~O~
Chapter Thirty-Five: Lazarus Rising
Blue Diamond watched the chaos below from the glass windows of the communication hub. Her pearl stood close beside her, holding herself nervously. Blue Diamond shut her eyes with a quiet sigh.
"So this is how it ends..." she said, quietly. "The age of the Diamonds is over. We are lost."
Meanwhile, Stevonnie was running and managed to somehow bump into Peridot. They cried out and Peridot gave a frightened screech. Steel chuffed out an annoyed grumble. When Peridot realized who it was, she sighed with annoyance and clutched the tablet tightly in hand.
"Oh! Oh, it's you." Peridot huffed. "I thought you were an Emerald. I have one as my manager and they're as brutal as they sound."
Stevonnie frowned at her. "Why are you here, Peridot? It's too dangerous if you don't have a weapon. You should head back before they find you."
"No, see, I had an idea!" Peridot told her, "This tablet came from my sister on Yellow Diamond's ship. The one regarding Pink Diamond. If I could just broadcast this along with White Diamond's plan, then the gems of Homeworld might see the truth!"
Stevonnie looked down at her before smiling. "That's not a bad idea. Do you know where we have to go?"
"Yeah, it's just through these doors!" Peridot said.
They rushed through the doors that Peridot indicated, but froze at the sight of Blue Diamond; the large gem stared at them with wide, shocked eyes and needless to say, they couldn't move. Finally, it happened entirely too fast for anyone to do anything next.
Peridot and Steel were seized with one hand and Stevonnie with the other. The familiar squirmed and yowled, clawing uselessly at the hand that held him. The tablet fell to the floor and Blue Diamond's pearl looked down at it with a curious sound.
"Now, do you see?" she hissed, with a voice as chilling as ice, "Do you see what your rebellion has brought us? Is this what you wished for? THIS?"
The pearl bent down and retrieved the tablet in one hand before switching it on. She made a surprised sound when she noticed Pink Diamond's visage become apparent. While Blue Diamond continued to speak to the others, she watched in silence.
"Blue Diamond, listen to me!" Stevonnie begged, wriggling in her grip; one tighter clench and they were done for.
"Pain?" Blue Diamond whispered, squinting at them in disbelief, "How dare you use that word. You have NO RIGHT to use that word!"
Blue Pearl watched the video feed of Pink Diamond. Her lips parted in disbelief. "My Diamond?" she said, softly.
"Be silent, pearl," Blue Diamond ordered, her voice shaking with rage and pain.
She focused her gaze on Stevonnie.
"White Diamond's...deceived all of you!" Stevonnie groaned, struggling, "She's going to trigger a corruption of all gem's on the colonies!"
Blue Diamond glowered at them. "That is a horrendous accusation from one so corrupt," she said, "But I would expect no less from a murderer."
Just then, the sound of Pink Diamond's voice filling the room froze Blue Diamond in her place. She turned, eyes widening with anguish.
"Rose. You know this is the only way..."
Blue Diamond turned, shuddering with grief. She approached her pearl and knelt down to watch the holographic image of her dear sister. Blue Pearl looked up at her, confused and stunned to silence as well. Tears began to fall from Blue Diamond's eyes.
"I understand why you did it. I know fully what sort of hope you have given many gems. It was an honorable thing and I honor your choice."
Blue Diamond smiled sorrowfully and she reached out to touch the hologram of Pink Diamond. It distorted the image for a few seconds.
Rose spoke in the recording.
"I didn't want it to come to this. But they left me no choice. This world. It's not our place to decide its fate."
Pink Diamond nodded. Her features filled with sadness. "Had I known..."
"I know. You felt the same."
"I am glad you agreed to meet me here, Rose. Because I know that if there were any other way, you would surely take it. But my sisters will not leave. And my followers will honor my will with their final breath."
Blue Diamond sniffled, wiping her eyes with one hand. It was so good to hear her voice again.
"Rose... You are one of my fondest creations, alongside my dearest Jasper." Pink Diamond continued. "And I give you this offer because I know you are strong enough to carry it out."
"I can't. I can't do this. It goes against everything you've taught me. I give life. I don't take it away."
