooting off of the wall like an arrow from a bow. She sailed parallel to the column of flame right at Fire Agate.
A swipe of the claws resulted in a cry of pain from Fire Agate and an end to the billowing flames. The sheer force of the strike caused Fire Agate to be thrown back a bit, landing hard on the ground but rolling back and onto her feet once more. Jaguar simply slid to a stop, grinding her feet into the ground and keeping her stance closed and ready for an attack.
Fire Agate brought her hand to her face. Five cuts of different lengths ran diagonally across her profile, and the right tip of her hair had been sliced off. The fire in the Agate's eyes burned with a desire to kill.
"I'm impressed," said Fire Agate. "You actually managed to land a hit on me. There are few Gems in this universe that can say the same."
Jaguar grinned smugly. "And one human, if I am not mistaken."
Fire Agate grinned back maliciously. "Indeed so. And after I kill you, he's next."
Jaguar rushed at Fire Agate, swinging her claws at the red Gem. Fire Agate parried each strike with her sword, matching Jaguar's speed and technique with her own.
"Why do you protect the human?" Fire Agate demanded as they fought. "You were made to shatter, the same as I. What made you into a protector?"
"There exists not a single being in this universe that cares about me, except that human," Jaguar said. "I pity you, for that is more than what can be said about you."
Fire Agate ground her teeth and waited for Jaguar to strike. When the attack came, Fire Agate managed to plant a powerful counterattack with her fist, driving it into the side of the Maw Sit Sit's face. Jaguar was sent flying back into the trench wall. The blow didn't hit the gem hidden under her bangs, but the strike did leave Jaguar feeling somewhat disoriented.
"You know, I was really disappointed when I heard that they were discontinuing the Maw Sit Sits after they were all shattered in the War. Such competent killers. Incredibly useful," Fire Agate commented. "I wonder. Were any of the other Maw Sit Sits more competent fighters than you? Did I get cheated out of a better fight? Hmm… Well, seeing as how you're the only one who survived…I suppose not."
Jaguar let out an angry hiss and rushed at Fire Agate once more, claws extended and ready to do damage.
Fire Agate swung her sword with all her might as the claws met the blade.
Her sword cut straight through Jaguar's claws. The Maw Sit Sit reeled back and cried out in agony as her fingers fell to the ground and, one by one, poofed.
Jaguar held up her hands and examined her now lack of fingers or claws. Her body started to glitch like poor static as her physical form began to fail. Fire Agate's smile was both calm and victorious, like it was a victory she had fully expected to win. Jaguar looked into the Agate's fiery eyes.
"...Tell the human…I said…thank you," said Jaguar. "He gave my life…new meaning…"
Jaguar's body poofed, and her gem fell to the ground.
Fire Agate, her smile now gone, walked up and picked up the Maw Sit Sit gem. She examined the gem as it rested in her palm.
"...You and me both," she said before heading after Greg.
Topaz managed to put up a decent fight, but to her regret, the Ruby fusion was the one winning that brawl. Both of the fusions were made for strength, but the tactical truth was; the five Rubies were built for combat, and had more strength combined than the two Topazes did.
The Ruby fusion swung her fists at Topaz, who deflected both of the attacks with her pugil stick and landed a strong counterattack on Ruby, striking the larger fusion's face with her weapon. Ruby reeled back and growled angrily before continuing her attack. If there had been fewer Rubies, then it might have been an even match. While Rubies were made to be fiery combatants perfect for offense, Topazes were solid stoics built for defensive purposes. However, the Topazes were outnumbered, and both of the fusions knew it.
The Ruby fusion let out a roar before charging straight at Topaz, barreling into her and ramming the yellow Gem into the trench wall, resulting in a small quake. Topaz tried to fight back, but she was overpowered by the larger fusion. With a victorious grin, the Ruby fusion grabbed both sides of Topaz's head and ripped out her gems. Topaz's big, physical body poofed like a giant balloon filled with yellow, volatile gas.
"Get cracked, ya pebble!" Ruby tossed the two Topaz gems aside and looked behind her. "Alright, now who's next?!"
The Ruby fusion suddenly realized that no one else was around. Not the human, nor the Fire Agate. The fusion was filled with dread and her face showed it.
"Oh, no. Oh no, oh no, oh no." The Ruby fusion began to frantically look around. "Where'd the human go?"
