"What, what, what did you do to my Diamond!?" Peridot frantically screamed as she pointed her limb enhancer at the twins. Anger, furious, unhinged anger came to the surface as a ball of energy formed right before them. Mabel of course, took immediate offense to this and let go of her half of the Diamond to confront the green gem, leaving Dipper alone to carry the barely conscious tyrant, to whom he immediately dropped with a sly grin. "You have approximately 12.4 seconds before I aptly rid of your carbonic masses from our presence."
"Hey, hey, hey! Watch it, green bean!" Mabel shouted, pointing her finger at her as she ignored her threat. "I'm the one actually trying to help my dear diamond here, so do whatever your job is to do and do it already!" Peridot doesn't move an inch as her energy blaster was about to fire, until the Diamond caught all of their attention with another jolt that surged from his body.
"Let, let them help." He reluctantly uttered out, covering up the wound with his left hand, still clearly trying to hide his pain. "Se, se, set the table, and, and get me help." He manages to get out, before falling on his face one more.
Peridot gives a concerned look at her fallen Diamond before staring at the twins once more. The female was as clearly concerned about him as she was,, while the male seemed to have a certain twinge of disgust on his face. She had heard her Diamond's rambles on this particular human, how he gave no regard or respect to him out all. It was a truly disgusting sight to see on someone, and she was holding in every impulse going through her head that told her to dispose of them both immediately. But her Diamond had told her to let them help. On one hand, this could be seen as one of those times that her Diamond's human progenitor told her about. She could simply say no, and then pray to the stars that he didn't shatter her afterward. But on the other hand, her Diamond was possibly bleeding to death. She could use all the help she can get.
"Fine. Hold him still." Peridot agreed, pressing a few things on her limb enhancer's screens, deactivating her blaster and allowing a table right to rise up from the ground behind the twins. Mabel quickly got back to the little Diamond's side and helped him up on it. The Diamond groaned a little in discomfort as he tried to shake the pain off as much as he could. Electricity wouldn't stop surging out of his wound as it became more and more clear that it was not going to be stopped anytime soon. "How, how did this happen to him!?" Peridot once again yelled in concerned anger. "Why are his life fluids leaking out of him?"
"He got a well deserved stab with a sword." Dipper snarked, clearly enjoying this moment way more than he should have. "It's not that big of a deal. You're acting like this has never happen before."
"It hasn't." Peridot said, a little snidely. "As far as I know, he has never bled to this degree ever. The cut is deep, and it's, it's doing something with his abilities."
"Does, does this have something to do with him not having a heart?" Mabel asked with concern, while Dipper's eyes widen at that question.
"How did you.." Peridot tried to get her to answer, but stopped herself, knowing that this was definitely not the most important thing at the moment. "Yes, no, I, I don't know." She answered with a sadden expression, clearly feeling guilty for not knowing. "He, his biology is unique to his kind, it's, it's different than most."
"I, I don't care about that! How can we help him?!" Mabel shouted a little louder, a little blue from the corner of her eyes beginning to illuminate. "He's getting worse." Steven's electricity than started to form around him like some sort of shield.
"I, I don't know!" Peridot shouted. "I, I, my function is to help my Diamond with any and every technological and educational need! I, I'm not properly prepared or suited for this function!"
"How pathetic. Your suppose to watch over the brat, and yet you don't know the first thing about watching over him. That explains where the ego comes from." Dipper continued to mock him. "You twats are so easy to manipulate that of course he feels like he's in control. A lot of good that did him in the end." Dipper walked over to the green technician. "Your leader is about to die, and you'll probably cry yourself to sleep, knowing how much time you've wasted with raising such a stupid, defective runt of a.." Dipper, once again showing off how one can talk himself into hell, felt the floating fingers of Peridot surround his neck and threaten to strangle him.
"Never call me a twat. Never call my work a waste. And never, ever, ever, call my Diamond a defect." She chucks him across the room, leaving him to groan in pain in the corner as she went to check on her little leader. "My Diamond has worked too hard all of his life to let it all be belittled by the very part of himself that he hates the most." Mabel walked towards her brother and helped him up.
"Wow, you sure do know how to press all the wrong buttons, don't you." She gets her brother up, but for some reason doesn't let go of his hand. "Next time, apply the smart to your brain instead of your mouth. It'll save you all the grief and bruises. Now help her out."
"I failed to see exactly when I agreed to that. I have no attachment here, and thus, I have no loyalty to anyone." He turns to leave, only to find that Mabel's grip hadn't left his arm. If anything, it seemed to get stronger as his body was somehow forced back down by it's intensity.
"I am in love with that boy over there." She looks at him with a cold, dead stare. "I don't care how much you hate it, how much you try to shrug it off or destroy it, it'll never go away. And right now, you are going to do it because I say you will. I'm the one with the power at the moment." She points the amulet on her. "And I'm probably the only one who could ever fend off Dorito head over there, because if Steven dies, I can assure you that she'll know who to blame for it, and I won't lift a finger to help you. So choose wisely, brother." She continued to stare at him, making sure he didn't so much as breathe in a way she didn't like.
