Disclaimer: I do not own Steven Universe.
Warning: Contains spoilers for Wanted Special.
A/N: Stress relief fic! I need to write something fun for a change!
I've grown fond of Blue Diamond. She's not a nice person but she seems to have an interesting story behind her "evil" actions. This fic will jump between the episode The Answer and a fanfiction about a possible reason for Blue's harsh treatment of fusion.
Small but I may make one more chapter if enough people are interested (I already have a cool ending waiting so it might be written regardless.)
The Earth, many thousands of years ago; much had changed on Earth and Homeworld alike. The fear of rebellion hung over the remaining three Diamonds. None were so affected as Blue Diamond. She had come to Earth for many reasons. Greif and duty both held her back and pushed her onward. She was on a mission to take on as much as she could of Pink Diamond's legacy. Unfortunately, this meant she would now become a target for the rebels.
Luckily for Blue Diamond her Sapphires were very competent. One Sapphire in particular caught her interested. This Sapphire had come forward with a vision. It was a vision the Diamonds had hoped for.
The rebellion would end.
It would end on the very planet it had begun.
The vision took place upon one of the many Cloud Arenas across the planet's sky. For security Blue Diamond had invited this Sapphire into her court for the expedition. She called on the Sapphire to once again share her vision of the future. For it was the only comfort she had.
Blue Diamond watched the Sapphire moved through the crowded room with tired eyes.
"Listen, Pink." A stern voice boomed, "I'm saying this for your own good."
"You are always saying things for my own good."
Four Diamonds sat across from one another.
Yellow and Pink were once again at each other's throats. At first glance one would find them too similar in policy to ever argue. But that was only superficial. There was always one topic that set them off like this. It was only then their many differences came to light.
"Because I am." Yellow insisted, "We have been irritated with you for a while now."
"We?" Pink chuckled looking over at the other two gems in the room. White and Blue Diamond sat quietly in the indistinct room. It matched perfectly with how they felt about the quarrel before them.
White remained unreadable while Blue avoided Pink's gaze.
"I hear no other complaints." Pink crossed her arms in defiance.
"You have one planet to your name." Yellow huffed, "You can barely be called a Diamond."
THUNK
Pink stomped her foot in an almost childlike manner, "How can you say such a thing!"
The noise was enough to draw Blue's attention. She always marveled at Pink's undying energy. Aside from exchanges with Yellow she never seemed to be in a sour mood. Her words always seems to hold such passion.
"I believe-" Blue was bewitched to speak, "quality outweighs quantity in this case."
Yellow's sour face was only made worse by a poorly restrained snicker coming from the pink gem.
"See. I must be doing something right." Pink tried to manage, "I was beginning to think only those gems under my rule supported me." She looked over to her unexpected ally.
Once again Blue refused to match her attention.
"Fine." Yellow would argue with anyone, but she had a soft spot for the blue gem. With a false interest she asked, "What do you have to show with this "Earth" of yours?"
"A place to create more gems. Powerful gems!" Pink announced boldly, "The land is very rich."
"And the purpose of your zoo?" Yellow pressed.
Blue listened on. She did not care all too much for meetings.
That was a lie.
Blue loved meetings. She loved order. But what meetings had now become were only a festival of chaos from her fellow rulers.
Blue turned toward White who just stared ahead as emotionless as stone. Pink's emotion was a stark contrast to the White gem.
"We all need hobbies." Pink shrugged, "The creatures on Earth are interesting."
Yellow signed, "Your little toys shouldn't take your mind away from the great possibilities you can accomplish for us."
Pink ignored this comment and turn to Blue, "What do you think?"
"What do I think?" Blue repeated half-heartedly.
"Yes."
The one word held such expectation.
Blue hated to crush it with the truth, "I never had any interest in the Earth." But she hated to lie more.
This comment did not seem to have any ill effect on the pink gem's mood, "Then why don't you come with me. Let me show you my work with the Earth. Perhaps after you see it's full wonder you'll find a change of heart."
Blue looked up into those truly vibrant eyes.
"You're wasting your time." Yellow scoffed, "Blue would never-"
"Yes."
"What?!"
"Yes."
Sapphire walked up to Blue Diamond's Palanquin, "My diamond, I've arrived." She announced.
Blue Diamond spoke, "Sapphire, tell me what will happen here."
