The Unlikely Confidant
A/N: I do apologise for not updating sooner-a lot has happened in the past month and thus my priorities have been elsewhere. Once again thank you all for reviewing, favouriting and following my story!
Chapter 3: First Session
Greg entered through the gigantic pink door and was greeted by a baffling sight. Hundreds of pink bubbles floated in the air like a series of balloons, each containing the same type of gem. He couldn't make out from his distance and the colouring of the bubbles what type of gems they were. Beneath the hordes of levitating bubbles was a… couch? Gems didn't need rest as Greg recalled, but then he thought of Amethyst and so wondered that maybe the owner of the couch might like sleeping.
Kneeling near the couch was the colossal majesty that was Blue Diamond. She heard the door open, stood up and turned to the human and agate. This was the first time Greg saw her with her hood off. Her hair was snow white, and towards her neck massive strands of hair somehow connected together to form a loop. That loop was bound to keep Greg wondering for days and nights as to how that hairstyle was possible.
It looked like the great diamond had been crying, as indicated by how puffy and weary her eyes looked. Greg even managed to catch her looking forlorn before she morphed her expression to one of utmost solemnness.
"My Diamond," Holly addressed courteously with a bow.
She eyed the hideous animal next to her, and it took the barbaric creature some time to figure out that she wanted it to bow. It bowed towards Blue Diamond, and Holly turned her attention back to her diamond.
"I have shown the human the entire facility as you had wished." Holly clarified, still in her bowed position.
"Excellent," Blue Diamond remarked nonchalantly. Diamond eyes regarded the human, who quickly shifted his attention to the ground to not be caught staring.
Her eyes turned back to the agate and they narrowed in warning towards the gem. She felt the vehement fear that the bun haired gem was emitting. "If I hear a word of you eavesdropping when the human is in my presence-"
"That has never crossed my mind, my Diamond!" Holly assured, her tone indicating a hint of flabbergast that her diamond was suspecting her to be like some troublesome quartz.
Blue Diamond eyed the agate like a mother suspecting that their child would be up to no good. Content that the agate would obey her order she gave a dismissive wave. "You may leave, agate."
Holly gave one more bow and then turned away to leave the room. Once she left the room, Greg looked up at the towering majesty before him. Greg found himself twiddling his thumbs out of sheer nervousness as he continued to stare vacantly at those arresting blue eyes. An awkward silence filled the pink chamber. Greg glanced over towards the pearl that stood by her diamond's side to seek guidance from her. But she either paid no heed or did not notice his discomfort. He looked back up at Blue Diamond, and she blinked at him. Should… he say something? Would it hurt to start a conversation?
"So…" Greg began and then trailed off. Geez, what should he say? Oh, how about he addressed the big question: why did Blue Diamond need him? Swallowing the lump in his throat, he inquired courteously, "You wanted me for something, my Diamond?"
"I am not your diamond," Blue Diamond commented, not rudely but as a matter-of-factly. The human appeared perplexed, so she elaborated. "You are not a gem, therefore I am not your diamond."
"Thus you shall refer to me as Blue Diamond." Blue Diamond concluded with a tone indicating that there was no way to convince her to change her mind.
"Ok… Blue Diamond, ma'am." Greg acknowledged and gave a bow to be sure that she knew that he respected her position of power.
"And what do you go by?" Blue Diamond inquired, though her question was out of mutual equality of knowing his name like he of her, rather than out of genuine interest.
Greg could not help but shoot out his charming grin towards the towering gem. "Gregory Universe!" Noticing that the diamond was unsure of why he expressed excitement over his name, Greg's smile vanished. He cleared his throat to break the ice that was his awkwardness. "But you can just call me Greg."
Blue Diamond hummed pensively and tested the name on her lips. "What a strange name, 'Greg', though it suits a peculiar race such as yours."
Satisfied that her status quo has been addressed to the human, Blue Diamond then sat down on the pink couch with her hands crossed over her laps. Greg felt someone grasp his hand, and he saw that it was the pearl that was dragging him closer to the feet of the towering blue majesty. She let go of Greg's hand and took a few steps back behind him. Greg eyed the timid gem, wondering if Pearl had once acted like this one when she once served someone.
