The pitter-patter of Earth's rain always bothers me. So irregular, so erratic. It reminds me that this planet is ever-changing. It has rules, certainly, but those rules are so broad that the boundaries are so large that almost everything is in constant motion. A theme so varied, you'd think everyone would love earth. But the only species that colonized Earth were the Cristallum Pransurus (Gemcracker in basic/English). Funnily, I'm a Gemcracker as well. A Pureblooded Gemcracker Bounty Hunter from Clan Swan. Born amongst 24 brothers, 16 sisters, 7 aunts, 14 uncles, 3 mothers, and 1 father. I was born Gemcracker Zorgorck, meaning "One Who Wimpers". I never once wanted to kill or to hunt. I was a strange case, indeed, not fitting into our many castes.
There were four types of Gemcrackers. There was the average, idiotic, brutish Hunters. These made up the majority of all clans. They were trend followers, and though they were powerful to other species, they were but plebeians to us. They made up a large number of the clans, and could become other castes through conviction.
There was the Maidens. Maidens were female Gemcrackers who known for their abilities to charm and wile other species. They were known for their hospitality and compassion. The Maiden's Ward, the official representative body of the Maidens and Warmaidens, is known for being the first Shatterearth (the ancestral name of our homeworld) Body to oppose hunting. There was the Warmaiden, a subsect of the Maiden's Ward, who were Maidens who didn't fit into the usual job of charming, cooking, caring, and calming, the four C's of Female Gemcrackers. They were usually Warriors, and that's where their name came from. Though they were seen as abnormal, they were accepted societally, and it was seen as immoral to deny a Warmaiden. Usually they led abstinent lives, preferring to not go through courting.
There was the Elder, who were older Hunters who had obtained enlightenment from both hunting and their families. There were two types of Elders, the Elder Warrior, and the Council Warrior. Both were important, but usually Elder Warriors were slightly older Hunters who had earned the respect of the Council and were given a higher spot in Gemcracker Society. Council Elders were Elders who had earned so much respect and love, that they were offered a spot on the federal Council, a great honor. My uncles were Elder Warriors. Only a few of my Uncles were Council Elders. My father was considered the Grand Warrior. The Grand Warrior were the leaders and sole proprietors of the different clans. Although my father stopped aging after he became an Elder Warrior (a choice he made so that all Gemcrackers would relate with him), he was actually thousands of years old when I was born. Some even considered my father the Great Warrior. Although there has only been one Great Warrior, it was enough. The Great Warrior was an ancient Gemcracker who, though he may be more fiction than fact now, did exist. The Great Warrior was responsible for destroying an ancient organism called the Robloid and liberating the Gemcrackers. He even set forth the law that no Gemcracker should strike another Gemcracker. It laid a foundation for later generations to unite the 12 Clans of Shatterearth. In essence, the Great Warrior was a living idol, and was revered as a legendary warrior.
There was the Younglings, children and adolescents who were still being taught and taken care of by their Elders. There was the Forgotten, a sect of younglings who lost their parents to either imprisonment, death, war, capture, or banishment. Orphans. Guess I'm a Forgotten too.
Then there is the Traitor. Criminals, Murderers, Thieves, Kidnappers, and all those that fall outside the other three classifications are within this boundary. I'm a Traitor too, if I think about it…
To put it simply, I was the Prince of the Swan Clan. Zorgorck, the son of Moralo, the Grand Warrior of Clan Swan. I had everything, and my mother coddled me. My father saw great potential in me, and invested much of his time trying to pull me along his hunts. However being the Prince, and the son of the Queen of Clan Swan, he had no luck. It was only when the Expelling began I took up the blade for my people. Too late, but my father beamed when I picked up my sword and destroyed the 133rd regiment of the Gem Army. He was so proud, but I felt a great weight burdened on me. I hated destroying things. Still do. Though, after almost a millenia of fighting, it's gotten easier to disassociate myself from my kills, I still hate conflict. Peace is so much more tranquil. Peace has a larger weight than conflict, but still worthwhile.
