Chapter Twenty: The Ball
A picture taken of Pink just moments after she had stepped out of her ship the previous day. Next to it, a picture taken of Rose Quartz moments after fleeing from her trial earlier that year. Goshenite, standing above Maxixe at the latter's desk, stared at both pictures on the screen. "Indeed, it is just as you suspected," Maxixe said. "Nearly a perfect match."
"And you doubted my judgement!" said Bixbite, who was standing at the other end of the room, sorting through more reports. "If any of us Beryls know anything about organics, it is obviously me!"
Goshenite shook her head. "I'm still not convinced. Couldn't that just be another human?"
"Unlikely," said Maxixe. She manipulated the pictures so that they were laid over the top of one another: everything lined up, even the colors. "It looks like Pink Diamond was here on Homeworld before, right under our noses."
"Besides," said Bixbite, "what are the odds that both Pink Diamond and Rose Quartz got the idea to inhabit an organic body?"
"Maybe one just got the idea from the other," Goshenite suggested. "Besides, if this really means what you're saying it means, then Pink Diamond has been Rose Quartz this entire time! The whole was was-"
"Orchestrated by her, yes, that's what everyone is saying," said Bixbite, looking over the latest news. "The Diamonds have yet to put out an official statement, though."
"In that case, until we get official confirmation, all of this is just baseless speculation," said Goshenite. "Rose Quartz…" she muttered under her breath. She walked over to Bixbite, glancing over her shoulder. "Have you found anything on Pink Diamond's mystery stowaway yet?"
Bixbite shook her head. "Nothing yet." After Goshenite and Pearl had returned to the Capital Spire, the latter had been adamant that she had seen someone else leaving Pink's ship. Goshenite had asked Bixbite to look into the matter. "Whoever or whatever it is, the Diamonds seem to know about them, though. When asked about the matter, their reply amounted to 'don't worry about it.' It's unlikely it was a stowaway in the literal sense. Some are saying it is a human, but I cannot say for sure."
"It's not that it concerns me much," Goshenite said, walking over to the window. "I have enough to deal with worrying about the Interlopers, I don't need any other kinds of interlopers added to the mix..."
Bixbite, noticing something on her screen, leaned in closer. "Oh. Oh, that's interesting."
"What is?" Maxixe turned around to face her.
Bixbite read what she saw. "Just moments ago, it was announced by Yellow Diamond that Pink Diamond plans to throw a ball in honor of her return to Homeworld. It will be held tonight, and attendance is mandatory." She looked up at the other two. "This does not seem like the best time to be holding a ball…"
"Can you really blame the Diamonds?" said Maxixe. "Pink Diamond has returned after all these years of being believed to be dead. If I was in their position, I would want to celebrate too!"
"This all seems a bit sudden," said Goshenite. She started for the door. "I should really head home. It being tonight doesn't give me a lot of time to prepare."
"What's to prepare for?" Maxixe asked her as she left. "You sing Pink Diamond's praises, mingle for a bit, and then dance. Same as every other ball."
"Exactly," said Goshenite. "And we haven't had a ball in centuries. I imagine Blue and Yellow Diamond will want us to make a good impression on Pink."
"Er...this also says that White Diamond will be attending," said Bixbite.
Goshenite's face darkened. "Ah. You see? All the more reason to prepare."
Capital City ballroom. That same evening.
The gathered crowd of Gems hummed with excitement as they stood outside the ballroom. As was tradition, the highest-ranking Gems would be granted entry first. Goshenite and her fellow members of the Council of Beryls would be the ones to enter before any other Gem.
The four who could make it, as well as Pearl, stood in front of the doors, waiting for them to open. Heliodor was still busy on Mieren-VII, and neither the former or current Supreme Admiral could make it, both for obvious reasons.
"I certainly understand what you mean, dahling," said Morganite to Goshenite. "But that isn't something one can just ask! I'm sure that even if it is true, Pink Diamond would not appreciate being asked if she secretly is, was, or has been Rose Quartz!"
"I understand, but how else am I supposed to find out?" Goshenite asked. "As the Supreme General, this is something I really ought to be informed of."
"What you ought to do is trust the Diamonds' judgement," Morganite shot back. Pearl looked back and forth between the two as they argued. "If they feel it is necessary for us to know, then they will let us know!"
"Maybe I could ask her why she's still running around in my organic suit," Goshenite muttered.
"Goshenite!" Morganite gasped in horror.
"What!? I wasn't actually going to!" she said defensively.
