26. Comfort of the In Between
There was never a time in which the Crystal Gems felt so lost – literally. Disoriented, smashing into random structures, spinning sickeningly, Amethyst, Garnet and Connie were squeezed tightly in the small pod as they were flung away from the Hand Ship. They tried to turn to watch for the ruined vessel, to look for the others, but their pod was moving too fast, and soon, they were skimming against buildings and hurdling closer to the ground.
"Connie, keep your head low!" Garnet was commanding, serious – so the girl did as she was told. She covered her ears as they continued to be knocked into buildings and towers and, eventually, the ground.
Thankfully, these were designed for crash landings, so there wasn't any significant damage to the gems or the human save a few bumps and bruises. The world outside was obscured by dust and smoke that swirled from the crash and there was an urgent yelling around them, indicating that it was likely that they hadn't landed in friendly company.
Focusing on the future, one hand on her temple, Garnet gave them both a relieved smile. "Lapis and Pearl… they made it off. Peridot will be okay, I think, but I can't be certain what happened." Amethyst and Connie had been hugging each other protectively, shaken but grateful for Garnet's vision.
"But right now, we've got Homeworld gems coming in fast – we made quite a scene. We managed to land in the docking bay for Homeworld ships, which should mean…"
Amethyst chimed in, whooping. "Yuuuus! Way to go Peri! We're right outside the Military District." The purple gem was proud she had remembered that – maybe studying Pearl's map would be more useful than she thought; she made a mental note to thank her high-strung friend later.
Connie was surprised but pleased – they had landed pretty near to where they needed to start their search, even if it wasn't as covertly as intended. She took a calming breath as the adrenaline melted off, nodding her head to show Garnet she was ready.
The fusion looked at them both impassively, an unspoken fierceness exchanged between them as they prepared to face the voices outside. It was time – Connie was ready to do this for him, Amethyst was ready to bring him back, and Garnet was ready to make things right.
Quietly, the fusion placed a hand on the metal that separated them from the outside as the dust almost fully settled – the voices were very near now, some shouts and words now close enough to understand.
"There will be a small group from behind, but they will be concentrated to our front. Amethyst, cover our backs, we'll start ahead." She nodded her head towards Connie, thankful Pearl had thought to give her Rose's sword when she did. Gripping the handle tightly, she placed her other hand on the scabbard, ready to discard it the moment the pod opened.
Amethyst summoned her whip and gave them her an inflamed smile, excited and wild, the face of a fighter, about to do what she does best. "Let's do it."
"Now."
In a rush of motion, Garnet pushed out the glass with such force that it went flying forward, smashing into a Homeworld gem who had almost drawn near enough to investigate. She was shoved backwards, into another shorter gem, and the two went sprawling from the force. Garnet and Connie leapt towards the gathering of Homeworld gems, gauntlets and sword ready, and the sizing up the strength and size of the enemy.
There must have been... forty, maybe more, and gems of every type. Maybe half Quartz soldiers, a swath of Ruby guards, and a handful of higher order militant gems who posed a much greater threat. Garnet recognized most of them – two Onyx, a small group of Jade, maybe five or six, a Chrysoprase, and three yellowish-orange gems that were unknown to her.
She whispered hurriedly to Connie. "Connie, start with the big ones."
The girl hadn't time to reply, because a moment later there was a mad cry as the Homeworld's military might charged straight at them.
Smirking, Garnet raised both her gauntlets and smashed them into the ground, creating a jagged cliff face that sent many of them thrown upwards like a child's see-saw gone wrong. The Ruby guard had started to form into two massive Rubies, laughing as they started to advance, climbing over the uneven ground with large, stocky legs.
Ready, Connie held her sword tightly as Garnet scooped her up and they sprang into the air. The fusion threw the girl down at one of the Ruby guards, the enormous red fusion ready to swat her like a fly, but Connie was too quick for her. She twisted gently and landed on a beefy wrist, and pushed herself forward with the leverage. With a masterful spin, Connie stabbed straight through the torso of the Ruby, who lurched for a moment from the sudden force, and in a poof one Ruby gemstones clattered to the ground while the rest unfused and launched apart crashing into other gems nearby.
Garnet had moved onto more urgent targets as Connie took down the Rubies. Gauntlets at the ready, she flew forward with impressive speed into a group of Quartz soldiers, weapons drawn against her. She stopped just short of them by sliding against the ground, a surprising parry, tripping many of them as her iron fists smashed into their ankles. One of the Onyx had appeared in front of her, known for their assassin-tier stealth capabilities and tiny pointed needles that dangerously lined their fingers – one touch from her black hand could mean a quick death if you weren't careful.
Stealth and speed were always a wasted front against future vision, however – Garnet was expecting her. Still on the ground, the fusion reached a hand backwards, so she leaned on her side and shoved upwards like a reverse push-up. Needles coming down to meet her raised gauntlet, Garnet de-materialized her weapon and threw the Onyx off balance. Almost fully vertical and the Onyx staggering forward, Garnet turned slightly and used the momentum of her push to uppercut the staggered gem with her other hand, a punch so forceful that she was immediately surrounded by swirling smoke, a black gemstone rattling at her feet.
Connie had been overwhelmed by the sheer quantity of gems at first, the Ruby fusion separating into six smaller, fierce guards that advanced on her quickly, but she focused, remembering that she had done this before. The Holo-Pearls would often surround her, trying to outnumber her, but if you just use their force against them…
The girl went charging forward towards one of the Ruby guards that held a knife aloft, ready to stab at her, only to leap over the red gem and land behind her. The others had moved inwards at the same angle, trying to corner her, only to smash into each other – one of them even poofed from the impact. While they regained their composure, she turned to see the other Ruby fusion advancing on Garnet who had begun to meet gauntlet to mace from three yellow gems she did not recognize.
Start with the big ones.
Lunging forward, Connie moved quickly enough to avoid the Ruby's detection. Holding her sword upside down, Connie leapt on the shoulders of a surprised Quartz soldier, going airborne while swinging her arms impressively above her head, bringing the blade straight down on her target's head. This tactic proved successful as she landed nimbly on the balls of her feet, ensconced in a haze of red smoke; several of the Rubies poofed while three others clambered to the ground in surprise.