"I will give you this, dear sister, you've truly found a kindred spirit. You both believe that you have some sort of power over me." Dipper muttered with a scowl before finally making his way back towards the yellow brat, who's body continued to burst out electricity, making it difficult for Peridot to monitor him, as seen by her many ducks and dodges of said blast of electricity. "Once again, the greatness of his authority proves itself to be a shining example of perfection." Peridot doesn't respond as she pulls up her screens, still trying to get a read on her Diamond's condition.
"By the Star's, why does this have to be soo complicated?" The technician continued to sigh as the unwelcomed feeling of failure began to overwhelm her body. "Why does he have to pocess an organic form?"
"Why do you keep beating around the bush?" Dipper said a little more louder, this time getting Peridot's attention. "You clearly don't have an idea on what you're doing. Just admit your failure and let me take over."
If Peridot's anger was subtle before, than it was clear as white stain on black a black dress now, completely noticeable and a bit distracting. However, the grunts made by her diamond made her comply to the boy's damand as she allowed him to get closer to her spec's. "It appears that the deep incisions have caused his natural electrical output to increase and run rampant." Peridot explained as much as she could.
"You said that he doesn't have an actual heart?" He turns to his sister, who gives a small nod. "Than that answers my theory about that stone on his chest." He says out loud as he continued to scroll through the data. "His blood doesn't circulate with a normal cardiovascular system. That stone on his chest is electrifying every platelet, every cell of blood, forcing it to move all around his body, almost as if he was constantly connected to a defibulater."
"So his electrical abilities are going haywire because his blood work functions more like a machine." Peridot caught on and began to conclude. "His veins and arteries are like wires, they become potentially dangerous when there's a cut or opening around them!" She exclaimed with a little more excitement than she really should've, as seen by the stares given to her by the twins, and the moan by her Diamond. "Ah, so we need to cover his wounds with something that'll insulate him until he can fully recover."
"The only problem is that his body is leaking too much energy right now to let it heal itself. We need to drain it somehow before applying any form of insulation, or else we would most likely blow him up." He pauses for a moment to let a smile grow on his face. "A dream, so close to coming true, yet it remains out of my realm of reality."
"Enough fantasying." Mabel gives him a small smack on the head. "How are we going to possibly drain his powers? He said it before that he's like a walking generat..." Mabel suddenly forms a groan as Dipper's smile becomes even bigger than before. "You have got to be kidding me."
"I believe a 'I told you so' is in order, my dear sister." He didn't even bother to hide the enormous amount of pride he was feeling for himself. "My need to 'feed my ego' is exactly what we need to help the brat. Now that is irony of the highest order." He turns his attention to the green gem once more as Mabel began to curse inwardly. "I need the generator that he brought in a while ago. It's the only thing we have that could possibly weaken him long enough."
"And then what?" Peridot once again proved to be a skeptic of every decision made so far. "Leave my Diamond open to attack, completely defenseless as you take the opportunity to break him?! I think not. This is a decision that only my Diamond can make, as I will not leave his fate in the lives of two lowlifes that he just so happen to take pity on!"
"Hey, whatever you say. I don't care either way, because his fate is not up to me to decide. I'm just only the guy that can save him, but if you insist on waiting until its to late, than I'm more than happy to agree with you." Dipper smug grin continued to be of grand annoyance to everyone as he began to walk away. "You might want to make up your mind on what to do though, he probably wont make it past, I say, the next hour or so." Peridot would've tried to rip him a new one, though Mabel confronted her, grabbing on to her right limb enhancer.
"I know that we're not exactly what you call the image of perfection, or the sign of loyalty, or look of something truthful, faithful, trustworthy, or.." She trailed of, stopping to think about her poor choice in words. "Really lost my train of thought there." she chuckles, leaving only Peridot's unamused gaze. "He's not just your Diamond, he's my Diamond too." Peridot's face lighten up just a little in curiosity. "I want to be by his side, I want to see him happy, I want to give everything I have on the inside to serve and please him in any way I can, and I know that it's what you want to do to." Peridot begin to stare down at the side a little more, processing the words. "He can't speak for himself at the moment, but I'm sure that if he was awake, he would trust you enough to protect him from my brother. But he can't do that. You have to make the decision for him. You don't have to trust us now, you just have to trust your own judgement to make the right choice."
To hear such a servile attitude from a human was, for lack of better words, illogical to Peridot. She wondered if pearl's could even dream to matching that level of loyalty to their masters. While the female hadn't proven anything to make her on level as her or her Diamond, she could at least admire the respect she was attempting to give her Diamond. But it still didn't comfort her with the decision she was about to make. She needed to act fast right now, or her Diamond could come to an end once more. She certainly didn't have the time to figure out the generator on her own, and she definitely didn't have enough time to come up with another idea. "By the Star's, please forgive me, my Diamond." She begun to press on her holo-screen more, making an opening in the floor of the ship, revealing the very same device that Dipper had made.
Dipper, once more, held a he smile on his face as he begun to inspect it over. The damages made to it earlier were completely fixed, which was a grand sight for him, but upon further inspection, the Diamond seemed to had taken some liberties with owning the device. It was a bit smaller and had a shiner shell on it, most likely for better absorption, insulation, and usage. The design of it know, as much as the boy hated to admit, was good, maybe a little better than when he had first made it. "Just make sure to stand by. This could be a while.
