Summary: A test of faith
Marco watched the others make a plan. "First we drill down through to the exposed area." Pearl said.
"Then I hit that cluster with a thermonuclear rainbow blast!" Star laughed. "I won't know what hit it!"
"It literally couldn't comprehend what would hit it." Peridot deadpanned. "It's a collection of barely cognitive thoughts desperate wailing out in agony for the release of non existence.
"It doesn't matter if it's a moron or a genius, they'll taste the rainbow power of my magic!"
"Again, no taste detec-why am I bothering with this?" Peridot groaned. "But I suppose you're the best shot we have so … Marco, what's the word?"
"Woopie." He explained. "Peridot, can I see you in the barn?"
"Of course, I see no objections to such a request. Honestly, you're doing ME a favor." The green gem chortled as they made their way inside. "I reiterate, my sanity threatens to leave me the longer I'm exposed to the crystal clods and the other organics."
"Yeah, it gets crazy." He faked tapping his body. "Oh, I think I left something in that vehicle. You mind grabbing it?"
"Of course." She went in. "So what was it you-" He shut the doors.
"Don't try and get out, this has one of the most advanced locks on the planet." Marco mocked the gem from the other side. "It's child proof and Star proof, so you're stuck here for the long hall.
"What!? But how could you do this to me?! The great and lovable Peridot!?!" She shrieked as if it was incomprehensible for this to happen.
"Well I clicked the inside of the door, convinced you to go in, then shut it." It was pretty easy actually.
"You know that's not what I meant! You're the only one here that can actually use their brain in a rational capacity! What logical reason do you have for trapping me in this archaic mobile transportation unit!?"
"Well you see, I got a little curious and started looking around." He lifted the white box. "I found this inside of that chest up there … wanna tell me what it is?"
"Perhaps you don't recall what I said when I answered you before. It's nothing important." The little twerp lied through her teeth.
"Fine then. Guess I'll just smash it to pieces and flush this down the toilet." He lifted it high in the air.
"No, no, it's … sentimental!" She shouted. "You know, like something you treasure-"
"Peridot, we both know you don't care about sentimentality." Marco groaned. "You pushed Steven's dad off the roof without even thinking that he or Steven would have a problem with it, so don't pull that bs on me, not now."
"Fine…it's a communication device from the Moon base, specifically a direct line to the diamonds themselves."
"The diamonds…you're still trying to call homeworld!?" Marco barely whispered his scream. "I thought you were finally working with us!"
"I AM working with you!" She whisper-screamed back. "Look, even if our plan to stop the cluster works, they're gonna keep coming. I'm going to do my best to convince them that this world has potential."
"Potential to them means killing every living thing on this planet!"
"Not with the studies and discoveries I made!" Peridot snapped back. "Yellow Diamond is the most logical and factual Diamond out of all of them! If I talk to her, I can make it so that all parties win! Isn't that what the Steven is always going on about?" Peridot asked him. "It would be irrational to turn down such an opportunity!"
"Do you really think you can accomplish that?" He asked her. "They're the ones that want to destroy the earth to begin with."
"It's far better than putting all my faith and trust in a bunch of Clods that are barely able to function as a unit." She shouted back. "Now just let me out and give me the communication device, and we can fix this whole situation, please." She pleaded to him.
"No, I put my neck out for you, I put my trust in you! And here you are going behind our backs to-gahh!" This was unbelievable. "I'm going back out there and telling them everything."
"Wait, Marco, please! I'm trying to help!"
"Yeah, well so am I!" He burst out of the barn, barely restraining himself from kicking the door down. "After all that time, I actually thought we were friends!"
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"She took a direct line to the Diamonds!?" Pearl was caught off guard by the nightmare scenario that almost occurred. She was offended on multiple fronts.
"Yeah, and after all that effort I put into trusting and teaching her! It's just, aaaggg!" Marco growled out, kicking a rock. "She was going to stab us all in the back!"
"Nothing I'm not used to." Steven sighed in disappointment. "At least Lapis and Buff Frog exist, otherwise I might as well give up on trying to help people like them."
"And after we sang a song too, that's just low." Star grumbled. "You did your best Marco, but therapy can only go so far."
