Alright, let's get this show on the road. You also might note that from here I'm pretty sure events will be AU/Non-Canon compliant. It just makes things easier. But yes! On to Sky vs Peridot. Round One.

Chapter 4

Steven and Connie sat side by side at the barn's wall. Sky had taken a seat on an overturned crate, and Amethyst had talked Peridot into playing a game of checkers while they all waited for Garnet and Peridot to come back. Steven thought it was a pretty nice way to spend the evening, all considered.

"It's so amazing that you came all the way here from Homeworld just to see Sapphire again," Connie said, her hands on her knees and leaning forward with eager eyes. Her smile lit up with that same smile she always got when she was learning something new, and Steven loved it. Connie clapped her hand together. "I can't believe everything you went through to get here!"

"It was worth it of course to see Mistress Sapphire again," Sky said, holding a hand to her chest. She swelled with pride, and her hair moved with her head as she turned it. "Seeing her again has been a dream come true. I haven't felt this amazing in centuries."

"I'm glad you got to see her again," Steven said. Sky looked so bright and happy since she'd finished her talk and met Garnet. It was relieving to see her starting to fit in. Steven leaned against the barn and grinned. "I'm sure she was happy to see you, too."

"I do hope so," Sky said. She put her hands in her lap and blew a bit of hair out of her face. Steven thought he caught a glimpse of a single eye instead of two, but didn't want to pry. "I feel like I've caused her trouble."

"It's not your fault," Steven said, waving his hands back and forth. He held his back straight and smile warm. "Everyone's really stressed with everything else going on. Between the cluster threatening to destroy Earth, and Peridot's call with Yellow Diamond, everyone's on edge."

"Yellow Diamond?" Sky said, sitting up straight. She leaned forward like Steven had said some magic word. She sounded like she was gasping in shock as she spoke. "You had a direct line with Yellow Diamond?"

"It was awesome!" Amethyst shouted from her game. She fist pumped the air and grinned. "Peridot called her a clod! It was epic!"

"Oh my," Sky said, holding her fingers to her lips. "How, um."

"Awesome," Amethyst said, holding her thumb up. Steven chuckled in response and smiled reassuringly at Peridot as she started to flush from embarrassment. Amethyst reached over and shook Peridot's shoulder. "That's the word you're looking for. Because Peridot was totally great!"

"I'm not sure that's the word I want, considering how rude that was." Sky chuckled and put her fingers to her lips. "Well, I suppose I shouldn't have expected much more from a peridot. It's not like they have the upbringing to use their words properly."

Steven's smile dropped.

"So how bad do you think Sky's going to be back at base?" Garnet asked, hopping down the cliff. The corrupted gem made a sprint for it the second they'd appeared over the horizon. It wasn't too much trouble chasing it down, especially since if it kept going that way the ocean would be in it's way. Plenty of time to get to the bottom of things before they headed back to the bar.

"What makes you say that?" Pearl asked, head up.

"You wouldn't have volunteered, leaving Steven alone with her, otherwise," Garnet said, cracking a smile. She pointed and shook her head. "I know you, Pearl. You don't think she's a threat, but you definitely don't want to deal with the attitude."

"Let me put it this way," Pearl said. She smiled at Garnet and shrugged, indulging in some fond memories of the past. "Do you remember what I was like around Greg when Rose wasn't around when he first started hanging around?"

"Far too clearly."

"She'll be like that, but worse," Pearl said. She pulled her spear from her head as they approached the corrupted gem on the horizon. "I'd bet money on it."

"And your solution to this problem?" Garnet said, summoning her gauntlets.

"Leave her alone with Steven," Pearl smiled. She charged at the corrupted gem, dodging low when it struck with a twisted, elongated limb covered in sharp spines. "It worked wonders for me."

"He is a little wonder when it comes to that sort of thing," Garnet laughed, throwing a punch at the corrupt gem. It flung back into the wall, but came back with full force. It was a tough one. Garnet jumped back, hugging the wall and ducking a tail slash. "So we'll give it some time."

"Agreed." Pearl spun her staff. She darted forward and swiped at the beast. It attacked, she dodged. Garnet struck. They worked so well together; Pearl adored it. She did a pirouette out of the way of the next swipe and smiled. "Anything else on your mind?"

"Let's concentrate on this monster and get back to the team," Garnet said, smashing her gauntlets together. "We do still have a cluster to deal with."

"On it!" Pearl said, rushing forward.

