Chapter Sixteen: Engine Oil

It was Monday, June 19th, and the sky was filled with pulsating lights of a thousand different colours. The planet's aurora, Pearl thought, entranced as she stared out of the window. Truly stunning. It was one of the aspects in which the Earth was truly so unusual, so unique. A result of so many different factors: a planet possessing a strong magnetosphere, being close enough to a star to be directly affected by its solar winds, which reacted in the presence of a primarily nitrogen-oxygen atmosphere—

—all combining to create a dazzling, swirling, rainbow of brilliance.

Pearl could've stared at it forever.

Unfortunately, that wasn't an option. Essays didn't write themselves, after all!

The doorbell chimed, signalling Stevonnie's, Connie's, and Steven's return to the coffee shop, and Pearl figured it was time to get back to work. She dragged her attention back to the laptop screen. She had been making some real progress! The title began:

" The "

Pearl stared at the word for several moments, and backspaced furiously. That wasn't right at all!

She sat there, trying to organize her thoughts, when she felt movement behind her. She caught a flash of pink out of the corner of her eye...

Pearl turned towards it eagerly, not even bothering to hide it. The barista met her gaze and smiled. Pearl practically shivered in delight.

She was gorgeous— not just because of her thick pink curls, but everything about her. The silver ring at her lip; the soft brown of her skin; the warmth a human body radiated; the vivid coloring which decorated her face.

The woman bent down low, placing Pearl's pie on the table. With one of those beautifully painted eyes, she winked.

"T-thank you!" Pearl stammered. She tried to get something, anything else out, but somehow couldn't manage it. She stared in silence as the barista returned behind the counter.

Pearl's head fell onto the keyboard. Why was she like this? It wasn't hard! Just— just say something! Ask her her name! Compliment her drink making! Or her make-up! Ask her for a drink— or, well, no, that might come across as an order... but ask her to go out to some other traditional human bonding activity, such as a– a film, or perhaps one of the public baths, or a walk in a meadow...

She pulled herself upright. The computer screen was now filled with utter garbled nonsense, but that hardly mattered. Yes, Pearl knew her essay was important— worth a full 108% of her grade— but she had to acknowledge the truth: She hadn't gotten anywhere with it, and she most probably wouldn't make any progress, not until she completed what she really cared about.

Yes. She would do it. She would get up, go over to the mystery girl, and she would ask her on a date!

Pearl clenched her fists, stood up, turned towards the counter...

And stopped dead in her tracks.

The woman stood at the counter. Standing there, too, was Amethyst. One hand held an entire jug of coffee (or perhaps, knowing Amethyst, it wasn't coffee at all, but something ridiculous like engine oil.). Her other hand was twirling a strand of white hair around a finger.

The two of them were laughing. Joking.

Flirting.

Pearl's face turned blue as she flooded with cold fury.

How could she?! Amethyst knew I was interested in her— She knew! —

She felt a warm hand on her shoulder, squeezing slightly. "My Pearl, dear, what's wrong?"

Pearl stopped, turned towards the voice. "Rose?"

"Yes?" Rose Quartz said. Her face was creased in concern— but amusement danced in her eyes. And reassurance. And comfort.

Pearl sagged, leaning into her wife, who wrapped a soft arm around her shoulders. Already, her anger was melting away, leaving her with a vague sort of embarrassment. She was being ridiculous. She could hardly go around banning her friends from talking to anyone she found attractive. And while the barista was very beautiful, to be sure, Pearl already had someone a dozen times lovelier.

"Nothing," Pearl said, turning her attention away from Amethyst, and back to Rose. "This essay is just… making me a titch irrational, I suppose."

"Nonsense," said Rose.

Pearl raised an eyebrow. "Then how come I'm having so much trouble with it?"

"It's just a little writer's block. I'm confident you'll get past it. You're the most intelligent person I know, after all."

Pearl turned yet a deeper shade of blue, this time filled with the most intense joy.

Rose's confidence in her was as gratifying as always, and it spurred Pearl back to work. Words seemed to flow easier now. Nonetheless, it was something of a double-edged sword, since the two of them so easily distracted one another: Rose rubbing her warm hand down Pearl's spine, making her shiver. Pearl tugging playfully on Rose's hair, making her giggle. Rose retaliating by stealing a few digits off Pearl's pi with a fork, making crumbs out of the sequential crust—

"Uhhh," a voice said, interrupting the pair's games.

"Steven!" Pearl said, straightening up, trying her best to look proper and hard-working. "Hello! I'm just— we're just— we— How are you?"

Steven was standing there, head tilted to the side. "Uh. Fine," he said. His brow was furrowed. "How are… you... two?"

Pearl followed his gaze. He wasn't looking at her, but rather, at her wife.

"Oh!" Pearl exclaimed. "How silly of me! I haven't introduced you. Steven, come here, and meet your mother."

There was a rustle of fabric as Rose Quartz got up from the chair and went to Steven. The boy stared up at her, eyes wide. Rose had always had that effect on people. She kneeled down. "Hello, Steven. It's wonderful to see you."

"...Mom?"

