"Aah, my clarity! How nice of you to come by!" she said, saluting the gem with a broad smile as an Amethyst guard quickly lead the human Blue Diamond had brought with her to the enclosed area at the Zoo.
"Agate." Blue Diamond said simply, signaling for Holly Blue to drop her salute. "As per usual, I am here to visit the humans and check to see that you are still keeping this place in shape. If I find even one thing awry on this base, I will be re-considering our previous decision to allow you to watch over the guards and humans at the Zoo in lieu of shattering you because of our little…incident." she said, her eyes flashing angrily for a moment.
Holly Blue cringed before nodding aggressively. "O-of course my precious, merciful, gracious, glorious Diamond!"
Blue Diamond nodded. "Also. We are doing something a little…different today. While I am inspecting the Zoo, my Pearl will be becoming familiar with the human's enclosure in the Zoo." she said, stepping outside of her ship and gesturing to Freshwater, who froze as soon as she saw Holly Blue Agate.
"When I retrieve her, I expect it to be in the exact condition I left her in." Blue Diamond said. "Many of the adjustments we made to her had to do with repairing very expensive damage from a very long time ago." she said, glaring at the gem. "I wish to keep her in this condition. Do you understand?"
Holly Blue Agate flinched before nodding. "Of course, My Diamond." she said, stepping aside as Blue Diamond brushed past her, Blue Pearl following slightly behind. Freshwater followed close behind, doing her best to slow her heart rate. Why was this gem scaring her so much? On Homeworld, gems feared her due to her direct contact with the Diamonds. So…why did this gem make her so goddamn uncomfortable?
Freshwater shook the thoughts from her head. No, this had nothing to do with the Agate. It was just new mission jitters. She thought to herself, taking a deep breath. As she walked bast Holly Blue on her way out the door, however, she couldn't help but fasten her pace when chill after chill ran down her spine.
What the hell was that about?
…
"And you're sure you saw Freshwater with her?" Pearl was saying as Jet hugged Johnathon and sent him on his way. Steven nodded aggressively. "I'm positive. She looked just like she did in my dreams, and the one the Rubies showed us while we were on the Ruby ship. None of them saw me, though, so I don't know if she would have recognized me."
"Why would she not have recognized you after everything?" Amethyst asked, crossing her arms.
Steven hesitated before shrugging. "I don't know." he admitted. "In the dreams I was having she didn't even recognize me then. I doubt she would have recognized me had she seen me when Blue Diamond nabbed Dad."
"Yes, all of this is very confusing - and concerning." Pearl said, stroking her chin. "After the little stunt Freshwater and I pulled when we released the humans from the Zoo, it makes sense that Blue Diamond would want more humans. But that doesn't explain why Freshwater was with Blue Diamond on Earth."
"Why doesn't it make sense?" Amethyst asked, arching an eyebrow. "Wasn't she made for the Diamonds? Don't Pearls always go with their… 'owners'?" she said, cringing at the word.
Jet shook her head. "You don't understand. Remember, Freshwater is a defective Pearl. She should have been shattered years ago, but even after literally betraying the Diamonds she was able to walk free? That means the Diamonds are using her for something way bigger than collecting some humans for the Zoo."
"Maybe while we're there I can corner her and talk to her." Pearl suggested. The tension in the air raised slightly. "Pearl…I don't know if that's a good idea." Garnet said. "Garnet, I…I have to talk to her. I know none of you were able to see the Pearl that I met and fell in lov-" the Pearl blushed and looked away before backtracking. "The Pearl that I bonded with. But I did. And I just can't believe that she would just…turn on us like that. Turn on me like that. Especially since with the last thing she did when she had only a shred of free will was disobey a direct order from White Diamond. While it is possible that she turned on us, I think it's far more likely that something is terribly wrong with her."
The gems sat in silence for a moment, reflecting on Pearl's words.
