Steven Universe is owned by Rebecca Sugar. I own only my Own Characters.
A conversation with Black Diamond
A Steven Universe Fanfic by RelentlessCrusader
Deep space, geosynchronous orbit above the planet designated Mavrox
Black Diamond's Orbital Fortress Whisper Among Stars
5,500 years after Rose Quartz's Rebellion on Earth
Continuity Note: This short story takes place before the events of Steven Universe Season 4 Episode 13 - The Zoo.
Yellow Diamond personally had mixed feelings about the colour black. To her it spoke of secrecy, mystery and since she could get away with it due to herself being part of the Great Diamond Authority, weakness at times, and weakness had no place within the rigid hierarchy of the gem homeworld. Those individuals who exhibit weakness had such traits stamped out of them, or were replaced with stronger gems that served their diamonds loyally and dutifully.
But even she had to respect the way Black Diamond had carved out her own personal domain among the other diamonds, manoeuvring herself expertly through both military and political fields while staying a few steps ahead of everyone else. The aforementioned diamond had vision yes, but she knew the extent of her reach and influence, and yet the dark diamond's individual achievements more than speak for themselves in the regular reports sent back to Homeworld.
The yellow-coloured gem matriarch had arrived at Black Diamond's deep space orbital fortress just a few planetary rotations ago on board her own spacecraft, after dropping out of a gravitational singularity point close to her intended destination. After the proper security clearances were exchanged with the sizable gem security fleet that dutifully patrolled the surroundings around the space facility, the various gem space fighters and huge warships bearing Black Diamond's emblem depowered their weapon arrays and promptly escorted Yellow Diamond's ship to the various docking cradles that occupied the equator of the orbital fortress.
All honour and proper respect were paid to Yellow Diamond once she disembarked from her spacecraft in the main cavernous landing hall which was more than enough to contain the ship which brought her here. Every single gem present stood in orderly lines on both sides of the hall, with their heads bowed and their hands performing the signature diamond salute. From muscular orange-hued Jaspers and brawny purple-toned Amethysts who were all kneeling on one knee, to blood-red Ruby Soldiers, deep-blue Lapis Lazuli Terraformers and finally highly competent ebon-coloured Jet warriors armed with lances and halberds which stood at regular intervals along the length of the entire darkly-coloured hall.
A black Agate dressed in a grey slate top with a high collar bowed reverently as she greeted the gem ruler, her arms forming the diamond salute and going through all the formal greetings and procedures that had been probably drilled into the gem since her extraction. Yellow Diamond almost scowled at the endless formality, and was secretly glad when it was finished and informed that Black Diamond would be joining her in the main viewing chamber situated near the very top of the orbital fortress.
Within moments she was ushered respectfully as benefitting her status as one of the rulers of the gem homeworld to the aforementioned location, the curved mosaic-like transparent glass panels stretching horizontally to provide a panoramic view of the planet below the space facility. Illuminated by the feeble light of a dying star from a considerable distance away, the planet Yellow Diamond was bearing witness to now was more or less covered in perpetual darkness, the shadows greedily sucking in every bit of light which had managed to travel across the vast coldness of space to reach the planetoid.
Yellow Diamond could never fathom why Black Diamond would see potential in a planet such as the one she was witnessing now. It looked like it was already dead, and perhaps turning that very same planet to space dust would be probably doing the entire universe a favour. But before the other diamonds could say anything, Black Diamond already assembled a sizable quantity of her own fleet to this very planet, claiming it as her own and building this heavily armed orbital base to protect it for whatever reasons that were only known to herself.
Dismissing the irrelevant thought, the yellow ruler tucked her gloved hands behind her back as she continued to observe the slowly turning planet beneath her booted feet. Yellow Pearl stood at an elevated platform beside her diamond, the pearl's hands in the exact same posture while having a no-nonsense expression on her face. The gem matriarch's face faintly turned into a scowl as she clenched her jaw in cold fury when she thought of what had happened a short time ago, when she was so rudely rebuked by a Peridot who she had sent to Earth to check on The Cluster growing within that organic planet. She had activated the remote detonation feature on the Diamond communicator once the line contact has been terminated, but she didn't know if that Peridot had been killed once the communicator performed its function. The sheer nerve of a lowly Peridot calling her a clod of all things, and she had personally shattered other larger gems for far less invectives.
