A/N This chapter is going to contain a bit of Rose x Pink Pearl fluff, and Pink Pearl character development.
Hope you enjoy, please read, and review.
Disclaimer: I do not own Steven Universe
Chapter 3: Deeper meanings
Pink Diamond got up from her throne and began to walk out of the altar.
"Leaving again so soon, my Diamond?" Rose asked.
"You heard what Patriot said, she has some new data to show me, and I have been looking forward to this for awhile." Pink Diamond answered back.
Just as she was about to part the vale around her throne a thought occurred to Pink Diamond. "Pearl" She began.
"Yes, my Diamond." Pink Pearl simply answered back, sounding like any other pearl.
"I don't want you to come with me." Pink Diamond said.
"What, why, where else am I supposed to go?" Pink Pearl asked, sounding surprised by her Diamond's words.
"Rose, would you care to take Pearl to that place you told me about, I think she would rather enjoy it, don't you?" Pink Diamond suggested to Rose.
Seeing what her Diamond was doing, Rose agreed. "Of course she would, excellent idea, my Diamond." Rose eagerly said.
Pink Pearl didn't know what Rose or her Diamond where talking about, but only knew to go along with whatever her Diamond asked of her.
All three of them in agreement, they exited the small temple around Pink Diamond's throne.
"Amethyst, I am going to the Kindergarten, come with me." Pink Diamond told the chest gemmed Amethyst bodyguard.
"As you wish, my Diamond." The Amethyst responded. Before she left the Amethyst turned to her eye gemmed suburbanite and ordered her. "Do another security check with the other Quartzes, I don't want any more humans getting that close to the base, understood."
The eye gemmed Amethyst folded her arms in salute showing her understanding.
"Feel free to check with my Pink Quartzes as well." Rose added as she walked away with the rest of them.
The eye gemmed Amethyst saluted her as well.
The four Gems made their way back to the warp pad, right outside the castle like base.
As Amethyst got on the pad with Pink Diamond she noticed that the Pearl was and Rose Quartz weren't getting on with them.
"Aren't Rose Quartz and your Pearl coming with us, my Diamond?" Amethyst asked.
"I've lent my Pearl to Rose for a special assignment I just gave her, she'll have my Pearl back to me be soon enough."
"Understood." Amethyst said.
With that Pink Diamond, and her Amethyst bodyguard warped away.
Pink Pearl looked a bit sad at Pink Diamond's leaving without her. But before she could think about it Rose stepped out the warp pad herself and signaled for Pearl to do the same.
Once they were both on the warp pad Rose activated it.
Once the sounds and lights of warp space disappeared around her, Pink Pearl found herself on a warp pad in a place she did not recognize.
Aside from the warp pad, and the circular stone ground around it, there did not seem to be any sign of intelligent life, much less gem life anywhere.
Pink Pearl, being used to serving only the highest of aristocratic Gems, being in such a underdeveloped area made her feel uncomfortable. Still, all she knew to do was fallow orders, and her Diamond ordered her to go where Rose went. So when Rose began to walk toward the dense area of trees directly in front of them, Pink Pearl fallowed.
On they walked, down a path between the trees. Pink Pearl, still hiding her discomfort for her order's sack, stayed a few paces behind Rose, as was her habit when walking with a higher ranking Gem.
"You know, you can walk along side me, if you want." Rose said to Pink Pearl.
Rose's offer surprised Pink Pearl and her immediate response was. "Wha…ah, ah, why, is there something wrong with how I'm walking now?" Pink Pearl nervously asked.
Figuring this was going to be Pearl's reaction, Rose simply ignored the nervousness and replied. "No, I just feel it would be easier to talk to you if you were right next to me."
"Oh, understood." Pink Pearl said as she sped up the pace of her walking to so she was walking right next to Rose.
Once they were walking parallel Rose began to talk to Pink Pearl. "So, how do you like this place so far?"
