Alright first off I apologize, We're not actually on homeworld today, but we are on our way! This chapter ended up longer than I really wanted so I cut it in half. Tomorrow though we will learn exactly how bad Yellow Diamond is with kids. I am beta less on this story, purely for speed reasons, but I am trying to be careful with spelling and grammar. So thanks to everyone who has left comments or kudos so far. Thanks for sticking along this far and I hope you like what comes next.
enjoy!
Before Domina was born, White diamond had a plan. Domina would stay with the fleet primarily, seeing how average gems worked and lived. She would be taught by Vitus, with assistance from other gems as necessary, for the first 12 years of her life. Then Domina would spend the next 12 on Homeworld and the inner colonies, learning from Yellow Diamond what it meant to be a leader of gems.
But even knowing all this, twelve years from the first time she held her, Pearl still wasn't ready. She stood off to the side and watched Domina and Vitus say goodbye. Everything had already been packed aboard a sleek homeworld shuttle. Domina was dressed in new clothes modelled after White Diamond's form. She looked excited as she hugged her father and then Mossy Agate and several other gems in quick succession before sprinting on to the ship, ready for her next 'adventure'. Pearl turned to follow only to be stopped by Vitus's hand on her shoulder.
"Look I know she'll probably be safer there than anywhere else in the galaxy." He said after she had turned around, the other gems had left, they were alone in the hanger. Vitus handed her a blaster, the type that Nephrites generally carried planetside. Pearl's eyes went wide and she recoiled from the object.
"Vitus! I would be shattered if-"
"No one's going to shatter a diamonds pearl." He said "I know that much, Please,please take it. I'm not going to be there to protect her."
"Vitus, she's a diamond she doesn't need you to protect her," Pearl said, Vitus still held the blaster out to her.
"She's a child, even now, she will need someone to look after her." Vitus said, he looked worried and upset and stared at the open door to the shuttle with a look that suggested that he was seriously contemplating dashing onto the ship himself. Fighting every programmed instinct Pearl took the blaster, it felt heavier in her hand than it realistically should be. She stored it in her gem,
"I will." She said. Vitus hugged her and clapped her heartily on the back like she was a quartz.
"Thank you," He said pulling away, "Stay safe, both of you."
On board a soft breeze blew through the ship as the door closed. Domina was chattering to the Feldspar who had been assigned to pilot the ship. The Feldspar looked fittingly confused as the Diamond asked her technical questions about the ship.
"My Diamond," Pearl said just barely loud enough to get the girls attention. Domina spun around instantly
"Yes Pearl?"
"Perhaps we should leave the Feldspar to her work," Pearl was not oblivious to the ship's pilots disapproving stare. A Pearl even daring to suggest what her Diamond should do? Unheard of. "I believe you had something's you wished to discuss about Homeworld?" Pearl said choosing the remainder of her words carefully. Dominas face broke into yet another excited smile.
"Right!" She said. The breeze trailed with them back into the passenger compartment of the shuttle. Pearl ensured the door was closed before saying anything else.
"My Diamond there are some things you should know." Pearl said clasping her hands in front of her carefully. Domina chuckled and flopped ungracefully onto a seat, the cape getting tangled behind her.
"What kind of things My Pearl?" Domina said with a grin. Pearl knew this was going to be uncomfortable. But Domina had to know, homeworld was going to shatter her world view.
The Fleets crew had been talking in hushed whispers for months about whether Domina would still be they're Domina when she came back or if she would be the 'White Diamond' she was supposed to be.
"Domina." Pearl said holding her hands tightly and looking directly at the girl "I need you to take this seriously." She said, they both had had versions of this conversation before. Domina was not the best at taking things seriously on normal days, much less so when she was excited. Domina's smile faded and the wind died down. She sat up straight as Pearl felt herself go absolutely frigid, how could she even dared to talk to her Diamond in such a way. Then Domina nodded.
"Right, sorry. What do I need to know?" She said. Pearl relaxed and remembered that this was Domina, not White Diamond.
"Homeworld is much less flexible than the fleet when it comes to a gems position in life," Pearl began, Domina didn't say anything just got a look on her face that always prefaced a round of questions. "Meaning I will be attending to you as a Pearl should, you must not draw attention to it."
"Why not? Why would you have to act any different?"
"That's just how things are My Diamond" Pearl said patiently. Domina frowned.
"That's still ridiculous. It shouldn't be any different." She folded her arms and leaned back into the wall. "The Fleet is still part of the empire."
"It is, though the rules do tend to become a bit more lax, as long as the proper results are achieved."
"What rules?" Domina asked, The breeze was almost completely gone as Domina concentrated fully on the conversation.
"Well" Pearl hesitated, the fleet in general had avoided discussion of the gem hierarchy, especially with Domina around. White Diamond wanted her removed from it for her formative years, a fact that was probably going to backfire now. "Pearls are servants, Quartzes are warriors, Agates are commanders, Peridots are Technicians-"
"Yes I know that. That's how things are on the fleet." Domina said waving her hand.
"It is, but in the fleet you have seen Quartzes that assist with kindergarten construction. You have seen Peridots that go on site surveys." Pearl continued patiently "That doesn't happen on Homeworld." Domina didn't say anything for a long moment. She turned to the screen that projected the space outside the shuttle and stared at the stars that they passed. Pearl did her best not to fidget. To not worry and too push out the worries about how much Domina would change.
"Alright." Domina said finally,though Pearl could tell she was frustrated "I'll try." She scooted to the side of the seat and looked at Pearl hopefully. Pearl smiled slightly and sat next to her. Domina leaned very slightly against Pearls shoulder, an action that had become much more awkward now that Domina was roughly eye level with Pearl. "But I knew Homeworld would be different, It'll be an adventure. Like Hercules went on." She said. Pearl didn't say anything in response. She had a sinking feeling that Homeworld was something she couldn't protect Domina from.