"Connie! Behind you!" It was Garnet who shouted, still busy with the yellow gems that surrounded her, unable to disengage with her own opponents to offer any more than a warning. Turning swiftly, black needles threatened to ravage her throat in a flash of movement.
Stance wide, body lowered.
Instinctively, the girl shot downwards and backwards, catching herself in a reclined squat with one hand. Connie managed to protect her throat from the sharped blades, but the refined points still managed to graze her the bridge of her nose and one cheek, a narrow miss. There was a hot trickle of blood that streamed down her face, but the cut was not deep, and Connie did not lose her focus. Shifting her weight to the hand supporting her, Connie turned and kicked out Onyx's ankle, causing her to stumble forward and nearly collapse on top of her, but instead a small black gemstone clinked onto Connie's midsection and rolled off onto the ground below. Impaled by Rose's sword, the Onyx vanished, but she had hardly enough time to admire the swift victory.
The other Ruby had fused again, not quite as large but still imposingly bulky, advancing on Garnet, and Connie was prepared to sprint to her aid when a horrible screech rang out from somewhere in the chaos. It was the Chrysoprase – eyes aglow, she released an earsplitting cry that stung Connie's ears painfully. She couldn't help but cover her ears at the sound, thinking it would turn her deaf, when she realized the battle had gone completely still. The soldiers stiffened, eyes flashing once in response to the sound, and then renewed their assault with double the intensity.
Garnet had used the moment of pause to clear a path to Connie, helping her up and turning to stand back-to-back as the maddened horde advanced on them, grating her teeth together in frustration.
The Homeworld gems had practically gone or rabid, heaving with vitality and overflowing with aggression. A charge from all directions, Connie kept her eyes forward, moving backwards closer into Garnet as blades and hammers and axes rained down upon them. It was difficult to parry, being shorter than the gems, and she didn't have an opportunity to thrust with so many bodies against them. Garnet seemed to have the same difficulty – able to defend against most strikes, but only just.
Sucking in air, Connie felt an axe painfully made contact with one of her shoulders, but the blow only managed to form a painful bruise, her reinforced clothing protecting her from direct impact. Though her shoulder hurt, she could still swing her sword – and she did, directly into the Quartz that had hit her, its form exploding as Connie pierced her stomach with her pink blade.
She managed to get one hit in, but the space was filled immediately by another Quartz, turned to utter savages as they mauled the two of them. "Garnet, there's too many! What do we do?"
The fusion didn't respond, however, narrowly avoiding a destabilizer that threatened to separate her. The human was not so lucky, being stabbed in the back but unaffected by the electricity, it left tiny puncture wounds in her clothing, but no blood. With a tiny sigh of relief, she couldn't help but thank the stars for Peridot.
"Hey! I'm still here you know!" It was Amethyst, calling over the crowd of bodies and blades, redirecting the attention of many of the Quartz soldiers. She had a wicked grin on her face as she turned herself into a spinning purple projectile and flew at the mass of bodies like a wrecking ball. Her targets, consequently, went flying into each other from the contact, enough for Connie and Garnet to untangle themselves from the chaos.
"Amethyst! To me!"
It was Garnet, trying to get her attention as more Quartz soldiers filed in from the barracks to join the madness. They would be here for hours fighting at this rate – there really was only one feasible solution. It was risky, and would certainly create an even bigger scene, but they were too greatly outnumbered.
Spinning around, Garnet cupped her hands together, bending almost to Connie's height.
"Connie, get on, and jump!" The girl did as she was told, flying high above as more gems started to amass around them, covering her eyes at a sudden glow from below. Connie gasped through her squinting lids, Garnet swaying her hips and shoulders and Amethyst flowing closer to her in a wild, almost outlandish style, and then the light turned blinding.
"Ah, I'm back, baby." Connie had never seen her before, but Steven had told her about this – Sugilite.
She grabbed one of her arms with another, casually massaging out her shoulder, laughing as bodies flew in all directions away from her feet. Then, she stopped her arm at the top of one its rotations and opened her palm lazily, a tiny human girl falling into it.
"Whoa." It was all Connie could manage; she never imagined Sugilite was like this.
"Connie, why don't you take five?" Her voice echoed with violence and sarcasm, like every word was a double entendre – part of a joke, but mostly a threat. The girl said nothing, just nodded as the fusion reached a massive arm up and spilled her out onto a beam high above. Connie had to admit she was a little glad to be released. Of course, she was happy to see Sugilite because they really needed the extra muscle right now, but there was a reflexive fear that clutched her heart, feeling it pump swiftly in her chest.
If Connie was intimated by her, that was nothing compared to the absolute terror that suffocated the gems at her feet. Many of them wanted to flee just at the sight of her – a massive, four armed, cross-fusion, an abomination – but the fear struggled against the Chrysoprase's artificial rage conferred. The purple giant took their hesitation as a moment of weakness, and swept one of her many hands across the ground, smashing a swath of them into nearby ships and sending some flying off the dock entirely.
All of the remaining Rubies fused, still only coming up to Sugilite's chest, but they managed to throw some punches at her – honestly, that was a mistake. As their fists came forward, Sugilite grabbed the Ruby fusion's two hands and smashed them between her own, ignoring the light stabs and nicks that poked at her legs. Then, with her other two arms, she grabbed the Ruby by the shoulders and slammed her into the pests at her feet, crushing at least a dozen of the aggregate gems below. She laughed, amused by the destruction, brushing off some arrows that flew at her from the Jades.
"Why didn't I do this sooner?" It was a wretched question, but the sound sent shivers up Connie's spin. It made her feel guilty – she knew it was just Garnet and Amethyst, there was something about Sugilite that made her skin crawl. She was… scary.
An ironic answer to her own question, Sugilite summoned her weapon recklessly and began to smash anything and everything around her. Ships, gems, walls, anything that was whole soon became broken. Connie was high enough that she wasn't directly in harm's way, but the support beams rattled and groaned under the strain of the demolition, making her very nervous.
The show of power had become excessive after another few minutes – Sugilite had easily crushed the opposing force, but now she was just ravaging Homeworld for what it was. Connie remembered something Steven told her, about a fight between Sugilite and Pearl… it had been the only way they were able to get her to unfuse. The strength went to her head, according to Pearl.
How do I get her to stop?