"It…seems fine." Was all that Pink Pearl said.
Feeling that Pearl wasn't going to speak her mind without being given permission, Rose said. "If you have any thoughts, or questions, you can ask me."
"As you wish." Pink Pearl began. Taking a moment to think about what to say, Pink Pearl asked Rose. "Our Diamond said that you told her about this place, when was this?" Pink Pearl asked, knowing that since she was around Pink Diamond almost constantly it was rare that her Diamond ever heard anything that she didn't.
"I think it was that time she sent you out to summon a Bismuth about a crack in one of the columns around her throne.
"I had just returned from being here with one of my friends in the one of the scouting and research groups. This area is fad mineral rich water from an underground spring, so the soil produces healthy, strong plants, like the ground we build Pink Diamond's base on.
" Pink Pearl listened on as she and Rose walked down the path.
Pink Pearl found herself caught in a shower of peddles falling from a tree over head. The peddles got stuck in her net hair and clung to her elegant clothes. Pink Pearl Tried to brush them off in frustration, but more peddles fell on her faster then she could brush them off.
Rose was already a few steps away before she heard the frustrated noise Pear was making. Turning around Rose pulled Pink Pearl out from under the shower of peddles and bushed the rest off.
"Sorry Rose, I just have trouble with organic life forms that behave so chaotically." Pink Pearl said to Rose.
Seeing this to be a good opportunity, Rose said to Pink Pearl. "Actually Pearl, the peddles aren't behaving chaotically at all." Rose began. She and Pink Pearl turned their attention to the pink peddles falling from the tree. "If you pay attention to their motions you may notice that, while they seem random and uncalculated, their movements are being calculated in real in based on the physical properties of this planet."
Pink Pearl listened to Rose's words but didn't quit understand them.
"Ah, they seem to be falling randomly to me." Pink Pearl said.
Seeing this response coming, Rose answered back. "Yeah, that's what I thought to, when our Diamond told me the same thing."
"Our Diamond told you that?" Pink Pearl asked in surprise, it didn't sound like the kind of thing a Diamond would say.
"Yes, our Diamond, I was a long time ago, a really, really long time ago, not to long after I had emerged from my Kindergarten. She was giving me advice on how to use my phytokinesis. She told me if I think of every little thing that happens with organic life-forms as components of complex and organized systems, rather than random accidents, I would be able to connect with them better." Rose explained.
Pink Pearl took in what she heard. She was younger then Rose quartz by thousands of years at least, and with Rose's fame it seemed odd to picture at time when she ever had room for improvement, her colleges among the other Diamonds certainly never give that impression, but then their abilities are less complex then Rose's . Pink Pearl thought all this as she reached out a hand and saw a single peddle fall into her palm.
Pink Pearl was pulled out of her thoughts by Rose assuring her further down the path into the woods. The farther they walked the denser the trees seemed to get. After a fare amount of walking Rose broke away from the path and Pink Pearl fallowed.
As the two of them worked their way through the tree branches and roots, Rose was better at negotiating the rough terrain with her larger, more muscular body, than Pearl was with her smaller more lean body.
After hitting her head on some branches, Pink Pearl tripped on a large root and ended up rolling down a small hill and though some bushes.
When she opened her eyes, Pink Pearl found she staring into the face of a creature covered in yellow fur, yellow eyes with slitted pupils, and a short snout with wickers coming out of it.
A frightened and surprised Pearl moved back against the same bush she just came through.
As the strange creature walked closer to Pink pearl on four legs Rose floated down between Pearl and the creature.
After showing the creature her hand and then running it over the being's head whale it purred, the creature turned around and walked back to a larger group of its kind.
Rose walked over to Pink Pearl and helped her up. After brushing off a few leafs that got stuck to her outfit, Rose said. "Normally I would be all for diving into a new experience like that, but in this case, they tend to get a little jumpy with sudden new arrivals like that, so I would be more careful." Rose said.
