Hello, everyone! Now, some of you may be waiting for a Pink Diamond and Greg moment, well now you get one.
Enjoy!
I do not own 'Steven Universe'.
Chapter 5
Having a Heart of Stone
Seated in her control room, Blue Diamond angrily swiped at the holoscreen in front of her. The Yellow Diamond emblem appeared on the screen and Blue Diamond tapped it. The holoscreen pulsed as the call was being made.
"You better answer," Blue muttered.
The holoscreen was replaced with a hologram of Yellow Diamond's Pearl, who bowed in respect before Blue Diamond. "How may I help you, o' lustrous Blue Diamond?"
"Put Yellow Diamond on the line, now."
The yellow Pearl gulped in fear. "Y-yes, Blue Diamond. Right away." Yellow Pearl waved her hand in front of her and the hologram disappeared. A moment later, Yellow Diamond appeared instead.
"Hello, Blue." Yellow greeted. "What ever is the matter? My Pearl seemed frightened by your call."
"Pink just contacted me," said Blue. "Did you send five Quartz soldiers into my Science Facility just to kill her human?"
"Indeed I did." Yellow Diamond replied, not bothering to deny it. "What's the problem?"
"The problem?!" Blue Diamond shouted in outrage. "The problem is that you sent five of your Quartz Gems into my facility just to kill a human! They didn't even succeed! Four of them were shattered along with my Sphene!"
"They were shattered by Pink's defective Spinel," said Yellow. "I told you and White something was wrong with that Gem when Pink first presented her to us."
"Do not try to change the subject!" Blue demanded. "Because of you, one of my best Sphenes is now shattered and the repairs she was attending to still need to be made! It's just one human, Yellow. If you want to kill it, then that's fine, but keep your Gems out of my facilities. In fact, maybe it would be best if you just left the human alone."
"Blue, we have to get rid of that thing!" Yellow Diamond exclaimed. "Pink's human must be terminated or taken away from her before it can do any damage!"
"Is that what you're concerned about?" Blue asked. "Do you really think that the human has any idea of what happened all those years ago? You heard Pink, the humans don't remember us."
"What if it does?" Yellow asked. "Even if the human knows some kind of inaccurate story of what occured all those millenia ago? And if it tells Pink about it, she might be able to figure it out for herself. Blue…she can't know the truth."
"She won't." Blue assured. "But, Yellow, Pink is quite fond of her new human. You remember the last time we took away one of her pets? She wouldn't even speak to us for an entire century."
Yellow Diamond groaned and rubbed her temples. "Why do I always have to be the villain?" she asked. "Why can't you just agree with me and follow the most logical route here?"
Blue Diamond narrowed her eyes. "Do not be a control freak, Yellow. Leave Pink's human alone. The human helped my Sphene with her repairs and even calmed the Spinel down before she could do any more damage. If you ask me, I'd say the human is proving to be more of an asset than either of us initially anticipated."
Yellow rolled her eyes before ending the call. Once the line was disconnected, Blue Diamond leaned back in her seat and folded her hands in front of her. "...A thought occurred, Pearl."
"What thought, my Diamond?" Blue Pearl asked in her soft-as-snow voice.
"I believe we have been looking at Pink Diamond's human all wrong," said Blue Diamond.
"How do you mean, my Diamond?" Blue Pearl asked.
"Perhaps we can use the human to our advantage." Blue Diamond explained. "Pink Diamond won't listen to me or Yellow Diamond, but we know she listens to her Court."
"Including the human, my Diamond?"
"Including the human." Blue agreed. "Despite its loyalty to Pink Diamond, the human remains a neutral party, not being a Gem. It listens to Pink Diamond in exchange for protection, perhaps it will listen to me in exchange for something."
"You wish to strike a deal with the human?" Blue Pearl asked.
"Why, yes I do." said Blue Diamond. "You've met the human, Pearl, how would you describe it to me? Do you believe we could reason with it?"
Pearl was oddly silent for a minute. "...The human was quite friendly." Was it Blue's imagination, or had Pearl's voice gotten a little softer? "It spoke only with kindness, without any amount of hostility, as if we were equals. As if I were immediately a friend upon first meeting it."
Blue Diamond chuckled. "I can see why Pink Diamond is so fond of it." she said. "I have made my decision. The human shall be brought to me so that I may question it as well as make a deal with it."
"Very good, my Diamond." said Blue Pearl. "However, how will you convince Pink Diamond to lend you her human?"
"Oh, you leave that to me, Pearl." said Blue Diamond. "You leave that to me."
"Okay, Pink, are you ready?" Greg asked.
Pink Diamond placed her hands on the keyboard eagerly, grinning in anticipation. "Ready when you are!"
"You know your lines?"
"Yeah, yeah, yeah. I know my lines, now let's do this thing!"
Greg checked the tuning on his guitar and pressed the button on the recorder. "One…two…three." Greg and Pink began their guitar and keyboard duet. The melody had a fairly fast and energetic tempo.
One star. Two star. Not gonna bother countin' em all.
You can see them up there. Ain't it sad when they all fall?
But I'll admit, it's a gorgeous event.
Where do you think all those stars went?
Woah-oh. Woah-oh.
It's a beautiful sight.
Woah-oh. Woah-oh.
All those burned out lights.
Down at the beach, we got the tunes and the Lager.
Start up the grill when ya got the family over.
We're all there to witness the shooting stars.
Holy crap, look how many there are.
Woah-oh. Woah-oh.
It's a beautiful sight.
Woah-oh. Woah-oh.
All those burned out lights.
Now, do all those shooting stars bother you?
Do those burning lights turn you blue?
I bet you hate how all those stars must fall.
Well, jokes on you, they ain't stars at all.
Woah-oh. Woah-oh.
It's a beautiful sight.
Woah-oh. Woah-oh.
All those burned out lights.
Woah-oh. Woah-oh.
It's a beautiful sight.
Woah-oh. Woah-oh.
All those burned out lights.
Greg and Pink played without the lyrics for a minute before Greg turned the recorder off.
"Woooooo!" Pink raised her fists in the air. "I can't remember the last time I had so much fun!"
Greg laughed as he slid the guitar strap off of him and put the guitar down. "You really oughta sing more often. You have an awesome singing voice."
Pink blushed. "Why, thank you. The other Diamonds don't really like it when I sing. They say it demeans my status as a matriarch."
"Do the other Diamonds ever let you do anything fun?" Greg asked.
"Hmm, let me think." Pink tapped her chin. "...No, not really."
Pink and Greg shared a laugh, then Pink stared at the ground with a bummed out look on her face. "Being a Diamond sucks."
Greg frowned and awkwardly coughed into his fist. "Well, you wanna hang out with me for the while? I got nothing else going on. Amethyst is visiting her friends at the Factory. Spinel is up in my area in a time-out she gave herself for going crazy and killing four Gems, poor thing. And Amber found a DS in the Salvage Station's item log and now she's hooked on Pokemon."
Greg and Pink looked over at Amber in the hangout lounge, where she was playing on the DS, eyes glued to the screen.
"Man, there are a lot of Zubats in this cave," Amber said. "I'm sure it's just this one cave, though… Dangit, I don't want to battle you! I'm sick of having to battle everyone that looks at me!"
"Well, Pearl is out and about doing some of my Diamond work – Don't tell Blue and Yellow. So as it would happen, I'm free as well," said Pink Diamond.
"Great!" said Greg. "So, what do you wanna do? Watch a movie or something?"
"Actually, our song has given me a grand idea," said Pink.
"Oh, you wanna go see a meteor shower?" Greg asked excitedly. "That sounds like fun."
"Oh, I have something way better in mind," Pink said with a sly smile.
"Yeah, what's that?" Greg asked.
"I want it to be a surprise." Pink hurried to the warp pad. "Come on!"
"You're cool with me leaving the Garden?" Greg asked.
"Sure. Who's gonna dare try to hurt you with me by your side?"
"The other Diamonds?"
"Oh, stop being such a wuss and let's go!"
Greg sighed. "Just like on Earth. I gotta go where the girls tell me to go, end of argument." he muttered. Greg grabbed Amber's emergency backpack and made sure he had his wrist destabilizer before walking up on the warp pad with Pink Diamond.
Sitting on the couch in the video-viewing area, Padparadscha watched as Greg and Pink Diamond were beamed away. "...Oh, I'd love to tag along…Oh, you already left…? You didn't even notice I was here…? Well, that's okay, I'll just sit here and enjoy some Earth entertainment." The Sapphire Gem put the Li'l Butler VHS tape into the VCR. She slumped back into the couch as the show played. "...I feel like consuming a big tub of something cold."
