Chapter Text
Bismuth had been involved with the rebellion for years before seeing herself in battle. She honestly never expected to participate; sure, she was eager and willing, but with their numbers growing constantly (doubling and tripling every hour, it seemed) building barracks and headquarters and working on arming their ranks seemed a better use of her time. Several other bismuths had joined them, as well as a growing battalion of quartzes. Quartzes took very naturally to the forge, due to their strength and size. They formed fast bonds with each other and had a pack like mentality that easily endeared them to the current forge family. They grew so numerous they created an entirely new forge in another part of the mountain, one with deeper tunnels and longer stairways so the quartzes didn't have to bend down as much.
When the plan came through that they would need some of the bulk of the forge quartzes and the bismuths, Bismuth was excited to participate. She had used the image of slicing up a Homeworld elite to power her through the most excruciating of projects, and now she had her chance to live out the fantasy. A court spire was being constructed on the edge of the Alpha Kindergarten; a grandiose structure with even less purpose than the Sea Spire. It was simply a fancy outpost, a place for Gems to watch the Kindergarten in style. At least Bismuth could respect projects with purpose, but this seemed like just an excuse to flaunt power. Pearl had nearly spat when describing the building.
Good. It made Bismuth even more excited.
"When are we heading out?" Bismuth asked as she followed Pearl to their barracks. Pearl had her notescreen in hand, swiping through pages and pages of harried notes, more and more flying in from the field.
"Soon," she said, her voice uncharacteristically dark. "We want to launch an overwhelming front at first. They're basically expecting us to attack, but not in numbers like these. They're used to the ambush style we've adopted." Pearl went silent then, staring over a report. Her cutlass was sheathed and slung over her shoulder, hanging from her back, a new style for her.
"Will this tactic work?" Bismuth asked after a time of uncomfortable silence. She had been spending much more time with Pearl lately and had gotten into a comfortable rapport with the other Gem. Bismuth had contained the flirtiness levels, since Pearl seemed to not like it as much around Rose. But even with their new friendship, sometimes Bismuth felt as if she were always on the outside looking in.
And, deep, deep down, if she were honest to herself, she still felt a little... strange, answering to a pearl.
"Hopefully," Pearl said after a moment, finally tearing her eyes from the screen. "We're trying to take advantage of a breach in their communication. The commanders down on the ground haven't been as honest as they should be about the number of Gems defecting. Since they're nervous about getting in trouble, the word up to the higher courts are incorrect and incomplete; they think the rebellion is much smaller than it actually is." Pearl turned back to her notes, typed something quickly on the screen and sent it away. "Pink Diamond's court recently reported to Blue Diamond that the rebellion is 'quieting'. This project is being sponsored by Blue Diamond. We'll see how 'quiet' she thinks we are after this." Pearl looked up again, a huge smile on her face, looking right up at Bismuth. "Are you ready?"
"Absolutely," Bismuth answered, and shapeshifted her right arm into a hammer. "Wait until they get a load of this."
---
A few scant hours later and Bismuth found herself in the thick of battle. It was exciting in the same way that a volcano erupting or a lightning strike was exciting; powerful and dizzyingly fast. Her shape-shifted arm took the opposing quartzes by surprise, and she used that surprise to pound them into the canyon walls in puffs of colorful smoke. Of course, she wasn't banking on an unexpected flank of high-ranking Jaspers to be there; that was intel that had someone slipped by Peridot and Pyrite, the two Kindergarten informants.
A Jasper with an axe the size of Bismuth's anvil came right for her, her gem glinting from her forehead like a beacon. Bismuth tried to throw all her weight into the fight, but this Jasper was big; it seemed that the higher the rank, the bigger they were. Her hammer-arm connected with the canyon wall and Bismuth felt a ripple of pain tear through her arm, up her shoulder and straight to her gem, where the pain multiplied tenfold. She leaned into the wall, crushing her teeth together in pain, while the jasper yanked her axe from the wall and swung it over her head, ready to come down on Bismuth. Bismuth managed to push herself from the wall and slide through the dirt, gasping, but standing, ready to swing again. It was dusk, and the site of the build wasn't well-lit; the giant jasper half blended in with the sharp shadows that the canyon cast in every direction.
"That all you got?" Bismuth cried, ignoring the pain in her arm and swinging with all her might. The jasper just chuckled and jumped out of the way, throwing her axe from one arm to the other.
"Give up now and I won't shatter you," she offered, her voice carrying through the dust. "You're a strong bismuth - we always need more of those."
