HOME | DD

Description
“I’ve never seen a gem like you before!” The off color righted herself on the tree branch and stared at X8b, “Your outfit is so cool!”
X8b was planning on poofing this off color gem, she really was (and she was still going to), but something about the comment made her straighten up and give the gem another once over. This gem was...peculiar, talking so calmly to an enemy. She wasn’t even afraid. Foolish, but intriguing.
“Flattery will get you nowhere.” X8b replied coldly, “Identify yourself.”
“I asked first lady!” the other gem said, grinning.
X8b sighed, but complied, “Obsidian X8b, Top Tier Obsidian, made on homeworld, and you are…?”
“Oh, we’re going by number names? Ok!” The defective Obsidian landed on the forest floor, “411Y! I go by Rainbow Obsidian! Just Rainbow actually.”
“...I see.” X8b replied hesitantly. 411Y... she couldn’t remember if she’d heard of that Obsidian before (was that even a valid ID?), “What are you doing here?”
“Hm? Oh! Yeah!” She crossed her arms, “I was going to go and annoy Emerald, but you’re much cooler!” Rainbow started pacing around X8b, observing her clothing apparatus, “I’ve never seen another Obsidian before. You’re not what I was expecting!”
That... didn’t make sense. Even a defect would be made in a batch of Obsidians before being weeded out. Obsidians were always made by the batch.
“Where were you made?” X8b asked, frowning.
“Oh, homeworld,” Rainbow replied nonchalantly, “Oh hey! What’s your weapon?! Mine’s a pencil, do all Obsidians have something like that or do you guys have actual weapons? Oh, and can you see the glowey stuff around other gems? What is that?”
So many questions! Though they were concerning. An Obsidian who didn’t even know anything about being an Obsidian! Perhaps that was the reason for her...er, defections. At least mentally. Physically, there would need to be some work done. First thing she needed was to figure out the mystery of this gem.
“Hold on,” X8b raised her hands and stopped the flow of questions from... Rainbow (she supposed she could call the gem that), “You said you were made on homeworld? When was this?”
“Oh...eh, probably a few hundred years ago.” Rainbow shrugged, “Why?”
“That doesn’t make sense.” X8b explained, “Era 2 Obsidians are made off planet. Being made as young as you are, you shouldn’t be able to summon any weapons-”
“Era 2?” Rainbow asked, eyebrow raised.
“...Ah.” X8b understood now, “You don’t know anything about gem history, do you?”
“I do!” Rainbow replied sounding offended, “I mean, some things, other off colors can’t tell me much. But! I do know there was a war! And homeworld won?”
“Tch, we did more than win.” X8b nearly rolled her eyes, “But I need context, do you even know who we were fighting?”
Rainbow shook her head, “They all just call them ‘the rebels’. Were they organic?”
“No. Quite the opposite, actually.” X8b paused, considering. The story was a long one, but she supposed she could simplify for this encounter.
“The rebels were gems that turned against homeworld,” X8b started, “Their leader was Rose Quartz, a defective gem who loved the earth more than she loved her own Diamond.”
“Sooo, she’s not a half organic monster?” Rainbow asked.
“No-Is that what you’ve been told?” X8b blinked, surprised.
“I’ve been told a bunch of stuff.” The other gem rolled her eyes, “Some say she was a giant gem fusion who angered the Diamonds, some say she was the manifestation of the entire planet, even some who say her gem was the planet! I don’t know what to believe.”
“Certainly not any of those things.” X8b shook her head, “No, she was just a gem who lead others astray.”
“Did you ever see her?”
“....” X8b paused. It had been so long since she’d thought about it, “Once. It wasn’t...good.”
“Well, what happened?” Rainbow sat down, staring up at her.
“... She…” X8b closed her eyes, remembering, “It was just after I was trained. It was my first inspection. It was supposed to be safe. It was supposed to be easy.
“I was to be helping Pink Diamond’s Top Tier Obsidian.” She paused, seeing the confusion on Rainbow’s face, “They serve the Diamonds personally, gather up information about the quality of gems in each Court. Pink’s Obsidian was the first Obsidian of the Pink court and with the rise of the rebellious gems she was overworked. I was to inspect and assist where I could. I never even got to meet her Obsidian, much less the Diamond. But I do remember seeing her.
“The first and last time I saw Rose Quartz and Pink Diamond, was when the quartz shattered her.”
“She...what?”