"Pearl is right." Garnet said, placing a hand on the gem's shoulder. "While Freshwater's betrayal should not be swept under the rug…I do not believe said betrayal means she is incapable of change. While it would be a stretch to say I forgive her - or that any of you are wrong for feeling the same," she said, nodding at Amethyst. "It would be wrong of me to gloss over the fact that Freshwater did her damndest to undo the damage and return a member of our team to us. Something that - I assume - meant going against several orders." she said, looking to Pearl for confirmation, who nodded. "Yes. Freshwater stuck her neck out for me many times."
"And me." Jet piped up, raising a hand. "Uni had several opportunities to turn Johnathon in while she was at the Zoo. But she didn't. It was a kindness I can never repay, especially when the way I responded to that was attempting to stick her with the punishment we would have gotten when Blue Diamond got there."
Steven placed a hand on Jet's shoulder as the gem looked away, ashamed. "Everyone in this room has made mistakes they wish they could undo and forget." Garnet said, locking eyes with every gem in the room. "The person that makes that mistake has to make the decision to change or stay the same. And those affected have to make the even harder choice as to whether or not they should forgive." she said, looking to Pearl. "Pearl has decided to forgive Freshwater and attempt to reach out, and I will not stop her. However, if this is going to happen, we need to be smart about it."
…
Freshwater picked one of the many pieces of fruit from the tree before hesitantly bringing it to her lips and biting into it as she had seen one of the humans do from afar. So far, her time in the Zoo had been new, but pleasantly uneventful. The water was pleasantly cool, the sun high in the sky beaming down on her and making her momentarily wish she was clad in the uniforms the humans were in, which looked far more suitable for the conditions of the Zoo. Maybe she should ask her Diamonds about other uniform arrangements for Earth to stop her worrying about snagging her uniform on brambles or ruining her shoes with the cool water at the beachside. Shaking her head, she scoffed. No. This is what the Diamonds were talking about. She was a Pearl. What would she look like in the casual-ware the humans wore? An Amethyst, perhaps, but not a gem as pristine as herself.
"I cannot believe humans have to do this to sustain themselves." Freshwater muttered, taking another bite. "It tastes pretty good, but I can't imagine having to do it every day."
"Eh, ya get used to it."
Freshwater jumped and spun around, surprised to see the human Blue Diamond had collected for the Zoo. "Oh…hello." she said awkwardly. "You are the newest human from the Zoo, correct?" she asked, cocking her head to the side. The human nodded. "Yes. It's Greg. Greg Universe." Freshwater paused, looking the human up and down. "You have been here for a few night cycles, correct?" she asked the human, who nodded. "And…how would you say Earth differs in comparison to the Zoo?"
Greg chuckled before rubbing his neck. "Honestly…it all depends on where you go. Earth has many types of places, and this place kinda reminds me of a forest-like area. The day and night cycles are correct wherever you go, but some places on Earth - like where I come from - don't have a ton of forests. I come from a place called Beach City, which - as the name implies - has a huge beach and a huge sea." Greg explained.
Freshwater's jaw dropped when Greg mentioned Beach City. "I…I thought I made that place up in one of my dreams." she said, dumbfounded. "There…there is a place on Earth called beach city?" she said, still slack-jawed. Greg nodded, surprised at the gem's reaction. "Yes. Have you ever been there?" Freshwater shook her head in disbelief. As much as she wanted to write this off as a coincidence, the logical part of her brain couldn't. She'd never even heard of Beach City before her dream.
"I…I guess you could say that."
…
Pearl took a deep breath as the ship approached the Zoo, doing her best to still her nerves. She couldn't believe she was back at this horrible place.
"So. How are we getting in?" Steven asked, glancing up at Garnet. "I'll have to shapeshift. Holly Blue will recognize me as soon as she sees me, I'm sure of it." Pearl said. Amethyst looked shocked. "Ddduuudde really? I've never seen you shapeshift! What are you gonna be?" she asked excitedly. Pearl cringed at the excitement in the shorter gem's voice. "As I said previously. Shapeshifting is only used for when it is necessary." she said, ruffling the shorter gem's hair before shapeshifting into a Quartz soldier.
