Part 1: You & I
~oOo~
"—so, yeah. You can come to Earth, help heal all the corrupted gems, and then we can all go our separate ways and live happily ever after!"
Steven wasn't by any means a top-notch negotiator, but he had to be doing pretty well considering the fact that White Diamond hadn't struck him down where he stood. All it would take was the flick of her finger— easily five times longer and larger than him —and he would be done for.
There was a heavy, lengthy pause, his words floating feebly in the seemingly infinite space between them, and then White Diamond shifted.
Pearlescent grey eyes that held a disturbingly blank look during his mini-monologue abruptly sharpened, their intensity so great that Steven visibly flinched and took an unconscious step back. His heart kicked into overdrive, beating so hard that he could practically hear nothing else but the woosh of blood in his veins. Lungs stuttered, breath stuck in his air passage, letting out a strangled, high-pitched whine. His vision shrank into a dark tunnel, those eyes his only focus. He was going to pass out!
Having all attention of White Diamond focused entirely on you was definitely not a pleasant experience. He suddenly understood Yellow's and Blue's extreme caution and subtle fear as well as Bismuth's and Pearl's warnings. This was beyond his handling.
"Did you think you could fool me, Starlight?" The question— a statement really —cut the tense atmosphere, an executioner's blade at the block, startling Steven out his fear-induced paralysis.
"I-I'm sorry? What?"
"Did you think you could win this little game with me none the wiser?" White Diamond's voice, though perfectly even and soft, carried an undertone that screamed danger, danger!
"I'm not sure what you mean." Steven hurried to explain, warning bells alarming in his mind. "This is not a game."
"I've lived longer than the birth and death of countless stars in this universe; I have the power to rip apart this planet and reshaped it as I please; and I can end your miniscule lifespan as easily as I created you. And you have the audacity to stand here and demand of me!" White flared even brighter, voice thundering through the vast halls of her palace.
Steven shrunk away, body unconsciously curling into a ball in a useless effort to protect itself from perceived, imminent danger.
Her voice dropped to low hiss, burning across his brain. "This is your punishment. Don't you ever pull such a stunt again, Pink."
…
Your punishment.
Your…. punishment.
Realization slowly trickled in after agonizing seconds and Steven's brain stuttered to a stop. No!... It couldn't be….
"You–, you knew that would happen….
…. It was on purpose."
Silence.
And yet, a thousand words spoken.
"How could you—"
"I let you have your fun. I let you think that it was over; that you had achieved your goals despite the heavy price." The emotionless tone had returned to her voice. "Now you bear the consequences of your actions.
Steven stared unseeing at the iridescent titan before him. It just couldn't be! All of this planned! Nothing more than a game his mom had unknowingly lost after all these years?! White knew the whole time?!
"Never let it be said I have no patience." The smug satisfaction in White's voice made his skin crawl, goosebumps prickling his arms.
Goddammit! Move mouth! Move body! Do something!
However, White Diamond was one to live by her terms only and was not interested in waiting for Steven's body and brain to comply.
"Pearl." The command rang out.
Her Pearl emerged seamlessly from the walls, as if she had been there all along, and silently floated over, form perfectly straight, eyes blank, lifeless, and smile firmly affixed.
"Yes, my Diamond?" Her voice reminded Steven of the automated voicemail recordings he would hear when someone didn't answer their phones: devoid of life and emotion. Her remaining eye gazed blankly ahead, unseeing, and he couldn't help but stare at the deep cracks adorning the right side of her face. She reminded him of cracked porcelain: damaged but still hauntingly beautiful.
"Take Pink to her room and bring me Yellow and Blue. We need to talk."
Steven startled. "Wait—"
"Yes, my Diamond."
The Pearl floated closer to him, a grey, translucent bubble surrounding them, and before he could protest again, they were enclosed and whisked off.
Part 2: Diamond Gathering
~oOo~
Silence reigned within the white palace, uncomfortable and stifling in its pressure.
Blue and Yellow Diamond shifted uneasily, heads bowed and eyes averted in an effort to escape the harsh scrutiny from their fellow Diamond.
