Tempest glared at Rainbow Dash with an expression that suggested she was a few syllables away from doing more than punching the pegasus in the stomach again. “You really expect me to just accept that? ‘I’m sorry.’ You want to make up with me like you didn’t make me look like a fool in front of my new boss? Let’s go spar somewhere when we land. I know there’s some training areas in the enclave.”
Wings flaring out, Dash’s chest puffed out. “You wanna fight me? I’ll knock your flank into next week!” Her bravado belied someone who hadn’t gotten their shit kicked in before. It was charming in that punk sort of way I suppose.
“Do you think we should step in and stop them from hurting each other, David?” Twilight looked up at me with a nervous expression and tone in her voice. Her two index fingers were held tip to tip against each other as she sat in a simple chair. “I’ve never seen Rainbow so agitated before.”
“Delphi would let us know if it was going to get bad,” I said, looking down at her. “But if you're worried about it... Tempest!” I called from across the deck. “Go check on the rubies. Make sure they’re drilling right.”
Tempest stiffened up at the sound of my voice, snapped off a sharp salute of some kind, and then wordlessly poked Rainbow on the snout before storming off to find and supervise the rubies as ordered. I couldn’t help but chuckle at how easily that situation had been defused.
“Any other worries, Princess?”
“Where do I start? Your little group of gems have been sequestered from society for centuries, David. There’s all sorts of potential cultural conflicts, including how receptive they’ll be to change and integrating with ponykind or other organic species after viewing us as inferior for so long.” Twilight huffed loudly,and shot Rainbow a brief glare as the other mare walked back towards us. “Though I suppose some hostility is going to be mutual no matter what.”
I shrugged, eyeing a few of the pegasus guards. “That’s what happens when your sisters turn into dictators.” Celaeno had opted to stay in Canterlot, declaring that her crew deserved some shore leave. I wasn’t going to order her otherwise, which left us taking an Equestria airship on our return trip.
“So, you going to let that unicorn go after you’re settled in or am I going to have to fight you for her freedom?” Rainbow Dash asked with the cockiest expression on her face as she looked up at me.
“Tempest is here of her own free will,” I said, glancing back at her. “When I can pay her I will. It’s just hard to do that with no economy.” Teaching economics to the gems was a looming nightmare of unimaginable depths.
“Pay her? Wow, you really aren’t like the old diamonds then.” Rainbow’s entire tone shifted as she stepped back to lean against the railing nearby. “That’s weird. To hear Twilight talk about them they were just ruthless.”
The transformation had to have shifted their personality. It was the only way I could wrap my mind around someone like Stacy becoming a tyrant. “They didn’t used to be. My sisters were good people. Jen was even a cop. It’s... hard to reconcile.”
“You said that you discovered that you had a newfound temper problem yourself, correct? Maybe it was something similar to that but in a more overwhelming capacity? Maybe you’re more resistant to the changes because you’re comparitively so small?”
“That doesn’t excuse their actions. At least not until I hear it from them.”
“Oh, I wasn’t saying that as an excuse. I was saying it might be the reason they changed so much from what you remember. Things can have reasons they happened without those reasons excusing the results. Like in Ponyville there was a construction project that just started collapsing a few months ago and nobody really knows what went wrong with it. That doesn’t mean that someone wasn’t responsible.”
At least we had similar views of personal accountability. It went like that for the next few days; getting more acquainted with Twilight and Dash. Stacy would’ve liked the princess; probably chatter into the night about books. Dash was too much like a younger me. Full of bluster and bravado.
It was the last day of our flight back when I overheard a couple of hybrids talking as they pulled some equipment out of a crate. One of them was a stocky earth pony with a teardrop lapis on her palm while the other was a lithe one with a slightly odd-shaped peridot on her forehead.
“Okay, we need the nutrient spectrograph and the seismograph to assess the stability of the drained areas to avoid an unexpected total collapse…”
“Got both of them... should we leave the hydration assessment survey equipment behind? It’s the middle of a desert after all.”
“Planning something fun?” I asked, kneeling beside them. “I’ll tell the lapis at the enclave to help you out as needed.”
“Hmm?” The bulkier of the two looked up at me and quickly shook her head. “Oh, no, that won’t be needed. We’re just doing a standard gemblight survey. There’s a chance that we could reclaim the area, get it nice and green if it’s not too bad. It’ll take years no matter what, but if it’s bad that could become centuries.”