The Gemcrackers were habitual hunters, consistently and continuously looking for species to suppress. We found our niche hunting the ever-changing feral Gems. Back then, when I was but a child, Gems weren't intelligent. They were beasts, meant to be hunted. However, a few hundred years passed and they evolved, and began taking humanoid form. They requested us to stop hunting them as animals, writhing in the dirt. Some, like the Swan, Wolf, and Eagle Clans did. Some, like the Crow, Tiger, and Gorilla clans did not.
You might wonder why we knew of some of Earth's indigenous species. Well, that's easy. We colonized Earth far before the Gems, it was an ancestral hunting ground and resort. Humans were actually the result of the accidental fusion of ape and Gemcracker DNA. Science among the Gemcrackers almost always related to War and weapons, but the research on earth was cell regeneration. The reason for this is simple, as there were so many traumatized veterans on Shatterearth that we had lost count of how many had little to no real limbs. Cybernetics replaced 60% of the Gemcracker Army's limbs. The apes on earth were perfect for testing as they were physically similar to Gemcrackers, and it only took two years for the DNA of Gemcrackers to be accidentally infused into a medical experiment, resulting in the first humans. Children of the Gemcrackers, we refused to aid Humanity, as they needed to find their own place in the world. They evolved independently and have turned out, albeit weaker and worse, quite well in respect to most life in the universe, and the Gemcrackers.
We Gemcrackers were born on Marndor, a thick, brush, green, water-infested rainforest moon off Sinjar, the Sun of Gorald, the Prime Galaxy (the Prime Galaxy is where the most influential and elder species lie, and where the Galaxy system started). The Universe is divided into Galaxy Sectors, The Prime Galaxy is where the Gem Homeworld lied, and so did ours. The Crystal Galaxy is where species such as Humans lie, however, ever since the Rebellion, the Crystal Galaxy was barricaded off from the rest of the universe, as this was the only galaxy with concentrated amounts of rebel cells, and therefore prison sectors, as well as Dead Planets (grounds where Gem/Gemcracker conflicts took place). There are hundreds, if not thousands, of Galaxy Sectors. I digress, but Marndor was my homeworld, not my home. I was raised on Kinjork, a large moon off Sinjar. The Gem's homeworld, I was raised in. It was a harsh, dead planet. Very rarely was there any food, let alone water. We were lucky. Our technology and our trade allowed us to survive. We hunted and shattered the Gems, sold their remains as armor and weapon pieces, and made a thriving living off them. But when the Shatterearth Conflict began, we split. The Six Prime Clans of Shatterearth split, Crow, Tiger, and Gorilla oppressed the smaller Worm and Snake clans and forced them into bondage, moving the Gem remains of humanoid (and intelligent) Gems to sell them offworld. Then, the Swan clan led the assault on the Tiger-occupated Wolves Den, causing the dreaded Dead Clan Massacre. Only with the help of the Asymurans were we able to overpower the Dead Clans.
The Asymurans were a physically (for the most part) weak, but extremely, superceedingly, intelligent race of fair-haired humanoids. They were the first Space Fairing race, and shared their technology with the Gemcrackers (more out of need then want, as the Morgocs were chasing them). In exchange the Gemcrackers showed their compassion by demanding the Morgocs relent, and the fearsome Morgoc Horde backed down at the sight of the Swan Legion (the Swan Clan's determined, organized militia).
The Dead Clans consisted of the weak-willed, easily controlled Worm clan, the Fearful, pathetic Snake Clan, the Rageborn Gorillas, a hulking group of slow, methodical, neanderthals, the Gorillas were not peaceful, rather they were passive.
They let other clans do as they wish, but when they wanted something the other clans knew not to provoke them. The Gorilla Clan endeared the Gems' ability to adorn their armor and strike fear into their enemies, and loyalty and love into their friends. They only took part in the Dead Clan Alliance, a group created to oppose the Shatterearth Council (the lawmaking and enforcing body of Shatterearth), to continue their traditions. They were the first to amend the Dead Clan Alliance, and join the Shatterearth Council oncemore.