A while later..
Feeling pain and weakness was really starting to get cumbersome to the little Diamond. It was starting to happen on a routine bases that the intial thought of feeling pain actually felt boring. It still hurt like hell and pissed him off beyond belief to actually be stabbed, but it wasn't as if he didn't sorta expect something like that to happen to him sooner or later. Living as what people would say as 'the greatest hope for your kind' really made him a little more aware to people's thoughts and intentions, though in his youth his father would describe it as 'a sense of healthy paranoia'. A small part of him wished that his father could've said something a little more useful to him every once in while, instead of the usual whining, the constant sarcasm, and his complete disapproval over everything.
"If you don't like what some else does, than why would you ever want children?" Steven asked him during one of his bouts of interrogation. "From what you've told me, children almost never desire to be controlled by authority." Now that he thought about it, that may explain why the flesh bag was so malevolent towards him. "Not for long." He mentally grinned at that thought. If the plans for the amulet went accordingly, than he'd never had to worry about Dipper attacking him again, as well as ensure the complete compliance and/or destruction of the show boy at any moment if he so chose to desire it.
"Banana Baby." Speak of the Devil, and he shall appear. "Hey, Banana Brat, wake up." Dipper's voice was even more annoying with the constant headache he was feeling. "Your minion over there gave me back the generator, which we had to use to drain your power output before mending your wounds. So in short, I saved your life, so a little thank you is in order. I'd like to have at least one more victory before marking this as a perfect day, for me at least." The taunts fell short on the Diamond's ears as he moved his body, stiff and still aching all over, sitting up straight to regain some semblance of balance once more. That feeling did not last long as Mabel shoved her brother to the side and immediately gave the tyrant a big, long hug. The little guy was forced to endure it as he had so little strength or concentration to focus on throwing her off.
"Oh my love, oh my Diamond, you're okay, you're alive, and you're all mine to embrace!" Mabel shouted in glee, fully taking advantage of the Diamond's weaken state. No way on any other day and time would he even allow her to think about getting this close to him. Peridot immediately lifted her blasters once more, fully intending on obliterating the girl off her leader. "BACK. OFF." Mabel looked up at Peridot and spoke in a very unnaturally deep voice. "He's mine to hug! Go get someone else to embrace!" She immediately switched back to her 'sweet nature' and deepened her hug for the Diamond. She slowly lowered her arms to watch the two.
"I'm his Diamond. I was made to serve him." She pouted in a small voice and light green blush, crossing her arms. It was an appalling sight to see. Her Diamond did not deserve to be touched by this insignificant clod! This was her Diamond. Only she had the right to hold him! "Wait, what was.." Peridot blushed harder, not sure if she had thought what she thought she thought.
"Back, off. My awakening is hardly a time to be festive." Steven finally manages to get a word in, shoving the girl off of him as he planted his feet on the ground, making sure that he didn't wobble in the slightest. 'The last thing they need to see is me looking even more weak.' "Especially with the crystal gems out there. We held an advantage with our anonymity in the beginning, but now they have confronted us straight on. And they have now doubt now discovered the nature of my, condition. We need to strike now, or else we risk them attempting to finish the job they've started." He begins to walk off, only for Peridot to get in the way.
"My Diamond, I must implore you to rest up now. The Crystal Gems are currently at full strength, and you, are not." She said with her foot down, though the nervousness of her tone was all too apparent.
"I have a solution to that problem. All I need to do is to finish incorporating the data on the amulet." He grabs her by the arm and angrily whispers to her, making sure to keep it out of the twin's hearing range. "It could take the next two hours to even finish utilizing the correct assortment of.."
"I've figured it out." Peridot interrupts, making the little Diamond raise his right eyebrow. "While you were resting off your wounds, I've taken the liberty of incorporating all of your project's data into my enhancer's computers. If you can give me the next ten minutes, I'll be able to complete it with 100% efficiency."
"Before I take the time to process whether or not to harvest your gem.." The Diamond gritted his teeth as he slowly talked to the green gem who was now sweating bullets. "..explain to me, why you looked over my authority and imprinted my data, why you decided to just let the flesh bag over there have access to the machine again, and why you are even considering defying my orders?"
"Because, because.." Peridot began to freeze up again. This was probably going to end up as her biggest success that'll go down in history, or her biggest blunder that would end up purging her from it. "I, I believe that this course of action is the best for your current state. I cannot say that you are more than able to defeat the accursed rocks that put you in this state, but if we are to be honest, you body is simply to, soft." A growl could be heard from the Diamond's mouth. "It's, it's impressive by all means, no ordinary organic lifeform would've been able to pull through such an experience, but, but your body is still growing, and we still have much to learn from it. I believe that it is in the best interest of everyone, including you, if I take over your plans for the device as you rest yourself and formulate a proper solution to the problem."
