Chapter Six: Born Again

Luckily, things back at Beach City had calmed down once the other Emerald had left. Now, Emerald was finally able to get back to business: the building of temporary homes for all the Gems who found themselves on Earth. The group of off-colors led by Lars had been working on organizing such a project, with several others pitching in as well. Emerald had decided to help out as well. Her knack for 'directing traffic,' as Steven had called it, came in handy.

The homes weren't exactly what those from Homeworld would be used to, being what amounted to log cabins, but one of the Crystal Gems in charge of the project assured everyone that they were perfectly cozy. And luckily, their simple design meant that they were fairly easy to put together.

Emerald surveyed the site, assuring that efficiency was at maximum. "You two, Building C needs a stronger foundation. Watch those logs, careful they don't fall! Somebody get these nails to Building F, on the double!" She was about to continue, but she heard someone laughing behind her. She spun around to confront them, only to see that it was the same Bismuth that put this all together.

"Careful you don't work them too hard!" she said, lightly punching Emerald's shoulder. Well, as lightly as a Bismuth could punch.

"Oh, uh, sorry," Emerald said. "Was that too much? I know we aren't soldiers anymore, I was just–"

She just waved it off. "I didn't mean it like that; you run a tight ship! Actually, I could use some help from an Emerald like you. Mind giving me a hand or two for a sec?"

"Sure, whatever you need. Uvarovite, you're in charge until I get back!" The green Garnet saluted as Bismuth led Emerald over to the far end of the field of houses. Someone else was working on something over there, and it looked like they were having a bit of trouble.

A Peridot, evidently from Era-2, was angrily fiddling with a homemade generator. "Come on, you dumb hunk of ore, work!" she shouted, pounding on it with her screwdriver. "I created you! I am your master, you will obey me!"

"Have you tried kicking it?" A Lapis sat next to her, amusing herself by watching the tiny technician's efforts. "You should try kicking it."

"Gee, why didn't I think of that!?" said the Peridot, shooting her a glare. "I didn't realize you had such technological know-how!"

"Settle down, you two, I got a solution right here!" announced Bismuth, presenting Emerald to the two. "Think you can give us a little jump-start?"

"Uh…" Emerald eyed the generator cautiously; it didn't exactly look stable. "I can sure try, but I can't promise what happens after." She cracked her knuckles and knelt down next to the machine.

Peridot was looking over her shoulder. "Careful with it! I worked really hard to build this from all the scraps I could find, it's very delicate!"

This made Emerald even more wary. "Uh-huh. What exactly is this thing for anyway?" She was getting a feeling for the circuitry, not wanting to give it too big of a jolt.

"Power for the houses, of course!" Bismuth answered. "We don't want our new neighbors to have too much culture shock. It may not be the crystal spires of Homeworld, but it beats roughin' it in the woods, eh?"

In lieu of an answer, Emerald sent a current through the generator. It whirried to life, rumbling as diodes on its side lit up. "There. That should do it," she said, standing up. "Hopefully it holds, this thing doesn't look–"

As if on cue, the machine began to sputter and shake violently as smoke escaped from within. Everyone took a few cautious steps back, Peridot even hiding behind Lapis, who put a water barrier between them and the generator. It hissed, sparked, and eventually exploded, spewing shrapnel everywhere. Emerald, Lapis and Peridot managed to escape unscathed, but a small piece of metal shot straight through Bismuth's forehead. She only had time to utter a surprised "Woah nelly!" before poofing, her gemstone landing in the grass.

"..safe," mumbled Emerald.

The three of them sat there, speechless. "Okay, you all saw that wasn't my fault, right?" said Peridot.

Thankfully, with a little help from Steven, Bismuth was back on her feet in only a few minutes. Her form was slightly different, having traded in her apron for a pair of overalls with gold clasps. "Phew! Well, that was something!" she said, in surprisingly good spirits.

Emerald sheepishly approached her. "So…sorry about that. I guess I overloaded it. Are you sure you're alright?"

She was met with a smile from the other Gem. "Ha! That's what you're worried about? 'S not the first time I've been poofed from a workplace accident, and it won't be the last! I've been meaning to do some redecorating anyhow."

"So…you aren't upset? At being destabilized or that I broke your generator?"

