Chapter Eleven: Remembering the Past, Part 2

Homeworld, Capital District. Surveillance headquarters.

With a cold stare, the Agate placed in charge of security examined each and every Gem that passed through the main entrance. If even one of them were to trigger an alarm with improper credentials, she would be on them like a rabid dog. It was what she lived for; what she waited for. Her gung-ho attitude was the exact reason Maxixe had placed her in charge of security to begin with.

This Agate thought nothing of it when Cairngorm Facet 7X42 Cut 55L walked through those doors. Aside from her initial almost-lunge when the doors opened, of course, but she did that with everybody. 99L was one of Maxixe's favorite spies, after all. She certainly had the proper clearance, and thus was no longer of any interest to the Agate. After a brief nod of acknowledgement, she turned her attention back to the entrance.

Had she looked a little bit closer, she might have noticed a barely-hidden expression of nervousness on Cairngorm's face. Or she might have noticed the way she carried herself, like she was being afraid to bump into something. Of the way she moved, like she was being jostled around by several other Gems behind her who could not be seen. But her only interest was in apprehending unauthorized personnel, which Cairngorm was not. She was ruthless, but not very observant.

Once she had gotten far enough away to be beyond the Agate's range of sight and hearing, Cairngorm took a moment to breathe a sigh or relief. "Stars, that was close. I keep saying that Holly Blue's way too overzealous for just being a glorified security guard."

"Forget that, can you get us to where we need to go, or not?" Although it sounded like Onyx's voice, the Gem in question was nowhere to be seen. Her voice seemed to come out of thin air from behind Cairngorm.

"Yeah, yeah, cool it," Cairngorm said. "We just need to wait for an empty lift to come by. We can't risk all of us into one with someone else, they're bound to notice something's up."

Cairngorm walked the familiar walkways of the compound, making special attention to avoiding walking too near any Gems that she passed. That same invisible force from before seemed to jostle her around slightly, but this was fortunately imperceptible to the other Gems. When she reached the elevators, she sidled up against the wall, patiently waiting for one to come by that was empty.

Before too long of waiting, a few Gems stepped out of the lift, and none stepped in. Before any could have the chance to do so, Cairngorm hurried inside, silently urging some unseen party to do the same. She quickly hit the buttons, closing the door and sending the elevator towards the lower levels. "Okay, you can let go now."

A hand lifted away from her shoulder: Pearl's, who had her other hand clasped over her gemstone. Tanzanite's hand lifted off of Pearl's, and Onyx's of Tanzanite's previously forming a sort of chain to which Cairngorm had extended her invisibility. The three (four, rather) of them relaxed now that they were free to be visible once more. "Alright...so, are we safe now?" asked Pearl.

"For now," Cairngorm replied. "We've got a few minutes until we reach the restricted wing. It should be empty right now, but I'll tell you when to group up again, just in case."

"What should we expect to find down in this classified wing?" asked Tanzanite.

"Well, that's where the stuff from and for experiments is kept," Cairngorm explained. "Most of it belongs to Heliodor and her staff. Down there, we can find...well, I'm not sure what, but hopefully it can help. There's gotta be something that can help down there, right?"

"I hope so." Pearl had been watching the colored lights travel across the screen as the elevator descended. "Emerald and Goshenite have done so much for me, I just want to do something for them. Homeworld, too, of course, but you know how it is."

"That reminds me," said Cairngorm. "From what I remember Goshenite saying, she and Emerald...well, they weren't exactly on the best of terms. How'd you go about getting on both sides of that?"

"Well," said Pearl, "it started after Emerald was...after what happened to her."

Homeworld, Capital District. Era 1, Year 3.

Pearl concentrated, feeling the shape of the device in her hands, the smoothness of the metal. The barrel was lined up with the target, as best as she could manage. She tried not to shake as she squeezed her index finger.

A burst of plasma shot out from the blaster. Pearl's arms were thrown slightly from the kickback, but the shot was on target; a holographic shape in the distance exploded into fractals as the blast hit its mark. Not her first hit, but her first bullseye.

"Excellent, dahling, excellent!" A pink Gem, taller than her, but not quite as tall as Emerald stood over her, holding her shoulders. She wore a ballgown despite not being at a ball, and had her hair tied up in three buns, each on top of the other. "Why, soon enough, you'll be a regular marksGem!"

"Thanks, Morganite," said Pearl. She rubbed the back of her head bashfully, something on her mind. "Do...do you really mean that? You aren't just saying that to be nice, are you?"

"Oh, nonsense, nonsense!" Morganite cooed, petting Pearl's head. "You really are a natural at this shooting business! And it isn't just that, either-I think it's wonderful you want to do your part for the good of Homeworld! That should be any Gem's top priority, whether she's a Pearl or a Diamond!"

