LOG-036.

  "From there, we managed to hijack the ship you found, and piloted it out of the ensuing brawl. We spent a decent bit of time on board with nothing to really do beyond wait and process things. Fusing...was a way to cope with that."

  Another Pearl. Another two Pearls. With one of them now cradling a glowstick of all things and speaking to Rose while the rest of them all listened silently from their positions around their chosen gathering point.

  "I can't imagine how much bravery all of that must have taken. But how could it have resulted in you both coming to Earth?"

  Arriving to Earth as a fusion in an attempt to secure a new life for themselves. It almost sounded like a romantic tale from back during the good old days. Back when it hadn't just been her, Amethyst, Rose and Garnet.

  "I wasn't exactly very picky at the time. I figured Pink Diamond's failed colony would be the last place the Empire would look for us."

  It was just about the last thing she'd expected as well, even when in the midst of planning sessions with Rose and the others. For just what the Crystal Gems could or would actually do if Homeworld elements had ever decided to return and finish the job of finally snuffing out the rebellion for good.

  "I...see. That does make sense I suppose."

  Said plans decidedly hadn't accounted for a pair of apparently rogue servants barely managing to escape from the Empire in the midst of a massive fleet battle. The concrete confirmation one of said servants provided, of other forces out in the universe actively opposing the Great Diamond Authority had been more than a little bit of a shock to the group of rebels, though to be entirely fair, Pearl hadn't accounted for her Diamond choosing to discard her own identity to lead a rebellion either, back then, so maybe she really shouldn't have been so surprised.

  "Yes. Unfortunately beyond that...I didn't really have much of a plan. I was a little preoccupied trying to keep us from getting blown apart by a stray shot from the warships. Then we-or rather Honey Lemon landed here and...well you found us."

  Getting 'Viridian' to talk had been surprisingly simple in practice. Though the green Gem had been more than a little reserved after Rose's somewhat characteristic show of affection (the rebel leader was simply too optimistic about the whole situation for her own good), the self-named defector had apparently been downright eager to throw her and Vermilion's lot in with Earth.

  "I still want to help you. We could get you established somewhere nearby. The local Warp network is still functional, even if a few nodes have been damaged over the centuries."

  It was something Pearl herself couldn't help but note. Even after Garnet somehow maneuvered all of them into entering a local coffee shop, shortly followed by the red Pearl in question and their annoyingly persistent human companion tagging along.

  "...I appreciate the offer, but I think what me and Vermilion really need is just...space. For the time being at least."

  Viridian had no real intention of associating herself with the Crystal Gems, to Rose's apparent dismay. Her offer to bring the two Pearls back to the temple, possibly even to take them in, had barely been considered for a few seconds before the green Gem had glanced at her visibly uncomfortable crimson counterpart, and swiftly declined.

  Some selfish, guilty part of her felt reassured by that. Another worried at just how badly Viridian had fared to be so desperate to avoid other Gems beyond the one she'd travelled with.

  "I'm sorry, but I have to insist. As much as I'd love to give you the benefit of the doubt, beyond not truly knowing either of you enough to make a safe assessment yet...there are dangers on this planet you aren't aware about. I'd hate for you to have come all this way only to be hurt now."

  The two were of them were...lost, clearly. Vermilion still jumped at the slightest glance, and though Viridian seemed relatively calm, something about her just felt...off. Somehow.

  Maybe it was the slight differences in their quality? After being assigned to her Diamond, she hadn't ever truly gotten the opportunity to interact with other 'normal' Pearls, beyond the occasional conversations with her own counterparts. If she got the chance, she'd ask about it.

  "...I see."

  And so, while Rose did her best to convince the pair to accompany them all back to Beach City, Pearl merely observed silently, trying to figure out this latest puzzle.

  Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.

  ---

  I resisted the urge to grasp at my hair and pull in frustration at the pink haired not-Quartz in front of me.

  Finally. Finally I was on Earth. I was the closest thing to home I'd likely ever get after who knew how many fucking years of desperately waiting, and planning, and hoping, and now all I wanted to do was find a library, read a biology book or search the internet or do whatever research I needed to do in order to gain back a Stars damned sense of taste, eat something and then sleep for a month!

  And yet instead of ranting out my frustrations like a large part of me very much wanted to, I merely did what had gotten me this far in the first place. I worked with what I had.

  "Then...I suppose we'll just have to accompany you for now."

  Fucking corrupted Gems. What did she think I was going to do, go camping out in some old Imperial ruins? There was a city right here! A perfectly nice one! With people!

  ...No, of course she thought I'd do that. A Pearl in my circumstances would probably do exactly that.

  Heedless of my inner thoughts, Rose Quartz was quick to nod her head happily, standing up from her end of the table and gesturing to the door, the rest of her band of rogue Gems following suit.

  I paused as a familiar hand settled atop my own, turning to take in Vermilion's worried gaze.

  "Are we really going with them?"

