The Assassin of Yellow Diamond

by A Blast of Fanfics

(With Permission from Minijen) Dipper and Pacifica has been dating for weeks. Then, a Topaz steals him away from her. When he returns, he is not the same. He has a mechanical arm, he can't remember who he is, and he will do anything to kill supporters of Rose Quartz. Can Pacifica help bring him back or will he always be an assassin? (Based off of The Count of Monte Cristo Musical)

2. I Will Be There

A/N Hey guys! This chapter has one of my favorite songs from the musical (other than Hell to Your Doorstep which may or may not be in this story)! It's called, "I Will Be There". One thing that I don't think many people notice or care to mention is that in the original musical, this song becomes a song of broken promises. At the time this is sung, it seems harmless and innocent enough but then the promises the couple make to each other in the song get broken. Well, you can probably guess what is going to happen later on in the story. Have fun!

Dipper sat in the white, empty room in silence, his mind trying to process what had happened in, what he presumed was, 24 hours. Pacifica, indeed, told the Gems of his capture. From what he learned in those moments of being captured was that Aquamarine and Topaz were gems sent from Homeworld to gather humans for the human zoo. They had a list and they would gather humans that matched those names, as well as humans who seemed to have ties with the rumored, Rose Quartz. Since Dipper matched both of those descriptions, he was captured.

By the time the Crystal Gems had come, Aquamarine and Topaz had captured Lars, Sadie, Connie, Onion, Soos, and Wendy and we're looking for a hint as to the location of Rose Quartz, Mr. Pines, and "my dad". Steven and the Gems confronted them in the local amusement park, Funland. However, Aquamarine captured the Gems with her weapon, a beam of light that freezes people in place, at the mercy of Aquamarine's hands. That's when she revealed something.

She knew he was the son of Rose Quartz... or at least that he was Rose Quartz. As it turned out, an anonymous informant had told them what Rose Quartz looked like and her supposed location. Everything, the list, the human-capturing, was all just an elaborate scheme to capture Rose. It, unfortunately, worked. That's when Aquamarine created the dreaded deal. The deal that sealed everyone's fates. She agreed to release the "good" humans if Rose turned herself over.

Despite everyone's pleas, Steven accepted and boarded the ship. Topaz released Connie, Sadie, Onion, Soos, and Wendy and made them jump into the lake below. The biggest twist was when Mabel, Dipper, and Lars weren't released.

Dipper still heard the yells of Steven, calling Aquamarine a cheater and a liar, a no-good-double-crosser.

"You promised me!" Dipper's memory seemed to echo throughout his room, Steven's voice full of pain and distress. "You said they would all be released!"

"I said all the good humans." Aquamarine's voice chimed in, snarky and deceptive as ever. "Unfortunately, these three have a witness that says they are a menace to society here on Earth. My gracious Diamond is happy to help the inhabitants of Earth." Her malevolent giggles followed her voice before it faded into the silence that filled Dipper with dread.

The flight was interesting, to say the least. The four people left on the ship knew that they were doomed to go to Homeworld. Hope filled them when Topaz was touched by a conversation they had amongst each other. She tried to help them but Aquamarine was a clever and manipulative gem and stopped the short-lived rebellion. Now, Dipper was here, imprisoned on Homeworld.

Many questions buzzed in his mind, however. Despite his worries about the future ahead of him, he couldn't help but wonder about the missing pieces in the puzzle. The first one was simple, and yet puzzling. If the list and human-trapping was just a big scheme to capture Rose Quartz, why didn't Topaz and Aquamarine capture Pacifica? She was blocking Topaz from getting him. Instead of knocking her aside, they could've taken both of them. The more he thought about this, the more he started piecing together the bigger mystery.

Why was Lars considered a threat to society? This was clearly a faked use of evidence as to why to keep few humans but, it seemed out of place to take Lars. It made sense with Mabel and Dipper, as they were both close friends to "Rose Quartz" but Lars was just as normal of a teen as he could be in Gravity Falls. He had little to no connection with the weird gem stuff Steven had. In fact, he made a point not to associate with that stuff, so why was he here? A follow-up question was why Connie wasn't taken. She was as much a friend to Steven as Mabel and Dipper were, maybe even more. She could've just as easily been taken instead of Lars. Why was Dipper separated from the rest of the humans? Lars and Mabel were taken by one Topaz, while Steven and Dipper were taken by another. It seemed unlikely that they thought Steven, who they saw as Rose, as a human. He wasn't even in the same cell as Steven. Why was he secluded from the rest of the humans? Why wasn't he being taken into the human zoo? Why was he here, all alone with no food or water?

Who was this informant? Why did they hate Steven and the Gems when they helped save the world? Who was the witness? What did they have against the Mystery Kids? As Dipper continued, he came up with the last question that set all things in motion. Was the informant the same person as the witness?

It made sense if they were. If they were the same person, they knew information about everyone that was taken and they were able to testify against them, thereby giving Aquamarine and Topaz information on their whereabouts and giving them a reason to take them back to Homeworld. It also made sense if they were human. Gems rarely would care about the lives of humans. If someone knew and cared about whether someone was a menace to human society or not, that someone would be a human, since gems rarely cared about how other life forms thought of them.

Dipper's mind continued to race. This mystery was putting itself together nicely. Why would Homeworld gems listen to a human, a lesser life form in their eyes? Well, they must've offered something so good, the gems could not give up. Maybe they offered to serve the Gems Rose Quartz. It made sense. The Diamonds' thirst for vengeance needed to be filled. So much so that a Ruby, recently, tried to kill Steven, even though he was the only thing keeping her from being thrown into the vacuum of space.

In the middle of his thoughts, a bright flash surrounded him. Dipper recognized the feeling of being warped by a warp pad. When the light dissipated, he found himself in a dark room. Beneath him was a pattern of three diamonds overlapping, one white, one blue, and the other, yellow. He sat on the white one and in front of him, were the two large figures of the Diamonds. Dipper's mind boggled and he gasped in horror. To his left was Yellow Diamond, looking judgmentally at him, as if she were debating squishing a bug. To the right was Blue Diamond, who stared attentively, despite her saddened face.