"You've spoken with my father, haven't you?" The Diamond concluded, making the green gem squirm with nervousness. "It's obvious. The only source of rebellion on this ship would clearly try to get his message out somehow." He reaches into the confines of his outfit, and for a moment, Peridot began to pry that her shattering would only be for a quick second, and that her shards would be used to make a better, smarter Peridot to serve her Diamond. "At least you've managed to hold on to some dignity before confronting me. Here." He holds out the amulet, and Peridot eyes it like he had just given her the secrets of the universe. "Go with my specific data plans. If so much as a single decimal is off, than everything will be ruined." He continued to whisper in what would've been in Peridot's ear.
And watching from the sidelines, the two twins found themselves in very awkward silence. It was a bit discomforting to say the least. No jabs at each others expense, no pranks, no trying to one up the other, no arguing in the slightest. It was just quiet, something that really didn't suite the two at all.
"I saved him. You don't have to be pissy anymore." Dipper said out loud to break the silence. "I've did away with my ego to saved the waste of space you call your soul mate."
"Yeah, I know that. And I'm not mad at you for that." Mabel immediately snapped back at him.
"And yet your mad at me for another reason?" Mabel nodded. "Is this about what I said earlier with the adoption thing. You know that we..."
"Oh like I really care about that." Mabel interrupted with a roll of her eyes, making the show boy a little more confused. "If I wanted or actually cared to be Stanford's favorite, I would've already tried to off you. And believe me, there was so many times I had the opportunity to do so, half of which were not while you were sleeping fyi." Mabel groaned as she rubbed her head. "We're trying to cause each other pain during a hysterical moment. It's nothing we haven't done before."
"Then why the cold treatment right now?" He asked again. "Is this because you believe I don't trust you? Mabel, your literally the only one around here that I can trust. I have no one else to confide to. This plan of ours requires us to have that, no matter what our Great Uncle's note says. I have no choice but to trust you. Without you, the plan would never work, and you have helped save my life.."
"You say you have gratitude, but you never show it." Mabel interrupted again. "You brushed me to the side like I was nothing. With the wax figure thing, I took it seriously, I was trying to be like you through it all, being motivated to save your life, and you treated it like I was playing some sort of game. I wasn't. I am not nothing, Dipper. I am your equal through all of this, and you've haven't shown any appreciation for any of the decisions I have made."
"Do you want me to say I'm sorry, because I'm not going to say it." Now it was Mabel's turn to stare at him awkwardly. "Just because I don't show it or say it, doesn't mean I don't. It's not my fault that this is how you feel, because it's far from what's really happening. I said I trusted you on more than one occasion. I trusted you with the deal with the Diamond, I supported you and comforted you when that water lady was about to kill us, and I've done nothing but try to help you understand this plan ever since we've started. So don't say I haven't."
"But it doesn't feel.."
"Feelings have nothing to do with it!" He exclaimed. "Just because you have a certain feeling about something, it doesn't mean it has the slightest effect on it. A kid could say that being injected with snake venom could say it feels good, but that doesn't mean it's good for him. I love you and I trust you, and how you feel about it doesn't make it less so. And if this is about the Diamond, than that's your problem. I refuse to let go of my suspicions and how I chose to go about it. You just need to grow up, because that's how it is."
And that was the end of that. The siblings went back to the silence, having confronted the awkwardness, but not having resolved it. If anything, they really just made things worst with every word said. "You must be the diplomatic one out of you two." The Diamond chimed in, gaining both of their attention. "You truly are the world's leading example of man's ability to keep peace."
"Oh right, you're still alive. The one thing that ruins today." Dipper countered, expecting the Diamond to respond back with another snide remark. To his surprise, the Diamond simpley walks and plants himself in the middle of them, sighing as he crosses his arms.
"Save the discourse for a time that's worth it. I need to think." He scowls lightly before closing his eyes. "It's not every day that I'm caught off guard like this. I knew this would happen, but so soon?"
"Yeah, about that, they seemed pretty eager to kill you, up until they almost did. They had you right then and their, and then, they stopped." Mabel recalled. The faces they had, they were appalled but what had just happen, scared at what they had just did. "They were shocked by seeing you bleed."
"Of course, Gems don't bleed. Our heart, brain, and life is all tied to our Gem's." He points to his own yellow stone. "The bodies are nothing more than solidified light. Once the form is periced in any 'fatal' way, it'll dissipate until a new form can be made."
"Essentially holograms then." Dipper stated, to which the little Diamond nods. "But that doesn't explain you. You've certainly been harmed enough to have your form pierced, but you haven't, and that doesn't explain why you bleed either. What makes you so special among your kind?"
The Diamond pauses for a moment, pondering whether or not he should explain it. Well, by this point the Crystal Gems had probably figured it out, so why keep anyone else in the dark. He certainly couldn't have that information used against him, so really, nothing was keeping him from telling anyone else.
"Remember when I said my kind doesn't have a natural birthing process.?" He turns to Mabel, who shakes her head. "That's because Gems aren't meant for birth at all." His Gem lights up, and a image of a tall, yellow lady pops up from it. She wore some sort of strange helmet piece on her head, but aside form that, her outfit was essentially a giant version of Steven's, minus the cape. She held an intimidating look on her, the kind that screamed 'I control everything that I see.' "This is Yellow Diamond, one out of the four rulers of homeworld, as well as my gem Progenitor." He said with an almost dejected tone. "As a part of a plan to take our kind into a brand new era, my mother, over a decade ago, selected one human from the residence of Gravity Falls to take part in project: resurrection." A picture of Greg, younger, and with hair that was more combed and less wild and all over the place. "Greg Universe, a rather pathetically average man with a pension to get involved with what he shouldn't."