/
"Peridot! No!" Lapis was screaming as she was hurled away from the Hand Ship, watching as whatever links bound the ship together snapped, a green explosion tinting her vision as parts flew in every direction. She began to bang on the terminal, desperate to turn around, to fly to her, find her, catch her…
"She wanted this, Lapis. We… have to find Steven." Pearl's voice was gentle, but Lapis was too furious at what happened to appreciate the comfort right now. She whirled around to yell, only to stop short when she realized Pearl had tears in her eyes. The sight broke her – anger melted to sorrow, fury to fear, and desperation to despair. They, she, were so close… just minutes ago, their minds were intermingling in such a wonderful way, and now, she was gone. Prehnite again was gone, sure, but Peridot herself had been hurt and now…
Pearl needed the blue gem to focus, her face having gone dead as she fell victim to her mind. "Lapis! Brace yourself, we're about to land!" And they were, flying away from the wreckage of the Hand Ship towards a massive tower that reached high into the stars. They were going to stop just short of it, and both of their eyes went wide in recognition: the Communication Hub.
It was striking and lofty, shimmering in blue and white as it pierced the heavens above. Pearl had studied enough of Peridot's escape pod on Earth to know how to land, so she was able to guide them smoothly downwards and avoid a complete crash, she managed to skid them to a stop without running into anything.
Maybe a mile from the tower, the two gems squinted through the settling dust, expecting to be cornered immediately. They sat there quietly, listening, waiting, and when no one approached after a tense two minutes, they exchanged a nod and opened the hatch to the outside.
Both gems were anxious, but their nerves unwound marginally when they peaked around, finding themselves alone. But the relief did not last long, both of them worried about the others. There was no way to know where they landed, if they were okay, and what happened to Peridot, so Pearl tried to bury them as distractions. Right now, all she knew for certain was that she and Lapis were near the Communication Hub, completely on the wrong side of Homeworld – their destination had been the Military District.
"Quickly, let's go, someone could be here any minute." Pearl motioned for Lapis to follow, and the blue gem silently obeyed. They went between some nearby buildings, a thin alleyway, and for a moment they thanked the stars they were both slender – the others would not have fit here.
In a whisper, Lapis spoke. "I… can't believe it. It… Peridot, she, she realized we had been set-up. The ship wasn't malfunctioning, I could hear her working through it. We, Pree – it was a trap."
That made Pearl's eyes go wide, thinking. They had been set-up? By who? How? They had stolen the ship, maybe it was intended to sabotage the troops who originally occupied it? But, now's not the time, they had to move… Steven…
Pearl exhaled in exasperation and refocused her attention to Lapis. "We can worry about that later. Right now we need to stick to the plan. We should head for the Military District?" She phrased it like a question, hoping to soften Lapis' glare, but she was going whether or not the blue gem would come with her.
After a pause, the blue gem nodded, her face turning curiously blank.
"Well, we should be able to avoid detection if we act as… well, 'ourselves.' It wouldn't be unheard of for a Lapis Lazuli to have a Pearl, and we could make a straight shot to the Military District. Hopefully the others will try to head that way…" Pearl leaned her head back against a wall closing her eyes in frustration.
At least Garnet should know her way around, but they could still be anywhere.
"Flying would be faster," Lapis noted. Pearl rubbed her chin and frowned.
"Yes, but if we're seen…" She looked up at the stars, thinking about Connie, her student, and Amethyst, her friend, and Garnet, her leader… They had all caused a massive scene – everyone across Homeworld must have seen the ship go down. There would be people out looking for them, tracing the escape pod, and soon.
Lapis sighed. "Well, let's go then."
They both modified their wears to better suit modern Homeworld appearances. Pearl made her hair longer, still pulled back from her face but cascading down her back. She donned a simple blue leotard with powdery blue tights and white slippers. Lapis didn't have to change quite as much, just making her shirt and skirt connect in an elaborate zig-zag that created a blue diamond shape on her stomach, and she removed the playful bow that secured her top around her neck, opting for a more standardized flat neckline.
Thinking back to the map and discussing a strategy, Pearl and Lapis agreed that travelling directly south through Research & Development would be the best route, an hour and a half walk, and then they would be able to find a warp pad somewhere inside. Wandering aimlessly could get them lost, or questioned, or found; trying to make their way to the Military District on foot would take at least a full day to travel. If they could just find a warp pad, they would be inside the Military District in less than two hours, and Pearl knew exactly where White Diamond kept her prisoners. She couldn't help but grimace at the memory, not excited to go back there.
Lapis led them through a maze of streets with Pearl just behind her, all of the buildings and much of the ground colored unnaturally in blues and whites. The renegade pointed her head towards her feet and clasped her hands together, the mark of a good Pearl. They passed only a handful of gems at first, no one paying them any mind, but they did notice a sudden uptick of gems running in the direction they came from, likely sent after the escape pod. Keeping their eyes forward, Lapis and Pearl tried to remain uninterested in the affairs around them.
The blue gem was thoughtful as they moved further south, more-or-less knowing where they were going from Pearl's map and her own memory, but a lot has changed. When she last arrived on Homeworld, her grasp of technology was so poor she could barely comprehend what was and wasn't – everything seemed new and sinister – and before she could even adapt, she was shuttled back to Earth, not even able to enjoy her freedom. Here, everything glowed overtly in colors of the Diamonds, odd sounds and emissions of energy rising from the ground below, each building mysteriously unmarked on the outside. Lapis more or less knew these to be communication buildings, usually operated solely by maintenance class gems, announcements or directives delivered dutifully by Agates and other leaders.
The pair was immensely relieved when they arrived at Research & Development without being stopped by anyone. This place was obviously different – the entrance was a massive silver structure, branching off into sub-sectors like a many legged machine. Each sector focused on different objectives assigned by each Diamond, and then were divided out from there into projects according to clearance levels. At the front stood two Ruby guards, predictably short and attentive.
Taking a tiny, steadying exhale, Lapis did her best to make her face a self-important mask, advancing forward, not even acknowledging the guards. If she was significant enough to have her own Pearl, she shouldn't be questioned by some low-ranking Homeworld pawns – or so she thought.
As they approached, the Rubies stood a little taller and grew serious.
