Hello, everyone! Welcome back to 'An Odyssey to Remember'! Not getting a lot of hits with this story, but I'm still gonna write it. Hell, I already got a trilogy planned out. That sounds promising, right?
Read and enjoy.
I do not own 'Steven Universe'.
Chapter 4
A New Beginning and Potential End
"When was the last time you saw him?" the police officer asked.
"About two week and a half weeks ago," Vidalia said. "We went for drinks at the Siren's Lair, I got utterly wasted and passed out in the van. Where Greg went, I can't say."
"You mean because you don't know, or because you were too shit-faced to remember your own name?" Marty asked.
Officer Swanson shot Marty a warning glance and Marty kept quiet. The policeman was tall and broad-shouldered, with a strong chin and a biker's handlebar mustache. He had a strong, rich voice when he spoke. "Three and a half weeks is a hell of a long time to report a missing person," he said.
"Well, I just thought he got the jitters and took a taxi home," said Marty. "But he hasn't called or anything. I know him well enough to know something's up."
Officer Swanson adjusted his sunglasses. "Have you tried calling him?"
"He doesn't have a phone, if he wants to call me, he usually uses the nearest payphone."
"...Not doing too good in the music industry, huh?"
"It's a rigged game!"
The policeman wrote down a few things in his notebook before putting it away in his pocket. "Alright, I'll put out a missing person report as soon as I get back to the station. We'll contact every hospital and jail in the state as well as the missing person's known relatives. Please give the Beach County Police Department a call if you turn up any further information about the missing person."
"Will do, officer," said Marty.
Officer Swanson opened the car door to his cruiser and got into the driver's seat. "You folks have a good day," he said before closing the door and driving.
"I can't fucking believe you!" Marty shouted at Vidalia once the police car was out of sight. "Thanks to you, I just lost the money I was gonna make off of that kid!"
"How is it my fault?" Vidalia asked. "We just went to a bar and parted ways afterward. I'm not responsible for what he does during a buzz."
"Well, next time you wanna take the guy who plays the music which makes me money out to get wasted, here's a thought, do something else instead!" Marty shouted. "That moron probably walked off a cliff somewhere in his drunken state! All because you took him to satisfy your alcoholism! What, were you trying to sleep with him too?!"
"Would have been a step-up from sleeping with you."
Marty gave Vidalia a hard backhand to the face.
"Shut your fucking face, you dumb bitch!" Marty hissed. "For your sake, you'd better hope the cops find Greg."
Marty stormed off, and Vidalia brought a hand up to the side of her face Marty had struck. Instead of crying, she pulled out a cigarette and brought it to her mouth. She lit it up and wondered where Greg could have disappeared to.
Greg let out a yawn as he awoke from his rest. He sat up and rubbed the sleep out of his eyes. "Uuuuuuuugh… Marty, how much longer until we reach Tennessee?"
Greg looked around and realized where he was: Sleeping in a futon on top of a pink dias in a garden in space.
"Oh, right. I was abducted by aliens." Greg remembered. "Magical, superpowered, non-organic, genderless but feminine aliens. Geez, who comes up with this stuff?"
Greg got out of bed and put on his shoes and his aviator jacket. He slept in his clothes, which might have been a bit unsanitary if not for the insta-clean cubicle he used before and after bed. Greg stepped into the cubicle and the machine hummed to life as it filled with green, sparkling mist. Greg felt an odd tingling sensation all over his body and even felt his teeth and his toes go numb for a minute. Once the cleaning process was over, the cubicle slid open. Greg stepped out, all clean, with the fear of developing skin cancer.
After Greg's morning (if you could call it a morning) routine, he headed down the dais and over to the video viewing area, where Amber, Amethyst, Padparadscha, and Spinel were seated and playing Mario Kart. The cinder blocks that held up the devices had been upgraded to a coffee table with the newest addition of the Wii, and the four Gems were sitting in a pink, four-person couch – an upgrade to the outdoor folding chairs.
"You guys are still playing that game?" Greg asked.
"Don't distract me!" Amber shouted. She stared at the projection screen with intense concentration. "Spinel has won every single game so far, and I will not lose to her again!"
"She's not lying." Amethyst said as she turned her wheel this way and that way. "It's freakin' ridiculous!"
"I keep trying to use future vision to win, but I guess Sapphire doesn't find this important enough to lend me an eye," said Padparadscha. "Which is absurd! None of us can beat Spinel!"
"Nintendo power!" Spinel shouted as she hit a boost and jumped a ramp.
"Yeah, well, I'm winning this one, and that's that!" Amber declared while smartly adjusting her glasses. "I'm in first, and there's no way I'm letting Spinel take the lea-Hey, what was that? Was that a blue shell? Oh, no. Not the blue shell. Not the blue shell! I'm almost to the finish line! I don't have a mushroom! Stay away, blue shell! Stay away! STAY AWAY! No no no no no no-"
Boom!
"Aaaaaaaaaaand…I win!" Spinel announced.
The other three Gems shouted in dismay.
"DANGIT!" Amber yelled. "Every! Diamond-loving! Time!"
"Okay, pass the controller, Spinel!" said Amethyst. "Greg is way easier to beat!"
"Okay." Spinel offered Greg her wheel.
"I'd love to, but-wait, who are they?"
The Gems looked to where Greg was pointing. A pair of pink Gems, each of them the size and build of a refrigerator, stood and stared at the warp pad. They both wielded a long, pink halberd and stood as still as statues.
"Oh, that." said Amber. "Well, after Pink Diamond heard about the, uh, promise, Fire Agate made you, she assigned a pair of Topaz guards to make sure no shady Gems try to get into the Garden."
"Topaz?" Greg asked. "You mean like the ones that me and Ruby met in the abandoned Kindergarten?"
"Yes and no." Amber replied. "You encountered the original Yellow Topaz brand in the old Kindergarten. The Topaz Gem was created by Yellow Diamond for the purpose of acting as sentinels or wardens. Blue Diamond and Pink Diamond created their own variant of Yellow Diamond's Topaz Gem. I believe Blue Diamond calls them Swiss Blue Topaz. Pink's Topazes, like the ones over there, are called Pink Topaz. Although, they like to call themselves Pink Imperial Topaz. Personally, I think it's kinda vain, but they're really particular about it, so no one ever calls them out on it."
Greg looked over at the two Pink (cough, Imperial) Topazes again. They looked nearly identical to the two Yellow Topazes, except their outfits were black instead of brown and their skin and hair were the color of pink lemonade. The Pink Topazes turned around and smiled pleasantly at Greg and even waved at him, then they immediately turned back around and watched the warp pad with stony, stoic faces.
"Huh. Okay, they seem cool." said Greg.
"Come on, Greg, take Spinel's wheel," said Amethyst. "I'm sick of losing to her!"
"I shall not apologize for being superior," said Spinel.
Greg rubbed his forearm anxiously. "Actually, I was kinda hoping you guys could tell me more about the… attempted conquering of my planet."
All four of the Gems lit up with alarm and glanced at each other nervously.
"I just remembered; I have to be somewhere." Padparadscha hopped off the couch and hurried to the warp pad. "Bye, Greg." she said before she vanished in a column of light.
Greg looked at the remaining Gems. "How about you guys?"
"Look, Greg, it was a very long time ago." Amber said. "Spinel has never even set foot on Earth, I was never really involved in that scrap, and Amethyst didn't pop out of her hole until the aftermath. Pink Diamond is really the Gem you wanna talk to about the Earth incident, but I know she hates talking about it. I suppose you could ask Pearl. Or maybe Jasper. She fought in the war."
"Well, Pearl doesn't like me and Jasper scares me." Greg pointed out. "Can't you just tell me everything you know about what happened?"
Amber sighed and patted the spot where Padparadscha had been seated. Greg sat down between Amber and Amethyst.
"Before Pink Diamond came along, the Great Diamond authority consisted of Blue, Yellow and White Diamond." Amber began. "When the three Diamonds found your planet, they were astonished by the amount of organic potential it possessed. So much, that White Diamond decided it was time to bring another member into the order. During the construction of Pink Diamond's Temple of Emergence – that's how Diamonds are made, not in a Kindergarten – the Gems discovered the Humans. At first, the Diamonds were a bit curious about the Humans. Never before have Gems ever encountered a species so physically similar to them. But the Humans were quickly dismissed as unimportant, being organic creatures and all. Still, though, the humans watched from afar. On the day of Pink Diamond's emergence, a large group of armed humans entered her Temple. A group of Gems was sent to meet them, but surprisingly, none of the Gems came back alive. None of the humans did either, but more humans came to meet Pink as she emerged."