The twins didn't really expect to get a flat out explantion of his. With everything he's been through today, and his rather stubborn nature, the two half expected to never know anything about his past. "So, you're.."
"Half human, yes I am." The silence that followed that was definitely one for the books. "Yeah, yeah, I'm half of what I hate the most, big surprise." He rolled his eyes as he took down his hologram. "It's nothing I'm proud of. Every time I look at my reflection, I'm reminded of something so, so out of control. Seriously, like I'd ever want to be associated with a species that's always fighting and destroying itself. It's just so, so, chaotic. " He takes a moment to shiver in disgust.
The two twins stare at him, the twins finding themselves rolling their eyes in what he revealed. "Okay, as entertaining as that little trip into your psyche was, can you explain exactly why we we're still here? I'd assume you'd have something planned."
"Yes, Yes, I do." The Diamond regained his smile. "Those Crystal Gem's had no idea I was human before they attacked, but now that they've made me bleed, they know about it, as well as seen me weaken." He gets closer to the twins to deepen his point. "It is my understanding that you both know what it's like to be weak, seeing as your human. Feeling inferior to others, being seen as the smallest and the most inferior." Both twins give a look at each other, having flash backs of the orphanage. Everyday was a constant reminder of how weak they really were. "That is simply something I cannot have for me. If we're going to function together as a team, then we need to enforce fear onto our enemies."
"Our enemies?" Dipper raised an eyebrow, wondering why he would still imply that they were a team.
"Yes. As much as I loathe myself for saying this, I, I, I thank, you, for helping me in my volatile state." He gritted his teeth with every word he spewed out, clearly not enjoying those three words.
"Did you just thank me/him?" Both twins said at the same time with their jaws slightly hanging off their heads.
"Yes, I, thank, you." He forced himself to say once more, his teeth practically cracking under all the pressure. "I'm a diamond. That doesn't me I'm dense. I can acknowledge someone I hate occasionally. If I didn't, then would have no need to keep my father prisoner on this ship."
"You have what?" The twins asked again. This day was not at all how they pictured it would go.
"Back to the matter at hand..." The Diamond shook off their continued questioning and went back to his original point, snapping his fingers and signaling Peridot to come to him. "I, I have a plan to make sure that those rejects don't interfere with me again, but if I'm going to make this plan work, I need to approach it in a more, subtle manner."
"So you need the master of subtly to assist you?" Dipper smirked, loving how much the brat was dreading this very moment.
"Don't flatter yourself. Just find yourself grateful that my plan requires me to reinforce fear rather than power." The Diamond quickly answered, making it clear that he was doing whatever he could to make it sound like he wasn't complementing him. "Can you still do that instant relocation spell."
"Yeah, I can. But I'm afraid without most of my reserves drained, it won't be a useful as I wish it to be." Dipper admitted, only for his eyes to widen once Steven held out his hand, and in it was the very amulet he made himself. Dipper, surprised and skeptic at the same time, slowly reached out for it. "Why give this to me now?"
"Because you said that you needed more power, so this should provide you with more than enough." Dipper still looked at him with suspicion, not believing that the little brat would be so willing to just give him something that he could use to kill him. "You had your chance to end me when I was unconscious. You held back, so in, appreciation, for your deed, I extend that trust back to you." He said in a very even tone that hid obvious anger. "Do you the thing or not?"
Dipper of course was still suspicious, though a quick elbow to his side was there to make him think about it. "It's not like he's going to be this nice to you again, dear brother." Mabel insisted. "Best to take advantage of it while it lasts." Dipper, with a reluctant sighed, snatches it away from the Diamond's hand before he could change his mind.
"Glad you've at least have some sense in that brain of yours, for in an hour's time, we strike back at them." He chuckles as he clenches his first. "We trace them back to their location, and then, we show them hell."
It was all so confusing. The type of confusing were the world felt like it was spinning out of control on hyper-speed, and you felt the effects of the dizziness and vertigo even hours after the spinning stopped. It was the type f confusing where nothing said or seen was right, nothing about it made sense, no matter the amount of analyzing and rationalizing, nothing about it made sense.
"The, the, the Di, Dia ,the, Diamond, bled. The, the Diamond bled." Pearl stated over and over again, hoping that she would finally understand it, but repeating it seemed to confirm how insanely impossible it sounded. "That, that, that, that.."
"It's impossible. It shouldn't be possible at all." Garnet finished for her in her same neutral tone, though her face showed that she was shaken by what she had witnessed as well. "No gem should've been able, to, to do that."
"Isn't it possible that she's just shapeshifting?" Connie threw out their, hoping to ease the pressure off of what she had just done. Was this all for nothing? Did she go through all that training just to end up getting the wrong person?"