The Tiger Clan was a group of vicious backstabbers. Their clan's progeny originated in deception, as the Tiger and Wolf clans were once one and the same. However, power hungry, the Tiger Clan's leaders led an insurrection and killed the Grand Warrior of the Wolf clan and claimed leadership of a new clan, and led the majority of the then Wolf clan into a new direction, and deluded their people into believing that the Wolf clan was weak. It only took two moons for the Wolf Clan to be contacted by a large refugee group from the Newly Created Tiger clan to be let back into the Wolf Clan as the Tiger was enforcing, and still enforced, harsh rules and laws about food and resources. The Tiger Clan was weak militarily, but their espionage is legendary.
The Crow Clan were a reclusive group, and legendary for their mortar skills. Even the Eagle clan, whom was legendary for their fleeting Hound Cavalry, could not help but fear their famous ability to destroy entire battlefields with their Murder Bombs. The Murder Bombs were groups of not-so-sentient Crow-like Thermite-based suicide bombers. They looked exactly like Crows from earth, and for the most part, looked harmless. Only the Gems, Asymurans, and a few select others could realize that the Murder Bombs were an attack, most others thought it was just fleeing life forms. Well, that's why the Crow Clan was infamous for destroying entire species. Fearful of close confrontation, they usually hide behind bigger Gemcrackers like the Gorillas, and the now-extinct Dragon Clan.
The Dragon Clan, a clan that my Father originated from and married into the Swan clan, is now extinct. Renowned for their determination, honor, and power, they mysteriously disappeared shortly before the Gems began turning humanoid. Only four, one of which was my Father, survived. He raised me like a dragon, and that included rigorous training, and even more strenuous play and love. He didn't fit in anywhere but with my mother in the Swan clan, and I'm lucky to have him and my mother. She was a Swan.
The Swans were famous for their close quarters combat capability, their inexplicably amazing abilities related to the Psyche. They are known for some good things, like uniting the fragmented Gemcracker Shatterearth Clans. But they also were known as sociopaths, unattainable, unreachable, and overall, detached. They rarely spoke with other clans, let alone other races. It was considered an extreme honor to speak with a Swan. And when the Swan Legion emerged, you either reeled back in fear, or respect, or you accepted your death and fought to the death. Social geniuses, manipulative. And regal, too. Nothing like me.
The Wolf clan was known for its fierce loyalty, and stubbornness. When the Wolf Pack entered the battlefield, one knew that it was either going to be a quick bloodbath in favor of the Wolves or a long, horrendous, resource-dwindling, strenuous conflict. Notorious for their ability to ignore pain, they would fight long after their body was broken.
The Eagle Clan, known for their legendary breeding skills. They could make the most pathetic pups into proud hounds that bore many children. They bred large hounds used as mounts, jagged teeth adorning their blood-stained mouths. They were legendary in their ability to quickly overwhelm enemies and end a battle quickly. They were the Regihounds. Regihounds have four eyes, each a different shade of a color. Most were green or gray, but some rare breeds had pink or purple eyes. A sign of royalty. Regihounds were raised to seek out any living thing, and either capture, maim, or kill a target. In the case of gems, they would use residual gem dust in the ground to track a gem, and according to their mission, they would poof the gem and grasp it in their mouth, or would just poof them and shatter them by biting down. They were renowned for their effectiveness. I owned a few, mainly my Warhound Masati.
After the Dead Clans relented to the Shatterearth council, the Gems advanced, and quickly matched the majority of the universe in technology, military strength, and culture. They were invited into the unofficial Universe Board. The Asymurans created this somewhat secretive Board, wherein only the most agreeable and advanced peoples could participate in. For the most part, up until the invitation, the Gem Homeworld was anarchy. However, after rumors of the invitation spread, Gem Warlords started vying for control, most were regular Quartz, rough and tumble soldiers. However, a singular caste appeared. The Diamonds. The Diamonds were known as rare elites. Most were reclusive, but one in particular had arranged the assassination and shattering of the other Diamond Lords. His name was Obsidian, otherwise known as Black Diamond.