"And besides, she is obviously stuck inside," Bixbite added, to both Gems' ire. "Otherwise, Blue and Yellow would have gotten her out by now, whether she wanted them to or not."
With a loud creaking sound that silenced the murmur of the crowd, the ballroom doors slowly swung open. Music began to emanate from within. Pink Diamond was seated on her throne within, flanked on one side by her Pearl, and by a human on the other. Most likely some kind of pet, or companion from Earth. "The Era-3 ball has now officially begun," announced Yellow Diamond's Pearl. "First to enter, of the Council of Beryls, Supreme General Goshenite."
"And here goes nothing," Goshenite said quietly. She strolled through the ballroom, Pearl by her side. Both of them gazed up at Pink Diamond, each unsure of what to make of her. When they reached the front of the room, standing before her throne, she saluted. "Pink Diamond. On behalf of the Council of Beryls, I would like to welcome you back to Homeworld. May you continue to spread joy and laughter throughout the empire in Era-3, just as you did in Era-1."
"Oh, um...thank you," said Pink, sounding slightly taken-aback. "That means a lot, coming from someone of your...importance."
"You're most welcome," Goshenite continued. "In the current crisis our empire is facing, it is most reassuring that you-"
"Thank you, Supreme General," said Yellow Pearl, cutting her off.
"Indeed," said Goshenite. "Er...Your Radiance, if I may ask, is it true that-"
"Thank you, Supreme General!" said Yellow Pearl, sounding quite annoyed. "I will ask that you take your place now."
Goshenite sighed. "Gladly." She turned to her left to ascend a flight of stairs to a balcony above, accompanied by Pearl. "That went pretty well, I think."
"As well as it could have," said Pearl. "She didn't seem angry or anything."
The pair of them stood by the railing, overlooking the ballroom from above. Maxixe had entered next, and was bowing to Pink Diamond.
"A most beautiful twist of fate, your return," she said. "Almost too good to be true."
Pink pawed at her collar nervously. "Yyyyyyup, sure is a good thing!"
"Did you attend a lot of balls back during Era-1, Miss Goshenite?" asked Pearl.
"As many as were held," Goshenite said. "Pink Diamond seemed to throw them for whatever reason: when she was happy, sad, excited, scared, bored… The other Diamonds always seemed so happy to attend." Goshenite stared down at the floor with glassy eyes."
"Miss Goshenite? Is something wrong?" asked Pearl. She didn't respond.
Now it was Bixbite's turn to introduce herself. She was in the middle of a jubilant rant. "...swear to swiftly bring devastation to any who would dare disrupt the tranquility of our humble planet, and to do anything in my power to…" Pink looked most uncomfortable.
"...No-one sings anymore," Goshenite said.
"Pardon?" asked Pearl.
"Before Pink Diamond was shattered...or was believed to be, Homeworld was filled with music. But after the war ended, and the Interlopers attacked...well, you've lived here. You know."
"I'm sorry," Pearl said. "That sounds awful."
Morganite's turn. "...and had I been there, perhaps things would have turned out differently, but that's neither here nor there. Regardless, it is so wonderful to have you back, My Diamond! Everyone believed you to be dead for the longest time, but I always held onto the hope that…" Yellow Pearl was angrily gesturing at her to hurry it up.
"It is what it is," Goshenite said. "But with Pink returned, and Project: Giganova on the horizon, maybe peace will return for Era-3."
With the Council of Beryls present and accounted for, more and more Gems began to spill into the ballroom. One by one and two by two they greeted the returned Diamond, before grouping up with their fellow Gems. Goshenite decided it was time to do the same. She walked over to where the other Goshenites were grouped, only to notice that Pearl was still following her.
"Hmm?" What are you doing?" she asked.
"What am I doing? I...don't rightly know, Miss Goshenite," Pearl said.
Goshenite grinned slightly. "Oh, I forgot, you've never been to a ball before. It's customary for Gems to group together with Gems of the same type. You see?" She pointed over the balcony down to the floor below. "Rubies with Rubies, Jades with Jades, and Pearls with Pearls." On the far side of the upper level, a large gathering of Pearls stood.
"Oh. Yes, of course." Pearl began walking over to join her fellows. "Enjoy the rest of the ball, Miss Goshenite."
"You do as well. I'll meet you again once it's over." Goshenite walked over to join up with the other Goshenites.
One of them looked up, greeting her with a wave. "Well, if it isn't the SG herself! How have things been here in the homeland?"
"As good as they could be, I suppose," she replied. "Er, Apex attacks notwithstanding…"
Meanwhile, Pearl stood among the other Pearls, looking rather out of place despite being one of them. They either stood or wandered in tightly-knit groups, none of them paying any attention to her.