Greg gulped. "Pink didn't mention that."
"Doesn't surprise me. She had just emerged and I don't think she was completely aware of what was happening. Anyway, the humans took one look at her and instantly fell in love. Your kind worshipped Pink Diamond like a goddess, and did as she commanded." Amber continued. "But when that rogue Rose Quartz began her rebellion, the humans went rogue themselves. Or…I think they did. Hold on." Amber's square glasses lit up as she went through the data. She searched through the data for a full minute before the glow of the glasses died down.
"Okay, I guess the humans sort of went dark when Rose Quartz showed up, accepting her help when she offered it and emerging from the shadows to do her dirty work. The humans ended up getting most of the blame for that whole mess. Pink Diamond had no choice but to make an effort to get rid of Rose Quartz and her Gems. But honestly, I highly doubt she put any amount of effort into it. If anything, she probably gave Rose Quartz and the humans a helping hand without the other Diamonds knowing."
Greg looked away. Amber and the others didn't know Pink Diamond staged the rebellion in order to save Earth. But Greg had made a promise not to tell, and he intended to keep that promise. "So, how many Gems actually helped out Rose Quartz in her rebellion?" Greg asked.
"Enough for a small army." Amber replied. "The humans rarely interacted with Rose Quartz and her Gems though, preferring to operate from the shadows. But the humans apparently held a lot of respect for Rose Quartz and her Gems. They started calling them the Pure Gems. Later on, the name changed to the Crystal Gems."
"Well, what happened to the Crystal Gems after the war?" Greg asked.
"The ones that actually survived that massacre now live their lives in the safety of the Factory." said Amber. "There…weren't a lot of survivors. The records say that Rose Quartz was shattered during the end of the war. Although, some Gems believe that Rose Quartz and her last surviving lieutenant roam the abandoned Kindergartens, helping off-colors get to the Factory. But that's just a rumor."
Greg looked down at the ground in thought, now been given all of that information. "You said armed humans came to Pink's Temple of Emergence before she emerged?"
"Yeah. The humans were always snooping around during the construction of the Temple." Amber said. "None of the Gems really paid them any mind, regarding them as mere curious animals. Sometimes they got a little too close, so the Gems had to scare them away."
"But why'd they attack right before Pink Diamond emerged?" Greg asked. "And how the hell were they able to take down the Gems that were sent to resist them? I don't think I could even take on Spinel."
"As a race of insteller colonists, we Gems are familiar with the occasional territorial, native species getting violent." said Amber. "And it wasn't a very large group of Gems that was sent to take care of the humans. And like I said, although all the Gems were shattered, so were all those humans that entered the Temple armed and ready. More humans came though after that scuffle was over with. Those humans witnessed the emergence of the Pink Diamond."
"And they took one look at her and just like that, they went from violent and angry to worshipful and devoted?"
"Well, what was your first thought when you met Pink?"
Greg blushed. "...Point made."
"Look, it was over seven thousand years ago. A lot of Gems died, even more humans died, the Diamond's pride was wounded big time and they've hated Earth and everything Earth-related ever since, especially humans. That's pretty much the gist of what everyone recalls of that whole mess."
"It's not like we did anything wrong," Greg complained. "All we did was try to protect what was ours and then we treated the newest Diamond like she was God herself."
"Still, though. The Diamonds want you to…you know…die."
"Yeah, I guess they do," said Greg. "Hand me the controller, Amethyst. I'm gonna stay in the safety of this alien garden and play outdated yet still fun Nintendo games. Nothing's gonna get me to so much as get off of this couch."
The warp pad lit up.
"Oh, crap. We all know what's about to happen now."
The Pink Topaz guards immediately aimed their large halberds at the intruder, who didn't even flinch at the sharp objects being aimed at her face.
"Calm down Pink Imperial Topaz guards. I mean no harm. I am here on business. No Diamond has sent me nor any other elite Gem. I come here on my own terms. I seek the aid of the human identified as Greg. Wow you got a really nice place here."
"Wait, I know that fast-ranting, robotic voice." Greg stood up from the couch and looked towards the warp pad. "Sphene?"
The Topaz guards moved their weapons away from the tall and lanky cyber-Gem. The two sentinels seemed to like being called Pink 'Imperial' Topazes and smiled pleasantly at the teak-colored Gem. Sphene walked down the small dias which the warp pad sat on and made her way to Greg and the other Gems. She fixed her eye and square-cut gem on Greg.
"Greetings Human Greg. It is nice to see you again. How are you? Are you doing well? I am glad you are not dead yet. I need your help with another task. Your biology will come in handy with this task. Will you help me?"
"...Please…go away." Greg begged. "I really don't want to be advertised as the 'helping human'. The last time I left this Garden to help one of you Gems, I was about an inch away from a flaming sword through my face."
"I am aware of Fire Agate's desire to kill you as well as the Diamonds' desire to see you dead. However I can assure you that you will be in no danger under my watch. The work I require from you will keep you in safe confines. No harm will befall you. I promise."
Amethyst hopped off the couch. "Will you pebbles leave Greg alone?!" she demanded. "This is our human! I kidnapped him, so only we get to bum favors from him!"
Sphene turned her gaze on Amethyst. A spread of golden, scanning light shot out of her eye and passed over Amethyst. The little, purple Gem covered herself with her arms nervoulsy as the light passed over her.
Data streamed into Sphene's gem-eye as the light receded. "Amethyst Facet-5 Cut-8XM. An off-color Quartz soldier. Unnatural miniature size suggests prolonged over-incubation. Seems to possess an unusual attachment to the human subject Gregory Universe."
Amethyst blushed madly. "Attachment?! Who the Diamond-damn hell are you calling attach-"
"Also appears to have adopted Earth-human-lingo into it's language," Sphene observed.
"Alright, I'm tagging in." Amber stood up from the couch. "Listen, Sphene, Pink Diamond wants this human alive, and she doesn'tlike the idea of him leaving this Garden. As you proved to recall, The Diamond's want him g-g-g-g-gone, and that incredibly scary Fire Agate that everybody is terrified of wants him d-d-d-d-dead."
"I have no intention nor desire to bring harm to Pink Diamond's human. I require the aid of an organic creature intelligent enough to be of use. A human is a prime candidate. Greg is a human and no one is allowed to go to Earth to get a different human. I need to borrow your human."
"What am I, a lawnmower?" Greg asked. "You can't borrow me!"
"I assumed as much. Therefore I have come to you with a proposition which I am hoping you will be willing to agree with. Assist me in my work and I can make it worth your while."
"How so?" Greg asked.
"I am a Sphene. I specialize in mechanics and all things tech. Having me as an ally who owes you a favor or two would be quite beneficial. I am willing to help you in any task you ask from me if you decide to aid me in my work. I will not complain about the work nor ask any questions. Lend me a hand in my work and I will be in your debt. You will be in no danger while working for me and I will owe you a favor with no restrictions. I promise."
"And, how do I know you'll keep your promise?" Greg asked.
"I always keep my promises."
It was a single sentence, and it wasn't even rushed. Greg took that as a sign that Sphene was being serious.
"Look, I'm sorry," said Greg. "But I'm not sure I should be leaving the Garden just to help out-"
"I understand this Court has a how you say 'soft spot' for off-colors Gems. I have the ability to help out the off-colors making an attempt to escape to the refuge of Pink Diamond's Factory. Help me with my work and I can lend a helping hand. But only once because I do not want to get how you say 'busted'."
Upon hearing this, Greg paused to give him some thought.
"No. Greg, no." Amber cuationed. "It's really nice of you to want to help out the off-colors, but if you end up dying, that's gonna suck for all of us. Because you'll be dead, and Pink Diamond might kill us when she finds out you're dead. Also, we just really don't want you to be dead. We kinda like you."
"Look, you heard Robo-gem,"
"Don't call me that."
"It's a safe job. All I gotta do is put my biology to use. I used to do that all the time back home."
"I don't know, Greg, you'll probably be surrounded by a bunch of dangerous equipment," said Amber. "You'll be safer in the Garden."