"Whoa, Pearl! Looking good. Have you done this before or something?" Amethyst said with a grin. Pearl cringed and looked away. "Only when necessary." she muttered before turning to Garnet. "Alright, what next? No way we can waltz in there with a fusion and a human."
"We can just use disguises!" Steven said excitedly. "I'll be Estaban Universidad!"
Pearl sighed. "Steven, that won't work. We're going to stand out no matter what your name is." she said, looking up when she saw a flash of light, surprise on her face when she saw Ruby and Sapphire standing there, hand in hand. "We won't stand out if we play the roles we were assigned." Sapphire said.
"Estaban, I brought you as an offering for the Zoo." the blue gem continued, turning to Amethyst. "Amethyst, you'll be extra muscle." Amethyst cringed. "Extra muscle? Like them?" she said, gesturing to the guards standing outside the ship. "Yes. Just look the 're new, and we're rusty. Pearl, I know how uncomfortable you are with shapeshifting, so we'll be in and out. Just long enough of find Greg and see what's up with Freshwater." she said.
"Is…this really going to work?" Pearl asked, pushing a strand of her tanned hair out of her face.
"No." Sapphire said flatly, blushing when she saw all the other gems flinch and gasp. "Look….let's just play it safe and hopefully change the future." she said, forcing a smile as they exited the ship and made their way to the Amethyst guards.
"State your purpose." the Amethyst guard on the right barked, glaring down at the approaching gems. "I am here to make a donation to the human zoo." Sapphire said calmly, gesturing to Steven. The Amethyst guards exchanged a look, smirking. "Bad news. The human zoo shut down. Which means we'll just have to throw you into space." one of them said, leering over Steven, who looked terrified.
"Hey, look, it believed me." the gem said with a laugh, stepping back. "Nah, just pulling your leg. Welcome to the Zoo, kid." she said, ruffling Steven's hair as her and her companion momentary lightheartedness was cut off, however, at the sound of heels on linoleum, making everyone in the room immediately turn serious.
"What are you doing?" Holly Blue said, glaring at the gems as Pearl grit her teeth. She had forgotten how much she hated this gem. "Nothing, Holly Blue Agate." the Amethyst guards said, immediately going to attention. Pearl did her best to keep a poker face as the gem looked them over, praying this disguise was working.
"You'll have to forgive them." the gem said with a smile. "They're from Earth." she said, the smile dropping from her face as she glared at the Amethyst guards. "Apologize."
"Forgive us!" The gems said in unison, flinching when the gem punched them in the arm. "Forgive us…your clarity." they said, saluting Sapphire. Pearl clenched her fists but forced herself to remain calm, cool, and collected as snippets of Freshwater's words came back to her..
"Rose Quartz cared about you?"
"You get used to it."
"We (or at least I) didn't follow Holly Blue Agate because I felt for her, wanted her best interest at heart, or because we had some sort of friendship. I followed her out of sheer terror of what she would do to me if I didn't do everything she told me to."
"The threat of shattering only really scared me the first time I heard it. So she had to find other ways to keep me in line."
"It….isn't the first time."
"I guess I never felt a need to fight back."
"I didn't really care if she hurts me. Not that I care now, of course."
"I never really saw a need to fight back until you were being attacked."
Pearl clenched her teeth before taking a deep breath and releasing it. As much as she wanted to lay Holly Blue out right then and there, she knew she couldn't risk the mission. Maybe someday, but not now.
"I'm sure Blue Diamond will want to thank you personally." Holly Blue said, wrenching Pearl from her thoughts and sending a shiver down the gem's spine. "But, unfortunately you just missed her." Holly Blue said, tsking softly. "Anywho, Amethyst, take this human to the-"
"Wait!" Sapphire blurted, taking a step forward. "We've…come so far! It would be a shame to leave so quickly. Perhaps you'd grant us a tour of the facility?"
Holly Blue looked shocked before grinning. "Oh, of course! I would be honored!" she said, clasping her hands together and motioning for the gems to follow her. "Right this way." she said, raising a hand to halt Amethyst and Pearl when they made a move to follow. "Amethyst and Quartz soldiers are to stay and guard the door." she said, not giving either gem a chance to argue as the door slid shut as the gems exchanged a panicked look.