"I fell, I couldn't help it." Pink Pearl defended, and then she looked over Rose's shoulder to the strange creatures and asked. "What are those things anyway?"
"Oh, those are called loins." Rose said, turning around to better look at them. "Next to Humans, they one of the toughest species on this planet, they're actually one of the few species that humans seem to be afraid of."
"Ah and why are Humans afraid of them?" Pink Pearl asked nervously.
"Because they eat most anything they can take down. But don't worry." Rose said then she walked over to the pack of Lions. She walked up to the biggest, strongest looking Lion and let it sniff her, and then the Alpha Lion let Rose pet it. "According to our Scientists, creatures like these only every attack for sustenance, or defiance, and they identify what to eat by smell so so long as Gems don't threaten them they wouldn't attack us.
"Come over here, Pearl, they should let you pet them to."
Reluctantly, Pink Pearl walked over to one of the smaller lions that didn't have a large main of hair like the one Rose was petting, and reached out with her hand.
The Lioness growled a bit as Pink Pearl's hand got closer to its head, causing Pink Pearl to draw her hand back. Seeing that Pink Pearl was having trouble, Rose went to help her. Stepping behind he, Rose put her hand on Pink Pearl's. "Calm down pearl, if you don't show any fear, they wound see you as a threat." Pink Pearl didn't totally understand Rose's thinking, but her being there with her helped her feel calmer. Rose guided Pink Pearl's hand to the top of the Lioness's head. The Lioness rubbed its head into Pink Pearl's open palm and let out a purring noise.
At this Pink Pearl found all her nervousness had left her as she petted the Lioness's head. Looking around Pink Pearl saw just what Rose found so appealing about the Lions, they way they walked around the clearing they called home, how strong, yet at peace they looked. Pink Pearl saw how beautiful Rose saw them as.
Seeing that Pink Pearl was starting to enjoy herself, Rose thought of one more thing she wanted to show her.
"Glad to see that you are starting to enjoy our outing, Pearl." Rose said to Pink Pearl, getting her attention. "And if you would like it, there's one more thing I would like to show, and it's my personal favorite."
Pink Pearl, at the thought of seeing something even more impressive then the Lions felt an unusual sensation of eagerness run though her. "There's something better you want to show me, let's go."
Happy to see that Pink Pearl was showing more emotion, Rose leads her away from the Lions and through a few more trees to a narrow river that seemed to separate the forest.
"Hold on." Rose said to Pink Pearl, and Pink Pearl held on to Rose tightly and Rose visa versa.
In a moment Rose leapt up into the air and cleared the width of the river and safely floated down on the other side.
Rose and Pink Pearl let go of each other and began to walk into the other half of the forest.
Pink Pearl walked right alongside Rose from the start now, eager to see that Rose wanted to show her.
"What are we going to see?" Pink Pearl asked.
"You'll see soon enough, Pearl, they don't live to far away from the river."
After walking for a little more time Rose and Pink Pearl came to a small clearing.
"Here will do. They usually come out to meet me when I come here." Rose said as she sat down on a log, and Pink Pearl took a seat next to her.
"Who are they?" Pink Pearl asked, sounding unusually curious for a Pearl.
At Pink Pearl's question the two of them heard a twig snap from behind some trees.
"That would be them right now." Rose happily said.
With that some being came out from behind the trees around the clearing. Pink Pearl let out a small gasp at what she saw. "They…They're Humans." Pink Pearl said .She had never seen a Human up close before, but she had heard enough about them, and seen them at distances enough to recognize one, and there were more than one of them walking toward her and Rose right now.
The Humans looked at Pink Pearl curiously and it made her feel nervous, more nervous than with the Lions. Humans have shows to be the single most aggressive life-forms on the Earth when it came to Gems.