"I say we poof her." Kelly pulled out Rose's sword. "Where's she at?"
"Inside of the car, I put the child lock on." That was the most amusing thing Pearl's heard all day.
"Hah, jokes on her!" Star smirked. "That thing is impossible to bust open. I've tried every technique in the book to escape that complex prison."
"And to think I was just about to upgrade her from peri-dope." Amethyst sighed. "Why can't we just enter their head and change her mind?"
"Because we have ethics." Garnet stated, before turning to the barn. "Marco, Star, take two steps to the left and three steps to the right respectively please."
"O…kay?" They spoke with confusion, moving slowly … as the barn exploded, sending giant wooden spears where their bodies would have been. "What the…!?" The door of the 'complex prison' crashed right in front of them.
"HAHAHA! I have overcome the might of the child safety lock!" Peridot came out in her robot. "No technology can overpower the intelligence of Peridot, especially when I applied logic!!"
"Damn it, the one thing I don't have!" Star shouted as she pulled out her wand. "Starfish Tsunami!" The girl blasted a tidal wave of water as the homeworlder jumped above it, landing right in the middle of the group.
"Stupid robots, why the heck did I even suggest that!?" Steven called out as green bubbles were flown out of his palms that just stuck to the mechanical body without damage. "Curse you, stupid fritz!!!!"
"I'll be taking this!" Peridot grabbed the communication device from Marco and began running! "Later clods!"
"Oh you're not getting away that easily!" Amethyst grunted before getting on the ground, before shifting her form into a helicopter chopper. "Get in."
"Gems go in Amethyst, everyone else with me! Cloudy, do your thing!" Star summoned the pink cloud, which fortunately didn't have a murderous intent towards them like last time.
"Let's get that tiny green mother fu-"
"Language!" Steven shouted at Kelly as everyone became airborne. "We're better than that than to use cursing!"
"I'm not!" Marco poked his head out. "I trusted you, you clod like pebble!"
"Do you touch your creator with those speakers!? How dare you!" Peridot shouted as she attempted to turn the device with the claws of her machine. "This is the only course of action that makes sense!"
"Oh yeah, telling the people that want earth gone that it's still here, makes a lot of sense!" Star shouted, aiming her wand at them. "Marshmallow Massacre!" Marshmallows that screamed for mercy became gunked onto Peridot's foot.
"They'll just keep coming and coming! My way at least puts an end to the insanity!" Peridot quickly abandoned the bot and began running on foot.
"I'll put an end to you and save us the trouble!" Kelly jumped off the cloud and pounced on the green twerp, the rest of the gems and kids following.
"This..is…your whole problem! You all go off on emotion rather than reason!" Peridot from the struggle, still managed to keep a hold on the device. "That's why you all keep failing to protect this world!"
"Maybe, but we can still stop horrible people like you from ruining it more!" Garnet reached out for Peridot's hands.
"No … just … listen-" Pearl could only watch in horror as the device shifted, turning a familiar shade of yellow. "Success!"
"Hide, hide, hide!" The group hid behind the downed robot suit. Even if they were light years away, Pearl was in no shape or form to face a Diamond on any occasion.
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They were all morons, clods. They would understand it once she was able to negotiate with her diamond. Then she saw it, the face of Yellow Pearl, one of the four luckiest gems, who served directly under the diamonds themselves, spending every second around their radiance. "This is the direct diamond line, who dares use it?"
She straightened up, commiting to the diamond salute. "This is Peridot Facet-2F5L Cut-5XG." She answered. "I know that this is a bit unpre-"
"The direct diamond line is to only be used by certain individuals." The Pearl was actually talking down on her. If it wasn't for the sheer fact she was directly tied to her grand matriarch, she might've felt inclined to reprimand her insolence. "You can't just use something so important whenever-"
"Pearl…why is there someone on the Diamond line?" That beautiful voice said from the side, a silent foreboding threat looking within her words.
"I don't know, I was just telling her she shouldn't be using it, there's not even clearance or-" The Pearl was cut off by a lovely hand.
"Give it here." She was presented with the glorious sight of her matriarch, Yellow Diamond. The shining gem, the sparkling aura.