"If it can help out the off-colors, then I've gotta do it, guys." Greg argued.
"You don't gotta do anything, Greg," said Amethyst. "Just stay here where it's safe and play videogames."
Greg sighed and ran a hand through his hair. Then he turned to face Sphene. "What do you need me to do?"
"Ugh!" Amethyst threw her hands up before hopping off the couch and storming over to the hangout lounge. She sat in one of the chairs and began eating from a pile of aluminum cans like some kind of goat. Greg flinched at the display.
"She's worried for your safety," said Amber. "And so am I."
"He is not in any danger within my care. You have my word," said Sphene.
"He'd better not be," Amber warned. "Else suffer the wrath of Pink Diamond."
Sphene nodded. "Follow me Greg," she said before heading to the warp pad.
Amber reached behind the couch and pulled out a large, black backpack. It had a lot of pockets and looked like it could hold a lot of stuff.
"I didn't just play Mario Kart while you were asleep, Greg." Amber handed Greg the backpack. "This thing is packed with all manner of things, including a supply of sustenance salts, a map of all of Homeworld, and a communication device. Do you still have that hidden destabilizer I designed for you?"
Greg slung the backpack over his shoulder and rolled back his sleeve to show Amber the destabilizer on his wrist. "My encounter with Fire Agate has left me unable to sleep without it."
Amber nodded. "Good. Keep the backpack with you at all times. It may very well save your life." The honey-colored Gem rushed forward and wrapped her arms around Greg in a hug, surprising the guitarist a fair amount. "Please come back alive."
Greg smiled and returned the hug. "Hey, I've survived this long, haven't I?"
The hug began to crush Greg.
"Hurgh… Alright, alright, I'll come back alive, I promise."
Amber released Greg and smiled at him. Greg smiled back before heading to the warp pad. He walked up the dais and stood next to Sphene.
"Are you ready to go now? You have stepped onto the warp pad. So I can only assume you are ready to go now."
Greg nodded. "Yeah, let's go."
The warp pad lit and took Sphene and Greg away.
Once they were gone, Amber's smile faded away and she sighed worriedly. "Hey, Spinel. Ya mind taking me on one on one? I know you're just gonna beat me, but I need to take my mind off of-"
Amber's eyes widened in confusion when she turned around and Spinel was no longer sitting on the couch. In fact, she was nowhere to be seen.
"...Spinel?"
When the column of light faded away, Greg fell to the ground with a painful thump. "OW!" he cried. "I have got to get the hang of that!" Greg picked himself up and looked where he was.
He and Sphene were now in a narrow but tall corridor, with pale-blue walls that held no decoration whatsoever.
"What is this place?" Greg asked. "Looks like the hallway in an insane asylum."
"We are in the Blue Diamond's Homeworld Science Facility. We are in the lower levels of the Science Facility. Bringing you anywhere else in the Facility would be a risk to your well-being. I will not risk your life by taking you anywhere else in the Facility. Speaking of which,"
Sphene turned to Greg and aimed a mechanical finger at him. He was momentarily encased in an odd light but felt nothing. When the light was gone, Greg looked down curiously at his body and yelped. He was now wearing a standard Gem uniform with a Blue Diamond sigil on the chest. His skin had turned red and his hair had turned a dark shade of black. Greg had even grown several feet.
"Woah! What the heck?!" Greg exclaimed.
"I have disguised you as a Carnelian Quartz soldier for your own protection. Keep your head low, do not speak, and try to hide that backpack with your hair. Let's go." Sphene led the way down the corridor. Greg had to admit he felt a little weirded out by the place. It was completely plain; just flat walls, floors, and ceilings. Greg couldn't even see the doors. Not until a section of the wall in front of the Gem and Human glowed and morphed into a door-sized hole, that is. Out of the door stepped an important-looking Gem.
Greg guessed she was an Agate from his experience with Fire Agate, although this one was a lot different looking. Like all Quartz, she was tall and muscular, but as an Agate she had a more slim figure. Her light, lavender hair was set in an oddly pointed, double bun style. She wore a dark blue collar shawl with the Blue Diamond sigil over her chest and a black shirt underneath tucked tightly into navy blue pants. Knee-high, snow-white, high-heeled boots adorned feet. She had sky-blue skin and although Greg couldn't see it, a teardrop-shaped, blue gem was embedded in the back of her head, right above her neck. She stood with her back straight, with her hands folded behind her back.
The Agate smiled as her blue-grey eyes settled on Sphene. "Ah, there you are, Sphene." she greeted. She sounded a bit like Fire Agate, but nowhere near that menacing. Yet her voice held authority and demanded respect. "I've been looking for you."
Sphene's body became unnaturally still, a silent warning to Greg, before she raised her arms in a Gem salute. "Holly Blue Agate. Do what do I owe the pleasure? I have much to do. Indeed much to do. Please keep the conversation minimal. Indeed minimal. Not to say that I do not enjoy your company. Not at all."
"I just wanted to commend and thank you for the modifications you made to my ship," said Holly Blue Agate. "You bring the best Peridots to shame with your skill. I remember when we didn't have Sphenes. By the Diamonds, how did we manage?"
"Thank you Holly Blue Agate. I fulfill my purpose as is expected of me. Now if you will excuse me I must be getting to the Dynamo Chamber. There are repairs that require my attention."
Holly Blue focused her attention on Greg and frowned. "You have a Carnelian with you?"
"Yes Holly Blue Agate. I require a Quartz soldier's strength in order to make the repairs. This Carnelian was the closest Quartz soldier I could find. She will do."
Holly Blue Agate stepped up to Greg and studied him skeptically. Greg looked at the floor and tried to look like a Quartz soldier. His hair hid most of his face and the backpack couldn't be seen with Sphene's disguise. Holly Blue narrowed her eyes and her frown deepened.
"She's from Earth," said Sphene.
"Oh." Holly's expression lightened up. "That explains her poor quality. I can assign you a better one if you want."
"That is fine. This one will do. Now we really must be going. Those repairs must be made."
"Yes, yes. Go on ahead," said Holly. "I do hope this pitiful piece of Quartz will actually be of use to you."
"This pitiful piece of Quartz will indeed be of use to me. Oh so very useful. Now we should be going. The repairs must be made. Come Carnelian."
"Who ya callin'-Uh, I mean-Yes, Sphene." Greg followed Sphene down the hall and away from Holly Blue Agate.
"By the Diamonds, we really are cutting corners with new Gems, aren't we?" Holly asked herself before heading down the hallway in the opposite direction. She didn't make it very far before the wall to her right lit up. The section of wall in front of Holly Blue showed an entry request.
Confused, Holly Blue Agate read the request notice. "...Five Quartz soldiers…under Yellow Diamond's orders? What could five Quartz soldiers possibly wish to accomplish here of all places?" The Agate sighed. "Probably for the best if I just give them temporary access. After all, Yellow Diamond sent them personally, according to this request form."
Holly Blue tapped away on the screen to give the Quartz soldiers access.
"...Okay, I am not feeling overly confident about this."
Greg looked down the tunnel of electricity with mild concern. I'm just kidding, he nearly crapped himself when he saw the long expanse of dangerous electricity. The tunnel was big enough to drive a semi truck through. I wouldn't recommend it though, since every square inch of the inside of the tunnel danced with blue electricity. There was something unnatural about the electricity; it had an odd, fiery quality to it. And if you looked close enough, the tendrils of electricity never stayed in one place but instead sort of went here and there, making their way around the tunnel with no apparent pattern. Greg and Sphene were standing in the safety of the back of the room where the entrance was, which was just a smooth, metal box.
"And you want me to go in there?" Greg pointed into the tunnel of lightning.
"Yes. Yes I do. Yes indeed. I need you to go in there." said Sphene.
"Why do I have to do it?" Greg asked. His disguise was gone, so he looked like a scared human instead of a somewhat formidable Carnelian. "I'm gonna get zapped straight to hell if I go in there!"
"Have no fear Human Greg. You will experience no fatality upon making contact with the Dynamo Tunnel's energy. Perhaps it might hurt a little. Maybe even tickle. But you have my word entering the Dynamo Tunnel will not be a fatal venture. Now stop crying and enter the Tunnel. Please. Please do so. I said 'please'. I asked nicely. You have to do it now."
"But, why do I have to do it?" Greg whined. "Why can't you do it?"