"No. Our abilities are no where near that good. We can only hold our form for so long, and I doubt that she'd be able to manipulate the light of her stone that well." Garnet replied. "It shouldn't, she, she not, AHHHHHH!" She punched the wall in frustration. "It doesn't make sense!"
"Neither did the way she talked." Pearl answered once she found herself unable to stammer any longer.
"If we can even call it a she anymore, whoever it is." Connie chipped in. "I know you guys only appear to be like woman, but that Diamond had no trace of femininity, and the voice didn't sound right either."
"And there was the way the Diamond spoke. It, it said the it had a mother, and that, and that it was the Diamond's son." Pearl added, reminding everyone of his last words before they were whisked away. The words of them little Diamond were repeated through their heads. The hatred that was spewed along with it.
"So if he's human, than, than what do we do?" Connie asked, and once again, the Gems found themselves struggling to find the right answers. "We, we can't just ignore this. Human or not, he's still a Diamond, and that still makes him a danger to everyone." Her usual scowl began to form again as she stood up tall.
"She's right. Human or not, that Diamond needs to be dealt with. We need to know of his intentions for earth." Pearl agreed, gripping on her spear.
"Than lets stop the fighting and lets get to talking." A young voice came in from the entrance of the temple. At the entrance was the little Diamond, smirking, as if the sight before him was something to laugh at. "We've tried the fighting and the killing already, lets just skip to the pleasantries. It'll save you the trouble."
Of course, all three residents of the temple approached the boy, alert and ready for anything. They had proven earlier that the Diamond was indeed capable of being vulnerable, but one couldn't be to sure about any other surprises. If a Diamond can be human, than anything was possible. "No need to be cautious. I've bare no weapons to use against you. I'm merely a visitor here to state my business." He raises his hand in confirmation.
This was probably the weirdest thing that they've done, and in a town like this, that was saying a lot. A diamond was actually trying to make peace, while also being half human. Very, very weird.
"Who are you?" Garnet asked rudely, not feeling comfortable with the calm tone the Diamond was setting. It was, eerie, to say the least.
"Ah, I thought I forgot to mention that as I was trying to kill you all. I forgotten all about my manners." He joked in a scarily casual tone that sent chills down Pearl's spine. "Steven Diamond Universe." He held out his hand, though no one dared to touch him. "I get it, don't trust the one that has every right to annihilate you for your many crimes against the universe."
"What right do you of all people have to.." Connie began to shout, though Pearl held her back, signaling her to not continue.
"tec,tek, it's as I always say, treat your animals with a little respect, and they begin to think they're above you. At least your Pearl is better trained." He mocked as the white Gem sent flaming daggers at him. "And I am assuming that you are the owner here." Steven stared back at Garnet. "Being the biggest and at least being made up of one half of actual elite would entitle you to the role of leader, though it must be really hard to get up every morning, always having a practically brain dead grunt dragging you down, infecting you with it's stupidity as you..."
"Get to the point. Why are you here?" The permafusion demanded, doing whatever she could to not set him on fire right then and there.
"Ah yes. My master plan." The Diamond stood proudly. "My end goal. My motivation for even breathing. Everything that drives me to be who I am." He pauses and allows an awkward silence to fill the air. "What, you think that I'm actually going to tell you? If you have to ask, then you'll never know."
"Then why are you even here?!" Pearl exclaimed, having enough of the little brat's insults. "Your here to do something. Why even come here at all if you didn't feel threaten by us?"
The diamond stood there for another moment in silence. "Heheehu." He let out a chuckle. "Hehehehehahu." The laugh got louder. "Hehahaahhaaa." It officially left the point of creepy and into the relam of insanely scary. "You, you think, you think that I'm sacred of you?" The area around them begins to darken as the shadows around him got larger, and a little more humanoid in shape. "You think that I'm dumb enough to try to hide my fears by going in alone to the base of who I must despise? Two problems with that theory." The shadows around him pop up and become more 3 dimensional in shape. "I'm not scared of you. And.." The twins form from the shaodws, poping up a fighting stance as they prepared to pounce. "I'm not alone."
"Why are you working with him?!" Connie was the first to find her voice. "He doesn't care for humans, or this planet!"
"Then it looks like we have a lot in common then!" Mabel smiled wicked as she launched herself at the dark skinned, using all the power she had to pin her down. But in a moment, she let go of her grip just for a tiny bit to ask Connie something. "Do you think that he's noticing me? I mean, girl to girl, do you think this is impressive enough for him?"
Connie responds to her with a knee to the stomach, making her drop her grip. "No. And gross." She lifted her self up and prepared to attack the Diamond once more.
"I have to say, talking on for that long was pretty good. A simple trick, but quite effective." Dipper said as he used the powers of his new found amulet to simply float and dodge all of Pearl's swings. Dipper merely held a flick of a finger and tossed her twelve feet away, into the rocky bed of the wall. "And this thing works just as well as the original. It's practically the same one."
"Well the resources are limited, but there was enough of a soil sample around the area.." Steven dodges every blow of Garnet's gauntlets as he jumps to her height and kicks her right in the face, making her land flat on her back. "to synthesize enough of the amulets paranormal anomalies." He explains as he turns to Dipper. "The shadow entrance was a nice touch. Really didn't know where you were going to pop up."