Pearl looked down at the blaster in her hands. Pink and Green. Emerald's last gift to her before she left. Morganite saw it as a tool for her to use to Homeworld's benefit. Emerald had seen it as a means for Pearl to protect herself. But Pearl herself saw it as something more. Both the two previous things, but also, a way to continue Emerald's legacy. Goshenite kept trying to tell her that Emerald wasn't gone, and that they could fix her one day, and she believed her...but sometimes, she wondered if that was true.

"Yes, you certainly are much more practical than my previous Pearl," Morganite said. "The less said about her, the better," she added bitterly. Pearl wondered what she meant by that, but figured it would be better not to ask.

"Pearl? Hey, Pearl!" Onyx called out from the distance, waving to the pair.

"Oh, is it time for you to go already?" said Morganite. "Such a shame-we were having such a good time together, weren't we?"

"Mhmm," Pearl nodded. She placed the gun into her gemstone for safekeeping. "I'll see you at the same time next week, then?"

"And not a moment later," said Morganite, waving to Pearl as she departed. "And do give my regards to Goshenite when you see her!"

Pearl waved back as she and Onyx met, the pair of them departing for the train. "So, how was shooting practice?" the latter asked.

"It went well," Pearl answered. "Morganite really seems to like me. I think she still wants me to be her Pearl."

"I'll say," Onyx said, almost laughing. "After what happened with her last Pearl...yeesh."

"And what exactly did happen?" asked Pearl.

Onyx exhaled rather forcefully. "Well, long story short, she and a Ruby kinda had a thing for each other. One day, Morganite came home to find that the two had fused. Called herself 'Rhodonite' or some nonsense. She kicked them-I guess it'd have been 'her' at that point-out after that. She was mad about it for weeks!"

Pearl didn't say anything in response. Silently, she wondered what Emerald would have said about that.

Having carried them to the Aquarius Sector, the train arrived at their stop, and the two stepped off. Wordlessly, the pair walked towards their shared destination: Emerald's old home.

Technically, it still was her home-she just didn't live there right now. Currently, Emerald, or the beast that used to be her, was contained within a bubble in a secure room within Goshenite's residence. Who, as it turned out, was also present.

"Oh, Miss Goshenite," Pearl said as she and Onyx stepped through the doors. "I didn't know you'd be here as well. I guess that's what Morganite meant."

The white Beryl had seated herself at a table, beside Tanzanite. "Yes, I thought now would be a good time to come over, considering you all would be here as well. I...wanted to talk to you specifically about something, Pearl."

Pearl blinked in confusion. "Me? About what?"

Onyx sat down next to Tanzanite just as Goshenite stood. "You see...considering Emerald is being kept at my home for the time being, I would like to offer you...if you'd like to stay there, so as to be closer to her." She adjusted herself, awkwardly trying to decide what to say next. "I've read that it often takes Pearls some time to...come to terms with things when their owner...is, er, unavailable. Permanently. Not to say that Emerald is gone for good, but…" She trailed off.

"Oh. Um…" Pearl didn't expect this to be what Goshenite was here for. "I..." She looked over at the two Gems at the table.

"Hey, it's your call, Pearl," Onyx said. Tanzanite nodded, saying nothing.

After a brief hesitation, Pearl came to a decision. "Well then, I suppose so. If you'll have me, of course."

"Excellent," Goshenite said, nodding. "We'll leave as soon as you are ready, be it a few minutes or a few days. I...Of course, this doesn't make me Your Goshenite, I'm merely…" Trailed off again.

"I suppose I'm ready now," said Pearl. "Though if I can ask...how come?" Goshenite only blinked in reply. "Why do you care about Emerald so much suddenly? I mean, no offense, but...did something happen?"

A sigh. "Something did indeed happen, Pearl," Goshenite responded. "I realized I had Emerald all wrong. I've done both her and yourself a tremendous disservice, and I'd like to do what I can to make up for that."

Pearl shuffled in place slightly. "Well...thank you, Miss Goshenite. That really means a lot."

In that moment, however brief, there was an understanding between the two Gems. From two ends of Homeworld's caste system, of two different philosophies, in that moment, they understood each other.

"Oh, and Morganite says hi."

"And that...that was sort of when I realized Goshenite really was sorry," said Pearl. "Like, when I really, really knew she meant it."

"Yeah. I was surprised, too," said Onyx. "I always figured she just had some sorta thing against Emerald for whatever reason. I mean, she sorta did, but it all fell apart after the battle at Tacitus-4. Real eye-opener for her, I think."

Cairngorm nodded, smiling. "Yeah, Goshenite's great, isn't she? She has a bit of a rough exterior, but she really shines once you can get through it."

Onyx raised an eyebrow at her fellow Quartz. "So, what's your story, anyway? Why do you love her so much when she ain't even Yours?"

"That's simple," Cairngorm said. "She saved my life."

Alboreas. Era 1, year 5,310,145.