Frowning slightly, I took a gander at the equipment. The only thing I really recognized was the seismograph. "This won't disturb the incubating gems?"
“Well,since we’re just doing a passive scan it shouldn’t do anything, really. Gems tend to completely ignore the low-frequency wavelengths that magical scans use, and it’s not like we’re going to send shockwaves into the ground in an area that may be completely hollowed out from gems sucking away materials to grow.” The one with the peridot waved a hand over the equipment, then shrugged. “But, you are a new variable, so we’re using the lowest settings of everything just in case your essence renders your gems fragile.”
"Even still," I said, rising back up. "I'll have Bashirr, the head peridot assist you." I left out an apology; Bashirr was not going to be happy about that. "Carry on."
I heralded our arrival with a stunt. Hefting Tempest and Delphi into my grasp, I leapt over the side of the airship. Thoughts of feathers and paper were my focus; turning a plummet into a gentle descent. Upon touching the ground, I couldn't keep the smile off my face.
Tempest was simply gasping for breath with a hand on her chest, and her eyes seemed to be almost nothing but white and pupil for a few seconds. “A little warning would have been nice. I haven’t quite gotten the whole teleportation thing memorized yet, and jumping off an airship without knowing what’s going on usually has a messy end if you don’t have wings.”
Delphi, on the other hand, was giggling softly as she looked around the area above the enclave. “To your left by fifty steps, David, that is the nearest entrance below the camouflage crystal.”
Sharing a laugh of my own, I walked into camp full of cheer. "Prepare for dignitaries," I instructed the first gems I saw. "I want all of you to treat our guests with the utmost respect." Singling out a quartz, I sent them off to collect Navi, Bashirr and Watson.
"Hey!" Grubber sprinted up and snapped a salute. "Welcome back, Your um... Hardness! It's been all quiet here. A lotta talk 'bout what might come out of the ground next."
“Grubber... never use ‘Hardness’ as a title again, please.” Tempest groaned while rubbing at the base of her horn. “Unless you’re talking to a porn star.”
“Oh, let him be, Tempest. It’s not like he’s intentionally being awkward.” Delphi waved at the somewhat more slender creature. “By the way, running some laps will help you build up endurance now that you can actually run.”
Smiling, he slapped Delphi on the back. "Imma do that! Thanks!" Giving another salute, he hustled off with little fanfare.
"Tempest," I said, looking towards the sky. "I want you to wait for Princess Twilight and escort her to the war room. I'll see if it's been repaired enough to actually use." I could only hope the bismuths had erased my lapse of control.
My relief was clear on my face. The map itself was beyond repair, with only two quarters still in place on the table. The crater had been filled in seamlessly, earning the repair team my highest praise, and the rest of the surface had been made ready to be filled in with fresh information. My entourage filed in, and I found that I had missed Watson's presence.
"Thank you all for coming so quickly," I began, choosing to stand on one of the chairs. "We have a monarch here on a diplomatic mission and a survey team tasked with examining the kindergarten. Bashirr, you are to assist them in whatever capacity and ensure the safety of the incubating gems. Navi, you'll resume your duties as my aide. Treat the Princess as you would me." I felt it purtanient to add, "If the rainbow one misbehaves, trap her in a topaz fusion."
“Rainbow one? Y-you want us to treat...ponies like a diamond?” Navi stared at me with her mouth hung open in a way that almost made me want to quote an MST3K sketch, “It’s bad enough you left that one’s pet with us, now you want us to-”
"No, you treat the Princess like you would me," I corrected. "Treat her with the utmost respect. However, do not follow her orders if she tries to give them. Use your best judgement when it comes to any requests she makes. If you think it's something unreasonable, politely decline and inform either myself or Tempest. Are we clear?"
“Clear as glass, your eminence.” Navi slipped into a salute out of reflex at being given a direct order, though she did twitch a little bit. “The ponies are to be treated as kindly as possible, though the Rainbow one is to be monitored closely with a pair of topaz for swift restraint.”
“Well, what do you know, the pixie has a brain after all.” Tempest snickered while taking a look at the mostly-destroyed map. “This is going to take some time to recreate, David. It would be best to get a complete modern map to work from.”
“A new map would give us information on new towns nearby, among other things.”