Black Diamond easily captured and shattered the only ones that were a threat to him – the other diamonds. He then put pressure on the warlords with more affluence, and quickly 'rallied' the Gem Colonies. A dictator incarnate. However, on the outside, he was seen as a great leader, and up until the Expelling, was seen as a great figure. However, the Shatterearth Council had refused to relent the colonies on Kinjork. We did have legitimate claim to the land, as the Gems had never colonized the areas we lived in. Moreover, Kinjork was a joint colony. It was seen as a trust-building activity. If the Gems didn't try to force their way onto our land, and we didn't try to expand on the joint colony, everything would be alright. For the most part, it worked. However, Black Diamond had grown to fear the Gemcrackers. After all, we had grown so powerful that we had destroyed the Robloid, one of the ancient species that created, for a fact, the Gems and the Gemcrackers. More so, our advances in technology, our social and political status in the universe, all challenged the upcoming Gems. Fear, mixing with his new children being war-hungry, motivated Black Diamond to make a decree. Three months were given to all Gemcrackers on Kinjork to leave. It didn't even take a few weeks before the Dark Regime's (the name of Black Diamond's regime) armies marched into the Northern Villages and massacre Gemcracker children and women. This sparked a warhawk movement among the youth of both Kinjork and Shatterearth. I, for one, was a preteen. I was horrified to hear my peers discuss the vivid and graphic shatters they were planning. However, when I was preparing to leave the educational forward camp, I heard rumors that the camp was attacked. I was the first one on scene, and the scene was – brutal.
Child after child corpse was strewn about – bloody, with holes piercing their chests, for the most part. I knew that it was a singular gem that did it – and my blood boiled. For the first time in my life, I entered the Primal State.
The Primal State was the engorged, fierce, warrior-state that all Gemcrackers were capable of. It usually came on during any warfare, but I purposefully had buried it, because the Dragon clan were notorious for their savage, monstrous state. Most times, it took hundreds of years for a Dragon to learn to use their Primal State effectively. Evidently only one of the Gemcracker Students had gotten the chance to enter the primal state, as she had twice as many stabs than the others, and her veins were protruding, her hair highlighted purple with pulsating plasma, signs of Primal State. Her irises were blood red, and her muscles were strained to the extreme. The Primal State changed for each clan.
The Gorillas' bloodstream turns to iron, the muscles expand, and the fat extenuates. This basically provides extreme amounts of protection, making them walking tanks, literally. They were nearly invincible in this state, but speed, unlike most normal gorillas, was now impossible. Most people know to immediately use the environment to trap the Gorilla to wait out the State to wear off. The Gorillas also lose the multi-tasking and wisdom they usually have outside the State. A one track mind, hulking form, and invincibility, all made it impossible to fight the Gorilla head on.
The Tiger's muscles stretch, their eyes lose focus, and extra adrenaline is pumped to their legs. Their speed increases tenfold, so fast that they increase in stealth capabilities to boot. This usually accommodates an escape after a Tiger is discovered during espionage. Mentally, their mind only adapts to flight of danger. The best tactic is to remain on the defensive and wait for them to slip up and quickly finish them off, as tiring them out is too time consuming, and trying to maintain speed with them is unworthy.
The Crow's eyes, reflexes, and hand-eye coordination all bolster when entering the Primal State. This makes Crow Artillery barrages impossible to defend against, so speed was the only way to escape the devastation. Homing in on the faster targets, the Crows are known for eliminating legions of enemies with their primal state. Blind Crows are the reclusive sect of the Crow Clan known for their xenophobic nature, and blindness. They have learned to rely on their taste to detect different objects, easily identifying other clan members, and other species. They are known for entering a halved state that ensures defeat of the enemy, as the Blind Crows now no longer require their eyes to seek the enemy.