"And where do you think you're going? Hmm, traitors?" The two slender gems froze, surprised – how had they known? Pearl and Lapis were staring hard at them, minds racing, but they were confused when the Rubies started to giggle.
"I'm kidding, I'm kidding. But really, I would have thought you'd be on your way to the Center by now. The execution will be in just a couple of hours – don't you want to see it? Most people are going early." One Ruby, gem on her cheek, laughed at the other one, obviously tickled with their little joke.
Lapis was wound too tightly for this, so she just glared at them and said nothing. The silence quickly became awkward, so Pearl jumped into her role.
"O-of course we are going! Our lustrous Diamond has requested we check on an experiment before attending. My apologies for interrupting your watch." Pearl bowed diligently, resisting the urge to spit on their feet.
The guards seemed pleased with her civility, so they smiled at Lapis and opened the doors for them to enter. She just eyed them both suspiciously and went through, Pearl following close behind.
The pair entered a large diamond-shaped lobby, each wall colored according to the Diamond that they belonged – White, Blue, and Yellow, and the silver exit – and then each section was separated into research areas based on each Diamond's needs. There was, thankfully, no one inside.
Lapis hugged her arms together, thinking about what the Ruby had just said. The execution…
"What if we c-can't find him? I... how could they do this to him?" Pearl was looking at her, harboring those same fears herself. She sighed, unsure how to offer the blue gem peace of mind, but she's felt this way dozens of time in her life so she could at least be sympathetic.
Peal spoke softly, eyes inspecting each door, not looking at Lapis. "Back during the war… So many times I wanted to give up. I saw so many people die – friends, enemies – so many lives lost… But, I tried to tell myself that, if for every live lost, I at least saved one more, it was worth it. I just…" she exhaled deeply, eyes closed now as she watched people she loved tore down in front of her, back on the battlefield.
"I wanted to quit. I never told anyone this, but I tried to run. Hide, give up. I thought Rose was gone after a particularly bad battle, I couldn't find her… I panicked, so I ran. I thought maybe I could give up and erase what I had done. Then, the next day, the Battle of the Ziggurat happened, and I wasn't there. I… lost a lot of people that day, and even after, the war never stopped following me. I always wondered if I had stayed, what would have happened, maybe so many of us wouldn't have…"
Lapis was watching Pearl glide around the room, not meeting her gaze. She was surprised – the two were not exactly on good terms – and now Pearl was sharing something deeply personal with her.
Pearl shook her head and cleared her throat. "A-Anyways. My point is, we have to try. There's no way to know if it'll work, but if we stop now, then it definitely won't. This way," Pearl rubbed the back of her hand against her cheek as she led Lapis through a door. It was on the White wall, labeled "Archives & Travel."
No one stopped them as they went down a series of hallways, which, Pearl figured, made sense. Some of the doors and splits were designed differently than Pearl remembered, but the logic behind the layout was easy enough for her to follow, so she led this time as Lapis followed. All the better, as Lapis had never been here – she gazed around at rooms and peered down hallways as they passed. There wasn't a soul to be found.
"Is this… because of what's happening with him? Is everyone really going to be there?" The blue gem bit her lip, nervous at the thought of thousands of gems gathered in one location; that just seemed like it was inviting disaster.
Pearl didn't stop walking, but she did turn her head slightly towards Lapis as she answered. "No – well, maybe. Long ago, White Diamond would send her subjects to this space on order only, there were never any regular maintenance gems assigned to keep up with records or experiments unless she said so. I can't imagine she's changed. She always felt like it was a waste – wait." She held a hand and stopped walking.
They both strained their ears hard, listening… There was a voice, it was familiar… but, no…
Peridot?
Lapis covered her mouth with her hands, but Pearl grabbed one of her wrists and dragged her into a random room.
"What are you doing?" she wrenched her wrist free, ready to run back to the hallway to follow the voice.
"Shh! That's not our Peridot. It can't be – why would she be here, talking so loudly? We have to hide, quick, just, shh."
Without much time, they slipped behind a large white storage container and ducked down. It was a poor place to hide if she came in the room, but they couldn't be seen from the hallway. Completely still, they sat, listening to the footfalls come closer, bodies tense.
"… my job. What's even the point, what do I tell White Diamond? Just… stupid, I didn't ask to be assigned to the hybrid, and now… trials…" the footsteps and voice receded as they sat there, almost relieved but too consumed by the realization dawning on both of their faces.
She was talking about… Steven? But, how, what? She knows him? What was that about White Diamond? Do we follow her? Continue on? We have the find the others, but…
Pinching the bridge of her nose, Pearl tried to weigh the options, trapped in the unknown. After a moment of though, she nodded firmly at Lapis, a wordless command as they sleuthed down the hall after her, deathly quiet.
"…those records. What a waste. I could be shattered for this… what a, hey, he – !" Pearl had her sword ready, grabbing Peridot from behind and covering her mouth, holding the blade threateningly against her throat. The trained swordsman dragged her struggling body into a nearby door, empty but for white walls, with Lapis close behind. The blue gem fiddled with the screen for a moment, her heart dropping into her stomach as she thought about Prehnite, but she managed to seal them in and turned towards the two. Pearl's eyes were full of fury, her face more hostile than Lapis had ever seen.
"Where is he?"
The gem's eyes went wide as she thrashed, mouth muffled behind Pearl's tight grip, the blade resting ever so gently against her green skin. So this was the renegade Pearl in action; Lapis suddenly understood why she was so infamous. A Pearl was not only considered useless as a fighter, but totally dependent on their master. At this moment, Pearl could not have been farther from that standard – terrifying, lethal, commanding. She had someone entirely at her mercy, and it was quite a sight to admire.
Pearl leaned in close to Peridot's ear, her voice sharp as ice. "I will kill you if you try to escape."
At that, Peridot stopped struggling. She had never wanted to get involved in this mess, and she certainly wasn't going die for it. Pearl lowered her hand once she stopped resisting, but did not withdraw her blade just yet.
"The hybrid. Where is he?" If Pearl wasn't intimidating enough, Lapis advanced on this new Peridot with her arms crossed. She wanted to see the fear in her eyes, wanted her to know the pain that Steven must have felt. Subconsciously, her hands had clenched into tight fists as they stood in silence.
"I – I, well, I don't know exactly." She spoke in a rush, not wanting to die, but she honestly didn't know.
