* I do not own Steven Universe all rights goes to Rebecca Sugar, the only thing that I own in this story is Cairo and Zircon I am also going to but a warning here this story is going to be dark, and when I mean dark there's going to death, violence and torture there might be some lemon scenes further on but am not sure yet now without further ado let's get this story started*
Zircon watched as the punishment started and he could hear the sounds of the teen screaming in pain and once again the feeling of dread came over him he couldn't believe that he was so scared of the diamonds that he was willing to hurt someone just to make sure he himself didn't get shuttered, he then clenched his hand so hard that one of the Ruby guards looked at him and said: " my Zircon are you alright?" Zircon turned to Ruby and said in a whisper " what am I doing ruby?" the Ruby guard looked at him confused and asked, " what do you mean my Zircon?" Zircon then turned to look at Cairo and Ruby then understood what was bothering Zircon so much.
Ruby took Zircon hand and one of the other Ruby guards sneaked off to try and get in contact with pink for it wasn't only Zircon who felt wrong but the Rubies also felt the same way they felt bad for him and wanted nothing more than to free him from White's control, as one of the Rubies managed to get to the call screen and contact Pink another Ruby told Zircon they should stop and hide him away. Zircon looked at the Rubies in shock as one of them told Zircon about the songs he had sung and how much held in each lyric of the song, Zircon then decided then and there that they were going to stop the punishment and help the Rubies get in contact with Pink diamond and find a way to get Cairo back to them before Yellow, Blue and White find out.
As he stopped the punishment he told the Ruby guards to take Cairo back to his cell and tell him that White had ordered them to stop the punishment early, the Ruby guard nodded her head as she went towards the punishment room and unstrapped Cairo before picking him with the help of another guard and they took him away. Cairo was confused, he didn't understand why the Rubies and Zircon had stopped the punishment early to him it didn't make any sense but either way, he was grateful for himself and didn't know how much longer he could have taken it before snapping completely.
As they walked down the hall and to Cairo cell one of the Ruby guards couldn't help but cry and she looked like she was in complete pain on seeing Cairo so weak, Cairo turns to her and reaches his hand out as he softly rubs her tears away and whispers " now don't you cry a Ruby guard must stay strong always" the Ruby guard nodded her head as Cairo left the door and she closed it but no matter what she can still feel the pain in her heart and whispered softly to herself that she will find a way to get stronger so that she can protect him.
Cairo looked as the door closed and he went back to thinking he wondered why if something had happened because he knew there was no way that White Diamond would stop his punishment especially when he hasn't even fully broken yet, then it dawns on him that it was highly possible that Zircon and the Ruby guards were trying to help him and he couldn't understand why after it was a massive risk and if White and the others find out they could all get shattered. He couldn't allow that to happen and so he walked up to the door and press his head against whispering softly " please don't risk yourself for me" one of the ruby guards heard what he said and she felt a sharp pain in her chest after all this teen was begging her not to save him but she couldn't allow that she wanted to help him to the best of her ability, she turned around and put her hand against the door and answered back " am sorry but I can't do that."
Cairo frowned and he was about to say something else when he heard another Ruby guard from behind the door tell the one he was talking too that they managed to get in contact with Pink Diamond and that she was on her way to them now, Cairo couldn't help but smile he suffered so much and he was going to be able to see Pearl and Pink again but at the same time, he was fearful what if White finds out about this and everyone gets shattered because of him. The Ruby guards felt the sadness coming from behind the door and they both turned and place there hands on the door and said " my Cairo please do not worry about us am sure one day we will meet again and when we do you will be free and happy," Cairo couldn't help but cry silently because if they tell him this he still felt no comfort.
Zircon was in the office smiling softly as she sighed " Cairo I wonder how you are feeling right now?" Zircon was lost in thought and she started wondering when and why she wanted to protect Cairo more and more, unsure of what she was feeling so she decided to get up and walk to Cairo cell to talk to him and see if he was okay. As she walked down the corridors she didn't realize that one of her fellow scientists didn't feel the same way as most when they wanted to help get Cairo back to pink and they didn't realize that they had gone off and told White about what was going to happen, as she kept walking she stop frozen in fear as there standing between doing shutter ruby gems was White Diamond and her pearl and inside of the cell, she could hear Cairo scream in pain.