Dipper debated getting off his knees and standing, but fought against it, knowing there was no chance of his survival if he disobeyed the Diamonds. In surprise, he watched as a bubble surrounded his head, immediately silencing the world around him. He turned to see a yellow gem in fancy garb, talking with a smirk on her face. She pointed at Dipper and her lips moved, although Dipper could only hear her muffled voice. Upon looking in front of him, a blue gem, looking much like the yellow one, stood stiff, clearly more nervous than her yellow counterpart. Beside her was a welcoming sight.

Steven. Steven stood beside the blue gem. Instead of looking at the Diamonds, however, he looked at Dipper with concern and a hidden relief that Dipper was okay. Then, Steven interrupted the yellow gem and said something. From his posture and the fact he was looking pointedly at Dipper, he could conclude that Steven was pleading for him to go free. The gem only shook her head, a smirk still on her face, before she answered, looking more at the Diamonds than Steven.

Dipper heard a voice to his left at that moment. Upon turning, he saw his sister, Mabel and Lars, both with bubbles on their head too. Mabel looked at him in concern and mouthed, are you okay?

Dipper merely nodded before he turned to watch the Diamonds and Steven. All of a sudden, in between the Diamonds, a pillar came out of the ground and rose until it was about chin level of the Diamonds. On it was a familiar face. Eyeball, the Ruby who had tried to kill Steven in a bubble in space, stared down at Steven with hostility. She yelled something down and Steven responded in kind. In that moment, Dipper realized with startling clarity what this was. It was a trial. A trial for a crime his friend didn't commit.

Eyeball continued to speak, undoubtedly saying something about how she saw Rose Quartz shatter Pink Diamond or how Steven convinced her he was Rose. Either way, he watched Yellow Diamond smirk throughout the entire thing. After Eyeball's testimony, Yellow Diamond clapped her hands together with a pleased smile and said something to Blue Diamond, who replied with a look of protest. That's when the unsure, blue gem spoke. She was the defense and she didn't seem confident or happy about it,

The blue gem seemed to have trouble organizing her screens before Steven said something and the floor beneath him rose upwards, as Eyeball's did before him. Steven spoke and, clearly, it didn't help his defense gem, for she has hitting her head against the pillar. After speaking for a while, Blue Diamond got up close to Steven and spoke, looking at him with an angry, demanding stare. Steven responded, looking unsure of himself. Then, Blue Diamond, unexpectedly, cried out in a loud voice, loud enough that Dipper could hear it in almost perfect detail.

"IT WAS A SWORD!" As Blue Diamond put her head in her hands, a wave of blue went throughout the room. Tears formed in every gem's eyes, even Yellow Diamond. As if to confirm that every gem was affected, Steven had tears in his eyes too, while the humans remained unaffected. Blue Diamond whispered something, before Yellow Diamond held her shoulder and said something to the court in an angry voice.

In another flash of light, Dipper was transported back to his cell, the bubble no long over his face. He stood up and started to process what happened as he paced around the room.

"A sword?" He asked himself. "Why would she say that? Of course, this is a trial for Pink Diamond's shattering. Maybe it was said that it was a sword that shattered her?"

Dipper changed direction. "But it couldn't be Rose's sword. Bismuth said that it would cut through a gem's physical form, but not the gem. It was made for poofing a gem, not shattering."

Change direction. "Maybe Rose chose to use it for shattering, even though that wasn't the intended purpose. I mean, we've all heard that anything could be a weapon, with creativity."

Change direction. "No. Bismuth said that it couldn't. It's like saying paper can hurt my skin but could never kill me and then charging someone for murdering another person with paper. You can't die from paper cuts and a Diamond can't die from a sword not designed for shattering."

Change direction. "But we might be comparing apples to oranges here. That sword could probably hurt a gem if the gem holding it had the intention to."

Change direction. "But why would Bismuth make the Breaking Point if the sword could already shatter a gem? Wouldn't Bismuth know the capabilities of the sword she made?"

Dipper would've continued his train of thought, if only a column of light didn't appear around him and brought him back to the courtroom. Dipper, again, had the bubble around his head and his sister and Lars was beside him. The blue gem was speaking now. She seemed more confident, however. As she continued to speak, she put her finger up, as if bringing a point. It must've been a good point too, because Yellow Diamond's eyebrow raised in intrigue.

The blue gem said something to the Diamonds. Yellow Diamond replied but Blue Diamond looked at Yellow in disbelief, causing Yellow to look back in pain, before motioning her hand and causing her palanquin to appear beside the blue gem. The blue gem ran to the top of the steps while speaking before running down. Then, as if switching characters in a game, she pretended to attack something with a sword where she had been before. Blue Diamond looked pained at the act and Dipper immediately pieced together what happened.

The blue gem was reenacting what had happened to Pink Diamond according to witnesses. Pink Diamond must've run down the stairs of her palanquin and then was attacked. The blue gem stood in front of the Diamonds again as she continued to address her defendant. As she explained something in a loud voice, Steven looked confused. There must've been an interesting point brought up. Something that blew the defense case right off.

That's when Yellow Diamond lashed out. She yelled out so loud that Dipper could hear her.

"THEY WERE WITH HER, OF COURSE! THEY SAW THE WHOLE THING!" Dipper's mind raced to figure out the words.

The blue gem continued, creating a rebuttal against Yellow Diamond's yell.

"SHE MUST'VE SNUCK PAST THEM!" She yelled again, hitting her chair in anger.

The blue gem continued, until in a loud voice, she cried out, "WATCH OUT MY DIAMOND!"

She looked like a detective, the blue gem. She paced around the room, like Dipper did before. He immediately respected her, a little bit. She had a hard case but she was pulling it off. She was uncovering the truth. She was clearing Steven's name. Then, she seemed to be thinking out loud. Before Dipper could wonder what she was thinking about, the blue gem, in a loud voice, pointed at the two Diamonds.