When Greg and Pink exited warp space, Greg managed to actually stay on his feet instead of falling on his face.
"Yes!" Greg shouted. "I'm finally getting the hang of this!"
Greg and Pink were now in an observation dome the size of a college gym. The roof of the dome was made of glass so transparent it seemed like there was no barrier at all. The floor and the wall were a pale pink. Above Greg and Pink, the breath-taking beauty of outer space took Greg's breath away. Pink just smiled up at it, like it was something she loved but was used to.
"Woah." Greg breathed. "It's amazing."
"Yeah." Pink agreed. "I come to this place often. It's one of the few places where I can be alone. No one else really comes here, so I sort of commandeered the place. Welcome to my Observatory."
"The view here is incredible!" Greg exclaimed. "Man, you were not kidding when you said this would be way better than a meteor shower."
"Oh, this? This isn't what I wanted to show you," said Pink.
"No?" Greg asked. "Well, then, what did you want me to see?"
Pink just smiled. She brought her hand to her mouth and whistled. With the sound of tiny hammering, a lounge chair for Pink and Greg grew out of the ground, reclined so they could see up through the ceiling. Greg thought he saw a bunch of Smurfs or something crawl into the ground once the chairs appeared, but he wasn't sure.
"Thank you," Pink told the floor, supporting Greg's smurf theory. She sat in one chair and Greg sat down in the other chair. It was surprisingly comfy.
"Okay. I could get used to this. All that's missing is a martini." Greg said.
"Wait for it," said Pink.
"Wait for what?" Greg asked.
"Wait for it."
Then the comet appeared.
The rest of space suddenly didn't seem so beautiful. Greg forgot how to breathe. The comet that was streaking by was a gorgeous ice-blue color. A mesmerizing ball of fire that illuminated the whole observatory.
"I just had an awesome idea for an album cover," Greg whispered. The light of the comet shone in his eyes and almost seemed to hypnotize him.
"It is amazing, isn't it?" said Pink. "This is what I keep trying to get the Empire to be about. Finding new wonders across the cosmos and embracing them instead of trying to either destroy them or shape them into something more to the Gem status quo."
"I take it the other Diamonds don't care much for your vision, huh?" Greg asked.
"Not one bit," Pink replied bitterly. "I don't see what the problem is. Do we really need to colonize every single planet we find? Can't we at least keep a few of them around and explore other options? Why is it so hard for the others to at least give my way a try? No, I do not want to suck the life out of planets like some kind of parasite. Yes, I treat my Court as friends because that's what they are to me. What's so wrong about the way I want to do things?"
"You wanna know what the other Diamonds' problem is?" Greg asked. "They don't like change. They've been doing it their way since the beginning and they don't see anything wrong with it. They don't like the idea of changing anything because they think their way is perfect."
"But it's not perfect!" Pink cried. "Sphene was right about Homeworld! We commit planetary genocide every time we colonize a planet, no one has a say in what they are in life, and every Gem that gets labeled as 'flawed' or 'off-color' gets shattered! And every time I try to express my concerns and offer some alternatives, Blue, Yellow, and White just sigh and shake their heads as if I'm just being dumb! Do you have any idea what I had to go through just to get them to allow my Factory to be made?!"
Pink took a deep, calming breath in through her nose, then exhaled out of her mouth. "I just…I just wish my opinion mattered to them. That's all. I wish they'd stop looking down on me like I'm the weak link of the team who can't be trusted or taken seriously."
A sad, pained look formed on Pink's face. "I didn't ask to be the way I am, and I'm not about to apologize for it. There are four Diamonds. Three of them colonize without mercy and the fourth Diamond, me, who is considered the least important of the Diamonds, can't even grant asylum to a single organic being without being relentlessly criticized and reprimanded. Why is it so hard to try to do what I believe is the right thing? Why is it so hard to just be me?"
The comet had nearly disappeared at this point. Neither Pink nor Greg actually noticed, though. Greg had his full attention on Pink and Pink had her eyes closed, as if she didn't trust herself enough not to cry if she opened them.
"I sometimes wonder if my life would have been better if I had come out a Quartz or a Ruby or even a Pearl. Don't get me wrong, I love the Diamonds. I just hate being a Diamond. Maybe everyone would have been happier if I had been made as someone else."
"I doubt that," said Greg.
"Oh?" Pink turned her head and met Greg's gaze. "And why, praytell, is that?"
"Because if it wasn't for you, my planet and my species would be nothing but a distant memory," said Greg. "If it wasn't for you, all of those Gems you keep under your protection in the Factory, including Amethyst, would be shattered, and Amber and Spinel wouldn't even exist. And be honest, Pink, do you really think the other Diamonds regret bringing you into this world?"
Pink blinked her eyes and her sad look began to dissipate.
"You're more important to Homeworld and the Great Diamond Authority than I think you realize." Greg continued. "You're the life, the love, the hope, the protector. You're not the weakest link, you're the purest link. I know trying to be yourself can feel like a losing battle sometimes. Honestly, I really do. It's not easy trying to be yourself when no else thinks 'yourself' is the correct 'self' to be."
Pink tilted her head, silently asking him to explain.
Greg looked away and bit his lip, not all too eager to do any explaining.
'Hey, she opened up to you.' Greg's conscience argued.
Greg sighed. "...I guess I should start from the beginning. You know how humans are made?"
"Amber briefly explained it to me once," said Pink. "Two humans, the parents, come together and create a new human, like some kind of fusion."
"Something along those lines, yeah." said Greg. "What you might not know is that the parents, the mom and the dad, in most cases, raise their new human from the day he or she is born. Teaching him, taking care of him…loving him." Greg took a breath. "I never knew my dad. He was a soldier who was sent away to fight while my mom was still carrying me inside of her. He was killed in action."
"What?" Pink asked in disbelief. "That's…I'm so sorry."
Greg shrugged. "It's…hard to miss someone you've never even met, but I wish I could've gotten to know him," he said. "From what I've been told, my dad was a great man; A law-abiding patriot who wouldn't so much as double park. My mom, on the other hand, was the opposite. She was a hippie who traveled the roads of America, doing odd jobs here and there to pay for food, gas, and concert tickets, not having all that much care for men with guns and suits who fought and bickered.
"That's actually how my parents met. My dad was sent back to the States and he decided that one of the first things he wanted to do while he was back was go to a concert. I can't for the life of me remember what band was playing, but my mom was at that same concert. Mom and Dad bumped into each other; A hippie hottie who thought the men in Washington were all just a bunch of assholes, and an iron-strong, God-fearing patriot who thought it was an honor just to be summoned to jury duty. They started an argument – about what, I couldn't tell ya – and that argument led to another, and then another, and then another. They argued so much, they started dating. Seeing each other romantically like Ruby and Sapphire, I mean. Then they got married: A sort of promise you make to the love of your life to be by her side forever."
Pink chuckled. She didn't understand a lot of the words and references Greg was using, but she was able to understand enough to follow. "Your parents sound wonderful."
Greg smiled. "Yeah. People like to think of hippies as gross, dirty, dumb and lazy. My mom was none of those things, though. She was a musician, like me. When she married my dad, she made a living by writing and playing songs for commercials and even a few TV shows. After she got the letter telling her that dad wasn't coming back, she stayed strong for my sake."
Pink was enjoying learning about Greg's mother. She sounded just like Greg himself. But then, a thought occurred that made Pink frown. "You keep referring to your mom in past tense." she noted.
Greg nodded glumly. His eyes shone with the potential for tears. "Life can be cruel. That's something I learned when I was only five years old and still a child. Mom got sick. Really sick. The doctors couldn't save her. I remember a bunch of adults telling me that my mom had gone to sleep and wasn't going to wake up. I also remember going to the place where they had buried her body and pounding my fists on the ground, begging her to wake up."
Pink gasped and brought her hands to her mouth. She was sitting straight up in her chair, no longer reclining.
"I was lost," said Greg. "She was my idol. The only person in the world that I cared about. And…she was…gone. Never coming ba-"
Pink rushed Greg, wrapping his arms around him in a tight embrace.
Greg melted into the embrace, only just now realizing that he really did need a hug right then. The two of them just held each other for a while. Greg tried to part from the embrace, but with Pink's supernatural strength, he might as well have tried to escape from a gibbeting cage. (look it up)
Greg blushed as Pink scooched next to him in his seat, still hugging him. "What happened to you afterward?" she asked softly.
