Disclaimer: This was written before Steven Universe: Future.
The sky had long ago turned burning orange along the Delmarva coast. A few remaining purple puffs drifted lazily out to sea. Steven and Connie were content on watching them from the beach as the sun set.
"I'm glad everything worked out at space camp," Steven said. "How'd they react to Lion?"
"They were pretty nervous. I mean, a giant pink lion doesn't just come barging into space camp every day." Connie giggled. "A lot of them didn't believe me about all the stories I told them, about you, me, and the Gems. They believed me then."
Steven chuckled, then it died down to a sigh. "Sorry I had to call you away like that," he said. "I know space camp was important."
"It's fine." Connie set a hand on his shoulder, making him blush slightly. "You're a lot more important. That, and I like to be a part of things if the world happens to be in danger. It's my world too, ya know?" Steven nodded. "Besides, they let me back in once it was all clear. No big deal."
A warping sound came from Steven's house behind them. They turned just in time to see a beam coming from the Warp Pad die off. "Huh. I wonder who that could be," Steven remarked, getting to his feet.
Connie got up with him and checked her phone with a sigh. "It's probably official business," she said. Steven turned to her.
"It's okay, you don't have to go," he said. He blushed softly - he almost added he didn't want her to.
"No, it's getting late anyway," Connie said with a smile. "I need to get home. If it's something universe-threatening, you know where to find me."
"Always," Steven said with a chuckle.
They were silent for a moment, gauging each other's posture. Finally, they settled on a close hug. However, once they pulled away, they paused and leaned in to share just a peck on the lips between each other. They released one another, red in the face, looking away sheepishly.
"Night, Steven," Connie said.
"Night, Connie," Steven replied.
They shared one more smile before Connie headed down the beach to find Lion, her usual method of transport back to her house, especially in the later evening when the buses were few and far between. Lion always seemed to find Connie eventually anyway.
Steven turned to walk up to the beach house, expecting one of the Crystal Gems or maybe even a visiting Homeworld Gem awaiting him inside or having passed through. He paused at the figure he saw on the deck by the front door.
Her pigtails swayed in an ocean breeze, and her eyes were locked on Steven. It seemed like they had been for some time. Her expression was unreadable - there was a bit of apprehension, but also a bit of hope in her eyes. She hadn't backed away once he noticed her either - she was here for him.
"Spinel?" Steven asked in surprise. He didn't bother walking up the hill and then up the stairs - in a single leap he landed on the deck beside her.
"Hey, Steven," Spinel said with a brief wave and a sheepish grin. "How's the Earth been since I left? Certainly seems a bit less...broken."
"We've been fine. What are you doing here though?" he asked kindly, then chuckled. "The Diamonds too much of a handful?"
"No, no, they're a great audience." Spinel brushed it off. "I just...uh...came here to see how you were doing. Maybe take in the sights when I'm not trying to kill your whole planet." She chuckled nervously.
"Well, I'm glad to see you." Steven pulled her into a hug, which surprised her. She reluctantly hugged back, patting him on the back. "And I'm glad you're feeling better." He released her and opened the screen door for them. "Want to come inside?"
Spinel glanced towards town, but flashed him a soft smile. "Sure, might as well," she said with a shrug. She stepped inside, and a confused Steven followed her.
Spinel walked over and sat down on the couch. She bent forward and began twiddling her thumbs. "Are you sure everything's alright?" Steven asked with a concerned frown. "You seem nervous."
"Well, I am back on a planet I tried to destroy," Spinel said with a chuckle. "What's not to be nervous about?"
"Is everything alright back on Homeworld? I know some Gems might not be adjusting well with the changes." He walked over and sat down next to her.
"Yeah, some of the higher up Gems haven't been too thrilled, but the... others have been doing swell. There's a lot of Gems like you on Homeworld, you know? Caring about others... trying to help Gems adjust..." Spinel trailed off, her cheeks redder than usual.
Steven was about to press on further when the screen door opened again, making Spinel jump. There in the doorway was the silent, imposing figure of Garnet. She looked between Spinel and Steven. "I knew there was a reason I was supposed to come here," she finally remarked.
"Oh! Garnet. Spinel just came by for a visit," Steven said. Spinel gave her a hesitant wave as the tall fusion walked over to them. They both bounced slightly when Garnet sat down on the couch next to Spinel and reclined back.
"No, she came here to talk," Garnet simply replied, looking, seemingly, at the ceiling. "The question is: about what?"
Spinel seemed shocked at first, but composed herself. "Right, almost forgot - half Sapphire," she muttered. She sighed and looked at the coffee table, wringing her hands. "I just...came for some advice, that's all."
