"The two most important days in your life are the day you were born, and the day you find out why."
- Mark Twain
The first few moments of her life were momentous and beautiful. Dust and light scattered around her as a star burst apart, giving its life to her.
The day she realized her purpose was the day millions died.
Soon, a billion more would follow.
The first few moments of her life were terrifying and blinding. The canyon fell to pieces as she emerged, and when her eyes finally adjusted to the light, she was met with a shimmering beauty twice her size.
Her eyes seemed to pierce her; she struggled to keep still under the intense examination. Finally, the white one smiled. "My Yellow, you are perfect," she cooed in a voice that made her feel hot and cold all over. "Come, there is much to be done."
She followed obediently. She knew what she was; she knew what she was for. She swallowed her anxiety and straightened her shoulders.
The day she fully realized and understood her purpose was the day blood first stained her boots. The clash of swords let her work out her excessive energy, and kept the unnecessary emotions at bay.
Someday, it would all be too much.
The first few moments of her life were blissful and calm. The earth cracked and split, but did not fall apart as she stepped out of her hole. She patiently waited for her eyes to adjust, smiling at the sight of a white goddess and a smaller, yellow woman standing beside her. The yellow one tried to hide her interest behind crossed arms.
She did not balk under the white one's harsh gaze; she was confident she was perfect. Pride filled her as sharp-nailed hands grasped her shoulders, and a rewarding kiss was placed on the top of her head. "My Blue…"
She walked beside the yellow one, who she knew was her equal. She took her hand, laughing softly at her yellow one's flustered expression.
The day she first felt a real weight on her shoulders was the day she received her first colony. She understood that the days of relaxing with her partner were over, and they would rarely see each other from then on. She still stood straight and graceful, though she felt a fluttering of stress.
Someday, she would be bowed by grief.
The first few moments of her life were exciting and lonely. She instinctively slowed her descent, landing lightly on the balls of her toes. She stood blinking in the hazy light, paying no mind to the small, neat hole she had made far above her.
She flexed her limbs, processing all the thoughts and sensory information that flooded her. The air was still; no one was there.
She knew she was supposed to wait, so she occupied herself by admiring her surroundings. The stone around her was rosy-red; above, there was only pale fog. Later, she would realize how dead this place truly was, that she had devoured it all and left nothing, but for now, it was wonderful.
It was quite some time before someone came for her. She gasped, gleefully chasing after the ship and fidgeting impatiently as it landed. Two gems who were much bigger than her stepped out. She grinned at them, unafraid as she loudly and exuberantly greeted them.
Her face fell when they only looked at her critically. She went still as she realized that perhaps something might be wrong. The thought of what could happen to her frightened her, but she dismissed it as nonsense. They plied her with questions, and she gave them the answers she knew were required. Yes, she was a diamond, after all.
Finally, the blue one relaxed, her expression a little warmer. She wanted to touch them both, she wanted to be held, and she wanted to show them that she already loved them. When she tried, the yellow one reprimanded her, telling her it was inappropriate. Confused and saddened, she remained quiet as they brought her to her eldest sister.
The white one was enormous, bright and shining. She knew they were meant to be opposites. Though her expression was soft and her voice welcoming, it felt as though her insides were being twisted into knots. "My Starlight…"
She tried her hardest to do what was asked of her. She tried to form herself into the shape they wanted, tried to fit herself into a too-small box. They left her with nothing but frustration, too busy to spend time with her.
The day she first stepped foot on the Earth was the day she realized her existence was wrong. She understood that she was a thief; she had stolen a wealth of life for herself, and she was stealing the life from this place as well. She knew she had to make a choice.
Someday, she would shatter her old life, and someday, she would give up the life she had taken to create something new.
The first few moments of his life were anguished and sorrowful. The light faded away, and with it went someone he would never know. The others he would grow up with could no longer bear to be there. His father soothed him alone.
He did not understand for a long time. He was not wholly a gem, and not wholly human; he could not completely belong to either world. The video his mother left him was not enough. What was he for? What did she want him to be?
As he grew, he learned. He learned that the gems he knew were not superheroes who protected Earth, but wanted criminals who had fought a thousand year war. He learned that his mother was not perfect, that she was a murderer. Then he learned that she was someone else entirely, someone who had gathered people into her web of love and hurt them.
The day he reached out to family he hadn't known he had was the day it all started to sink in. She had left everything to him; she could not have known that all of this would happen, but that didn't change anything. She had left a gaping hole in all of them without a care.
The day he went to Homeworld and got isolated from his friends was the day he wished he hadn't been born.
Someday, when things were better, he would look back and be able to laugh.