In a fluid motion, Pearl threw her down onto the ground and held her sword directly in the terrified gem's face, daring her to move, to say something out of line. Lapis stood next to her, saying nothing, face betraying no emotion.
"Well? Then what do you know?" Lapis narrowed her eyes, voice so severe Peridot flinched.
Good – she should be afraid.
Peridot conceded, obviously in no position to argue. "I was just following orders. I didn't want, or, well I didn't mean to hurt…" She trailed off at Lapis' expression, practically teeming with venom. Pearl had not quivered, sword still pointing into the green gem's face, waiting.
She was fumbling her words now, nervous as their stares threatened to stab her like the sword in her face. "I – well, my Diamond, White Diamond. She told me to do experiments – and then, hours ago, Yellow Diamond… she came in and stopped us, and destabilized me without a word. Honestly, when I reformed, they were gone. I don't… know where they went."
Pearl raised an eyebrow dangerously. "Experiments?" She did not show it, but the word made her stomach lurch.
"Y-yes. I was just completing my reports, filing them in the archive. I was going to the…" but she stopped, thinking best not to mention the execution right now. Her eyes just shot between the two, who returned her gaze with twice the intensity.
After a few minutes of strained silence, Lapis leaned over to Pearl, not taking her eyes off of Peridot. "I say we kill her."
Peridot, appropriately, responded indignantly. "Please, don't! I told you what I know – I was just assigned to this, really…"
Pearl did not reply at first, examining the nervous gem at the end of her blade, thinking.
Experiments…? What do they want with him? What did they… do to him? She remembered his far-off gaze in the dream, the glowing on his wrist… Is this a lead, or will we waste more time? Why did Yellow Diamond poof this Peridot, if she really was just doing as ordered? And if it was White Diamond who ordered her to do it in the first place, why did Yellow Diamond get involved? And then there's the Hand Ship, Lapis said it was t a trap. Something isn't adding up…
Eventually, Pearl spoke, her voice slow and deliberate. "No… there's something about this that doesn't make sense. Peridot, we will not kill you," she was interrupted
"Oh, thank the stars!" The green gem started to lean up, but Pearl straightened her sword threateningly, resting the tip against her visor.
"If you show us what you were researching. I want to see everything. Take us to the archive."
/
Connie carefully scooted along the beam she had been placed on, nervous as Sugilite continued to laugh and smash things, taunting more gems to come out after her.
So much for a covert effort.
Cautiously, she managed to make her way all the way across the ceiling to where the floor below opened up into a large, divided area in pretty shades of blue, white, and yellow. She began to crawl down a vertical beam, hands steady as she tried to focus on one foot and one hand at a time, not on the drop below her. The girl had almost reached the ground when she screamed, ducking behind the beam – Sugilite had seen movement and thought it was an enemy, but she was unaffected by almost killing Connie, laughing as she twirled her weapon.
"Come on, this is supposed to be the Military District. All I see is district and no military." Her voice bounced around the room, now littered with gems and debris from broken ships and walls. The girl couldn't help but bite her lip as she gazed around, hoping none of the gemstones at Sugilite's feet had been crushed, but there was nothing she could do about that right now.
When she was only a few feet away from the ground, she managed to jump and land neatly on the yellow section of the shining floor. There were some gemstones here, but mostly wreckage. Examining the wall as she ducked down, in case Sugilite swung at her again, Connie stifled a groan as she realized the white path had been blocked, totally caved in and covered in metal.
"Ugh… there goes our way in." Mouth pressed together firmly, Connie knew she had to stop them before they destroyed anything else, or killed her by mistake.
Do I get their attention and try to talk them down? Should I try to… hit them with something? Sugilite roared, throwing the end of her flail high into the air as she mocked the stars above.
…Better not. What would Steven do? He always knows what to do… C'mon, Connie think! What do you know about Garnet and Amethyst? They both like… not food, not T.V…. Dogcopter? Don't be stupid Connie… they just like Steven. So maybe they care about what Steven cares about?
A flash went off in her head as she remembered, thinking back to Stevonnie and the Holo-Pearls. He had felt so terrible about Bismuth, what he had to do to Eyeball Ruby, how he hadn't able to save Jasper…
"Garnet! Amethyst! Over here!" She sprinted towards them as fast as she could, wincing when the frightening purple fusion looked around. All around her, there were gemstones of countless shapes and sizes. She could tell many of them were cracked, some pretty severely, but none were shattered as far as she could see.
"It's Sugilite, girl." The massive fusion hunched down on her legs, supporting herself with two of her four massive arms. Connie was breathing hard, anxious as she felt Sugilite's eyes sizing her up behind the glasses…
Bending down quickly, Connie scooped up a handful of gemstones – there must have been at least six or seven clinking around in her hands – and held them up for her to see.
"Stop it! Think about why we came here – what they made Steven do! This," she gestured around them by sweeping her head around. "This isn't helping. You've nearly shattered so many of these, and they're hurt, badly…"
Sugilite frowned but didn't move, opening her mouth and closing it again. Connie didn't want to lose her momentum, so she continued.
"Think about Smoky Quartz, Amethyst! Would they, or Steven, ever want this?" She held the gems higher, pretty and twinkling as they gently bumped into each other.
A sob rising in her throat, Connie started to choke up. "They'll reform soon if we don't do something, and some of the cracks might splinter. Garnet… we have to bubble them, protect them. Please…"
An action of annoyance, the fusion used one of her free hands to cover her many eyes under the visor. "Ugh, sometimes you're just like Pearl." A moment later, she split in two, Garnet and Amethyst projected out in opposite directions.
The fusion landed gently in a kneeling position while Amethyst rolled unceremoniously into a tangled pile of metal, both coming back from their power trip.
Slowly, Garnet approached Connie with a gentle hand outstretched. "Are you… alright?"
Involuntarily, Connie realized she had started shaking, but all-in-all she was just overcome with relief to see them back to normal.
Garnet knelt down, grazing a finger across the human's cheek, the blood having dried across her nose and down her chin. "I am sorry we lost control. Sugilite is…" She trailed off, not exactly sure how to describe her.
Amethyst huffed apologetically and approached them. "She's a lot. Bigger, better, but…"
Garnet finished, her mouth set in a grimace. "Badder."
