55} The gems and Diamond have a chat.
9 am - Diamond was looking over the ocean from the beach. He had set up a lawn chair and had a cup of sage tea so that he could enjoy the view nice and comfy. He watched as the snow fell into the ocean. Each flake a different beast unto themselves. He liked that about snow. As he was enjoying the view, the crystal gems walked up behind him and Pearl tapped him on the shoulder. Diamond looked up from his cup and smiled.
Diamond: Well hello there. How can I help ya? [Amethyst grabbed him by the collar and yanked him up.] Wha- Hey!
Amethyst: Alright buddy, we want answers and we want 'em now! What Emerald doing with that part? [She formed a giant fist.] And you better talk fast!
Garnet: Amethyst calm down!
Amethyst: But-
Diamond: No need. I've tussled with bigger. [He grabbed Amethyst by the collar and threw her into the ocean. He then summoned a staff and assumed a battle stance.] A pacifist I may be by nature, but that doesn't mean I'm afraid to fight. Now why did you sick Amethyst on me?
Garnet: We just want answers.
Diamond: Want them bad enough to take a sh- Agh! [Amethyst tries to hit him from behind, but he smacks he to the side.] Take a shot at me.
Pearl: Amethyst enough!
Amethyst: But I-
Diamond swung his staff at her face, sending her back a couple feet. Amethyst summoned two spears and was ready for another attack, but the fight was stopped by Garnet and Pearl.
Pearl + Garnet: Enough!
Amethyst: Wha- I- Hmph. Fine. [She rubbed her sore cheek.]
Diamond: Fine. [His staff disappeared.] But you better have a damn good reason for what just happened.
Garnet: *sigh* Look. We need to know more about your history with Emerald and we need it now. Onyx is recovering and Emerald is an amnesiac.
Diamond: So that leaves little old moi. But why is it so important?
Pearl: Ryokki and myself met a man yesterday. He said Emerald asked his father to make him a component for.. For a kindergarten.
Diamond: Huh? What do a bunch of little kids have to do with-
Pearl: *angry growl* No! Not that kindergarten! The kind for gems! The whole reason for the battle of Earth!
Diamond: [His eyes shot open wide] Oh. Right.. [He saw Steven walking out of the house and waved to them.] *clears throat* I suggest we take this conversation elsewhere.
The gems looked and saw that Steven was coming their way.
Garnet: Very well. I know a place we can go.
5 minutes later.
The warp pad glowed brightly transporting Pearl, Garnet, Diamond, and Amethyst to the strawberry battlefield.
Diamond: God.. I remember this place. After the battle was over I went here to see the carnage. *shiver* So many of my brothers and sisters.. Dead. Why did you bring me to this horrid place?
Amethyst: Brothers and sisters?
Garnet: A better question would be; How did you survive?
Pearl: Yes. We thought only a small number of us survived. And fewer left uncorrupted.
Diamond: There were those of us who decided we didn't wanna pick sides. Seems we were the lucky ones..
Garnet: And what about Emerald and the others? Were they on the same boat?
Diamond: Dunno.. I didn't meet Emerald, Onyx and Ruby until fifty years ago. Emerald and Ruby found me huddled next to a dumpster. They saved me from a fate worse than death.
Pearl: Right then. What can you tell us about Ruby?
Amethyst: Uh, is this really the time to get jealous?
Diamond: It's okay. You don't have to worry Pearl. Emerald doesn't remember her. But if he did, then he'd be more liable bash her brains in than sing her a love song.
Garnet: Why? What happened? Why do you and Onyx speak about her with such distain?
Diamond: *sigh* Onyx would be able to tell you more about it than me.. You said it yourself Garnet. I didn't know Emerald as well as I thought. I was more preoccupied with getting my life back together after sleepless nights upon countless millennia of looking up into the sky and thinking of what was lost. The friends, and friends of my friends who died in that damn war. And for what? Because a few of the higher ups didn't wanna take ten minutes to find another planet? Because guys like you- Look, bottom line, you'll just have to wait for Onyx to wake up if you want to get every single detail. K?
The gems all looked at each other. Diamond was clearly uncomfortable and they still wanted to get some form of information out of him, so Pearl changed the subject.
Pearl: Returning to one of my earlier questions-
Diamond: *impatient* No. I do not know why Emerald- The Emerald that I knew. I don't know why he would need such a thing in the first place.
Amethyst: Maybe he used to be one of the gems who we fought against during the war.