Bismuth waved it off. "Nah, it's fine! As long as Steven's here to provide first aid, we'll be fine. And Peridot'll build another generator!"

Peridot walked by, angrily collecting bits of scrap. "I will, but I won't be happy about it…" she muttered.

Emerald looked around at the mess she had made. It wasn't that big, but still. "I could help you out," she offered. "I'm not exactly an engineer, but I have some experience with machinery. And Uvarovite's more than capable of handling things until I get back."

"You sure?" Bismuth asked her. "You don't have to, we can handle it just fine."

"Of course." She smiled. "It's the least I can do."

"Aaaaaaaand…there!" Peridot clicked the last piece into place, finishing the revised generator. "Once again, Peridot has saved the day!" Emerald didn't feel the need to bring up that using her electricity as a makeshift welding torch had fortified this generator more than the last.

"Yup, that's a pretty fine looking doodad!" said Bismuth. "Alrighty Mera, moment of truth: fire it up!"

As Emerald prepared to jolt it to life, the other three stood at a safe distance, Steven creating a bubble around the four of them. A little spark, nothing more, and it was soon purring like Lion. The group waited cautiously for any signs of an explosion, but thankfully it held. "Good to go!"

"Hey, it actually held up," said Lapis, smirking. "Why didn't you just do that before, Peridot?"

Peridot just laughed, annoyed, but also amused. "No comment."

"And it's all thanks to this supreme team right here!" said Bismuth, pulling Lapis and Peridot in for a side hug. "Of course, you were indispensable too, Mera."

Something about a former Crystal Gem offering such genuine praise to someone who would have once been her sworn enemy made Emerald feel all fuzzy inside. "Like I said, it was nothing. Just happy to do what I can to help those in need."

"That's the spirit!" added Steven.

It was then that Emerald noticed several figures in the distance. A glance told her that they were Goshenite and Pearl, returned from their trip. "Ah, excuse me, but I have to go take care of something. Sorry to run off on you so suddenly."

None of them seemed to mind. "You kidding?" said Lapis. "Between this and the houses, you're already doing more than some Gems out here! Go ahead."

She offered a brief nod of thanks before heading over to her companions. Before she went far, she heard someone call to her. "Hey, Mera?"

"Hmm?" she said, turning to face Bismuth.

The builder in question offered her a smile. "If things had turned out differently back then…I think you'da made a pretty great Crystal Gem!"

That fuzzy feeling again. Emerald returned the smile, wearing a barely-visible blush. "I… Thanks." She turned away once more, joining up with the others.

Goshenite was joined by not one but two Pearls, the second of which was black in color and completely unfamiliar to Emerald. The first Pearl carried three bubbilized gemstones in her arms. "You're back sooner than I expected," Emerald said. "It's only been, what, a day and a half? …Also, who's this?"

"Long story." To everyone's surprise, Goshenite and Black Pearl responded in unison, in exactly the same tone. They looked at each other, confused.

"Um…well, anyway, I got 'em right here, Emerald," Pearl said, holding out the bubbles. "Should I let them out?"

The area wasn't exactly crowded, but there were still a few Gems milling about. "No, we should take them somewhere remote, just in case. They're liable to be angry and confused, so we should be prepared for them to lash out."

"What exactly are you dealing with here?" asked a concerned Goshenite. "Do you need some backup?"

Emerald held up a reassuring hand. "Nothing I can't handle. Why don't you show your new friend around? We'll handle this."

"I think I will," Goshenite said. She began walking away with Black Pearl in tow. "Where do you want to go first?"

"You're the tour guide, you choose," she replied.

Emerald looked down at Pearl. "Ready?" she asked.

"Ready!" she answered.

Down on the beach some distance away from Beach City, Emerald placed the three bubbles down in the sand. "Are you sure it's a good idea to release them all at once?" asked Pearl. "What if they team up on you?"

"Reforming alongside each other might help them adjust a bit," said Emerald. "Besides, I don't intend to fight them. I'm going to calmly explain things, and whether they decide to listen or attack me is their choice."

A little bit nervous, Pearl stood behind her. Both of them stood back as Emerald gently shocked the bubbles, causing them to burst. The three gemstones fell to the sand, starting to glow after a moment. They rose into the air and began to take on their forms.