"I was put in the care of my dad's side of the family, which leads me to the actual point I was trying to make," said Greg. My dad's family were all military men and women. I don't think any of them actually liked or thought much of my mom. Their hope was that I would take after Dad, when actually, I took after Mom instead. I know they were my family, and I loved them, but living with them was a nightmare for a guy like me. The strict rules, the curfews, the ridiculous 'do's' and 'don'ts'. I just wanted to play guitar and write songs. That's what I loved doing. The family thought that was just a waste of time and scolded me good for it, trying to force me into the direction of the military. Or at the very least, a doctorate degree. Andy was the only one who ever cut me some slack, but even he thought my musical dream was stupid.
"To sum it all up, I know what it's like to have the people you care about treat you like an idiot for trying to be your own person. And I know how hard it is to keep being yourself when everyone around you keeps telling you to be someone else. It's a tough battle. I couldn't even get them off my back during college. They constantly checked up on me and demanded to see my class grades. I finally decided I had had enough, so I dropped out of college, got in my van, and just left. I haven't seen or spoken to my family in about three years."
Pink raised one hand off of Greg and snapped her fingers. The chair they were in widened, so Pink and Greg had more room. Pink finally released Greg and reclined in the chair with him, both of them lying next to each other and staring up into the vastness of space.
"At least you were able to leave them and start a new life for yourself," Pink said after a long, star-gazing pause.
"I didn't want to just ditch them, but…it needed to be done," Greg said. "They were my family, but I never fit in with them."
Pink sighed. "You know, it's funny. Out of all the beings in the universe. The one being I seem to have the most in common with is the one you would expect I would have the least in common with."
Greg chuckled. "Life can be strange too, I guess."
Pink chucked back. "I suppose so."
"Can I ask you something?" Greg asked.
"You can ask me anything," Pink replied.
"If you could hit the reset button on your life, what kind of Gem would you start over as?"
Pink gave it some thought. "...Truth…? I think I would come back as a human instead."
"For real?" Greg asked. "Why's that?"
"So maybe I could finally live free," Pink said. "Freedom is an illusion for Gems. Even us Diamonds are chained to our own throne, any possibility of a different setting being ludicrous in the eyes of society. Most Gems are fine with it, though. Maybe it's a lack of knowing better, maybe it's just how most Gems are. Whatever the case, I don't see things changing any time soon…or ever."
Greg and Pink both sighed at the same time and took their hands off of their naval, laying them flat on the lounge chair. Greg's hand landed on top of Pink's hand. They were startled by the sudden contact, both of their cheeks turning red with embarrassment.
But neither of them pulled their hand away.
They just stared into each other's eyes, as if daring the other to make the next move. Both of them, however, seemed too lost in each other's gaze to make another move. Finally, without breaking their gaze, Greg gently took hold of Pink's hand. Pink, in return, tenderly ran her thumb across Greg's hand.
Eventually, they snapped out of their self-induced trance. They both withdrew their hands and turned away from each other. The look on Pink's embarrassed face screamed 'What is happening to me?'. The look on Greg's face screamed 'I can't believe this is happening to me.'.
"M-m-maybe we should go back to the Garden," said Pink. "We can watch one of your Earth entertainment documentaries."
"A movie sounds good," Greg replied. Without looking at each other, Pink and Greg stood up off of the chair. Pink grew back to her normal height and both of the chairs sank into the ground with the sound of a tiny construction site. Pink and Greg headed to the warp pad.
"Which of your movies shall we watch?" Pink asked.
"Actually, I think you would really like Jumanji."
"Hmm. Sounds promising."
The warp pad lit up before Pink and Greg could reach it and Blue Diamond appeared before them.
"Ah, Pink, there you are. I thought I would find you here." Blue Diamond looked down at Greg. Her hood was up, but you could see her smile. "And you have your human with you. Splendid."
Greg let out a frightened 'eep' and hid behind Pink like a scared puppy. Pink Diamond stared up at Blue defiantly. "Leave my human alone."
"Calm yourself, Pink, I have no intention of ridding you of your human." Blue Diamond reached up and pulled her hood down, showing off her white hair. "I simply wish to borrow him."
"Wow. I know you think I'm stupid, but wow," said Pink.
"I think nothing of the sort." Blue Diamond stated. "But, your mistrust is not without justification, I shall admit that."
"You are not borrowing my human, Blue," Pink told her.
"Shouldn't we let the human decide for himself?" Blue asked. "Let me speak to it. I mean, him."
Pink raised a suspicious eyebrow at Blue. She gave her fellow Diamond a warning look before moving aside to reveal Greg, who did his best to look presentable with the back straight and his posture correct. He folded his hands behind his back and tried not to look into Blue Diamond's eyes, which was a challenge. Like Pink, Blue Diamond had those fascinating, diamond eyes.
"Greg, was it?" Blue Diamond asked.
"Y-yes, your highness." Greg nervously replied.
"'Your highness'." Blue Diamond mused. "I rather like the sound of that. Is that how you address the matriarchs of your world?"
"Um…Y-yes, your highness."
"Hmm." replied the Diamond. "By the way, I heard about how you lent your aid to my Sphene in the repairs of my Science Facility. I thank you for that, even if my Sphene was shattered in the process."
"Sorry about that," said Greg.
"Oh, no need for an apology. I blame that misdemeanor on Yellow Diamond and her lack of tolerance," said Blue. "In fact, I find myself in need of your biology once more. Truth be told, it is quite handy having an intelligent organic being around. And so I ask: would you be willing to lend your aid to me?"
"No, he wouldn't," Pink answered.
"Can't he speak for himself?" Blue asked.
"Don't do that. Don't condescend towards me by mocking my ideals on equality." Pink demanded. "Just tell me what you want."
"This is not a trick, Pink, I swear to you." Blue sighed. "Look. I am attempting to meet you halfway here. Give me your human, so that I may evaluate his worth, and then I will give him back to you, unharmed. Yellow would have him immediately vaporized, but perhaps I can put him to good use. And besides, after your Spinel shattered my Sphene, you owe me another Gem. I am, however, willing to accept your human's temporary service as compensation."
"Well, uh, I appreciate the offer," said Greg. "but, uh, I'm just not entirely sure I'm gonna survive if I go with you and help with your…stuff."
"Well, my 'stuff' can be taken care of with or without you," said Blue Diamond. "But if you were to come with me and help my Gems with that 'stuff', then maybe I might decide that you are not the burden I initially thought you would be. Maybe I decide you are not just another gross animal Pink Diamond keeps stowed away in her Garden."
"That's kinda mean, don't ya think?" Greg asked.
"Do not press my indulgence, human." Blue calmly warned him.
"Yes, your highness." Greg quickly replied.
Blue Diamond sighed. "Look. I mean you no harm nor hostility. I just want to see for myself what you are capable of. If you manage to prove to me that you are not a nuisance, then…I will consider sending you back to Earth, safe and sound."
"Wait, what?!" Greg shouted. "...I-I-I-I'm sorry, your highness. But, you're really gonna send me back to Earth?"
"I will consider it," said Blue Diamond. "If you manage to prove to me that you are not just another burden to Pink Diamond."
"First off, he is the farthest thing from a burden!" Pink exclaimed. "And second, how do you plan to get away with sending Greg back to Earth? I'm the only one who is allowed to send anything to that planet, and that's only every ten years."
"I am the Diamond of Law and Order. I assure you that I can find a loophole and send you back to your planet. It would hardly be of any effort or risk." Blue Diamond clasped her hand together and held them up to her chest. "How does that sound? Your temporary service to me, in exchange for my consideration to return you home, unharmed and alive."
"You're not gonna do the 'read the fine print' thing and tell me there was no part of the deal specifying when you have to take me back to Earth, and then take my dead body to Earth in a hundred years, are you?" Greg asked.
Blue Diamond brought her finger to her chin thoughtfully. "...I could, couldn't I? Well, rest assured, I will not stoop so low. Accept my offer and do as I command until I am done with you, and I will bring you back to Earth safe and sound at a time of your choosing. Assuming, of course, you manage to prove to me that you are worth the effort. On these terms, you have my word as a Diamond."
Pink and Greg glanced at each other.
"Could you give us a moment?" Pink asked. She scooped up Greg and carried him to the other side of the Observatory before Blue could respond.
"It's intelligent enough, at least," Blue muttered to herself. "And polite."
Pink put Greg down and shot a suspicious look at Blue Diamond. "This is a trap."
"Pink, you heard her," said Greg. "I might actually have a shot at getting back home."
"Are you really willing to risk your life for it?" Pink asked.
"You got any better ideas on how to get me home?"
"Well…no," Pink admitted.
"Isn't Blue Diamond the one who normally cuts you slack?" Greg asked.
"Very little slack," Pink replied bitterly. "But, she has always been the sympathetic one. It's always been Blue who stood up for me and comforted me."
"Do you really think she's trying to take me away from you so she can have me killed?" Greg asked.