Yellow Diamond herself seldom left the planet of Homeworld except for situations which required her direct attention, since everything else can be communicated through the diamond line or any of its secondary communication channels. However due to the fact that very few gems know about Black Diamond's whereabouts nor the nature of the tasks that were presently occupying her attention, the golden ruler had decided to look for the other diamond herself after obtaining the location of Black Diamond's orbital fortress through the exhaustive efforts of certain gems within her own court.
Within a few planetary rotations she was where she was now, in the nerve centre of Black Diamond's operations, because her own resources were stretched thin enough as they were. It was no secret that Homeworld was rapidly running out of resources to sustain the gem race, and the lack of resources would mean less gems would be created, not to mention affecting the overall quality and abilities of the already existing incubated gems. That was a rather dire problem that needed to be resolved or it would have serious consequences on the overall well-being of the gem civilisation in the long run sooner rather than later.
As she stared out at the inky depths of space with countless stars scattered across the viewing chamber, Yellow Diamond thought back on what else had happened over the last several planetary rotations. Blue Diamond, another member of the Great Diamond Authority, was still grieving over the loss of Pink Diamond after the latter's death, and no matter how much she had tried to persuade the other azure-coloured gem matriarch to move on and return to her duties as a diamond, Blue Diamond still paid regular visits to Pink Diamond's human Zoo and if certain reports were to be believed, even landing on Earth while she wouldn't even set one foot on that horribly organic planet.
White Diamond, on the other hand, was currently indisposed in some other planetary campaign, probably busy finding another resource-rich planet to be terraformed into a useful gem colony and add it to the growing gem empire among the stars. The other gem matriarch had been rather...quiet as of late, and the diamond line to White Diamond had also been guardedly silent too, with no communications coming and going between her court and Yellow Diamond's own.
And as much as Yellow Diamond disliked to ask for assistance from others, she still needed significant support to proceed with the plan to wipe Earth off the face of the universe for what Rose Quartz and the Crystal Gems had done to Pink Diamond and Homeworld. More than five thousand years had passed, and yet the deep emotional pain still lingered within her gem. And while she maintained an air of superiority and strict exterior to other gems, it had been rather difficult to keep a lid on her personal grief, and sometimes outside the presence of others it would seep through the cracks of her stoic demeanour like water through an eroding wall, and it took all of yellow's willpower to force herself to lock those heartbreaking feelings away once more.
A chime of the massive doors leading to the main viewing chamber caught Yellow Diamond's attention, and as she turned her shoulders she witnessed those black doors sliding open noiselessly. Soon, the figure of Black Diamond sauntered into view of the yellow ruler, and it seemed as though she had been formed out of the darkness of the corridor beyond and into the viewing area where she normally received her guests or delegates from the other Diamond court. There was no hurry to her movements, and the newly arrived Diamond moved towards yellow as though she was out for a leisurely stroll out of her personal chambers back on Homeworld.
Black Diamond seemed to float across the ground as much as she moved, long flowing robes of purest night whispering across the smooth obsidian-black floor which were inlaid with certain grey highlights. Like White Diamond her projection had robes which seemed to flow outwards from her entire figure, starting from the sharpened ends of her shoulders and ending in layers of glossy folds that rippled out dutifully behind her. Her clothing, which comprised of a black bodysuit with grey knee-high boots in addition to sharp shoulder pads where an additional black cloak with starry hung from. Gloves of dark grey covered her hands and forearms, and her black gemstone cutout was shown prominently on her abdomen. Her clothing was all about practicality, and it emphasised her mystery and her own power among the diamonds even though she wasn't in the Great Diamond Authority.
Unlike other Diamonds who wore helmets at all times, Black Diamond only wore her own sharp-edged helmet when she was attending any important gathering back on Homeworld. She had apparently forgone her helmet for this meeting with Yellow Diamond, freeing her locks of silky raven-black hair which not only framed her face perfectly and flowed in a waterfall of glossy strands behind her starry black cloak. Her face possessed a sharp chin, a pointed nose and thick black angular eyebrows with eyes of dark purple. Her usual expression seemed to convey the impression of her silently judging others, as though expecting the best out of others, and was yet eternally disappointed. Her grey full lips were pursed in a straight line, and there was no mistaking the aura of intimidation which extruded from Black Diamond.