Garnet followed, but didn't go at full strength. Perhaps she should give Pearl's plan some time to work, and take their time with the monster. Steven could probably use all the time he could get if her tiny glimpse at future sight was any indication.

"Can't we all calm down and just agree that uh, all the diamonds are good in their own way?" Steven said, holding his hands up. Connie was at his side, ready to jump in, but even she seemed to be at her limit of peace negotiations. "You're going to have to agree to disagree or something."

"It's adorable that you think that, Steven, it really is. But it's just not how it works! Blue Diamond is superior in every way, and I won't stand for someone who insults their own diamond to sit here and tell me hers is better" Sky said, tilting her head to the side, holding a hand out. "Blue Diamond is the center point of culture, diplomacy and the arts on Homeworld. She's the heart of our planet."

"So she looks pretty and talks with locals we're going to take over anyway," Peridot shouted back, bristling at the edges. Her teeth were bared and she stomped her foot. "Without Yellow Diamond, nothing would get done! She organizes all the troops, and the colonization efforts, and you wouldn't even have those fancy buildings if it wasn't for her work!"

"And yet she can't teach her little workers any manners," Sky said, pulling her shoulder up in a sly manner. Steven wanted to groan, and Peridot's shaking anger only increased. Sky hummed lightly before throwing her hands out. "You'd think a Certified Kindergarten Tech would have a little more respect for her betters."

"I don't see any betters!" Peridot shouted. "I see a trinket who holds stuff and stands around!"

"Excuse me?" Sky said. "Now I know that Yellow Diamond is worthless. She can't even teach her gems about proper hierarchy. I may be a servant, but I serve a diplomat who is leagues above you, which means that I am leagues above you."

"And yet you still sink to the point of throwing insults," Peridot said, attempting to be coy.

Steven just wanted them both to stop before someone actually started a fight.

"As your superior, it's my right to talk down to you," Sky said. "That's how it works."

"I thought Yellow Diamond was one of the bad guys," Connie whispered to Steven. "Why is Peridot defending her so much after going to all the trouble to tell her off?"

"I have no idea," Steven said. "Maybe she still likes her."

"Yellow Diamond is misguided and the enemy right now, but that doesn't mean she's a lesser Diamond than Blue Diamond!" Peridot said quickly, turning around toward Steven and Connie. "I still have fond memories of serving her that I don't want to lose."

"Like what? Fond memories of getting shouted at," Sky said, giggling into her hand. "Her voice could be rather grating."

"She sings like an angel, you take that back!" Peridot screeched.

"Like you've ever been in to hear it," Sky laughed. She put her hands on her hips and held her nose in the air, in a way that Steven found way too familiar to when Pearl was right about something. She hummed. "Though, I'll concede on this one issue. I, unlike you, have indeed attended an audience when she did a rare performance, and Yellow Diamond does indeed have a singing voice unbecoming of her otherwise brutal and pedestrian nature."

Peridot shivered in rage. "The point is, you agree she sings well, yes?"

"Of course," Sky said, clasping her hands together. "When you're raised in the utmost culture of our society, you learn to recognize it."

Steven breathed out, putting a hand to his chest. They'd found a common ground. They both found something to like about Yellow Diamond. This was a good starting point. He puffed up his chest and held his hands up. He could work with this!

"She's nothing of course to Blue Diamond though," Sky tacked on. "Just so you know."

Peridot screeched and Steven took a seat next to the barn again. He covered his face in his hands and groaned, even as Amethyst started to laugh and Connie bit the edge of her finger.

"Well, this is about what I was expecting," Pearl said, stopping near the edge of the fence line. Even from the distance she could see Amethyst holding back a flailing Peridot, who was making a go for Sky's throat. Sky, on the other hand, was snickering into the side of her hand a few paces away with Connie at her side, looking rather horrified, and Steven was at the barn. Pearl rubbed the side of her face. Miracles didn't happen over night. She tapped the side of her cheek. "Only this is slightly better than what I was expecting to walk in on."

Garnet lifted an eyebrow.

Pearl shrugged. "I half expected Amethyst to let Peridot go."

"We should get down there and keep the peace." Garnet started down the pathway, gauntlets at her side.

"Agreed," Pearl said. She trotted close to Garnet, and smiled. "I believe in Steven, but he looks like he needs a break."

"You can say that again."

As they got closer, Pearl caught wind of the ensuing argument. She almost smirked hearing the circular argument over which diamond was the better one. There was only one obvious answer to that anyway: Rose Quartz.