"LIKE ONE OF YOU!" Blue Diamond gasped and Dipper did too, to be honest. Dipper figured it out. The blue gem had blamed the Diamonds for the shatter of Pink Diamond. A Diamond shattering another Diamond? Well, if any gem could shatter another gem and then cover it up effectively, it would be the Diamonds. They could force the witnesses to lie, lest they be shattered. It did make sense. However, Yellow Diamond was not pleased.

Yellow Diamond stood up and Dipper could tell that the blue gem was trying to clear her last statement but Yellow wasn't having any of it. With a single finger, she smushed the blue gem until she was poofed. Her yellow gem equivalent with a smirk said something but, whether it proved Yellow Diamond happy or not didn't matter. Yellow was angry and nothing could stop her. Instead of smashing the yellow gem with her finger, lightning came out of her hands and shot out towards the yellow gem, causing her to destabilize.

Dipper couldn't help but watch. It was frightening, in a way. Yellow Diamonds temper was not something to be trifled with. In fact, if Peridot hadn't been protected somewhat from the screen, Peridot would've been dead meat when she called Yellow Diamond a clod.

Blue Diamond stood up in anger and yelled at Yellow Diamond. "YELLOW! STOP IT!"

The Diamonds yelled at each other. Clearly, the realization the blue gem had uncovered was unbelievable to the Diamonds. Steven ran over to the humans in the midst of the chaos. He popped the bubbles over their heads and now, Dipper could hear the anger of the Diamonds and, for the first time, Blue Diamond's anger.

"LET'S JUST SHATTER ROSE AND BE DONE WITH IT!" Yellow Diamond shouted.

"CAN'T YOU RESTRAIN YOURSELF?!" Blue Diamond countered.

"We need to go!" Steven told the group. This was the perfect distraction to leave.

"Where?!" Lars asked, unable to turn away from the Diamonds.

"There!" Mabel pointed at Blue Diamond's palanquin.

The three-and-a-half humans ran to the palanquin and started to board it. However, Dipper was still staring in disbelief at the Diamonds. They hated Steven and the Twins. Maybe, he could provide a distraction.

"Dipper! Get on!" Mabel cried out amidst the chaos.

"What about the Diamonds? They will try and find us if no one distracts them. I should give you guys some time!" Dipper proposed, however, the rest of the group were not having it.

"What?!" Steven shouted in disbelief. "No! You can't! You'll be put in the human zoo!"

"So? It's not so bad. At least there's food there." Dipper countered, trying to smile reassuringly at them.

"But Dipper! What about Pacifica? I promised her that we would bring you back in one piece!" Mabel said, saddened.

Dipper felt pain. Well, more pain than he already felt from seeing his friends in emotional distress. Pacifica. As far as she knew, he was still on earth. Still held captive by Topaz. Still being saved from a gem adventure. She wasn't with the Gems when he was taken to space. Steven didn't say why she wasn't, but it probably had something to do with her parents. He thought long and hard about it. He would hurt Mabel, Steven, Lapis, and Pacifica if he did this. Not to mention the Gems, Grunkle Stan and Grunkle Ford, maybe even Wendy and Soos and the other inhabitants of Gravity Falls.

"Just go!" Dipper finally answered. "I'll find a way to get back to you guys."

Steven and Mabel looked uncertain and to be honest, Dipper wasn't certain either. He knew how to escape the human zoo with the Famethyst but not how he was going to get off the zoo. Luckily, he had allies. Maybe they could help him.

Unfortunately, before the rest could protest, the Diamonds noticed Steven and the rest of the humans in the palanquin. There was no choice. It was either all of them were captured, or Dipper was captured. Lars was the one who took initiative and started moving the palanquin, which shakingly went from side to side until it jumped through the ceiling. Yellow Diamond broke through the wall as the palanquin fell but whatever words she said were lost in the craziness that was the room.

"My Diamond, a human is still here with us." Blue Pearl said quietly as she pointed to Dipper.

Blue Diamond turned and looked at Dipper. Her expression was neither hostile, nor peaceful. It was just neutral. "So we do." Was all Blue Diamond replied.

"Well, at least this trial wasn't for naught." Yellow Diamond remarked as she turned back and saw Dipper still there. "At least we have a human and that is the important thing."

Blue Diamond grasped Dipper in her hand, gently so that he could breathe. She looked at him before turning towards Yellow Diamond. "You will send him to the human zoo, right?"

"Of course, Blue. Why would I do anything with this organic life form?" Yellow Diamond brushed it off.

"That's funny." Blue Diamond said in a hostile voice and looked at Yellow Diamond. "I checked your files and you have a project that uses humans. It is rather cruel and Pink Diamond would not want that for her humans."

"Oh please, Blue. Pink Diamond wouldn't want us to fight." Yellow replied with agitation.

"Then make the right decision." Blue Diamond said in almost a whisper, her hostility towards Yellow coming out. "And don't think I will forget how you acted, today. If I didn't know any better, I would think you were the one who-"

"I LOVED HER AS MUCH AS YOU DO!" Yellow Diamond snapped before putting her hand to her head. "Why would I shatter her?"

The Diamonds stood in silence, Dipper still held in the grasp of Blue Diamond. She didn't let up her hostile stare and Yellow Diamond finally looked at her.

"I think I've had enough of you today, Yellow." Blue Diamond put Dipper gently on the ground before she walked off.

With a sigh from the events that happened, Yellow Diamond motioned her hand and Dipper was warped again. He half-expected to be in the hull of the human zoo, ready to be escorted to the entrance to the zoo. Unfortunately, he wasn't. He was back in the same empty room. It was silent and Dipper just put himself into the corner of his room, his knees close to his chest.

Breaking the silence, a picture appeared on the wall. Dipper looked at it in curiosity as a video feed of Yellow Pearl came on, a sneer on her face. Clearly, a bad day for Yellow Diamond was a bad day for her Pearl.

"Mason 'Dipper' Pines, your court case will begin momentarily." She announced in a commanding voice. "Yellow Diamond and her trusted court will decide upon your fate."

"B-but she promised to bring me to the human zoo!" Dipper protested.

"Unfortunately, there is an accusation that you would be a danger to the humans in the zoo and thus, should be isolated." Pearl replied, her face still angry.

