On Blue Diamond's ship, locked up tight in their cell, Rhodonite paces while the others watch. She can't stay still, nervous energy buzzes through her form. All that effort to escape; mustering up every ounce of courage, for her and the others, all for nothing! Now they're being taken right back to Homeworld where she'll be split up and shattered alongside her friends.
"This isn't fair." One of the Rutile twins, the one with the dark stripe on her half of their uniform, huffs.
The other, with the red stripe, hugs her other half, "We were so close too..."
"It- wiiill all be- ookaay." Fluorite says, laying her large body around the group. Rhodonite stops pacing and slowly scans her eyes over her dear friends. If she's going to be shattered she's at least grateful to have met these wonderful gems. She joins the group, leaning gratefully against the comfort Fluorite offers.
Padparadscha says quietly, "Don't worry."
They huddle together like that for the rest of the trip back to Homeworld, to face punishment. A sudden slight shifting of the ship as it enters a planet's atmosphere alerts them to their arrival. Shortly after, the entrance to the room their cell is in opens, revealing a small group of Amethyst soldiers and, to the group's surprise, a Pink Pearl with a large crack on her face. They all stand as the Amethysts step forward, presumably to use the panel on the side of their cell to activate its hover capabilities, to then parade them in front of all the gems outside, one last humiliation before their ultimate punishment.
Instead the cell's destabilization field is deactivated, the metal base sliding out from under them, dumping them unceremoniously onto the floor. The thin metal that made up the cell's floor folds into a small cube. An Amethyst picks it up, examines the object then tosses it over her shoulder to land with a clink in a corner. The Pink Pearl frowns at her blatant disrespect for valuable technology, the technicians who designed such an intricate prison cell would lose their minds if they knew what she did. She then steps forward with a smile.
"Please don't try to escape." she says quietly as the small group of Amethysts close in around them.
Next thing they know, they're engulfed in a giant pink bubble and being carried to who knows where. Rhodonite shares a glance with the others, though Padparadscha stands with her hands clasped together, appearing oblivious though they know she is plenty aware. A short ride later the bubble lands and releases them. The amethysts spread out around them in a formation clearly meant to prevent their escape, but giving them some breathing room. Testing them perhaps, daring them to attempt an escape and provide their captors with the perfect excuse to shatter them on the spot.
"Follow me please." The pink pearl states before turning on her heel and demurely leading them up to a large pink colored gate. Fluorite gives a small gasp when they realize where they're being led.
"Pink Diamond's Palace." Padparadscha states a moment later.
A few of the Amethysts smile at them, but remain in formation, to escort the prisoners. Pink Diamond's palace, while much smaller than the other diamonds' is still designed for the largest of the gems' comfort. So it's still massive to them. Surrounded by pink metal walls, there isn't much visible beyond a few tall pink towers, spotted with large windows with curtains of white blue and yellow billowing in the breeze, peeking over the top. It's also the only palace with such tall walls surrounding the building. Only a diamond or a gem capable of flight could possibly see over it. A near invisible shimmer of a yellow-tinged dome starts at the top of the wall and covers the entire palace. The group of prisoners all come to the same conclusion at once: this is why they were brought here. This palace is practically a fortress, they could never hope to escape. Their offense must have been deemed so severe that they need to be guarded by a diamond!
As they approach, the gates slide open silently, Two Amethysts remain outside to guard the gate while the rest continue inside.
"Woah!" The Rutile twins gasp, "Wow!"
The last thing the group of prisoners had expected to see on the other side was a lush organic garden, filled with flowering plants and flowing water. As far as the eye could see is green foliage, a sweet scent from the various flowers filling the air. None of them had ever seen anything like it before. Homeworld despises all things organic more than it despises off colors themselves, and yet, here is an area large enough for hundreds of gems to fit comfortably, positively filled with organic life.
All but two of the remaining Amethysts spread out. The off colors watch, wide-eyed, as one turns on her heels, holds out her arms and simply falls into a soft looking leafy bush with a sigh. The rest either make themselves comfortable on the textured green ground or disappear into the palace through some smaller side doors. What on Homeworld is going on!?
A giggle draws their attention back to the pink pearl. "This way please." she says.
They follow behind her jaws dropping and heads turning this way and that, looking at all the colors. From the outside it looks just like the other palaces, a single cold metallic color, but inside the wall it's alive with colors and shades. She leads them into the palace itself, through the large main entrance into an equally massive hall. The inside is just as colorful as the grounds. The hallways the pink pearl leads them through are decorated in tapestries of many different shades. A beautiful chaotic kaleidoscope, as if a spinel had been set loose to decorate without restraint. She shows them all to a set of double doors and ushers them inside, the remaining two amethysts stay out to guard them.