Feeling like he was committing a sin for looking over at a servant and not at the superior, Greg quickly turned back to look up at the diamond. Fortunately she didn't appear to be affronted or furious towards him, meaning that somehow his luck to not anger a space tyrant was continuing. But a sombre and mirthless expression graced her, which complimented her slanted eyes and deep frown. It looked like she was about to expose something that has been weighing her down.
"To answer your question: I do need you, and I will be needing you for quite some time." Blue Diamond answered, though her 'answer' was vague and only powered the fuel of confusion in Greg.
But he then noticed that she had not finishing answering his question so he remained silent. The monarch's posture straightened and her shoulders loosened so to appear regal. It looked to Greg that she was going to bestow him something honourable, like he was going to be knighted.
"You are to serve as my personal confidant."
Brown eyes widened as large as human eyes could muster. A startled splutter escaped Greg's mouth, but he was too dumbfounded to pay heed if he appeared stupid and ill mannered. Confidant? He was going to serve as a confidant, and not to just any person but to an alien monarch? Gregory Universe, 40 years old, single father of a child (or two if including Amethyst) and former rock star now car wash owner-was dubbed the confidant of an alien ruler? He was so overwhelmed with this position that he felt himself gently sway and on the verge of collapsing. If the pearl had not come to assist him by grasping under his arm he would have most likely have fainted.
He brought a hand to his forehead and shook his head in incredulous disbelief. How on earth did his life ever get to this stage? Dating an alien that started a war was as out there as Greg thought his life would get. That assumption was pummelled to the ground with this situation.
"Oh, wow that's, uh, quite the honour, your Highness!" Greg stammered, most likely looking so foolish and informal right now.
His hand moved to scratch the back of his head, a habit of his when he was deeply uncertain about how to feel. "But I-I don't know if I'm the best person to keep, uh, secret gem politic stuff."
Blue Diamond shook her head to dismiss his claim. "Your role will have nothing to do with politics." Her frown, though it remained sullen, expressed a sense of determination. "Your role will be to assist me in overcoming my grief."
Brown eyes softened at the diamond's words. Everything was slowly coming into full circle for Greg as to why he was brought here. It was now clear to him that his words and anecdote touched her and made her feel like someone understood her pain. As a result she had decided to kidnap him in hopes that he could help her overcome her grief for that woman she missed. Honestly Greg had no idea how to feel right now. On one hand he wanted to comfort a fellow being that has lose someone, but on the other he was weary that doing so may make her a bigger threat than anticipated.
But it wasn't in his nature to dismiss someone for feeling depressed. She also thought that she rescued him from impending doom, so she couldn't be as horrific as the Crystal Gems made her out to be. Maybe through comforting her Greg could transform her into a better person. That was quite a bold thought, and one that many would probably laugh snidely at, but why shouldn't Greg give it a go?
Though uncertain of how he would do as this confidant, Greg would give it his all. He gave an auspicious smile and a nod of acknowledgement up at the blue majesty. "I'll do my best to help you out then, Blue Diamond!"
Blue Diamond hummed optimistically at the idea of finally ridding her dark thoughts. It was relieving to hear that the human would be willing to assist her. It certainly saved the trouble of having to force it to help her through starvation or sleep deprivation…
"Can I sit next to you, Blue Diamond?"
Blue Diamond's eyes snapped from her meditative trance to look down and blink in flabbergast at the offer. Did it believe it would get privileges just because it was dubbed her personal confidant? Did the human see itself as her equal?
Noticing that the diamond misunderstood his offer, Greg explained earnestly, "It's just whenever I feel the need to talk about what's weighing me down, I always ask a person to sit next to me to listen."
He gave a light smile at the memory of his son asking him to sit next to him and listen to his problems. "It always makes me feel better knowing that someone cares to listen to me and to give me some guidance."
