Benched
When Peridot arrived with Jasper, she saw that Steven was now comforting Pearl, while Amethyst was busy keeping Ruby and Sapphire calm, the three gems chatting about this and that till they spotted Peridot, who walked over and spoke to them.
“Ok, Sapphire, Ruby, I am going to need you to try and fuse again, that way I can get some data and see if we can piece together what drove you two apart ok?”
They both nodded, then tried to fuse as Peridot activated her scanner, the gem gathering all the data she needed as the fusion almost solidified, before falling apart and causing the two to fall down again.
“OK, lets see,” said Peridot, going over the data before sighing as she spoke. “It’s as I thought, Garnet doesn't want to accept the fact that she sired Pearl’s geodes, and has essentially forced you two to unfuse.”
“But why?”
“My best guess,” said Peridot, “I….I honestly don’t know, but it has to be because of one of you.”
“I see,” said Sapphire, the gem sighing before raising her voice. “Everyone, could you gather around please?”
Everyone gathered around and sat down, Sapphire sighing again before speaking. “Ok, it seems that we have some issues to work out between each other, so until we can figure out what is preventing us from fusing, Garnet will have to remain benched.”
This caused gasps from Steven and Amethyst, but Sapphire continued despite this. “Due to this, Jasper, Lapis, you will have to begin helping out the team, for while Ruby is capable of fighting, the team is going to be severely weakened due to Garnet’s absence. Also Pearl, till the geodes are born and have hatched, you are hereby suspended from going on missions.”
“WHAT!!” yelled Pearl, “Sapphire you can't do that, I’m….”
“Yes I can Pearl,” said Sapphire calmly, “Like it or not I am leader of this team…”
“Ahem?”
“Oh,” said Sapphire with a blush, “sorry Ruby. Anyways, myself and Ruby are the leaders of this team, and I feel it would be best for you if you stayed here at the base till the geodes are born.”
“But Sapphire I can still fight, surely it would be better if….”
“I know you can still fight Pearl, but you have to think about the safety of the geodes. If your abdomen gets struck during a fight, it could kill one or all of them, so till they are born, you are suspended from missions, end of discussion.”
She then turned to Ruby, patting her on the shoulder before speaking. “Ruby, you, Jasper and Peridot are going to begin construction of a platform which will be built on the remaining hand of the Temple.”
“Um….Why?” asked Peridot, looking confused.
“Because we’re going to move the barn here.”
Immediately the entire house exploded with noise, but Sapphire silenced it by slamming her foot down, causing it to shake as she spoke. “Look, Jasper and Lapis are already going to be over here constantly working on missions with us, and Peridot is going to have to be over here constantly to check on the status of the Geodes, it would make more sense to move the barn here so you can live with us.”
“But what about the farm?” asked Peridot, “it’s really fun!”
“We can transplant the farm as well,” said Sapphire, “but this is happening, so let's get to work.”
Everyone hesitated, then Jasper got moving, saying she was going to find some lumber to purchase, while Ruby followed suit, grabbing some money along the way.
When they were gone, Peridot moved over to Pearl, her scanner active as she spoke. “Pearl, if you feel up to it, I would like to scan to see what kind of gems are growing in there...ok?”
Pearl nodded, but before Peridot could do anything, Steven spoke up. “Wait, can I ask a question first?”
“Um,” said Peridot, “ok Steven, what do you want to know?”
“How big are baby gem’s when their born?”
Peridot smiled at that, “They usually are about the size of Jasper’s palm, really tiny little things...oh that brings back memories.”
“What do you mean by that,” said Pearl, looking concerned.
“Well,” said Peridot as she began running her scans, “You’re looking at the proud sire of over sixty gemlings, oh the little dears were so cute! I remember each little one like it was yester….”
Suddenly her scanner beeped, Peridot looking at it before whistling as she spoke, “Oh wow, that is really surprising.”
“What is it?”
“Well,” said Peridot, “you not only have a Ruby, a Sapphire, and a Pearl growing in here, but you also have a Garnet, a Sardonyx, a Cinnabar, and a Tanzanite growing inside you, very surprising indeed.”
“Why?”
“Well for one, it shows that the gems produced by your fusions can also be made by mating two different gems together. But besides that, there is the fact that you are carrying this many in the first place, because normally, Pearl’s are not able to carry this many geodes at a time.”
“Really...wait, does that mean I’m in danger?”
“Far from it,” said Peridot with a smile, “it seems you were made to be able to handle this many, maybe even more, though I cannot fathom why. As I said, by the time you were made producing gem’s this way was pretty much obsolete….can you think of any reason why your former owner would want this feature?”
“I...I don't know, I can't fathom why White Diamond...would…….”
She froze, looking over at Steven, who was looking at her in shock, and then she jumped as she heard something crash to the ground, turning to see Amethyst staring at her in shock as well as she spoke. “Wait, you….you belonged to White Diamond?”
Pearl nodded, “Yes Amethyst, I...I belonged to her….”
“Well then that just adds more mysteries,” said Peridot, “I mean why the hell would White Diamond want a pearl that could carry extra geodes, I mean it wasn’t like she was planning to breed you.”
Pearl almost agreed, but then something surfaced from deep with her memories, a conversation she had had with White Diamond long ago which suddenly made a lot more sense. “M….maybe she was?”
“What?”
“Wh...White Diamond once had a conversation with me, saying that one day, she was going to ask me to do something with her, something that I wouldn't entirely understand, but I would be required to obey. Then she leaned in close and whispered into my ear, saying that one day we would be closer than ever, and then…..and then she kissed me on the gem and left.”
There was silence for a long moment, and then Peridot spoke. “Pearl, you're making it sound like...like….”
“Like White Diamond intended to mate with me….”
Silence fell again, Steven looking between the two of them till finally he spoke up. “Um...I may be reading this wrong here, but the way you guys are talking, White Diamond wanting to...um….mate with Pearl sounds like a bad thing?”
“It is Steven,” said Peridot with a scowl, “Steven the gems of Homeworld view the Diamonds as next to the gods of your earth, if anyone found out White Diamond was having such desires, especially towards her Pearl, it would cause mass hysteria amongst the gems, heck for all I know it might cause a war.”
“Wow, its that bad?”
“Yes it is Steven,” said Peridot, “....but let's get back on topic. From what my scans show, you have been carrying for two months, so it will be one more month before you begin showing, and then three more months till they are ready to leave your body. Once that’s done, they should hatch within a few days, and then you’ll have seven little gemlings running around the house, oh this will be so exciting!”
Pearl gave her a look, but just as she was about to speak, Jasper walked into the house, whistling to get Peridot’s attention as she waved. “Come on, we got the lumber, and some tools, so we should get to work right away.”
Peridot nodded, getting up before placing a hand on Pearl’s shoulder and speaking. “I’ll be back soon, I want to run a few more scans, then we can begin working on your nest!”
She then ran out the door, silence hanging in the room for a long moment before Pearl suddenly spoke, “Wait, what nest!”