Pearl's eyes went misty at the sight. How many times had she dreamed about this?

She got up herself, coming to stand next to Rose. With the Quartz on her knees like this, their heads were level, and Pearl was able to wrap her arm around Rose's shoulder. She beamed at Steven, who was still standing there, looking shell-shocked. Rose coaxed him in that gentle, easy way of hers. "What're you doing, Steven?"

"Me? Uh, I'm on a date with my friend— my girlfriend Connie."

"Well isn't that wonderful!" Rose's eyes glittered with stars. "I'm here on a date too."

Steven's cheeks went red, and he glanced at Pearl, biting his lip.

"You really should meet Connie," Pearl told Rose. "I know I've already told you so much about her, but I'm not sure I've done her justice. She's so impressive with the sword— not just the physical techniques, but with tactics too..."

"I can't wait. Where is she?" Rose asked.

"Getting drinks," Steven mumbled.

The shyness was unlike him, Pearl thought. It rather made her want to scoop him up in a big hug. But then, maybe he was just embarrassed, having his family there at his first date. She straightened a little, scanning the cafe for any sign of Connie, hoping to wave her over. She spied Peridot and Lapis at their table; Ruby, Sapphire, and Garnet in low conversation; Greg, strumming his guitar—

Greg.

The sight of him made Pearl freeze. A strange emotion ran through her. Or emotions. A cocktail of them, hard to discern— confusion, fear, jealousy, anger—

Anger? Why would she be angry at Greg?

Not Greg, Pearl thought, catching a glimpse of her wife out of the corner of her eye. Rose.

But why would she be angry at Rose?

She shook her head, and ran a finger over the smooth silver of her wedding band.

"Oh, there's Connie!" Pearl announced, grateful for the distraction. Her squire was coming over at last, carrying two mugs. "And Stevonnie too!"

Pearl was smiling at them, and so was Rose. But they did not return the smiles. Connie's expression was cautious and uncertain. And Stevonnie's... It was the expression Pearl had seen them wear in battle— guarded, wary, determined...

"Look at everyone here!" exclaimed Rose. She opened her arms wide. "Let's come in for a big group hug!"

Steven took a hesitant step forward.

Stevonnie grabbed him by him by the shoulder.

" Steven," Connie said.

"She's not real," said Stevonnie.

Pearl frowned. "What do you—"

She cut herself off, seeing Steven's expression harden. Pearl glanced at Rose for some guidance, but—

— brown skin, silver flashing at her lips, heavy mascara—

Pearl blinked, and the image was gone. Rose was Rose, same as always.

Everything's fine.

No. No, something about this was wrong. The children were clearly uncomfortable. Rose was making them uncomfortable.

It must be hard for him, meeting his mother for the first time in fourteen years, Pearl thought. But then she clutched at her forehead. That... that didn't make sense, did it? Humans... humans met their mothers when they were born, that was how it worked—

But Steven had never met his mother, because— because —

There was a yelp and a loud smash from the other side of the cafe. Everyone jumped, startled. Pearl looked up to see Amethyst, surrounded by the shattered remains of the coffee jug, her mouth shaped in an 'o' of surprise as she stared at Rose Quartz.

Pearl blinked, and turned to her wife. "Rose? How did you get over there?"

But the woman standing besides her wasn't Rose. It was the barista.

Pearl flinched back.

The barista was smiling at Steven with the same expression Rose had before. Arms still open. "Come here, son. Let me see you."

Steven stepped back towards Stevonnie. Pearl stepped away, too. She was grateful she hadn't eaten any of the pie, because just then, she felt like she might vomit.

She nearly did, when she saw what Amethyst did next.

Amethyst swore at Rose, picked up a chair, and held it above her head. Screaming, she slammed it right into Rose's chest.

Still smiling, Rose Quartz fell backwards. There was a loud crack as her head hit the counter.

For a moment, Pearl expected a soft explosion. A poof of smoke. Clouds. A pink gemstone left behind.

But that wasn't how it worked. Rose was human.

Blood spilled out onto the wooden floor.

Pearl screamed.

There was a flash of light, and she charged at Amethyst.

"How could you?" Pearl growled, jabbing her spear at Amethyst.

Amethyst yelped, scrambling backwards. "Pearl— Pearl, calm down! That wasn't Rose —!"

Other people were yelling too, everyone was yelling— but Pearl didn't notice any of it. How could she? Rose was dead, gone again, just after she'd gotten her back— and Amethyst was the one who'd done it! She swiped her spear forward, jabbing and thrusting it, as Amethyst scrambled to escape over the chairs and tables.

"Pearl." Someone caught her by the shoulder, holding it back. Garnet. "Pearl. Your spear."

Pearl nearly shrugged the gauntleted hand off to resume her attack, but something in Garnet's voice made her stop.

She stared at her spear.

Where... where had that come from?

Amethyst was staring at her, eyes wide and desperate. She was breathing heavily, even though she didn't have to breathe. "Pearl. I told ya. That wasn't Rose. None of this is real—"

The world around her spun, and Pearl opened her mouth to try and make some sort of reply—

— but everything disappeared.