Garnet: Maybe.. [She looked over to Pearl. She looked very uncomfortable.] Diamond. You said something about other gems. What happened to them?
Diamond: *sigh* We got found near the end of the war. Soldiers from home world that saw us as traitors. I don't wanna think about it.
Garnet: Very well then. Tell me this then. Why do YOU hate Ruby? What was she like?
Diamond: *groan* If you really wanna know.. She is, smart. She knows how to play a situation to her advantage. Give her a side to a war that's losing, and she'll find a way to win it. She's slow and calculating when she wants to be. Though when she needs to be, she can come up with a plan *snaps fingers* like that.
Amethyst: Heh. No wonder he likes you Pearl. [Pearl gave her a quick look and then just shrugged.]
Diamond: Yeah, well unlike Pearl, she mostly came up with plans that benefit her. She would only help at the instance Emerald would tell her to. Even then, she always came out on top. Every time a smaller plan would be accomplished, it fed into a larger plot.
Pearl: Hm? What do you mean? What plot?
Diamond: *grumble* I alone don't have all of the details to properly explain why she is a spawn of the devils anus. I will however spoil one thing. For many years, we had defended a small village, that unknown to Onyx and myself, was near an old gem base. She was working on something, and something went wrong. Then again, she may have made it at the request of Emerald. I dunno..
Amethyst: What was she making?
Diamond: Well.. That is the million dollar question. It blew up when Onyx and me confronted her, and things kinda hit the fan afterwards. Though considering I haven't seen Ruby in decades, Emerald lost his memory, and Onyx' gem got corrupted.
Pearl: R-ight.. What about you? What happened to you?
Diamond: Me? Well I got lucky and avoided a bulk of the blast. I just ended up going back into my gem for a bit. After that, I left to peruse other interests.
Garnet: Is there anything else we need to know before Onyx wakes up? I'd like for us to give Emerald something when we return.
All three gems looked at her in surprise.
Diamond: What? You expecting him or something?
Amethyst: Oh! did you have a vision before we left?
Garnet: Yes. He's just as confused about the situation as we are. Probably more so considering he has an entirely separate life inaccessible to him. I can't imagine what that's like.
Amethyst: Yeah, that can't be fun 24/7. (Much as I hate what I am, at least I know my own past..)
Pearl: We both talk about it at times. It isn't.
Diamond: Right.. *sigh* I was trying to avoid the bigger parts of his past because I didn't want him to waste his time jumping for the whole T-bone steak when all I could give him was the fat and fragments of bone.. Let's head back.
The gems got back onto the warp pad and teleported back to the temple. They walked in to find Emerald had just sat down a minute ago.
Emerald: Well that didn't take as long as I thought it would. Wassup guys?
Pearl, Garnet and Amethyst all looked at Diamond. He sighed and looked at Emerald.
Diamond: Emerald there are some things I need to tell-
A bright light came from the kitchen area. It was Onyx' gem. He had reformed. Just as muscular as before and just as bald as before. Emerald instinctively summoned a sword. Garnet didn't move. Pearl and Diamond gave each other a look and thought the same thing. 'Here comes the hell..' Amethyst simply squealed in joy.
Amethyst: ONYX!
Onyx: Amethyst!
They both laughed as Amethyst ran to him and gave him a big hug.
Amethyst: I'm so glad to see you again! What took ya?
Onyx: Onyx is sorry he worried his friends. Onyx needed time to think about what was going to be said to- Emerald! Just the man Onyx wanted to see.
Emerald: Hello Onyx. Glad to see you're awake. Now about your promise..
Onyx: Yes. Onyx and Diamond owe you a story. [Diamond simply looked to the ground.] A story about betrayal, and loss.
What? An update so soon? What witchcraft is this?! D:
Seriously though, I'm gonna be out for a bit. Not as long as I was a couple months back, but for a bit. I'm gonna be working on the entire story of how Emerald lost his memory in one chapter, 6k words at the least. Very ambitious to say the least. I plan on having what was stated in the past full circle. In the meantime, here's a quick bio on Ruby [not the one that makes up half of Garnet] who will be in the next chapter. :)
Ruby - She is 5' 10", light-medium build, short crimson hair, bat wings, talons, deep red skin, sharp teeth and rose colored eyes. Pros [Resourceful, Adaptable, Imaginative, Observant, Dynamic] Cons [Escapist, Obsessive, Manipulative, Oversensitive, Unyielding]
See you soon. {I hope}
