And I wouldn't leave you guys on a cliffhanger that long! And funny enough, with the new episode we've now seen two other pearls. Ha ha ha. Should be fun and help inspire Sky's personality. Though, still taking liberties that Pearls are something any noble can have, even though right now we've only seen Diamonds with them. Oh well! That's how fanfics go~

Chapter 2

It was funny how bubbles make a gem so light, Sapphire thought to herself as it hovered above her gloved hands. The setting sun's light pierced the pink bubble, revealing a slight gleam on Sky's pearl. Ruby paced behind her on the porch as they sat outside the temple. The wind slipped through their hair, a harsh breeze that seemed to pick up on Sapphire's mood.

"You know, we could just leave her in there?" Ruby suggested, wincing even as she phrased the statement as a question. Sapphire turned her head at her and Ruby held up her hands. "Come on! She's bubbled! Time doesn't pass, she's not being hurt or causing trouble. For all we know, Pearl just did us a favor."

"We are not leaving her in there," Sapphire said. She kept the bubble in her lap, frowning at the small, precious girl. Guilt still nipped at her skirt edge for forgetting about her once faithful servant. It had been so easy to forget her past life, and now it'd caught up with her. The least Sapphire could do was to make sure her Pearl wouldn't suffer. "But I'm not sure I want to wake her up before we settle things with our Pearl."

"Yeah, probably should make sure she doesn't stab her again," Ruby huffed. She put her head in her hand and looked at Sapphire. "How are we going to do that again?"

"I was considering explaining the situation, and then asking her nicely to keep her staff to herself," Sapphire said. She shifted closer to Ruby, and set her head on the other gem's shoulder. She relaxed into Ruby's warmth, watching Sky's Pearl closely through her bangs. "Pearl's reasonable. She should understand."

"Yeah, but she's also got her own set of baggage," Ruby huffed, putting her hands on her thighs as she shifted to give Sapphire a better spot to lean. She let her head sit against Sapphire's and sighed. "I mean, you saw how she reacted when she saw Sky!"

"I know, but I'll count it as overreacting," Sapphire said. She held the pearl in one hand, and laced her arm through Ruby's with the other. She missed being Garnet, but right now they needed an actual conversation, not just a symbolic one. "I'm sure if we explain things properly, it'll work out."

Ruby snorted, frowning and looking off in the distance toward the farm.

"And if all else fails," Sapphire said, snuggling up closer. "We'll introduce her to Steven."

Ruby snickered, falling back into Sapphire's snuggle. She felt herself smiling in return, and started to feel much better about everything.

Amethyst looked over her shoulder when Sapphire and Ruby showed up on the horizon. The sun had been up for a few hours, so those two had taken their sweet time coming back from the temple. She noticed that Sapphire was holding something in her hands, close to her chest and Amethyst had a pretty good idea what—or rather who—that might be.

She looked over at Pearl, currently arguing with Peri over something about the drill, and called over. "Ruby and Sapphire are back!"

Pearl looked over her shoulder and scrunched her nose. The confusion was clear on her face, though Amethyst didn't know why Pearl should be confused. It wasn't like they left on good enough terms. Pearl asked all the same, "Not Garnet?"

"Nope," Amethyst said, popping the "p" in the "nope" as loud as she could. She snickered and shrugged her shoulders. "Guess they're still fighting over that new Sky Pearl."

"Of course they are," Pearl said, rubbing her face. She looked at Peri and back to Amethyst. "I'll handle it."

"Like you did at the temple?" Amethyst snorted.

"Go keep Steven busy," Pearl said, stomping away toward the two approaching gems.

Amethyst rolled her eyes, long used to Pearl's modes changing faster than the weather, and headed in the opposite direction, pretty sure that if a fight broke out she'd be able to hear it.

Peri caught her as she passed, gaze suspicious. "Did you say 'Sky Pearl' a second ago?"