"I can't do it because any Gem that comes into contact with the Dynamo Tunnel's energy will be immediately reduced to nothing but their gem and then even less. The energy you see before you possesses the ability to instantly destroy a Gem's physical form and even shatter the gem when enough energy gets directed to the gem. It is incredibly dangerous for a Gem to enter the Dynamo Tunnel with risk of immediate termination. You on the other hand possess a far less likely chance of termination if you were to enter the Dynamo Tunnel. In fact you probably will not die. Who knows? It might even feel good."
"Does your jaw start to ache after every conversation you have with someone?" Greg asked.
Something inside of Greg's backpack giggled.
Greg and Sphene looked at each other. Sphene raised her mechanical hand and it morphed into a kind of gun, primed and ready, generating a ball of bronze energy ready to fire. Greg quickly took off his pack and tossed it on the floor. Sphene aimed her arm cannon at the backpack.
Spinel's head popped out of the backpack like a jack-in-the-box. "Hello!"
Greg pushed Sphene's arm cannon away so the blast of energy hit the wall instead of Spinel, leaving a black scorch mark on the wall. "Spinel?!" Greg shouted.
Sphene's arm cannon turned back into a hand and she used her scanning light to scan Spinel once she hopped out of the backpack. "Spinel Facet-beta-12 Cut-5ZX. One of the first Gems of Pink Diamond's court. Designed for entertainment and companionship. Possesses a child-like nature and desire to play."
"Darn right I do!" Spinel cheered.
"What the Sam Hill are you doing in my backpack?!"
"What is a Sam Hill?" Spinel asked innocently.
"Not important. Spinel, I am doing dangerous work right now. You shouldn't be outside of the Garden." Greg scolded.
"But you always get in trouble when you leave the Garden. I just wanted to come with you and make sure you're okay." Spinel replied with big, sad eyes staring up at Greg.
Greg's face softened and he sighed. "Alright, look. I have to go into that scary tunnel of lightning and death. I'm still trying to figure out why I agreed to go in there, but I'm still gonna go in there. It's dangerous for Gems to go in there, so stay here with Sphene until I'm done doing whatever it is I'm supposed to do in there."
"Oh…okay." said Spinel, looking a bit disappointed.
"Alright, Sphene, what do you need me to do?"
A section of Sphene's mechanical arm opened up, revealing a small compartment. An odd-looking, green device about the size of a back-scratcher raised out of her arm. Greg couldn't tell whether it was designed to pry out someone's eyes or drill a hole in someone's skull. The device looked like it could do both.
Sphene took the device out of her arm and handed it to Greg. "Take this device. This device will be of use to you. Take this device into the Dynamo Tunnel and do as I instructed." A tiny compartant in Sphene's leg opened up and she took out an earpiece she then gave to Greg. "Attach this to your ear and we will be able to communicate no matter how far into the Dynamo Tunnel you venture. Do as I instruct and this operation will proceed smoothly to completion."
"Got it. It's always hard to follow what you're saying since you talk like a tuned up Alexa, but I got it," said Greg. He stepped up to the entrance of the Dynamo Tunnel and gulped. It took him a while to work up the nerve to actually step into the tunnel of electricity. When he did finally step into the electricity, it didn't hurt him. Although, it was still a weird sensation. It felt like a bunch of electric ants were crawling all over his skin with a few crawling inside of him.
Greg shuddered. "Okay, Sphene. What do I need to do?" The electricity made Greg's voice vibrate.
"Can I go in there with Greg?" Spinel asked.
"Do you want to die a quick but horrible death? Because you will die a quick but horrible death if you go in there with Greg and make contact with the Dynamo Tunnel's energy." said Sphene.
"Oh…okay."
( A few hours later)
By the time Greg got back to the safe part of the Dynamo Chamber, he was shaking as if he were experiencing an earthquake. As soon as Greg stepped out of the electricity, he fell flat on his face.
"Greg!" Spinel ran up and pulled him away from the electricity, setting him against the wall.
"Come on Human Greg. We still have a few more repairs to complete. Only a few. Five of them to be exact. Yes five of them." said Sphene.
"Give me a minute, man." said Greg. "I feel like someone was trying to microwave me. I can't feel toes or my fingers and my tongue won't stop tingling."
"...Very well. Have it your way. You may take a break. I will take a break as well. Why not? I need you in order to complete the work anyway."
Spinel sat next to Greg on the floor with his backpack in her arms. She reached into the bag and pulled out a ziplock bag full of sustenance salts. Spinel reached into the bag and pulled out a big one before handing it to Greg. Greg smiled gratefully at Spinel before taking the salt and tossing it into his mouth.
Greg looked over at Sphene, who was standing to the side. Greg patted spot next to him, inviting the Gem to sit by him and Spinel. Sphene seemed surprised by the offer. Even so, she walked over and awkwardly sat down on the other side of Greg.
"Can I ask you something, Sphene?" Greg asked as Spinel dug into the backpack.
For once, Sphene remained silent, only tilting her head in response.
"Why did you ask for my help?" Greg asked. Spinel pulled out a rubix cube and handed it to Greg. "You can't tell me you guys don't have some kind of protocol for this kind of thing. Maybe an exo-suit or something like that. Why call me up for help?"
Sphene went rigid upon being caught. She stared at Greg, lost for words, for once. Greg offered Sphene the rubix cube as a peace offering. Sphene took the cube and solved it in three seconds, much to Greg's amazement.
"...You…intrigue me." Sphene confessed. "I was observing your conversation with Blue Diamond's Pearl the last time we met. It is my purpose to understand how all things operate and function. And yet I cannot understand why you operate in the manner you do."
"How do you mean?" Greg asked.
"Why attempt to befriend Blue Diamond's Pearl when it was both unnecessary and a possible danger to yourself considering the Blue and Yellow Diamond's detestation of you? You only agreed to assist me in this task because I promised to give my one-time aid to the off-colors. Why put yourself in a dangerous position just to help the rejects of our world - a world you are not even a part of? Why are you…the way you are?"
Greg looked to the floor. He was silent for a minute. He actually looked a little…forlorn.
"I was never able to actually meet him, but…this one guy who was…really important to me, left me with this phrase of wisdom." Greg closed his eyes and took a deep breath.
"'A man is defined by his actions. It is a man's obligation to help his fellow man when given the chance. Greed and selfishness should not define you. No matter what happens, no matter where you end up, remember to always be a good person, and always do what you know is the right thing.'"
Sphene stared at Greg for a while. Her Gem lit up, soaking in the new information. "...Who…told you this?"
"Er, like I said, I was never able to meet him." Greg quickly replied. "But I try to honor his memory by honoring his code. I mean, he only was able to tell me that stuff from a tape recording he left me. But…well…" Greg met Sphene's gaze.
"He was right. In order to strive for a better world, you have to be a better person. You're never going to have a perfect world. That doesn't exist. But you can do your part and try to make it better. I'm not the hero that my…that the guy who told me that stuff was, and I probably never will. Still, though. I'll never turn down the chance to do the right thing."
Spinel stared at Greg with sparkling eyes. "That was beautiful, Greg," she said. "Completely off-topic: Who are they?"
Greg and Sphene looked over and saw five Quartz soldiers standing in front of the Dynamo Chamber's exit. Two of them were Amethysts, two of them were Carnelians, and the one leading the group was an Onyx. They all had the Yellow Diamond sigil on their uniform.
Greg and his two Gem friends shot to their feet in alarm. Spinel hid behind Greg's leg and Sphene stepped forward.
"What are you Quartz soldiers doing here? Who gave you access to be in here? Get out of here immediately. I have work to do and I have no time to entertain you five. So leave immediately."
"Don't worry, we're not here to interfere with your work." The Onyx said. "We're just here for the human."
Greg gulped. "This wouldn't, by chance, be a friendly visit, would it?"
"Nah, we're here to kill ya."
"Yeah, that makes more sense."
The Quartz soldiers moved forward, but they only took one step when Sphene raised both of her arm cannons at the Quartzes. The energy of both guns buzzed threateningly and the soldiers stopped in alarm.
"...Leave…Immediately." Sphene's usual robotic voice was thick with venom.
The Quartz soldiers all glanced at each other, then they raised their hands in surrender and backed away slowly.
