There was silence as smoke began to settle around the court. Only the coughing of the Zircon who had been thrown to the side.
Yellow looked at Blue and White, her face could have been white with panic if she had wasn't yellow.
"I didn't mean to do that. It was on impulse!" she stammered.
"Stars! Did you just poof her?" White said.
Blue wanted to say something, but was cut off, as a shadowy figure emerged from the smoke. It was Moonstone, and her sword was drawn.
The Diamonds gasped, as they saw the blade was completely black, and crackled with the electricity that the Yellow had shot at her.
The gem stared at her sword for a while. Then shook off the static on as casually as shaking the dust off a book.
"Are you hurt?" Blue said in concern.
"Outside, unscathed. I've fought stronger. But within me, that is a different story," Moonstone replied in an almost condescending tone. She sheathed her blade.
"My apologies. What you said really riled me up. I hope I did not hurt you," Yellow said, rather annoyed and apologetic at the same time.
Moonstone turned to Yellow. It was hard to tell how she was feeling, with her visor drawn over her face all the time.
"You should be concern for yourself. If that was all the power you had, then it would be a very pitiful defence for the invasion that is to come," Moonstone said with folded arms.
"Are you threatening me?" Yellow said her face darken.
"No. Not a threat. But against the Serpentine enemy that now grows stronger ever since the disbanding of the empire, we stand little chance," she replied as calm as ever
"Serpentine enemy?" Yellow's eyes narrowed.
Zircon stepped forward.
"Did not White tell you about the Serpentine?"
The other Diamonds looked at White with shock glances.
"Who are the Serpentine?" Yellow asked.
White gave them a blank look. Then she began to think hard. Very hard.
"I remember now. They were an enemy that I fought off when the universe was still young. Before you and Blue were created," she said.
"And you forgot to tell us?" Yellow said in disbelief.
"Well it was so long ago. And I was a very young gem then. We all do mistakes when we were young. I mean look at Pink, she forgot all about Spinel!" White said.
Spinel gave White a dirty glance.
White gave her a sheepish stare.
"Sorry, but it's to prove a point," she said apologetically.
"I don't blame ya," Spinel said with a sigh.
"It's like what Steven called a repress memory. Something so painful that you just push it down and forget all about it. I was really good at suppressing memories. It's how I cope. And how I help others to cope,"
Blue look at White thoughtfully.
"It's true. That's how you "helped" Pink's Pearl. Suppress everything even her personality. It also explains the mood swings, and the strings you tried to use to hold Homeworld together," Blue said analytically.
"Well we can Steven for that. He thought us a better way to relate to others," Yellow said proudly.
"You are talking about Steven the hybrid correct?" Moonstone interrupted. For a moment the Diamonds had forgotten she was there.
"Yes. And please stop calling him a hybrid. The poor boy has been through much. Just call him Steven," White said.
Moonstone turn to White Zircon who shrugged.
"I know what! You should go to earth. Play a visit to Steven, and Little Homeworld. Perhaps he can teach you, and show you new better ways of living. Especially now that you are free gems! You are free to do as you please. In fact if you're not convince, I White Diamond declare the Court Of White free, free to join us in Homeworld or even go to earth,"
There were murmurs, that sounded angry and confused amongst the court of white.
Moonstone lifted her hand, and the entire court kept silent.
"May I speak my mind, my Diamond," she said.
"You may speak freely. You no longer are under our authority. Say whatever you like," White said encouragingly.
White Zircon gave terrified look at the Diamonds. She repeatedly shook her head and wave her hands at the Diamonds, from behind of Moonstone view. From the looks of it, she was afraid for the Diamonds, not Moonstone.
"For milenias and further before, we have fought the Serpentine, an organic enemy who have done terrifying deeds to gemkind. Stuff of nightmares, of force fusions, turning gems into loyal Serpentine abominations, whose personalities are lost forever, their gems a mere battery to power their hybrid offspring who turn their gem powers against us. We've fought and lost so many members, witness so many horrors, and many times swallow the sorrows of homesickness of Homeworld for the sake of your command. We fought for so long expecting no reinforcement from Homeworld, evolving on our own. Growing stronger with every battle. We never really needed any help from our Diamond, and now we realise we never a needed a Diamond after all. Thank you for making us realise that White," Moonstone replied calmly but within trying to hide the bitterness within.