Her own Black Pearl was a quiet one dressed in a bodysuit that looked like a cross between an evening gown and a combat outfit with a comparable hooded cape like her diamond, besides having black eyes of sharp angular beauty. She stood silently on Black Diamond's left hand in similar and practical clothing, not too flashy but tailored towards the dark matriarch's taste of mystery and quiet power. Her own gem cut was also in the same placement, and it shone with an oily sheen which glimmered in the dim lights of the main viewing chamber.
"Greetings, Yellow. What brings you here to my humble abode?" Black spoke softly as she extended her hand to allow her Black Pearl to walk across her fingers gracefully and joined Yellow Pearl on the elevated platform which was as high as their mid-waist. She turned and regarded the said diamond in the room who had crossed her arms.
"Would you believe me if I said I was in the star systems nearby and decided to drop by to see how your...planetary campaign had gone?" Yellow Diamond raised an eyebrow as she regarded Black whose face simply creased into a smirk on her own lips.
"Ah, that would have made quite an interesting excuse, Yellow." Black walked to the curved glass panels of the viewing chamber and clasped her gloved hands behind her back, "However, I have recently heard whispers in my court about something else...something that has reached my ears about a certain planet in a certain system that had been quite an...inconvenience as of late." She turned her head a little to regard her fellow diamond with those piercing purple eyes.
"In that regard to your presence here..." Black continued, "You are here to ask for my help."
Although Yellow Diamond's face didn't show it, the other diamond's way of telling a gem was still haunting. Her court of black-clad individuals bore true intelligence, with their leader having crafted every single gem to perfection. And that was what Black Diamond expected of Yellow Diamond, although she didn't have to tell her to do so. Each gem warrior of her own court was a formidable warrior, and very few warrior gems of other diamonds' courts could take on her Tektites and win, nor fathom the wide variety of useful information which Black seemed to possess at the very tips of her gloved fingers at any time. In addition, whenever a wrong is committed, Black Diamond would be the first on the scene, giving clipped and precise orders to have things done. And often with less messiness which would hopefully see those wrongs forgotten rather quickly.
All the remaining diamonds knew that her persistence in calling for the complete eradication of Earth was as much of a desire as Yellow Diamond's, especially after what had transpired on that planet during the Gem Rebellion. Yellow had clearly remembered during one of the gatherings back on homeworld in which Black had demanded that Earth's "clean-up" be extremely thorough and merciless, as if they were clearing off weeds to make room for...perfection. And when Blue voiced her concerns, the dark diamond was able to somehow persuade the azure gem matriarch to consider some sort of alternative justice through her careful usage of words, as a way to avenge Pink Diamond's death.
Executioner of Gems. Spymaster of Information. The Great Destroyer. And those were just some of the names whispered among the other diamonds about Black Diamond herself.
"You are correct in your assessment, Black." Yellow Diamond eventually admitted.
Black Diamond raised an eyebrow as she regarded Yellow, and the latter wasn't sure if that was a genuine smile on her face as she saw the ends of Black's lips twitch upwards.
"The plans for the Cluster that would eventually emerge from Earth are still unclear," The black leader declared, "And despite my considerable resources on keeping track of all available Cluster projects around the galaxy, I have received no update from Earth. So that means there is something causing the...delays of Earth's Cluster emergence."
Yellow Diamond tried not to scowl, wishing the other diamond wouldn't rub it in her face. "Not exactly a struggle," she insisted with a hand gesture, "more like...significant interference."
"There always is," Black Diamond commented blandly, "And I thought we should have just vaporised that particular planet and be done with it."
"Even though we have left that organic planet after Rose Quartz's rebellion, its sight still continues to vex us to no end." Yellow Diamond muttered, "And despite the geo-weapon we have deployed deep within its core, the planet is still infested with disgusting organic lifeforms! And don't get me started on those Crystal Gems…"
"Careful." Black Diamond's voice was like a sharp thundercrack in the entire spacious room, "That's Pink Diamond's legacy you are treading on here. I advise you to speak cautiously, Yellow."
"Of course." Yellow composed herself and continued, "So I presume you also don't have any information with regards to the Cluster's development on Earth?"