Connie just gave them a warm smile, her heart rate starting to slow marginally. "I-it's okay. You guys were… awesome. But, um, can we… bubble these?" She was still holding several gems in her cupped palms, clattering together as her hands trembled.
Garnet smiled and took the gems from her, bubbling each one carefully, while Amethyst started on the others. For another fifteen minutes they collected Sugilite's… undertakings, when Amethyst came up behind Connie and laid a lazy arm across her shoulder.
"I'm sorry we stole the show, 'cause your moves back there were sicccccccccck." Behind the compliment, Connie recognized the sincerity of Amethyst's apology. She just grinned sheepishly, rubbing the back of her head.
"Ah, it was nothing. Pearl throws way harder stuff at me all the time," she replied modestly.
"No way girl, that was awesome. Glad I crash landed with you." She winked at her and bounded after Garnet, leaving Connie to blush proudly.
After they finished up, Connie bit rubbed her scratched cheek while she thought. "Well… I would say we should get a move on, but…" She turned around, looking at the white door at the end of her vision, totally smashed and covered in debris. Amethyst and Garnet exchanged a look of shame, but no one said anything. Connie didn't really feel like it was her place to judge, so she waited for someone else to speak.
After a reflective pause, Garnet turned to the two of them. "Well, there's… not much I can see. But, I am most familiar with Blue Diamond's part of the district, and I know where it connects with White Diamond's. Let's start there, and maybe more things will become clear once we pick a path." She had pointed a finger towards the blue door, a blank expression on her face. There was something in her voice that made Connie uneasy, but the human and purple gem had no frame of reference for Homeworld, so they let Garnet lead the way. Sure, Amethyst had some details of Pearl's map in her head and Connie had listened to Pearl's strategy, but… then, they hadn't necessarily accounted for this detour.
The trio was on edge as they approached the blue hallway, weapons raised for whatever might be behind the door. Garnet carefully activated the door, all of them tensing, but it was empty. Garnet lowered her fists slightly and started forward, so Amethyst shrugged and followed as they moved inwards. None of them spoke, but they were all suspicious, knowing that soldiers had been flooding the dock area only moments ago, and now the place had become completely empty. It was like they had all disappeared, and it cast an ominous feeling as they continued down a series of blue hallways.
After maybe ten minutes of walking, not passing a single other gem, Garnet paused before entering another door. This just felt… wrong.
"Connie, how much time has passed?" The girl, always resourceful, wore an analog watch – time didn't stop, even in space (though it might be recorded differently).
She frowned and studied the device on her wrist. "It's been almost two hours – wow, that was longer than I thought." Her voice was surprised, and not in a good way. Garnet and Amethyst shared a nervous look, expressing unspoken words of worry – they almost had lost half their time and they hadn't even made it to White Diamond's base yet.
Placing a frustrated hand against her chin, Garnet made her reservations known. "They must have started gathering at the Center. This would be a huge event, even by Homeworld's standards. It's got to be why everyone is gone." The last word rang down the hallway, echoing knowingly as Connie's watch continued to tick.
Gone, gone, gone…
"We need to pick up the pace. Connie, let me carry you." The suggestion made the girl feel a little awkward, but this was not the time to concern herself with those sorts of things. Garnet crouched down, and Connie was able to straddle the fusion's shoulders, leaning down so her head wouldn't hit the ceiling when Garnet returned to full height.
"And both of you, keep your ears open. I still can't see anything clearly; I don't know what might happen." Amethyst nodded, and Connie tightened her grip around Garnet in a show of silent agreement. With Garnet and Amethyst's speed, all of their weapons tucked away, the group advanced further and further through the blue maze.
Just hold on Steven, we're almost there…
/
Peridot led them deeper into Research & Development, retracing her steps to her most recent archives. Pearl's sword remained at the ready and Lapis kept her eyes forward. It was a risk to pursue this, knowing Steven wasn't actually going to be at the end of these halls and without much time, but then, they didn't even really know where they would find him. Lapis rubbed the back of her neck, a demonstration of her worn nerves, wondering what exactly they had been researching – did she want to know? Homeworld could be… but, no, he was still alive. Trying to bury her concerns, she focused on Peridot's heavy footfalls from the limb enhancers, studying the green gem.
It's hard to believe our Peridot used to be so much like this one. Now, she's sincere, forgiving, kind, brave… Where did you go, Peridot? Please, be okay… I'll come find you when all of this is over. A tiny smile flickered at her lips, cracking her façade of calm when she remembered that Steven had once said similar words to her. That was the first time she went down in a Hand Ship.
They hurt my friends, they hurt my face! They've got you here in prison! …I'll come back for you.
As for Pearl, she was stuck in special sort of purgatory – stuck between knowing and the unknown, a clear objective and a weak lead, a free gem and an obedient servant. She tried to stay focused on each twist and turn as they advanced deeper into the facility, but it was hard. Her brain was challenging her to liar's dice, daring her to risk too much, to push too far, to tempt fate, to lose. But she couldn't lose this time, she had to find him… It didn't matter if she was Pearl, or Opal, or Rainbow Quartz or Sardonyx or even Alexandrite. All of the love and fusion in the universe was useless against the force of Homeworld – it was strategy she needed. Here, knowledge is power, and she was tired of being in the dark, tired of the cold comfort of the in between, even if whatever she uncovered would break her heart.
After another fifteen minutes of silent walking, Peridot came to a stop, and the others followed suit. "We're… here."
A panel next to the door read Restricted Access, indicating they had reached some of the most confidential records in, well, the entire universe. Pearl couldn't help but wonder if there might be things on her in here, the renegade she was.
Wordlessly, Pearl motioned for Peridot to open the door, straightening her sword and pointing towards the panel and back again.
Peridot was muttering some sort of snarky reply, they were both assumed, so it came as a genuine surprise when she had a tear rolling down her face.
"W-why are you crying?" It was Lapis, still perturbed at the image of Peridot crying, it was just too similar to her Peridot.
"Just, don't. I don't… want your pity. I shouldn't have brought you here. I'll be shattered for this, and you would have shattered me anyways. It…" she trailed off, angrily wiping away the wet streak on her cheek as she finished opening the door.