Pink sighed. "...No," she admitted. "Yellow would, but I don't think Blue would try something like that. Still though, she's up to something, I just know it."
"Pink. This might be my one chance to get back home. Otherwise, I'll have to wait ten years after I'm legally declared dead back home."
"Well…so?" Pink asked. "It's not so bad for you here. Maybe you could live your life here for the next ten years. The Gems and I would be happy to have you with us."
"I know you guys would. But, Pink, I don't belong here, no matter how much you try to make me feel at home. I gotta do this. If there's even a remote chance that it'll get me home, then I've got to take it." Greg stared desperately into Pink Diamond's eyes. "...Please…let me take this chance."
Pink stared back at Greg, a flood of different emotions on her face. "...Okay." she finally said in a soft voice. "I'd tell you to be careful, but that wouldn't save you from Blue if she's planning on killing you. So instead, I ask that in the case that she's telling the truth and you manage to impress her enough to win a transport home…please don't leave without saying goodbye."
Greg smiled up at Pink. "You are the best thing to happen to me in a long time," he told her. "Of course I wouldn't leave without saying goodbye."
Pink smiled back, and the two of them returned to Blue Diamond.
"I accept your offer, Blue Diamond." Greg bowed in respect. "Until further notice, I am yours to command."
"Wonderful," said Blue Diamond. "However, I must insist that you don your Gem uniform once more if you are to be my temporary disciple."
"How long do you plan to keep him?" Pink Diamond asked.
"Not long. Just long enough to fix a few things and perhaps tell me a little bit about Earth. I must admit I am curious about the process the humans have made with us gone."
"Very well," said Pink. "Give me an hour to get him presentable, and send your Pearl to the Garden to fetch him."
Blue Diamond nodded.
"And, Blue?" Pink crossed her arms. "For as long as I can remember, I have trusted you and relied on you. We do not always see eye to eye on matters, but you've always been the most patient with me, and I've always loved you for it. But hear me well, Blue Diamond, because I do not want you to mistake this for me just being immature as you and the others often do. If you are just attempting to prey upon my kindness and my trust in you, then I. Will. Never. Forgive you."
"Pink." Blue rested her hand on the smaller Diamond's shoulder. "I would never do anything to betray your love or your trust. Greg here will be safe under my watch, I promise."
Pink rested her hand on Blue's hand affectionately, then Blue Diamond stepped off of the warp pad and Pink and Greg stepped on, disappearing in a column of light.
"Polite and intelligent," Blue remarked. "I wonder just how loyal to Pink it has become, though."
"You what?!"
"I've agreed to work for Blue Diamond for the day," Greg said. He had already put on the Gem uniform Amber had made him and freshened up in the insta-clean cubicle. "If she decides that I'm not just some dumb animal who can't mingle with Gems, then she's promised to consider sending me back to Earth alive and well."
"She's going to kill you!" Amethyst exclaimed.
"I don't think she will," Pink said. "I'm not saying that I'm not worried, but I know Blue. She wouldn't lie to me like that."
"Perhaps she is trying to solve this dispute in the most logical and non-violent manner," said Amber. "The Diamonds want Greg gone, so just sending him to Earth would probably be the best way to get rid of him without angering Pink."
"I hope that's the case," said Greg. "Regardless, I have to take that chance. Otherwise, I might miss out on my one shot at getting back home in less than ten years."
Amethyst ran her hand through her hair. "I don't know, man. Helping Ruby and Sapphire sneak away to see each other is one thing, and so is helping an egghead like Sphene fix stuff. But, this? Your gonna be working directly for Blue Diamond!"
"And if I manage to pull this off, I get to go home!" said Greg. "I can't afford to pass this up!"
Amethyst sighed. "Look, I'm not gonna fight you on this. It's my fault you're here in the first place, so who am I to try to stop you from getting back home?"
"Don't worry, Amethyst, I'll be fine," Greg said. "I've survived your abduction, Fire Agate and Topaz, those Quartz soldiers, and Amber's nightmare attempt at trying to make the sustenance salts taste better."
"Oh, that's nice. Hack on me for trying to do a good thing for you." Amber flatly remarked. "But in all seriousness, please stop getting into situations that put you an inch away from demise."
Pink turned to Padparadscha. "Can you see Greg's future if he goes through with this?" the Diamond asked.
"Hold on, Sapphire's giving me a vision." Padparadscha looked upward and was quiet for a few seconds. "...He's not gonna die."
"Hooray!" Greg cheered.
"But…he may or may not get to go home. The vision gets a little fuzzy there."
"Darn," said Greg.
"I thought Sapphires could see the future a little better than that?" Amethyst asked.
"Predicting Gems is easy. Predicting humans is a much more difficult task." Padparadscha explained. "It's actually how the humans got away with so much during the attempted Earth colonization. In addition to knowing the territory far better than Gems did as well as hitting like lightning and disappearing like smoke, none of Blue Diamond's Sapphires could predict their next move."
"How do you know about that?" Amethyst asked.
"Just because I'm an off-color Sapphire doesn't mean I don't keep up with Sapphire stuff," Padparadscha replied. "I can tell you that Greg will not be killed during his service to Blue Diamond. However, whether or not Greg will return home…that remains clouded. So many possibilities; none of them certain and all of them of equal probability."
"Hey, Big Blue's not gonna kill me, and that's good enough," said Greg.
"Big Blue?" The Diamond snickered. "Oh, that is just perfect. For the love of all that is living, do not ever call her that to her face. But that is still just perfect."
"Any other advice you can give me?" Greg asked.
"Yes, actually. Do not disrespect her." Pink warned severely. "Only speak when spoken to, do not look her in the eyes, always be polite, and do as Blue Diamond commands without argument. I don't know what she wants with you, but if Sapphire's prediction is correct, you won't be harmed. That does not mean she will tolerate disrespect of any kind. My guess is that she just wants to evaluate you personally herself. She's like that, not trusting any of us to make a proper assessment of things. If she hasn't made the report herself, it hasn't been done right."
"Uh, got it. Don't disrespect her," said Greg.
The warp pad lit up. The Pink Topaz guards aimed their halberds at Blue Pearl, who flinched in fear at the weapons.
"Blue Diamond's Pearl." Pink Diamond soberly remarked.
"She's here for me," said Greg, beginning to look a little nervous. "Well…here I go." Greg headed towards the warp pad.
"Greg?"
Greg and the Gems turned around to see Spinel had come down from the dais. She wrung her hands and her hair buns drooped with guilt. She stared up at Greg with big, sad eyes.
"...About…what happened." Spinel looked down at the floor. "I'm… I'm…"
"It's okay, Spinel." Greg knelt down and placed her hand on the pink Gem's shoulder. He smiled warmly at the guilt-ridden Spinel. "Nothing will ever stop me from being your friend. Especially something that wasn't even your fault."
"But it was my fault!" Spinel cried. "I hurt those Quartz Gems and almost hurt you! All because I was…because I was…" Spinel developed a haunted look in her eyes.
"I know what it's like to feel all alone," said Greg. "I'm not about to pretend to know what it was that you went through, but I know that being and feeling alone…well…it cuts deep, and it hurts. But here's the thing: You're not alone. Not anymore, or ever again."
Spinel blinked at Greg, then she looked at the Gems around her and got a supportive smile from each of them. Spinel looked back into Greg's eyes and smiled, letting a single tear escape from her eye. The little Gem triple-wrapped her arms around Greg in a big hug.
"Take it easy! Take it easy! I can't breathe!" Greg wheezed as loud as he could.
Spinel waited until the last second before Greg could black out before releasing him. Greg fell onto his knees and breathed the air back into his lungs with deep, long breaths.
"Sorry." Spinel apologized.
"S'alright," Greg said once he was back on his feet.
"You should get going," Pink said. "We don't want to keep Blue Diamond waiting."
"Good idea." Greg turned around and headed to the warp pad. "Wish me luck, guys."
"You're going to need more than that," Pink muttered worriedly.
The Topaz guards stepped aside as Greg approached. "Hey, Pearl." he greeted with a friendly smile. "It's nice to see you again."
Blue Pearl smiled. "Likewise, Human Greg. Are you ready to leave?"
Greg nodded. "Yeah, let's go."
Greg stepped onto the warp pad with Blue Pearl and they warped away.
Pink Diamond clenched her fists as Greg was beamed away.
Greg and Blue Pearl appeared on a warp pad at the end of a long, blue, Diamond-sized hallway. This was a lot different from the Science Facility. The color was a beautiful shade of blue, and the walls, floor and ceilings shined like they've been recently waxed.
Greg turned to Blue Pearl. "Okay, level with me, BP. What's about to happen to me?"
