Gemlings And You

Amethyst sighed as Pearl and Peridot perused through her junk, both the gems looking for blankets and whatnot to build the nests.

In all honesty, Amethyst didn't really know how to feel about all this, mainly because of the nagging nasty thoughts the revelation brought to her.

“If they could do this….why was I even made, why did they have to try killing the earth…..this option just seems so much better.”

She hadn't realized she had said what she said out loud, but she soon did when she saw both Pearl and Peridot looking at her, Amethyst looking confused a bit before realization struck and she looked away. “I’m sorry, you guys shouldn't have heard that.”

“Amethyst,” said Pearl, “where is this coming from?”

“It’s just…” started Amethyst, only to groan as she rolled over onto her back. “I….I just don't get it, from what I am seeing right now this method is so much safer, so much better for everyone involved. If we have always had this option, why were the kindergartens even made?”

“It was more efficient,” said Peridot, which drew a confused star, so she explained. “Look, race of space faring conquerors, and we always have a demand for warrior gems, but have you ever wondered why that is?”

Amethyst shook her head, so Peridot continued. “Were not the only space faring race out there, and some of them are not all to agreeable to be conquered by us. But the planets they have are rich in resources, so our Diamonds demand that they be conquered, and that takes time and warriors.”

“Wait, how many other races are we fighting exactly?”

“Currently, only one, for all the others have been conquered and exterminated. This one though…..let's just say that they are making it very difficult to get at their planets.”

“If it’s the one I remember, I don't get why we are still trying,” said Pearl. “Their technology is superior to ours, and they have no interest in expanding outside their borders, so they really are no threat.”

“Everyone knows that, but it's not that simple,” said Peridot.

“What do you mean?”

“.....Some time after I was made, they requested that we send an emissary to negotiate a peace treaty, saying that they would be willing to discuss the exchange of resources if hostilities could be stopped. It was something that had never happened before, and something Blue Diamond decided to pursue, despite protests from both Yellow and White Diamond.”

“Wait, Blue Diamond wanted to negotiate for peace, I always knew she liked looking for the less violent solutions, but that is a thing unheard of.”

“I remember saying the same thing,” said Peridot, “....if only it had worked.”

“What happened?”

Peridot hesitated for a long moment, the young gem looking saddened as she finally sighed before speaking. “During the negotiations, a rogue group of the enemy decided to attack, for they did not want anything to do with us. The scuffle was ended shortly, but not before Blue Diamond was….was shattered.”

Pearl gasped, and Amethyst looked horrified, Pearl shaking a bit before speaking. “B….Blue Diamond was shattered?”

Peridot nodded, “Yes, everyone was shocked by the news, but the one who took it the worst was White Diamond. She raged for days, calling for the entire race to be exterminated and their planets to be bombarded from orbit, and wouldn't accept any explanation by the delegates about how they had nothing to do with the attack. This of course caused a rift between Yellow Diamond and White Diamond, because Yellow Diamond actually believed they were not part of it, due to her being in contact with Blue Diamond before the attack. But White Diamond just can't let it go, and with what I know about what happened here on earth….I now know why she can’t let it go.”

Nobody said it out loud, but they all knew what Peridot was talking about. During the time Peridot, Jasper, and Lapis were on the run, they had learned to love the Earth for what it was, so Jasper had suggested an insane idea, contact Yellow Diamond and get her to terminate The Cluster.

So, they had gone to the moon base, using the Diamond Line to get in contact with her, and then they had tried to convince her to terminate the cluster and save the earth. However, the moment they did, Yellow Diamond had begun acting erational, saying that she didn't care about the planet's potential and simply wanted it to die, which was when Jasper had demanded what she had against the earth.

This had resulted in Yellow Diamond begining to yell at Jasper, telling her she should know why she hated the earth. How the Earth was the planet that created Rose Quartz, how the Earth was the planet which started the rebellion, how the Earth was the planet that took Pink Diamond from them.

Jasper had stood their for a long moment in silence, but then she had said that didn't matter, Pink Diamond had loved the planet to, and in her mind's eye, Yellow Diamond was spitting in her memory by wanting it destroyed.