"Umberkenesis. Manipulation of the extraction of light. It's way more effective than it sounds. Perfect for blending in naturally." He said with a slight smile, something that also felt really weird. The two of them were actually able to talk to each other without an insult thrown in or an attempt to kill each other. It was strange, but a little, well, it was better than how they've been before hand. "It's a shame these guys don't put up much of a fight though. They're pathetic."
"Of course they are." Mabel chimed in, now twirling Pearl over her head like a ragdoll. "It was out of pure luck and timing that they got as far as they did last time. Now that we're all at our full power..." Her hands stop glowing as Pearl was immediately dropped with a thud. "...they have nothing on us. Or you, my all mighty and all-so-cute Diamond." She flirted as she leaned on his shoulder once more.
The Diamond would've tried to flick her off him when he decided to get a lookof there surrondings. Their enemy was defeated, yet there were only two gems around. "Wait, where's the human.."
"Over here." The girl exclaimed as she shoved the Diamond on the ground, and sliced of the strings of the twins's amulets before they had the chance to used them again. "I've waited for years to get this chance, and I'm not about to let it go again. You will fall. By my sword I smite you!" She yelled as she bought down the pink blade on him, only to found herself stabbing at rocks.
"You don't get it, do you?" The Diamond appeared behind her, and slapped her across the face once she turned around. "This is not some sort of heroic quest where you just beat the bad guy and everything goes all hunky dory for you." Connie continued to swing at him, though the Diamond seemed to be one step ahead of him. "Your form, your attacks, it clearly shows who trained you." The Diamond grabs her arm when she goes in for another swing. "It has some changes to it, but I can recognize a Pearl's dance moves anywhere. So orderly, so precise," he proceeds to bend her arm a little." And oh so predictable." He changes his position once he hears the moans of the Gems waking up. He grabs her by the sword and holds it to her neck, closely.
"Let, let, let her go!" Pearl shouted franticly. "She's, she's human! She has nothing of value to you! "
"Of course she does, she's insurance." He smiled wickedly as he presses the blade up to her skin's neck once more. Connie felt tears falling down her eyes." You Crystal Gems always did have a habit of bringing these humans into your problems. Always fighting in your wars, always dying for something that you believe in. You just can't help but bring death wherever you go."
"What do you want?!" Garnet yelled, trying to get closer, though the Diamond's gaze stopped her.
"If that future vison of your is still as good as it was, than you can probably see every possibility in how I kill her." The two Gems laid down their weapons. "What I want is understanding from you two." They both look up at him. "I am not scared of you, of your weapons, or your capabilities. My plan has suffered no dely. And if I were to die, than nothing about my plan would change. I am in control here, and you, your nothing. So, you listen closely: I expect you all to stay out of our way." He signals to Mabel and Dipper to come towards him. "You will never win, you never even had the chance to win at all. Any, and I mean any interference form you three at all, and I will rain blood through the streets of this town, starting with this one right here." He grabs ahold of her right hand, and bends it the wrong way, forcing Connie to cry as she felt a big 'snap'.
"I rest my case." He shoves Connie into Pearls direction, allowing Pearl to comfort the girl in pain. Before either of the Gems could confront him, the trio was gone.
Connie's moans were the only thing that filled the air as Pearl tried to do whatever she could to comfort her. She sighed, all she saw in Connie was a weapon, a tool, a sword to shatter the one who took everything from her. She didn't, she couldn't just say it was okay, she couldn't just say try again. How could they even say that after what just happened. "I , I failed." Connie spoke as she continued to cry on Pearl, who held her to attempt to make her feel better. "I, I failed you, I, I, I, .." She couldn't finish that sentence as more sobs filled the air.
"No. I" Pearl started, knowing exactly what to say. "I failed you. I failed your parents, my, my Rose, I" She looked up at Garnet, who could only send her sad looks of dejection and pity. "I failed everyone."
"Amazing!" An elated Mabel shouted repeatedly as she held both her brother and the Diamond close once they got back to the ship. Was that uncomfortable for the two boys? Definitely, but they nonetheless decided against fighting it as she was using the amulet to hold them closer. "You were amazing, and you were amazing, and I was amazing, and we were all amazing! Didn't I tell you that this would work?! Didn't I, Didn't I?! Didn't I?!"
"Yes, dear sister, this, team, of ours was without a doubt, a good idea." Dipper rolled his eyes in compliance, knowing it was better just to accept his sisters happiness rather than to argue with her again. At least he had comfort in knowing that she most likely had decided to forget about being miffed at him if the hug was anything to go on.
"But you were the most amazing, my dear Diamond." Mabel came up close to Steven once she stopped using her powers. "You were great with your cute little threats and so hot with your.." She began to get uncomfortably close, even to the point where the Diamond couldn't shrug it off.
"Yes, and you used your abilities marvelously." The Diamond complemented as he slowly began to shove her away from him. "Why don't you go out and celebrate this little victory of ours."
"Yeah, yeah, I should!" Mabel said as she floated in the air. "We should party to our hearts content! I'll be back with the snacks!" She flew off, leaving only the two boy in the room.