"Sorry, I'm not interested!" Bismuth shouted back, before running straight for the jasper once more. The opposing Gem swung her axe above her head and threw it at Bismuth, who had just launched herself into the air. The jasper had fantastic aim, and the axe was heading straight for her gem. Suddenly, the whole world coalesced into a single line, and all Bismuth saw was the huge, massive axe, probably made by a bismuth back on Homeworld, spinning for her. Bismuth pulled her knees up and held her hammer out before her -- maybe she could at least protect her gem --
There was a shout, and a shhhhhhhhhiiiiiing! and the axe was knocked off-kilter and buried itself half into the canyon wall. Both the jasper and Bismuth were taken by surprise, causing Bismuth to crash into the jasper, throwing both of them into a heap on the ground. They both looked up to see Pearl standing several feet away, on top of the cliff edge, a long, thin spear in her hand. Bismuth wondered where she had gotten it; it didn't look anything like the ones she'd seen in the forge.
"Bismuth!" she cried, steadying the spear. "Are you okay?"
"Yes!" Bismuth called, pushing herself to her feet. Jasper stood as well, clearly shaken but barely injured. She sneered up at Pearl, teeth bared.
"Was that a party trick?" she called up, and Pearl's face hardened. "What, throwing pretty little spears around?" Jasper lifted her fist to her forehead and pulled another axe out - not the same one she had been using before, which was still lodged in the canyon wall, but a different one. This one had a longer handle, a smaller, more ornate blade and was a deep burgundy color. She arced back and chucked it at Pearl, who dodged it with ease and gracefully jumped down onto the ledge between Bismuth and Jasper.
"Your battalion has all been poofed," Pearl said cooly, holding the spear out in front of her. "Give it up. You're alone."
"I don't take orders from pearls," Jasper spat, summoning a second axe from her gem. Bismuth shapeshifted one hand into a hammer and the other into a sickle, bracing herself beside Pearl. Jasper approached them with heavy footfalls, her grin widening. "I have heard of this pearl, a pretty little rebel who likens herself to a general." Pearl took a step back, eyes glancing to Bismuth, trying to communicate.
Was it a bluff? Bismuth wondered wildly. Is her battalion poofed? She realized she couldn't hear anything beyond the canyon walls, but she wasn't sure if that was because there was silence out there or tension in here. Pearl, what do you want me to do?
"This," Jasper muttered, raising her axe above her head, "will be fun." She arched backwards, both arms high, and threw herself into the downstroke, her axe colliding with Pearl's spear with a horrifying, metallic screech.
Pearl was nearly bent over backwards, bracing herself with the spear, her eyes widening as Jasper loomed over her.
"You're stronger than I thought," Jasper muttered through gritted teeth. "Oh, you're a strong, pretty little plaything." Pearl bit her lower lip, eyes narrowing dangerously. Bismuth could see the anger bubbling just beneath the surface, Pearl's chest rising and falling with increasing speed.
"Bis...muth," Pearl muttered, shooting a glance at her again. Suddenly, Bismuth understood. She took a tentative step around Jasper, her leg now aching with the pain from before, and lifted the sickle as high as she could.
"Hey!" she cried, but Jasper ignored her, instead doubling down on her efforts to overwhelm Pearl. Pearl shot one last glance towards Bismuth, and took a deep breath.
"Brace yourself," she mumbled to Jasper, and the spear suddenly vanished from her hands. Jasper, who had been putting all of her weight onto the spear, suddenly began toppling, and Bismuth took her chance. She threw her weight into her sickled arm and with a growl, sliced through Jasper's form, from her left knee up past her right hip. Bismuth could feel the blade slash clean through, could feel the waver in Jasper's damaged body. Jasper froze, letting a sound somewhat like a croak escape her throat, before vanishing into a puff of bright smoke. Her gem clattered to the ground, half-buried in the dust.
"Yeeeeeehaaaaaaaaaaw!' Bismuth whooped, turning her sickled arm back into a hand and running towards the fallen gem. "Oh, she was askin' for it, huh Pearl? Saying all that nasty stuff about you, but you out-muscled her and out-smarted her!" Bismuth cackled to herself as she held the gem tentatively in her hands, struggling to remember how to bubble it properly like she had been instructed. She eventually managed a rainbow bubble, the gem suspended within it peacefully. "Now look at her, Pearl!" She was met with silence. Bismuth lowered the bubble and looked over at Pearl, who was lying flat on her back on the ground. "Pearl...?"