"BP?" the Pearl asked.
"Yeah, it stands for 'Blue Pearl'. What's wrong, ya don't like it?"
"It's just…odd…being called that," BP replied shyly. "By your logic, would Pink Diamond's Pearl be called PP?"
Greg laughed.
BP tilted her head in confusion. "...What did I say?"
"Nothing. Nothing." Greg said. "I mean, I guess you're right, but she's more of a multi-colored Pearl."
"Ah, yes. She was a gift from the other Diamonds after her old Pearl was put out of commission."
"Oh, yeah, I had about that. Pink Diamond's Spinel went wacko and attacked her, right?"
"Is that what happened?" BP asked. "I heard different."
"What did you hear?" Greg asked.
"We should not waste any more time, Human Greg." BP forewarned. "My Diamond awaits."
"Oh, alright then. You're probably right." Greg said. "Lead the way."
Blue Pearl stepped off of the warp back and walked down the hall with Greg by her side. The quiet Pearl hardly made a sound as she walked with her hands folded in front of her.
"So, how have you been?" Greg asked.
"Oh. Uh…I have been well." BP softly replied. "...How have you been?"
"I can't complain. I'm not dead yet. So, there's that to appreciate. Actually, that brings up the question you haven't answered yet. Am I about to walk into something that I'm gonna regret walking into?"
"My Diamond means you no harm, Human Greg," BP replied. "She only wishes for your assistance."
"Assistance in what?" Greg said.
"I cannot tell you."
"Ah, come on. I wanna be prepared for when we get to Blue Diamond. You sure you can't give me a hint or something?"
"My Diamond has instructed me not to tell you of the purpose of your summon," said Blue Pearl.
"Well, can you at least tell me if-"
"I cannot tell you anything." BP's voice remained soft, but thickened just a bit.
Greg blinked in surprise and raised his hands in surrender.
"...I am sorry," PB whispered. "I should not have interrupted you."
"No, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have pushed it." Greg apologized.
BP gave Greg an odd look. "I am…still getting used to your carriage," she confessed. "It is rare for anyone to be so courteous to a Pearl, even if I am Blue Diamond's Pearl."
"I don't care if you're Blue Diamond's Pearl," said Greg. "Regardless of what you might think of me, being organic and all, I think you're cool. I like you."
Blue Pearl turned her head to the path ahead and her hair hid most of her azure blush. "We are here." her voice was barely audible.
The two of them had reached a large, ocean-blue double door with the Blue Diamond emblem displayed in its center. A pair of Topaz guards, Blue Swiss Topaz, Greg remembered Amber calling them, stood guard in front of the massive door.
"I have brought the human at the request of our Diamond," said Blue Pearl.
Greg raised her hand in greeting. "Hi."
The Topaz Guards stepped aside and BP walked up to the door with Greg in tow. The Pearl placed her hand on the door and the Blue Diamond emblem lit up. The double door slid open, and the Pearl and the Human walked through. The door closed once they were through, only adding to Greg's nervousness.
"Woah," Greg remarked when he saw the room.
Well, actually, the place was way too big to be called a room. The chamber they were in was huge and looked like the underside of a water slide at a water park. Waterfalls fell down the wall on either side with the biggest waterfall in the back of the chamber. The floor was flooded with water, with pipes snaking their way here and there. To the left and right, support columns rose from the floor to the ceiling, connected by crossing beams. A tall, large dais dominated the chamber, with a walkway and staircase leading to the top, which Greg couldn't see from where he stood. And, of course, everything was one shade of blue or another. The chamber had a really calm and tranquil atmosphere, like a bathhouse or a steam room.
"Follow me please." Blue Pearl said. She made her way to the dais and Greg followed. The two of them made their way up the stairs to the top of the dais, where Greg saw that there was a diamond-shaped pool with a dark blue rim filled with crystal-blue water. Sitting in the pool with the water up to just below her hair-hoop, was Blue Diamond herself, humming a melody and combing her white hair with a comb that Greg could have sworn was alive.
BP placed a hand on Greg's chest to halt his progress and she approached the edge of the pool herself. "My Diamond," Blue Pearl addressed with a low, graceful bow. "I have brought Pink Diamond's human at your request."
"Very good, Pearl." Blue Diamond put her comb away and her cyan eyes focused on Greg. "Come closer, human. I mean you no harm."
Greg gulped before walking up next to BP at the edge of the pool. "Nice place you got here." he couldn't stop himself from saying out of nerves.
"Isn't it? I normally don't allow anyone other than my Pearl in my Pool Chamber, but I wanted our conversation to be as private as possible."
Greg closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Even the smell of the water was soothing. "It's really peaceful here. I guess Pink Diamond has her Garden and you have your Pool?"
"Indeed," said Blue Diamond. She was low enough in the water so Greg only had to slightly incline his head to address the monarch, but made sure not to look her in the eyes as Pink had warned him. "Even Yellow Diamond has her Steam Room for when she feels like relaxing away from her work. Being a Diamond can be brutally stressful." The Diamond tilted her head and smiled. "I am glad you are feeling at ease within my presence. As I said, I mean you no harm."
"I'm feeling a lot of things right about now." Greg nervously replied. "Confused, scared, anxious, curious. I know you see me as even more inferior than a Pearl. No offense, Pearl,"
"None taken."
"I shall admit this is rather unorthodox, a being of my rank and power conversing with one such as yourself," said Blue Diamond. "But as it stands, I find myself in need of your assistance."
"I'll be happy to help you with whatever you want," Greg said. "Just name it."
"Before we continue with this conversation, I want to ask you a few questions."
"Ask away, your majesty."
"Your majesty? I think I like that one even more than 'your highness'." Blue Diamond said. "Now, I will ask questions, and you will answer them. Understand?"
Greg nodded.
"What does your species remember of the attempted colonization of Earth?" the Diamond asked. "Do humans remember anything about the rebellion?"
"We have many stories about beings of immense power, who ruled over mankind with their incredible might," Greg said. "The Greeks and Romans, the Egyptians, the Vikings, and so on and so forth. But all of those stories are just myth and legend, and none of them describe anything like you and your people Actually, now that you mention it, I think I vaguely remember hearing something about 'Starlight beings' when I was younger, but it was just another myth. No one actually believes you Gems exist, nor do they have any idea what's actually outside of Earth's atmosphere. Hell, when I discovered the existence of Gems, I had to constantly remind myself that it was all real."
"Just as I figured." Blue Diamond said. "Earth doesn't remember the Gems. Pink already told us this, but Yellow is still wary of you. She's always been the paranoid one."
"Why would Yellow Diamond be wary of me?" Greg asked. "I'm just a human. I'm not even an important one."
"Never you mind," said the Diamond. "What do you know of the Rebellion?"
"Just everything that Pink Diamond and her Gems have told me," Greg answered.
"What do you think of Pink Diamond?"
Greg pulled on his collar and cleared his throat. "I…I owe Pink Diamond my life, as do all humans," he said.
"What do you think of Pink Diamond personally?" Blue Diamond asked.
Greg gulped. "I-I think she's amazing. Any Gem that serves her is one of the lucky ones, and I've been incredibly lucky to be put in her care."
"She is quite the treasure, isn't she?" Blue Diamond agreed. "But, there are certain characteristics of hers that need to be improved upon. Which is where you come in."
Greg blinked. "I'm…sorry?"
"I did not bring you here to put you to work." Blue Diamond explained. "I brought you here because I want you to convince Pink Diamond to be more of a Diamond. I want you to convince Pink Diamond to abandon her ways and perform her duties as a Diamond in the manner which she is supposed to."
Greg's eyes widened in shock and confusion.
Pink Diamond paced back and forth within her Garden, a distraught look on her face that was borderline-panic. She was even beginning to wear out a line on the ground beneath her.
"Please be okay. Please be okay," she whispered to herself.
Amber, Padparadscha, Amethyst and Spinel were on the couch duking it out on Mario Kart. Spinel was in the lead and the other three were struggling to catch up to her.
"I'm sure he's fine, Pink Diamond," Amber said. "Blue Diamond has always been the less murderous out of the other Diamonds. And besides, Sapphire's prediction said that he wouldn't be killed. Come on, gimme a red shell, gimme a red shell…Gah, freaking banana!"
"I can't help but worry," Pink said as she continued to pace. "We should have at least given Greg a Ruby escort."
"You don't need future vision to know that a squadron of Rubies wouldn't be of much use against Blue Diamond," said Padparadscha. "Even assigning Jasper to protect him probably wouldn't have made much of a difference."