Sphene didn't notice the Amethyst in the back reach behind her to grab something. Sphene also didn't notice the blue, glowing disk being thrown at her until it hit her square in the chest, embedding itself in Sphene's mechanical chest. Sphene arched backward as blue electricity lit her up. She didn't poof, but she fell on her back, stiff as a board. Sphene didn't move nor speak, but she blinked and her eyes darted around frantically. Her eyes fell on Greg, sending two silent messages: 'I'm sorry' and 'Run.'
Greg and Spinel backed up closer to the Dynamo Tunnel as the Quartz soldiers approached him. Greg thought about escaping into the Dynamo Tunnel, knowing that the Gems couldn't follow him, but he wasn't about to abandon Spinel.
"Wait, hold on, now!" Greg cried. "You kill me, Pink Diamond will probably send her Jasper after the five of you."
The mention of Jasper coming after them gave the Quartzes pause, as if wondering if this was really worth it.
"Our Diamond commands it," Onyx stated.
"Also, you might end up really ticking off Yellow Diamond's Fire Agate," Greg added. "She sort of wants me all to herself. To kill me, I mean, not…you know what I mean."
The two Carnelians gulped. "Okay, maybe this is a bad idea." one of them said.
"Yeah, Jasper is one thing, but Fire Agate is another." the other one said.
"Our Diamond commands it!" Onyx shouted. "And we do as our Diamond commands."
The others must have come to the same conclusion because all five Quartzes move towards Greg and Spinel.
Spinel moved in front of Greg protectively, puffing out her chest and trying to look intimidating. "Leave him alone!" she demanded.
The Quartz soldiers all burst into laughter.
Spinel ran up and kicked one of the Amethysts in the shin as hard as she could.
"OW!" the Amethyst grabbed her leg and hopped around. "You little brat!"
The other Amethyst snuck up behind Spinel and grabbed her, restraining the small, pink Gem.
"Spinel!" Greg shouted. "Let her go. It's me you want!"
"Correct." said the Onyx. "Accept this without any struggle, and I'll let the Spinel go unharmed. You have my word."
"NO!" Spinel struggled against the Amethyst's hold on her. The Amethyst in return struggled to keep her grip on the pink Gem. The Quartz backed up away from the other Gems towards the exit.
"Knock it off, brat!" the Amethyst. "The human's gonna die, and there's nothing you can do about it. Just give it up!"
Spinel's struggling let up, but her whole body began to shake. Tears flowed out of her tightly shut eyes as she grit her teeth.
The Amethyst blinked at the Gem she was holding. "What, uh…what's going on with-"
Spinel opened her eyes and met the Amethyst's gaze with bright red, pinpoint eyes.
"...Wuh-oh."
"Okay, we'll try to make this as painless as possible." said the Onyx. "What's the easiest way to kill a human?"
"Uh…lightly tap my forehead. I'll fall to the floor, totally dead, and you can walk away without checking to make sure that I'm dead."
"Really? Well, okay then. Gee, that sounds a lot less messy than what I was originally planning to do-hey, wait a minute."
The Amethyst that was restraining Spinel sailed over Greg and the other four Quartzes and landed in the Dynamo Tunnel's energy. Greg and the remaining Quartz soldiers watched as the Amethyst's body writhed in pain as the unnatural, blue electricity seemed to attach itself to the Gem and try to tear her apart. The Amethyst didn't scream, probably because she couldn't. The energy made its way to the Amethyst's gem, and the stone broke apart. The Gem's body poofed as her gem shattered.
Greg and the Quartz soldiers that weren't dead looked over at Spinel. Spinel stared down the remaining Quartzes. Her pie-cut eyes were now terrifying, blood-red pinpoints.
"...Sp…Spinel?" Greg asked.
Then Spinel…changed.
It was a Jekyll and Hyde sort of change. The white of her shirt went black and her rounded shoulder pads became pointed. Spinel pulled on her heart-shaped, Minnie Mouse buns and they became long and bit ragged-looking. She grew a few feet taller and her shoes developed slanted, pointed ends. Three black lines ran down each of her eyes like mascara tears. And finally, her heart-shaped gem turned upside down, an almost symbolic gesture. She glared at the Quartz soldiers with malice and hatred.
Onyx looked back at Greg. "Does this happen often with her?"
"I have no idea what that's all about," Greg replied.
Spinel let out a cry of insanity and dashed towards the Gems. Before they could react, the other Amethyst was hit by an enlarged, spring-loaded fist, sending her into the Dynamo Tunnel where she met the same fate as her fellow Amethyst.
The Carnelians drew their swords from their gems and rushed Spinel. Spinel growled and elongated her body, she serpentined around the two Gems like an anaconda and squeezed. The Carnelians were poofed by the amount of pressure being applied to them and their gems fell to the floor. Spinel's body shortened after the Carnelians were poofed. She then jumped into the air and brought her fists down on the gems, cracking them. She jumped on them once more, shattering them.
Spinel focused her attention on the remaining Quartz.
Onyx drew her mace from her gem. "Stay back, you lunatic!"
Spinel stocked towards Onyx, her eyes filled with hatred and insanity, void of any reason or passion. Onyx was made to fight, and she'd seen her fair share of battle. Even so, she was unsettled by what she saw approaching. She was used to fighting things she understood. This, however, she did not understand.
Greg ran up and planted himself between Onyx and Spinel. "Spinel! Stop!"
Spinel just growled at Greg threateningly.
"Spinel, please. This isn't you." Greg looked into Spinel's crazed eyes with compassion and solicitude. "Come back to me, Spinel. I don't know what's going on with you, but I know you're a cute, adorable, little Gem that always puts a smile on my face."
Spinel's insane face softened.
Greg spread his arms, offering a hug.
Spinel's whole body shook like she was freezing. She moved towards Greg, one step at a time. Onyx recoiled in fear as Spinel approached, but Greg just smiled warmly at her, getting down on his knees. When Spinel got to Greg, she collapsed in his arms, sobbing loudly and shaking all over as the two of them embraced.
"Shh-shh-shh," Greg said softly as he patted Spinel's back. "It's okay. Everything's okay now."
Spinel transfigured back into her original, cutesy form as she sobbed into Greg's chest. Onyx watched the display in confused fascination. While Greg and Spinel were distracted, the Quartz carefully approached them. She didn't get very close to them before an arm cannon aimed at her face stopped Onyx in her tracks.
Sphene yanked the disc out of her mechanical chest and tossed it aside, staring daggers at Onyx. "We are leaving. Do not attempt to stop us."
Onyx dropped her mace and raised her hands in surrender.
Greg gently picked Spinel up and cradled her in his arms. He stood up and faced Sphene. "We need to go."
"Agreed. But before we go." The energy Sphene had aimed at Onyx brightened. "Tell them I am dead or I will come and kill you."
Sphene blasted away Onyx's physical body. The Quartz gem dropped to the ground and Sphene kicked the gem away from the Dynamo Tunnel.
"Okay now we can go."
Pink Diamond walked down the halls with a worried look on her face. The bright, stark-white halls of White Diamond's temple were always so intimidating. Every inch of the place was spotless and flawless, as if it was all crafted from a single, enormous piece of white material. Pink could never understand why White made the place look like her own head. Nothing says 'ego' like spending all of your time in your own head.
Pink wasn't sure why White Diamond had summoned her. It was impossible to tell whether being summoned was going to be good or bad. When Yellow or Blue summoned her, it was normally to scold her for doing something wrong or to instruct on how to do something more to their liking. But when White summoned her…
Pink Diamond gulped. She had no idea why White had summoned her, but she suddenly felt very afraid for Greg and planet Earth.
Pink approached the door to White Diamond's throne room. The door was big enough for White Diamond to walk through, and the White Diamond sigil dominated the door. Pink Diamond took a deep breath before she placed her hand on the door. The White Diamond emblem glowed, then the door split down the middle and slid open. Pink walked into the throne room of White Diamond.
The place wasn't dark, but everything was black except for White Diamond and her giant throne. The Supreme Diamond herself was sitting in her throne, tapping and swiping away at the holoscreens around her.
"You wanted to see me, White?" Pink asked.
"Ah, Pink, there you are." White waved her hand and the holo screens vanished. She stood up from her throne, spreading her arms and displaying her magnificence. "How are you, little Starlight?"
"Oh, I can't complain."
"You mean you're not going to complain, even though you really want to."