This had pretty much ended the call, Peridot panicking and throwing the communicator out the nearest airlock before it exploded, and then they had set out to join the crystal gems.

“Yellow Diamond didn't want to continue the fight, she said it would be pointless, but White Diamond is too consumed by grief to listen to reason anymore, and in the end, she will probably get out entire race wiped out to sate her anger.”

With that grim statement, she got back to looking for nesting materials, Pearl hesitating a moment before continuing as well, all the while Amethyst watched, the gem waiting for them to finish while she thought of all she had heard.

*

Eventually they had collected enough supplies to build their nests, Pearl and Peridot leaving the room with bundles in their hands, only for Peridot to drop them as she was rushed and grabbed by Lapis, who was purring deep in her throat as she nuzzled into Lapis, “Your back!”

“Lapis,” said Peridot, the gem hugging her mate before looking at her and gasping in shock, “Lapis, your eyes!”

“I know,” said Lapis excitedly, her cat like eyes gleaming bright as she smiled at her, “it’s been so long since they’ve done this, I’m just….so excited!”

“Wait, so you know what’s going on!”

Peridot looked to see Steven, Ruby, Greg, and Connie hiding behind the couch, while Sapphire and Jasper were busy shaking their heads at the sight.

“Greg,” said Pearl, “Connie, what are you doing here?”

“Um, Mister Universe brought me over here,” said Connie. “Then we saw Lapis and how she was looking, and we have sort of been panicking ever since.”

Pearl looked to Sapphire and Jasper, the later chuckling a bit before speaking. “We tried to tell them what was going on, but they wouldn't listen, though that may have been mostly because Lapis cept clawing at the door and yowling?”

That got Peridot’s attention, the gem looking at lapis with a smile on her face, “You were yowling, for me?”

Lapis nodded, so Peridot pulled her in for a kiss, the gems holding it for a moment till they heard throats clear, and looked to see everyone staring at them and a few giggling.

“Ok,” said Greg, “maybe we can get some explanation now, I am really confused by all this.”

They all gathered around and sat down, steven quickly filling Greg and Connie in before looking to Peridot, who sighed before speaking. “Laspis has entered the final stage of Gemling Fever, which is shown in her eyes, as well as her finger and toe nails sharpening into claws. This happened because Lapis Lazuli’s are pre-dispositioned for protecting gemlings, and are often seen hovering around other gem’s nests when not guarding their own.”

“So their like nest guardians?” asked Connie, drawing a confused look from Peridot.

“What?” asked Peridot.

“It’s from the book series Familiar Unfamiliar, there this kind of creature which guards the nests of other animals and protects their young.”

“.....yes, I guess you can say it is similar to that, though the reason for Lapis Lazuli’s developing like this is….well…..”

“It wasn't to uncommon for one gem to decide to destroy another gems clutch,” said Lapis, “and us Lapis Lazuli’s kind of have a thing for gemlings, so we started protecting other gems clutches. I remember this one time when I was younger, I was watching over this Zircon’s clutch when another Zircon came by, one who was neither the sire nor the one who had carried the geodes. She said she had intentions for the one who had made this nest, and therefore these geodes needed to die. I told her no, and we got into a tussle, though in the end I sent her running off with a missing arm and several missing teeth.”

“Eesh, that sounds harsh,” said Greg, before looking to Pearl and speak. “So, you really are having little gem babies….that’s…..that’s good.”

He then sighed, getting up and heading for the door, opening it and leaving, which left anyone confused. Finally though, Pearl got up, following after him as everyone else watched on, and then Connie spoke up.

“So….can I tell my mom about all this?”

*

Pearl eventually caught up with Greg, finding him sitting out on the beach and looking out on the water, her footsteps causing him to look up and then speak. “Oh, hey Pearl….look I know I left kinda suddenly back there but if you don't mind, I would really like to be left alone.”

“I know, but I think we should talk,” said Pearl, sitting next to him and waiting as she watched the waves.

“......why did you guys never tell me you could reproduce like that?”