Inside the spacious room the prisoners stand, frozen with confusion. In the center of the room stands the small gem from their impromptu trial who'd asked them that strange question. The one Padparadscha had called Pink Diamond.
Padparadscha suddenly exclaims, "I predict we will enter a room where Pink Diamond will be waiting! How mysterious!"
She'd said something similar at the trial…
"Pink?" one Rutile twin states, "Diamond?" the other finishes.
"Actually call me Steven! It's nice to meet you!"
Rhodonite thought she might unfuse and dissipate from stress.
After their discussion in the palanquin, Blue piloted her ship back to Homeworld.
"Why don't you have the amethysts and your pearl bring those off colors to your palace for now. You can meet them there and once you've got them settled come meet us in the throne room."
Steven nodded and hopped down to give Peony and the amethysts on rotation to "guard" his palace today, instructions. He uses the term guard loosely since usually they're just relaxing or sparring on the grounds. Some of the amethysts are even from the Zoo and love being able to relax among the plants and grass! They and Peony are really the only official members of his court right now. He and the diamonds haven't quite figured that part out yet. On top of Blue, Yellow and White's duties, and his lessons, there simply hasn't been much time to spare.
He heads to the tower Dark Pink Pearl chose to stay in. He gave her free reign of the palace and grounds but mostly she chooses to stay in her room. She's very timid and though she's come out of her shell some she still rarely speaks, almost as if she's afraid he'll discard her like Pyrope did if she says or does the wrong thing. Steven could never do that, he's told her she's not some toy or tool to be used and tossed away, she's got thoughts and feelings of her own, just like he does, but it hasn't quite sunk in yet. At least she gets along well with Peony and seems beloved by the pebbles. She'll get there, he reminds himself, it took Peridot weeks to even begin to understand her own worth outside her "purpose", and even longer for it to really click for her. Plus with Peridot he had the help of Amethyst, Garnet and Pearl to show her the freedom of just being herself.
Steven stops just outside the doors to the tower, that sense of homesickness hitting him again as he thinks about his family back on Earth. It doesn't happen as often as it did those first initial days, but it still hits him hard. It leaves him with a sick feeling in his stomach, his throat closes up and all he wants to do is curl up and cry. He did that a lot early on. Peony would often rub his back soothingly while he cried himself to sleep. She and the pebbles have been a huge help in his adjustment to Homeworld, comforting him when he needed it. They even designed and made him a bunch of new clothes. They'd noticed he would sometimes shiver in the cool air. They'd made him several warm sweaters and thick pants, though all designed to show off his gem, and all in shades of pink and white. His absolute favorite is a scarf they made out of his star shirt. It doesn't really match anything he wears out in public, but he loves it nonetheless, and wears, or even snuggles with it, whenever the homesickness hits him hard. The cloth still holds a slight hint of the scent of salty sea air and sunshine. The scent of home.
He takes a deep breath and shakes his head lightly. He shouldn't be daydreaming, instead he should be focusing on the here and now. He's working hard and has to keep working hard. Someday soon he'll be able to go home, the diamonds will help him heal the corrupted gems and everything will be okay.
In the tower he finds Dark Pink Pearl and explains the situation to her. With her help they pick out a set of rooms for the off colors to stay in, all on the same floor and, with a little help from the pebbles, connected by adjoining doors so they won't feel cut off from each other. Dark Pink Pearl has a great eye for architecture he's noticed, working well with the pebbles to make beautiful designs on the doors. Each door is designed custom, colors matching each gem. The giant caterpillar fusion has a large rainbow colored door, the four armed fusion's having swirls of pinks and reds mixed together, a maroon and red split door for the strange not-fusion, and a smaller orange and white door for the cute little orange gem Once they're satisfied they go back to the towers main floor to greet Peony and the off colors.
He wonders what gem types they're all made of, and what the fusions call themselves. So new and exciting, he can barely contain himself.
The group of gems stares silently at Steven and Dark Pink Pearl. Peony smiles, holding in her giggles at the group's dumbfounded faces. She demurely marches over to her diamond as he practically bounces in place.
"What're your names?" He asks.