Pink Diamond nodded her head. "I know, Rose. But it will not stop. This world that you adore, I adore it too. It has so much life, living here. We have centuries of love between us. And I cannot allow it to be left to ruin, all for the continuation of our kind."
"Please, I can't do this. There has to be another way. You can't trust me to make this decision."
Pink Diamond smiled sadly. Rose began to cry and Pink Diamond embraced her.
"It's all right, Rose." she promised her.
"Moonstone is wrong. This...This can't be how it ends."
"Moonstone is never wrong."
Rose shook her head. She seemed to think about something. Then, her voice was softer. "She won't understand..."
Pink Diamond's features pinched a little. Then, she exhaled. "She will...someday."
She looked down at Pearl. "My sister will send forces to push back the Rebellion. My Spinel will deliver this message, but you must make certain the message never reaches them."
Pearl smiled sorrowfully. "As you wish."
"Give them the leader they deserve. Give them the image they need. That image will no longer be me."
Blue Diamond stood there, haunted. She looked down at Peridot and Stevonnie in her hands. They didn't speak. They were too frightened of what she might do to them if they had. Blue Diamond set them down and retrieved the tablet, playing the recorded message.
"B-But, how can this be?" she gasped, "My sister. My sister, gave her life? Willingly?"
She shook, several broken sounds escaping her.
Stevonnie took one cautious step and Blue Diamond returned to reality almost immediately. She glowered down at them.
"A trick. I see now that this is a ploy to deceive me!" she spat, "I - "
"It's not a trick!" Stevonnie insisted, desperate to convince her. "There's more information there too! We pulled it from Pink Diamond's database from the old court on Earth. She left it there for us to find!"
Blue Diamond continued to glare at them, yet there was a lingering question of doubt in her eyes. She switched the tablet back on and the detailed schematics were brought up of White Diamond's plan. When she roved her eyes over it, she gasped with horror.
"No! This isn't possible!" she cried, "To use her song for THIS..."
She immediately jumped to her feet and looked down at her pearl. "Pearl! Gather as many gems as you can and send them below!" she commanded. "Give them my command that they are to remain until this situation is dealt with, am I clear?"
Blue Pearl bowed once. "Yes, my Diamond."
Blue Diamond called for a familiar face; Holly Blue Agate. Stevonnie tensed at the sight of her, but it seemed that the gem didn't recognize them at all. She just bowed with that usual sycophant grace she was well known to do.
"My Diamond!" she greeted, "What may I do for you?"
"You are to accompany my pearl," Blue Diamond ordered, "She will give you the information you need. Make haste at once."
Holly looked a little lost at first, but in no manner to argue. She quickly made her way back the way she'd come and Stevonnie began to worry what was going to happen next.
"I must stop her." Blue Diamond said, gravely. "This... The damage of this magnitute corrupts everything SHE stood for. I cannot allow it!"
With that, she was out the door.
O
Diopside surged her way through the battle, running like a rampaging animal as several lasers rebounded off of her massive frame. Pain was nothing to the fusion. After so long of suffering the torture of White Diamond, she felt no harm from these gems.
Diopside slammed her weight through the soldiers, knocking them to the ground. An Agate jumped onto her back and attempted to wrap her whip around her throat. She laughed triumphantly.
"I got you now!" the gem spat.
Diopside's head rotated until her furious, grimacing face was now level with the gem behind her.
"THINK AGAIN!" she snarled.
Her larger arm seized the Agate and flung her from her back.
Peridot made her way through the city, back toward the others. She panted breathlessly, worried that she wouldn't make it in time to tell the others about what had happened. It wasn't long before she found herself surrounded by other peridots.
"Whoa!" Peridot exclaimed, backing away until she found herself cornered against a wall.
The peridots regarded her with a mixture of confusion and intrigue. Among them was an Emerald; a large, shapely figure bearing a resemblance to the many Agates who maintained the Quartz's. Peridot immediately trembled at the presence of her.
"Facet-2F5L Cut-5XG," the Emerald mused, as if bored. "What are you doing? Don't think I've been ignorant to your schemes."
Peridot trembled, wavering a little in her words. "S-Schemes?" she stammered, grinning nervously. "I don't know what you're talking about."
Emerald's brow wrinkled slightly. "You're lying to me."