"But Blue Diamond-"

"Blue Diamond does not need anymore trouble today. She needs a day of rest." She snapped, before composing herself. "Be ready for your case. Whether your ready or not, you will be put on trial."

The video image disappeared and Dipper felt helpless. At least at the human zoo, he knew a way to get out. Now, there was no way of knowing if he would ever escape to his friends. He had promised that he would get back. He felt powerless. Still, he felt hope. Hope that he might survive this and return. His family and friends would find him again. They would help him come back. Either way, he would come back to Earth. He just had to hope. And that was what he did as he waited.

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"Dipper's been taken and you aren't freaking out?" Mondego asked in confusion. That was something that made no sense to him. As far as she knew, he might've been taken to Homeworld. He sat next to Pacifica on her couch in the Northwest Manor as she tried to hold onto her hopes. It was late into the night, and yet it didn't matter.

"I believe in Dipper and the Crystal Gems. They defeated Bill. What is more threatening than that?" She smiled a little. Secretly, she was freaking out. Yes, she believed in Dipper, but his safety was in jeopardy. It comforted her, however, that Dipper knew how to fight with a sword. He also promised her that he had a plan of some sort or that he would have a plan, once he was reunited with the Gems. She didn't go with the Gems, since she would offer very little to the team. If she went, she could've been captured and the Gems would have one more kid to save. In the end, it seemed more advantageous for her to stay at her home. She had to hold onto her hopes.

"Plus, sometimes he and the Crystal Gems go on week-long gem adventures. This has to be something more akin to that." She reassured, both Mondego and herself.

"Well then, I don't really see the reason for inviting me here." Mondego pointed out.

"Because, I thought you would want to know." Pacifica looked at him with a confused stare. "You are one of his friends."

Mondego chuckled a little under his breath. "Yeah...Friend... I only jumped in to bring down a gem monster that one time."

"You did much more than that. You helped bring back his confidence when you taught him how to fight a human opponent." Pacifica said with a smile. "You let him win."

"I didn't." Mondego corrected with a little blush crossing his face in embarrassment. "He just was a formidable opponent. It made me realize how much I needed to improve. Let's just say I've improved since then."

"When Dipper comes back, you're going to have to challenge him to a duel again to see if your improved technique works." Pacifica pushed him lightly in a friendly and playful way.

Mondego laughed a little before he felt something. In his pockets, something shook, requiring his attention. He stood up and put his jacket on.

"Leaving already? What's the rush?" Pacifica asked in curiosity.

"I'm sorry. My mom's called. I have to go home." He rushed somewhat to the exit if the room. "I'll see you tomorrow."

"Bye, Mondego."

Mondego hurried to his house. It was a small, two-story house. Barely anyone lived in his house. His father hadn't come to visit for 4 years, since he was a sailor who moved to California, and his mother often didn't care what he did. He could lose a finger and his mother wouldn't care. In the case of his plan, Mondego was glad that this neglect from his mom was still present in his house. For his plans to go as planned, he didn't want any parental figures to meddle. Upon entering the empty dusty house, Mondego took out of his pockets a communicator with direct connection to Yellow Diamond.

He had been gifted this communicator by Aquamarine, in turn for the names of some humans to be captured. He told them the plan, that Rose would trade herself in for some of the humans. He told them which humans to keep. Dipper was obvious. Mabel was a loose thread. She would be miserable if separated from her brother. At least they would be together in Homeworld.

As for Lars, he had a deep hatred for Lars. Lars had made fun of Mondego when he was young. He made fun of Mondego's distant father and told him that the sailor would never return after his month long visit. This prediction, at the moment, was true, but it was still uncalled for. Mondego thought of the world of his father. Edmund was truly the best sailor. If Mondego ever created a city, he would name it, Edmund. When Edmund spent a month with Mondego, he taught his son how to sword fight. Mondego prided himself on sword fighting, another reason he held a grudge against Dipper, the boy who beat him.

Mondego quickly clicked the sides into place and waited for the screen to appear. When it did, Yellow Diamond was there, looking at him.

"My Diamond." He said with a bow.

"Enough of the pleasantries, Mondego. The humans and Rose escaped." Yellow Diamond reported with a stern look.

Mondego shuttered. His plan. Did it fail? "Which humans, my Diamond?"

"Oh, do not worry, my boy, for Mason is in his room, getting ready for his trial. In fact, you will testify soon." Yellow Diamond replied, smirking despite the grim news about Rose's escape.

"My Diamond, if I may, I believe I should keep a look out for Rose and the humans here on earth. Rose and her lackeys are known for escaping the unescapable." Mondego proposed.

"Indeed. My shattering robonoids are searching for them right now. As for Mason, we'll seal his fate quickly and quietly." Yellow Diamond sneered at the thought of Dipper.

"Rough day, my Diamond?" Mondego said, sensing that Yellow Diamond was not in the mood for anymore delays.

"Nothing I can't handle." Yellow Diamond answered with a wave of her hand. "Stay alert for my call, Mondego. We will put you under an anonymous name and you have your mask. Do you have a name preference?"

Mondego smiled.

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Dipper saw the wall to his cell open as a gem came in. She was a new gem to Dipper. She her skin was a shock white color while her hair was a mix of that same color of white and grayish black that was cut about where the ears were. She was not exactly a quartz, and yet she had good muscle definition. Her outfit was a grayish uniform, looking somewhat like what an army general would wear, and yet it had a Homeworld flare to it. Her white gem was dotted with black dots. The gem was rectangular in shape and was placed on her chest. She glared at Dipper impatiently, with her arms behind her.

"Yellow Diamond and her court are ready for your trial." The gem stated. "We must get a move on."

Dipper didn't exactly try to escape but he didn't try to make it easy, either. As she tried to grab his wrist forcefully, he moved his wrist out of the way and instead grabbed her wrist. He tried to pull her down, but unfortunately, she had more muscles than he did.

"You...aren't... making it any easier! You know that everything is taped and that tape can be used against you, right?" The gem said as she took Dipper's hand off her wrist and held it in her iron grip. "So, if you want your punishment to be worse than it already is, then it's not my gem on the line."