"You know how to manipulate people well, don't you?" Dipper inquired with a small smile.
"Yeah, back on homeworld, I was forced to listen to court sessions for days on end. It was a bore, but it gives one access to observe how people think, what they say to please people or rile them up." He reminisced.
"So you went with the more psychological attack on them, didn't you?" Dipper inquired again, having a feeling that he could pretty much get the Diamond to answer everything that he asked. The Diamond was in a weirdly good mood, and as his sister insisted, it was best to take advantage of this opportunity while it lasted.
"Yes, they're already broken, something that my mother had a hand in doing. What I did was reinforce the futility of it all. Any motivation they had to end the reign of Yellow Diamond is now dead. And trust me, we need everything we had if we're to unlock the power together." The Diamond held out his hand, expecting Dipper to do the same.
And in truth, Dipper was actually considering it. They had fought well together, they both were smart and strategic, they both carried a sense of brutality, and both had a knack in manipulating people. But, but it was all too well. This couldn't be how things would be for now on. So, the boy refrained from shaking his hand. "
"We worked well together, I see that. Our plan has a much better chance of succeeding if we allow this alliance to continue. That I cannot deny at all." His body began to glow blue. "But I refuse to trust you. I don't like how you've gotten my sister to fall under your compliance, but I will not do the same." His gaze slowly turned more threatening "I helped saved your life when my sister or that lab rat of yours couldn't do anything to help you, so you owe me. I don't trust you to lead us. So know that I will be taking charge here, and there's nothing you can do about it." His hand became engulfed in flames. "Nothing at all."
Again, to his surprise, the Diamond took this better than he thought he would. He simply nodded. "I see. I suppose I can't blame you for the enmity between us. I guess this is how things have to be between us if we are to move forward. But, allow me to say one final thing before we plan for the future." The Diamond unnatural smile was plastered across his face, giving chills to the show boy.
"Yes, what is it?" Dipper asked, almost a little scared by his tone.
"Stonemason." He immediately answered with a snapped of his fingers. Soon, Dipper's vison of the world around him began to blur as his amulet incased him in some sort of yellow energy. His arms lost all control as he felt forced to stand as still as a statue. It was a horrible feeling. Nothing the Dipper said or did was able to break him out of whatever it was that he was under.
"Wh-what, what did you do to me?!" He screamed, barely able to shout out those words with his mouth.
"I'm surprised that someone as smart as you actually believed I would give you the choice." He smiled wickedly. "As I told your sister, I would've never given you power, if I couldn't use it for myself. Granted, I don't need the amulets power personally, but then I met you two. Perfectly able to wield great power, and both know exactly how to use it. Your sister was all for me leading us, but you've proven yourself to be quite the stubborn little runt. So when concepting your amulet, I downloaded an old family secret: Mental conditioning. It's not the complete version, sadly that was lost through time, but it'll do. You still have your free will, but they hold no more barring over your actions."
Dipper continued to struggle, but nothing was able to get him out of, whatever it was that he was under. He was stuck, forced to listen to the Diamond's ramblings. "I am in control here. I fear nothing, not death, not the Crystal Gems, and certainly, not you." He punches Dipper across the jaw, and the boy was helpless to do anything. "Whatever I don't control, I destroy. Count yourself fortunate that you're the former. Now, kneel." Dipper fought with every muscle in his body, everything in his body was telling him to comply, but his mind was telling him to disobey, which actually began to put a strain on Dipper that he couldn't even begin to describe. The Diamond pressed two fingers against Dippers head, and sent him volts of electricity, making Dipper scream in agony. "I said, kneel."
This time, Dipper had no strength to try to refuse. Slowly, he got on one knee, and lowered his head before the yellow tyrant. "Who is you're master?"
"Yo-u, you a-re." He reluctantly answered.
"Who will you follow?"
"You, you, my, my Diamond." He sputtered.
"Good. Make sure you remember that the next time you think about underestimating me. We wouldn't want unfortunate accidents to befall you or your sister now, do we?"
"No."
"Good." With another snap of the fingers, the yellow light was gone and so was the strain on Dipper. He launched himself at the Diamond, but stopped once he saw the Diamond prepare to snap his fingers again.
"I'm back!" Mabel came in suddenly with a bunch of bags full of food and confetti. "Lets get this party started." She brings out a bright red liquid out from one of the bags as she used her magic to pour it all in three cups, to which she floated two of them to Dipper and Steven. "Anything happen while I was gone?" She said, sensing something awkward once more between the two rivals.
Dipper open his mouth to speak, eyeing the Diamond the entire time. "Nothing." He spat out defeated, knowing that he couldn't say a damn thing about this. "Nothing at all."
"I couldn't agree more." The Diamond smiled. "Let us toast to today. Let us toast for our victory, and let us toast to our future. May it keep shining brightly for us." Mabel did so with a glee, while Dipper forced a smile on his face as he joined in.
Oh how the future look so dark. So very dark indeed.
Next time: Copies and Clones (because this is my story, and the timeline goes however I want it to go.) :)
Dipper tries to up the anti in order to balance the scales of power to his favor, but it might prove to be more difficult than he imagined it to be, while Mabel prepares to dance with her beloved.