Rose saw Pink Pearl's nervousness and spoke to her. "Calm down, Pearl, they aren't like the Humans who interfere with the construction teams." Rose said, than a male Human walked up to her and showed a simple smile. Rose responded by petting him on his head like she did with the Lion.
As Pink Pearl watched this a female Human walked up to her and smelled her Pink hair. This action startled Pink Pearl, causing her to move away from the female Human, who was wearing rudimentary clothing made out of plants and a woven sack of fruit hanging from her solder, down the log.
"What makes these Humans so different from the ones who tried to attack the base earlier?" Pink Pearl asked.
"Well, for one thing, these Humans come from a completely different environment then the ones who attack Gems." Rose answered as more Humans gathered around Rose and Pink Pearl, some caring fruit baskets, all of them wearing the same kind of Plaint based clothing.
"Does that make a difference?" Pink Pearl asked, sounding a bit condescending, as the just under a dozen Humans standing around them made her feel even more uncomfortable.
"Oh, it makes all the difference in the world to a Human." Rose said enjoying the attention she was getting from the small group of Humans, like she always did when she came there. "You see, Pearl, Humans along with being the best tool users of the Earth, are also some of the most adaptable of its life-forms, they mirror the needs they have to meet in what every setting they find themselves in.
"Humans, like the ones we have been having trouble with, almost always come from environments with predators like those Lions back there that either compete with them for the same food scores, or hunt them down themselves, so most Humans develop strength and basic combat skills to survive.
"But these Humans live in a forest with no other large creatures to compete with, the Lions are the only other predators around for miles and they and the Humans are separated by the river and neither one of them can swim, so these Humans only ever needed to pick fruit to live off of, so they are very peaceful."
Pink Pearl listened to every word Rose said and it helped her feel better. Looking around she saw that the Humans where only showing an innocent curiosity to the new being they had just meat.
"I think they trust Gems all the more because Gems and Humans have the same basic shape." Rose said.
Pink Pearl was just getting used to the attention the Humans where giving her as she said. "Well, Gems may have a roughly seemlier shape to your typical ape type species, but I wouldn't say that Humans and Gems are…wooooo." Pink Pearl let out an odd noise as she felt a strange pressure on her naval placed Gem.
Looking down she saw five smaller versions of the Humans standing around her and Rose. The tallest of which just pushed her gem stone for some reason.
Pink Pearl freaked out a little a tried to shoo the small creatures away. "Rose what are these…things?" Pink Pearl asked.
Rose calmed her down and explained. "It's OK, Pearl, these are just young humans they start out small, and get bigger later." Rose said as she put her hands over Pink Pearls shoulders.
"Ah, what's the point of that, wouldn't it be more useful if they started out at just the right size for…whatever it is they do…like Gems?" Pink Pearl said, rubbing her gem, still finding the feeling of having it pushed uncomfortable.
Rose let out a small laugh as she reached down and picked up the small Human girl that had just poked at Pink Pearl's gem, and placed the girl on her lap.
"That's what I thought to, when I first learned that organic life-forms tend to start their existences out in smaller versions of the rest of their kinds, but it seems to be a trend for most organic species on a lot of different planets." Rose spoke and the little girl poked at her gem as she sat on her lap. "See, she did the same to me when I first came here, her and the rest of her kind are just curious."
"Well, curiosity may be good for beings like Peridots, and other science and technology Gems, but what need do Humans have to be curious? All they do is look for food so they and power their flimsy forms.
"Nothing Humans do makes any sense, look at all these Humans, you say that they have no need to fight, and all they need to do it gather fruit to survive, but some of these Humans look as muscular and battle ready as any Quartz, if they have no need to fight or defend themselves then why are any of them strong enough to fight, isn't that a waste of their resources?" Pink Pearl said condescendingly, feeling that it was the correct time to voice her opinion having been addressed by Rose on the subject first.
Rose could see that Pearl was reacting to their outing as she and Pink Diamond expected, and knew what to say next.