Pearl had warned Amethyst not to tell Steven, but she hadn't said anything about Peri. Amethyst put her hands behind her head and nodded her head toward the group arguing in the distance. "I'm not sure about all of it, but Ruby and Sapphire showed up with a new Pearl and our Pearl might have lost her temper."

"A new Pearl?" Peri asked. She put down her hammer and turned to watch Pearl, Sapphire and Ruby at the edge of the farm. Her eyes narrowed behind her visor as she squinted. "Like, a normal one?"

"Hey, our Pearl is normal!" Amethyst said, huffing. Peri was getting better about that whole Homeworld bias thing since she officially became a Crystal Gem, but some of it still leaked out of her like that syrup Steven put on pancakes. "And I couldn't tell you. Pearl poofed her before I even got a chance to really talk to her."

"I would say that was an extreme reaction, but I found myself under similar scrutiny a few times when I first arrived as well," Peri said. She crossed her arms and looked off in the distance. "Why do you think she's here? It's not like Homeworld to send a Pearl to do anything."

"Dunno," Amethyst said. Pearl had begun to argue in earnest, her hands waving enough to be seen from the distance, but there was no yelling yet. They might get this solved peacefully yet. Amethyst huffed, wondering if she should have gone over too, but resigned herself to stay hanging out with Peri. "But I'm sure they'll fill us in. Eventually."

"I still think she could be a spy," Pearl said, crossing her arms over her chest and keeping her nose up. She was tired of arguing this over and over again and she didn't even care that the new Pearl had already picked another name to avoid confusion. Sapphire continued holding "her" Pearl and there was sure to be a glare that could rival the one Ruby was throwing under her bangs. "Homeworld could be trying something new, since their other attempts had failed. They're smart."

"As I've explained," Sapphire said. "I know this Pearl. She was my Pearl. You of all gems should know about dedication and loyalty when it comes to Pearls. I don't think it's even possible for them to betray their," Sapphire paused, and finished with enough resignation in her voice that Pearl could forgive the next couple of words, "their masters."

"I still think we should leave her in there, until at least the cluster has been taken care of," Pearl said, holding her hands out. Loyalty was something she knew. And she was loyal to her friends, and there had been five thousand years for that Pearl to have found someone new to latch onto. It happened. Pearl didn't want to risk her friends for a Pearl who might have chosen someone new. "It's also been said that Pearls can't fight or learn engineering and here I am."

"Neither of those things having anything to do with loyalty," Sapphire said. She huffed and straightened her dress. "And considering how much you're still utterly devoted to Rose Quartz to the point of obsession even after all these years, I think it proves my point!"

Pearl stilled, her arms tightening around herself, even as Ruby sucked in a breath and Sapphire flinched.

"I apologize," Sapphire said, quietly. Her voice was thick with remorse; something Pearl ignored in her hurt. "That was uncalled for."

"No, no," Pearl said, rubbing her arms. She sucked in a breath, and put away the memories that flashed before her eyes. Memories of pushing Connie too far. Of sitting on a plateau with Steven and a literal memory. Pearl dropped her shoulders. "Honesty is always better."

"It isn't a bad trait," Sapphire said, her hands still clutched around the intruding Pearl. "No more than Ruby's bravery and temper, or Amethyst's headstrong nature."

Pearl stayed quiet.

"I know that we worked long and hard to live in a place that lets us be who we are, without restriction or being forced to fit into a mold," Sapphire said, "but I also think that embracing the traits that we excel at isn't a bad thing either. I don't think we should be ashamed of those things that make us strong, even as we use those traits to redefine ourselves in new ways."

"Ever the diplomat, aren't you?" Pearl said, smiling slightly. She dropped her arms at her side and chuckled.

"It's what I'm good at," Sapphire said, shrugging. She held out her hands, the small Pearl in its pink prison floating quietly. "And I know you're good at taking care of people, be it Steven or Amethyst. So, I'm asking you to help me take care of this Pearl when Garnet comes back."

"I suppose," Pearl suckd in a breath, "that I can give this 'Sky' a chance."

"That's all I ask," Sapphire said. Ruby let out a breath of relief behind her, and Pearl hoped she didn't regret this.