"I foresee the rebels attacking the Cloud Arena. Before they are cornered, they will destroy the physical forms of seven gems, including two of my Ruby guards, and myself. Immediately after my form is destroyed, the rebels will be captured. The rebellion ends here." Sapphire reviled all she had seen.
"Thank you, Sapphire." No one could ever know the mix of relief and anger that passed through the Diamond as she thanked Sapphire, "That's all I needed to know."
Soon those rebels would get all that they deserved. And finally, she would understand what had happened in those final moments. Blue Diamond truly believed the knowledge would be enough to put her heartache to rest.
The Sapphire took her leave, "I look forward to speaking with you again once I reform back on Homeworld." The tiny gem curtsied before returning to her soon to be defeated Ruby guards' side.
"So these are "Humans"?"
Two gems privately observed the contents of The Zoo.
"Aren't they wild!" Pink said bursting with excitement, "Look at how many variations there are! I have yet to see more than 4 that look exactly alike. But who knows with these humans."
"They most certainly are …" Blue watched them run about. They looked frantic, "How do you care for them?"
"Watch this." Pink reached out her hand to reveal a console, "Hello everyone." Her sweet voice filled the dome, "It's time to eat now. Please eat all you need."
On the false Earth, the landscape began to change. It bloomed into something new and colorful. The humans noticed the change and began ripping it apart, shoving bits into their mouths.
Blue Diamond's eyes widened, "Is that … "eat"? Why do they destroy their new lovely environment in such a way?"
"Humans need to put things in their mouth and chew until it's gone." Pink explained, "If they do not they will become unresponsive and slowly dissolve."
"Strange." Blue whisper to herself. She hated to admit how intriguing it all was, unsure if it was these humans or if Pink's excitement about them had infected her. "They are calm now." She noted.
"And calm they will stay, for the most part, until their next feeding." Pink shook her head, "I'm still trying to understand what they need to continue in existence. They only live a short 40 years."
"What are your true intentions with these humans?"
Pink hesitantly replied, "It may seem strange b-"
"I would expect nothing less from you." Blue interjected. Her words seemed harsh but her tone was not. In fact-
"And here I thought we were becoming close." Pink joked.
-there was something new in the blue gem's manner.
"If we were close I would hope you would feel at ease to tell me your goals. You would know that I wouldn't think less of you." Blue proposed, "…If we were close."
"I think they can help us." Pink said unwavering, "Maybe these simple creatures can teach us something more than we know. Gems have been exploring for too long without truly exploring. We take and grow but no longer learn. We have stayed the same for too long, ridged in our traditions without experimenting with the unknown. I think this is dangerous to stay stagnant as we have." The diamond ended with a seriousness.
The two leaders' eyes met and remained fixed for some time.
The words held truths.
The words held fears.
The words held risks.
"I do hear all you say… but-" Blue could not finish. Instead she returned her gaze to the humans.
Pink nodded in understanding, "Thank you for listening. When you are ready I welcome any comments, any at all! Your words are priceless to me." And it was true.
Blue had always seen Pink as a source of chaos and immaturity among the diamonds. She felt ashamed that she had never noticed this side of the other leader before.
"I want you to study these humans more."
Blue's voice alone brought a smile to Pink's lips.
"Be sure these humans' experiences can be applied to our society before you risk speaking on the matter in front of anyone but me. I myself am uncertain regarding the changes this can bring. But I know that any trepidation I feel will be shared by White and Yellow tenfold." Blue hoped Pink would heed her words, "Be cruel to these humans if you have to. Use any tactic to divert attention from your true intentions. I would rather they suffer than you."
Pink Diamond agreed.
"What are they doing." Blue quickly changed the subject. She had been watching two humans below. Their hands were interlocked and they were spinning around aimlessly.
Blue turned, looking for an answer from her companion. Instead she found an outstretched hand.
"Care to try?"
Outside the observation-deck door one of Blue's Sapphires stood in waiting for her Diamond with Pink's Pearl.
The Pearl was fidgeting. She had never been away from her diamond for this long.
"I am sure all is well."
Pearl jumped at the answer to the question she was just about to ask, "Y-yes. But, um. With all due respect, Your Clarity, do you think we should check on her?"
The question became an answer in images flooding Sapphire's mind.
Pink's Pearl did not have to wait long for the answer.
"No. We will be in the way." Sapphire stated cryptically.
In the way? The Pearl thought, though she dare not ask for clarification. She did not want to intrude in her diamond's business.
Of course, even without asking an answer came, "It seems we will all be spending much time together outside closed doors."