Blue Diamond brought her hand to her temple to contemplate the human's offer and how sitting next to someone miraculously made them feel better. After a couple of seconds of pondering it over, the monarch reached forward and offered an open palm on the floor to the human. As gently as Greg could muster he eased his way atop the blue palm and sat down so to not topple over. The diamond carefully guided her open hand with the human to her right on the pink cushion. Greg felt like an ant against a person's hand due to how small he felt in the majesty's hand. Blue Diamond waited as Greg stepped off her palm and then she retracted her hand back to her laps. Greg dangled his legs over the ledge of the pink couch and looked up at Blue Diamond with his eyes expressing gratitude for her allowing him up here. She paid no heed and her blue eyes showed un-wavered interest at what advice he would give her.
"Alright." Greg clapped his hands together to announce the start of recovery for the colossal gem. He drooped his head to think deeply on what to say and ask. When he came to his answer he looked up at the diamond and asked, "Who is this person you miss?"
"Pink Diamond," Blue Diamond answered solemnly. Greg could have sworn he saw a ghost of a smile twitch on her elongated face. "She is-was-a diamond, a monarch that was a part of the great Diamond Authority."
"The Diamond Authority is composed of I, Yellow Diamond and the Supreme Diamond, White Diamond. Together we rule over gemkind. I control the arts and architecture. Yellow Diamond controls the military. White Diamond controls all." Blue Diamond clarified to the human knowing it wouldn't have a clue what the Diamond Authority is.
Greg nodded to confirm that he understood what she was explaining to him.
"Pink Diamond was the youngest member of the authority." Blue Diamond continued. "White Diamond gave her control over science and technology, which Pink Diamond had used her position to create this zoo you stand in." She raised a hand and made a sweeping arch at the room to emphasise her point.
"Earth was to be her first colonised planet. Progress was going so well for her until…" Blue Diamond inhaled shakily and pressed her chin to her chest to hide any tears that may form in her eyes. "Until she was shattered by a renegade Rose Quartz."
Greg bit his lips in guilt and turned away. Whilst his beloved wife was usually so full of life and deep fascination, the topic of war morphed her into a depressed veteran. He'll never forget Rose's reaction when he asked her about who her ruler was. The shaky and quicken breaths, the shivering of her person and her eyes. She looked so petrified and guilty, unbearably so. She had broke down. That day marked a moment where Greg respected Rose's secrets, a day for her to move forward with him to back her up. While he was clueless about what happened between Rose and Pink Diamond, Greg felt with utmost certainty that his selfless, big-hearted wife have not wanted to kill her superior.
"It…" Greg's eyes softened in empathy as he looked up at the diamond. "It sounds like she was a lovely person."
Oh no-did he sound insensitive? Oh he didn't mean to-what else could he have said-'I didn't know she was murdered'-no that would have been too blunt!
Fortunately it appeared that the colossal majesty was not infuriated by his words. Instead a sad smile managed to grace her elongated features, a smile that brought unbearable and incompressible sorrow to Greg's heart.
"She was." Blue Diamond decreed with such certainty that she could have convinced any sceptic's views. Then her smile disappeared.
The colossal monarch harshly wiped her tears aside out of shame for her sudden sobbing. Suddenly she felt something on her knee, something that emitted warmth that no gem could mimic. When she turned to the source she noticed that it was the hand of the human. It gobsmacked her that someone would dare lay their hand upon her, let alone a being as fragile as a human. The audacity this human has, and after she spared it from the impeding destruction of Earth!
"Hey it's okay to cry." Greg spoke reassuringly and gave a light pat to ease the sullen gem. He was unaware of the pearl staring at him in horror towards his patting actions. "It's actually really healthy to cry. If you were to supress your emotions it would do more harm than good."
Piercing blue eyes that had displayed abhorrence at the physical gesture softened towards the human's gentle words. It was unbelievably patient with her, and it even advised her that it was best that she cried. Yellow always admonished and scolded at her for crying over Pink, lecturing how grieving was stripping her of power and influence over gems. She even stated that gems began to whisper of how the mighty Blue Diamond has fallen. Yet here this small organic being was stating that what she was doing was healthy. They were such conflicting opinions, but Blue somehow felt that it is… wiser to listen to the human. The human has experience after all, and it was willing to listen to her without making harsh judgement.