White flinched a bit at her remark.
"Well you've done a really good job. We've never even heard of the Serpentine. I suppose they are eradicated already?" Yellow said.
Moonstone gave a chuckle that unnerved Yellow.
"Eradicated? Eradicated? I wish it was true. But the serpentine don't fight head on. They hide in the shadows, letting the colonies they control, the other species do their battles. Terraforming planets had help reduce the numbers of planets the Serpentine controlled, whether you all did it intentionally to help us or not," Moonstone said.
She turn back to White.
"You may have forgotten about them all this milenias. And even us. That is still excusable, and even forgivable, after all you are our Diamond and would not have bothered to remember mere gems who were gone for millennia. But what is considered an insult to our cause, a slap to every gem of the court of White, is that you have let a hybrid take charge of the empire! A hybrid who has not only reduce the homeworld armada into a pitiful infantile state, but turn regal and peerless Diamonds, into babysitters and nannies for the other gems. Except for Yellow's I find your new powers kind of a joke," Moonstone said without restrain.
"Ouch!" Spinel whispered.
The Peridot beside her bowed apologetically.
"It's my bad. I told her what you all use your powers for now,"
For a moment everyone in the court thought they were facing the old Diamonds. The fierce and destructive stares of the sisters focused on Moonstone.
But then White took a deep breathe.
"You know, I don't blame you. It's my fault. I did this to all of you. So come, I'll let you come into my head, and maybe let me take the suffering away," White said.
"I could use my powers to make you feel better," Blue offered.
"Any broken gems? I can fix them," Yellow said.
Again there were murmurs amongst the Court of White. Zircon turn to Moonstone, and her general turn back her. It gave White Zircon a chill in her spine.
Zircon had known her long enough to know she was smiling under her visor. And when Moonstone smile it was never a good thing. It was a vicious twisted grin, that made even the bravest of the enemies flee in terror.
"Alright, White. Let me in. Let me show you everything we have been through, while all this while you played house on your unchallenged throne," Moonstone said.
Yellow and Blue gave White a look of disapproval.
"Something is not right. Don't do it," Blue said.
White brushed her off, with a reassuring smile.
"It's alright. I owe them this. Whatever happens promise you won't do anything to harm them," White said.
Blue nodded, and look to Yellow who sighed. "Alright we promise," they said.
She now turn to Moonstone.
"Are you ready general?"
Moonstone nodded, as White began the mind link process. Colour began to flash around them.
For a moment, White did not change colour. It was expected. After all, they were all white gems.
And then to their shock, White began to turn to a very unexpected colour. No colour the Diamonds had ever seen before. It was the colour of the empty night sky, or the dark void a black hole. The colour black.
White gave a scream of anguish, for worse the two sisters realised than when she tried to get into monster Steven's head and then she collapsed. She did not move.
"What did you do!" Yellow yelled as both Blue and her stood up.
"I gave her what she wanted. To see into my mind. To see what we have been through," Moonstone replied.
Zircon quickly stepped forward.
"Don't worry my Diamonds. Moonstone would never hurt White. Besides she could never possibly be able to do so," Zircon said in panic.
White Diamond gave a weak groan.
"There see, give her a moment. She will awake," Zircon said.
"And maybe then, she will have a more different perspective about organics and the threat they bring," Moonstone said, turning around to leave.
She turn to the other White gems.
"We are done here," she said. Immediately they rose and began to move from the court. There were a soft chant, that slowly grew louder and louder.
"For the General! For the General!" the shouted as they headed back to their ships.
"Wait who gave you the permission to leave!" Yellow ordered.
"It's not up to you to decide what we can or cannot do. After all we are free gems now," Moonstone replied, not bothered to turn back.
"So where we go, and what we do is up to my discretion now," she added, as she entered her ship.