Pearl remained silent, unmoving. The dust cloud finally settled, and Bismuth pushed the bubble aside to kneel beside her. Pearl's face was turned to the side, eyes closed, her face covered in dust. Bismuth was about to touch her arm when she noticed her form was... blurry. Her arm was blinking in and out of existence, solid one moment and translucent the next, the normally defined edges blurring together like mud. Bismuth reached out and gently turned her head, and let out a loud, horrified gasp.
There was a deep split straight down her gem; it appeared to be nearly cracked through. Thin veins ran off the main crack and spider-webbed across the rest of her gem, growing with each minute that passed. From her guess, Bismuth ventured that Jasper's axe had connected in the seconds between Pearl releasing her spear and Bismuth slicing her from behind.
"Pearl, I-I-" Bismuth stammered, reaching out a trembling hand. Pearl suddenly let out a gasp that sounded more like a wheeze, turning her head as slowly as she possibly could. Bismuth hurriedly placed her palm against Pearl's cheek, and found it soaked in sweat. Her eyelids were flickering but didn't open, and as Bismuth watched her gentle face with worried eyes, the cracks from the gem started to travel. Pearl parted her lips and mumbled,
"Get... Rose." A moment later, Pearl's entire body sagged into the dust like a sack of Refined gem shards. As she passed out, her form began flickering more often and more violently, as if she were about to wink out of existence.
As gently as she could, Bismuth gathered the much smaller Gem into her arms, careful to not exacerbate the damage. Her entire body ran cold and she trembled as she walked, past the huge axe embedded in the wall, past the deep gouges that were now a permanent fixture in the tired ground, past the half-broken spears she had carefully designed months earlier. Pearl seemed suddenly impossibly small in her arms, delicate and fragile in ways she had never really considered Pearl to be. Bismuth nearly tripped more than once as she hurried, walking as fast as possible without jostling Pearl, unable to tear her eyes away from the fallen gem. It was almost if she were afraid Pearl would vanish if she stopped watching her.
After walking in a strained silence that felt like ages, Bismuth came across the construction staircase embedded into the canyon wall that took her over the top. Several yards away stood the half-finished spire, abandoned by Homeworld - for now. She recognized the small group standing outside of it, and Bismuth felt light. She broke into a light jog, trying to be as steady as possible while also considering time.
"Hey! HEEEEY!" Bismuth called, and a familiar face turned to her. Biggs turned on her heel, nursing a burn to her arm but otherwise fine. She waved to Bismuth and started jogging over to meet her.
"Bis! You made it!"
"Biggs! Get Rose!" Bismuth cried, picking up speed. She tightened her hold on Pearl and glanced down, almost afraid for what she'd see. In her arms, Pearl's form was flickering dangerously. Small cracks had started forming on her face, running down her arms and legs, turning her skin black and patchy. The entire scene made Bismuth want to retch. "Biggs, please!"
"Rose?" Biggs called back, slowing down. "Rose Quartz?"
"YES!" Bismuth shouted. "Pearl is cracked!" Biggs stopped in her tracks, her face suddenly white. There was a series of gasps from the group behind her. Bismuth finally caught up to Biggs, cradling Pearl as if she were going to break any moment. "She's hurting bad, just look at her!"
"Bis..." Biggs muttered, looking down at Pearl's ashen face. "Bis... she's not gonna make it." Bismuth felt something in her chest drop to the bottom of her feet.
"S-she will!" Bismuth countered. "I-- can't Rose Quartz heal?" Biggs looked back down at Pearl, her face falling.
"She can," Biggs admitted, "but she's not here. Look at how deep this goes." She brushed back Pearl's hair from where it had fallen over her damaged gem. "I've seen a lot of cracks, and this one is bad."
"But--but--!" Bismuth sputtered, and it was then the panic set in. But can't she save her? She has to! Bismuth dropped to her knees, still cradling Pearl, still trying to be as gentle as she was able. Pearl remained deathly still, the crack deepening with the slightest movement.
This place cannot be the site of Pearl's death. I will not allow it. The thoughts bled into Bismuth's numbing mind as she watched the light fade from Pearl's gem. Not today.
"Rose!" came a sudden cry from behind them, and Biggs spun on her heel. Bismuth jerked out of her dark thoughts and looked up as well. Rose Quartz was running towards them, eyes wide, singed hair flying behind her into the last tendrils of daylight. Biggs stepped back as she came upon them, arms open and accepting.
"Rose! Thank the stars," Bismuth murmured, relief washing over her. She had never been more relieved to see Rose than in this moment. "Pearl, she protected me-- she saved me--"
"Let me take her," Rose said, falling to her knees before Bismuth. Bismuth slowly and reluctantly reached out, transferring the small body over. Rose immediately clutched Pearl to her chest, running soothing fingers through her hair, murmuring "Oh, my Pearl, can you hear me?" over and over.