Feeling that the tense diamond was easing under his palm, Greg removed his hand and placed it in his laps. She now allowed the tears to flow freely against her face, and Greg sensed that she was relieved to be not supressing her emotions.
"Tell me more about her if you would, your Highness." Greg requested benevolently and gently, a smile appearing on his face to indicate that he was happy to continue listening to her recounting of Pink Diamond.
The diamond's blue eyes though dour as they appear held a spark of pleasant reminiscing. "She always brought a sense of joy around us diamonds. When she was happy we were all happy. When she wanted us to get involved we all got involved."
Blue Diamond's sad smile remained, but her eyes now turned to regard the pink room before her. There was a time when the colour pink brought serenity to her. Now it only mocked her as a painful reminder that Pink was shattered. It left her feeling hollow and fragile, and her unstable mind to rot contagiously and leave her as a sombre mess.
"Such a rapturous persona Pink Diamond had. It was… infectious, even if gems cannot be infected." She grieved quietly to herself. Somehow her voice increased its volume, but her tone remained jeremiad. "We all cared about her, as she did to us."
"Oh so she was like a sister to you!" Greg chirped with a warm smile.
Blue Diamond turned to the tiny organic before her and raised an eyebrow in puzzlement. "A… sister?"
It took a fraction of a second for Greg to remember that gems don't have families. Still smiling auspiciously at the monarch he explained, "A sister is someone who you…"
His wrist was circling around as he tried to find the right words. When the words came to him he continued. "Who you have this bond with! They're someone you deeply care about, even if they may sometimes get on your nerves." Greg gave a light hearty laugh at his description.
Blue Diamond quietly contemplated Greg's explanation of this concept of a 'sister'. As she associated the term to Pink Diamond, a smile that was the warmest she had not mustered since millennium ago appeared on her face.
"Yes Pink Diamond was my… sister." Blue Diamond acknowledged propitiously with her eyes sparkling at how wonderful the word sounded in connotation to Pink.
Greg grinned up at the diamond. The majesty was open with him and she was even smiling! It looked like he was off to a fantastic start-much better than he had anticipated! Making people feel better always brought a warm bubbly feeling in him.
"Great! It's wonderful that you have fond memories of her!" Greg remarked optimistically.
He crossed his arms to signify the major point he was going to make and what Blue Diamond should take from him. His tone became genteel, but it still contained sincerity to it. "Whenever you think about her, always try to recall the good times with her."
"I will keep your advice in mind." Blue Diamond acknowledged solemnly, her earnest smile shifting back to a formal frown. "But…" She turned away and drooped her head. "…Thinking about those wondrous times only makes me feel more saddened about Pink Diamond."
"It can be hard to think about the good times you had with someone who is no longer with you," Greg agreed with a frown, his eyebrows softened to express him understanding her point. "But the more you think about those memories, the more you'll start to feel less sad."
"I have been thinking about her longer than your entire lifespan..." Blue Diamond uttered knowingly and despondently. It was clear from her slouched pose that she thought that the human's advice was meaningless to her.
"Well…" Greg paused, now processing Blue Diamond's words over. She made a fair point… He pressed a hand to his temple and rubbed in musing. Then he stopped and pointed out keenly, "You looked better when you were talking about her to me!"
He then stood up to his feet and placed his hands on his hips, his face expressing determination up at the colossal being. The ruler turned to him in curiosity and wonder. "So here's what you may try to do!"
"Think of three moments about your sister that made you laugh or smile. You may even recite the joke of your sister aloud!" Greg recommended with a grin. "You can even try to make others laugh at those chosen three memories!"
"But you gotta try to sound cheerful when telling those memories." He stressed his point. He gave the diamond a reassuring look. "You may express them at first with sadness, but the more you do it the happier you'll hopefully become!"
Blue Diamond mulled over the human's advice with great consideration. Its suggestions were ones she has never considered before in her lifetime. Whether this advice would work or not was something she was going to have to see for herself. If an organic being could overcome grief then surely she, a diamond, could do the same.