"That's Yellow?" She could idly hear a comment from the clods hiding behind her fallen robot.
"Quiet down." The other Pearl told them.
"Who are you?" Her diamond asked.
"Peridot Facet-2F5L Cut-5XG." She saluted the radiant one. "I know I'm not supposed to report but-" Yellow Diamond raised a hand to cut her off.
"It says here your mission is …" Yellow stopped, a strange expression in her eyes as the giant and radiant gem turned to her. "How is … Earth?"
"It's…still full of life." She chuckled hesitantly. "The progress on the Cluster has proceeded as scheduled. It will be active within a matter of days."
"Good, finally we can get some form of use out of that planet for all the problems it's given us." Her Diamond flipped through her screen. "What about the Jasper I sent with you? It says here you've also had progress in locating Earth's second moon?"
"We found intel of a Mewman but …" Peridot glanced at the organics hiding behind the robot … her companions … "When confronted they destroyed the warship, your Jasper has been on the hunt since. It's why I had to resort to the direct line, please forgive me for my incompetence." She gave a slight bow.
"I should've known we wouldn't be getting the satisfaction of destroying both miserable pieces of rock, those wild barbarians." Yellow Diamond groaned in contentment. "I'll inform your manager of your blunder, but for now, stay in your location, a drone will be sent shortly for your retrieval."
This was the opportunity she would've cracked her own gem for weeks ago! A chance to get off this gem forsaken rock! To leave behind the earth…to leave behind those clods she spent so much time talking and singing with….leaving behind Marco.."Pardon me, My Diamond, I wouldn't have just used the Diamond line to waste your time on a status report…"
"You already have." Her radiance corrected with a stern demeanor.
"It's just, I have discovered many potential resources and technological marvels that can allow our empire to grow even furth-"
"I don't care about what that rock can give." She cut her off. "I want my weapon, and I want that planet to die."
…. No, that couldn't be right. The Diamonds were flawless, they wouldn't be petty as to destroy resources for personal reasons, even if it was for a bioweapon as strong as the cluster. Maybe she just didn't comprehend the opportunity. "My Diamond, not that I'm one to question your objectivity, but we can only benefit with the Earth staying intact, we can't let all that potential go for one geo weapon…"
"You are out of line to question me." Yellow Diamond cut her off once more. "You will reconvene with Jasper, and then you will leave the Cluster to tear that ball of organic filth apart."
No, no! This wasn't logical! There was so much to be vaulted here, so many rich resources, so many…enjoyable sights to see…likable people she could actually talk to! "But..!"
"Shut your mouth!" Yellow Diamond shouted, rage visible and almost feelable across the channel. "You have failed at every stage of this mission. Your only chance to redeem yourself is to obey this simple order. You are to leave the Cluster to grow. It will tear apart the Earth, and I will take immense satisfaction in erasing that hideous rock off of our star maps. IS! THAT! CLEAR!?" … Her diamond … was flawed.
"NO, IT'S NOT!" Peridot shouted at her. "I have seen things here that are amazing and incredible, I have experienced things I never felt before, the Earth is a beautiful and amazing place within the universe!"
"What do you know about Earth?" Yellow asked, temper skyrocketing along with her own.
"A lot more than you, you … CLOD !" WHAT IN THE STARS WAS SHE SAYING!?
Yellow Diamond's expression couldn't have been more shocked, more surprised, and more angry. Her face showed off a level of annoyance and malice she's never seen on another life form. It felt like her entire existence would be completely neutralized if her diamond kept her gaze on her.
"Peridot out!" She shut down the communicator, letting it plop into her holders as Peridot questioned every life decision she ever had.
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Steven was surprised by many things in his life. Being the son of a great Mewni hero, Kelly not remembering Brad's name, and Star's ability to chug fifty cans of expired cream corn without throwing up.
All of those combined seemed small compared to what all of his friends just bore witness to. "What have I done?" Peridot groaned as she fell to the ground in a ball.
"You redeemed yourself, that's what!" Marco laughed. "I put my eggs in the right basket, boo ya!!" He redeemed his own character, good for him.
"What have I done?" Peridot repeated.
"You proved that deep down, there's a little bit of good in everyone one, no matter where they start out from." Steven reassured with a back pat
"What have I done?" Peridot repeated, still silent.