Peridot, Larimar, and Greg all ran as fast as their feet could carry them. Greg was already starting to feel exhausted, but he knew his life depended on fleeing from Fire Agate.
"It should be just up ahead," said Peridot. "A service tunnel previously purposed for transporting equipment and supplies. To my knowledge, the service tunnel is no longer used, but it should take us directly to Pink Diamond's Off-Color Factory."
"Oh, thank Christ, it's almost over," Greg said between breaths. "I'm not sure how much more of this I can take."
"We must keep going, Greg!" Larimar cried. "Just a little further!"
And so they continued to run. They ran until, as promised, Peridot led them to a tunnel dug into the large trench wall big enough for a semi-truck to drive through. If it hadn't been for the tunnel, the spacious trench they were in would have been nothing but a dead end.
"There!" Peridot shouted without stopping. "Into the tunnel!"
A big fireball shot toward the trench wall, above the tunnel entrance. One powerful explosion later, the wall fell apart, and rocks big and small fell down in front of the entrance until a giant pile of rocks blocked the way forward.
The trio's faces filled with despair and terror as they came to a halt. They all turned around to see Fire Agate standing before them, her right hand calmly and casually resting upon the pommel of her sword like it were a fancy cane.
"No," Greg breathed.
"Yes," said Fire Agate. "I'm afraid it all ends now, my dear human."
Greg took notice of the scars on Fire Agate's face. "Where's Jaguar?" he demanded.
Fire Agate paused for a second before raising her other arm, showing Greg the green gem that rested on her palm.
Greg gasped. "Jaguar!"
"She wanted me to tell you 'thank you,'" said Fire Agate. Her tone wasn't at all condescending or gloating, instead speaking respectfully. "You brought excitement and purpose back into her existence…much like you have done for me. And for that, such as I am…she was grateful."
Fire Agate crushed the gem in her hand, bringing the Maw Sit Sits to extinction.
"NOOOO!"
Fire Agate let the shards fall from her gloved hand and onto the ground. Greg fell to his knees, staring at what had once been Jaguar's gem. The look on his face was pure grief. Larimar and Peridot watched the whole thing with looks of despair of their own.
"...You…you didn't have to do that," Greg whispered.
"Ah, but I did." Fire Agate let out a sigh. "...I meant what I said, you know. You're the first thing in millennia to give me such an intense sense of determination. After I kill you, I dread the thought of what I shall do without you. Nothing fills me with the fervor that you do anymore, Greg. My life was so boring before you came along."
"You're a fucking psychopath," said Greg.
Fire Agate chuckled. "I am what I was made to be, my dear human, 'fucking' or not. On Homeworld, we all are." She then raised her sword at Greg. "But, now…you have to die. I have truly enjoyed our game a great deal, my dear Greg, but I'm afraid that I must conclude the fun with me as the victor. A true shame, really. It was the humans that took away my true purpose all those years ago. I had hoped you'd be the one to help me get it back."
"Your job is to kill me, I get that. But let Peridot and Larimar go. They've done nothing to you or Yellow Diamond." Greg begged, not caring at the moment what the Agate was talking about. "...Please."
"To show my appreciation for being so much fun, I'll let the Larimar run free," said Fire Agate. "The Peridot though,"
Quicker than Greg could blink, Fire Agate sent another ball of fire at Peridot. The explosion was much smaller and more focused this time, but it did manage to poof Peridot and send her gem flying away, landing somewhere out of reach. The explosion took Greg and Larimar by surprise. Out of reflex, they had both raised their arms and shielded their faces from the explosion, so they couldn't see where Peridot's gem had landed.
"Peridot, no!" Greg cried.
"Peridot!" Larimar wailed. She began to look around for the green Gem. "Where is she?!"
"She's not going anywhere." Fire Agate stalked towards Greg. "And now, to take care of you."
But before she could, something like a meteor crashed into Fire Agate.
Greg and Larimar raised their arms once more to shield themselves from the debris that the sudden impact had sent flying into the air. When the dust cleared, Greg and Larimar could see what had crashed into Fire Agate. Or who, rather. She was tall and buff, with orange skin with red markings like war paint. Her hair was like cinnamon butter and her stance was like a Spartan general.
"Who is that?" Larimar asked.
"Wait, I recognize her," said Greg. "She's part of Pink Diamond's group. I think her name is Jasper."
