(Author's Note: Apologies for the unofficial hiatus, was busy with other projects.)
Moon Base, Earth's Moon
The warp pad within the base shined brightly, lighting up its semi dark interior as Chromus and Spinel appeared a few moments later.
"We're here." Chromus said
Spinel gazed around, her eyes wide with wonder as she took in the sight of the lunar base, despite it being a bit dark inside.
"This... this is incredible!" Spinel exclaimed, her voice echoing softly in the sterile environment of the base.
She looked up to see an artistic mural of each diamond on the walls as she spun her head to see every last one of them.
Blue Diamond, Yellow Diamond, White Diamond, and Pink Diamond.
"Glad you like it but this is just the beginning." Chromus said, waving at her. "There are far more things to explore if you want.
Spinel unwound her head and nodded quickly to Chromus, wanting to see more of the moon base. The taller gem lead Spinel to the side stairs, allowing them to walk up to the upper floors of the base.
As they ascended the stairs, Spinel couldn't help but marvel at the advanced technology and intricate designs that adorned the walls. The steps were made of a sleek, reflective material that seemed to shimmer with each step they took. The walls were lined with glowing panels displaying various holographic data and images of the cosmos.
When they reached the upper floor, Chromus led Spinel into a large, open room filled with sophisticated equipment and consoles. In the center of the room stood a large, circular table with a holographic projection of the Earth and its moon rotating above it. The projection was incredibly detailed, showing weather patterns, topography, and gem-made structures.
"This is our control center," Chromus explained. "From here, we monitor everything happening on Earth"
"Wow! So this is Pink's planet!" Spinel said, looking over the hologram of Earth and looking up to the see-through roof of the base.
"Yes, it's always breath taking when you see it for the first time, right?" Chromus asked.
"Yeah, it is." Spinel said before frowning a bit. "Even better than when Pink was told about it by Yellow and Blue."
'So, she was around before Pink was given Earth.' Chromus thought.
The newly born gem was thinking on what to say and show Spinel to keep her in a good mood.
"Spinel, would you like to see some of Earth's terrain?" Chromus asked.
"We can see if from here?" Spinel asked.
"Of course. Watch." Chromus said, walking to the control.
'I've seen Pink do this. Can't be that hard.' He thought.
He sat down in the main chair and then put his hands into what seemed to be two holes in the control room console with inner workings and suddenly his one singular eye glowed with information flowing into him!
"Whoa…" Chromus said in awe from the information rush.
It took a few moments to get used to the sensation but he could get the hang of it after a few tweeks here and there.
"Alright, Spinel, look at this." Chromus said as he moved his hands, making a holographic screen appear and show a first person view of Earth.
"Whoa..." Spinel said as Chromus showed different parts of the planet to her, beautiful scenaries from parts of nature left untouched, to some constructions being made by the bismuths and even animals that were always there.
"Beautiful, is it not?" Chromus asked, smiling.
"Yeah, it is." Spinel said, slowly reaching out to touch a "plant" but her hand went right through.
"Sorry that you cant really feel them from here, but soon enough you will be able to go there." He said.
"Oh, okay." Spinel said as she pulled her hand back. "I can't wait!"
She smiled brightly at Chromus before it suddenly withered away, looking down a bit.
"Is something wrong?" Chromes asked.
"……Can you show her to me?" Spinel asked, gazing up to him. "Can you…………Can you show me Pink?"
Chromus frowned, there was that feeling in his nonexistent gut that he was not sure if doing this was a good idea,but what should he say? That doing that right now was not the best course of action? It would look suspicious.
"I can take a look and see if she is not busy." He said to Spinel.
Focusing on the controls, Chromus changed the holographic image to the location of Pink's base on Earth.
Spinel's eyes widened with anticipation and a hint of nervousness. Chromus could sense her anxiety and tried to soothe her with a calm, reassuring voice.
"Don't worry, Spinel. Pink will be delighted to see you." Chromus said.
As the image stabilized, it focused on the main courtyard where Pink Diamond could be seen interacting with several other gems, her laughter and light-hearted demeanor unmistakable. She was surrounded by her entourage,busy attending to various tasks.
"There she is." Chromus said softly, pointing to Pink Diamond, who was radiant and full of life.
Spinel's face lit up at the sight of her beloved Pink.
"Oh, Pink! She looks so happy," she whispered, her voice tinged with emotion.