"You got up in Yellow D's business and insulted her to her face,'like a boss!" Amethyst laughed.
"You restored my faith in actually giving people a chance." Star continued on.
"You saved yourself a one way trip to a bubble." Kelly smiled as she tucked away her sword.
"... Here." She handed the communicator over to Pearl, before laying down in a ball.
"Why are you giving me this?" The gem asked. "Aren't you a fan of technology?"
"It can be remotely detonated."
And with that comment, everyone watched as the device started beeping red. They all screamed in unison. "Here, eat it!" Pearl tossed it to Amethyst.
"I just remembered I'm on an explosion free diet! Here Star, you love explosions!"
"Not this close to my face!" The princess shouted. "Kelly, put it in your hair!" She tossed it to his girlfriend…he thought, they never made it official after his birthday.
"Sharing is caring, isn't that what you preach Steven!?" Well now she just handed the rapidly beeping thing to him.
"BUBBLE IT!" Garnet shouted.
"On it!" It formed, thankfully, a pink bubble this time, that Garnet was able to punch into the air, where it went off without harming anyone. "Huh, the one time my bubble explodes without me being the cause of it."
"I just called Yellow Diamond a clod … I'm an outcast … I'm gonna be hunted down for the rest of my life." Peridot muttered, almost in a trance.
"Join the club." Pearl snorted. "You know what this means right?"
"I'm a traitor to my entire species…"
"It means you're a crystal gem too!" Steven hugged the green girl from behind. Finally, he wasn't the only new member anymore!
"Whether you like it or not." Marco patter Peridot on the head gently.
"... Where am I gonna put the star?"
"Middle of your chest to replace the diamond, where else?" Star suggested as she tapped her wand. "I'm still down for poofing you, so let's get started!"
"Agh! Get away from me, you illogical piece of organic space dust!"
Steven watched Star chase the gem around, turning to the gems. "So that was Yellow Diamond …" He has never felt such a strange mix of rage and terror in a single person. "She was … pretty big and petty."
"You haven't seen half of it." Garnet grunted. "The stories Sapphire could tell about Blue Diamond…not one to keep her emotions in check."
Kelly nodded. "So on a scale of one to ten, how big of a threat would you say they are?"
"They could one hand Mina Loveberry." Pearl stated grimly. "Gems' relationship to magic is…erratic at best, but the Diamonds are on another level. It's even believed that the gem race as a whole was crafted to counter it."
"Wait, crafted. You guys have an origin story?" Steven asked with curiosity.
"Maybe another time, they're serious about poofing Peridot." Garnet pointed.
"Come on, this is for scaring us you little scamp!" His sister's spirits were certainly high, which meant Steven's could be as well.
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"The communicator has been detonated, my Diamond." Yellow Pearl bowed to her radiance.
"Of all the insufferable gall! A peridot calling out a diamond!" Her beloved maser was rightfully angered by the blasphemous display they just bore witness to. "That's almost more ludicrous than the idea of a pearl calling out a Diamond!"
"Yes, very irrational." Pearl agreed.
"It's the blasted planet's fault! Any gem that sets foot on it only gets ruined in the end!"
"Worry not, if the report was accurate, the Cluster will soon emerge, and you will never have to think about it again." She comforted her radiant leader.
"The sooner, the better. If pink just followed through and colonized Mewni first, then none of this would be happening now." Pearl only nodded sadly. Destroying the earth was only the first step in Yellow processing her grief.
"Shall I prepare anything else for you, my diamond?" She asked.
"Send a retrieval squad for the Jasper, she's too much of an assist to lose suddenly on the spot." Her radiance ordered.
"Yes my…" something… funny rubbed against her arms…something that felt more…organic… than it should be.
"Is something wrong?" Her diamond gazed down on her.
"No my Diamond, I will send for the squad right away!" Pearl shouted, walking out of the room to get a better comprehension of what was wrong. Flaw. Form. Attachment. Strange things were attached to her limb. They were like needles, but soft, and made her nose twitch when they rubbed against her face. "I'm … off-colored." A gem's worst nightmare. She needed to turn herself in, for the betterment of others.