"My court gems are in the process of collecting more information." Black gestured with a gloved finger, "But what details I do know so far has told me that there could be some…interference from certain gem-based life forms still on Earth."
"Surely you can't mean the remnants of Rose Quartz's rebellion?" Yellow cocked an eyebrow, "We corrupted them all when we deployed the weapon to ensure that they pay a heavy price for their rebellion!"
"There's a high possibility that some of Rose Quartz's associates could have survived despite the deployment of that weapon of corruption by the diamond authority." Black Diamond commented softly, "And while I do understand why you along with Blue and White used such a weapon after the mass evacuation of our forces from Earth during the Gem Rebellion, it appears that we aren't as thorough in wiping out all of the Crystal Gems left on Earth as we thought it should be."
"Surely you aren't implying that we might actually face another battle once we return to that planet?" Yellow Diamond inquired.
Black Diamond's lips curled into a faint scowl, while her eyebrows knitted severely, "If some of the Crystal Gems survived, there's a high possibility we could be meeting another battle if we ever return back there."
"Would it truly be considered a battle?" The yellow ruler of Homeworld questioned, "After all, this is organic life we are talking about. If we deploy significant amount of troops they will be easily wiped out and scattered to the farthest reaches of the galaxy."
"It has been more than five thousand years since the Rebellion," Black Diamond's purple eyes glittered as she spoke, "Who knows what Rose Quartz has been doing after we have left Earth to the Crystal Gems. Wasting her time among humans? Yes. Teaching them the ways of resisting the homeworld gems, and possibly preparing them in case we return to conquer once more? Definitely, because that's what a tactical leader would do."
The black ruler paused for a moment before adding, "I have put my court gems on higher alert after hearing about your...unexpected call from Peridot Facet-2F5L Cut-5XG."
It was Yellow Diamond's turn to frown once she heard that particular Peridot being mentioned again. The sheer audacity one single gem had placed upon her was enough to make the yellow gem matriarch almost break her diamond communication device, not to mention she had been hung up on before even getting a say. The ultimate gem had eventually let it pass, but she never forgot how someone so inferior just called her a 'clod'. Hopefully the self-destruct function on the diamond communicator has effectively destroyed that Peridot once she had activated it.
"Must you always remind me of that horrid moment?" Yellow asked irritably.
"As amusing as it was," Black brought a gloved finger to her sharp chin, "It still raises some questions. This Peridot had as much loyalty as any gem within my court. Whatever brought her to defy you, it's all because of Earth. Those Crystal Gems have somehow corrupted her with their ideologies, and that means Rose Quartz's reign is still going strong, if little by little."
"That kind-hearted charisma of hers is what caused many of her sprouted lies to be believed by those gems who took her side." Yellow Diamond replied, her tone hard, "And her healing abilities is what caused the troops under her command to be healed faster than what we could replace from the Prime and Beta Kindergardens."
"It's a pity the specialised assassination team we have deployed during the Rebellion didn't manage to kill her." Black Diamond remarked, "If Rose Quartz has been shattered, we would have crushed the rebellion in a couple of planetary rotations."
"Which I find to be rather unsatisfactory." Yellow looked at Black Diamond, "Didn't you assure me that your Tektites are best at what they do? What actually happened with that assassination mission?"
"Either Rose Quartz has an informant within the homeworld gems, or she was just skilled enough to kill our combined assassination team, including the Tektite I have attached to them." Black Diamond managed a small shrug of her caped shoulders, "No matter anyway...I can always deploy more when the situation calls for homeworld to launch a second invasion force to Earth."
"So based on what we do know, there's a high possibility Rose Quartz and her Crystal Gems are still active on Earth, and she could very well be assembling an hybrid army made up of humans and Crystal Gems to prevent us from conquering the planet." Yellow said as she made a swift cutting gesture, "I have lost the finest Jasper under my command when I assigned her to the Earth mission, and not to mention a Peridot which I have also invested considerable resources in, and probably a Ruby Squad I have sent to investigate. I have not heard from any of them with the exclusion of the Peridot's exasperating call...and these additional problems need to be excised, and fast."
"You need a sizable strike force, but your own resources have certain...limitations." Black Diamond slowly raised a grey-gloved hand to gesture her point, "And I presume your personal army is...occupied with the ongoing conflicts in Sector 13?"