"On what?" Steven asked.
"I don't know quite how to explain it," Spinel admitted. "Like... feelings? Is that something people on Earth get? Feelings? It's like..." She balled her fists. "Gah, I don't know how to put it into words!"
Garnet stood up abruptly, startling both Steven and Spinel. "Right then," she said. "Spinel, I believe the person you want advice from is me. If you'll follow me up to the Warp Pad."
Spinel stretched her neck to look around Garnet at Steven, worriedly. He returned a reassuring smile and gestured towards Garnet. "She doesn't bite," he said. "And it sounds like she'd be able to help you more than me."
"I'm more worried about poofing," Spinel muttered, her pigtails drooping. Still, she stood up and Garnet led her up to the Warp Pad room, where they warped skyward in a beam of blue light.
It was evening where they warped to, so Spinel figured it hadn't been very far. She decided not to ask, however, and simply followed Garnet as she left the Warp Pad. They continued in silence until they approached the sound of flowing water.
"I feel I should clear the air between us," the fusion said, making Spinel jump.
"What's that mean?" Spinel asked.
"It's a human expression. It means to say something to alleviate the tension between two people," Garnet explained. "I can tell by your silence that there's tension."
Spinel looked down and rubbed her arm. "Well, I did try to kill you guys…"
"I don't hold any anger against you. You were traumatized by what you went through and your emotions overrode your logic, even your baser instincts," Garnet explained. "It happens to all of us, Gems and humans." She stopped. "We're here."
Spinel looked up to find they were in an open area, dominated by a large pond. Judging by the stone paths around it, as well as the pond's stone borders, that it wasn't naturally made. The statue in the center, providing the flow of pale pink water, was also not natural. Spinel's pupils shrunk.
"I figured you'd react this way," Garnet said, observing. "But, I felt this was the proper place for us to talk."
"Seriously?" Spinel turned to her with a hard frown. "A fountain, with… with her in the middle of it?" She gestured to the statue angrily.
"It's isolated, quiet, and most of all: it's a place of healing," Garnet listed off. She walked over and sat at the pond's edge, dipping her feet in the water. "This is a healing spring. After we reconciled with the Diamonds, this is where we cured the Corrupted Gems. Long ago, this is where we fixed our own injuries." She looked back at Spinel, patting the space next to her. "Now, it's your turn."
Reluctantly, Spinel walked over and plopped down beside Garnet, splashing the water as her feet dunked in. Her form felt tingly, all the way up to her gemstone – it definitely wasn't normal water. Still, it felt refreshing.
"I don't know… how to put it into words…" Spinel began, looking at her rippling reflection in the water.
"Give yourself a moment to think, then try," Garnet said, looking out over the pond at nothing in particular.
Spinel nodded, letting the gears turn in her head and assemble the feelings into her best guess of wording. After a minute of silence, she nodded again. "Alright… I think I got it…" she muttered. Garnet looked down at her, as Spinel began:
"I get this… quivering feeling, like right around here." She touched her stomach. "Which is weird, because I ain't got nothing down there. It's just… me. Then my head gets all… lighter. Like I inflated it like a bubble, but I didn't. And there's this… this joy. This happiness. Just whenever I see… her."
Garnet smiled softly. "Who is this 'her?'"
Spinel swallowed. "Pink Diamond's old Pearl. We just call her Pink Pearl, like Blue and Yellow's. She's got this… this crack, going across her left eye, like a chipped statue or something. You know her?"
"I've seen her, yes."
"She's been doing what Steven did for me: helping Gems adjust to this new Era. Where we can do what we're meant to do and all, but it's by choice now. We do what we want, without that overwhelming dread of poofing or shattering. She's been so kind to everyone…"
"And you admire her for it?"
Spinel looked up at her, then nodded. "She kinda reminds me of… me. Back then. When I made… her laugh and smile, but she's doing it for everyone." She turned to Garnet, her voice turning panicked. "But what if she doesn't like me? Wh-What if she thinks I'm a monster, for what I did to you all?"
Garnet hummed thoughtfully. "I know from experience that pasts are not easily forgotten or forgiven, but I think you might not be such a monster to this Pink Pearl. You've both experienced servitude to Pink Diamond – and you both have your scars."
Spinel's hand lightly touched her upside down gemstone, and she grimaced down at the black streaks in her reflection. She jumped when Garnet set a hand on her shoulder, and smiled kindly down to her.
"Just talk to her. Tell her how you feel. If you need to explain what you've done, explain it yourself. The most important thing is that there's no secrets between you." Garnet looked out over the pond, in the direction of the statue. "Secrets can hurt worse than the biggest lies."