  The red Pearl glanced at the Quartz across from us, who in turn frowned slightly at the fear practically radiating off of my batchmate's form. In turn, I just sighed and grabbed hold of her hand in a gentle grip.

  "We've come this far, and if there's any Gems we can trust not to drag us back to Homeworld or force us into service...well the rebels that shattered a Diamond in the pursuit of freedom are probably the best option we can really get."

  No one should have caught it. But I'd been lying for my entire life, technically, and I knew a kindred spirit when I saw one. The flicker of hesitation that travelled across Rose's face was obvious, even without the context my previous life's memories gave me.

  Maybe it was my stupid Gem brain trying to associate the disguised Diamond with my one and only encounter with her Yellow sister, but it felt...ridiculous, that her closest companions hadn't figured out her secret in all this time. There was a presence to Rose Quartz, one that I still couldn't determine wasn't just a figment of my own imagination.

  Oh well. None of that shit was remotely even my problem. Not in the slightest.

  ---

  "I'm Amethyst. Sorry about the whole uh...attacking you thing. I thought you were invading the planet and stuff."

  Returning to the ship had been a relatively quick affair, all in all. The only real hurdle had been Rebecca very adamantly questioning whether we were sure we wanted to go with Rose and her gang of rebels, alongside very hastily giving me a number I could use to call her with firm instructions to do so in case of an emergency.

  "It's fine. We didn't really do anything beyond throwing each other around anyway. At least until Rebecca dealt with you."

  Naturally, I made sure to give the slip of paper its own spot (a friendly contact might prove essential, if relations with the Crystal Gems broke down for whatever reason), away from the assortment of other phone numbers Honey Lemon had managed to get her grubby, glowy band covered hands on over the course of the night. Stars, I still didn't know where I was going to sort the small pile of the multicoloured things piled up in a corner of my gemstone's storage space.

  "Psh-that was nothing! I just didn't want to hurt her, you know?"

  Say what you wanted to about that utter hot mess of a fusion, she knew how to party.

  "I believe you. Quartz soldiers don't tend to go down to a bunch of light projectiles, even some of the less durable ones."

  Regardless, returning to the ship had, again, been a quick process, even if we hadn't actually gotten aboard the thing. Garnet had confirmed that the Roaming Eye would remain untouched until one of us eventually came back to mess with it, so instead Vermilion and I were effectively forced to follow the rebels back to whatever Warp pad they'd used to get within spitting distance of our landing zone.

  "So...you're the first Gems from Homeworld I think I've met. Like...ever. What's it like over there?"

  And all the while, I was forced to endure the curiosity of a group of Gems that had effectively been cut off from society since the end of Era One, with their one actual Quartz currently trying to talk my head off while Garnet and Rose discussed something ahead of us, and Pearl continued to sneak glances at an increasingly nervous Vermilion.

  "Completely and utterly horrible. You're expected to do your job perfectly at all times, and if you fail there's a very high risk of getting shattered or Harvested. One of my original Batchmates had her memories permanently erased for trying to run away from a beating."

  Joy. Sort of. I may or may not have taken a slightly vindictive pleasure in utterly crushing my current conversation partner's perception of what Homeworld might be like. A lover of the Gem Empire, I very much was not.

  "Oh...that. Yeah that seems bad-horrible That's uhm...horrible. I mean the others always told me that the Empire freaking sucked, but I never really..."

  Honestly, she'd probably thank me if, Stars forbid, she ever had an encounter of the Imperial kind at some point in her life. Would save her a nasty surprise, at the very least. Though the Diamonds and their vast fleets and armies having any kind of presence here would spell far bigger problems beyond disappointing an Earth-grown Gem's preconceptions.

  Stepping over yet another winding root hidden in the overgrowth surrounding where this supposed Warp pad was supposed to be, I let myself untense ever so slightly, enough to let loose a tired sigh.

  "We ran away for a reason. Wouldn't have bothered if Homeworld was really as flawless as it likes to portray itself as. Believe me, you're not missing much."

  The purple warrior Gem stared down at the ground for a moment after that, frowning.

  "I...guess I just hoped there was something good about where we all originally came from. Guess not..."

  For whatever reason, I hesitated slightly at her dour tone. Long enough that I was forced to duck beneath a particularly low hanging branch before I spoke again.

  "...I suppose some of the Quartz soldiers were alright. We didn't have any Amethysts aboard the vessel I originally served on, but we did have a full complement of Jaspers. Plus a pair of Citrines."

  She glanced back up at me, expression lighting up a little in turn.

  "Really? What were they like?"

  I sighed again, glancing up slightly as a small clearing presented itself, a singular crystaline Warp pad almost perfectly hidden within a winding maze of trees, foliage and shrubbery within the center of it.

  "...They liked fighting a lot. Sometimes I would...sort of spar with them, actually. More like dance while they tried and failed to throw themselves at me. It was about the most fun I had while stuck on that ship."

  Damn it. The urge to go still as Pearl's gaze settled back on me was really starting to get annoying.

  "Sweet!"

  Hmph. Weirdo.