Sapphire walked back toward her Ruby Guards. She found her place near one, the Ruby who would be spared.
The thought of losing her physical form was not at all a concern for Sapphire. She knew that when she reformed all would be well. Her life would return to its usual pattern and in Sapphire's mind she was already back on Homeworld.
"What a beautiful place to build a colony." That is why it was so strange that she decided to confide a single regret to this particular Ruby, "I do wish I could have seen more of this planet."
"Uh... there's still time."
Sapphire signed, "That is a nice thought, but... no." Of course the conversation would end there. There was no way this Ruby could know.
But she would soon enough.
"Blue Diamond, leave this planet! This colony will not be completed!" A voice came from above.
Just as predicted.
Sapphire hated being right sometimes.
And the counterattack began.
As predicted.
Gems were defeated.
As predicted.
The rouge Pearl prepared to strike her down as well.
As predicted.
In her last moments Sapphire saw a lone Ruby lying on the ground. "Thank you, Ruby." She wanted to make sure the guard knew everything would be alright, "You did your best."
The sword came down at her.
As Predi-
"NO!"
"Will you miss me?"
"Of course."
In just a few short thousand years the two rulers had grown close.
"It's not like I won't be back soon." Pink assured, trying to smile despite the impending separation, "Earth is a warp away."
Blue was on the brink of tears, "You've acquired so many enemies." There was talk of a rebellion, "Perhaps my guidance is to blame."
"I keep my court with me now at all times." Pink placed a gentle hand on Blue's now tearstained cheek, "You have nothing to worry about."
"Where are they now?" Blue asked, "Your court."
"Would you want them here now?" Pink asked.
Blue fell into tears and into the arms of the gem before her.
Why was she crying?
This was not the end.
It didn't matter.
In that moment Blue believed she could not feel worse.
Pink leaned forward, bringing her lips to soft white hair.
An emotion unspoken flowed through the pair. It was enough to light up the room, filling it with warm light.
The light disappeared to reveal something entirely new.
The gem looked down at herself, "Wha..." She asked breathlessly, "What...what is this?"
This new gem was so overwhelmed she did not notice the rebels take their leave.
"Is this... ?"
The realization was too much.
It ended just as quickly as it had begun. The same light that had joined them tore them apart.
Ruby and Sapphire fell to the ground.
Blue Diamond's court closed in around the two.
"Unbelievable!"
"Disgusting!"
"This is unheard of!"
"What is it?" Blue Diamond asked her Pearl.
"My Diamond, there is news from earth."
"Oh?" Blue tried to still her heart. She knew news from Earth had to mean. She had waited so long for any sort of reply.
The Pearl was having trouble finding the words, "My Diamond, I …."
It was useless.
Blue Pearl could not say these words to her diamond.
The door opened as though on cue and a Sapphire glided into the room.
The blue gems turned their attention to this uninvited guest.
Blue Pearl shook, recognizing her as the bearer of bad news.
"Blue Diamond." The Sapphire spoke.
"Sapphire." Blue did not question why a loyal Sapphire would enter unannounced. "I assume you have news." This was one of Pink's Sapphire for sure, "From Pink Diamond?"
The Sapphire curtsied, "Of."
"What is the prophecy?"
Sapphire knew what was to happen, but this was not about the future, "There is no prophecy that foretold this news."
Blue's felt herself grow unsettled. She had never heard a Sapphire speak of the past before, "What has happened?"
"Pink Diamond has been shattered by …" The Sapphire remembered all that had happened and all she had seen. Instead she spoke the words she had been given, "Rose Quartz."
Blue Diamond's voice cut harder than the sword that was meant to slay Sapphire. It was stronger than the sword that had shattered a diamond, "The rebels have fled. Sapphire, this was not the scenario you described!"
"This is... not what I saw! I don't know what happened, I..."
Blue's felt herself break. Her fear of rebels switching to anger before she herself completely understood why.
"No! It was me!" A common Ruby jumped in front of her Sapphire.
"Clearly. How dare you fuse with a member of my court?"
How dare two gems of a different kind fuse.
How dare they fuse in front of her.
How dare they remind her of what she had lost.
"Forgive me, I... !" The Ruby begged.
But Blue Diamond would not listen. She was sure the two gems in front of her had felt it. Something she too had felt not too long ago.
Fusions based on anything but function cannot last.
And just like her, they had to learn.
"You will be broken for this!"