PearlPlus!AU Chronology | Steven Universe

The New Gems

"Soon, word will get out that there's a new pink Gem in the Kindergarten! They'll . . . They'll find me and shatter me! Or they'll destroy Earth trying!" Pink Diamond slumped back in her control-base seat, burying her face in her hands. "Ooohhh, Pink, what have I done?"

        "You could try manufacturing a new strain of Quartz to match your new form, my Diamond," Pink piped up hopefully. She nudged Pearl.

        The latter straightened. "Oh— yes. Yes, it's not uncommon for Diamonds to establish their colonies with colour-conformed Gems."

        ". . . Really?" The Diamond peeked through her fingers.

        "Of course!" Pink was practically jittering with excitement. "Once you have a matching caste, we can go exploring Earth whenever we like! No one will even notice!"

        "You think?" Pink's excitement was contagious—now their Diamond was sitting straight in her seat. "Pearl, are there any viable strains I could try?"

        "Well. . . you would need a caste that performs physical labour or that terraforms to be suitable for work on Earth—but Lapis Lazulis are off-colour. . . there are strains of pink Chalcedony, but Chalcedonies hardly labour. . . Oh! Cat's-Eye Quartz manifests in pink, and of course there is Rose Quartz, with its Star variety, that would be suita—"

        "Rose Quartz," the Diamond mulled. "That sounds so pretty!"

        "However pretty it is, it could never be as pretty as you, my Diamond," Pink chirped.

        The Diamond flushed. "Piiiink!"

        "She's right, my Diamond," Pearl put in.

        The taller Gem moaned. "Not you too!"

        Pink giggled and nudged Pearl.

        "But," the Diamond continued, sitting up and regaining her composure, "I think Rose Quartz sounds wonderful—thank you, Pearl. But . . . how do I make the strain?"

        "That should be relatively easy," Pearl said. "Once you have permission to create the caste, you can design the faceted gem under supervision, and then that design will be mass-produced. Once you have enough, you can organise their places in the Alpha Kindergarten, and then the injectors will do the rest of the work."

        "But how will I make them look like me once they form?" she fretted.

        "We can take care of that, my Diamond," Pearl smiled. She shot a wink at her companion, and the tinted Pearl grinned in delight.

        Pink Diamond sighed and slumped in relief against her throne. "Oh, that's good—perfect. Thank you. I just need to ask Yellow and Blue, then. . ."

        "Pink, before you do that, can we please go to Earth again?" Pink Pearl pleaded. "It won't take too long! You can meet more Amethysts!"

        The Diamond looked hopeful, but she shook her head. "I have to take care of this as soon as I can."

        "I can put in the request for you, if you wish, my Diamond," Pearl suggested. "You and Pink can go play."

        "Really?" her Diamond's eyes lit up. "Thank you, Pearl! You're amazing!"

        The two pink Gems dashed out of the control room, and Pearl smiled when she saw the flash of the warp pad. Taking a last glance out the window at the planet hanging before her, she turned to the control panel and called up the communications.

○○○

Pink watched in awe as yet another assigned hole blazed and gave way in a shower of soil to another new Gem. The newest Rose Quartz leaped gracefully to the ground.