Yellow forced herself not to scowl as she coolly regarded the other diamond. Black always could read the facial expressions of other gems, from the smallest rubies and sapphires to even the diamonds themselves. No matter how someone else guarded their emotions or body language, they were as transparent as a open tablet in front of the black-coloured gem leader. Nothing escapes her gaze, if any at all. Information is power when it comes to the court of Black Diamond, and the leader herself was the prime example of that particular principle.
"Yes, I do." Yellow Diamond eventually admitted, " Only because my army haven't concluded their various military operations in that space sector."
"My own forces are also occupied with their own assignments." Black replied softly, turning her head to look at the starry void for a brief moment, "So why didn't you go to Blue or White instead?"
"For all I know, Blue could be currently still mourning at Pink Diamond's Zoo despite my countless conversations with her." Yellow fought the urge to knuckle the migraine coming to her forehead, "White is currently indisposed with another military campaign, so she isn't taking my calls."
"So...that leaves Orange, Purple, Red and me." Black sighed theatrically, "Orange Diamond believes in brute force, and you can trust her Jaspers as much as you can throw them. Purple Diamond? Good luck with her Amethysts. Red Diamond? Her rubies seemed to lack...initiative. The list grows quite short, Yellow."
"So that leaves you, Black." Yellow Diamond gave a nod of agreement, and continued, "You have ways to gather information discreetly or perform certain...quiet handling of those who gems who have erred. Can I count on your assistance to send a small force to Earth to check on the status of Earth's Cluster and at the same time, confirm our suspicions on Rose Quartz and Crystal Gems?"
Black Diamond tilted her head a little as she considered Yellow's words, all the while stroking her chin in thought, "Yellow, you have made an interesting case in convincing me to help you. However, I can't spend my own resources without any guarantees that you will do something for me in return. After all, you did come to me for help first."
Yellow sighed as she thought about it for couple of moments. Even among the diamonds themselves, it was commonly known that there's always a catch to getting assistance from Black Diamond. But she couldn't overlook the fact that Black was probably the strongest ally she had at the moment. The dark-coloured diamond was on amicable terms with the scientifically minded Green Diamond, and was also the one with a direct line to White. She had placed herself solidly among the diamonds by consolidating her own power to make sure she couldn't be touched yet holding enough resources and power to rival any of the other diamonds in the authority. Other than the existence of Pink, even Yellow and the rest knew that Black Diamond was the best choice out of the other diamonds on Homeworld to be elevated into the diamond authority due to her remarkable achievements.
"Then make that two large favours I owe you, Black Diamond." Yellow eventually acquiesced, the slight tightening of her gloved fingers not escaping the dark matriarch's sharp gaze.
The other diamond raised an eyebrow, a faint smirk playing across her lips. Black always enjoyed seeing a fellow diamond practically beg for help in her presence, since it shows that she always held quite a substantial amount of power despite not being not officially part of their authority. Seeing even Yellow deferring to her recommendations simply proved how influential and powerful she was, whether her status as member or not. It was no secret that she crafted the finest and strongest gems. Her court's warriors feared nothing, while the Jaspers and Amethysts continued running around like defects made from a hard time on Earth. All of her Tektites were created on Homeworld, born to never fear anything, to fight for her every assigned order, and to ensure victories at any cost. None of her personal warriors have left her down, especially when it came to getting rid of someone for good.
She could imagine Earth to be less blue, green and white and be more like the holographic projection that Blue Diamond had once shown her quite a long time ago when the construction of the gem colony on Earth was well underway. Once the Cluster was in full effect, Earth would be just a footnote in the galaxy, and that's exactly what Yellow Diamond had hoped to be ensured of.
"I suppose I can work with that enticing offer." Black nodded her head as she spoke nonchalantly, "And there's the matter of closing Pink Diamond's Zoo. It almost feels as if order is beginning to fall apart. I presume the humans Blue Diamond has kept in seclusion hasn't changed much after she had taken custody of that place?"
The other gem matriarch hated talking about her inspection visits to that place, given it was worse than any previous one where a mourning Blue was involved.
"Still where they have been all these years," Yellow confessed, waving a dismissive hand. "Those humans still think they live in a paradise, going about their lives in their old, primitive ways. As long as they are happy with whatever we have provided them with in Pink's Zoo, Blue sees protecting them as a way to honour Pink's legacy even though she's...gone."