…
"This facility originally belonged to Pink Diamond and houses and staffes the usually useless Quartz soldiers she produced from her colony. But Blue Diamond entrusted her best Agate to assist her in maintaining the base." she said, stopping in front of the door to input the code. "I thought the Rubies said it was because it was a punishment for her screwup with the Perfect Pearl experiment?" Steven muttered, glancing at Sapphire, who smirked. "Gems lie, Steven." she whispered back as the door slid open.
"The bottom portion of the Zoo is dedicated to specimen containment. Apparently humas do not react well to captivity. But once you understand their needs, they're easy to control." the gem said with a smirk.
"I am incredibly grateful to you for bringing this human to our facility." Holly Blue said, a broad grin on her face as they walked the halls of the Zoo. "After the unfortunate…incident. We had with several of our own gems going rogue, I am glad we are able to slowly replenish what we lost. When my Diamond lost Pink, she graciously stepped up to take care of the Zoo. A few traitorous gems shouldn't have the right to take something that brings my Diamond so much joy from her." she said, clenching her fist. "The fact that she didn't shatter ever single gem on this ship is a true testament to her merciful and giving nature, don't you think?" She said, glancing down at Sapphire, who blushed. "Of…of course."
Ruby scowled, grumbling under her breath. "Keep it together, Ruby. Gotta Estaban it." the red gem nodded, the scowl morphing into a look of shock when Holly Blue mentioned them being at a human disposal chute. This time, it was Estaban's turn to break character. "How do we get in the zoo?" he asked, panic coming to his face.
Holly Blue sighed. "Aah. I forgot about those weird noises humans make. Hilarious."
"So…how do we get in the Zoo?" Sapphire repeated.
Holly Blue's eyes lit up. "Excellent question!" she said, leading the way to a door with a handprint on it. "On the rare occasion we would need to enter, we would do so through the service door. We used to have more than one access point, but thatnkfully that has been corrected. Now, there are no risks of an esca-"
"Explosion!" Ruby blurted, sweating when Holly Blue turned to her with a deadpan "Pardon me?"
"Uh…I just remembered! I left the gravity engine idling." she said, saluting Sapphire. "I'm so sorry my Sapphire. I am so forgetful and disposable."
Sapphire was momentarily shaken from her role at her girlfriend's words. "What?" she asked before shaking off the shock. "What a foreseen turn of events. Yes, it is going to overheat and explode. The damage will be massive."
Holly Blue felt her stomach drop. An explosion? And more importantly, one that happened while her diamond was here on the base? Oh, Blue would shatter her for sure! "My word! I don't know why anyone trusts rubies with those ships. This is what happens!"
"If we hurry, we can go back and disable the engine before any damage is done. It should only take ten minutes, so everyone be on your best behavior." she said as she and Holly Blue made their way to the ship, leaving the others to attempt to open the door.
…
"So…Johnathon, Jet, and B9 on Earth now." Skinny said, passing the note Johnathon had written to Carmillian. Pearl nodded. "And…B9's been corrupted?" Carmillian asked, looking up at the gem. "Unfortunately." Amethyst said, sitting cross legged on the floor. As soon as Pearl had shown the gems the letter Johnathon had written, they had been taken to the Famethyst, both gems going back to their original forms after Skinny read the letter to the group.
"Man…we should have gone with them." Skinny said with a sigh, putting her head in her hands. "Or at least stayed out of their way while the others helped them escaped." Carmillian muttered with a sigh. "Hey…don't beat yourself up too much over it." Pearl comforted, putting a hand on Skinny's shoulder. "Freshwater has told me…stories. About that gem. That Agate ruled her with an iron fist, and after thousands of years of serving her, she struggled to the very end to fight back against what was happening to her. She was terrified, and I'm sure you all are too."
"We shouldn't be, though." One of the Famethyst muttered. "There are way more of us than there are of her. We should have listened to Buck and fought for the humans sake. Instead we turned coward." Skinny muttered.