'Just like when we used to play together.' Spinel thought with a tear in her eye.
"Something wrong?" Chromus asked.asked.
"I-It's just been so long since I've seen Pink. And even if it's a hologram, it's so good to see her again." Spinel said, wiping her tear away.
Chromus stayed quiet for a moment.
"Yes, I understand." He said before getting up. "Could you wait for me here for a few moments until I make everything ready?"
Spinel flinched at the word "wait" before she calmed herself down. She had waited thousands of years to see Pink again after playing their "game", it shouldn't be that hard to wait just a few moments more.
Right?
"O-Of course, Chromy. I can wait." Spinel said, holding her hands with a nod.
'Chromy?' Chromus thought, confused by this new name for him but he liked it.
With a chuckle, he ruffs her hair before giving a thumbs up to her.
"I wont take to long...Spiny." He said, giving her a nickname as well.
Spinel was surprised by this before she giggled, liking this nickname and assuming he liked hers as well.
Chromus left Spinel in the control room, giving her one last reassuring smile before heading towards another part of the moon base. He moved quickly through the corridors, his mind racing with the task ahead. He had to prepare for Spinel's reunion with Pink, but he also needed to make sure everything was perfect. He couldn't afford any mistakes, not with Spinel's fragile state of mind.
He entered a smaller, more secluded room filled with various communication devices and holographic projectors. Taking a deep breath, he accessed the main console and initiated a secure communication channel to Pink Diamond's base on Earth. It took a few moments, but soon, the familiar figure of Pink Diamond appeared on the screen, her playful smile lighting up the room.
"Chromus! What a surprise!" Pink greeted, her voice cheerful. "What can I do for you?"
"Hello, Pink." Chromus began, his tone calm but urgent. "I have someone here who is very eager to see you."
"Oh, that's wonderful! Who is it?" Pink asked before looking around. "Wait, where are you, Chromus? You disappeared in the warp stream and Shard has been worried sick."
"Ah! Yes...that did happen right? Sorry, so many things happened after that I forgot to tell him i was fine, but that can wait for another moment." Chromus explained.
"I suppose but I will be telling Shard about this. He'll be so relieved to know you're alright." Pink Diamond said.
"No worries, Pink. I'll tell him but I really want to know if you can come to me now if possible." Chromus said.
"Come to you? Where exactly?" Pink asked.
"To the moon base if that's fine." Chromus asked.
He could not tell it at first but something told Chromus that this meeting was not going to go as expected.
"The moon base?! Wow, how you ended up all the way there is behind me but I can make it easily. I'll even bring Shard too if he isn't busy." Pink said with a smile.
"Sure." Chromus said.
"Great! I'll be there as soon as possible! Don't go anywhere." Pink said as a joke before the communication ended.
'I better go check on Spinel and make sure she's ready.' Chromus thought.
Hopefuly this meeting was not going to be too weird, a gut feeling telling him that this was not something that simple as forgetting a friend.
Chromus returned to the room, only to hear the sound of crying, and looked around to see Spinel sitting in a corner and holding herself.
"Spinel?" He asked, approaching her as she jolted. "What's-"
Suddenly, she jumped to him with her arms out and hugged him tightly as he stumbled.
"Where did you go?! Why didn't you say anything?! W-Why did you leave me alone?" She asked, crying into his shoulder.
"S-Spinel calm down, I was gone for a few minutes and I told you where I was didnt I?" He said, trying to calm her down by returning the hug and patting her back.
"Y-You said a few moments. Not minutes." Spinel said.
"I see but even so, you don't have to worry. I promise, you won't be along evened again." Chromus said.
It took some time but Spinel felt comfortable enough to let go of him, before drying her tears.
"I'm sorry." Spinel whispered.
"No, it's alright, Spinel. I should've realized that being left alone for so long, it would leave you starved for connection." Chromus said before taking a knee. "Once we get to Earth, I promise you will have more friends than you could've imagined. You won't be alone ever again."
"...Thank you. That means a lot..." She said as she rubbed her arm, not sure what face to make.
Humming a bit, Chromus turned back to the console as an idea came to his mind.
"Would you like to see more of Earth while we wait?" He asked gently.
"YEAH!" Spinel said, excitedly wanting to see more of this world with her new friend.
The innocent light in her eyes returned as Chromus smiled, allowing him to rise to his feet and guide her back to the main console.