Pink finally stopped pacing and tugged on her pink hair, letting out an anxious groan. 'What is wrong with me?' she thought to herself. Granted, she would have been worried sick if any of her Gems that the Diamonds didn't like had been summoned by Blue, but why was Greg's absence affecting her in the intense degree that it was? Thinking about Greg's smiling face, his laugh, his kindness and his thoughtfulness brought a momentary smile to Pink's face before she frowned in worry for him. 'What does Blue want with him? Why would a Diamond other than me summon a human?' It could be another trick to call Greg out on his uselessness, but it wasn't like Blue or Yellow to try the same trick twice. Whatever the case, the thought of something bad happening to Greg was unbearable.
The warp pad lit, and the Topaz Guards aimed their weapons at a startled Ruby, who summoned her gauntlet in response and got into a fighting stance.
"Hold!" Pink Diamond commanded. Ruby and the two Topazes lowered their weapons and bowed their heads in respect before their Diamond.
"Apologies, my Diamond," said Ruby.
"It's fine," said Pink. "If you're here to ask Greg to escort you through the old Kindergartens to go see Sapphire, I'm afraid he's not here."
"Aw, what?" Ruby replied, clearly distraught and irritated that she couldn't go see Sapphire. "Well, where is he?"
"He's with Blue Diamond," Pink told Ruby worriedly.
"What?!" Ruby shouted.
"Yes, I know! Don't you think I know?!" Pink shouted back. "But Blue Diamond offered to consider taking him back to Earth if he agreed to do some work for her, so he went! And now here I am, hoping with everything I have that he actually comes back alive!"
Ruby blinked in shock at the Diamond. "Woah. Where did that come from?"
"I have no idea!" Pink cried. "I'm just worried about Greg!" Pink Diamond recomposed herself and took a deep breath. "I'm…I'm sorry. I don't know what's going on with me. I worry about my friends when they're in danger, but…I've never freaked out like this before."
Ruby stared up at Pink Diamond for a long time. She slowly blinked her eyes as if trying to comprehend something. "I…might know what's going on with you." the red soldier carefully said. "But, I think I should get a second opinion before I say anything else."
The warp pad lit up and Sapphire appeared on the dais. "You mean mine?"
"She can time it like that because she has future vision, I have no idea how I do it." Pink said to no one in particular.
"Sapphire!" Ruby rushed to her beloved and Sapphire rushed to meet her. The Topaz guards were too startled to do anything, so Sapphire and Ruby were able to embrace without any interference.
"What are you doing here?" Ruby asked excitedly.
"Blue Diamond is currently occupied with Greg, no one will notice me sneak away to see you in this place," said Sapphire. "Also, I predicted the conversation you just had with Pink Diamond, and I figured she could use both of our help to figure out her…issue."
Ruby's eyes widened. "You mean…she really is…?"
Sapphire grinned and nodded.
"Uh, hello, excuse me?" Pink said. "What are the two of you talking about?"
Ruby and Sapphire glanced at each other before standing side by side to address Pink, holding each other's hand. "Is there somewhere we can speak more privately?" Sapphire asked.
Pink looked over at the four Gems on the couch, who immediately turned their attention back to their game and pretended they hadn't been eavesdropping.
"We can go to my Observatory," Pink said. "It's just a warp away."
"Sound's good," said Sapphire. "Lead the way, dear Diamond."
"You four stay here and contact me if Greg comes back," Pink said to the couch Gems. "If Pearl comes here looking for me, tell her to wait here for my return."
"Yes, my Diamond." the four of them said with the tone of four whiney children saying 'yes, mom.'
Pink Diamond, Ruby and Sapphire stepped onto the warp pad and were beamed away.
"How come no one invites us to do stuff?" Amethyst asked.
"Because you and Padparadscha are off-colors and no one really takes Spinel nor I seriously, given our assigned purposes," said Amber.
"...Oh…right."
Pink, Ruby and Sapphire appeared on the Observatory warp pad. The three Gems walked to the center of the room, then Pink faced her two Gem companions.
"So, what's wrong with me?" Pink asked. "Why am I freaking out all of a sudden? What is it about Greg that makes me feel like this?"
"Hold on a minute, would you?" Ruby and Sapphire turned to each other and kissed. As they kissed, they began to fuse. A second later, Garnet was standing before Pink Diamond. The fusion stretched out her limbs, as if enjoying the feel of her body.
"Ah, that's better," Garnet said.
Pink's eyes sparkled. "So you're what they make." she marveled. "Incredible."
"Why, thank you," said Garnet. "If only Blue Diamond shared your appreciation for fine pairing."
Pink Diamond shrank down to Quartz size and summoned a seat for her and Garnet. The two of them sat down, Garnet crossed one leg over the other and rested her hands on her knee. She smiled at Pink Diamond, although her visored eyes gave nothing else away.
"So what's going on with me? Why am I freaking out over Greg? Do I just feel guilty for what I almost had to do to his planet? Do I just feel guilty for the way humans got most of the blame for the rebellion? Do I just feel guilty for the way he was abducted and now can't go back home…? Wow, I have a lot to feel guilty about. That's it, isn't it? I worry so much about Greg because I feel so guilty over all the wrong I have done to his race."
"...Perhaps," Garnet said. "Could you describe Greg for me, please?"
"You've met him, haven't you? You saved him from Fire Agate in the abandoned Kindergartens."
"I want to hear you describe him to me," said Garnet. "Tell me about him."
"Oh. Well, gee, where do I begin? He's incredibly kind and friendly, he's warm and compassionate, and his talent as a musician is outstanding."
"How does he make you feel when you're with him?"
Pink looked away. "He makes me feel…important. And not in the way that Gems view Diamonds as important. For thousands of years, I have been living with so much guilt, self-pity, and shame. My fellow Diamonds wanted me to colonize Earth, but I didn't, and they were disappointed in me. There was a rebellion on Earth by one of my Gems, I let them chase me off of Earth, and the Diamonds were disappointed in me. The humans, who worshipped me like I was White Diamond, were blamed the most for the failed Earth colony, and were killed by the thousands if not more. Since then, I have done all I could to preserve life, both organic and off-color Gem, and the Diamonds frown upon me for it. It's hard not to feel like a failure after all of that. But, Greg…"
Pink smiled. "He reminds me of the good I do, and he makes me feel like the most important of the Diamonds. I don't like destroying organic life or shattering Gems, and that's okay. I am the protector, the defender, the Diamond of Life and Value. That's how Greg makes me feel. That's what Greg reminds me, just by being by my side and being…him."
Garnet stared at Pink Diamond for a very long time. Finally, she took off her glasses and revealed her three eyes. Garnet looked into Pink's eyes and drummed her fingers on her leg.
"Pink Diamond…what I am about to tell you might sound outrageous, and may even upset you. I know, without a doubt in my mind, what the answer to your question is. But before I tell it to you, I must ask that you make an attempt to remain calm and composed."
"Um…sure," Pink replied, a little confused. "So, why do I feel this way?"
Garnet smirked.
"Come again, your majesty?" Greg asked nervously.
"I want you to convince Pink Diamond to abandon her ways and perform her duties as a Diamond in the manner which she is supposed to." Blue Diamond patiently repeated. "No more protecting and harboring off-colors, no more keeping organic pets, and above all, no more refusing to colonize planets."
Greg ran a hand through his hair, doing his best to stay calm. "Your majesty, Pink Diamond is already against all of that. What makes you think I can convince her to do those things?"
"She listens to you, does she not?" Blue Diamond asked. "She brought you with her to watch the comet from her Observatory. She must value your companionship as well as your counsel. And despite finding yourself under her care and protection, you remain a neutral party, not being a Gem. Therefore, you would be committing no transgression."
"So, you want me to talk Pink Diamond into being more like you and Yellow Diamond?" Greg asked. "Changing somebody's beliefs and values isn't that simple."
"I am only asking you to convince Pink Diamond to do what she was made to do," said Blue Diamond.
"No, you're asking me to change who she is," Greg argued.
BP took a nervous step away from Greg.
Blue Diamond glared at Greg for a minute, before sighing in frustration. "You humans like to barter, yes?"
Greg blinked. "Well, yeah. I suppose so."
"If you do this for me and convince Pink Diamond to change her ways, then on my word as a Diamond, your planet shall be spared and you shall be sent back to your world alive and unharmed."
Greg's eyes widened with excitement at the thought of going back home. "...How can I be sure you'll keep that promise?" he asked. "Doesn't Pink Diamond have to colonize Earth to complete her initiation or something?"
"Your ignorance is forgiven, but I am offended nonetheless," Blue said. "When a Diamond makes a promise, she keeps it. If it means making Pink Diamond into a colonist, then losing the Earth colony, which Pink never even wanted in the first place, is a small price to pay."