Dipper sighed. She was right. He didn't want his punishment any worse. Any worse would mean more security measures and the more security measures, the more unlikely his escape would be. This time, he didn't pull his wrist away when the gem grabbed it.

"See? There's the honor I hoped you would have." The gem responded in a whisper. "A soldier knows when it is right for her to surrender."

With both of his arms behind him, he watched as another doorway appeared on the opposite side of the room. This time, it lead to the trial room. What was different, however, was that instead of Yellow Diamond and Blue Diamond's chairs, there was only Yellow Diamond's chair, with Yellow Diamond glaring at Dipper. Behind her was her court. Sapphires, agates, high-ranking quartz soldiers, and more gems that looked somewhat like what the gem behind him looked like, sat behind her, sort of like a theater. The gems silently watched as Dipper was led to the center of the floor and the gem behind him left, bowed before her Diamond, and sat next to the other gems of her type.

Then, a gem that looked very much like the gems that had both accused and defended Steven came out. She was different than the yellow one before. She was indeed yellow, but her hair style and personality seemed different. She seemed less smug than the previous one and more willing to just move on with the trial. Once she was closer to the center of the floor, she bowed to the court, a long deep bow, before turning to Yellow Diamond and saluting her, creating a diamond with her arms and avoiding her gaze.

"My Diamond and her most trusted court." The yellow gem said, rather silently.

"Let's hurry this up, Zircon." Yellow Diamond replied, agitation in her voice. "We have better things to do."

"Indeed, my Diamond." Zircon cleared her throat before starting. "My Diamond, we have here Mason 'Dipper' Pines, a human who is a part of Rose Quartz's band of rebels, a threat to Homeworld, and has thwarted Weirdmageddon, an event that you, my Diamond, had your hand in."

The court whispered to each other in shock. Dipper looked around. Where was his Zircon? Where was his defense committee? Why did it seem this trial was rigged from the very beginning?

"Indeed, My Diamond, we have witnesses for all of these claims and accusations. Before that, with respect, my Diamond, the defense has to make their claim." Zircon responded, clearly sensing that this wasn't an ordinary trial.

"There is no defense, Zircon. After your evidence, it will be our decision." Yellow Diamond answered, motioning to the court who had no problems with this.

"That's not fair!" Dipper yelled out, causing the court to silence itself. Dipper covered his mouth in worry. He didn't mean to speak out. It was just his thoughts. This wasn't fair. Rose Quartz had a fair trial while he didn't. Why were the cards not stacked in his favor?

"Silence!" Yellow Diamond said, hitting her chair with her fist. "This is your final warning. If you speak again, you won't even finish your trial and you will be sentenced immediately."

Dipper shut his mouth. All he could do was watch his fate unfurl. It was unlikely that his fate would be good. Homeworld ruled here. He wasn't going to have a fair trial if the Diamond's didn't allow it.

"As I was saying, my Diamond, he is a traitor to Homeworld by helping the traitorous Rose Quartz, who shattered our very own Pink Diamond. The evidence for this is easy to find. Look no further to last trial." Zircon stopped pacing a bit as she motioned to Yellow Diamond. "My Diamond, can you testify that this human helped Rose and the two other humans?"

"Indeed I can, Zircon." The Diamond smirked as the court gasped and talked amongst each other.

"And because of this alliance, do you believe this human is a threat to the security of Homeworld?"

"I do."

"And can you confirm that this was one of the few beings that stopped you, my Diamond, and Bill from accomplishing your goals."

"Yes."

"Thank you, my Diamond. I will question you no further." Zircon turned away from Yellow Diamond as she continued to pace around the floor. Dipper watched anxiously as the court continued to speak and converse, eventually quieting down for Zircon to continue.

"More importantly, I have another witness on Earth is able to testify for you, My Diamond and her loyal court." She made a screen from her monocle that was enlarged for everyone to see. The screen showed a dark figure, surrounded by the shadow of what could be presumed as Earthly night. The light from the screen lit up the figure's face and features. The figure was in a black cloak and wore an intricate yellow mask over his face.

"I present, my Diamond, Count Montresor." Zircon motioned to the screen with reverence. Dipper looked in concentration for anything to unmask the anonymous human. Knowing everyone in Gravity Falls, he knew that no one had a first name or a last name of "Montresor". He had to look for humanly features that differentiated this human from everyone else. Unfortunately, this was easier said than done. The cloak covered up most of the human's body and the mask covered up the face. Any mistakes in this protection were covered up by the blackness of night. Upon coming to this realization, Dipper quickly changed his identification technique from looking for different features to listening to this figure's speech patterns.

"My Diamond and her loyal court," the figure said as he saluted with the diamond symbol, their voice altered by the mask. "I am here to testify against the boy known as Mason Pines. Mason has self-destructive behavior that can damage himself and other humans."

"Can you please elaborate, Count Montresor?" Zircon asked as she continued to pace around the room.

"I was there when I saw the perfect example of his true behavior. I was watching a finely crafted opera when I watched a giant cake prop fall from the ceiling." Dipper made a confused look. What was Montresor talking about? Then, it clicked as Montresor told the final bits of the story. "There was Mason, standing over his two best friends. He was bleeding and his friends were badly hurt and he didn't bother to help them, all of this so that he could gain a journal about how to defeat my glorious Diamond!" Montresor accused as he pointed at Dipper.

"That's a lie!" Dipper cried out in rage as he ran towards the screen. Two of the gems that looked like the black and white gem immediately ran out and tried to reel in Dipper. He flailed in protest, neither one of the gems able to grab his hands or feet. "I would never hurt my friends! I was possessed by Bill!"

As he fought against the gems, the room went into chaos. Some of the Gems stood up from their seats in shock while Yellow Diamond smirked with success. One of the gems in an orangish color finally grabbed one of Dipper's hands and it was all over from there. As the few calm gems in the audience tried to silence the rest of the court, Dipper stared in utter hatred at the figure in the screen. Amidst the confusion, he could hear Montresor speak in a calm and cold voice.

"Looks like your good fortune has run out, Fortunato." Zircon started to end the transmission, but before the screen and audio feedback disappeared, Dipper heard Montresor's final words.