The other peridots looked concerned now. Steel bared his teeth with a snarl and crouched close to Peridot, as instructed by Flint. The peridots in her company knew what Emerald hated most was a liar. And they knew that such things were dealt with harshly.
"You've forgotten yourself among them," Emerald told her, with a grim smile.
Her gem was placed at her arm and it glowed, producing the frightening, long whip that Peridot remembered. She shivered with whimpers of fright.
"Allow me to reeducate you." Emerald promised.
Just as she raised the whip, the sounds of approaching footsteps stopped her. She looked up and the peridots made worried sounds. Steel looked around and gave a long, frightened yowl.
An enormous fusion surged through the buildings, shattering glass in her wake. An enormous hand closed around the Emerald in a blink of pink light. Peridot watched in shock as the fusion stopped in front of her, clutching the peridots and Emerald each in her arms.
The fusion was nothing she'd seen before; she was tall, lanky and spider-like in build with a protruding belly. She wore a thin, purple body-suit with ruffles around her waist. Her knees bore the star-markings of the Crystal Gems. Her long, four arms also had pink markings that seemed oddly familiar...
But the most intriguing thing was the fusion's face; she had four bright pink eyes and a shield that protected them. Her hair was long, pink and resembled snakes. The crooked smile on her face was quite Amethyst-like.
Peridot knew exactly what she was looking at.
A fusion of Spinel and Amethyst.
"Well, well, well, what do we have here?" she said, laughing and juggling the gems in her arms. "You tryin' to hurt my best pal, Peridot?"
The peridots and Emerald cried out frantically as they were tossed around like dolls. Peridot looked at the fusion for the longest time before making a surprised sound.
"Spinel? Amethyst?" she gasped.
The fusion chuckled, grabbing the gems in her arms now. "So, what do you think, Peri?" she teased, with another laugh, "Wanna see how far I can throw these bozo's?"
The gems in her clutches whimpered with fright, shaking their heads quickly. Peridot had never seen Emerald look so terrified before. For a moment, it was almost satisfying. But still, they had important things to deal with.
"Spinel...eh...Amethyst?" Peridot said, "Maybe put them somewhere far away."
The fusion smiled broadly. "Gotcha."
With that, she sped away at top speeds with the gems in her hand before returning merely moments later, dusting her hands off.
"Well, I see you two managed to fuse, finally." Peridot remarked, eyeing the fusion up and down.
The fusion laughed, then, her face lit up with shock. "Whoa! Whoa, you're right!"
She looked at herself, running her hands over her sides and face.
"I - I did it!" the fusion exclaimed, with an excited grin. It was clear who was speaking most, "I actually fused! I fused without messing up!"
She laughed and hugged herself, wrapping her four arms around her waist.
"We did it," the lower set of eyes seemed to brighten and it was clear that Amethyst spoke now through the fusion. "And Spinel?"
"Yeah?"
"I still like you."
The fusion grinned and made the happiest squealing sound.
"Alright, this is all fine and cute," Peridot said, impatiently, "But you - whatever you are - need to move! The others need our help!"
The fusion tapped her chin thoughtfully. "Hm, yeah. Who are we?"
"How about Morganite?"
"Yeah! I like it!"
Peridot made an amused sound, then, they looked to their left when they heard the sound of an approaching gem.
White Diamond.
Their eyes widened uneasily and Peridot gave a frightened yelp, ducking behind the fusion. Above them, Apophis crouched on one of the buildings, growling menacingly. Steel bared his fangs with a loud hiss, arching his back.
White Diamond slowly turned her head, eyes wide. It was unsettling.
With that, she launched herself at top speed toward them. Morganite's eyes widened with a cry of terror; she was FAST.
"Peridot! Go!" she shouted, "Run!"
White Diamond's scythe blurred through the air mere seconds as Morganite produced a weapon; a long staff with a whip at the end. Attached to the end of the whip was an energy ball. White Diamond regarded her calmly before pushing, forcing Morganite backwards.
"I-I'm not scared of you!" Morganite grunted.
White Diamond continued to stare. Eerily enough, a thin smile teased at the corner's of her lips.