"Well…You can't undo the past." Amethyst said, hugging Carmillian. "But…you can determine how you act in the future." she said with a grin. "If you would have told me that Freshwater would one day turn her back on the DIAMONDS of all people? I would have laughed in your face. But…she has. She made a lot of mistakes too. But she tried to fix them."
"But she needs our help." Pearl said, determination written on her face. "And we think you can help us with that."
The Famethyst exchanged a look before Skinny nodded decisively. "You suspect the gem serving the Diamonds is Freshwater. Don't you." she said, locking eyes with Pearl, who nodded. "We're pretty convinced."
Skinny nodded curtly. "Thought so. Honestly, I suspected it too, but nobody dares voice that shit outside of the privacy of their own crew. Some gems think it's a rumor. Others don't. Honestly…nobody can be sure." she said before reaching into her gem and handing a file to Pearl with the words "Project Perfection" scrawled on it in Holly Blue's writing. "Nobody except you, of course. Holly told me to get rid of this. Felt way too personal for me to read it, but I say there's nothin' wrong with a gem reading about a case that might be about them." she said with a wink. "Anyway, if our suspicions are correct and she is who you think she is…I know she'll listen to you about it."
Pearl took the file, thumbing through it. Yes…Yes this could work. Freshwater would never believe her if she tried to just talk to her about it. She might even get angry at the idea of being called defective. But she knew Freshwater like the back of her hand - this gem was logical. She relied on fact-based thinking. And the thoroughness of this report was something that could not be argued or reasoned with.
"Now…will someone be so kind as to walk me back to the Zoo? It's been quite a while."
…
"Blue Diamond is on her way!"
Holly Blue Agate's eyes widened at the statement. "She's back already? You two! Best behavior!" She snapped, going to reprimand the gems."Make yourself useful and get that Human into the assimilation bay!" she snapped. "And as for you, my clarity." she said, her voice softening considerably as one of the Amethysts picked up Steven. "I'm sure Blue Diamond will want to thank you personally for bringing another specimen to the Zoo." she said. "That won't be necessary." Sapphire protested, trying to think of an excuse. "Anyway, I was quite enjoying the tour."
"Oh, no need to flatter me, your clarity." Holly Blue said with a smile. "But we really must be ready. Our Diamond will be here at any moment!"
…
"I'm telling you, human, there's no point contemplating things that will never happen." Freshwater said, groaning in frustration as she spoke to one of the many humans in the Zoo. "Oh, but we can hope, can we not, Pearl?" the human insisted, beaming up at her. "After all, according to legend, there were once gems that lived at the Zoo and freed humans! One of them even had the same gem type as yourself!"
Freshwater scoffed. "Well, they should not have done that. They directly disobeyed an order,and now who knows where they are. Shattered if lucky, a worse fate if not." she said, crossing her arms. Why was she even arguing with these lesser lifeforms about an authority they knew nothing about? It was clearly a waste of time. "Every gem involved in that little 'rescue mission' was incredibly stupid."
"Or incredibly brave." Freshwater sighed and looked up to chastise the human who was attempting to continue this pointless argument about things from the past. ""Look, you insufferable-" the rant was cut off when the gem went slack jawed at the sight in front of her. The soft voice had come from a gem with big, bright, baby blue eyes, light brown hair, and clad in yellow shorts and a teal shirt that was turned inside-out. While she had a feeling if the gem corrected this there would be a bright yellow star,she didn't dare insult her with such an accusation that was being a Crystal Gem.
"I don't know if you would call a bunch of gems turning on their Diamonds bravery." Freshwater asked, skeptically standing up and looking the gem up and down. The Pearl in front of her laughed. "Sometimes the line between bravery and stupidity gets a little blurred when you're trying to do the right thing." she said, the gem in question appeared to be doing the same with her, both gems eying the other's reaction as she stuck her hand out. "My name is Pearl, by the way. What's yours?"
Freshwater hesitated before taking the gem's hand in hers and shaking. "Freshwater."