"...Yeah."
White Diamond sighed and shook her head as if to say 'Oh, you.'. She placed her hand on Pink's shoulder. "Come with me."
Pink let White guide her to the black wall of the throne room, which was one of the eyes of the head-shaped temple. White Diamond snapped her fingers and the eye opened up, revealing all of Homeworld before them. Pink Diamond was never able to figure out how she felt when saw all of Homeworld like this. This was her home, those were her subjects down there. But the thing was, for as long as Pink could remember, everything about the view remained the same. Sure, there was more advanced tech and upgrades to the building and equipment, but at the core of it all, everything remained the same.
Not like on Earth. Not where things changed considerably every single decade.
White Diamond stared down at Homeworld with pride, like she always did when she looked down at Homeworld. But it was the kind of pride that said she owned every part of it and was proud of herself for the world she had made.
"Did I ever tell you how I was brought into this universe?" White asked.
"No. Which is surprising, since you and the others normally enjoy talking about yourselves."
White gave Pink a sideways look.
"...You know…because you three are so perfect. Especially you."
"That's better." White looked back down at Homeworld. "Homeworld is my homeworld. Many millennia ago, this planet was rich with life. The planet itself was alive, possessing an amount of energy that rivaled that of a star. You would have liked it, I'm sure. In the core of that energy-rich planet, I incubated. I don't quite remember my time during incubation. I just remember not existing, and then…I suddenly exited. My emergence nearly drained the energy of that planet dry and even broke it apart. It was glorious. I was suddenly alive and existent, I was the first of our kind, and I was…perfect."
'Amber would call you a parasite.' Pink thought to herself.
"For a while, I just walked around the broken planet. I was this incredible being of incredible power. I had been brought into this world in an intense burst of planet-shattering power. But the question was 'why?'. Why had I been brought into this universe? I would stare into the vast expanse of the cosmos and ask myself, 'What is my purpose?'."
"You were all alone on this planet?" Pink asked.
"Indeed…for a time," said White. "I eventually got the idea of making more beings like myself. So I attempted to recreate the process that created me. However, there wasn't nearly enough energy in the planet to make another being like me, so I started small. I crafted the first Kindergartens and made the first of the Gems: the first of my Court. I finally found my purpose: To create and to rule as the supreme being of the universe."
"What were the first Gems like?" Pink Diamond asked.
"There was less of a variety back then." White Diamond replied. "I had my fighters, I had my builders, I even made myself an assistant; the first Pearl. I eventually decided that having a Pearl wasn't my style, though, and got rid of her."
"When you say 'got rid of her' what actually do you-"
"The first of the Quartz soldiers were quite violent," said White.
Pink gulped.
"I had my Court. I was no longer alone." White Diamond's expression became somber. "And yet, I still felt alone. All the Gems around me; I had given them a purpose, but they were all incredibly inferior to me. So, my Court and I left our homeworld and traveled the cosmos in search of another planet that could create another like me. Soon enough, I found one. A large planet rich with flora and fauna. I put my Court to work. Together, we created a Temple of Emergence, as well as a few Kindergartens as a gift for the new Diamond. After many centuries of work, after so much time triple-checking every detail and procedure, the creation of the second Diamond commenced. Thus, I welcomed Yellow Diamond into this world."
"Did you purposefully make Yellow the way she is?" Pink asked.
"Indeed I did. I decided I needed a strong right hand in the times to come. With all of the Gems I had made, I began to have visions of an interstellar empire. So I decided to make Yellow a military Diamond. A ruler who could rally the troops and keep the Empire strong. Despite her still being my inferior, I was proud of Yellow. She has never failed to serve her purpose. For a while, it was just the two of us, traveling the galaxies and creating new Gems."
"And then you made Blue?" Pink asked eagerly.
"Patience, dear Starlight, patience," White said. "But to answer your question; yes. I decided that Yellow and I needed someone to add a little…grace to our Empire. I had my strong right hand, but I decided that we still needed a firm left hand. Someone that could represent the beauty, diplomacy, and order of our society. Yellow was the soldier, but I still needed a voice: A non-biased, prime mover who oversaw the law and the vision of our Empire. So Yellow and I traveled the cosmos in search of another planet with the capability of creating another Diamond. We found a rather divine planet that I decided would be perfect. And so, we got to work. The second Temple of Emergence was created, with the purpose of creating a figure of glamor and order. I must confess, I was a bit surprised by the result; However, I was not disappointed. I welcomed Blue Diamond into the Great Diamond Authority, as Blue named us, and she has been serving her purpose and maintaining the order and beauty of the Gem Empire ever since."
"Blue made the Zircons, right?" Pink asked.
"As well as the Lapis Lazulis and the Aquamarines, yes," White replied. "The three of us, the Great Diamond Authority, ruled over the galaxies for many a millennium. Three thrones, three Diamonds, ruling over our perfect Empire. But after a while, we all began to feel an…absence, like something was missing. We made more Gems, colonized more planets, and created more technological wonders. But still, Blue, Yellow, and I felt as though we were missing something."
Pink clapped her hands. "Ooo, this is where I come in! This is where I came!"
White wagged her finger at Pink. "Ah, ah, ah. No interrupting."
"Sorry."
White looked into the stars. "We needed something to satisfy this feeling of incompleteness. Something to fill in the blank. Then, it came to me."
White raised her hands to the stars and formed a diamond with her fingers. Gazing through the diamond shape of her fingers, a star sat in each point of the diamond. "We needed one more to complete ourselves. One more Diamond to complete the order."
White smiled down at Pink. "The rest I assume you know."
"What did you make me to do?" Pink asked. "What were my specifications?"
White tilted her head and paused before answering. "You were designed to be our Spinel slash Amber, if truth be told. I figured the Authority needed a little life; a symbol of love and laughter, so we'd never develop that feeling of emptiness and incompleteness again. I am the Supreme, Yellow is the general, and Blue is the bureaucrat."
"Well, what am I then?" Pink asked.
"You are our starlight," said White. "Our bright and shining light to guide us away from the gloomy darkness." White leaned towards Pink. "Have you figured out the purpose of this little history lesson?"
Pink shook her head.
"Every Gem that has ever been made has been made with a purpose," White explained. "Every Pearl, every Pebble. Every Sphene, every Sapphire. Every Ruby, every Rutile. Every Larimar, every Lapis."
"That was fun," said Pink. "What you did just now, that was fun."
"And, every Diamond." White finished. "Including you."
Pink's face suddenly became worried and nervous. "...This is about Earth, isn't it?"
"This is about you, fulfilling your purpose to the Gem Empire." White looked down at Pink sternly. "I understand your desire to preserve life. It's who you are, and I have reluctantly come to terms with that. However, you are Diamond. You have a duty to the Authority, Pink Diamond. This 'no colonizing' policy of yours will have to come to an end sooner or later, and Earth will be your first colony. You are not a friend to your Court, you are their master. You are one of us, Pink Diamond, and you need to start fulfilling your purpose as one of us."
Pink took a step back. "Are you…are you sending me to Earth?" he asked.
"...Not yet, no." White Diamond answered. "Do not think that the time will never come. The colonization of Earth is inevitable, and you will be the one to colonize it. Just like how I colonized my planet of emergence, and how Yellow colonized her planet of emergence, and how Blue colonized hers."
Pink Diamond met White's gaze desperately. "...White…I don't want to destroy that planet."
"You're not destroying the planet, you're improving it," White replied. "To become a part of the Gem Empire is to become a part of perfection."
Pink looked away and bit her lip.
White returned her gaze to the view of her Homeworld. "You may go now," she said. "Think about what I've said, won't you?"
"Yes, White," Pink replied before walking away.
Once Pink was gone, White Diamond folded her hands behind her. "...Pink Diamond," she muttered to herself. "You must fulfill the purpose you were meant to fulfill, regardless of the way you are."
Pink exited White Diamond's Temple. Pearl was waiting for her outside, not being allowed inside.
"My Diamond!" Pearl greeted excitedly. "How was the meeting with White Diamond?"
One look from Pink Diamond gave Pearl her answer.
Pearl frowned. "Oh… I see," she said. "Are you going to be okay, my Diamond?"
"I'll be fine, Pearl, don't worry," Pink said. "Let's just go."
"Perhaps participating in our…secret project might cheer you up?" Pearl asked hopefully.