So she thought for a few seconds some moments with Pink that stood out to her as silly. Oh there were plenty of times when Pink could be… rather comedic. There was that time when Pink mocked Yellow's hair for resembling a flying creature's beak, which spread across Homeworld to the dismay of Yellow. Pink had tried to hide under her cloak to no avail. Soon other memories surfaced up, and then she began to narrow her search to three.
She straightened herself from her slouched position and stared down at the human with knowingness in her eyes. "I have my three memories."
"Perfect! Now it would probably be best to think of a few people you could tell these memories to." Greg encouraged. He then pointed a thumb to himself and grinned wholeheartedly. "As your confidant I will gladly listen to your stories!"
Blue Diamond nodded in respect and gratitude towards Greg. She then turned her eyes away from him and called out, "Pearl."
Greg's attention snapped to the svelte figure below her superior's feet. He had totally forgotten that the pearl was with them. The ballerina-like figure gave the diamond-salute and bowed.
"You will listen to my recounting of Pink Diamond's memories." Blue Diamond commanded.
"Uh…" Blue Diamond turned to the small human to see that he was startled by her orders. "You can't force someone to listen to your stories."
The diamond raised an eyebrow in challenge towards Greg's claim. Pearl, under her bangs, blinked in incomprehensible flabbergast towards someone questioning a diamond. "I have authority over all gems, and my pearl is no exception."
Greg bit his lips in fright towards the cold and authoritative words of Blue Diamond.
"That might be the case, but it would make you feel better to speak to someone…" Greg trailed off, knowing full well that it did not matter to the ruler if someone wanted to listen to her willingly or not. "Who'll enjoy your stories!"
"My pearl must enjoy them." Blue Diamond spoke, her tone indicating that there wasn't the slightest room for debate.
"Ok…" Greg gulped and chuckled nervously. He quickly glanced over towards the pearl, his eyes apologetic. "So you have I and your pearl. Maybe you could go and speak with those amethysts and…uh, jaspers!"
"I have no time for them. The agate keeps them in line." Blue Diamond explained curtly and offhandedly.
"I'm sure you have enough time to tell three stories to them!" Greg countered kindly. "You don't have to tell it to all of them-just maybe any guard you come across!"
Blue Diamond pondered Greg's words carefully, which brought relief to Greg knowing that the diamond was not dismissing him on some of his advice.
"I suppose I may find time for one guard." Blue Diamond accepted, although her tone indicated uncertainty as to whether she will speak to an amethyst or jasper.
"Then you're all set!" Greg congratulated enthusiastically (too enthusiastically-it scared the pearl) and added, "Try to keep telling these stories as often as you can and then tell me how you feel."
Blue Diamond acknowledged his advice with utmost intent and determination to go by them. A grumble then echoed through the area, causing the diamond and the pearl to stare at the source causing the grumbling. Greg blinked questioningly at them, only to then realize that his stomach was urging him to eat. He laughed nervously and clutched his stomach.
"Looks like I gotta refuel myself with some good ol' food." Greg uttered and gave another nervy laugh when his stomach rumbled again.
"Oh yes-you organics need to eat." Blue Diamond conceded, sounding as if she had forgotten for a moment that, that was the case.
She then lowered her hand and opened her palm up towards Greg. He then carefully climbed atop her palm and clutched a finger as she lowered her hand to the floor. Greg then climbed off and said 'thank you, your Highness' and gave a bow of gratitude.
"Try the best you can, your Highness. Healing takes time." Greg advised solemnly and hearteningly up at the ruler who once again fully towered over him.
"I hope that that's the case…" She uttered sombrely in reflection of the thousands of years of grieving.
She then turned to pearl. "Pearl, escort Greg to where the aquamarines are stationed. Aquamarine Facet-5F9L Cut-3XJ will handle its needs there." Blue Diamond ordered.
The pearl acknowledged her superior's orders and ushered Greg to follow her. As Greg followed on after the slim gem, he looked over his shoulder to see a content and hopeful Blue Diamond casting a ghost of a smile to herself.