Twilight walked into the room a few seconds later, looking just a bit awestruck as three books hovered next to her with another three quills racing along the pages to note everything down she could see. “Wow, this place is almost like living history. It’s so exciting to see everything so well-preserved here.”
“Oh of course it’s another mutant... I mean, welcome to the diamond enclave my... poniness?”
Quirking a brow, Twilight managed a smile nonetheless. "The correct address for someone of my rank is Your Highness. Though, if that bothers you, you can simply call me Twilight."
"Welcome, Your Highness," I greeted with a bow. "Please make yourself comfortable. I know the proportions are... Off. This is the only presentable meeting room." Motioning for her to pick a seat, I continued. "This is Navi, my aide, Bashirr, the head kindergartener, and Watson, my companion."
Twilight’s eyes narrowed as I introduced Watson, and she walked up to her slowly while rubbing at her temples. “Of course they would have had a pearl ready for you when you emerged. Hello... you said you named her ‘Watson?’ Anyways, hello Watson, I am Princess Twilight of Equestria... do you understand the benefits of being free of any pre-programmed duty to serve David and make your own choices? Certain gems have a hard time coming to terms with freedom when offered.”
“I am made to serve David,” Watson said with a smile. “His wishes are my command, for as long as he has use of me.”
“I’ve been doing my best with her,” I explained. “She’s doing better than she was when I first met her.”
“I suppose it’s as good as we can expect with both of you being so young, as far as gems go anyways.” Twilight mused while walking over to the table. “Sometimes it’s better to just take things like this slowly. You’re sure you don’t have a problem with the surveying teams?”
“As long as they’re not going to be setting off explosions, they shouldn’t disturb any of the amethysts,” Bashirr responded after a moment or two of thought, then nodded. “There are a few other quartz types that were implanted alongside them that are pure red essence rather than mixed, and I believe a couple batches of jaspers were planned before your ban on new gem injections was given. A couple of samples might have been implanted after the amethysts were done, but I’d have to double-check the records to be sure.”
A beat of her wings took Twilight to the top of the table. “...Yes. We’re going to have to talk about all those new gem types.” Looking across at me, she put on a smile. “But that’s only partially why we’re here.”
“Why don’t we get to that?” Navi asked, fluttering between us. “What are you here for... Your Highness?” She added the last part with a scowl. “We still have preparations to make regarding the new court.”
“Well, for starters there’s the matter of evaluating the mental health of the gems here so they can freely enter society if they so choose. There’s the land survey to see if the gemblight is something that can be removed over time or if it’s too severe to restore.” Twilight counted the items off on her fingers while holding her hand up towards Navi. “Then there’s making sure that the tentative peace treaty is maintained with nobody sending off alerts to the other diamonds. Teaching the inquisitive-minded among you about the various changes over the last thousand or so years at least. I believe David mentioned something about a bunch of cracked and nearly-shattered gems that need to be restored and have their stability assessed after being imprisoned for so long…”
Navi huffed, placing her hands on her hips. “Her Brilliance has already put an injunction on further contact with the other diamonds.”
“Wait, further contact? You mean you already spoke with them?”
“Of course we did. Standing orders were to inform them immediately upon verification of Pink Diamond’s emergence, Then, during her first resting period we confirmed the order of what to do with her first essence harvest.” Bashirr responded in a bored tone. “A diamond must have a court, and it would reflect poorly on us to disobey a direct order.”
I rubbed my temples, wondering if my growing headache was real or just something I imposed upon myself. “I assure you, Princess, I had no say in this. It wasn’t my intention to hide this from you.”
“You can hardly be blamed for hiding something that you didn’t know about, David.” Twilight sagged, her feathers ruffling. “I’m afraid this will complicate things. What exactly did the other diamonds say?”
“Harvest essence as planned. Reserve two-thirds for future injections. Create minor injections to determine baseline red gems, and make both pure and mixed quartz injections.” Bashiir responded in a monotone, then looked up at me with a shrug. “Await further orders and obey your Diamond.”
Glancing at Navi, I took the initiative for her. “My sisters sent a ship for me. It doesn’t seem to have arrived yet. I don’t intend to go with them.”
“As if they’re going to give you a choice?” Navi smirked and floated back out of arm’s reach. “Your sisters want to meet you and they deserve to have that desire fulfilled after so long.”
