CHAPTER 36: THE TITAN APPEARS

"Black! What are you doing?!" Pearl yelled as she stepped forward.

"You'll never be able to escape if they won't be stopped in some way…" Black raised her gaze towards Pearl, a small tear streamed down her cheek, although she was smiling.

"Black… no… please…" Pearl whispered stretching her arm forwards.

"Remember Pearl… fight for your freedom… that's what is really worth sacrificing ourselves for…" Black said before placing her hand on the panel, the door quickly shutting in front of her.

"No!" Pearl cried as she rushed towards the door, too late, it was already closed.

"Pearl… we have to go…" Garnet said placing her hand on Pearl's shoulder.

"There must be another way! There… must…" Pearl sobbed clenching her fists.

"Pearl… if we wait… Black's sacrifice will be vain… we must go…" Garnet knew they didn't have time… something she couldn't fully understand was going to happen… but she couldn't see it clearly.

"Come on! The hangar is near!" Peridot said as they all started to follow her.

Pearl would have never forget what Black had done for them… in the end she finally became herself again, the beautiful, caring gem she has always been, and that warm smile, it would have accompanied Pearl for all her life, it would have been her strength, during the dark days that would come.

"I sincerely expected more from you, my pearl…" Yellow Diamond made her way through the guards.

"I'm not your pearl anymore… I'm my own gem…" Black answered sternly.

"You pathetic defect… what do you think you're doing?! They won't escape! Move away… you're just a servant, I'm your master, obey!" Yellow Diamond yelled, but Black remained still.

"You're not my master, I control my own life now and my choices are only mine… and I chose this." Black said summoning her sword and slicing in two the control panel.

"You… you're going to pay for getting in my way… you could have done so much by my side…" Yellow Diamond hissed summoning her own sword.

"I'd rather die protecting the ones I love than live by the side of a monster like you…" Black said raising her sword.

"As you wish…" Yellow Diamond made a gesture with her hand, the second after… all of the quartzes charged towards Black.

"We're here!" Peridot said, they all reached a circular room with one only exit, a large, mechanical door, the one leading to the hangar.

"Perfect, we'll just have to-" Jasper was interrupted by the sound of the door opening.

"W-what?" Peridot muttered in disbelief as the door became fully opened, revealing a tall figure which stepped towards them.

"So this was your plan? To fly away? Cowards just like your deceased leader…" White Diamond revealed herself, snickering evilly as she made her way towards the gems.

"You're not even worthy to say her name!" Pearl shouted back.

"What insolence from a gem of your kind, pearls like you should obey their mast-" White Diamond was taken aback when one of Pearl spear's energy blasts hit her in the face, leaving a burnt mark on her left cheek.

"You little, broken, disgusting, worthless defect of a gem! I'll make you pay for this!" White Diamond yelled summoning a large, white, shining halberd from her gem, as she charged towards Pearl.

"Pearl watch out!" Peridot said morphing her hand into her blaster and quickly shooting at the diamond's legs, she didn't even see it coming, rage was making her blind.

The blast hit White Diamond in her right leg, making her stumble to the ground, as soon as she stood up, one of Garnet's gauntlets hit her in the face and before she could even understand what hit her, Jasper spin dashed towards her and crushed into the diamond's stomach, making her stumble and fall against the wall behind her.

"Peridot! Quick! Find a ship and prepare it! We don't have time… something is coming… I can't say what, but we're running out of time, take Steven with you!" Garnet yelled as the green gem nodded.

"But I want to help you!" Steven protested.

"I know you want Steven… but this is a Diamond and she's the most dangerous enemy we have ever faced, we can't risk to lose you, you've just regenerated from a mortal blow and I can't tell you haven't still fully recovered, I need you to follow Peridot… can you do that for me?" Garnet said, Steven knew it was the right thing to do, both him and Peridot quickly ran past White Diamond, who slowly began to stand up.

"Jet, I need you to protect them, if some guards reach them, they'll need someone to protect them…" Jet quickly nodded and followed Steven and Peridot.

"You filthy traitors! You're nothing compared to me!" White Diamond charged another time.

This time, as she swung her halberd towards the gems, they all managed to dodge the attack, quickly getting behind the greater gem, Lapis summoned her water wings and flew towards her, White Diamond tried to catch her but the blue gem was too quick and managed to flew between her legs without being caught. As White Diamond raised her head towards the gems, she was met with another punch by Garnet, she was able to stop it before it could reach her stomach, but she didn't manage to stop Jasper's helmet from crushing against her face. As the diamond backend away holding her face, a burning feeling came to her chest as both Pearl and Jet jumped towards her and slashed her chest with their halberd and spear. White Diamond stumbled back and fell to the ground.

"Not so defective aren't we?" Pearl asked breathing heavily as the diamond tried to stand up but fell to her knees.

"Y-you… you c-can't defeat… me…" White Diamond may be a diamond, but when many gems stood against her with their hearts put together, she couldn't do anything but succumb.

"You're wrong my dear sister… it's something I had to experience on my skin…" Yellow Diamond spoke in low, distorted tone of voice, she held her hand in front of her and let a few fragments of a black gem fall to the ground.

"No… no! You're a monster!" Pearl cried as she was held back by Garnet.

"Yellow Diamond…" The gems hissed as the Homeworld's leader made her way towards her sister and raised her from the ground.

"You see, we might be strong, but these rebels will always be more than us… but even if they were thousands they wouldn't stand a chance against a titan…" Yellow Diamond showed a distorted, wicked grin as her sister nodded, she would have done anything in order not to be defeated, even betray her own ideals.

"No… no! Stop them!" Garnet yelled, it was too late, Yellow Diamond took White Diamond's hands in hers and made a few, quick steps before twirling her one time. Before the gems could reach them, they were blinded by a powerful, bright light… the titan appeared… the gems acted as fast as they could to counterattack.