The Wolves are unique, as when they enter the Primal State, their eyes, movements, and even thoughts are linked, in a pack mentality, so if one is fighting the Wolf Horde head on, one must be prepared to retreat or hold them off until they all wear out, otherwise, one would die.
The Dragons are unbeknownst to most, but they enter this gargantuan, rage-filled state, and are berserkers incarnate. No one but the toughest enemies have ever survived the Primal Dragon. Morgoc Warlords, Diamonds, Asymuran Giant Mechs, all have the rare attribute of survival against the Primal Dragon.
The Swans enter a transcendent state, wherein they can slightly predict movement and prepare for it, making all forms of combat much more difficult for the enemy. Swans excel in close to mid-long range, but are mediocre in long range engagements. When entering the primal state, it is exceptionally easier to telepathically manipulate other, weaker-minded species like Morgocs.
The Eagles enter a nature-esque state, binding themselves to their pups, living through them. With the pups brute force, and the Eagle's mind, their danger tripled, and when a squad of Eagles go Animal, a bloodbath was to ensue, victory or loss, it mattered not.
Other, smaller clans had other transformations, like the worms entering a gassy state wherein they could escape their enemies, or envelop them and suffocate them, or the Turtle Clan who enter a Water Titan when they go Primal.
When I entered the state, my already blue hair turned a brilliant cyan, my eyes bled a venomous red, and my bulk mass had increased tenfold. My heart spoke for my brain. All I wanted was the Gems to be shattered. I rushed across the barren scape, and spied the Quarts Quintet, the Triple-General led army of exclusively Quarts soldiers. I jumped high into the sky, pulled a Rainbow Flame Sword (a standard Dragon weapon I'd been told was unlocked by the primal state) aimed it earth-wards, and slammed it into the purple, scorched earth. The Flames danced from the tempered blade, and sought only Gem fluid, shattering hundreds in seconds. Glorious death-dealing like this was rare for a child my age, even in primal state, they could see I was no grown Gemcracker. They all gasped in shock as they saw they comrades instantly be shattered. The Generals quelled their fears, and with qualms, struck their echoing voices to me.
"How dare the Gemcrackers attack Kinjorck's natives! What treachery!" one said.
"How espionage-like, wouldn't you agree?" another would squall.
"..." another remained silent. The silence unnerved the others.
"What is this? Why so quiet, Jasper?" a general squeaked.
"This wasn't supposed to happen. Black Diamond said that there wouldn't be a child that could use the primal state. We were supposed to be clear." Jasper nervously muttered.
All this was accompanied by the flames seeking out their underlings, killing them by the hundreds, and to the Generals' horror, soon the flames fell short of anything to track, only leaving them to die directly by my hands.
The entirety of their armies lay shattered. None could speak. They were all stunned.
Then, I leaped. So fast, so impossible to follow. I struck the Amedine first, shattering her gem instantly, I somersaulted over the now-disappearing Amedine, and poofed a Caraldine by stabbing her threw the head with my Rainbow Sword. After landing intro a crouch and the Caraldine falling from the air in her gem form, my hands flashes and split her gem in two. The last Gem General, Jasper, was smart. She knew she would be shattered. While I was shattering her comrades, she had used the synonymous rolling form of the Quarts to flee. No doubt, she fled directly to Black Diamond. I didn't care. I made my way to the Shatterearth Scouts, the forward force of our armies. When I returned to the camp, I saw the strongest, toughest of our people curling the child corpses in their arms, weeping uncontrollably. It was obvious, that this meant war. My father heard of my slaughter, and came to greet me. He praised me whilst I sobbed internally for what had transpired. But I spoke not. I knew that war lay ahead.