Crossing my arms, my glance became a glare. “Then they can come see me. I’m perfectly content to stay here.” Turning to Twilight, I said “We’ll have to prepare for the ship's arrival.”
Twilight nodded slowly while keeping an eye on Navi. “I think we may need to take measures to contain a mole in the midst of your advisors, David. It might be true that she doesn’t really know any better, but Aquamarines do tend to be fanatically loyal to those they were made to serve. She was made long before your emergence, so that loyalty isn’t to you.”
“I suppose you're right.” Hopping onto the table, I stared the little pixie down. “Are you going to turn yourself over, or do you feel like giving me trouble?” I hadn’t had much chance to practice with shield generation. Tensing my body, I committed to snatching her out of the sky.
Navi squeaked as my hands clamped down on her, and her eyes popped wide open as she tried in vain to squirm out of my grip. “David, my Diamond, please understand that I did this for your own good. The Diamonds are supposed to rule together. You’re supposed to be with them!”
“I respect that, I do. I just refuse to be a tyrant.” Slipping off the table, I stepped over to Tempest. “We’re considering her a POW. Make sure she’s treated well. Have one of the Bismuths make a cell. And keep her wand under lock and key.”
“Shall I pacify her and make her easier to transport?” Tempest asked immediately while allowing her misfiring magic to spark along her horn for a moment. “It would make an incident while waiting for the prison to be constructed far less likely.”
“I’ll show you ‘pacified’ you stupid fat pony. I don’t deserve this kind of treatment just for doing what I was told to do! It’s not like I killed any ponies, I just don’t care about keeping them safe because they aren’t gems!”
“Nice job there trying to make me angry, midget, but I know I’m far from overweight. You need to pick your insults a little better.”
“We don’t abuse POWs,” came my stern reply. “You’re being detained, Navi, because of politics. I’m sorry for that but I’m not ready to see them again. Now, please behave.”
“It’s not abuse, it’s a sensible precaution.” Tempest sighed before reaching up and grabbing the ribbon-like wand device Navi had weaved through her hair. “Even without this, gems are stronger than an average pony because they don’t have to worry about breaking bones by exerting themselves at full strength.”
Twilight’s horn shimmered to life, grabbing Navi in her magic. “I think I could restrain her for now. And then we’ll figure out what to do about this ship.”
On the third day, Twilight asked to see the kindergarten site personally. Seeing no reason to deny her, I accompanied her on the inspection. Gazing at stone silhouettes, my eyes lingered on my own. What had chosen the spot of my emergence? Pure chance or intelligent design? I suppose it doesn’t really matter.
Bashirr was there as well to help explain various things to Twilight as well as do her own surveying of the site during the tour. A small, handheld device was being waved across the stone ravine face, and she was reading off the information gained from it into a log. Most of this seemed to consist of just five words repeated constantly: resources depleted, unsuitable for re-seeding.
“As you can tell, we’re actually running quite short on room to actually implant new gems. A diamond growing here left much of this section unusable, barren stone. No offense, David.”
“If I may ask, how did you incubate David?” Twilight asked, standing by my emergence hole. “Or was it spontaneous?”
“Diamonds generate the essence used to make gems. As far as we know, Diamonds can only form naturally. Essence extractors are able to drain and distill the energy that Diamonds generate into a liquid form, or a Diamond may choose to willingly enhance their natural production and force it out into a saline solution. We only knew that David was going to be here when he emerged because of Sapphire Precognition. The other Diamonds emerged in this same ravine system, though some believe that it was White Diamond’s emergence that formed this fracture in the first place. Obviously none of us were around to witness that.”
I chuckled, imagining the view of that from space. “I think it's safe to rule out any more of us showing up. At least not until you can reclaim the area.”
As we approached the most recent injection sites, I was drawn to the rubies section. The birth site of my children. It still didn’t feel real. Passing along the rows, I found myself coming to a halt. Along the top row, a space broke the chain, a spot in the uniform distribution of holes that was still solid.
“Bashirr, over here.”
“Hmmm? What did you see, David?” Bashirr walked up to my side and tried to follow my gaze, then almost growled in frustration as she noticed the same thing. “Well, that’s going to lead to an interesting off-color. Rubies are already pretty small, and you’ve got one overcooking. Wish it wasn’t the highest point…”
“We’ll post someone to wait for them. I want you on standby to document their attributes and abilities.” Kneeling down, I offered my hand. “Want to take a closer look?”