"Nemo me impune lecessit."

Dipper stopped his struggle as he thought through those final words. The final phrase the figure said was not in English. What it meant, however, must've been of importance to the situation. Why did Montresor choose to say those words if it didn't mean anything to them? Before he could try to piece together the meaning, unfortunately, the crowd settled and Yellow Diamond looked at Dipper with a smug smile.

"Mason Pines, it is time for your sentence." She then looked to her court. "It has been proven by Montresor that Mason is too dangerous to be put in the human zoo. He might harm all the fragile lives of those who live there. Thus, my loyal court, I have a proposal for a replacement. The hearing for this proposal will be announced very soon."

With that, Dipper watched as the court started to leave. Well, except for the black and white gem and the other gems of her type. They sat, staring at Dipper with unforgiving eyes. One, however, stuck out in the crowd of those gems. There were many ways she was different.

Like the other gems of her kind, she was monochromatic, her color being a greenish blue. What made her different was the fact she didn't look as battle ready as the other gems of her type were. Most were in military outfits and the few that didn't still had the look of a soldier. This gem wore a dark blue dress, a Yellow Diamond sign on a belt around her waist. Her gem was round, instead of the square shape most had and it was located on her forehead, much like Pearl. Her hair wasn't as short as the rest, since her hair went halfway down her back. The final thing that caught his attention was the fact her stare was different. It wasn't cold or unforgiving, like the rest. The stare seemed to be one of sadness, guilt, and pity for his sake.

"Quartzites, Facet 2B5K." Yellow Diamond called as the gems remaining stood up and walked in front of their Diamond. The gems made three lines in front of the gem monarch, two spaces missing a gem as those two were holding Dipper. Two of these gems stood to the side of the rest. The closest one Dipper could see was the blue gem, while the other outlier was the one who had brought him to the trial. The gems saluted in sync as they looked up to their monarch. Everyone, that is, except for the blue one. She seemed to even avoid gazing at Yellow Diamond, looking down at her feet and even occasionally glancing at Dipper again.

"Quartzite Cut-2B." Yellow Diamond addressed as the Quartzite that had brought Dipper in came to the front, still saluting.

"Yes, my wise Diamond." The Quartzite commander replied with reverence.

"Place Mason in a cell. Make sure it just barely meets standards and that there is no surveillance cameras." Yellow Diamond said, with distaste.

"Yes my Diamond." The commander answered as she nodded in agreement.

"And Quartzite Cut-15A."

The blue Quartzite jumped a little before she walked slowly towards the Diamond. "Yes, my Diamond?"

"You will make sure the... 'project'... remains functional throughout this Earth night." Yellow Diamond ordered with a smirk.

"Yes my Diamond." The Quartzite looked down at her feet, as if in shame, before Yellow Diamond ordered the rest of the Quartzites.

"As for the rest of you, prepare the equipment. The hearing will be in 24 hours."

"Yes, my Diamond." All the Quartzites said in unison before they all split off to their tasks and Dipper, reluctantly, was led deep into the heart of Homeworld.

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If Dipper didn't know what "just barely meets standards" meant, he knew now. The cell was very much like the room he was held in before the trial, except it was not spotless at all. It seemed as though the gems tried to make his cell filthy. There was no bed, only hard ground. There were no doors, as the doors opened the same way every door did in Homeworld. There was no lighting from the ceiling and the only light that streamed in was from a window that both had a gem-proof barrier and metal bars. It made Dipper wonder if a human was held in here and escaped and that now Homeworld knew how to stop humans from escaping.

Despite the gloomy setting, Dipper tried to keep his hopes up. He would find a way to escape. It looked bad now but maybe... maybe he would escape. There had to be a way. He promised. He promised everyone. He promised Pacifica. He also was a pretty stubborn person. If Homeworld wanted to break his spirits, it wouldn't work. He was going to hold onto that hope until the day he died. His spirits would not break, no matter how hard Homeworld tried. With these thoughts, Dipper already felt more hopeful and determined. The only thing that worried him was the fact he couldn't explain his situation to Pacifica. They were a world and a half away and he didn't even say goodbye.

He was homesick, too. He missed everything weird about Gravity Falls. Sure, Homeworld was weird, but Gravity Falls had a sort of welcoming weird feeling to it. In the end, he felt like he needed to express these feelings in a way. His homesickness. His hopes. His wishes. Most prisoners had a way to send a letter to their loved ones, but Dipper hoped beyond logical hope that his way of explaining all of this to Pacifica would reach her ears. So, with all logic being tossed into the wind, he started to sing.

"In the light that falls at moonrise," He walked towards the lone window as soft light fell on his face. "In the rhythm of the rain. In the miracle of ordinary days!" He put his hands over his heart before he put his face up towards the window so he could see his surroundings. He grasped the bars in his hands and closed his eyes as he remembered home amidst the dark, night sky. "In the hush of night, I will be in the whispers of lovers everywhere." He opened his eyes as they shined in the light, like the hope he had. "You will find me there!"

He backed away from the window as he closed his eyes again and thought of the simple things he had come to adore, thanks to his time being here. "In the rustle of a curtain. In the bustle of the world. In a thousand little unexpected ways!"

He put his head next to the window again as he opened his eyes and, instead of looking at the gems and buildings below, he looked at the stars. He searched until he saw approximately the location of the star he and Pacifica saw together. "When you lift your gaze, I will be in the shimmer of one small star out there, shining everywhere."

Dipper closed his eyes again as he tried to voice his hope and promise to Pacifica, even if she was far away. "I will be there, beside you through the lonely nights that fall so close your eyes! Remember my embrace."

The concerned frown he had was replaced by a hopeful smile as he stood in the soft light that came from outside his cell as he looked at the star again and continued. "I will be there! Like mercy, I will find you through it all!"

Dipper placed his hands over his heart. "This do I swear. I will be there."

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A world away, Pacifica stood at the edge of the lake's harbor, looking up with a smile at the moon, which shined softly on her. Her hair tossed gently in the wind. As if she could hear Dipper from afar, she added her own verse to the song. "In a language never spoken,"

She gently held in her grasp Dipper's hat, a token to remember him by. She touched it softly with her hands, as if holding an ancient artifact that needed to be preserved. "Live the promises we've made."