Black Diamond averted her gaze as she inspected the twinkling stars outside the orbital fortress's curved windows, "When the Cluster does come into effect..." she declared solemnly. "All humans that survived the Cluster's emergence will be captured, segmented and locked up. We will have all the time in the world making sure they don't defy our way of life. After all Pink Diamond has done for them, this is how they repay us for Pink's benevolent contributions?"
"They are just another organic species," Yellow Diamond muttered. "They are flawed, unlike we."
"You know I hate the word 'flawed'..." Black Diamond said coldly, narrowing her purple eyes. "It stands for everything that opposes me. It's what separates Homeworld from Earth, from gems to humans. I don't have to remind you who is the more dominant species. Those organic creatures in Pink's Zoo should be thanking us for giving them this little piece of sanctuary. We are saving them from an already doomed planet."
"I am sure we will both be a little more content once that organic planet is destroyed." Yellow Diamond replied, "Its fate is well-deserved after seeing what the Crystal Gems did to Pink Diamond."
"Hence I have been repeatedly petitioning for that cause of action." Black Diamond answered, "But no...Blue repeatedly refused, stating that Earth was part of Pink Diamond's legacy."
"And I trust you have managed to...persuade her to be more accepting to alternative options?" Yellow raised an eyebrow, still crossing her gloved arms.
"It has not been easy, but I have simply spoke to Blue to see things from a more favourable point of view, by stating that Earth deserved its fate after what had transpired there. The rebellion by the Crystal Gems had already signed its death sentence in my eyes." Black Diamond remarked, "She's slowly coming round, but if you ever meet her again at Pink's Zoo...perhaps you can use a song or two to get Blue to move on."
She then turned and extended a open hand palm up to Black Pearl, who walked lithely onto her diamond's hand and allowed her master to tilt her equally sharp chin upwards. Out of the corner of her eyes, Yellow could see her own Pearl instinctively inch away, because there were whispered rumours that Black Diamond had gone through dozens of Pearls before finally choosing one that was completely loyal and without the most miniscule of flaws. It was also said that she had privately made some specific changes to her own Pearl, and that gem was as capable of attending to whatever tasks Black had assigned her to do, including combat situations if those rumours were to be believed.
"A shrewd decision, Black. And I will consider your suggestion." Yellow Diamond said as she changed her posture by tucking her hands behind her back once more, "I am sure if you succeed in the Earth campaign it would speak favourably of your abilities among the other diamonds."
"As long as I am given the proper respect due to my achievements." Black Diamond replied slowly, "I don't really care what the other diamonds think. Besides, I have accepted Pink's appointment to the authority because I respect her unique skills, despite her initial naivety."
"That you do, Black. And for that you have my gratitude." Yellow answered, giving another nod, "Perhaps I can out in a good word for you during the next diamond gathering back on Homeworld."
"My dear Yellow, your generous gratitude is gladly noted and appreciated." Black allowed her Pearl to sit on her hand and brought the small gem up to her chest, idly stroking the Pearl's black locks of hair under her hood with a long thin finger. The darkly-coloured Pearl remained detached, instead focusing her intense gaze on her master as though awaiting a command to come at any moment.
Yellow Diamond mentally knew that was only the tip of the sea spire. Whenever Black desired something, she got it without question. It was said that she could easily weave a hidden network of agents and spies to fetch her a simple piece of important information if she so wished, or anything else that caught her fancy. She didn't need to be officially part of the Great Diamond Authority to make the other lesser gems tremble, since the mystery surrounding her rumoured abilities and skills were already enough to make others wary of her. And when it came to her wrath, few gems had witnessed it personally, and those who did knew well enough to keep completely silent on that matter than to be shattered by Black Diamond's Tektites.
Only her personal Pearl showed no fear, being the gem specially chosen to personally serve under her Diamond. The same went for those gems within Black's court who have proven themselves useful to her, as only the strongest survive while the weak perished.
"I hope my faith in you will be justified." Yellow huffed, "Once Earth had been fully destroyed by the Cluster and the Crystal Gems are utterly eradicated from existence."