Twilight and Bashirr both nodded and stepped forward, though Bashirr did so with a few seconds of hesitation at first. “I can at least scan and see what’s going on so we have some hint of what we might deal with in the future with this one.”
Getting them comfy in my arms, I stood back up. “Can you get me a rough estimate of emergence?”
“Emergence time can vary wildly for off-colors, so it could be anywhere from three seconds to three years.” She paused for a moment, then shrugged. “So, not three seconds then. Let’s see if I can get some kind of basic mineral reading. Standard micro-gem injection site, minimal surface damage, minute fractures in the cliff face show an accurate delivery of essence into geological substrate.”
She continued a visual examination for a few more seconds before finally bringing up the scanner and directing the device at the pinprick-sized hole in the stone. Twilight gazed over her shoulder and couldn’t help but giggle softly as she read off the screen, proving that ponies, or at least hybrids could read gem runes. “Minute intrusions of natural quartz in the immediate area of the injection are not interfering with development, but the red essence was injected directly into a natural formation of zoisite.”
“If someone would rephrase it for those who haven’t spent their life looking at rocks all day?” It was nice to see Bashirr making a friend. I just didn’t want to be left out of a conversation I was present for.
“Oh, sorry, zoisite is a green gemstone, so a bit of your essence was injected into an existing crystal formation.”
“So we’re likely to end up with a mixed-color Amber situation. A new gem type with two distinct colors because of improper pre-injection scanning. A hopefully happy accident that gives us a new type of viable gem that can be made repeatedly. I’m not sure how we would be able to do that with a red-green mix... maybe two essence canisters to keep the green and red separate until they are injected.” Bashir went from explaining to devising the procedures to do this intentionally with no time in between, then shook her head. “Right, no more gem injections for the immediate future.”
“You won’t be out of a job,” I assured Bashirr, setting them both back down. “We should check the other sites, in case something similar happened to the quartzes.”
“Quartz injections have to be spaced further apart, so they’re far less likely to inject into an existing mineral deposit.”
“Less likely doesn’t mean impossible though.” Twilight chimed in while looking up at me with a smile. “And new gem types are going to be exciting no matter what.”
Security was lacking in those days. Halting the invasion had narrowed my focus a little too much. Being hidden made the enclave complacent. This was only punctuated when we found the quartz section unguarded. A long talk with the agates was needed.
“I think this is the Rose Quartz wall.”
“David’s projection and gem might be pink, but his essence is red,” Bashirr began, approaching the wall. “A 1:9 white:red mix ratio is required for vibrant pink gems.”
Twilight considered me for a moment. “Did you find a specific reason for that? I know pink is a shade of red, but it’s a bit odd that he wouldn’t be red himself.”
“He also emerged nearly a thousand years after Blue Diamond and Yellow Diamond, and is less than half their size. His projection color was known by the other Diamonds though, so that’s not an accident. My current hypothesis is that he’s vastly overcooked, no offense, David, and he’s off-color by design...for some unfathomable reason.”
Shrugging, I walked along the wall, running my hand along it. Meeting the unique Rose Quartz was surreal. One person sharing my voice was unsettling enough. Now there would be dozens. At least Rose would share in my discomfort.
Bashiir nodded as she scanned the wall, a small smile creasing her mouth before she turned to me and offered a brief salute. “David, I am proud to report that these quartz soldiers are developing according to the proper schedule and should emerge within the next few days. The pure red cherry quartz batch was injected at the same time, so you should have two varieties emerging on the same day.”
My own little army. Made up of essentially child soldiers. My own children. "What about the other batch? The hematoid quartzes." It was that thought that made me realize that you didn't need grey matter to develop a migraine.
“Ah, the experimental mix using the metallic-refined white essence and a double concentration of red essence to counteract the color dilution. That took an extra day to formulate and they may take longer than standard to develop, or they could take less time due to the higher concentration of essence in their injection. New mix types are, by their nature, unstable and unpredictable in their emergence.”
Our tour drew to a close at a small canyon offshoot. Only two injection sites marred the walls, opposite each other. Both held some kind of new higher function gem.
"Unless Navi hid another batch, this is the end of the line." I looked down at Bashirr, motioning her forward. "Any thoughts or concerns, Twilight?"