Fire Agate, who had been thrown back a few yards by the impact, got back on her feet to see what the heck had rammed into her at the speed of a comet. When she saw Jasper standing between her and the human, her eyes widened with surprise.
"Jasper?" A big smile then graced the Agate's lips. "Jasper."
A large explosion from behind them drew Greg and Larimar's sudden attention. They looked behind them to see the pile of rocks blocking the tunnel entrance be blown away. Once the rubble had been blasted away and the entrance was cleared, a familiar, honey-colored Gem came out of the tunnel, grinning like a maniac.
"Demolition!" Amber shouted. "It is frightening how much I enjoyed blowing that up!"
"Amber!" Greg cheered.
"Human! Take the Larimar and go!" Jasper ordered.
"Wait." Greg started looking around to see where Peridot's gem had landed. "We have to find-"
"GO! NOW!" Jasper roared.
"Greg, come on!" Amber shouted.
"Greg." Larimar took Greg's hand in her own. Her voice was soft and her face portrayed nothing but sorrow and grief. "We have to go."
Greg took one more frantic look around, trying to spot Peridot's gem. Then, with even more grief in his heart than before, he sprinted towards Amber with Larimar following behind.
"There he goes yet again. Saved from my sword by another narrow miracle." Fire Agate chuckled darkly and shook her head. "But, if I'm being honest, I don't mind it as much this time."
Fire Agate raised her sword and got into a fighting stance, eyes blazing as they focused on Jasper.
"This fight has been long overdue."
The Ruby fusion chose that moment to show up. She saw Fire Agate and then she saw Greg and Larimar escape into the tunnel at the end of the trench with an odd, orange-yellow Gem. Thinking on impulse, the fusion picked up a large nearby rock and set the rock aflame. With a loud roar, the Ruby fusion chucked the flaming rock in the same place above the tunnel where Fire Agate had thrown her fireball. The impact of the flaming boulder caused even more rocks to fall this time, once again blocking the entrance into the tunnel.
"Yeah!" The Ruby fusion raised her fists in the air. "Alright, now who wants a piece of-"
Ruby then noticed Jasper. She gasped loudly and her eyes lit up.
"Great Diamonds, you're Pink Diamond's Jasper!" Ruby let out an excited squeal as she grinned and shook her hands. "We've heard so much about you! It's an absolute honor to finally meet you! Do you have a moment? I would love to hear a few things from you about-"
Jasper and Fire Agate both gave the Ruby fusion an irritated look.
Ruby frowned and looked back and forth between the two Quartzes. "...Uh, you know what? You look like you're busy. So, I'm just, uh…" The fusion coughed into her fist in embarrassment. "I'm just gonna go. Or…" Ruby's eyes filled with hope and excitement. "Could I maybe stick around and watch the fight-"
"Just get out of here!" the Quartzes both shouted.
"Okay, okay! Geez, I'm going." The Ruby fusion turned around and walked away. "I'm rooting for you, Jasper!" she shouted as she left.
"Rubies," Fire Agate commented sourly. "Believe it or not, I was modeled after the common Ruby. Not particularly proud of that, considering how utterly stupid most of them are."
"They have their uses," said Jasper. "They were made to fight, just like me and you."
"I was made to enforce." Fire Agate turned her attention back to Jasper. "I was made to inspire fear and loyalty as the right hand of my Diamond. No Gem below the Diamonds could ever hope to rival my power."
Jasper summoned her crash helmet. "And then I came along."
"Indeed." Fire Agate raised her blade at Jasper. "I almost find your very existence insulting. The one other warrior in the universe who can put up a fair fight against me, and the Little Diamond has you keeping her pet human alive. Sure, you earned your fame during the Crystal Gem Rebellion on Earth, but after that, the work Pink Diamond has had you doing is just pitiful."
"I am a protector, as is my Diamond," said Jasper.
"Your Diamond is pathetic and weak," Fire Agate replied harshly. "You need not model yourself after her."
Jasper growled. "Enough!"
Fire Agate smirked. "...As you wish." With a swing of her sword, the Agate became engulfed in a violent inferno.
Jasper, with her long hair, rolled into a ball, spinning in place and building up power. She began to emit a yellow pulse of pure energy.
Jasper shot forward like cannon fire, glowing like a comet, her crash helmet aimed at her opponent. Fire Agate swung her blade at the oncoming meteor of a Gem, and the violent collision of forces caused an explosion of tremendous power.