She pulled Dipper's hat to her heart, clasped in both hands as she continued to look with hope at the stars. "In the endless love that owns me heart and soul."

"In the certainty that I'll always be true and as near as my next prayer, you will find me there!" Pacifica looked at the sky with determination and trust in her promise before closing her eyes.

"In the roaring of the river. In the haunting of the wind. In mysterious extraordinary ways!" She looked up at the sky, this time not at the moon, but at the star next to the moon. The one she deemed as Dipper's star. "In the darkest sky, I will be like the shimmer of one small star out there, shining everywhere."

"I will be there! Beside you through the lonely nights that fall, so close your eyes! Remember my embrace!" She crossed her arms, as if to hug herself as she continued on. "I will be there! Like freedom, I will find you through it all!" With a swift motion, she put on Dipper's hat, as if taking up her promises. "This do I swear! I will be there!"

She quickly ran out onto the harbor where boats were. Waves beat against the legs of the platform in sync with the beat as she closed her eyes and began to sing again. "In the harbor quarter,"

Dipper, all the way back in Homeworld, hit the walls of his cell as he tried to find his way out of the cell. As he did this, he added on. "In the stone and mortar."

As the two of them looked up at the stars, they both sang together in unison as they both pointed towards one star. "In the star we both share!"

"In the sound of laughter." Pacifica added as she closed her eyes, as if to imagine something.

"Now and ever after!" Dipper responded before he too closed his eyes with a smile.

"Look for me. I will be there-!" They both sang as they both imagined each other, meeting amongst the stars. They both stood a distance away before running to each other in the sky, Pacifica's hair infused with the stars and Dipper's hat with the moon.

"I will be there! Beside you through the lonely nights that fall!" The two of them said as they held each other's hands, as if promising something. "So close your eyes."

"Remember my embrace!" Dipper sang alone before Pacifica joined in late, like an echo. "Remember my embrace!"

"I will be there!" He said again as Pacifica echoed back, "We'll be there."

"Like justice, I will find you through it all!" They sang in unison, their starry sky counterparts opening their eyes as they continued.

"This do I swear!" Dipper sang as Pacifica responded, faster, "This do I swear."

"I will be there." Dipper's figure in the sky disappeared as he opened his eyes, to find himself in his cell. His smile faded a bit.

Pacifica opened her eyes too, and she said with hope and sadness, "This do I swear. I will be there."

"This do I swear. I will be there." They sang together as Pacifica walked somberly back home and Dipper continued to stare out at Homeworld with unhappiness in his gaze. He was tired of all this. He wished that this was all over. He wanted to go back home. Even his hope couldn't stop him from feeling emotionally drained.

In this state, he laid down on the hard floor and there he stayed, looking through the window at their star. He watched for at least an hour when the door opened to his room. He sat up but he didn't try to look at who was coming through. He didn't want his emotions to show. That's when he heard the Quartzites guarding his cell speak to the person.

"Quartzite A, make your visit quick. We don't want your dress to get dirty." One of the Quartzites said as they both laughed.

"Well, if I wasn't here, you two would still be Kindergarten trainers." The smooth and calm voice responded with a bit of attitude in her voice.

Abruptly, the laughing stopped to be replaced by an uneasy silence. Dipper heard steps into his cell and the door close and disappear from view. It was silent as the figure walked a distance towards Dipper. Then, she stopped. Dipper had an idea which gem had come to see him. Of course, the only way to see if he was right was to look. He tried to resist the urge to take a quick peek when she spoke.

"You're Mason, right?" This time, the voice was not only calm but also had a sort of caring sound to it. Dipper turned and found in front of him the blue Quartzite he had noticed before. She looked at him with curious eyes, full of wonder and pity. Her arms were behind her back, much like how a obedient child would if they were listening to their parents.

"Who wants to know?" Dipper replied, bitterly. He had to seem tough. He didn't want any gem to think he was breaking. Sure, he didn't feel like he was breaking down but he knew that it was all about first impressions.

"I want to know." The gem answered. From the tone of her voice, she sounded genuinely curious. She didn't seem like the type of gem that would ask so that she could put the name on the record. She wanted to know. Still, Dipper could be betrayed by her. She might be putting on a facade. An elaborate one, granted, but still a trick nonetheless.

After answering her with silence, she sighed before she walked closer to him. As she reached where he was, she made her gem glow a blue light to brighten up the scene. Dipper watched her cautiously. Then, she put out her right hand from behind her back. In her hand was an apple. It was the color of a Granny Smith apple, but it looked somewhat crystalline in shape, telling Dipper immediately that this food came from someplace in the human zoo or an equivalent.

Dipper eyed it suspiciously. This had to be a trap. The Diamonds wouldn't give him food this good unless this was a trick. Maybe there was poison or something to knock him out inside the apple. Maybe it did something unfathomable to him, if he ate it. In his experience of making deals with people, or in some cases, demons, he knew better than to trust his eyes.

The gem seemed to be unfazed by his reluctance as she pulled the apple away and started moving away, her back towards him. "Alright. You don't have to talk. I'll just have to eat this myself. I've been practicing how to eat, after all." She replied, trying not to sound like she cared. Dipper immediately felt the gnawing hunger in his stomach and he had to make a choice. Take his chances with the apple or starve in his cell. In the end, he was willing to risk it.

"I want it." Dipper murmured, almost too soft to be heard but the gem stopped in her tracks nonetheless. She turned and walked back a ways until she could give it to the boy. He took it hesitantly and said his last prayers as he took a bite. The gem watched with a small smile as she sat down on the ground in front of him. The fruit did taste like the food from the human zoo. He could almost hear someone say, "This time, it's green!" When he finished, he didn't feel quite as hungry and he didn't feel poisoned. Well, he didn't feel like a fast-acting poison was in the apple. He looked at the gem, eyeing her with suspicion.

"What was in the apple?" He asked in a whisper, looking at where she sat.