Hopefully, Spinel will smile more when they get to Earth. Despite whatever Pink says or decides after seeing her again.
An hour passed as Chromus and Spinel continued to explore the beauty of Earth through the holographic projections. Spinel's eyes sparkled with each new scene, from vast oceans to lush forests, and Chromus felt a sense of relief seeing her so captivated. They spent what felt like hours marveling at the different landscapes and discussing the various gems and structures that adorned Pink Diamond's planet.
"Look at those mountains, Chromy! They're so high! Do you think we can go there?" Spinel asked, her voice filled with awe.
"Of course, Spinel. When we get to Earth, we can explore all these places together," Chromus reassured her, enjoying the enthusiasm that radiated from her.
Their moment was interrupted by a soft chime indicating an incoming warp. Chromus turned to Spinel, who had a mix of excitement and nervousness in her eyes.
"That must be Pink," Chromus said gently. "Ready to see her?"
Spinel held her hands nervously, looking over herself to see she was still a bit dirty with tattered clothes. But even so, she had to do this. She HAD to confront her best friend about why she abandoned her.
Chromus took her hand and led her to the main warp pad just as the shimmering light of the warp stream began to fade, revealing Pink Diamond and a green, bulky gem beside her. Shard.
"Brother! There you are!" Shard said, feeling such relief that his brother was alright.
"Hello, brother. Sorry for not communicating sooner, I was a bit busy." Chromus said.
"Busy with what?" Shard asked as Pink looked curious as well.
Chromus sheepishly chuckled a bit as he points at Spinel
"My...new friend." He said.
"A gem?" Shard said in surprise, having never seen this gem before.
"Spinel?!" Pink said in shock.
Spinel felt nervous like the whole planet stared down at her and waiting for a funny trick, before nervously smiling.
"H-Hey." She let out.
"Oh? Who is this?" Shard asked, having never seen this kind of gem before.
"I found her on my little side trip." Chromus said.
Shard moved closer and took a knee before Spinel, making her flinch a bit before she smiled at him.
"H-Hello." She said shyly.
"Greetings, Spinel. I don't know if my brother has mentioned me but I am Shard." Shard said, smiling and holding out his hand.
"He did mentioned he had a brother but didn't speak much about you." She simply said.
"That's okay. It's still nice to properly meet you, Spinel." Shard said as they shook hands.
Pink Diamond seemed to be trying hard to keep herself composed for some reason, looking quite nervous.
'No, no, no, NO! How did Chromus transport all the way to the garden?! The Warp Pad shouldn't even be functional anymore!' Pink thought, glancing at Spinel for a moment. 'I have worked too hard to keep my colony in such good shape for her to be there!'
It was like the universe was giving her some sort of cosmic karma for what she had done all this time and it finally returned to bite it.
"Pink?" Chromus asked, bringing her out of her thoughts.
"I-I'm fine. Just surprised is all." Pink said.
Spinel turned to Pink Diamond and gave her a small yet nervous smile, truly happy to see her again but also nervous about what she's going to say to her.
'Say something! Just say SOMETHING!' Pink yelled at herself.
"H-Hello, Spinel." Pink said.
"Hi, Pink. I-I guess this means I loss our game, right?" Spinel said to her.
"Y-Yeah, I guess so." Pink said, glancing away for a bit.
Silence grew between everyone as the gem brothers looked between Pink Diamond and Spinel, wondering just WHAT exactly was going to happen between them since it had to have been hundreds or thousands of years since they last saw each other.
"So...you guys are friends?" Shard asked, looking between them.
"Y-Yes, we are." Pink said with a quick nod, looking at him. "Spinel was a playmate I had a few thousand years. We had a lot of wonderful times."
'A-Are we?' Spinel thought before she took a breath, needing to say something.
"P-Pink, if we're friends, then can you be honest with me?" Spinel asked, trying not to shake as she lowered her head to look at the floor.
"O-Of course I can! How can I not?" Pink said with a nervous smile, looking back at Spinel.
"T-T-Then…….why did you lie to me?" Spinel asked softly before raising her head, showing her tears. "W-Why did you leave me in the garden? Why didn't you take me with you?"
Spinel could be naive sometimes but she was no idiot and even if time seemed to pass by slowly for gems compared to other races, even she could realize that being left alone all this time was not because of a game.
It was because of something else, something Pink refused to tell her all those years ago. Something…..Something that's going to break her heart gem.
