Fractures

8. Fusion & Foresight

  A/N: This chapter doesn't need to exist, but I wanted to spend more time with the Off-Colors damn it. 

- Pink Diamond talks through some problems.

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Padparadscha wandered alone, away from the group. She knew it was dangerous, that she could be killed before she even saw it coming. She didn't care; she needed some space. If she heard one more sarcastic "Thanks, Padparadscha" from Rhodonite, she would scream.

She could hear them calling for her and ignored them. They must have interrupted their training session to search for her. She sighed when she saw Pink Diamond find her, and turned around.

Pink looked relieved, but hesitated to approach her. "What's wrong, Padparadscha? Why did you sneak off?"

...

The sapphire shook her head, trying to hide her tears. "I-I'm fine."

Pink wasn't fooled; she closed the distance between them and sat down. "What's wrong?" she softly asked again.

...

The kindness and compassion in Pink's voice always made Padparadscha feel warm inside, like she was being wrapped up in a fuzzy blanket. Maybe she should talk about it... Pink would listen, wouldn't she? She was always so patient with her...

"I'm useless..."

Pink blinked, shocked at the ordinarily cheerful gem's despondent mood. "You're not useless," she was quick to affirm.

...

"Yes I am! I-I can't fight! I'm always behind and I can't react to things in time! Everyone always has to look out for me; I just put them in danger..." Padparadscha sniffled, not wanting to cry in front of her friend.

Pink shuffled closer, beginning to understand. She put a hand on the sapphire's shoulder, gently encouraging her to lean into her side. After a few seconds, she did so with a sigh.

...

"I feel like such a burden..."

"You're not." Pink shook her head. "Everyone cares a lot for you, y'know. I've only been around for a month, but I'm not blind." She smiled and gave her a little squeeze. "I care a lot, too. None of us want to see you get hurt."

...

"I-I know... But I want to protect them, too! How am I supposed to do that if I can't fight?"

"Fighting isn't everything," Pink replied. "You remember Garnet, right?"

...

Padparadscha nodded.

"Future vision isn't all it's cracked up to be. The rebellion should have ended that day, but it didn't, thanks to the actions of one unpredictable person. Sapphire's prediction was wrong, when she should have been infallible."

The diamond sighed. It was hard to think about someone she lost. "Ruby's unpredictability allowed Garnet to see all sorts of futures. She was always calculating which futures were most likely to happen, trying to decide which actions she should take. I can't imagine how stressful it must have been, to see numerous futures where you failed and someone got hurt."

...

"That sounds terrible..." The sapphire shivered. She couldn't imagine either.

"And..." Pink swallowed heavily. "The things she could see depended on what information she had. I never told her the truth... I should have. She was one of my closest friends, and yet, I didn't give her the tools she needed to be as accurate as she could. She never saw that day coming; it's one of my biggest regrets..."