She was better than all the diamonds.

"You all look like you're having fun. And here I thought Steven was the only child around here," Pearl said as she waltzed into the middle of the fight. They all paused momentarily to look her direction, though even Pearl knew they had stopped the fight because Garnet had also walked up. "I trust you didn't encourage this, Amethyst."

"I didn't have to encourage anything," Amethyst said, dropping Peridot on the ground. She motioned her hand back and forth between Sky and Peridot, looking almost bored. Which meant even the joy of fighting had gotten old already. Perhaps Pearl and Garnet shouldn't have taken so long. "These two helped themselves without me."

"Mistress Garnet! You're back!" Sky said, turning away from Peridot. She smiled warmly and clasped her hands together on the front of her skirt, as if she hadn't been mercilessly mocking Peridot three seconds ago. She was good, Pearl would give her credit for that. "Was your mission successful?"

"It was," Garnet said. "It looks like you all have kept yourselves busy while we were gone."

"Yes, it was lovely conversation," Sky said, not missing a beat. "You have such wonderful friends."

Pearl snorted at Peridot's aghast expression, and the blank stare Amethyst was sending Sky. She had warned them, and they didn't listen. This is what happened when you didn't listen to Pearl.

"Homeworld is very different isn't it?" Connie said, ever the voice of reason. She looked between Sky and Peridot, and pressed her lips together. "You've told us about it, but seeing someone from there first hand has been quite educational."

"That's one way to put it," Peridot muttered.

"Oh, I bet it was," Pearl said. She clapped her hands together and smiled at the group. It was time for her to do her thing. Garnet kept all the control, but the personal relations were Pearl's department. "Since it seems like everyone had a fun day, why don't we turn in early tonight, hm? Steven, why don't you show Sky where the beds we set up are? I'm sure she would love to sleep with you and Connie tonight."

"That's a good idea," Garnet said, speaking up before Sky could object. Pearl smiled inwardly as the other pearl shut her mouth, unable to say anything against her Mistress' wishes, even if she was fused at the moment. Garnet and Pearl made a great team when it came down to it. Garnet smiled. "It'll be like a sleepover."

"What's sleep?" Sky asked.

"It's when you totally shut down and rest for a few hours," Amethyst said, yawning and stretching her arms over her shoulders. "We don't need to do it, but it feels really great when you wake up."

"I think you'll like it," Garnet said. "Steven and Connie can show you how to do it."

"As you wish," Sky said. She turned to Steven and Connie and tilted her head. "Shall we?"

"Yeah," Steven said. He reached up and grabbed Sky's hand, taking her toward the back of the barn where his and Connie's bunks were set up.

Pearl crossed her arms and nodded at a job well done. The fighting was diffused, and spending some time alone with Steven and Connie was sure to do Sky some good. There was no way Steven wouldn't at least attempt to ask Sky to be nicer tomorrow. It was going to work out, Pearl knew it.

"You were right," Amethyst said, smacking Pearl on the hip. "Second you guys left, it was like someone flipped a switch."

"She was definitely most irritating," Peridot added, frowning. "When I first got here, I would have killed for someone who understood how things were supposed to work, like the way they did on Homeworld. Now I just want to beat her with my robot suit."

"Welcome to the club," Amethyst laughed. "If you weren't an official Crystal Gem before, you sure are now."

"Regardless, now that we have a better grasp on the situation, we should be better prepared to deal with it tomorrow," Garnet said. She sighed heavily and rubbed at the spot just under her third eye. "I trust you all will do your best to avoid fights? Steven and Connie do not need to deal with this sort of behavior."

"I'll hold my tongue if she does," Peridot said.

Amethyst held her hands up. "Hey, I didn't start anything."

"All the same," Garnet said. "Behave. I'll talk to Sky myself in the morning."

"Now that that's all done, let's call it a night ourselves, shall we?" Pearl said. She dusted her hands off and headed around the corner. "If you need me, I'll be finishing up some chores we've been neglecting for the drill while everyone else sleeps."

"See ya," Amethyst said. Peridot nodded in response, and Garnet had already gone off to do, whatever it was she did at night. Amethyst stretched her arms and said, "Man, I'm beat."

Pearl hummed lightly to herself as she settled down to clean some laundry. Now that everyone had a better grasp of the situation, she had a good feeling things could only look up.

And if they didn't, well, Pearl had a few tricks up her own sleeve to deal with a wayward pearl herself.