Greg, Larimar, and Amber all felt the explosion as they hurried through the tunnel. It shook the very foundation of the tunnel, causing dust and a few rocks to fall from the ceiling. The three of them came to a halt and listened to explosion after explosion sound off and shake the tunnel.
"It seems like Jasper is keeping Fire Agate occupied for us." Amber sighed lovingly. "Now that I would have liked to see. Jasper is so gonna wipe the floor with that stuck-up Agate."
Greg panted from exhaustion, but he still couldn't stop smiling. "I can't tell you how happy I am to see you, Amber."
Amber came up and embraced Greg. She had a big, crazy grin on her face as she hoisted the human off his feet, continuing to hug him.
"You're happy?! Do you have any idea how thrilled I am to know you're still alive?!" Amber swung Greg from side to side. "We were all so worried about you! What happened to you?!"
"It's a long story," Greg wheezed. He sucked some air back into his lungs after Amber put him back down. "I lost the backpack you gave me. Sorry about that. It got ripped to shreds."
"By who?" Amber pointed at Larimar. "By her?"
"Of course not. Greg is my friend," said Larimar. "I am called Larimar. I met Greg in the old Ice Quarry. I am the reason he is still alive."
"It's true, she is," Greg confirmed.
Another explosion made the tunnel shake.
"Let's walk and talk," said Amber.
The three of them quickly walked through the tunnel, deciding it was best to make distance between them and Fire Agate.
"So, if it wasn't your new Larimar friend here, then what ruined the backpack I gave you?" Amber asked.
"A Maw Sit Sit I met in a cave," Greg answered.
"A Mawww–WHAT?!" Amber cried. "And she didn't kill you?!"
"No." Greg hung his head. His eyes shimmered with the potential for tears. "In fact…she died…protecting me."
Larimar hung her head as well. Amber's eyes widened and then softened as she began to understand.
"Greg, I…I'm so sorry," Amber said softly. "I'm not sure how close you were to that Maw Sit Sit,"
"I nicknamed her Jaguar, after a deadly predator on Earth."
"Oh." Amber bit her lip and looked away.
"And Peridot," Greg looked back down the tunnel towards where they had left the little, green Gem behind. "She's still out there."
"Peridot?" Amber asked.
"She's the one who's been guiding me and Larimar through the Underground to the Off-Color Factory," Greg explained. "Yellow Diamond ordered Peridot to kill me in the Polonium Mine and make it look like an accident. But Yellow Diamond betrayed her. She wanted me and Peridot to both die, just to make sure the truth never got out. We came to a truce and started traveling together. We became friends."
Greg closed his eyes. A tear trailed down either cheek. "And I just…abandoned her."
"Peridot is clever and resourceful," said Larimar. "I'm sure she'll be fine."
"We have to go back and get her," Greg said. "The three Diamonds have a bounty on her head, right? Even Pink. We have to go back for her."
Another explosion shook the tunnel. This one sounded even more powerful than the last few explosions.
"Greg…we can't go back," Amber softly told the human. "I'm sorry about your friend. I really am. But…we have to keep going."
Greg looked back down the tunnel. Grief and pain shone in his eyes. He pictured Peridot hanging in a duct tape harness on his chest. Calling him a clod, being so cute yet condescending.
"...I'm sorry," he whispered before continuing down the tunnel, head hung low. Amber looked at Larimar, who had a similar look on her own face, before following the two of them down the tunnel.
In the dreary Underground, there lay on the ground a little, blue stone. That little, blue stone began to glow, and rise into the air. After a few moments, the figure of a small, blue girl with wings of water emerged from that stone, which now was embedded in the blue girl's cheek.
Aquamarine let out a frightened gasp as she fell to the ground. In a panic, she looked around, startled to see that she was all alone.
"Where did everyone go?" she asked in her cute, little voice. "'Ello? 'Ellooooo?"
Aquamarine flapped her wings and rose up into the air, flying above the ground in an attempt to find somebody.
"Oh, where are those backstabbing bunch a' Rubies? I'll give 'em what for, I will." Aquamarine sighed. "This at least beats being repeatedly poofed every time after I reform. That much is for sure."
Aquamarine flew around the trench she was in, looking around to find whatever could be found. She eventually spotted a pair of yellow gems lying on the ground, several yards from where she had reformed. Curious, Aquamarine flew down to the two gems, recognizing them as Topazes.
