The ride was tons eventful with Steven sending the roaming eye into overdrive and stuff like, but the eventful trip was miniscule to the sight of the human zoo. the ship parked and everyone's stomach dropped at the sight of two large Amethysts at the door to the zoo.

 Pearl sighed and slapped her face. Labradorite yelped and hide behind the chair, tugging Garnet along with her, forgetting momentarily that the screen was similar to a one way screen. Amethyst and Steven seemed confused at the large Amethysts they hadn't been accustomed to before. "Of course they wouldn't let us waltz in there as an ownerless Pearl, an defective amethyst, two fusions and-and you!" Pearl ranted more than a bit nervous, pointing to Steven.

"then we just need disguises!" Steven piped up, pointing a finger at himself. "I'll be Estaban Universadad!" Labradorite snickered at the absurdity of the name,  before remembering how serious the matter at hand was.

  "It doesn't matter what your name is! ...Stars knows they won't let us in if we stand out..." Pearl said before silencing over the sound and bright light of a particular fusion unfusing.

"We wont stand out with a plan." Sapphire started, Steven gasped, starry-eyed at the components of Garnet.

"Ruby and Sapphire!" Steven shouted, greeting the two shorter gems with a hug.

"What's the plan?" Steven asked, pulling back out of the hug.

"Well, what if we could play the part for today?" Ruby said and Sapphire continued.
"Today, I'm a Sapphire, traveling with my Ruby guard and my personal Pearl." Pearl huffed at the notion a little. but deflated, knowing it was the only chance they had at a shot. "Estaban, I've brought you as an offering for the zoo."

"Uhhh, what about me?" Asked Amethyst.

"You'll be occupying me for extra muscle." Sapphire told with ease. Amethyst felt confused.

"Muscle like them?" 
She pointed to the Amethysts guarding the door.  
"exactly." Sapphire confirmed, making Amethyst stress more.

"A-and us?" Labradorite nervously asked, unfusing into Aqua and Pastel who looked equally as uncomfortable, holding each others hand for comfort.
"Aqua, you are occupying me as an extra pair of hands in my endeavors with your own pearl."
The two nodded as they clutched each others hands.

"yeah, okay."   
"we can do that."

"I have never even seen another Amethyst before, what if I say something wrong?" She says, not knowing where to put her hands at a time like this. Sapphire put her hands up to calm the short gem. "Just look the part, You're new, and we're rusty. we just have to sell this long enough to find Greg."

--

The group walked up to the two Amethysts, Sapphire cool and collected, everyone else had the air of a newborn deer. Steven spouting insults as he fake struggled in Ruby's grip. 

The Amethyst looked at each other as if they were telepathically communicating. 

a tense air surrounded the group before one of the amethyst, one with a gem on her right shoulder spoke.

"State your purpose."

not even a beat went by before Sapphire spoke telling their made up lie without a falter in her movements.

the Amethysts smirked, like they knew something the group didn't and the Amethyst shrugged her shoulders. "Bad news. the human zoo shut down." The Amethyst walked over. everyone tensed, Aqua clenched her fist, wishing her wand was in her hand instead of in her hair. 

"Which means, we're gonna have to throw you into space."
Steven whimpered.

Pastel made a inconspicuous move to  grab Aqua by the scruff, a reminder as to why they were splitted in the first place.

The Amethyst got back with a gruff laugh. "hah, look it believed me." the other Amethyst joined in on the laughter.

the laughing blurred and got louder surrounding Aqua, the surroundings blurred until Aqua was left staring at their feet, and dozens of others. 

Aqua didn't dare look up. they were laughing at her and she knew that.

 But they didn't have to go that far. all she could do was stare at her hands, clutching something so darlingly precious. 

Darling, my darling. you didn't deserve that. you deserved dignity. deserved so much more. Anything but me. 

They didn't have to go that far.  

Aqua didn't want to open her hands, keeping the shards of her lover so very close.
They didn't have to shatter you, my Pearl.

KICK!

"Why didn't you tell me there was a Sapphire AND an Aquamarine here?! What have you miscreants been saying to them?!" 

Aqua blinked back her bleary eyed stare and at the sight of an Agate, pulling herself together quickly, puffing out her chest for extra effect of the egotistic gem she was taught to be (but never ended up being). 

"You'll have to excuse them. they're from earth." The Agate smiled politely before dropping her smile at the mention of earth. "Apologize." the Agate told the Amethyst in a hushed whisper. 

the Amethyst quickly did the diamonds salute with a quick "forgive us!" before getting punched. "Forgive us, your Clarities." they corrected. 

"no use dwelling in the past." Sapphire said extending a hand before returning to the task at hand, getting into the building. "I've brought a new human for the collection." 