After this event, The Expelling, the long-fought war against Black Diamond, began. For thousands years, generations of gemcrackers learned to hate the gems. The war was long – and we lost many. It was a mutual thing. Through Obsidian's prodding, he learned the Robloid has created the Gems via what he called a Generator. To replace the Gems he was losing, he revolutionized the generator, destroyed the original schematics to take praise for the saving of the gems. He called it; The Kindergarten. It was...terrible. Not only did it destroy the already-frail planet, it made the Gem Army impossible to dwindle. Kinjork soon crumbled, entire abysses that were once battlefields occupied the planet. The Gems wouldn't stop. However, something had happened.
Black Diamond was the craftiest, most cunning Diamond you'd ever meet. He ensured that no gem could rival him. But even he knew the risks. After a near-successful Crane assassination (the Cranes being an offshoot of the Swans, known for rogue abilities), Obsidian began to fear that no one would carry on his legacy. So he feared. That was until the Kindergartener that he had put in charge, Peridot, told him that the Kindergarten had accidentally created 4 diamonds. Peridot asked if these gems should be shattered before they form? So that they wouldn't pose a threat to Obsidian. At first he immediately was going to order their shattering – but, he though again. He could raise them as his daughters. They could replace him. It remedied everything. Black Diamond destroyed Peridot and the original Kindergarten's schematics, and placed a personal servant of his, a Peridite, in charge. He purposefully never taught anyone the means to build a kindergarten capable of producing a diamond. The only one capable of such a thing was Peridot, who had seen the schematics and dutifully built them to Obsidian's specifications. Unfortunately for her, Peridot was a threat. So she was replaced. And shattered. Over the last 400 years of the Expelling, we lost too much ground. The 4 Diamond Generals bolstered the morale of the Gem Army, and stories of their prowess weakened ours. It was then that we were contacted by White Diamond, one of the four. She was tired of this war, and knew that our forces were but a fraction of the reality. She knew this war would never end well. If we really began to have trouble, we would bring the Council into the war, and they would side with us. Her father, she said, was just to set in his ways to realize this. She proposed, after almost 10 thousand years of war, that I should be the one to shatter him. My father had been destroyed in an accident in the Minefields of Grimoire. My mother had died giving birth to my youngest sister. My people had named me Great Warrior. What I lacked in socialties, and in leadership, I made up for in effectiveness. I had long since surpassed by father in strength and skill. A duel between us decided that. I had grown distant from my people – I was apathetic and a sociopath incarnate. I took the assassination only because I wanted to feel something. An emotion. And I did. The battle started on Kinjork's capital city. I had already dispatched his escort, and the diamonds he raised abandoned him to me. He was more powerful then them all combined. I knew, because I'd already fought them all at the same time. It was nothing compared to Obsidian's battle. He was incredible. So fast, so strong. I reveled in every blow he gave to me, and giddy I was when I struck back. For the first time in a long time, my warrior spirit was awoken. I smiled and laughed the entire battle. It put him off. He knew who I was – what I was capable of. He had heard stories of the soulless Gemcracker. He who didn't speak. But my jaunting, my sneers, and my jokes simply baffled him. The battled swayed many times. More than once I thought I was done for. But after a week of battling, I went Primal, caught him off guard, and shattered him. His gem was so large that I made most of it into my current armor, but some was fused into my Gem Phylactery. The Gem Phylactery was a Warrior's means of using the toughest of his enemies' powers. Already, the Jasper General, a Morgoc Emerald, and many others adorned my armor. I could summon their weapons, and their gems gave me power. Some back on Shatterearth scorned my power. No warrior back home could match me. They thought the power was going to my head, that I would soon seek to dominate them. But even in my lack of social being, I didn't care about that kind of power. Battle power was all that matter. Let the Council deal with the frivolities of politics. I cared only for the thrill of a good battle. And man, was that rare! To battle for a week? My longest battle previously was 4 hours! I had the best Asymuran smith build my armor and embed my phylactery in it. With that, I could summon all the previous Gems' weapons. I was unstoppable. At the end of it, the Diamonds only asked that their transgressions be forgiven. The Expelling was over.