"Well, well. What 'ave we here?" Aquamarine picked up one of the Topaz gems. "Poofed and left behind, eh? Yeah, you and me both."
The Topaz gem in her hand began to glow. Aquamarine let out startled shout and tossed the gem away, landing it next to the other Topaz gem which had begun to glow as well. The two gems rose in the air and after a few seconds, the large, thick bodies of two Topaz Gems formed out of their gems. They both landed on the ground, causing a small, short quake, and began to look around. Since they were so tall and she was so small, the Topazes didn't even notice Aquamarine standing in front of them, much to Aquamarine's annoyance.
"Down here, ya sods."
The two Topazes looked down and spotted Aquamarine, arms crossed and tapping her foot, glaring at the two of them in irritation.
"Not all that observant, are you?" Aquamarine flapped her wings and flew up to the Topazes' level of vision. The little Gem took note of the sigil on the Topazes' chests. "Ah, so Yellow Diamond sent the two of you, eh? I'm one of Blue Diamond's myself."
The Topazes remained silent as they stared at Aquamarine.
"You were sent to exterminate the human, weren't ya? Don't bother denying it, I know it's true." Aquamarine placed a hand on her chest. "I, on the other hand, was sent to find the human and bring him back to Blue Diamond alive and well."
Aquamarine's face darkened. "But, I no longer care about that. Oh, no. After the humiliation I have endured because of that creature, I think I would actually take a great deal of delight from seeing the human's existence come to an abrupt end. As such, I have a proposition for you."
The Topazes just blinked.
Aquamarine clapped her hands together. "Your mission is to ensure the human's death, correct? I'd be willing to help you with that, so long as you kept my involvement to yourself. My squadron of Rubies has run off to who knows where and I don't care. So, I propose that you and I team up. I'm sure you need my help to track down the human. And if I'm being honest, I don't think I can 'take care' of the human on my own. Together, we can find and destroy that human. You get to complete your mission, I am rewarded with the satisfaction of watching that disgusting creature die, and afterward, I'll find some way to blame my failed mission on those treacherous Rubies."
Aquamarine flew in a little closer to the Topazes. "What say you?"
The two Topazes looked at each other, coming to a silent agreement. They looked back at Aquamarine and both nodded.
Aquamarine grinned evilly. "Splendid."
The Topazes hooked their arms together and fused into one. The now fused Topaz stared down at Aquamarine, awaiting orders.
"Now, let's get going, shall we?" Aquamarine rubbed her chin thoughtfully as she looked around. "Where to though?"
They both heard a loud explosion from nearby. The Aquamarine and the Topaz fusion both looked in the direction that the loud sound had come from.
"Not that way," said Aquamarine. She then flew off, with Topaz following after her.
Fire Agate slammed into the trench wall, leaving a large spider web of cracks in the stone. She dove out of the way just in time before Jasper crashed into the wall, making the spider web of cracks even bigger. Jasper redirected her attack and rocketed towards Fire Agate. Jasper's helmet met the tip of the Agate's flaming sword. Fire Agate pressed her weapon against Jasper's helmet as the red Gem was pushed back, her feet leaving a twin trail of fire as they dug into the ground. She managed to slow down Jasper's advance as she held strong against the attack.
With an expert twirl, Fire Agate spun around and struck the side of Jasper's helmet. The attack shattered the helmet's visor and sent Jasper barrelling into the trench wall. Fire Agate took a deep inhale and breathed out a torrent of fire. Jasper braced herself against the flames, raising her arms to shield herself. Step by step, she pushed through the fire. Although it burned, Jasper was tough enough to endure it. And when she got close enough to Fire Agate, the long-haired Gem sent a fist flying, making contact with the Agate's face and ending the flames. Fire Agate was thrown off her feet. She landed painfully on her back a few yards away.
Jasper stalked towards Fire Agate, who rolled onto her side and was about to get back up and continue to fight. But she froze when she spotted something next to her on the ground. It was the green gem of a Peridot. A wicked idea suddenly formed in Fire Agate's mind.
"I submit!"
Jasper stopped in her tracks, eyeing Fire Agate suspiciously.
Slowly and calmly, Fire Agate rose to her feet, leaving her sword on the ground. For a minute, the two beat-up and cut-up Quartzes just stared each other down. Then Fire Agate raised her hands in surrender, but the gesture seemed more playful than serious. Regardless of this, Jasper chose to hear her out.