Pink let out a sigh as she dropped her smile, feeling mature enough to just spit out the truth and hopefully be done with this already.
"Because…this was my dream. This colony, MY colony, is important than just wasting my time playing with you, Spinel." Pink said, gazing down at Spinel with indifference like a Diamond should. "I didn't have time for a silly playmate anymore, so I made a choice to leave you behind and focus on my colony."
Spinel felt her world shatter at Pink's words. She had hoped for an explanation that would soothe her heart, not this cold dismissal. The tears flowed freely now, each one a testament to the years she had spent waiting, hoping, and believing in her friend.
"I...I understand." Spinel whispered, her voice barely audible.
Her entire being trembled, and she hugged herself tightly, as if trying to hold the pieces of her broken heart together.
Chromus stepped forward, placing a comforting hand on Spinel's shoulder.
"Pink, don't you think that's a bit harsh?" he said gently, but his eye was firm and holding a silent plea for empathy.
Pink Diamond, feeling a pang of guilt despite her attempt to remain composed, looked away.
"It's not that simple, Chromus. I had responsibilities, expectations. I couldn't just—"
"You couldn't just what? Keep a promise to a friend?" Spinel's voice, though still soft, cut through the room like a knife.
She looked up, eyes red and puffy but filled with a newfound determination.
"You promised we'd be together. You said we were friends, and then you just... left me." Spinel said, feeling angry for the first time in her life.
Pink was surprised by this but regained her composure.
"I didn't want to, Spinel. Depending on the circumstances, I had to make a choice." Pink said, shaking her head.
"………If I can give my opinion, my diamond, I think that you made the wrong choice." Chromus said.
Shard was just confused and shocked, looking back and forth between the two of them not knowing what to say.
'I didn't know Pink would just abandon a gem for her colony? Was that really the best decision?' He thought as he looked at his brother. 'And is Chromus wise for such a comment? She is our Diamond after all.'
"I just believe that-that instead of simply lying and leaving,hoping to never deal with it again could have been solved by simply telling her that the time for playing would be less convenient." Chromus said. "She was still there, my Diamond, all this time. Standing still like a statue."
Wondering how Chromus cousl speak to her in such a way. Had she not taken care of him and everyone else on Earth? Why was he so adamant about protecting a gem he's never met?
All of this actually confused Link, making her wonder exactly what she is going to say to deal with both Spinel's return and Chromus' sudden "defiance."
"Wasn't she your first friend?" Chromus said, looking at his Diamond as if it was as clear as day that what she did was wrong and cruel.
"Yes, she was." Pink said, coming out of her shocked state.
"Are there more like her? I dont mean her situation but...her type" Chromus asked.
"I think thats personal no?" Shard asked him.
"No, it's fine, Shard. And no, I'm afraid there aren't anymore Spinels." Pink said, shaking her head. "Her creation was similar to yours and Chromus, one of a kind. There is no other gem like her in all the galaxy."
"If that is the case, my Diamond, how would you feel if you were the only one of your kinds type of gem? Waiting for so long on a place like that, not moving because their first very friend who their existence was made for simply said so? I'm sorry if I sound like im pushing my boundaries but...my core aches for her." Chromus said, his expresion looking pained.
In some way, Shard and Chromus could relate since they were both one of a kind too. There was no other gems like them in the entire gem empire, especially since they were the only "males" in the empire as well.
Spinel felt touched by his words, making her feel warm and embarassed for some reason. It also made her feel protected and safe, something she just…couldn't feel with Pink anymore.
Shard was a bit worried for his brother, he expected their Diamond to get angry at him for acting like he could judge her even if what he heard was true. But instead Pink took a deep breath and calmed down, glancing at Spinel who stuck close to Chromus out of protection.
"………You can do what you want with Spinel but keep out of trouble. If she causes ANY problems in the colony, then I'll take drastic measures." Pink said, turning around to the warp pad.
She then left the moon base, leaving the trio there with a still sad Spinel.
"She used to be so much nicer, but is that what she sees me? A problem maker?" Spinel asked.
"I don't believe so. I don't know you very much, but I know you are not a troublemaker." Shard said, walking to Spinel and patting her back. "Whatever has happened between you and Pink, maybe she just needs time to process this."
Spinel just sighs and stays in the same spot for the time being while looking down.
'Pink isn't my friend anymore but………that's okay.' She thought before she looked up to Chromus, smiling softly. 'I have a new friend.'