As she looked around, she heard a voice that sounded somehow familiar to her. She followed it to its source, and heard a conversation taking place that stood out from the rest for one reason or another.
"...but that isn't all I heard!" said another voice. Pearl traced it back to a silver-colored Pearl. "According to Pietersite's Pearl, the whole thing was actually fake!"
"No!" exclaimed another Pearl, this one mocha in color. "Is that true?"
"Absolutely it's true!" said the silver Pearl. "Pearl said she overheard the two Spodumenes talking about it just after it happened!"
A third voice, the one Pearl recognized, scoffed. "Yeah, but when has Pearl ever been a reliable source of information? Remember when she said that the Xevellans were planning to invade? That didn't go anywhere!" By sheer chance, the owner of this voice, a Pearl with a pitch-black gemstone and dark grey skin looked up to see Pearl. Her eyes instantly narrowed. "Oh, it's you. Taken to eavesdropping now?"
"Uh...no," said Pearl. "I just got here. I was wondering-"
"No, we weren't talking about you," said the black Pearl. "As if you'd have anything interesting happen to you!" The other two Pearls tittered.
"Oh, um, actually I wondered if the others were here. "Have you seen them at all today?"
"No, nor do I want to," said the black Pearl. "Now quit bothering us!"
"Pearl!" Pearl turned around at the voice. Three more Pearls hurried over, colored lime green, baby blue, and bright red. It was the green one who spoke. "I knew you'd be here!"
"Girls!" said Pearl, hugging the three of them as they arrived. "I'm glad to see you-I was getting lonely!"
"There, we found them. Now can you please beat it?" said the black Pearl.
The red Pearl shot her a glare. "As if we'd want to stay around you! Come on, Pearl." The trio ushered her away to another corner of the room.
"So, how did your mission go?" asked the blue Pearl. "Did you fight that robot guy with the lasers again?"
"Actually, we did," Pearl said. "We ran into him twice, if you can believe that."
The green one was about to speak, but the red one cut her off. "Were you here for the Apex attack? Me and My Jade were offworld at the time, but I heard it was really scary!"
"Yeah, it was scary, especially up close," Pearl said. Her gaze, however, was not on her friends, but on the other Pearls across the room. "Is it just me, or did she seem...snappier than usual?"
"What do you mean? She's always like that," said the green Pearl. "Best to just ignore her."
"I know, but...it seemed like she wasn't as...like, she just wanted to be left alone. Usually she teases me, but this time she just kept telling me to go away. Is something wrong?"
"Who cares?" said the blue Pearl, shrugging. "More importantly, what do you mean by 'up close?' Were you actually there? They didn't almost step on you, did they?"
Pearl, however, was too busy focusing on her antagonist to answer. Her green friend put an arm on her shoulder. "Look, if something is wrong, then it's her problem, not yours."
"I guess…" said Pearl.
"There you go. Now come on, I think the Diamonds are about to show up!"
"Ooh, this is my favorite part!" said the red Pearl. She ran ahead to the edge of the balcony to get a good look as the other three followed. Sure enough, the room had gone quiet.
"Everyone, behold!" Exclaimed Yellow Pearl. "The daunting beauty and elegance that is...YELLOW DIAMOND!"
The curtains were drawn apart, revealing Yellow in all her glory. Pearl squinted at the bright light as she and the others watched. Up next was Blue, as her Pearl took the stage.
"Everyone prepare yourselves emotionally for the overwhelming elegance that is...Blue Diamond."
The Diamond in question entered, filling the room with awe even without the use of her powers. Pearl, however, was most excited for what came next. She had never seen White Diamond in person before, and couldn't wait for the opportunity.
The ballroom dipped into darkness, with spotlights revealing the form of White's Pearl. "To those in attendance of the Era-3 ball, White Diamond...has more important things to attend to." Pearl visibly deflated. "Therefore, I will be here to observe in her place. Welcome to Era-3!"
The Gems within all cheered, and the dancing began. Pearl slowly forgot her disappointment as her friends got her to join them. Meanwhile, Goshenite was watching the dancing from above.
"Something up?" another Goshenite asked her.
"No, not really," she said. "I just can't stop thinking about the Interlopers. What if they attack soon? We'll be caught unprepared!"
The other Goshenite chuckled, lightly punching her on the shoulder. "Hey, with all of Homeworld's warriors and leaders together in one place, they'd have to be crazy to attack us here!"
"I know," Goshenite said. "That's why I'm worried."