"Fighting you has been exhilarating. It truly has," said Fire Agate. "However, I still have a mission to complete and a quota to fill." She glanced at the blocked-off tunnel. "It seems that the human has escaped me yet again, and is en route to the Off-Color Factory. I am well aware that you will not allow me to go after the human. So instead, how about I just take what I can get and be on my way?"
Fire Agate slowly reached her hand down to the ground. Thinking she was going to pick up her sword, Jasper growled threateningly, taking a warning step forward. But instead of picking up her sword, Fire Agate picked up the green gem that Jasper had failed to notice until now.
"This here is the Peridot that, as you may have already figured out, attempted to kill the human in Blue Diamond's Polonium Mine at the command of Yellow Diamond," said Fire Agate. "Yellow Diamond wanted to cover up the whole thing, so she sent out an order that the Peridot must be shattered. However, with all that has happened and with Pink Diamond no doubt having already figured out Yellow Diamond's failed plan, I have decided to bring the Peridot straight to Yellow Diamond, so that she may determine her fate."
Jasper raised an eyebrow.
"My two targets were the human and the Peridot. Because of you, can no longer go after the human." Fire Agate waved Peridot's gem at Jasper. "The Peridot, on the other hand, has now been apprehended. Here's what I propose: Let me leave peacefully with my second target, and I'll leave the human alone."
Jasper narrowed her eyes.
"Your mission is to protect my first target, but I'm pretty sure that Pink Diamond doesn't care what ill fate befalls my second target," Fire Agate continued. "So, simply let me leave with at least one of my targets. It's not a complete victory, but it'll be better than going back empty-handed. And you'll be keeping the human safe, as is your mission."
Jasper stared at Fire Agate for a long time before finally saying anything. "...If I let you leave with the Peridot, then you'll leave the human alone?"
Fire Agate shrugged. "For now, at least. You don't actually expect me to let bygones be bygones now, do you? I will, however, give temporary relent."
"I know you have a vendetta against the human," said Jasper. "I'm supposed to believe that you're just gonna let him slip away like that just so you can turn in a Peridot?"
"I still have a Diamond to appease," said Fire Agate. "The human might have been the primary target, but I think we can both agree that returning to Yellow Diamond with nothing is a horrible idea. Let me take the Peridot back, and the human won't have to worry about me…for the time being."
Jasper continued to stare at Fire Agate. The two of them didn't move a muscle as they held each other's gazes.
"...Scram," Jasper finally said.
Fire Agate grinned and bowed her head in gratitude. She walked away, examining Peridot's gem as if it were a prize she had just won.
"Fire Agate."
The Agate stopped and turned her head. Jasper glared daggers at the Agate's caped back.
"I advise you to stay away from the human," Jasper commented coldly. "If it comes down to it…I will shatter you."
Fire Agate smiled. "Of course you will. After all, it's what you were made for."
With that said, Fire Agate walked away, leaving Jasper alone. Once she was far enough away from the long-haired Gem, Fire Agate held up Peridot's gem and grinned at it with anticipation.
"Oh, you'll do nicely."
Blue Diamond, seated in her main control room, tapped, slid, and swiped away at the screens surrounding her. Her hood was up, hiding her snow-white hair.
Her Pearl stood by Blue Diamond's side, tracing her finger along her screen. The timid Pearl had always been talented at displaying little to no emotion, one of the many features that Blue Diamond found satisfactory in her making. And yet, there was something…off, about the Pearl. Something only barely visible. It was something that resembled…worry? Perhaps sorrow.
Bored of her work and curious of her Pearl, Blue Diamond leaned over to peer down at her servant. "What are you doing, Pearl?"
Blue Pearl froze, her hand hovering over her screen. "I was…doing nothing of any importance, my Diamond."
"Then you will not mind showing me what it is you are doing." Blue Diamond reached her hand down to her Pearl. "Let me see."
Blue Pearl hesitated before placing her screen on Blue Diamond's two fingers. Blue Diamond brought her hand up to her face to look upon the device resting on her index finger and middle finger. At first, she thought her Pearl had drawn the likeness of a Quartz soldier. But her eyes widened as she realized that her Pearl had sketched the likeness of Pink Diamond's human.