"Sounds tempting, but…no, not now," said Pink Diamond. "Perhaps we should go check on the Factory. Make sure everything over there is fine."
"A wonderful idea, my Dia-" Pearl was interrupted when her head buzzed.
"You really need to take your Communicator out of your Gem," Pink advised. "Maybe we can get you something to wear on your wrist."
"Duly noted, my Diamond," Pearl said as her head buzzed. Her Gem lit up and she pulled the pink communication device out of it. A holoscreen projected from the Communicator and displayed Amber's frantic face.
"Did something happen to Greg?!" Pink and Pearl asked at the same time, although their tones of voice suggested contrary hopes.
"Actually, it's about Spinel," said Amber.
Pink blinked. "Spinel?"
"Yeah, something…happened to her," Amber replied.
'Oh, no.' Pink thought to herself.
Greg pulled the blanket over Spinel and tucked her in. The little, pink Gem was shivering in Greg's futon, her head rested on the pillow and she had a teddy bear tucked under her arm. Spinel was fast asleep, but she looked like she was having a nightmare.
Greg picked up his guitar and strummed a gentle tune, just like his mom used to do when he used to get nightmares as a kid.
Don't be afraid when you lay down to rest.
Sandman promises to do his best.
Fill your head with the best of dreams.
Your nightmares aren't as bad as they seem.
Sleep sound, keep calm, and remember, little one.
Your dreams are a place of love and fun.
Spinel was no longer shivering, sleeping soundly on the futon. Greg smiled at the pink Gem and put her guitar down. Spinel clung a little tighter to the teddy bear in her grip. Greg smiled at the adorable display.
'I wonder if this is what it feels like to be a dad.'
Greg's smile fell. He took his wallet out and opened it up, taking out a photo he kept in there.
The picture showed a man in a military uniform. The name on his uniform read 'Demayo'. He looked a lot like Greg.
Greg sighed. "I don't know, Dad. You told me to always do the right thing in the tape you left me. That's what you did…but you never came home. I'm not sure I'll ever make it home. I guess I know how you must have felt: Living so far from home, surrounded by so much danger, afraid you'll never get back home. At least you had something to get back to. There's not a whole lot waiting for me back home. Honestly, I have more going for me here than I ever did back home. How sad is that?"
Greg ran his thumb across the picture tenderly before putting it back into his pocket. He left Spinel's side and made his way down the tall dais. Down in the Garden, in front of the fountain, Amber and Amethyst were talking with Sphene. The two Pink Topaz guards were standing in front of the warp pad, making sure any shifty characters who warped into the Garden got a face full of halberd.
"How is she?" Amber asked as soon as Greg joined them.
"She's sound asleep," said Greg. "It's an adorable sight. Almost makes you forget she went psycho and murdered four Gems."
"Yeah, about that…What the heck happened to her!" Amethyst shouted.
"How should I know?!" Greg asked. "Those soldiers came and tried to kill me, and Spinel turned into scary, murderous Spinel."
"It was quite frightening. I remember it well. Even though my cybernetics had been overloaded which rendered me immobile. But only momentarily. I still saw the whole thing though. A truly terrifying ordeal." Sphene ranted.
"It really was," Greg agreed. "Spinel changed into something scary and insane. I have no idea what happened to her."
The warp pad lit up, and Pink Diamond and Pearl appeared on the pad. The Topaz guards knelt down in reverence before their Diamond.
"I do," said Pink.
"Woah. That's the second time you've done that." Greg marveled. "How are you timing it so well?"
"I honestly have no idea how I'm doing that. It just sort of happens," said Pink.
"But what about Spinel?" Amber asked.
"Oh, right. That." Pink sighed. "I'm afraid it might be my fault."
"What? What do you mean?" Greg asked.
Pink Diamond sighed. "Before I started on my Kindergartens on Earth, the other Diamonds brought me to a small moon for a 'practice run', you could call it. They put me on that moon and told me to make a Gem. It wasn't a very lifeful moon. I don't think the other Diamonds actually thought I would make anything. I got to work though, eager to make them proud. I decided to make a Gem to my liking. A Gem made to have fun. To love and be delightful."
"You mean Spinel?" Amethyst asked. "You're telling me that Spinel was your first Gem?"
"Yes. her and my," Pink glanced at Pearl and coughed into her fist. "first Pearl."
"That doesn't explain why Spinel went psycho on those Gems," said Greg.
"I'm getting there. I'm getting there," said Pink. "The Diamonds were really impressed by the process I was making with my practice Kindergarten. Turns out, I have a real talent for making Kindergartens and creating Gems. Blue Diamond told me the Pearl I made was flawless." Pink glanced at Pearl again. "Just like my current Pearl."
Pearl rolled her eyes.
"What did they think of Spinel?" Amber asked.
Pink rubbed the back of her head with a guilty look on her face. "That's the thing. There was a complication with Spinel's emergence. She didn't emerge when she was supposed to. I waited, and I waited. Checking the charts every other minute. All of her readings were stable and normal. I didn't know what was wrong. I eventually came to the conclusion that I did something wrong and she was never gonna emerge."
"But she did." Greg guessed.
Pink nodded. "According to the charts, Spinel emerged shortly after I left. She was alone on that moon for nearly seven thousand years."
"Woah," said Greg. "That's a hell of a long time to be alone."
"It was worse than that," said Pink. "Spinel was created to love and play. To be a companion and a friend. For nearly seven thousand years, Spinel was slowly driven to insanity by the solitude and silence. I only came back to that moon for the sake of nostalgia. When I discovered that Spinel had been there for all that time, she had turned into some kind of violent animal. Spinel attacked us, almost killing my Pearl. Before she could do any more damage, I was able to get into her head and calm her down."
"Get into her head?" Greg asked.
Pink leaned down and placed her large finger on top of Greg's head. Greg's eyes rolled back into his head.
"I can enter one's mind." Greg heard Pink's voice say in his head. "It's not mind control. I can't do that. It's more like thought and emotion detection and manipulation."
Pink took her finger off of Greg's head. His eyes returned to normal and he gasped for breath.
"Sorry. I'm a little rusty. Haven't actually tried something like that in a while." Pink apologized.
Greg blinked his eyes as his mind gears settled down. "So, you were able to calm Spinel down with your telepathy?"
"Something like that, yes," Pink replied. "I'm impressed you were able to talk her down, Greg. She must really like you."
Greg shrugged. "Everyone likes me."
Pink smiled sweetly at him. "I know I do."
Greg blushed.
Pearl crossed her arms and looked away.
So did Amethyst.
Amber rushed to Greg's side and raised his arm like he was a champ. "Are humans awesome, or are humans awesome?!" She gave Greg a playful punch to the chest. "Your kind never cease to amaze me!"
Pink Diamond looked at Sphene suspiciously. "And what about you? You're the cause of all this. Greg was nearly killed and Spinel went into a frenzy because of you."
"If you are suggesting that I planned for Greg's demise then I am offended," said Sphene. "However I do apologize for all of this. And furthermore I am here to request a transfer from Blue Diamond's Court to yours."
Greg blinked in surprise. "Sphene?"
Pink Diamond raised an eyebrow skeptically. "You'll have to forgive me if I find that a little hard to believe. One of Blue Diamond's Sphenes wanting to join my court? That doesn't happen all too often."
"I do not wish to join your personal Court. I wish to be transferred to the Factory and put my talents to use there."
"Ha!" Pink laughed. "Okay, now I know you're lying. Go tell the Diamonds that if they want to sneak an agent into my Factory, they should try a less obvious route."
"Aren't I a little too obvious to be an agent of the Diamonds?" Sphene asked.
"...True…but the answer is no," said Pink. "I won't risk an agent in my Factory, nor will I risk the safety and well-being of my workers."
"Uh, Pink Diamond…I think she's being serious," said Greg.
"And we're supposed to take your word for it, as well as hers?" Pearl asked skeptically. "I don't think so, human. Your word possesses no noteworthy value to this court."
Sphene looked over at Greg. "To contradict your previous statement. I found someone who obviously does not like you."
"Enough." Pink Diamond commanded. "Look, Sphene. Even if I were to consider it, Blue Diamond wouldn't allow me to just take one of her Sphenes."
"My disappearance would most likely be put in the record as a result of Spinel's rampage. Who's to say I was not terminated in the Dynamo Tunnel as well?" Sphene argued.