Greg bowed in respect. "Of course, your highness. I meant no disrespect. I'm just being careful, is all. Us humans tend to be overly cautious."
"Such is a human's nature of survival. Truth be told, I have always been impressed by humanity's ability to survive in the wild," said Blue Diamond. "But as I said, I have no intention of harming you. You need not fear me. It is Yellow Diamond you should be afraid of. Elimination has always been her favorite method of problem-solving."
"But you both hate humans," said Greg. "Because of what happened on Earth."
Blue Diamond gave Greg an odd, blank stare. "...Yes. Because of what happened on Earth. You have yet to answer me, human. Will you earn your freedom and your planet's salvation by convincing Pink Diamond into changing her ways?"
Greg looked down at the pool and into his reflection. Here he was being offered the opportunity of a lifetime. Convince a saint to turn sinner so that he can save his planet and the entire human race from destruction, as well as get a ride home. It seemed like too good of an opportunity to pass up. You can save your planet and go home, just convince that really nice lady you met to become a genocidal massacrist.
He couldn't do it.
Greg clenched his fists as a single tear fell into the pool.
Blue Diamond's eyes widened a little bit with surprise as Greg met her gaze.
"Blue Diamond…what you're asking me to do…it's not something I can do," Greg said mournfully.
Blue Diamond blinked. "You are being given the chance to go home as a savior of your world, and your answer is 'no'?"
"After everything Pink Diamond has done for me, after all of the kindness she and her Gems have shown me, I can't just walk up to her and tell her to change who she is. Even if it would've been easy, it would still be wrong. I owe Pink Diamond my life. Us humans take that seriously."
"Your loyalty is both admirable and understandable." Blue Diamond said with a touch of impatience in her voice. "But you should think very carefully about this. What is more important, saving your home and returning to it or your loyalty to the misfit Diamond?"
"Maybe she is a misfit," said Greg. "But that doesn't mean she should change. You should love her for who she is."
Blue Diamond's hand shot out of the water and slammed angrily on the ground several feet away from Greg. "Do not question my love for her!" she shouted. Her whole body literally began to glow with rage.
Greg looked over at BP. She was on her knees with her teeth and fists clenched angrily. Greg guessed that Blue Diamond was emitting some kind of mood aura, and he wasn't affected by it. Instead of showing fear (or at least, as little fear as possible), Greg looked into Blue Diamond's eyes and calmly asked,
"Do you love Pink Diamond?"
Blue Diamond's body raised a story higher out of the water and looked over Greg. She stared hard at the human, narrowing her eyes and gritting her teeth. Greg was suddenly one hundred percent sure that he was going to die.
Blue Diamond shut her eyes and let out a heavy sigh. She settled back into the water up to her neck and stared into the water with a sad look of regret.
"Of course I love Pink Diamond," Blue said dolefully. "I have loved that little, pink, vexing Gem since the day she entered our lives. I don't want her to change who she is. No, I need her to change who she is, for her own good. She is a Diamond of the Gem Empire and that cannot be helped. But what I have always loathed after thousands of years of scolding and rebuking her is the thought of her hating me for all of it. I do not want Pink to hate me, but what other option is there? If you can somehow manage to change her ways, then me and Yellow's scolding will no longer be needed."
"That's the thing about family, though. You have to love their faults as much as anything else about them." Greg said.
"Family is a human concept. Gems do not have families. Pink was the one to adopt the concept to the four of us Diamonds when she learned of it." Blue Diamond's soft chuckle was like the sound of light rain. "None of us objected to the idea, though." Blue Diamond frowned. "...Why am I telling all of this to some human? My affairs are none of your business."
"Maybe not. But regardless, it sounds to me like you have a lot on your chest." Greg sat down cross-legged at the pool's edge and smiled at Blue Diamond. "I'm a pretty good listener, and as a human, my opinion doesn't mean jack to anyone here on Homeworld. If there's anything you wanna unload, anything you wanna rant about or complain about, well, you have me here until you finally get sick of me."
Blue Diamond raised an eyebrow at Greg.
"WHAT?!"
"You heard me."
Pink Diamond shot out of her seat with a panicked look on her face. "That…That's crazy! I can't be…that can't…how does that even…you're wrong!"
"You're being awfully defensive about it." Garnet pointed out with a smirk. "If I'm wrong, why are you making such a big deal out of it?"
"Because it's insane!" Pink shouted. "You're telling me that I'm…that I'm…"
"Pink Diamond," Garnet calmly said. "You're in love with Greg."
"But that can't be right!" Pink Diamond cried. "He's a human! I'm a Gem! And I'm not just a Gem, I'm a Diamond!"
Garnet laughed good-naturedly. "You know, during the war on Earth, Ruby and Sapphire did a little traveling around the planet. I remember the trip they took to a land called Greece. They depicted love as an archer, whose aim was as unpredictable and random as it was precise and accurate."
"...Are you saying I should take up archery?" Pink asked. "Because I already have a shield thing going on-"
"No. I'm saying that love strikes without warning, always hits its mark, and never takes sides," said Garnet. "And the arrow of love has struck you with flawless aim. You are in love with the human. Or at the very least, you're falling in love with him."
Pink developed a zombie-like, 'holy crap' look and slumped into her chair. "...Oh…my…stars," she said. "...Are you sure about this? Am I really in love with Greg?"
Garnet raised her hands and looked at the gems in her palm, smiling lovingly. "Would you like to know how Ruby and Sapphire fell in love?"
"How?" Pink asked.
"They don't know either," Garnet said. "It just sort of happened. One thing led to another, and before they knew it, they fell in love. Ruby would tell you they fell in love the day they met, which is corny. Sapphire would tell you a specific time and date right down to the second, which is impossible. As Garnet, I can tell you that there's no way of knowing when exactly they fell in love with each other."
Pink straightened up in her seat and folded her hands in her lap. "Is…" she looked to the side. "Is Greg…in love with me?"
Garnet shrugged. "He could be. Wouldn't be the most absurd idea."
"Is he or isn't he?" Pink asked. "And if he isn't, then will he? You have future vision, right? You can tell me."
"Predicting human behavior is difficult enough, but adding love into the equation makes it near impossible," Garnet explained.
Pink let out a frustrated groan and rubbed her forehead. "This can't be happening. The other Diamonds already think I'm a joke. If they were to find out that I've fallen in love with the human I keep in my Garden, they would poof me and keep me in a bubble for a million years!"
"My dear Diamond, I know all about forbidden love," Garnet said with a sassy wave of her hand. "And take it from me, the fact that it's forbidden makes it somehow sweeter."
"Well, what am I supposed to do with this information, then?" Pink asked. "If anything, this has just made things worse!"
"Has it?" Garnet asked. "Now you know the truth. Now you understand your feelings towards Greg. And now that you know you're in love with Gregory Universe the Human, what will you do now?"
"...I…I don't know." Pink said. "I've never felt like this before. I always thought that being in love was supposed to make you feel happy and joyful. Why does it make me feel so scared and nervous?"
"Love is a sort of combination of every emotion," said Garnet. "It's supposed to be scary. Especially at first."
Pink Diamond flexed her hands anxiously. "It doesn't matter if I'm in love. Greg has a temporary lifespan and he'll be out of my life in ten years at most."
"So maybe you should make the most of the time you have with him." Garnet suggested. "He's not going to be around forever. But you are."
Pink Diamond let out a sigh and stood from her chair. "I think I'm going to go now. Thank you for your counsel, I can have my Gems send you to wherever you need to go."
"Thank you, but I can find my own way to where we need to go." Garnet stood from her seat as well. "Oh, and one more thing: Don't talk to Pearl about this."
"Why not?" Pink asked. "I confide in her with just about everything."
"Oh my stars, so oblivious."
"I'm sorry?"
"Just don't tell her about this." Garnet walked over to the warp pad. "And just for the sake of being a rascal; you're going to become very jealous of one of Greg's friends."
"What? I don't get jealous."
Garnet chuckled. "Sure," she said before beaming away.
Pink Diamond took a deep breath. "Oh, Greg. What are you doing to me? Gee, I hope Blue Diamond isn't putting you through anything too dreadful."
"She makes things so difficult all the time," Blue said, lounging in her pool, staring up into the ceiling. "It's not that things are difficult, it's that she makes them difficult."
"How so?" Greg asked.