"Ah. I see now." Blue Diamond looked back at her Pearl. "You miss the human."
Blue Pearl hung her head low, clasping her hands together and holding them up to the gem in her chest. "I am content with your presence, my Diamond."
Blue Diamond chuckled softly. "It is okay, my Pearl. Truth be told, I miss the human as well."
This took Blue Pearl by surprise. She unclasped her hands and looked up at her Diamond, but didn't dare look directly at her face.
"The human made Pink Diamond happy. Happier than we could ever make her. Even the Pearl we gifted to her, who was made to make Pink happy, never could." Blue Diamond sighed. "But then, the human comes along, and manages to connect with Pink in a way that I nor the other Diamonds ever could. Such delightful company, the human makes. I must admit, I find that I miss conversing with it. Or him, rather."
"Indeed," Blue Pearl replied softly.
Blue Diamond gave her Pearl another curious look. BP turned her head away, hoping to conceal her blush.
"...You seem to have truly grown quite fond of that human." Blue Diamond tilted her head. "You know…I can arrange for Greg to have temporary ownership of you, if you desire to spend more time with him before either Homeworld or time brings his existence to an end, or if Pink Diamond decides to send him back to Earth during her next Earth Collection."
Blue Pearl blushed and gaped at her Diamond. She felt confused and fearful as well as excited and eager. "M-my loyalty is to you, and you alone, my Diamond."
"I know it is, which is why I am willing to reward you for your service to me," said Blue Diamond. "It would only be temporary, you would be brought back to my side once the human is gone. Whether you wish for it or not, I plan to give you to Greg regardless. I believe I have an idea."
Blue Pearl blinked her eyes a few times behind her bangs. "What-"
The entrance to Blue Diamond's control room opened and Yellow Diamond stormed in. "Blue! We need to talk!"
"And you lecture Pink on simply barging in unannounced," Blue Diamond chided. "What is it, Yellow? I have work to do and I imagine that you do as well."
"I need your help to convince Pink to get rid of that filthy human!" said Yellow.
"So it's still alive?" Blue asked.
"Yes. And I believe it's either on its way to Pink's Factory or has been found and saved by Pink's Gems." Yellow blinked and glanced to the side. "According to my…informants."
"And by informants, you mean the Gems you sent to terminate the human," Blue guessed.
"It needs to die!" Yellow exclaimed. "As long as that human is alive, it runs the risk of ruining everything! Surely, you see this!"
Blue Diamond drummed her fingers along the armrest of her seat in a gentle rhythm, taking a moment before replying.
"...I find it rather pitiful that the human manages to scare you so badly."
Yellow Diamond's face portrayed only outrage and anger. "I am the Yellow Diamond! I fear nothing!"
"And yet, you fear a single, gentle-natured human bard." Blue Diamond stood up from her seat and faced her fellow Diamond, removing her hood and staring directly into Yellow's eyes. "You feared the human so much that you found it necessary to cause all of that damage to my Polonium Mine. And yes, I know it was you. Or rather, a Peridot acting on your command."
Yellow Diamond gritted her teeth. "...That…that was an accident. I never meant for any damage to be wrought upon your-"
"Save it, Yellow. It hardly matters now." Blue Diamond narrowed her eyes. "You damaged my Mine, and then you come to me, asking for my help to finish what you started? I find it quite ridiculous if you expect me to help you."
"Do you truly have no objections towards Pink's…attachment, to that organic creature?" Yellow asked. "Everything was fine until that thing showed up!"
"Everything was fine, Yellow, until you decided to interfere, succeeding only in making the situation worse," Blue Diamond said. "As you always do with Pink."
"Are we really having this argument again?" Yellow asked in frustration. "You are too soft on her, you always have been. But that is not the issue right now! My concern rests upon what the human may know about what happened all those millennia ago! Pink cannot be allowed to discover that-"
"And she won't, because the human obviously knows nothing," Blue interrupted, knowing full well what Yellow was afraid of Pink learning. "What you are doing is only making Pink resent us more."
"You mean 'me.' She'll resent me more," said Yellow. "Meanwhile, you hug her and tell her that everything is okay. You always take her side, like you did when you sent those Rubies to rescue the human, yes, I know about them, and you force me to be the villain."