"Interesting you said that, Pearl, I used to think the same exact thing about species like the Humans, back when our Diamond was doing research into organic life, and it's possible uses, I over saw a lot of the experiments and studies alongside our Diamond and learned a lot of interesting things.
"Like, to answer your question, most organic species don't need a lot of resources for their own production, it's usually a process that they can do on their own. And, whale a species having a treat that they don't seem to have a direct need for may seem odd, they pass on treats from one generation the next by way of their reproduction, so it's likely that a strong Human in a environment that has no need for that strength has material from a generation that lived in a harsher environment, and continues to have that treat incase a future generation has a need for it."
"You really learned all of that from those experiments that the Diamonds discontinued?" Pink Pearl asked. She had heard the Diamonds, and few other Gems mention her Diamond's experiments with organic life-forms, but it being before she was created she never heard much about them, the other Diamonds, especially Yellow Diamond always seemed to find the mention of these experiments distasteful.
"Yes, we learned a lot from those experiments, it really was a shame the other Diamonds made our Diamond stop." Rose said.
Something about what Rose said made Pink Pearl have an unusual thought. If the Diamonds where all knowing and they always made the best decisions as a group, and why would a decision to discontinue experiments that the Diamonds seemed to find to be faulty be considered a 'shame' by a high ranking Gem that was so close to one of the Diamonds? If the experiments did yield something useful then, even if they were discontinued, why wouldn't the useful information be common knowledge?
Pink Pearl was about to ask Rose this question when it accorded to her that it seemed to call the collective wisdom of the Diamonds into question. That thought caused her to forget about asking the question almost immediately.
Pink Pearl was brought out of her own thoughts when she heard Rose call out.
"Oh, my favorite one just showed up." Rose said as a few more Humans walked out into the clearing. Rose was pointing the one standing in the middle of the group.
She seemed be the tallest of them, and wore the most elaborate clothing, she also leaned on an elaborately carved stick as she walked. She seemed to need it to stay up right, and Pink Pearl found this to be odd. This lead Human's also didn't seem as friendly as the rest, she seemed more interested in keeping track of who was where in the larger group.
"What's so special about that one?" Pink Pearl asked.
"She's their leader she walks all over their community and makes sure that everyone it safe." Rose said, like describing this Human was the high point of the day. "She's also the oldest, you can tell a Human is old by things like graying of their hair or their skin getting wrinkles, and she is the most respected of them, all the other Humans listen to her and look up to her. I call her Pink Human." Rose finished.
"You named a Human after our Diamond, does our Diamond know about this?" Pink Pearl asked.
"I told her about it, she seemed to think it was funny. I did it out of respect for our Diamond, and this Human. Look." Rose said, and then the female Human standing next to Pink Pearl walked over to the lead Human Rose called Pink Human and gave her fruit of her basket, and big a brightly colored one that seemed like it was the best she had. She happily gave to Pink Human who happily eat it. A few of the other Humans carrying fruit baskets did the same thing.
"When creatures like Humans get older they can't do as much in the way of physical activity, so in a lot of their communities the older ones become leaders, and Pink Human her has got to be one of the best." Rose said to Pink Pearl.
"Is she OK with that name?" Pink Pearl asked.
"I think so, they don't really talk that much, not even with each other, and they can't really understand me when I talk, I just have that name because of how much she makes me think about our Diamond." Rose explained.
"Does she really remind you of our Diamond?"
"Why don't you look around at the other Humans and I'll explain?" Rose started. "Look at the Humans who aren't carrying fruit baskets, the ones you say look like they're build like Quartzes, they are this communities defenders. Every now and then big creatures find their way into this area, even the Lions find their way across the river sometimes, and these stronger Humans have to protect the rest of them, like me and the other Quartzes protect other Gems. And that big Human," Rose indicated a large, strong looking female looking Human standing to Pink Human's right. "She is the leader of all this communities protectors.
"And do the fruit gathers do they remind you of anything?"