The Agate marveled about the coincidence of two humans coming in back to back. 

"Dad!" Steven yelped, making Pastel swallow worried for Steven as he was hurriedly shushed by Ruby.

"OH they're insistent barking what is it saying?" Holly Blue Agate complained before chuckling, commenting that Greg was also loud. Steven was horrified to say the least, and very worried for his father as she carried on like it was just a normal day. 

"I'm sure blue diamond would like to thank you personally but you JUST missed her." everyone breathed a sigh of relief.

"Amethyst, take this human-" 

oh HELL no

"WAIT!"

"Hold it for a minute!"

Sapphire and Aqua darted forward in that moment, they both paused, looked at each other. 
"Never mind, it seems my Aquamarine had the same idea to tell." Sapphire said, folding her hands. Holly Blue Agates eyes moved to Aqua.

"Yes, of course, what is it, your Clarity?" 

Aqua fidgeted with her hands as she started to speak. "It's just... are you really going to send us away after our long journey? If you are busy, we'd all like a tour of the place."

A giant smile formed on Holly Blue Agates face. "I would be honored. right this way, your Clarities." 

The group started to walk into the door, Amethyst getting stopped at the door by Holly Blue. "Amethyst stay and guard the door."

"But-"

"the door." 
Amethyst relented and stayed by the door as Holly Blue turned and went down the hall, leaving her with the Amethysts. 

There was a long silence, mainly Holly Blue observing the group to her hearts content.  

"do your pearls always walk next to you?" 
Pearl perked up, immediately relenting with a few awkward passing words, grimacing at Holly Blue's comment about her being chatty. 

"Does it have to matter?" Aqua clearly challenged, narrowing her eyes at Holly Blue, making her eyes widen at the incentive. Everyone's eyes went to Aqua, each doing their own thing to silence Aqua. Ruby making a cutting throat motion, Pearl shaking her head with a tense expression. Sapphire just shook her head subtly. 

"Of course not, your clarity, i just find it... peculiar. If I had a pearl there'd be no way that she'd.-"

"Well you don't. she's my Pearl and I say she can walk next to me." 

"Of course, your clarity, i was just curious."

Aqua hummed defensively at Holly Blue backing down from a fight, crossing her arms as Holly Blue brushed off the exchange starting to talk about the past of the human Zoo. 

But Aqua wasn't listening, zoning out while staring at the bright pink walls of the place. Aqua had briefly wondered why it had been left like this and wasn't redesigned to fit Blue diamonds more... blue taste.

 Although, Blue Diamond was all about sentiment, probably opting to keep their shards for all those years before they were rebuilt like this. a product of forcibly fusing gems together in a cruel attempt at a bioweapon. 

The others can't hear it but Aqua and Pastel can. Labradorite can hear the screams of the forced fusions. the pleas to end their misery from this endless pain-

Aqua snapped up at the brief touch at their arm. she looked up to see her partner worriedly gazing at her.  Pastel, being the ever doting partner, mouthed the soon to be question of the day. 

'are you okay?'

To which Aqua brushed off, nodding her head to Pastel with a ghost of a smile. Pastel looking still worried, grabbed Aqua's hand, squeezing it lightly as they stopped at a door. 

a beat of silence past with Holly Blue just staring at the door.

"Are either of them going to do it or should I say something?"
"oh! Pearl, the door." Sapphire realized, and Pearl walked over to it thinking for a moment before tapping at the screen. 

"You are so patient with her, how do you do it?" Holly Blue kindly asks Sapphire. 

"as a sapphire, I know it will happen eventually." She says, making Pearl frown as she finally opened the door.

"that would be all." Said Holly blue as she walked past.
"Sorry." Apologized Sapphire in a hushed whisper. 
"just hang in there!" whispered Steven
"You're doing a great job, in contrast to Aqua." Joked Pastel, making Pearl crack a smile and finally walk out the door.

[A/N; HAPPY NEW YEARS, I may be a bit early by like two days, but think of this as like,... a really REALLY late Christmas present, so sorry I took like a YEAR break from this fic, I'M STILL INVESTED I SWEAR!!! IT ALL MY OTHER HYPERFIXATIONS THEY BE JUMPING ME. so you know what i did. I sat down, put on Caremeldancen + strobelights for ten hours and GOT TO WORK. this chapter was a bit Aqua centric but IM STILL WORKING ON THEIR LORE DONT HIT MEE!!! if you guys want to give feedback go AHEAD. I've  been dying to hear from you guys again but I also don't want to give you something you don't like. but this is a long enough Authors note as is I'll catch you on the flip side everyone, signing off -Bee]