Pearl didn't respond; her body lay limp against Rose's chest. Her arms, which had been curled into her lap, fell uselessly to the ground. Her fingertips had faded to black, cracks crawling from them into her palm, her wrist, and up her arms. She looked like the diseased trees that Bismuth had helped clear not too long ago, for the site of the new forge, covered in rot and dying from the inside out. Biggs stepped back, lowering her gaze. She had been a soldier for eons before the rebellion, and had seen many a cracked gem.
This was Bismuth's first.
Rose bent her head over Pearl's, cupping her face gently in her large palms. She closed her eyes and was still for a moment, as if waiting for a cue. Bismuth watched, too afraid to look away. Other gems from behind them were peering over, all silent, surrounded by bubbles of various colors. Even the wind seemed to be holding itself aside, as it fell stagnant.
As gently as she could, Rose brought Pearl's forehead to her lips, pressing them to her cracked gem. Her lips quivered against it, her arms still trembling, and suddenly, there were tears. Big, fat, glittering tears fell from Rose's eyes and slid onto Pearl's gem, where they turned into a white light and were sucked straight into the cracks. Biggs looked up in surprise and Bismuth just remained kneeling where she was, dumbfounded, at the sight.
Painfully, achingly slowly, the cracks ebbed back together, each one shining with a brilliant light before vanishing. The tears never once fell past Pearl's gem; it was if her gem were a sponge, soaking in every ounce of tears that Rose shed.
Rose let out a brief sob, pressing her lips against the slowly healing gem, and Bismuth suddenly felt she were intruding on an incredibly intimate moment. Her own eyes felt heavy with tears, and she didn't even notice one trail down her cheek and drop into the dusty earth.
Rose's shoulders hunched up with a quiver, her arms still shaking, Pearl still lying dormant against her. Other Crystal Gems were climbing up over the sides of the canyon, carrying half-broken weapons and bubbled Homeworld gems with them, some speaking but all falling silent at the sight of Rose kneeling.
With a last shaking breath, Pearl's gem glowed a bright white light, so bright both Biggs and Bismuth had to shield their eyes. As it faded, Pearl's gem appeared as pristine and clear as when she had first emerged. Bismuth bit her lower lip, eyes trained to Pearl's face. Biggs was holding onto her left hand with a firm grip, running the fingers of her right over her own gem, waiting with huge eyes.
"Pearl?" Rose said softly, tears still rolling down her cheeks. "Can you hear me?" With a groan and then a sigh, Pearl pinched her lips together and lifted one hand to her face, wiping away the stray tears that were still falling. She leaned her head back and opened her eyes to half mast, her face lighting up at the sight of Rose above her.
"Rose," she said, bringing her hand to Rose's cheek. Rose gave a watery chuckle and placed her own hand over Pearl's, returning the bright smile.
"Pearl," she responded. Pearl gave a weak laugh before lowering her arm to her chest. "You did brilliantly. You saved Bismuth from being shattered. And Bismuth saved you from being shattered." Pearl's eyes darted to Bismuth, who had been frozen in place since Pearl opened her eyes. Pearl gave her a small, sad smile, before closing her eyes again. Although she was safe from shattering, her form seemed to pale in Rose's arms.
"Thank you," Bismuth murmured, finally finding her voice. There was still a tight knot in her chest, and the air in the small group was still tense. Pearl was safe, but still, it seemed they were waiting, anticipating something--
And with a flash of light and a puff of bright white smoke, Pearl vanished, leaving a smooth, white gem in her place. Rose caught it deftly, covering it with one hand and bringing it to her chest. She then stood, turning to the slowly growing crowd of Crystal Gems.
"If there are any other cracked or hurt Gems, please come here!" she announced, Pearl's gem still in between her hands. "We're far from our base and the cracks are deep; I don't want to risk any more injuries on the way home." She turned back to Bismuth, who had finally risen to her feet.
"Bismuth," Rose said, her left eye already welling with another round of healing tears, "please watch Pearl for me until we return to base." She gingerly handed the gem over and Bismuth, relieved that Pearl was finally safe, took it in her hands. She turned it over once, twice, three times, double-and-triple checking that there were no scratches or cracks. It gleamed in the remaining sunlight, a soft, gentle cream with an opalescent sheen.
"Of course," Bismuth responded, and she stepped back as battered Gems came forward, falling to their knees before Rose's towering height.
"I'll be right here when you reform, Pearl," Bismuth whispered to the gem. "Don't worry."
The gem in her hands said nothing in response.