Black Diamond merely smirked in the other gem ruler's direction, "Yellow, you know well enough that when have I not kept the promises I have given? But who's to say a little more trust isn't always well given? Unless you are willing to pay another painful price."
Then the black gem's humourless smile dropped, "And might I remind you that there's still the price that must be paid for more than five thousand years' worth of pain..."
"I understand your meaning," Yellow Diamond confirmed, "You don't have to worry about the Cluster."
"Oh, I am not worried about the Cluster," Black said simply, toying with the silken hood of her Pearl, "My minuscule concerns revolve only around how many humans that would be left for us to take, as soon as this battle is finally over. My Pearl could do with some company as well."
The said obedient gem merely sat where she was on Black's palm, silently agreeing to her Diamond. As any Pearl to her Diamond, it was an honourable role to serve under the most powerful of Homeworld. Although not like Yellow, Blue, and the former Pink, the Pearl knew she was serving under a brilliant Diamond. One that was both feared and respected wherever her name was said. Her slight callousness was made up by the fact that she cared for Homeworld's well-being and the many loyal followers she had lost at the hands of Rose Quartz's rebellion. As long as that Pearl kept her silence and obeyed every single command of Black Diamond, she was treated fairly and reasonably as any other Pearl in the possession of a diamond.
"Of course, you can have your pick of any captured humans we have taken from that planet." Yellow answered, "And you are free to do whatever you please with them."
"Marvellous." The smirk on Black Diamond's face grew a little wider, "I already have a few ideas for what to do when the first batch of humans arrive for my own personal projects."
"I see we are both in agreement then." Yellow Diamond extended one of her gloved hand towards the other diamond, "Thank you for hearing me out Black, and you have my gratitude for your...significant assistance."
Black Diamond gently clasped Yellow Diamond's glove, and they both shook slowly while looking at each other in the eyes, "The pleasure is all mine, Yellow. Just remember to keep your diamond line active, because I may one rotation call you up to collect on the...favours you owe me."
"Of course, I will personally make sure of that." Yellow coughed a little and her Pearl snapped to attention, "Yes, my diamond...I will inform you immediately should Black Diamond's communication comes through the diamond line."
"Good. Safe travels then, Yellow. I am sure we will meet again at the diamond gathering back on homeworld." Black Diamond replied and the departing diamond nodded, allowing her own pearl to climb onto her hand and placed the small gem onto her enormous shoulder pads. The mysterious diamond curtsied courteously as the huge doors slid open once more with a whisper and they both left, disappearing into the dimly lit corridors back to Yellow Diamond's spacecraft which was suspended in the orbital fortress's hangar bays.
Once those doors shut themselves again Black Diamond moved to the middle of her main viewing chamber while the transparent windows darkened quickly and swathing the whole room in darkness. Flashing her hand, a black throne immediately appeared and the aforementioned diamond took a seat on it, allowing her pearl to lightly step off her hand and onto one of the throne arms.
Flicking a gloved finger, a holographic projection was instantaneously generated in front of her, showing a black agate who immediately performed the diamond salute and bowing her head upon seeing the diamond she served.
"Summon my Tektites." Black Diamond spoke with distinct authority in her voice.
"Yes, my diamond. How many of them?" Black agate inquired politely, her head still bowing low.
"The Tektites which haven't been assigned any missions." Black Diamond replied, and the agate nodded her head visibly, "By your will, my diamond."
"Good," The head of all dark gems spoke with approval. "That will be all."
As she terminated the communication with the agate's hologram disintegrating just as quickly, Black Diamond turned back to a certain section of the curved glass windows which became transparent once more, seeing into the darkness where time and space passed the small corner of the galaxy in which she made her domain. Even from miles away she could see that single planet of life and vegetation gleam as it bore significance. Soon it would no longer feel that way, nor have anything left of its former glory by the time the Diamonds dealt with it and gave that planet the fate it so richly deserves.
For thousands of years her fiery hatred for Rose Quartz had eventually become tranquil rage. Her calmed focus was able to differ from Yellow Diamond and far more mature compared to Blue Diamond's. For as long as Homeworld stood, they all tried greatly and strenuously to maintain order. Rose Quartz broke that carefully crafted order a long time ago with her rebellion, now she was willing to do it all over again. And she was probably willing to break another Diamond if to achieve her end once more.