“Well, I’m wondering if you’re really ready to deal with the sudden increase in population here. Granted they’re all gems, and therefore predisposed to follow your orders, but quartzes can be a bit, heh, rowdy at times.”
Bashirr stepped up to the two injection points and began scanning, but her face quickly twisted into a look of concern. “David, one of these is a dedicated combat commander. A troop overseer with... it looks like authority second only to you in our current command structure. I wasn’t consulted on this, and it looks like there might be some flaws in the ratio of red to yellow essence.”
Frowning, I placed my hand on the site. "How flawed are we talking? Deformed or just some off colorness?"
“More red essence than was planned for this kind of garnet. I don’t have a baseline yet to know what that will mean exactly, but considering she was supposed to be a military commander there might be a bit of tactical deficiency with less yellow essence in her matrix.”
I barked in laughter. "Jen's a cop. I wouldn't be surprised if her gems are hard programmed for traffic stops."
“Yellow and white gems, and mixes of those colors, make up the majority of quartz-grade soldiers. Blues are a bit too...emotional and need yellow tempering to make decent quartzes. Your essence is still an unknown factor.” Bashirr simply shrugged before looking back at the readout. “I can only make assumptions based upon what variables are known, David.”
Composing myself, I glanced over her shoulder. The lines and squiggles that made up gem language made perfect sense, I found, but I couldn't make heads or tails of the information they conveyed.
"I suppose we have our work cut out for us," I said, taking another look at the canyon. "Do you want another look around, Princess?"
“I think I’ve seen what I need to see. I’ve also placed beacons for our surveyors to use to assess the damage at the most recent emergence areas. It’s just a little magic energy that says ‘look over here’ and it shouldn’t have any other effects... but it’s been so long since pure gems have been created that we’re not a hundred percent sure about that, so I made sure to not do that for the areas of active gestation...germination? Crystallization?”
“Crystallization or formation both work just fine, Princess. We aren’t plants or ponies.” Bashiir responded with a soft grin. “I’ll have a bismuth or an amber get a physical marker set up near the active areas so your surveyors have something for them.”
We returned to the main compound, leaving the unborn to grow. The days came and went, not that the gems noticed. Night and day hadn't meant anything to them, at least not before I implemented shifts throughout the staff. Finally having something to do after a few centuries and then being told they had to spend a few hours a day not working confused the vast majority of my subjects.
Bashirr especially didn't like it. She made that very clear as we made our way to the archives.
"What can you tell me about the Lonely Pearl?" I asked Watson between Bashirr's complaints.
“What would you like to know, David? She’s a pearl that exists to serve the miniscule needs of the cracked archive.”
“I’m asking for specifics, Watson. Why is it a pearl instead of another gem type? What are her duties? Things like that.”
“I’m afraid I don’t understand part of your line of inquiry, David. She’s a pearl because she’s a pearl, just like I’m a pearl. We are what we are because that’s what we are…”
I pinched my nose, putting a hand on her head. “I meant, why is a pearl in charge of the library and not a more specialized type of gem. Sorry, I should’ve been more specific.”
“Oh. She’s being punished. Solitude without confinement except to the general area of the library. She’s supposed to not socialize except with the broken gems to keep their minds somewhat active and stop them from going mad.”
Twilight’s ear twitched, a hand coming up to her chin. “What sort of crime warrants that sort of punishment? I don’t think I’ve heard of that particular ancient punishment.”
“The diamonds managed to capture Rose Quartz, the red anomaly, and that pearl set her free after one day because ‘only injured gems get put in objects.’” Bashirr replied quickly while shaking her head. “She wasn’t wrong but her action warranted a unique punishment because it took all three diamonds to bring the anomaly to an inert state without damaging her gem.”
A fitting punishment, it would seem. It also seemed that they didn’t plan, or have time, to lift it. What would such solitude even have on a gem that was made for personal interaction? Pushing open the library doors, I lead the small group inside.
It was a library in concept, if not trappings. Shelves lined the walls, bearing cubbies full of trinkets. Fantastical chandeliers hung from the ceiling, scattering light through the rooms. A strange blend of minimalist and extravagance. Most of the trinkets had some form of large empty clasping setting that once held a gem, but here and there were a few items holding onto what looked like shards of a gem or gems with large rents in their structures.