Shaking, practically falling apart at the seams, Rhodonite steps forward. A part of her wants to demand answers, another part wants to protect her friends, and both parts want to collapse and cower before this unassuming diamond.
"R-Rhodonite… my…diamond…" Wringing together her thinner pair of hands, she awkwardly performs the diamond salute with the other pair.
Following her lead the twins step up next to her, performing the salute as well. The red with dark stripes starts, "We are-"
"Rutile," The dark with red stripes continues.
"My diamond." They finish together.
"Fluorrrrite… My diiiiamond."
Steven can't hold back his bouncing anymore. He hops and floats over to the frightened gems, stars sparkling in his eyes as he circles Rhodonite and Rutile.
"You're all so cool looking! Rutile are you a fusion? What happened? Rhodonite what gems are you a fusion of? One looks like a pearl, the other… a Ruby maybe? I'm still learning how to identify gems at a glance. You're gorgeous though! I love your hair!" He gasps, "Fluorite I can tell you're a fusion but how many gems are you? You're huge and amazing!"
Rhodonite reels, a strange dizzy sensation in her gems as if she's spinning out of control in the vacuum of space. She's utterly overwhelmed by the questions and… compliments? She's never heard a compliment about her before. Why would anyone compliment her? Why would a diamond compliment any of them!? Is it a trap? It's gotta be a trap!
"We're… not a fusion." Red Rutile twin starts,
"We're just a Rutile that came out," Dark Rutile continues,
"Wrong…" They finish sadly together.
Steven halts his excited rambling, finally taking notice of just how uncomfortable they are. They must've all been through something awful, for a long time, to still be so scared.
He starts to say something, anything to comfort them, ease their fears, "Oh, uh-"
"I'm Padparadscha!" The small orange gem steps forward, a bright smile on her face.
The other off colors tense. Padparadscha just interrupted a diamond!
"You-" Steven turns to her.
"We're cracked." Rhodonite mutters.
"You're so cute!"
Steven squishes his cheeks together and rushes over to Padparadscha. She's his height, standing demurely, perfectly content to let him gush over her.
"I love your dress! How come you didn't answer right away? You did something similar on that colony too, how come?"
"Uh-Um… my diamond?"
"Yeah?" He turns to Rhodonite.
"P-Padparadscha is an orange sapphire. She can only predict events that just happened."
"Ooooh! Cool!"
"C-cool?" She, Rutile and Fluorite all share a confused glance. What does the ambient temperature have to do with anything?
"Yeah! You're all really cool! Super unique!" He turns to Padparadscha, "Can I hug you? I really want to, but I won't if you don't want me to."
Silence. Padparadscha doesn't really move for a few moments, making Steven concerned he'd said something wrong again. He's trying really hard to control himself and ease their worries, but this little gem is just so cute he couldn't contain himself. He's sure these gems aren't used to anyone, let alone a diamond, asking their permission… Hopefully he didn't make things worse.
"... Yes!" She finally says, a small grin gracing her face.
Steven cheers and wraps his arms around her, holding her tight. The others stare, though he does notice Fluorite out of the corner of his eyes relaxing a little, lowering herself closer to the floor to look more closely at him.
"Ahem, my diamond?" Peony clears her throat, getting his attention, "You still have that meeting with the other diamonds."
"O-oh yeah!" He'd completely forgotten in his excitement!
"Okay, Pearl here," he gestures to Dark Pink Pearl, "Will show you to the rooms we've set up for you, while Peony and I head to that meeting."
"Rooms?" The twins echo.
Steven rushes to the door with Peony following behind him, "Yeah! You guys are gonna stay here for now. I've got to iron out a few things, but don't worry!"
"W-wait!" Rhodonite calls, causing Steven to turn before the doors close behind him "We're… not going to be sh-shattered?"
"Stars no!" Steven marches back over to Rhodonite, wrapping his arms around her legs, "You're safe here. I promise."
The off colors watch him leave, confusion and uncertainty in their eyes.
After the doors close Padparadscha waves goodbye excitedly.
"What do you mean he wants to save a group of Off Colors!? He actually wants to keep them?" Yellow exclaims after Blue explains the situation to her and White.
"He feels a sort of kinship with them, believing himself to be an off color as well. Once he's gotten them safely in his palace he will join us to discuss it further." Blue states.