Black Diamond's expression hardened, glaring at her reflection upon the glass window. Let Rose Quartz try to harm another diamond. This time she won't succeed, not when Black Diamond still existed. This time, Black Diamond will make certain she pays for everything she had done to Pink Diamond, as well as Black's beloved Homeworld. She would personally show Rose Quartz the meaning of true fury, if she could meet that rebel gem leader on the fields of battle once again.
Nothing will stop her from exacting her revenge on Rose Quartz, Black had vowed long ago. And if she played the various cards within her deck right, she might just get the chance to do so.
A small beeping sound attracted Black Diamond's attention, and a rectangular hologram opened upon a twitch of her gloved fingers. An image of one of her most trusted gem warriors bowed respectfully to her upon seeing her diamond, and this gem possessed a lithely muscled body clad in a form-fitting suit of sheathed armour, with a long black cloak and hood which hung from her shoulders. A nanogon-shaped gem cut stood proudly on her forehead, and long raven hair flowed from her scalp and framed the Tektite's face in a way that made her look hauntingly beautiful, with sharp features that were prevalent in all of Black Diamond's elite warriors.
"Do you know why I have summoned you, Tektite Facet-D6E3 Cut-5ER?" Black Diamond spoke softly.
"Yes." The dark assassin gem whispered, "I believe I do. What is your order, my diamond?"
A sinister smile crept across Black Diamond's face, and if anyone else but her Pearl saw it they would have felt absolute and boundless terror at that particular expression. It was one of death's announcements, one in which would spell disaster for Rose Quartz and her Crystal Gems.
They have no idea what would befall them soon enough...and by the time they finally realise the danger, it would be far too late to reverse any damage already wrought to them.
Note: 'Mavro' is Greek for the colour Black.
And here is my first Steven Universe fanfic, based on a drabble I have co-written with Cartuneslover16 on Devaintart. First of all, I sincerely apologise for any story inconsistencies or errors since my memory isn't that good on the lore of Steven Universe, but I have tried my best to come up with something that stayed true to the overall story without causing any continuity problems. There are mentions and references to quite a few Steven Universe episodes from the various seasons, so I hope that would be acceptable to any reader who managed to read my first ever SU fanfic.
I have always fantasized about the possible existence of Black Diamond, who I envisioned to be the "Spymaster" and "Executioner" of the Diamonds. I have this thought that she commands a fleet of gem warships of her own, and was considered a powerful diamond in her own right despite not being within the Great Diamond Authority. I have done some searches online, and I was glad to see I wasn't alone in such thoughts, as there are quite a few wonderful murals of Black Diamond floating out there, and many which really caught my eye and inspired this one-shot fanfic. I have also jotted down some bits and pieces about her, such as her weapon actually being a scythe, her personality being something like that of Maleficent, and being something of a Social Darwinist (as the strongest and flawless gems exist in her court, and the weak gems were shattered), having the most terraformers and assassins within her court, as well as a wide network of spies and agents to gather information for her which she consumes on a daily basis, and not to mention being quite a formidable fighter as well, easily capable of wiping out civilizations if she so wanted, since she's commonly called "The Diamond of Death." In other words, Judge, Jury and Executioner...and that inspired me to write this Steven Universe fic piece.
For all those who don't know, the Elite gem assassins of Black Diamond, the Tektites, were a combined creation of Cartuneslover16 and mine, and since she has helped me a lot with this fic (even roleplaying a couple of scenes), I added her characters inside as a form of gratitude. The concept of Black Diamond seen here is actually a hodgepodge of quite a few Black Diamond pictures I have seen on Deviantart, particularly from Black Diamond pieces from QueenDarike, Smalderhaldefan, Dream-Dragoness, and quite a few others.
Special thanks to the artist A-Grenade who is a fellow Steven Universe fan who generously drew my version of Black Diamond close to what I have in mind for her. You can find the aforementioned picture on her Deviant Art page.
As I have no idea how to continue this particular story, I will treat this fic as a one-shot until further notice. if you are on Fanfiction, please consider a fav and follow as well as a review of this fic, and if you are on Archive of Our Own, please consider leaving a kudos and a comment. Until then, please read, enjoy and I most definitely appreciate reactions, critiques and comments, especially advice on how to improve my writing. Thank you all so much!