A pale pearl was sitting on the floor by the items holding the nearly-shattered gems, clutching a hairbrush holding a nearly-transparent green tourmaline with a crack running down the middle. “So many gone, so many gone. Nobody’s said I can leave, but there’s only a handful of you left to keep company. What am I going to do when you’re taken away too?”
A few steps took me to her, looking down at her pitiable state. “Do you mind if I sit with you?” I asked, kneeling down beside her.
She looked up, as if she hadn’t heard my approach until I was right there. Almost immediately the brush was placed on the shelf beside her as she stood up and clumsily crossed her arms, the left arm briefly glitching out as she formed the diamond salute. “P-pink diamond, it is an honor to finally meet you. I-I-I hope you judge me gently for my... crimes. P-p-please don’t shatter me for my past insolence.”
“It’s David,” I said, wrapping my arms around her. “I’m sorry they left you here. You are pardoned.” Holding her close, I placed a hand on her head. “I’m also sorry I didn’t do so sooner. If I had known you had been given such a sentence, I would’ve ordered your freedom when those in your care were being healed.”
She stiffened as if alarmed by the contact while taking her time in allowing my words to sink in. “I’m...n-n-not going to be shattered?”
“Of course not.” I pulled back to smile at her. “You're all my nieces. I’m not going to hurt my family.”
“I have a small c-c-chip in my pearl, my diamond. Until y-y-yesterday it wasn’t doing anything other than a minor inconvenience with my hand occasionally, but losing all of my charges has m-m-made it worse.”
Releasing her, I ruffled her hair. “It’s alright. We’ll get you fixed up, okay?” Turning my head, I spotted an amber removing one of the few remaining cracked gems. “Could I have your assistance for a moment?”
“Of course, David. What is it that you need me for? From what I hear us ambers are going to be relegated to pure combat triage in the future due to your special true healing power.” She smiles despite her words, her near-gelatinous hands cradling the damaged gem like a lightbulb.
“Our friend here has a chip in her gem.” I pulled away, keeping a hand on the pearl’s back. “Would you mind seeing to it?”
“Oh, of course your brilliance.” She gave a genuine smile before turning to the lonely pearl and giving her an intense inspection. Upon seeing the minute glitching of her projection she nodded and reached out to rub a finger over her pearl itself. “A couple microscopic scratches as well, normal with a chipping injury. Easy to soothe, hard to fix completely since it’s a surface injury.”
Twilight stood at my side, scribbling away at a scroll. “I’ve never really had the chance to see an amber at work. You can tell all of that from a simple touch?”
“I can feel the areas where there’s damage to the gem, yes. I can also tell what parts will be easy to fix versus what are going to be difficult. Most gems end up with some discoloration as a result of our healing. This pearl, with the way her chip is presenting, is likely to have a yellow-brown elbow and maybe some tint up the arm. The stutter may be irreparable, or it could clear up after a few weeks.” She spoke calmly as a thin layer of resin surrounded the pearl’s pearl and carefully gathered at the area around the minor injury.
It only took a few more seconds, but most of the tension seemed to vanish from the pearl as the amber’s resin crept into the tiniest areas of her chip, bonding with the structure of her gem on the microscopic level to give her the best healing available aside from what I could do.
“How does that feel?” I asked, kneeling down to the pearl’s level.
“L-l-like I imagine a m-massage must feel. A little uncomfortable, b-b-but also relaxing.”
Nodding, I squeezed her shoulder. “Would you be up for helping us? We’re looking for information on a city called ‘Umberfoal.’”
“Prison. Umberfoal was a prison for war criminals... criminal, really. There was a gem, a general, n-n-nobody’s allowed to talk about her. She slaughtered and shattered so many rebels… Anything else was there to make sure she didn’t escape.”
Turning my head, I addressed Twilight. “Did you know about that? This is the first time I’m hearing it was a prison.”
“No, all we know is that it exists and it’s somewhere in the Badlands... we think? There’s almost nothing to go on, other than that the name suggests it might be either underground or in a dark place.” Twilight shrugged and then started to flip through her notebook to a free page. “I’d love to get any information she’s willing to share though.”
“Once the new gems emerge, we’ll begin searching.” A gem prison? It fit my sisters’ emerging MO, given that I hadn’t actually heard of them shattering anyone. For a single gem, however? Just what kind of monster had they created?
The pale pearl simply nodded in my direction before turning to Twilight and offering the princess a smile. “What would you like to know, organic?”