After the war, Shatterearth retreated into itself. Angry at the council for no economic support, it receded. This was the problem with Shatterearth – we were too isolated. For hundreds of years after the Expelling, I traveled the universe, convened with hundreds of species, and gain the title of The Gemcracker. I had long since gotten rid of my name Zorgorck. That meant, "The One Who Wimpers". That was inappropriate. After my Primal showing of power, I changed my name to Zorlin, meaning "One Who Shatters". It was long after I was asked to deal with growing restlessness in a colony. The name was Uranus. The Gems there were starting to doubt the Authority. I was sent in after their usual means of calming, a remarkable Rose Quarts that had the knack of calming (or in later cases, riling) gems. She was unsuccessful. No, rather, she didn't try. I knew the Rose Quarts. We had worked together previously. I knew she had her doubts about the Authority. It was during this particular mission I grew close to Rose, and learned she hadn't actually tried her best to calm them. In her heart, she knew their concerns were well-thought. I agreed with her, but knew my duty. It was then that a roaming Blue Noble, a Sapphire, was ambushed. I saved her, after she was cracked by a raging Amethyst. Rose healed her, and I hunted the leader of the Rebellion down, and shattered her. Our little triad, me, Rose, and Sapphire, all had ideas. We stayed in contact. It was then that me and Sapphire grew even closer, to the point of love. Rose had also tried to get closer to me – but I knew her more as a sister than a lover. I denied Rose out of fear for our current relationship. Nothing really remained the same between her and Sapphire. Constantly bickering, the two argued over the simplest things. They agreed that a certain kindergarten had to be rebuilt, but while Rose wanted it to be built in the northern Flower Fields, Sapphire prudently disagreed, saying the Marshes would be more beneficial. The two only stopped after they saw how I was getting angry. I didn't like seeing those I care about fight. After Rose returned to her Diamond, Sapphire and I began work on something that superseded everything. The Guilds. Attempts at guilds previously fell apart. But with the support of Blue and Pink Diamond (via Rose and Sapphire), and my connections in the Council, the Guilds were born. There were hundreds – but the main ones I partook, and lead, were the Mercenaries' Guild, and the Adventurer's Guild. The Adventurer's philosophy was that the universe was so big – we should explore it! And The Mercenary's Philosophy was that there was so much money – why not take it? I was Guildmaster of both guilds. The Mercenaries' Guild and the Adventurer's Guild were intertwined. Mostly due to me. The Mercenaries' would take on a mission from a party, usually a council leader, like Yellow Diamond, or the Asymuran Lead Engineer (the equivalent of a leader in Asymuran society). Another guild would find a reason to be there, like the Zoologists' Guild trying to preserve an endangered animal. Then the Adventurer's Guild would support the second guild in their mission, whilst exploring the surrounding area, and in times of duress, would support the Mercenaries if they were under attack. This formula of missions worked well until the Perma-Meteor. It was a planetoid rocketing through space, that shattered upon attack of a Gemcracker cannon, that then destroyed Shatterearth. It shook me. My entire race, in an instant, destroyed. So few were off planet. It was only after the Crystal Rebellion that another Gemcracker contacted me to let me know that the Diamonds were hunting down the Gemcrackers – that THEY were the ones that destroyed Shatterearth. It made sense. They were fearful of us – again, and knew drawn-out wars were impossible. Of course, us remnants couldn't accuse the Diamonds. We so few – and the Gems' incredible pull in the Council, compounded that it would be pointless to beg for retribution. I simply kept on. Doing missions of high caliber, gaining a name for myself, spending my off time conversing with anyone from Rose to the Guildmasters, to my previous Sapph. It was then brought to my attention by Blue Diamond that a rebellion was brewing, and when she told me who lead it, my heart sank. Rose. Her growing alienation of the Diamonds had lead her to leave and form a rebellion on Earth. She knew it was a futile attempt. Why do it? Sapphire, for once, defended her. I left for Earth alone. Sapphire later convinced Blue Diamond to