"Well, there was this one time, about, oh, a few hundred years after the Earth debacle. I was colonizing a planet out in the Zega Galaxy, and I had Pink tag along to shadow me. The planet was filled with these savage, gross, drooling, organic, reptilian creatures, nowhere as civilized as you. They were all eradicated once the colony was finished. So I was wrapping things up on my new colony, and Pink headed back to my ship. Once I'm done setting schedules and regulations for the Facilities, I head back to the ship as well. There was Pink at the brig, with a guilty look on her face. And as soon as I ask why she looks so guilty, what happens? One of my Gems aboard my ship rushes into the brig in a panic, shouting out that a few of the reptilian creatures from the planet managed to get on my ship. Turns out, Pink Diamond smuggled them onto my ship."
Greg chuckled. "I take it you were quite upset?"
"Oh, I was enraged," said Blue. "I had those creatures shot out of the airlock before they could do any more damage."
"Okay, I can understand how that would upset anybody," Greg said.
"Right? I don't know why she does it. Plants are one thing, I don't really care about the plant life she puts in her Palace and her Garden. But out of all of the organic life forms that Pink Diamond has brought into her care, you are the only one that has not yet tried to eat someone."
"Is that true?" Greg asked.
"Well, no. Not all of them were violent." Blue admitted. "Some of them were friendly. Sometimes a little too friendly, though. Meaning they tried to…reproduce…with the Gems they found attractive."
"Oh, good God," said Greg. "I swear on my mother's grave that I will not try to do that."
"I believe you," Blue said. "Pink's behavior has always been problematic. It's not just her disdain for colonizing and disposing of off-colors. She has no respect for protocol or tradition. Her 'creative ideas' often end with something crashing down on something or someone."
"How does Yellow Diamond handle it?" Greg asked.
"Very poorly, I must say," Blue replied bitterly. "Yellow just doesn't know how to communicate with Pink. It's always yelling and barking orders with Yellow, only succeeding in making the situation with Pink worse. Yellow and I have argued relentlessly about what to do about Pink, both of us with different ideas on how to proceed."
"Well, what normally works with her?" Greg asked.
Blue laughed with little humor. "After over seven thousand years of trying to get through to Pink Diamond, you are the only one who seems to have made any success. That's why I attempted to have you get our message through to Pink. Perhaps, that is why we dislike you so much, Yellow and I. Perhaps it is not about Earth, perhaps we just hate how well you've connected with Pink."
"Maybe I have, but I'm just a friend to her. Or a pet, if that's more to your liking," said Greg. "You, on the other hand, you're her family. Her big sister, as we say on Earth. She relies on you for a shoulder to cry on, as well as a guide to help her when she feels lost."
Blue Diamond closed her eyes. "...I know," she said. "She's more important to us than she realizes. More important than she gives herself credit for."
"Have you ever told her that?" Greg asked.
"No," Blue admitted.
"Don't you think you should?" Greg asked. "You and Yellow Diamond both should. Maybe even White Diamond as well. All you and Yellow Diamond are accomplishing by constantly berating her is making her feel more like a disappointment and a failure. Trust me, I know. I've been on the receiving end before."
Blue Diamond sat up in her pool and stared at Greg. "You are a fascinating specimen, Gregory Universe. I find myself incapable of hating you for any fathomable reason. You are a kind creature, whose first instinct is to be a friend. That may just be one of your many survival instincts, but nevertheless, it is a heartening quality."
Greg blinked. "Are…are you saying you actually like me, your highness?"
"Make no mistake, I am your superior a thousand-fold, not your friend. However…I shall admit that I have grown rather fond of you during our brief time together."
"Well…thank you, your highness." Greg bowed in respect. "I'm honored."
Blue Diamond chuckled like soft rain once more. "Yes, you are a definite improvement over Pink's previous pets, that cannot be denied. Tell you what, dear human. As thanks for your counsel, I offer you a gift."
"A gift?" Greg asked.
"Two, actually," Blue said. "For your first gift, I shall see what I can do about sending you back to Earth, but I can make no promises."
Greg's eyes lit up with joy and excitement. "Th-thank you, Blue Diamond. That…that means a lot to me."
"A for your second gift." Blue Diamond raised her hand out of the water and gestured to Blue Pearl. "It seems my Pearl has grown fond of you and your kindness as well. I'm not sure that Pink Diamond has issued you a guide of any kind yet, but that may be because she does not want you leaving her Garden. You may have my Pearl during the occasional time periods for which I send her off to you. She shall be yours until I call her back to me. With my Pearl by your side, you are free to roam anywhere within my dominion. Namely, for any tasks and manual labor which calls for your biology."
"You're lending me your Pearl?" Greg looked over at BP, who stood as still as a statue.
"When I find myself having no immediate task for her, I shall send her to you, and she shall be yours. In exchange, I ask that you do odd jobs for me in your free time, with Pearl as your guide. Sound fair?"
"Absolutely, Blue Diamond." Greg quickly replied. "That was the original plan anyway, right?"
"Good," said Blue Diamond. "Pearl, please escort Greg back to Pink Diamond's Garden. Actually, you may stay with Greg until you are called upon. If I have any tasks for you, Greg, I will contact Pearl."
"Very good, my Diamond," BP said with a bow. "Let us go, Greg." BP led the way out of the Pool Room, and Greg followed.
"And, Greg?"
Greg stopped at the top of the stairs and looked back at Blue Diamond.
"Don't make me regret letting you live," she said with an ice-cold tone.
Greg gulped and nodded, too scared to say anything, then hurried down the stairs after BP.
Once Greg and Blue Pearl were gone, Blue Diamond raised her hand and a giant holoscreen appeared before her.
"Contact Yellow Diamond," Blue said.
The holoscreen lit up with the Yellow Diamond sigil, then Yellow Diamond herself appeared on the screen. "What is it, Blue? Did Pink do something? Is it the human? Is it dead? Please tell me it's dead."
"I am only going to say this once. Leave Pink Diamond's human alone." Blue said.
Yellow Diamond raised a questioning idea. "Excuse me?"
"You heard me. The human is working for me now. The numbers show that it's actually quite handy to have an organic creature around intelligent enough to follow orders."
"...Okay, what did Pink say to you?" Yellow demanded. "We both know you melt under her pitiful gaze."
"Pink had nothing to do with this. I have spoken to the human and now I offer him protection within my territory in exchange for his labor." Blue explained.
"Blue, this isn't funny," Yellow said, beginning to sound irritated. "I want that human dead."
"Because you think he knows," said Blue. "But he doesn't. And now that he's doing jobs for me, I won't have you doing him harm."
"Him?" Yellow asked. "Please tell me you haven't grown attached to that thing as well."
"I will admit, the human is growing on me. But to answer your question, no. I consider the human one of my assets now. And despite how much you dislike Pink keeping him as a pet, I won't have you disposing of one of my assets."
"I can't believe you," Yellow said with an exasperated wave of her hand. "Why are you and I pitted against each other every time Pink starts something problematic?"
"Trust me on this, Yellow. The best thing to do in this situation is nothing." Blue said. "Just let Pink keep the human until it dies. It's not doing any harm, and I plan on putting it to work. If you really want to get rid of the human that badly, perhaps we should just send it back to Earth in an outdated transfer pod."
Yellow Diamond gritted her teeth angrily. "You always take Pink's side, no matter the severity of her misconduct."
"Someone has to remind Pink that we still care about her. You never do."
A flash of pain ran across Yellow's face before she angrily swiped the air and ended the transmission.
Blue sighed. "A family we are, but a dysfunctional one to be sure."
On the other end of the transmission, Yellow Diamond fumed in her control room, drumming her fingers on her throne.
"Humans," Yellow growled. "After all these years, they continue to be a poison."
"How can I help to soothe your anger, my Diamond?" Yellow Pearl asked. "Shall I sing to you?"
"No, no, I'm afraid that won't help me," said Yellow. "What I need right now is a way to get rid of that human."
"If you need someone or something terminated, your Fire Agate is the prime candidate." Yellow Pearl suggested. "Shall I summon her for you?"
"No, not her," said Yellow Diamond. "As great as her power and skill are, Fire Agate is not one for subtlety. And I need this done quietly, so as not to arouse Pink and Blue Diamond's fury."
"You mean it must look like an accident?" Yellow Pearl asked.
Yellow Diamond's eyes blinked and widened. "...Indeed." After a moment of pause, the Diamond smiled. "Thank you, my Pearl, you have given me an idea."
"I have?" the Pearl asked. "Wonderful! Uh, what plan might that be, my Diamond?"
"First things first, I need to find the right Gem for the job." Yellow Diamond brought up a holoscreen and scrolled through the images of her Gems.
"Such a selection," Yellow said as she scrolled through the Gem catalog. "Which one, which one?"
After a few minutes of searching and contemplating, Yellow Diamond smiled as she finally decided on a winner. "This one will do nicely."
The image of a Peridot was displayed before the Diamond.
You may have an idea on what's going to go down next chapter.
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