The Amber-that-wasn't-an-Amber was technically the smallest of the three, but seemed taller than the misshapen Topaz because she floated. The near-broken Onyx was still the largest, even if she was far skinnier than what one would expect from a Quartz. Color soon returned to their forms, as the three of them opened their eyes and examined their surroundings.

"Huh?" the Topaz said, feeling the sand beneath her. "W-where are…?" She noticed Amber and Onix behind her, but kept looking around for her other comrades. "What happened?"

"Welcome back," Emerald said softly. All three sets of eyes were on her. "It must be confusing for you to have ended up here so suddenly. And I know I'm the last face you want to see right now, but–"

Proving her point, Topaz lunged, summoning a bomb from her gemstone as she did. Emerald shielded Pearl behind her body, but she didn't attempt to block or dodge in any way. She simply braced herself for the inevitable impact, staying true to her promise of not fighting them.

"Wait!" The voice caused Topaz to stop in her tracks, the bomb inches from Emerald's face. She was sure that it would have detonated if it had made contact. "I recognize this place. The blue sky, the green, these oceans…we're on Earth." Amber looked at Emerald. "Why did you take us to Earth?"

Topaz and Emerald's gazes met for a moment, and the former reluctantly backed down at her teammate's insistence. "Like I said, this must be very confusing. You've only been bubbled for a few years, but so much has changed in that time. The Interlopers have been defeated. Pink Diamond has returned in a new form. The Diamonds have reached a truce with the Crystal Gems. …You're free."

"Free? What do you mean, we're free?" snapped Topaz. "You expect me to believe that the Diamonds changed their minds, just like that? Or that Pink Diamond is still alive? I don't know why you decided to let us out, but I won't be tricked that easily!"

"What reason would she have to deceive us if she was lying?" asked Onix. "Serpentine and Zirconium are not here. Surely they would make for better sources of information, no? Although I cannot yet say for certain, I believe her to be telling the truth."

Amber looked up at her. "But what if this is a trap? What if they just want us to give them the location of the others? You're right, it is odd, but we can't just take her word."

"Then don't." Pearl emerged from behind Emerald. "There's an entire city of Crystal Gems and Homeworld Gems living in harmony just a short distance away. Pink Diamond in her new form is there, and so are the other Diamonds. Everyone is allowed to live freely: off-colors, fusions, Pearls. If you don't trust us, why don't we show you?"

Topaz scowled at the pair. "I still think there's something wrong here. We gotta find out what happened while we were out before we start trustin' them."

"Then why don't we allow them to show us?" suggested Onix. "If they truly wanted to harm us, they would have done so already."

"Exactly," said Emerald, before realizing that wasn't exactly what she wanted to convey. "Er, not that we would harm you. Look, follow me, and I'll take you there. You don't have to stay if you don't want to. This is Era-3, you're free to do as you wish. But at least let me show you."

With no sign of Zirconium, Amber and Topaz deferred to Onix for leadership. She nodded, and the three followed Emerald toward this alleged town of freedom. Her Pearl seemed happy at their decision, which they took as a good sign.

"For that matter," said Amber, "where are Zirconium and Serpentine? If the war is over as you say, surely you would have captured them as well?"

Pearl was quiet for a moment, looking around uncomfortably. "I-I'm sorry," she said hesitantly. "I'm afraid the two of them passed away some time ago. You have to understand, they–" She stopped herself. "I'm so sorry."

"They're dead!?" hissed Topaz. She summoned another bomb, but Onix held her back before she could charge Emerald again. "Because she shattered them, no doubt! Who's to say she isn't planning on taking us out next!?"

Emerald could easily have written the two Gems' deaths as being brought on themselves, of having been deserved, but she didn't want to speak ill of the dead, especially in front of their friends. Besides, one could argue that they were simply victims of circumstance. "If there's anything you want to know about what happened," she said, "feel free to ask. I promise that I'll tell the truth to the best of my ability."

While Topaz still wasn't convinced, Onix decided to take her up on her offer, at least to humor her. "Very well then. So tell us: what happened after we were each bubbilized?"

"That is quite a long story," Emerald said, chuckling slightly. "So I think I'll start at the beginning."