Goshenite wrung her hands behind her back as she stared out the glass barrier separating the planet from her base. The ground had become bare, the line between the local flora and the budding Homeworld colony was clear as day, the divide formed by dead and sickly trees. Before long, this planet would be another one of White Diamond's numerous colonies, and Goshenite was growing impatient waiting for this.

Her waiting was interrupted when the door to her temporary inner sanctum slid open. She whipped around, partially angry at being interrupted, partially relieved at now having something to deal with-only to find that nobody was there. Overcome by confusion and curiosity, she walked over to investigate. No sign of any Gem nearby, either outside or in. Shaking her head, she closed the door and returned to impatiently staring out the window. That was, of course, when she noticed a glint of something brownish-orange out of the corner of her eye.

"You know," she said irritably, "when you leave your gemstone exposed, you can still be seen." She turned around to face the intruder. "No reason to hide now."

The owner of the brownish-orange gemstone appeared. "I-I'm sorry, I didn't mean to," the Cairngorm said quickly.

"You didn't mean to come in here?" said Goshenite, unamused. "What's your designation?"

"Cairngorm 7X42 Cut 55L," she said mechanically, with worry clear in her voice. "Please, I'm sorry, I didn't-"

"Yes, I'm sure, now leave me be," Goshenite said, pointing towards the door.

"I can't! They'll kill me!" Cairngorm exclaimed. "Please, I didn't do anything! It's all a mistake!"

For a moment, Goshenite wasn't sure how to respond. "What...are you raving about?" she asked.

"T-the injectors!" she yelped. "I was practicing my cloaking over there, a-and they just fell! I didn't do it, I swear, but they-"

A sudden banging at the door interrupted her. Cairngorm yelped again, turning invisible once more. More confused than ever despite this explanation, Goshenite walked over and opened the door. A pair of Amethysts stood there.

"Sorry fer botherin' you, My Goshenite, but we've got a situation 'bout the injectors," one of them said. "In that they...broke."

"Reports say that a Cairngorm was seen in the area," said the other. "We just need your approval to send out a search party."

Goshenite thought for a moment. "That won't be necessary," she said. "The Cairngorm's already reported back to me."

The Amethysts looked confused. "Um, are we on the same page here?" said the first. "She's one of Blue's. She's the prime suspect for the sabotage."

The white Gem scoffed. "I know she is, but she isn't a suspect. She can't be, because I sent her to investigate the sabotage."

"You did?" said the other Quartz. "So...it wasn't her, then?"

"Of course not!" said Goshenite. "Cairngorm, come here, please."

Reluctantly and slowly, Cairngorm returned to visibility. She timidly made her way over to Goshenite, hiding from the two Amethysts behind her.

"I had heard of the sabotage beforehand, so I sent her in covertly to try and catch the culprit in the act. Unfortunately, you found her before she could report back to me, so she needed to lose you first. This was supposed to be covert, but I suppose there's no helping it now."

Both Amethysts looked at one another. "'S that true?" one of them said.

"O-of course it is," said Cairngorm. "You all came at me so suddenly that I panicked." She had taken on a much more professional demeanor. "I didn't want to blow my cover, after all."

"Well, uh...I guess that settles it," said the other Amethyst. "Let us know if you find the culprit."

"Indeed." Goshenite closed the door before turning to face Cairngorm. "As for you, you can leave as soon as they're gone."

Cairngorm wasn't sure what to say. "I...T-thank you, Your Brilliance," she said, returning to her previous anxiousness. "But...how come? Why did you save me?"

Goshenite scoffed, returning to her window. "Those injectors are notoriously faulty. It couldn't have been you."

"But...you didn't have to save me," she said.

"I certainly didn't, but there's far too much paperwork involved for me to not," said Goshenite. "Now scram, before I change my mind."

As she headed for the door, Cairngorm shot one last look at her savior over her shoulder. "Thank you, Goshenite. I owe you my life."

Goshenite said nothing. At first. She waited until she was sure Cairngorm was gone, before adding a "You're welcome."

"Wow," said Pearl. "She really did save you."

"She did!" said Cairngorm. "Like I said, I owe her my life!"

Tanzanite spoke up. "Not to ruin the moment, but we are almost at the restricted wing."

A quick glance at the screen confirmed this. "Shard!" said Onyx. "Quick, formation!" Everyone crowded around Cairngorm, who extended her powers to them once more, until only she was visible. The door slid open, revealing that the room was empty. All three of them turned visible again as Cairngorm released her hold.

"So, this is where the magic happens," Pearl said. "Good thing there aren't any...Gems...what is this place?"

Pearl had noticed what the room ahead of them contained. Interlopers, dozens of them, in various forms of disrepair. Unidentified creatures floated in tubes of similarly-unidentified liquid. Shards of gems were contained in bubbles, tubed attaching them to the wall.

"Ladies and Gems…" said Cairngorm, "welcome to Sublevel X!"