"...Very well, then," said Pink. "But now you need to convince me that accepting your transfer into the Factory is not a mistake. What exactly made you want to work in my Factory, of all places?"
Sphene pointed at Greg. "He did."
Greg was taken back by confusion. "I did?"
Sphene walked up to Greg. She smiled, the first possible smile of her whole existence. "I have been thinking about what you told me. About never turning down the chance to do the right thing. I believe you were correct with your wisdom. This world of ours is not a perfect world. The logic and formula for a perfect world are simply not there. However I believe that I can help to make it a better world by aiding the lower class just as yourself. I have grown tired of serving elites. Perhaps I will find fulfillment in working with the miscellaneous rejects of the Factory."
Sphene looked up at Pink Diamond. "Give me a chance to find fulfillment. I beg of you." Sphene saluted. "My Diamond."
Pink Diamond stared at Sphene for a long time, considering her words. Finally, she took a deep breath and crossed her arms. Staring down sternly at Sphene and addressing her formally.
"I will allow your transfer," said Pink Diamond. "I welcome you to my Court, and will have you sent to the Factory as soon as you wish." Pink smiled kindly at Sphene. "I am impressed with your decision and will be proud to have you in my Factory. I look forward to your future contributions."
Sphene gave a low bow of respect. "Thank you my Diamond. I promise not to disappoint you."
"I believe you. But if you do end up disappointing me, if you do end up being an agent of one of the other Diamonds,"
Pink's face became angry and threatening. Her whole body began to glow with pink, violent energy.
"You will regret it. That is my promise to you, Sphene."
Sphene's one eye widened in fear and her cybernetics glitched for a frightened second. "You keep hearing about how terrifying Pink Diamond can really be but you never actually realize just how terrifying until you see it for yourself."
"And don't you forget it." Pink's glow diminished and she smiled down at Sphene. "Pearl, please escort Sphene to the Factory."
"Yes, my Diamond." Pearl walked up to Sphene. "Follow me, please."
"Give me a moment." Sphene faced Greg and smiled. "I thank you for your friendship Human Greg. You have given me a new life and I intend to make good in my new life."
Greg smiled back. "Well, best of luck. I hope to see you again soon."
"As do I. However my greater hope is that you are returned to your planet safe and sound." Sphene placed her mechanical hand on Greg's shoulder. "Be safe my human friend."
Greg smiled back and placed his hand on top of Sphene's. "You too, Sphene."
Sphene released Greg's shoulder. "Goodbye Greg," She said before following Pearl to the warp pad. The two of them disappeared in a column of light.
Greg smiled as Sphene and Pearl were beamed away.
"Well, Greg, thanks to you, I now have an experienced Sphene in my Factory. And on top of that, you were able to calm Spinel down during her episode." Pink Diamond shrunk down to Quartz size and smiled at Greg. "You're turning out to be quite the addition to my Court."
Greg blushed. "Uh…thank's, Pink Diamond."
"Come now, call me Pink."
"Thanks, Pink."
"Yo, Greg. You wanna play 'Kart now?" Amethyst raised a pair of wheels. "Now that Spinel's out of it, maybe it'll actually be a fair race."
"Sounds good," said Greg. "You wanna play with us, Pink?"
"You want me to join you three?" Pink asked.
"Yeah." Greg, Amber, and Amethyst sat down on the couch. "Can't you hang out with us for a bit?"
"Well…" Pink thought about her conversation with White. "...You know what? I would love to," she said firmly. Pink sat down next to Greg on the couch and picked up a wheel. "Let's do this…! How, uh…how do you play?"
Vidalia sat up off the bed and looked around for her shirt. Marty was snoring away on the other side of the bed as Vidalia searched. She found her shirt and her pants on the floor and put them both on. She went into the bathroom of the hotel room and closed the door. Vidalia then looked in the mirror and straightened out her hair, the look on her face basically said 'I give up.' The light bruise on her face contributed to that look. She turned on the sink and splashed some water on her face.
'Things were better with Greg around.'
Vidalia sighed. "I really hope he's okay," she said to herself. She wouldn't admit it, but a part of her cared about the weirdo. At least Greg was nice to her. At least hanging out with him wasn't all that bad.
'He's kinda hot too, in a rebellious sort of way.'
Vidalia shook her head and made her way out of the hotel room, grabbing a pack of smokes on the way. She left the room and leaned on the rail on the walkway. They hadn't left Beach City yet. Marty was still making calls and coming up with a game plan. Vidalia took out a cigarette and put it in her mouth. She reached into her pocket for her lighter.
"Vidalia Cross?"
Vidalia put the lighter back in her pocket and took the cigarette out of her mouth as Officer Swanson approached. The stoic, no-nonsense policeman looked up and down at Vidalia's frazzled look.
"Have I caught you at a bad time?" he asked.
"Nah, it's fine," said Vidalia. She moved her hair to hide her bruise.
"Well, I'm glad you and your boyfriend haven't left town yet, I have some more questions regarding the disappearance of Gregory Adam Universe, formerly known as Gregory Anthony Demayo."
"That's his real name?" Vidalia asked. "Huh, I was wondering about that. What's with the middle name change?"
"Adam was his father's name, according to the file. Anyway, his family has been contacted about the situation. I spoke with a Mr. Andy Demayo, the victim's cousin, who demanded that you be questioned for as much information as possible."
Vidalia rolled her eyes. "Fine, what do you want to know?"
Officer Swanson took out his notebook and pen. "When was the last time you saw the missing person?"
"I told you before; Me and Greg went out for drinks at the Siren's Lair. I got hammered like a nail, Greg got buzzed like a nose hair trimmer, we went back to the van, I drunk-frenched him, he put me in the passenger seat where I passed out, and Greg went to God knows where."
"He didn't say where he was heading?" Officer Swanson asked.
"No, but his guitar is gone and he loves that thing like it was his own son. Maybe he went somewhere to play and fell in the hole or something."
Officer Swanson wrote down some notes in his notebook. "Is there anything else you can tell me that might help us locate him?"
"I've got nothing else for ya, officer," said Vidalia.
Swanson put his notebook and pen back in his pocket. "Very well, then. I have one more question for you, though."
"Yeah, what's that?"
"How did ya get the bruise you're trying to hide with your hair?"
Vidalia brought her hand to her face in alarm.
"Is there something I should know about your boyfriend?" the policeman asked. "Because as a law enforcement officer, I am obligated to inform you that in the state of Delmarva, laws against domestic violence are quite thorough, highly favoring the woman. One statement from you with a picture of your bruise and Marty will be put behind bars, possibly for life."
Vidalia stared at Officer Swanson for a long time. "...This isn't the first time Marty's hit me, he forges fake checks which you can probably trace, and he's hiding his drugs by taping them to the underside of the bed. I'm not a user, you can check me if you want."
"...I see," said Officer Swanson. "Well, normally, I would need to take you back down to the station, question you about all of that, and so on and so forth. However, I have a lot of pull in this county's penal system, mind the potential joke there, and long story short, I have enough authority and friends to just go in there, confiscate the drugs, beat the living piss out of your boyfriend with my nightstick and arrest him, all without having to include you in anything. You'll be completely left alone, aside from a phone call, maybe. Are you okay with all of that?"
"I am absolutely okay with that."
"Wonderful. Have a nice day, miss." Officer Swanson pulled out his nightstick, walked up to the door, and kicked it open before entering.
Vidalia smiled and walked away to the sound of Marty being beaten with a nightstick.
She found herself walking down the beach, enjoying the sound of the ocean. Vidalia stopped and stared out into the vast sea, pulling out a cigarette and bringing her lighter up to light it. She stopped herself before she could light it, though, hesitating before tossing the cigarette aside, as well as the rest of her pack. Vidalia took out a stick of gum instead. She unwrapped the stick and tossed the gum into her mouth. Vidalia blew a bubble in satisfaction and smiled up into the sky.
"Wherever you are, Greg…well, I hope you're not dead."
I hope I did good on Sphene's character. I also hope you guys like my alternate Spinel story. Anyway, stay tuned for the next chapter, and to answer your question about Officer Swanson; Yes, I gave Joe legs that worked and a cool mustache. Also, Delmarva is the fictional state in which Beach City resides. Figured you fans of the show would appreciate that.
'Till next time!