"Did you two have a fight?" Steven asked as Ruby and Sapphire came up over the hill. He wasn't used to seeing Garnet split up, except when they were fighting or arguing over something. Connie stood next to him, her eyes wide but not saying anything. Steven racked his brain for a reason his favorite fusion had been split up but couldn't think of one. "Are you okay?"

"Why does everyone assume we're fighting if we're split up?" Ruby huffed, folding her arms in front of her chest. "You'd think it was some sort of crime to get to look at each other."

"Because you're always fused," Peridot said, rolling her eyes. "After you went on and on about it, I'm pretty confused myself."

"Don't worry Steven, we're not fighting," Sapphire said, smiling. She brushed her hand through her hair and it was then Steven noticed the gem she was holding. "Just for now, it might be best if we tackled this next line of business separately."

Amethyst put her hands on her hips. "You finally talk Pearl into playing nice?"

"Oh shut up, Amethyst!" Pearl said, crossing her arms over her shoulder. "I won't be blamed for playing things safe with so much on the line between the cluster and getting Yellow Diamond's attention."

"I think it would be best if we dropped that line of thought, and instead why don't I introduce you Steven?" Sapphire said, slightly in a rush to cut off the growing glare on Pearl's face. She held up the gem and popped the pink bubble. "This is Sky Pearl. She was my Pearl back on Homeworld. She's come a very long way to find us, so I think we should all do our best to make her welcome."

Steven's eyes widened as the Pearl floated in the air for a second, before glowing and turning white. In a flash, the body expanded around the gem and there was a lanky, tall girl standing in its place.

"She's beautiful!" Connie said, holding her hands together. "Wow!"

Steven agreed. She had a face like Pearl's, but her hair was short and had bangs covering her eyes. Her skirt looked like Sapphire's, but it was short and puffy around the top of her thighs. Her top was a body suit, and her sleeves were puffed and short. As her feet touched the ground, Steven noticed she wore the same sort of ballet flats as Pearl, only in dark blue with white soles.

"Oh no!" Sky shouted, holding her hands on her cheeks. She spun around a second and bit the edge of her finger. "I wasn't ready and formed too quickly! My carefully created outfit is gone! Oh, Mistress Sapphire. I'm so sorry. All that customization has been wasted!"

"No, no! It's fine, Sky!" Sapphire said, holding her hands up. She smiled and took Sky's hand, the one without the Pearl, gently and patted the back. "This look suits you. It's your natural look, and I rather like it."

"Oh, alright then," Sky said. Her voice was soft and delicate, a lot like Sapphire's and Lapis'. Steven thought it suited her; perhaps it was a blue gem thing. "If you like it, then I like it!"

Pearl scoffed and rolled her eyes, but otherwise didn't say anything. Amethyst began to snicker, and Peridot was looking at them all with narrowed eyes. Even Ruby seemed tense, and Steven didn't like how it felt.

He grabbed Connie's hand and dragged her over to Sky. It was time to break the tension!

"Hi!" Steven said, holding his hand up. "I'm Steven! Sapphire said your name is Sky, right?"

"Yes! That is what my Mistress is calling me now," Sky said, holding her hand at her waist. She smiling brightly, and Steven agreed with Connie. She was as pretty as their Pearl! "Are you friends with Mistress Sapphire?"

"Yup," Steven said. "It's nice to meet you!"

Sky smiled in response and Steven grinned back at her. She seemed nice, even if his stomach did twist at the nervous way Pearl and Sapphire kept glancing at each other. Or how Ruby kept standing too close to Sapphire, eyes everywhere but on Sky. Or—Steven shook his head.

There was a new Gem here, and she was nice and Steven was all about making new friends. Just look at how well Connie, Lapis and Peridot turned out! And maybe this time, things would go well without anything bad happening like Malachite or Yellow Diamond.

Steven breathed in and out. He was doing it again. Sky was here. His friends were here. His dad was here. Things would be okay.

No sense in worrying until something bad happened. Right?