"Well, don't be worried," said her friend. "It's the start of a new era, literally! Trust me, with as bad as it's been, the only way Homeworld can go from here is up."
As if on cue, gasps of horror emerged from the floor below. The music cut out, and everyone sat in a stunned silence. "You were saying?" said Goshenite. She joined the others at the edge of the balcony to see what the crisis was.
What Goshenite saw almost made her fall over the railing in shock. A tall figure wearing Pink Diamond's uniform stood before her throne. Pink herself, as well as her organic, were nowhere to be seen. This could only mean one thing.
"White, Yellow and Blue," Goshenite murmured in disbelief. "Is this really happening? Am I seeing things?"
Morganite, similarly horrified, approached to one side. "No, as much as I wish you were," she said.
As Yellow and Blue stepped forward to accost this fusion, the situation somehow got even worse. A Ruby and a Sapphire, in perfect harmony, immediately ran to Pink's defense, fusing into a Gem that Goshenite was certain she had seen before. Pink's Pearl ran over to an overcooked Amethyst, pulling her over as well. Morganite had clasped her hands over her mouth.
"Only way is up, is that right?" Goshenite said.
"I...may have spoken a bit too soon," said her friend.
The Pearl and Amethyst fused as well, into a large four-armed Gem. Making matters somehow even worse, a pair of Jades fused as well. Goshenite could only stare in growing horror, while her friend cringed.
"What happened to the sanctity of this establishment!?" Morganite exclaimed.
Before anyone else could react further, Yellow took matters into her own hands. Lightning bolts flew from her fingertips, reducing all of the fusions save for one to their component gemstones. Before Pink had time to protest, she grabbed the smaller Diamond, dragging her away before the speechless Gems as Blue followed.
Goshenite backed out of the crowd, working her way over to find Pearl. It was obvious that this party was over.
Goshenite's Residence.
"So…" said Pearl, breaking the awkward silence. "I take it nothing like that happened at any of Pink's other balls?"
Goshenite massaged her brow as she headed over to the counter. "Not to that extent, no," she answered. "Actually, there was that one time when she 'accidentally' released a number of small, crawling organics into the ballroom, but even that wasn't as bad as this!" She produced a glowing cylinder from her secret compartment built into the counter.
"Is...is she at all like you remember her?" asked Pearl.
Goshenite stopped to consider. "She's both very similar and very different," she eventually decided upon. "She has always had her mischievous streak, but she's never fused with an organic before, if that's what you meant."
"I didn't think that was supposed to be possible," said Pearl.
"Neither did I," Goshenite muttered. "Era-3 is already proving to be full of surprises." Walking over to the window, she activated a small holoscreen. She did a double-take when she noticed that someone had sent her three separate messages during the ball. "Speaking of which…"
She opened the unread messages. All three of them were from Heliodor, all three about the same thing. The Interlopers were closing in on the location of Project: Giganova. It wasn't long before they narrowed it down, and the base on Mieren-VII was unprotected. She had asked Goshenite to come quickly, and bring as much firepower as she could.
Goshenite tossed the cylinder back onto the counter, hurrying to type out a message that she was on her way. "What's wrong, Miss Goshenite?" asked Pearl.
"It's Heliodor. Project: Giganova is in danger. I don't know how long we've got." Goshenite dismissed the holoscreen before heading for the door. Pearl followed behind. Goshenite, however, held out her hand. "No, Pearl. I need you to stay here. This could get dangerous."
"The Gozyos system was dangerous," Pearl said. "What makes this one so different?"
"I've got a feeling the Interlopers will be going all-out this time," Goshenite said. "They're getting desperate. And that makes them unpredictable."
"Wait! What about how Teptromina was tracking you? Shouldn't we at least ask Zoisite-"
"No time," Goshenite said. "He'll most likely be there already, it won't matter anyway." She opened the door to see the entire group standing there, consisting of Tanzanite, Onyx, Cairngorm, Nines, and Tenrit.
"Woah, Goshenite!" said Onyx. "What're you-"
"Again, no time," said Goshenite, pushing past them. "You and you, with me, all the rest stay here." She pointed to Nines and Tenrit before hurrying towards the nearby docking bay.
"Um...sure thing!" said Tenrit, who followed her despite his confusion. Nines followed suit, leaving the others behind.
Onyx, Tanzanite, and Cairngorm headed inside. "What was that about?" asked Cairngorm.
"The Interlopers," said Pearl. "They're close to finding Mieren-VII."
"That's...probably not good," said Onyx.
As Goshenite hurried towards her ship, she thought the same thing.