"How much worse do you want this to get?" she asked, pushing her blade harder, bringing it inches from Morganite's face. "Because what you imagine? I can do much, much worse. You are not saving them. You are not helping them. You are a flawed defect that shouldn't have drawn breath. The universe is not kind to such defective things. Nor am I."
Apophis snarled above, wings shuddering. He moved as if he was seconds to launching himself at the fusion.
Tears prickled Morganite's eyes. She twisted the staff and the ball of energy smacked White Diamond in the face. Over and over, barely jerking the larger gem.
"Get off!" Morganite yelled, with each smack of the weapon. "Get off, get off, get off!"
Finally, White Diamond had no choice but to dislodge herself from the fusion, clutching her face with one hand. Morganite scooped Peridot up quickly.
"Go! We gotta run, right now!" she cried, frightened. "RIGHT NOW."
She fled at top speeds, leaving White Diamond to calmly rub the scorched residue from her face.
They could continue to fight her. It made no difference.
O
Jasper and Pearl made their way into the battle, quickly hurrying to assist the others.
The sounds of crackling energy drew the attention of the rebels and they noticed White Diamond's tower activate. Large columns of metal parted, moments as the pillar rose from it, crackling with energy. Only two hours remained on the counter.
"Diopside!" Pearl shouted, "Hurry and stop that machine!"
Diopside looked up at it, gave a low grunt and launched herself through the air. She jumped from building to building before raising her claws high, roaring loudly.
In seconds, White Diamond jumped up and drove her elbow hard into the fusion. The others below watched with horror as Diopside's form was instantly dispelled. White Diamond gracefully landed with the malformed gem clutched tightly in her grip.
Silence fell across the battlefield.
Gems watched her with unsettled looks and whispers. White Diamond stared at them before she looked down at the gem clutched tightly in her long, frightening fingers.
"Such a pity. You were my favorite, Diopside." she said.
Her grip tightened, as if she was moments from shattering the gem. Jasper stepped up now.
"Wait!" she shouted.
Strangely enough, White Diamond stopped and looked up at her.
"We don't have to do this!" Jasper told them, "Look at us! Warriors! Gems of Homeworld! We are all alive right now! We've all made it so far, fought so many battles and came out on top." She exhaled, eyes brimming slightly. "I've learned a lot and I've done horrible things just to keep going. To forget my own failures."
Pearl watched her with a small smile.
It was amazing to hear this coming from Jasper; a gem who'd fallen so far from grace.
"I've learned that we can still come back from it." Jasper continued, watching White Diamond gravely. "YOU'VE taught me. SHE'S taught me that it's not too late. We can change and we can make the choice to be better. We don't have to do any of this!"
Stevonnie was watching her and they smiled, happy with Jasper's words.
"Whatever we used to be, we can put that behind us and do so much better!" Jasper said, "That's what Pink Diamond would have wanted from us. We get to make that choice. We don't have to be worse to survive!"
Oddly enough, White Diamond had been watching her and actually listening to what she was saying. She slowly stared down at the gem clutched helplessly in her hand. She looked up again at the gems who watched her, waited for her to do something.
Apophis was making his way across the rooftops of a building, hissing quietly.
The ringing sound returned in White Diamond's head.
She looked up at Jasper, her gaze darkening.
"Liar." she whispered.
With that, she crushed Diopside in her hand, shattering the gem to nothing more than dust.
The others watched in silent horror, jaws dropped. Morganite actually screamed in anguish and even Homeworld gems fighting against the rebels seemed unable to comprehend what had happened. Garnet's eyes filled with tears and Stevonnie couldn't move.
"NO!" Jasper shouted, with rage and grief.
She fused with Pearl and they charged for White Diamond with a roar that shook the air around them. With that, the chaos resumed as gems began to fight once more. In the wake of the battle, Stevonnie had dropped the communicator and a passing Agate crushed it beneath her feet.
"NO!" Stevonnie cried.
On Flint and Spirit's side, the screen filled with static before going black. They hadn't noticed at first as they were too stunned by what they were witnessing.
Through a haze of smoke, a pink hand emerged.
O
Note - Morganite was a tough choice for Amethyst and Spinel to fuse into. I had to go through many gem types before I came up with this one. I thought she could be voiced by Taryn Manning, who portrayed Pennsatucky from OITNB.