Off White
Author's Note: This is based off of a nightmare I had regarding White Diamond - well, something that looked like her anyway. I thought it would be interesting if Steven and Lars met her while on Homeworld. It's been speculated that each Diamond displays a stage of grief. I thought White's could be Denial.
This is obviously an AU.
"Most men would rather deny a hard truth than face it."
- George R.R. Martin, A Game of Thrones
"The conflict between the will to deny horrible events and the will to proclaim them aloud is the central dialectic of psychological trauma."
- Judith Lewis Herman, Trauma and Recovery: The Aftermath of Violence - From Domestic Abuse to Political Terror
By: VampireQueenAkasha
~O~
"...you're on our world now!"
Steven barely heard the sound of Yellow Diamond's voice fading into the distance as both he and Lars quickly rushed through the streets of Homeworld in Blue Diamond's palanquin. Gems of various shape and size passed by, saluting the machine. So far, they didn't see the humans sitting inside of it and merely assumed that Blue Diamond had been making a trip through the city.
"So far so good..." Steven whispered.
Lars was shaking, frightened beyond belief. "Steven, where are we doing?" he stammered, "They're going to find us and we're - "
"Lars, it's okay!" Steven assured him, "As long as we stay quiet, we can make it out of here. We'll find a way home."
A few gems had paused, watching the palanquin curiously. They furrowed their brows, seemingly confused by the sight of it.
"They're watching us, Steven!" Lars murmured, chewing his nails.
"Lars, please; stay calm!" Steven whispered back.
"They know!"
A few Quartz guards - large and intimidating jaspers - made their way toward the palanquin, talking inaudibly to each other. They began to advance and the humans inside began to sweat in panic. A small robonoid hovered over the palanquin and began to scan it.
Steven's eyes widened and he quickly slapped his hand on the palanquin's control panel. Immediately the machine whirred to life and surged forward, spider-like legs clacking loudly across the metal ground.
Gems gave shouts of alarm and surprise, moments before the jaspers pursued them. Lars and Steven yelled in fright as they made their way toward the edge of a docking port.
"Steven?" Lars cried.
Steven continued to drive the machine forward.
"Steven!" Lars shrieked.
They launched the palanquin forward, directly off of the dock and the jaspers were forced to stop their pursuit before narrowly falling after them. They shouted out in disbelief, watching the palanquin fade into the darkness below.
Steven acted quickly, forming a bubble around himself and Lars, moments before they made contact with the ground.
O
The palanquin was in ruin.
Steven groaned, pushing aside a piece of the palanquin's legs before looking back at Lars. He was stirring, holding his head with one hand. Steven popped the bubble around them before helping him stand.
"You okay?" Steven asked.
Lars groaned, nodding with a weak smile. "Yeah, I'm fine." he said. "Thanks."
The two stood up and looked around, observing the eerie fog that surrounded them; there was an enormous pipe nearby that seemed to travel into a large, monolith-style building. Steven was definitely concerned by the sight of it. Unlike the colorful, interesting structures of Homeworld that he'd seen in a short time, this looked unsettling and lifeless.
The two suddenly heard the sounds of chatter and looked over their shoulders, spotting several Quartz's making their way through the mist, looking for them. Steven and Lars quickly took cover in the pipe, mere seconds as the group of gems passed them.
Lars winced at the horrible smell, following Steven as they crawled their way through it. "Ew. What is that smell?"
Steven grimaced, laughing sheepishly. "Sorry. I got scared and - "
"No, that's not it." Lars said, shaking his head. "It's something else. Like...dead fish."
"I don't think they have fish on Homeworld."
"How do you know?"
"I don't. Look, let's just see where this pipe leads. It's better than being chased by those gems out there."
"If you say so."
The two crawled through the pipes until they reached an opening; Steven pulled on the grate that covered it and stepped out, right onto a smooth marble floor. Lars followed and the two looked around, awestruck by the sight of mural paintings all around them.
"Whoa, is this like, weird alien gem history or something?" Lars asked.
Steven nodded, hesitant to answer. "Yeah."
Lars looked over his shoulder and his eyes widened in horror. "Uh, Steven...?"
Steven turned and he noticed it.
An enormous figure was sitting in a gray cathedra, back to them. Several long, black wires were connected to the figure's back, traveling high into the darkness of the ceiling. A few monitors were placed nearby, observing the activity and daily routine of Homeworld.
Steven carefully approached and Lars frantically insisted that he didn't. "Steven, wait!" he hissed.
But Steven couldn't resist his curiosity. He wandered closer, noticing black, dangerous heels, a long, white cloak that draped across the chair's arm rests. Frighteningly long, thin fingers that ended in sharp black nails.
A white, diamond-shaped gem on her forehead.
White, spiked hair.
A flash of memory passed by of the moon mural, depicting another Diamond he had yet to meet. White Diamond.