Yellow was always the more tolerant of them when it came to defective gems. Especially as resources on Homeworld dwindled and more gems emerged defective in some way. She worked hard with Peridots, Selenites, and even a few Bismuths to design the limb enhancers widely used by gems today, tailoring each set to the gem type they were meant for. Lighter, more technological sets for gems like Peridots, and heavier, more durable sets for soldiers like Amethysts and Jaspers. Despite that, they all had a mutual dislike for cross gem fusions, and off colors with more… extreme deficiencies. Though Blue must admit, Steven's argument may have softened her opinion some, and after relaying Steven's earlier statements, she can tell the same is occurring for her fellow diamonds. Somehow this small young diamond is changing their minds. Even White's, who's rules and standards have remained unchanged since the dawn of their empire.
Yellow rests her chin on her hand and huffs as she contemplates, White sits prim and proper, a thoughtful look in her eye, while Blue shifts a bit to make herself more comfortable. They wait in silence for their young diamond. Before long the throne room doors open, revealing Steven and his pearl. He gives them all a shy smile and floats his way gracefully to his throne. After making sure they're relatively alone, he climbs onto the back of the throne to perch on top, so he can see them all more easily.
"Well, it seems we need to discuss something." Yellow starts.
Worried he's about to be scolded Steven speaks up right away, "I'm aware you don't approve of off color gems and fusions, but I can't stand by and allow them be shattered simply for existing." The three older diamonds remain silent, so he keeps his head up, eyes forward and continues.
"This group specifically, weren't trying to hurt anyone. They wanted to live without fear of being hunted. Yes they broke the law, stealing a ship and trying to steal fuel, but they didn't fight and didn't hurt anyone when they were caught. That means something. They're good gems, I can tell." He looks at each diamond in turn, their faces unreadable. Until White shifts and leans closer to him.
"Are you willing to take responsibility for them?"
Steven holds himself back from impulsively answering yes. Instead he thinks about the gems in his palace, making themselves comfortable. Rhodonite, a fusion, terrified of being shattered but desperate to protect her friends in spite of her fears. Fluorite, a massive fusion, slow to speak but observant and likely hiding a sharp mind. Rutile, a gem split partially in two, two minds, two voices, one gem who never has to be lonely. Then there's Padparadscha, the orange sapphire, only able to predict what has already happened, but still optimistic and cheerful. He's only just met them, but he can't wait to get to know them better.
"Yes." He locks eyes with White as he answers.
She leans back, a smile on her face. Glancing around he sees Yellow and Blue, pride gleaming in their eyes. They're proud of him. Back on Earth he remembers whenever he did well that the gems were proud of him, but they didn't often show it, not as openly as the diamonds are right now. Warmth blooms in his chest, he misses his family dearly, but he can't hide the joy and love he feels for his fellow diamonds.
Blue and Yellow both share some thoughts; that he's so much like Pink. So full of love and joy and wanting to share it with others, but also so different. He's respectful, yet firm in what he wants, he doesn't yell and stomp his feet when he doesn't get his way, instead he stands strong and unyielding until they listen. He's like her, yet so very different. That difference alone has made it difficult for them to say no to him. When he wanted to start growing organic life on Homeworld, they had originally adamantly said no, however he insisted over and over again. Explaining his thoughts, and logic to them until finally they relented, compromising by allowing him to have the grounds of his palace filled with soil and organic material.
"Very well then!" White claps her hands loudly, "I believe that solves the question of your court Steven."
Blue and Yellow gasp, following White's train of thought, while Steven is left confused for a moment.
"We shall make an announcement. Any gems considered, or who believe themselves to be, off color, shall be assigned to Steven Diamond's court. The gems forced to stay in the zoo are henceforth a part of Steven's court as well. Now this is to say, these gems will still be expected to contribute to our empire in some way. We shall have extensive testing done to help find the position that best suits the individual." White declares. She then leans forward to Steven again, and says more quietly, "We will allow the decision to join your court, or not, up to the individual gem. After all, we are trying to avoid dissent among the masses. Forcing so many gems used to, and content with, their roles to suddenly change them and answer to someone new, would be asking for trouble. We must handle this with care."
Steven can't keep the massive grin off his face. His own court, a safe haven for gems who used to be considered wrong. He knows, going forward, there will be more bumps in the road. After all, a group of era 1 peridots will struggle to accept having to work with a jasper in the technician roles, even if she's just as intelligent and good with tech as they are. There's going to be hiccups and lots more work to do, but he's that much closer to helping the gems, and healing the corrupted gems on Earth. The next step will be getting his new court organized and settled, then he can address the corruption and go back to Earth with the diamonds. He's so excited for what the future may hold.