let her come along – another mistake. After a few decades of battle, Sapphire, during a small period of peace, asked me something. I now know that this was because she foresaw her cracking, and shattering down the line. But she asked me, strangely, if I wanted a daughter. I shook my head in disbelief. But she told me she had found an ancient library untouched by the Diamonds' influence. One of the Oracles of the Robloid. A strange process known now as Hybridization, something that the Diamonds, and 99% of the universe didn't know of. All it took was the Gem's life, and they could take upon themselves DNA from another race. A Hybrid. I said that maybe if she were ever near-death, I'd agree, but I said that I'd protect her. Years later, during a battle in the Crystal War, A ginormous fusion shattered the ground in two, and sent Sapphire, a visiting noble, into a cave. My memories are fuzzy – up until I kneeled at her side. Her gem had 2 deep cracks. She was as good as shattered. I plead to her to stay with me – that I needed her. But she told me that Onyx (the name we thought for our potential daughter) needed me too. My eyes widened in realization – she knew. I could have done something, anything, but she denied this. If I had done something, The Rebellion would have ended. I shook my head – why? Why after all your disagreements with Rose, do you agree with her insurrection now? She cried and laughed. She agreed with the majority of Rose's ideals, she just hated her for trying to steal me. I laughed. She told me that Rose, as a sister, needed me. That the Diamonds were just as corrupt as their father. That I could save Gemkind. I shook my head – I told her that the war is over, and I am tired of fighting Diamonds. She yelled, said that if I had known what they were doing here on earth, I wouldn't be so quick to be 'tired'. I didn't know what she spoke of then, but I do now. It took 5 minutes. I poofed her, and put a safeguard around her. I returned her to my ship, and reported her SIA to the Diamonds. I then acted as though I were continuing to help them – but started leaving signs that I wanted to talk to Rose. It took a while. But we talked. We both knew what must happen. Pink Diamond was the most likeable Diamond, and the youngest. I cared for her deeply. I disagreed, and fought with Rose for a long time. But she made sense. Pink Diamond was the colony's overseer. If she were shattered – the Diamond's would retreat to mourn and would leave earth be. I told her I wouldn't do it. She said I had to.
Near the War's end, I was 'escorting' Pink Diamond. I increasingly became more depressed after speaking with her – I cared about her. She was like a daughter to me. Rose ambushed her, and I sat by, tears dripping, as Rose overpowered her entourage. Rose battle Pink Diamond, and was so close to shattering, when all of a sudden – Rose broke down. She couldn't do it. I knew she couldn't – this duty fell on me. Pink looked on in horror as I pulled Black Diamond's maul out, and aligned it to her gem. She at first pleaded with me. She then simply asked me to 'protect Earth and its beauty'. I agreed. I shattered her, and took a shard and put it in my phylactery. I wanted to remember her. That's when the war ended. Rose and I kept a secret confidante, speaking over the years. After a while, she met and befriended an overcooked Amethyst, whom I suggested to shatter. Appalled at me, she realized I had returned to my mercenary ways. I had changed – but I wanted to appear harsh. I still resented Rose for making me shatter Pink. Nobody really knew I was the one that did it. Not even Garnet or Pearl. They were too a few miles west keeping any of the Homeworld Gems from finding me and Rose. We spoke maybe four times, for a few hours each. The second to last time she spoke, she lamented that she couldn't have children, like Gemcrackers or humans. I told her of Sapphire's Hybridization. She fawned and lamented Sapphire's intelligence. She missed her, too, strangely. The last time I spoke to her, she said she had found a human of extreme depth, and he and her were thinking of having a child named Steven. I begged her not to, and she 'promised' not to do it. I knew it was a lie. Recently, though, Onyx, who was not yet even 5 decades old, used her charm and wit to secretly go to Earth. I had to go after her. Surely the appearance of a Gem would only incite hostility from the remaining Gems on the planet. That's where our journey begins. I am Gemcracker Zorlin, and this is how the Second Crystal Rebellion began.