Full fanfic can be found here: archiveofourown.org/works/2041…

Description
“I’ve never seen a gem like you before!” The off color righted herself on the tree branch and stared at X8b, “Your outfit is so cool!”
X8b was planning on poofing this off color gem, she really was (and she was still going to), but something about the comment made her straighten up and give the gem another once over. This gem was...peculiar, talking so calmly to an enemy. She wasn’t even afraid. Foolish, but intriguing.
“Flattery will get you nowhere.” X8b replied coldly, “Identify yourself.”
“I asked first lady!” the other gem said, grinning.
X8b sighed, but complied, “Obsidian X8b, Top Tier Obsidian, made on homeworld, and you are…?”
“Oh, we’re going by number names? Ok!” The defective Obsidian landed on the forest floor, “411Y! I go by Rainbow Obsidian! Just Rainbow actually.”
“...I see.” X8b replied hesitantly. 411Y... she couldn’t remember if she’d heard of that Obsidian before (was that even a valid ID?), “What are you doing here?”
“Hm? Oh! Yeah!” She crossed her arms, “I was going to go and annoy Emerald, but you’re much cooler!” Rainbow started pacing around X8b, observing her clothing apparatus, “I’ve never seen another Obsidian before. You’re not what I was expecting!”
That... didn’t make sense. Even a defect would be made in a batch of Obsidians before being weeded out. Obsidians were always made by the batch.
“Where were you made?” X8b asked, frowning.
“Oh, homeworld,” Rainbow replied nonchalantly, “Oh hey! What’s your weapon?! Mine’s a pencil, do all Obsidians have something like that or do you guys have actual weapons? Oh, and can you see the glowey stuff around other gems? What is that?”
So many questions! Though they were concerning. An Obsidian who didn’t even know anything about being an Obsidian! Perhaps that was the reason for her...er, defections. At least mentally. Physically, there would need to be some work done. First thing she needed was to figure out the mystery of this gem.
“Hold on,” X8b raised her hands and stopped the flow of questions from... Rainbow (she supposed she could call the gem that), “You said you were made on homeworld? When was this?”
“Oh...eh, probably a few hundred years ago.” Rainbow shrugged, “Why?”
“That doesn’t make sense.” X8b explained, “Era 2 Obsidians are made off planet. Being made as young as you are, you shouldn’t be able to summon any weapons-”
“Era 2?” Rainbow asked, eyebrow raised.
“...Ah.” X8b understood now, “You don’t know anything about gem history, do you?”
“I do!” Rainbow replied sounding offended, “I mean, some things, other off colors can’t tell me much. But! I do know there was a war! And homeworld won?”
“Tch, we did more than win.” X8b nearly rolled her eyes, “But I need context, do you even know who we were fighting?”
Rainbow shook her head, “They all just call them ‘the rebels’. Were they organic?”
“No. Quite the opposite, actually.” X8b paused, considering. The story was a long one, but she supposed she could simplify for this encounter.
“The rebels were gems that turned against homeworld,” X8b started, “Their leader was Rose Quartz, a defective gem who loved the earth more than she loved her own Diamond.”
“Sooo, she’s not a half organic monster?” Rainbow asked.
“No-Is that what you’ve been told?” X8b blinked, surprised.
“I’ve been told a bunch of stuff.” The other gem rolled her eyes, “Some say she was a giant gem fusion who angered the Diamonds, some say she was the manifestation of the entire planet, even some who say her gem was the planet! I don’t know what to believe.”
“Certainly not any of those things.” X8b shook her head, “No, she was just a gem who lead others astray.”
“Did you ever see her?”
“....” X8b paused. It had been so long since she’d thought about it, “Once. It wasn’t...good.”
“Well, what happened?” Rainbow sat down, staring up at her.
“... She…” X8b closed her eyes, remembering, “It was just after I was trained. It was my first inspection. It was supposed to be safe. It was supposed to be easy.
“I was to be helping Pink Diamond’s Top Tier Obsidian.” She paused, seeing the confusion on Rainbow’s face, “They serve the Diamonds personally, gather up information about the quality of gems in each Court. Pink’s Obsidian was the first Obsidian of the Pink court and with the rise of the rebellious gems she was overworked. I was to inspect and assist where I could. I never even got to meet her Obsidian, much less the Diamond. But I do remember seeing her.
“The first and last time I saw Rose Quartz and Pink Diamond, was when the quartz shattered her.”
“She...what?”

Full fanfic can be found here: archiveofourown.org/works/2041…