Steven gave a small gasp, backing away quickly before she could see him. Lars noticed it too. He yelped and Steven quickly covered his mouth with one hand.
"It's one of those giant crazy chicks!" Lars said, muffled from behind his hand.
"Shh!" Steven hissed.
There was no movement from the large, white diamond sitting in the throne. The two looked warily at each other, uncertain of what to do. After a moment of hesitation, Steven carefully moved closer, noticing that her head was leaned forward slightly and her eyes were closed.
She looked different from the other diamonds; her cheeks were bone-white with little gray lines that formed down the length of her face, like tears. Her face was long and angular, and it reminded Steven of the statues in Egypt. Something about the wrinkles beneath her eyes made him believe she was old, but gems didn't age like humans did. So this was odd.
This diamond overall looked especially important; she had elaborate, sharp attire, body armor and a diamond-insignia printed on her midsection. Her cloak had various designs printed into it. It was really neat to Steven, if he wasn't already somewhat nervous about her.
She seemed to be in a state of slumber, but gems also didn't sleep. Or need to sleep. He looked up at the wires connected to her. Did that have something to do with it? Maybe she was meditating like Pearl often did.
"Is she dead?" Lars whispered, wary.
"No. I think sleeping." Steven whispered back. "Maybe? Not sure. Either way, she doesn't know we're here. We should go."
"Yeah, good idea." Lars agreed, nodding. "She's probably not a morning person."
He forced a laugh to ease his nervousness and Steven chuckled weakly in response.
As they walked, Lars bumped his side into a small table, almost knocking a small metal piece to the floor. Steven immediately grabbed it out of the air, eyes wide and sweat pouring down his face. Lars looked at him desperately, eyes screaming an apology.
"Whew..." Steven said, softly.
He set it down, turned and ended up colliding with another table, knocking several tools to the floor with a deafening crash. Lars and Steven both froze, staring at one another in shock and fright. An agonizing silence passed in the room.
The two looked toward the throne.
Slowly, a pair of eyes opened.
O
Steven and Lars quickly hid behind a pillar, frightened.
Slowly, White Diamond rose from her throne, cloak. She looked around for a moment, seemingly looking for something.
"I know you're there," she said, looking over her shoulder briefly.
Her voice was strange; it rang out like a flat computer.
"Why do you flee from me? Don't be shy," White Diamond said, advancing toward the pillar. "Come. Step into the light, little ones."
Her arm abruptly swung, taking out a pillar; it obliterated into rubble, scattering Steven and Lars across the room in the chaos. White Diamond looked around, watching the room with a blank, almost lifeless stare. It was unsettling. Unlike Yellow and Blue Diamond, White had no warning. She wasn't predictable like them.
"You can only hide for so long," White told them.
Steven swallowed thickly, glancing over toward Lars, who had chosen to take a spot behind a nearby console. When they met gazes, Lars frantically shook his head. He knew what Steven was planning and it was surely not going to be good..
Finally, Steven took a deep breath and stepped out.
White Diamond looked down at him.
"I'm here. It's just me." Steven said.
"You're not a good liar," White Diamond told him. She looked toward her console of various monitors before pressing a few keys. "You..." She blinked rapidly, seemingly struggling internally before looking down at him. "Give me a moment. Ah, the trial. Yes, of course."
Steven warily looked toward the screens, noticing his image plastered to them. His eyes wandered around the room; images of Pink Diamond had been painted into the murals. He even noticed the floor still bore the same Diamond Authority insignia from before Pink's demise.
Something was wrong.
"Do you think you can make a bargain once more, Rose Quartz?" White Diamond continued.
Steven shook his head. "No."
The eerie way that she stared at him sent shivers down his back. Diamond-shaped pupils narrowed and she inquired once again in an unsettling, flat voice.
"Do you think you'll be forgiven for what you've done?" she asked.
Once more, Steven shook his head.
He glanced quickly in Lars' direction before meeting White Diamond's stare. "If you want me, you can have me."
"I intend to." White Diamond answered, still so unnaturally calm.
Steven was silent, thinking of what else he could say to her. "Just please, leave Earth out of it. Whatever you want, you can have it from me."
"Earth. It doesn't matter what happens to that colony," White continued. "If Blue and Yellow wish to enact their petty revenge on it, so be it. Who am I to stop them? We both know that Pink Diamond wasn't really destroyed. We both know that you needed to give them the story they wanted."
Steven wasn't sure what she was saying. "The trial - "
"Was simply a comforting lie they continue to tell themselves," White interrupted, "They need someone to blame. They need a face to give to the thing that makes no sense. I told them she wasn't gone. They didn't believe me."
The way she smiled, the constant changing of moods led Steven to believe that there was definitely something wrong with her.
"And what of your Crystal Gems, Rose Quartz?" White continued. "Are they here on Homeworld as well? Are they hiding from me?"
"Crystal Gems?" Steven pretended as if he didn't understand. "I don't know what you mean."