Pink Pearl looked at the gathers. They were smaller then the protectors, but they were all just as useful, and seemed happy to do their part. And all of this centered around a single authority figure. At this time everything Pink Pearl saw during her outing with Rose made sense. The pedals that seemed random and chaotic but where moving in coordination with the Earth's gravity, the Lions that while simple and slightly frightening were beautiful in their own way, and the Humans, while considered primitive and far below Gems, they were the closest thing to Gems on Earth, a community of strong Quartz like protectors, and humble, Pearl like gathers all overseen by a wise experienced Diamond like figure.
At this realization Pink Pearl's gem, unbeknownst to her as she found herself looking at the Human with eye slightly glassy with tears, glowed in her naval.
Rose noticed this though, and knew that by Pink Pearl's gem glowing, she did the task she was set by her Diamond.
"Rose." Pink Pearl said without being addressed first.
"Yes, Pearl." Rose responded, not minding Pink Pearl speaking first.
"Thank you for bringing me here."
"Well you really should be thanking our Diamond, it was her idea."
"I will thank her when I see her again. But for now I just want to sit her with you."
"I would love that, Pearl." Rose said as she put her arm over Pink Pearl's shoulder.
Pink Diamond stood in an underground room, with walls covered in machinery, looking at a holographic screen.
This screen contained information on certain Gems types with additional data on each type's unique properties.
"You completed the simulation based on speculative data, like you said?" Pink Diamond asked.
"Yes, due to the lack of detailed information on this… particular subject matter, the majority of these simulations are little more than hypothetical." Peridot answered back.
"The same can be said for just about any theory before it is truly tested." Pink Diamond responded.
"That is correct my Diamond. But are you sure you wish to proceed to the next stage already?"
"We already have all the information we are going to get. There doesn't seem to be much sense in waiting any longer.
"Pull up the other screen." Pink Diamond requested.
"Yes, my Diamond." Peridot said as she pushed button on the console to the screen she and Pink Diamond where facing.
The holographic images with three gems shapes each appeared.
Looking the images over Pink Diamond said to Peridot. "You made some interesting parings, it seems."
"I was simply following the referencing you requested." Peridot said sounding a little embarrassed at her Diamond's comment.
"And I'm pleased with the results." Pink Diamond said then looked closer at an image of green gem shape nest to a red gem shape with a red/green gem shape underneath them, "Especially this one." Pink Diamond added.
"Are you sure about that my Diamond? One of those types isn't exactly known for its ability to keep secrets."
"But it is known for fallowing orders." Pink Diamond said then got up to leave.
"You've done well so far, Peridot, save all the data and return to our normal kindergartening duties. I will have some managers look into any possible applicants for our experiments."
"Understood, my Diamond." Peridot said back with a salute.
"And Peridot." Pink Diamond turned to say before she left the room.
"Yes, my Diamond."
"I couldn't help but notice that one of those simulations involves our own gem type. Could it be that you wish to be one of the applicants?"
In shock Peridot turned her head to look at the simulation in question. Her own gem shape could be seen in screen, but her triangle shaped hair hide the other gem shape to its side.
"I only put that in there because that paring matched our criteria, I have not immediate desire to participate in these experiments anymore then I already am." Peridot said, trying to hide her shock at her Diamond's suggestion.
"I only asked because you have been known to take a large interest in new discovers, that is the very reason I assigned you to this research after all." Pink Diamond calmly said.
"Like I said, save all the data, and return to your kindergartening duties, I will contact you once I've gather enough applicants."
"Understood, my Diamond." Peridot repeated with the same salute.
Pink Diamond turns and walks out of the room.
A/N I'm trying to make Rose and Pink Pearl relationship like a precursor to Rose's relationship to Pearl, what do you think? Also I some idea for fusions to appear in later chapters, but I'm also open to any idea that other people may have.
Hope you enjoyed, until next time bye.