"I have never encouraged her poor, immature behavior," Blue stated angrily. "She is a Diamond, and she needs to act like it. On that, we agree. But you know just as well as I do that Pink is…different, from you and me. Despite our efforts, we have failed again and again to make her more like us. And despite your efforts, Pink is about to be reunited with her human. I know it's not in your nature, and I've always respected you for it, but you need to realize when you've lost."
"We need to take that human away from her!" Yellow shouted.
"Let her keep it," said Blue. "The human's presence pacifies Pink, who we both know is prone to the occasional tantrum. Even I find the human's company to be rather soothing. If Pink does get her human back, I will definitely continue to borrow it."
"You need to stop being so enabling!" Yellow shouted.
"You need to stop being so controlling," said Blue.
"You are soft. You always have been!"
"And you, Yellow Diamond, Commander of the Homeworld Military, have always been a coward."
Yellow Diamond's face became filled with rage. Electricity danced along her body. "What did you say to me?"
"I said you are a coward," Blue calmly repeated. "You're so afraid of Pink learning the truth, you're so afraid of the unorthodoxy of Pink's methods upsetting Homeworld's system, you attack the problem, Pink, head on in the only way you know how: with violence and wrath."
"Stop making me sound like the problem!" Yellow demanded. "Have you forgotten all of the damage Pink's foolishness has caused?! The structures that have fallen, the ships that have crashed?! For galaxy's sake, Blue, how many times has Pink stowed away organic creatures onto your ships?! I've lost count of how many times I've seen you with organic creatures crawling in and out of your hair once they got loose!"
Blue shuddered with disgust. "I promise you, I have never enjoyed that. There have been numerous times when I have been absolutely furious with Pink. But she's made…minimal progress, over the years. And now that she has her beloved pet human, I believe, contrary to your concerns, that having the human with her may, in fact, be beneficial."
"What are you talking about?" Yellow demanded.
"Well, think about it. She hates listening to you and try as I may, I can't seem to connect with or get through to her," Blue explained. "This human, however, Pink seems to enjoy being with more than her Pearl even. And you know how close she is to her own Gems. Here's my plan: let Pink keep her human, who knows nothing, so stop with your paranoia, and we use the human to 'coax' Pink into being a more proper Diamond."
"How are we supposed to accomplish that?" Yellow asked skeptically. "The human won't do as we ask, even if we promise to bring it back to Earth. Its loyalty lies with Pink."
"Simple," said Blue. "I gift my Pearl to the human, and she will manipulate the human into convincing Pink to be more like us."
Blue Pearl was taken aback by this. A tiny, barely audible gasp escaped her lips as she understood Blue Diamond's 'reward' to her.
"What makes you think the human is going to listen to anything your Pearl has to say?" Yellow asked. "The thing may not know much, but it should know by now that Pearls aren't meant to be taken seriously."
"I believe my Pearl has managed to win the human over," said Blue Diamond. "The human is an organic male specimen. They have an attraction to organic females, which my Pearl, and most other Gems, resemble. My Pearl should be more than capable of…oh, what's the word…'seducing' the human."
Pearl blushed, her whole face turning a different shade of blue.
"So your plan is to turn your Pearl into an undercover agent?" Yellow asked. "Have her manipulate the human, who appears to have the most influence on Pink, so that we can indirectly manipulate Pink."
"We're not 'manipulating' Pink. We're simply doing it my way this time," Blue explained. "with words that are sweet instead of harsh, as yours tend to be."
Yellow chuckled bitterly. "Your way almost seems even crueler than mine. At least I was always honest with Pink."
"Even when you destroyed part of my Polonium Mine in an attempt to kill her human and make it look like an accident?" Blue asked.
Yellow narrowed her eyes. "I still think we should just kill the human. Err on the side of caution."
"You're not going to do anything to the human," Blue stated firmly. "You've tried and failed with your tactic, and now we are going to try my tactic."
Blue Diamond sat back down in her seat and waved at Yellow in a shooing motion. "Now, get out. I have work to do and preparations to make. Oh, and, I expect you to provide the necessary resources in repairing the damage done to my Polonium Mine."
Yellow Diamond growled at her Blue counterpart in irritation before leaving Blue Diamond's control room. As Yellow left, a satisfied smile formed on Blue's face.
Blue Pearl remained silent as multiple thoughts flooded her head.
I hope you enjoyed the fight scenes. I find that fight scenes are fun to write, but difficult to write. Still fun, though.
Hope you all enjoyed the chapter. Until next time everybody!