Stars and Diamonds

Chapter 61: The Fix

Time to kickstart this DiamondBomb off with a long chapter!

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It was barely mid-morning on Homeworld, the sky still deeply tinged in the rising dawn of pinks while the city transitioned from its night cycle, the noise of multiple gems could be heard as they filled the pathways, on their way to replace the previous shifts or to rest in their cubbies, machines cycling off and on as new personnel took over. And while the city bustled, a hive alive with its never tiring workers, the boisterous gems below remained purposely ignorant of the subdued atmosphere in the tallest towers high above them.

Silence reigned heavy as Orange waited with Yellow on her balcony, eyes turned to the opposite side of the Diamond's Square where the sparkling blue palace stood, it's landing pad empty as it awaited the return of it's own Handship.

As much as she hated to admit it, especially to herself, Orange dreaded Blue's arrival, because it meant she would be returning with a gem that was supposed to do a thorough checkup on her and find out just what was wrong with her. After her accident, Pearl's hand had been forced, obligated to tell White Diamond what was occurring, and things quickly changed in the joyous atmosphere that had been around them soon after.

Now everyone was tense, awaiting news that would change everything for her, one way or another. Whatever was wrong, if there was even anything wrong, her future was once more to be decided by someone else, everything hinged on this gem's findings.

Orange had attempted to play the incidents off, at first unsure, and then unwilling to accept it, but she couldn't shake the feeling she was ignoring a certain amount of truth in those fears. She had felt off kilter for a while, odd moments and missing minutes where she had no idea what had happened in between, and she was consuming such large amounts of supplement tablets at this point it made her physically sick to do so. There was never any middle ground, she was either tired and hungry, or nauseous and overfed.

"Do we really have to do this?" The youngest Diamond questioned, voice hushed as she continued to stare blindly at the empty landing pad atop Blue's palace.

"Do you really need to ask?" Yellow Diamond countered without taking her eyes off the same sight as her ward. She had not intended to waste time waiting for Blue Diamond's arrival, but she had acquiesced at the last minute to Orange Diamond's request to wait with her, and she would not go back on her word now. The moment she had looked away from her screens to the tired eyes of their youngest, her tiny face more open and vulnerable than she had seen since she had been toddling around in her early hundreds, she had abandoned any intention of filling her limited time wisely with work.

Orange felt her chest constrict, and this time not from a throb of dull pain, but from the feelings that she had been pointedly trying her best to ignore and deny were even there. Tears glistened in her eyes, but stubbornly refused to fall as she admitted, "...I'm scared, Yellow."

Yellow's hand closed in a little tighter around her, holding her a little closer to her chest and gem, eyes remaining firmly set on the blue building across the square, "It'll be fine. It's probably nothing. Simply more unnecessary precautions."

As much as she wanted to appreciate Yellow's attempt at comfort, it did nothing for Orange's nerves, or her churning stomach that threatened to decorate Yellow's palm in half chewed bits of tablets. "If it was nothing, why would Blue bother bringing a gem from Pink's Zoo with her?"

"Because...." Yellow paused, taking a deep breath, "Because we don't think this is a gem matter that we can handle."

Turning away from the palace, Orange looked up at Yellow, surprise on her face, "You think this is because of my organic half?"