Spinel followed her gaze, and with a frown she nodded. "You don't have to tell me about it," she muttered.
"Is there anything else?" Garnet asked.
"Just one… I wanted to say I'm sorry. For everything I did to you guys," Spinel said. "I didn't exactly get a chance to say it before I left."
Garnet wrapped an arm around her. "Apology accepted."
Steven looked up from his comic book as the screen door opened. He watched as Spinel entered, then Garnet. The smaller Gem turned to the fusion, shook her hand, and then proceeded up the stairs. A second later, the Warp Pad sounded off.
"Did everything go alright, Garnet?" he asked, setting the comic aside.
"It went as well as it possibly could have," Garnet replied, adjusting her shades.
"Well, that's good." Steven hopped off the bed. "Think she'll be alright?"
Garnet smiled knowingly. "I know she will."
Spinel took a moment to collect herself, breathing in deeply and letting it out a few times – which felt weird because she didn't need to breathe. She glanced around the corner, where Pink Pearl was chatting with Yellow Pearl and Blue Pearl.
"You got this," she muttered to herself, nodding firmly. Which a final sigh, she stuck her leg out, swung it around the corner, and marched proudly towards Pink Pearl, in spite of her squeaky shoes. When she stood behind Pink Pearl, she twisted slightly to see past her before clearing her throat.
Pink Pearl turned to her with an inquiring hum, then brightened up. "Oh, hello Spinel," she said cheerfully.
"Hey Pinky," Spinel said with a wide grin, doing her best to not show her nervousness. "Do you have a moment to talk?"
Pink Pearl blinked and turned to the other Pearls. Yellow Pearl smirked as she glanced between the two of them.
"We can chat later," Yellow Pearl said. "You two go ahead." She took Blue Pearl's hand and led her away, the latter waving to them.
Pink Pearl waved back and turned to Spinel, her hands folded neatly in front of her. "What did you want to talk about?" she asked.
"I, uh… I wanted to clear the air with you, if that's alright." At Pink Pearl's confused expression, she continued, sheepishly, "It's a human expression. It means to say something to stop tension between two people."
"There's tension between us?"
"Well… at least on my end." Spinel gulped. "Tell you what: maybe we could go somewhere and talk. This… kinda feels like something I should say in private."
Pink Pearl frowned with confusion. "Well… alright. Did you have somewhere in mind?"
"Actually, I did. You ever been to Earth?"
"No, I haven't. I haven't even had the chance to see it since…" Pink Pearl looked away, a hand going to the left side of her face. Spinel looked on sympathetically.
"There's this place there, where… she made a healing spring," Spinel continued. A shudder visibly went through Pink Pearl's form. "It's a nice place, really. I was thinking we could talk there."
"Very well." Pink Pearl smiled warmly.
"Great! Then it's a date," Spinel said, offering Pink Pearl her hand – she blushed softly as she took it, nodding. With a lot of nervous pressure lifted and her usual cheeriness returning, Spinel led Pink pearl towards the nearest Warp Gate.
The Pearl frowned with worry, glancing away before returning her gaze to Spinel. "Do you… do you think this healing spring could… fix me?" she asked nervously.
"Well, I think it could." Spinel flashed her a reassuring grin. "It worked wonders for me."
Author's Notes
Date of Creation (D.o.C.): 9/19/19
I was going to publish this on Valentine's Day, but then I realized Pink Pearl/Volleyball wasn't a selectable character. I have since requested her, but as of publishing this, Fanfiction staff haven't gotten back to me nor added her. I'll add her and set the proper ship when they finally do.
The two things that people have done with Spinel since she was revealed to us is they've done stories where she's cheered up, becomes happy again and they've done shipping stories. I already wrote "Comedic Genus" for the former, now this is the latter.
I began this long ago, but never got around to finishing it. This was written before Pink Pearl/Volleyball's personality was revealed, but I think the ship still holds weight (although, I saw hints of Pearl and Pink Pearl as a ship during the "Volleyball" episode). Spinel and Pink Pearl were both servants of Pink Diamond who suffered from her short sighted, childish ways, and they've both bounced back thanks to Steven. They have a lot in common, and I think they compliment one another. Spinel's job was to make others happy - who better than someone broken and abandoned by her Diamond? Pink Pearl's job was to be attentive to her Diamond - who better to attend to than someone who's been alone for six-thousand years?
For those of you who were wondering if I'd do another story like "Comedic Genus," this one is for you. I hope it goes as well as the first one did.
The song I listened to for this one was "Here Comes a Thought." Should be easy to find.
-yours truly,
The Legendary Bill Cipher