The room was almost entirely empty with a just single control pad surrounded by glowing white walls. It was relatively small by Homeworld's standards, maybe the size of the Temple occupied by Steven. They had already fallen for a Homeworld trap once, so Lapis motioned for Peridot to enter first, not wanting to be locked in by a foolish mishap.
"Fine," the green gem's voice had a familiar trace of annoyance in it, causing Pearl and Lapis to exchange a quick look, wondering after their Peridot… but, they muted the distraction and moved forward into the room.
"Watch her," Pearl commanded Lapis, and the blue gem was just fine with that. Without a sword to her back, the Homeworld Peridot was noticeably more relaxed, but still frustrated by the whole situation. Lapis just scrutinized her, wondering if all Peridots said clods.
Pearl brought the small panel to life; between her old experience and watching Peridot's demonstrations, she felt confident she could find the information they were looking for. A large screen materialized in the room, allowing her to sort through the archives.
Shooting their prisoner a glance, Pearl used her best officious voice. "How was the research coded?"
After a tiny grumble, Peridot crossed her arms. "WX0001."
Pearl sorted through the files until she found it, encrypted to prevent outside access.
"Can you override the encryption?"
"Can Sapphire's see the future? Move," Peridot rolled her eyes at Pearl, annoyed but submissive. She worked her phantom digits at the base of the panel for a minute and the screen beeped twice as the files opened.
There were twenty-five files, all labeled with codes and patterns that neither Pearl nor Lapis could make heads-or-tails of, so they turned towards Peridot, mouths drawn tight in disapproval.
"Well, we don't have time to listen to them all, I'm sure. Can you just… give us a summary?" Pearl was feeling a little less confident in her plan now, not accounting for how many files and logs they might have to pour through, anxious about how much time they had lost already…
"Ugh, yes, very well. I don't know what level of detail you would want, you could just watch the first file from both trials, or my final report analysis, or I could just tell you." She was eyeing the sword in Pearl's hand warily.
Lapis and Pearl glanced between each other, Peridot, and the screen. Lapis placed a hand on Peridot's shoulder and tried to soften the steel in her voice. "Why don't you tell us what you know first, and we'll follow with logs if we have questions?"
The green gem did not look pleased, but she did not challenge the request either. She just sat on the floor as an offer of peace – or, at least, a silent suggestion for Pearl to lower her sword. They complied slowly, sitting in front of Peridot, Pearl resting her sword at her side, just a twitch away if she needed it.
"Okay. Well… My Diamond approached me eight days ago with a project. She said to prepare some specific materials but, otherwise, to await further instructions. I was told to gather human anatomical equipment, along with a number of inactive gems and a Color Changing Sapphire."
Lapis and Pearl's eyes went wide at that, only knowing of two Color Changing Sapphires in existence – both belonged to White Diamond, and their powers were notoriously volatile and dangerous. Visions of feelings rather than of time; a strange, fleeting power that consumed the heart rather than the mind…
The two earthly gems tried to make their faces stone, and Lapis urged Peridot to continue.
"Well, three days ago I was told to perform experiments on the hybrid… To analyze his physiology in response to different types of stress-tests. I was specifically measuring the relationship between EGF – that's, epidermal growth factor – production and testosterone, measured in his salivary glands incrementally and final records measured by concentration in human plasma. There was a secondary investigation into reactionary lachrymation – distinctively different than psychic lachrymation, mind you – and followed those trials again by measuring his human plasma. There was originally supposed to be more, different tests that I was going to administer, but Yellow Diamond put a swift end to that." She sounded haughty by the end, which almost amused Lapis – Peridots definitely take pride in their work. Pearl, on the other hand, had her brow furrowed in concentration – she was familiar with some of those terms, learning the basics of human biology when Steven was an infant, but this was much more complex medical terminology than she was used to.
"So… White Diamond gave you the orders, Yellow Diamond stopped you after only two tests, and now Steven is set to be…" She didn't finish the thought aloud, thinking hard.
Why? The tears, his saliva – it must be related to healing. But that doesn't… make… sense…?
Pearl sprang up to standing suddenly, pupils dilated with fear. It does make sense – it makes perfect sense. Peridot and Lapis were watching her as she paced, mind racing.
White Diamond, obsessed with power, then, Steven, why keep him alive? How had I not seen it earlier? She's using him… epidermal growth factor, his tears could never heal, his biology messed it all up. He can do something that the Rose Quartz's must not be able to do. What? He reanimates plants, whereas Rose could only make them do her bidding. She remembered the events with Malachite, her vision lingering on Lapis for a moment. Still, there's something missing…
Neither of them can fix corruption, or shattered gems… Why bother with all of this, so many tests, so much information… taking his blood, his plasma? She shivered at that, thinking about her baby, how thin he had been in the dream, how scared…
Something is still missing, something doesn't fit –
"Pearl!" Lapis whispered, standing in front of her, eyes filled with fear. She had one hand over her lips to signal her not to speak, her body went stiff in realization. There were footsteps, loud, coming closer – why, who?
Peridot was still on the ground, eyes wide as the panel began to glow on the inside, responding to the touch pad on the outside. Pearl only had time to grab her sword and stand at the ready, Lapis standing between Peridot defensively, just behind the white gem, facing the door.
It slid open with ease, the white interior and exterior meeting seamlessly around the curvature of the frame, and a gem walked forward.
"H-H- Heliodor…" Peridot sounded terrified, and Pearl looked surprised, not having seen a gem of this type in thousands of years. Lapis was just nervous, unsure what to do, waiting for someone to break the stillness.
The tall orange gem frowned, her arms clasped behind her back in disinterest. Her voice was a threat, every word warped with venom. "I thought I might find you here…"
/
Resting softly in Blue Diamond's palm, Steven was thinking about the act of crying. He wasn't crying, not right now, just thinking about it – he had already shed so many tears these past two weeks, probably more than he had in his entire life, and now he didn't want them. This was a special sort of heartbreak – it didn't make him way to cry, it made him feel like he was already dead.
The Crystal Gems had come to rescue him, an action that filled his heart with love, but made it all the more painful when he watched the ship come down. Two escape pods had launched away from where he and Blue Diamond stood, unsure who or what was contained in them, but it didn't make him feel better that some of them may have made it off the ship. Now they were here, on Homeworld, trying to save someone who had already died.