Pearl looked at him with a smile, her face one of understanding as she spoke. “Would you believe me if I said we didn't know that we could.”

“You know I wouldn’t.”

Pearl laughed at that, “Well you would be partially right. Ruby and Sapphire knew, somehow, but the rest of us did not, and I have know idea why Ruby and Sapphire never said anything.”

“They must have had their reasons, still though, now that this is happening….do you mind if I ask who the father is?”

“Not at all, but….well, the sire was Garnet, it apparently happened when we formed Sardonyx to battle against Amazonite.”

“That was Lapis and Peridot’s fusion wasn't it?”

“Yes,” said Pearl, “I was in heat then….which I am sure you have dealt with when you were with Rose.”

“Don’t remind me, that girl became scary when she was in heat, heck one time she just abducted me a concert once and carried me off to a cave for three days.”

Pearl laughed at that, something she knew she didn't used to do when she talked with Greg, it was nice.

“So judging by the fact that I saw Ruby and Sapphire there, I guess Garnet didn't take it well.”

She shook her head, “No….no she didn't take it well at all. She said she couldn't accept it, and then she split, completely against Sapphire and Ruby’s will, and ever since she hasn't let them fuse back, though none of us know why.”

“Darn, that’s no good….”

Pearl nodded, then hesitated, then spoke. “Greg….if it’s not too much trouble, I would like you to come over and live with us for a while.”

That got Greg’s attention, “What, why?”

“Because, soon I am going to be busy raising these Gemlings, and Peridot is carrying too, so soon she will have to deal with a litter of her own. A lot of us are going to be busy taking care of them, and we won't have as much time for Steven as we used to. Because of this, I want you around so you can be there for him….and besides, like it or not, you are a part of this family, so you should be there with us.”

There was a long moment of silence after that, Pearl waiting with bated breath till finally, greg spoke. “I guess I can do that, I’ll keep the van here from now on, plus if these gem babies are anything like human babies, you guys will need me around to help with them, especially you Pearl.”

Pearl laughed at that, getting up with Greg and heading back to the house, Greg heading to his van to allow her to head up by herself, and Pearl sighing in relief when she made it inside and found that the house was intact.

Well, mostly intact, Peridot and Lapis were currently in the midst of building their nest, which they had decided to build in one of the corners near the warp pad.

“I thought you were going to help me with my nest Peridot?” asked Pearl with a smirk, the gem seeing the younger gem blush as she spoke up.

“Well I would have waited, but um….Lapis was kind of insistent, and she is still suffering from the effects of her gemling fever, so I figured it was best to get it done now. However you can look over what I have done so that you know what to do.”

Pearl nodded, moving over and watching they worked, smiling a bit as the two slowly got their nest built up. From what it looked like, they had placed several layers of blankets down upon the floor, and then circled it with an even thicker series of blankets to form a nest like structure, and currently they were putting up cloth walls which would separate the nest from the outside.

“It’s entirely made of fabric,” said Pearl quizzically.

“It has to be,” said Peridot, “Gemlings are very sensitive to anything but soft surfaces, so the nest must be composed of nothing but soft materials, that way they can be the most comfortable.”

“I see,” said Pearl, “I should probably have Ruby or Sapphire go out to the store and get some stuffed animals then, I remember Steven loving stuffed animals when he was a baby.”

“....Stuffed animals?” said Peridot in confusion.

“Oh,” said Pearl, “hm...how to explain….wait, Peridot do you still have your Ipad?”

Peridot nodded, heading to a part of the nest and pulling out her limb enhances before opening a compartment in one of the arms and pulling out a Ipad, handing it to Pearl and watching as she did a search before showing her several animal looking things made out of fabric. “These are stuffed animals, human children love them, and some human adults collect them to, but they are super soft and come in many different shapes and sizes.”

Peridot took back the Ipad, looking at the animals for a moment before going to her apps and hitting the amazon button, typing furiously for a moment before sighing in relief and putting the device away. “There, we’ll have several packages of stuffed animals tomorrow morning, should be enough for your litter and my potential litter.”

“......I keep forgetting you have money.”