"I didn't put anything in it. Of course, if you won't take my word for it, you will believe me when you aren't dead in three seconds." She looked up at the ceiling as if counting in her head until three seconds went by. Then, upon seeing Dipper's concerned face, she put on a teasing and playful smile. "If I had wanted to hurt you, Mason, I wouldn't have done it physically. The Diamonds want everything to be useful for them and a dead human is not useful."

"Where did you get it?" Dipper whispered under his voice.

"I smuggled it from the human zoo before I left. The gems asked for my personal opinion on a problem they were having with the humans. Then, Yellow Diamond ordered all Facet 2B5K Quartzites of cuts A and B to assemble at a trial. I realized from word of mouth that a human was being judged and I got the fruit from there." She replied, not trying to be quiet.

"Why are you telling me this here and now?" Dipper asked, his methodical mind trying to process what this gem was thinking.

"I am telling this to you here because there are no cameras here. If there were surveillance cameras, Blue Diamond would be able to access the footage of the cameras at will, and Yellow Diamond does not want that. She ordered us to send you to a cell without cameras for this reason. If we took down the cameras in one cell where Blue Diamond knows there are working cameras, that is suspicious too and she'd see to it personally." Quartzite paused. "I am telling you this now because I am supposed to be watching over your health at this time."

"Yes, but why are you telling me this? Why are you helping me?" Dipper blurted out as he looked at the gem with uncertainty.

"Because it is the right thing to do." Quartzite said in a soft, determined tone of voice. "You're a part of the Crystal Gems, right?"

Dipper hesitated. Should he trust her with the truth? It couldn't hurt, he guessed. Every gem knew he helped "Rose Quartz" escape. He nodded slowly. She turned her head to look away from him.

"In another time or place, I would've joined Rose Quartz and her band of rebels, but I was too afraid. I ran and I was forced to live on Homeworld. I thought Earth was destroyed by the Diamonds and that the only place I could be myself was gone. I thought only the humans in the human zoo were all that was left..." Then, she turned towards Dipper with a hopeful, tired expression. She smiled a little. "But then, you come and I learned something that Yellow Diamond and the court had hidden from me for millennias. That Earth is still there."

"So, you want to return to Earth." Dipper concluded, already seeing Quartzite's aspirations and hopes.

"Not me. We." She corrected as she grabbed Dipper's shoulder in a sign of companionship.

"You mean... you're helping me escape?" Dipper tried to clarify, stunned to find an ally in a place of enemies. Quartzite smiled a little.

"Yes." She answered as she took her hand off of his shoulder. "I have a friend who has a ship. She is planning on bringing it here and having us stowaway on it to make it back to Earth. But there's a catch."

"What's the catch?" Dipper asked, hoping the problem wasn't too bad.

"This entire sector is in lockdown. Yellow Diamond is stopping any ships from entering and that order will be in place until three of your Earth weeks are over." Quartzite paused to think. "If we want to get back to Earth in one piece, we just have to play along with the Diamonds. That is, if you're with me, Mason."

Quartzite seemed sincere in her hopes and plans. If her words were right, she was risking everything by telling him this. If Yellow Diamond found this out, she might was well just consider herself shards. Her body posture in front of Yellow Diamond was proof enough that she wasn't really fond of the Diamonds. Dipper's logical side told him it could be a ruse. An act. Just a trap to stop him from escaping. The other side of Dipper, however, realized that he had nothing to lose. He was trapped on Homeworld. Who knew what the cruel Diamond had in store for him? It could be a torturous death and even then, how much worse would it be if she found him escaping? She would punish him by torturing him to death. If Quartzite's plan worked, he would be able to escape and keep his promise. Well, minus the fact he would be gone for three weeks. In the end, his decision turned out simple.

"Dipper." He corrected the blue gem. "My friends call me Dipper." He smiled with a daring smile and immediately, the Quartzite gem knew what he had chosen. She smiled back as she moved to sit beside him. He didn't try to move away from her as a sign of trust.

"My friend called me Moonlight." She laughed a little. "Sounds a lot like Quartzite, doesn't it?"

"Yeah, Moonlight." Dipper nodded with a small smile.

Then, from behind her back, Quartzite pulled out another apple. She put it in front of Dipper but he shook his head. The apple was quite filling, actually. It was like one apple was an entire meal. Quartzite shrugged as she looked at the apple. Then, she took a bite and tried to eat it. She looked like someone who just learned how to eat, as she chewed slowly and swallowed it after a minute.

"You know," Quartzite started. "I have been practicing eating my whole life and this is the first time I have actually eaten real human food."

"I can tell." Dipper replied with a teasing smile.

"Yeah. I must say though, this is way better than eating rocks on Earth." She grinned in amusement.

"You ate rocks?"

"Yeah. I was made on Earth and immediately, I was fascinated with the planet. I wanted to eat, like all lifeforms do. Unfortunately, I didn't know at that time that organisms, such as yourself, don't eat rocks for nutrients and energy."

Dipper laughed a little and Quartzite joined. She seemed to like spending time with him, in that short time. When they both stopped laughing, she immediately had to leave. With a wink, she put out her hand and gave him a thing piece of rock in a cylinder shape and said, "So you can keep track."

She brushed the dirt from the ground off her dress before she exited room. Dipper had more hope than ever. He was going to escape in three weeks. He was going to count down the days to come until he would finally go home. With that, he took the rock and, to his delight, found it was easy to write with, as he made a tally.

Day 1

A/N: No torture for today, guys. I'm sorry but I'm super tired and I'm writing this the night before another school day. Anyways, Mondego's name was inspired by The Cask of Amontillado by Edgar Allen Poe. Honestly, Mondego is all about theatrics and he is a nerd of classic literature. Part of the reason he learned how to sword fight was to be like the heroes in his favorite literature books. Anyways, next chapter is definitely going to have torture. Dunno how that's gonna go. All I can say is that it is going to be somewhat based off of the angsty torture my favorite characters go through in my other favorite fandoms.

Stonemason Other Fandom Connection of the Day: Dipper's gonna pull a Will Byers and go missing for weeks and when he finally remembers himself, he's gonna be a shaken up kid that is scared of himself. (Stranger Things)