Now, they weren't ones to feel such things as fear and shame given their status as part of The Great Diamond Authority, but if there was on gem that could evoke such emotions from them, it was White.
"Blue….Yellow….I trust that I do not need to explain the situation to you." Even though her voice held no emotion, the heavily implied scorn at their incompetence was enough to burn.
Yellow stiffened, gloved hands fisting tightly, face scrunching in anger and embarrassment. Blue gave her a quick glance before raising her head to address White, sapphire eyes pained yet steady.
"We are….aware of this….misstep."
Yellow scoffed, voice like venom, caustic and biting. "Misstep?! This is the biggest embarrassment in the entire galaxy! We were played, made fools!"
"Yellow! We didn't know!"
"That's exactly the point!"
"I knew."
….
"What?!"
They turned to White immediately, minds blank, uncomprehending of what was just confessed.
White peered down at them, one thin eyebrow finely arched, unimpressed by their childish bickering.
"I knew all along, from the very beginning."
….
Yellow gaped openly, shock lining her features while Blue stood listlessly, form unnerving still, lips parted in a silent, horrified gasp.
"You knew?!"
White flared sharply at Yellow's indignant tone and the other couldn't help but flinch, unconsciously taking a step back before remembering herself and steeled her form.
"Why?" Blue, head bowed and shoulders hunched, asked softly, voice stricken and pained. "Why did you not tell us?"
"It was all a little game. No permanent harm done."
….
A twitch.
A flutter of fabric. Robin blue against blinding white.
Slim, blue fingers curled into tight balls and the atmosphere grew heavier, pressure slowly mounting.
"A….little….game?"
"Blue…" Yellow gazed at her sister-Diamond. She had never felt such anger from Blue like this, not even when they had confronted Rose Quartz– no, Pink –on Earth.
"You call six millennia of pain and grief a little game?! Of thinking Pink was shattered, gone forever?!"
A massive wave of sapphire energy erupted from the distraught Diamond, expanding and engulfing the room's occupants, carrying eons of pain, hurt, and grief that had carved a dark hollow in her heart.
Yellow immediately stumbled, mentally unable to handle the full depths of Blue's emotional power, tears spilling nonstop from her eyes, raining unto the diamond floors with resounding pings. Her vision blurred from the storm of tears and she reached out an arm to steady herself, forcing the emotions away with a mental block.
White, however, stood firm, untouched by such emotions, the energy wave dissipating as mist when it touched the curves of her dress.
Blue stared at her in return, eyes anguished and pained, snow white hair flowing wildly as live flames, unyielding to the great force that bore down upon her.
Onyx lips tightened, displeasure at the defiance shown. "You are a Diamond. Control yourself."
"I will not be scolded by one who doesn't understand basic emotions."
"Blue—"
"Excuse you." White moved forward, towering over the others, flowing cape of starlight enhancing her power and eminence. Blue was like a human doll before her, fragile and delicate despite her sudden-found strength and resilience.
"White—" Yellow started forward, a futile effort to save Blue for the Head Diamond's infamous temper.
"Silence."
She stopped abruptly, pinned by those eyes, helpless, arms straining at her sides, tendons flexing continuously.
White turned back, appraising the unflinching Blue.
"Well, well, well. I see you've changed." The small smirk that had formed across her lips sharply fell away, amusement turning to barely-held fury. "However, I will not tolerate such disrespect of any kind."
She leaned back, "Leave."
Blue's mouth opened, ready to fight, but Yellow swiftly restrained her, shaking her head resolutely. Blue blinked at her in unmasked confusion and surprise.
What? How could Yellow, the fighter, the symbol of prideful defiance, be so easily cowed? Had she not shared Blue's pain? Had she not comforted her in moments of weakness? How could she not stand by her in this?
"It's not worth it."
Oh, Yellow understood Blue's need to rage, to feel, to let another feel their hurt, their depths of grief. But not at the risk of triggering White's temper that could destroy them all. Even she was not that foolish.
So she pushed until all she wanted to say as well were at the dark recesses of her mind and formed a bubble before things got worse, Blue struggling in her hold.
In a flash, they were out of sight, the atmosphere suddenly empty and savagely bare.
White sighed.
Kindergardeners.