"Oh, I think you do," White Diamond said, with a smile, "They sent you here to do their work, didn't they? Did they realize how dear Pink was to me? Is that why she - "
White cut herself off, clearing her throat. She looked at a nearby mirror, at the cracks within it that fractured her visage.
"Oh, I remember. Pink is alive, isn't she? That's why she brought her before me. That's why YOU brought her to me on a plate in hopes to make a bargain." White hissed, "And now, here you are to finish what you started."
Steven backed away and Lars worked to shove the console that he was hiding behind, hoping to distract White Diamond.
"N-No!" Steven stammered, backing away as White Diamond advanced on him. "I'm not here to fight anyone!"
"I knew this day would come. That the leader of the Rebellion would attempt to make a return to Homeworld," White continued, as if he'd never spoken. "You face me now, no armies to cower behind, no dominion to protect."
Steven tried another tactic. "I'm sorry about Pink Diamond!" he told her, "I can't give that back to you, but the others had nothing to do with it! It was just me! If it's me you want - "
"Do not presume you understand my wishes, Rose Quartz," White said, empty in her gaze and voice once more, "SHE trusted you. She gave you worth and meaning and you used her as a pawn to negotiate. To think of such an audacious - "
Steven thought of the mural he'd seen. Rose Quartz had been painted before a diamond-like figure offering something.
Could this have been what happened? Did White Diamond actually...
"Now that you're here, it'll be corrected," White promised, with a thin, eerie smile. She reached for him. "I will finally fix what was broken."
Lars heaved a grunt of effort and managed to push the console back. It swayed and collided with White Diamond's terminal, sending a current of electricity through the circuits and wires connected to her. She held her head, giving out the most horrific scream the two had ever heard. The sound was loud enough to shatter the computers and monitors around them with all the destructive force of a banshee wail.
Steven crumbled, holding his ears with a wail of pain. He didn't notice as Lars rushed to pick him up and hurry from the room.
Outside, beyond the building where they were being kept, gems simultaneously held their ears, crumbling in agony as the banshee scream was carried through Homeworld.
Yellow and Blue had their ears covered. Yellow merely smiled.
"She's awake." she said.
Back at the tower, White's voice seemed to glitch much like a computer. "Y-You think this hurts?" she stammered. "I - ESCAPING TO UNIVERSE SEVEN-SEVEN-SEVEN - " A collection of deep, terrifying synthetic laughs escaped her. "I WILL SHOW YOU WHAT PAIN IS!"
O
Lars frantically looked over his shoulder as he carried Steven under his arm through the dark corridors. He had no idea where he was going, but he had to keep them out of sight from the crazy giant lady. This one was actually terrifying compared to the other two he'd seen.
Steven was shivering, holding his arms and rubbing them a few times.
"Hey, Steven!" Lars hissed, as they took cover behind a series of broken walls. "Are you okay?"
Steven nodded, seemingly dazed. "I-I think so!" he said. "It's...that scream. I don't know... It felt like my gem - "
They looked up sharply at the sight of movement around the corner. White Diamond had yanked herself free from the wires and she was strolling down the corridors, dangerous heels clicking on the metal floor. Steven and Lars quickly silenced themselves, shaking in fright when White passed them.
She paused at the end of the corridor, glanced up briefly before looking over her shoulder to the discarded walls that the two humans had been hiding behind.
Steven and Lars looked up with cries of terror as White Diamond pulled the walls away, smiling triumphantly at the sight of them.
"Ah, there you are." she hissed, grinning like a cat stumbling upon a mouse.
Two poor, weak little mice.
Steven and Lars quickly sprinted from her, moments as her hand came down to retrieve them. They hurried down the corridors with White Diamond laughing, trilling that same eerie synthetic sound as before. Steven spotted the pipe nearby and frantically tugged for Lars to follow him.
"Quick! Hurry!" he shouted.
We wanna go back out there?" Lars cried.
The two looked back toward White Diamond and immediately decided that outside was better than in this place. They quickly scrambled into the pipe, mere seconds as scorching white fire shot out at them from the palm of White Diamond's hand.
Steven could feel the heat nearly singe the hairs on his cheeks. To protect Lars, he brought up his shield; the flames from White Diamond's attack licked the corners of the protective barrier. They quickly hurried back outside.
Fortunately, no gems were around to catch them. But Steven couldn't risk looking back toward the other end of the pipe. He was unsettle by the sight of White Diamond staring back with a smile on her face.
"I will have you, Rose." she promised. "One way or another."
Steven urged Lars to start running and he didn't need to be told twice.
"This planet's insane!" Lars panted. "Let's find a way out and soon!"
Steven continued to look back at the place they'd fled.
So many new questions in his mind.
He would never stop hearing White Diamond's laughter ringing in his head.
O
Note - If you guys remember GLaDOS' voice in the first game, I thought it would fit for White.