Why bother to rescue someone who is dead? It's like throwing logs on a burnt out fire, like decorating a sand castle that's already been washed away, like trying to water a withered rose – it can't bring back what's already been destroyed. Sure, the embers remained, the sand didn't disappear, and the flower hadn't been ripped up, but there wasn't anything to salvage. Why couldn't they see that?
Before, Steven had managed to convince himself that he was ready to die, that it would be worth it to save the people he cared about – now, he felt the same fear and desperation he had when he accepted Blue Diamond's deal all over again, but this was ten times worse. It was a little less than a suicide, but before, he had said goodbye to his own life, moved on, mourned his losses and forgiven himself for being too weak to stop what had happened. He was a mistake, and he could live with that, but now the people he loved most in the universe were going to be killed because of him.
Everything felt like nothing. Nothing, nothing, nothing. He was nothing, and they were everything, and now they would die. He might as well have killed them himself, like he had killed the Jasper, Amethyst, and Rose Quartz.
Blue Diamond could sense his twisted heart, his tortured mind; he was broken. He would do anything to save them, no matter how foolish, no matter how corrupt or evil or malign, he would do anything, and she could tell.
After the explosion, Blue Diamond released him from the bubble and let him rest in her palm. She the blood on her hands vanished with a simple flick of her other hand, so the only thing remaining in her grasp was this little incarceration of despair. He had said nothing to her since, too consumed in his own grief to do anything, so she sat and waited. Her face was a mask of comfort, disappointment, and sadness – everything he needed her to be, and nothing that she really was.
And Steven was grateful for her presence. Even if she was one of the Diamonds, she had been the only one who had given him a chance. She stopped Yellow Diamond from shattering him the first time, she was the one who agreed to leave the Earth and his friends unharmed, and she was the one who tried to intervene once she realized the Gems were coming. It really wasn't her fault if Yellow and White Diamond had agreed to his execution, and he didn't really care about that. She was two-to-one in their circle, and he at least appreciated that she had tried to help.
"Oh." Steven squeaked out a tiny sound, remembering something.
"Did I… or, well, I'm sorry. What did you have Danburite do? To try to stop the Gems, I mean. Will she… be okay?" Though he already had blood on his hands, Steven at least hoped that he could maybe prevent one more death.
Blue Diamond looked down at him, eyes narrowed in concentration. "I… imagine she will be fine. The other Diamonds will never know what she did. They, your friends, planned to reach Homeworld by stowing away on a cargo ship from the Human Zoo, hoping to go undetected. Yellow was two steps ahead, I'm afraid, and tried to cut them off. Danburite… I warned her that the troops were coming, so I had her try to lock them in a ship that would send them straight back to Earth. I'm not sure how, but they turned things around, as you know." She nodded her head towards the solid blue wall that had been glass minutes ago.
Steven looked down at his hands, eyes lingering on the discoloration in his veins on his left arm. He sighed, closed his eyes and whispered. "T-thank you. You didn't have to try to help them, and even though… well, thank you." He grabbed his knees and buried his head in them, feeling the tears streak down his face. He was so ashamed – he couldn't even die right.
"It's alright, Steven. I lost someone I deeply cared about, too. I understand how much it must hurt." She raised a hand of her own to cover her face, a gesture of shame. "I just wanted this to be done with. After losing Pink, I've had enough death, enough lives lost for no reason." Her own voice choked up at the mention of her own loss, and Steven felt a fresh wave of guilt as he remembered it was his mother who had taken Pink Diamond from her.
Another hour or passed, the two sitting in a preoccupied silence. He wanted so badly to make things right, to help the Gems escape, to make some other kind of deal, but he had nothing left to offer. He was going to die in a few hours, and that would be it. If any of them survived the crash, their ship was destroyed, so it's not like they could turn back now. They would stay here until they were caught and eventually killed, too. Yellow Diamond probably, or maybe White Diamond, would make sure of that.
Blue Diamond interrupted his thoughts when she delicately lifted him up closer to her face. "I'm afraid I have to go, Steven. I won't see you again until, well, tomorrow. But I'm glad we had this time together. Pink would have liked you." She gently laid a giant finger against his hair, rubbing it softly. It was nice, a comforting goodbye.
"If she was anything like you, I bet I would have liked her too." He managed a sad smile and she set him down on the massive blue couch, turning to leave. Blue Diamond returned the smile, although it was for a very different reason, and she left the room.
It was quiet again and he was alone, so he laid down and traced the outline of his gemstone absently, thinking.
Maybe Peridot will find herself a new pair of limb enhancers while she's here, that would be nice. And it sounded like Dani will be okay. I guess I get it now… Steven found himself thinking of Garnet's story, the day she first formed in front of Blue Diamond. Shattering seemed like a severe consequence for accidental fusion (a thought he typically tried to avoid at all costs anymore), but now he thought he understood. It seemed like she, Blue Diamond, was just trying to keep order. How could he blame her for that? Sapphire and Ruby didn't mean to fuse, and that's how Mom and Pearl escaped. She was probably just mad that the war had to continue, that more people had to die. I would have been mad too… so close to putting it all behind you, only for everything to change.
He let out a low exhale and tried to ignore the ache of his head and his stomach. Steven studied the ceiling as he thought hard, mulling over the possibilities. There was nothing else he could offer to the Diamonds; they already had his life. They had taken everything – his friends, his freedom, even his blood, sweat and tears. Was there anything, anything at all he could offer them?
He thought and thought for what felt like hours, coming up empty, all three of their voices swirling in his mind.
You're a paradox… Tell me, what do you know about the war?... I've had enough, you're my prisoner now… I'm sorry, Steven… Kill her, Steven… You're a plight, a mistake… What is harder, a mother losing their child, or a child losing their mother? Pink would have liked you… You are special, Steven… You're the opposite… I did what I could, you did what you could… Do you think your mother was a hero?... A mark of the lowest run of our race… Steven, you are the key.
"Ugh." Pushing his palms into his closed eyes, he tried his best to force away his horrible images that rose to his mind. What did it all mean? It all felt like it had to mean something, but he was just coming up with knots in his stomach and tears in his eyes. He didn't feel special, he didn't feel like he had done anything but lead his friends and family straight to the Diamonds.