Zircon looked at her and quickly said "my Diamond what brings you here?" White looked at her and answered very coldly " I heard from one of your follow gems that you got in contact with Pink and is trying to free Cairo before he has finished his punishment sentence, Zircon looked at her shaking and whispered "my Diamond I would never do such a thing," White looked at her with such distrust that before Zircon could say anything else her physical form was destroyed and she too was shuttered. White then turned around and opened the cell door only to see Cairo on his knees crying, White walked up to him and picked him up before saying "oh Cairo look what you made me do you made me shuttered your lovely ruby guards."
Cairo kept crying as White smiled softly she realized now that Cairo would most likely have snapped upon seeing shuttered Ruby gems and so she walked out of the cell and stood close enough to the shuttered Ruby gems as possible so that Cairo could see it and all she could hear when doing so was Cario cries and begs of forgiveness, White happy with what had happened walked off back to where she was staying and this time she wasn't allowing Cairo to stay in Pink room instead he will be staying with her so that she can keep an eye on him. As they walked Cairo looked and there in the corner of his eye he saw another Zircon who looked at him with a smirk and this caused Cairo to become extremely angry and he struggled in White grip as he tried to get to her, White looked and saw why and she smiled losing her grip a little allowing Cairo to get free and he pulled out a spear as he went full force and it landed straight into Zircon physical body and he watched as she screamed and vanished turning once more into a normal gem.
Cairo then raised the spear up and smashed it against Zircon gem causing it to shuttered as he growled softly and whispered " that's what you got for talking my Ruby's away from me," White was not surprised, to say the least, she knew that Cairo cared for his Ruby and so when he shuttered Zircon over the fact that he knew she did this made her happy and now she knows as long as she gives him more Ruby's and tells him if he disobeys she will shutter them he won't disobey her or fall in love with Pink.
White smiled as he walked and picked up Cairo again before saying " are you feeling better starlight?" Cairo looked at her his eyes now empty with no shine or happiness to them as he nodded his head and said "yes my Diamond," White nodded and they kept walking and as they did so she started talking to him telling him that she will give him 3 new ruby guards but if he were to ever disobey her again she will shutter them, this made Cairo nod and answered quickly and he promised White that he won't disobey her again.
White nodded again as she started thinking to herself she knew this was the right thing to do after all she wanted to make sure that Cairo if he ever wanted to love someone was going to with either a Sapphire or a Pearl even though Pearl doesn't have many states in homeworld if Cairo is seen with one he will be seen as someone with high states like herself, if he chose a Sapphire he will be seen as someone loyal who is made to protect her. As white was still lost in thought Cairo himself was also thinking a lot, he thought of the Rubys that were there with him during his punishment and how they did their best to calm him down and tell him everything would be okay.
He was still in so much pain but he knew now that he will never disobey White and that he would do everything in his power to protect the new Rubys in his care, White suddenly come to a stop and put him down she then called for White Pearl and told her to look after him while she went and talked to Blue and Yellow and see how everything was going with there colonies. White Pearl nodded as White Diamond left and she turned to look at Cairo while Cairo looked back right at her and said " Pearl when are the new Ruby's coming?" White Pearl looked at Cairo before she checked on a mini screen before turning back to him and saying " My Cairo the Ruby guards will be here in 30 mins," Cairo nodded before walking off the room and said " then let's go to the gardens while we wait" White pearl nodded as she followed him watching him closely she noticed that whatever happened at the lab caused Cairo to change.
Cairo was no longer shy instead he had a strong leadership presence and he seems colder he no longer spent time talking to her and telling her his troubles like he uses to back then, as she follow him to the garden she noticed as soon as they entered the relaxed and he sits under the tree and closes his eyes. She watched as she saw him fast asleep and she decided to stay close and keep watch as she had so many questions going through her mind, she still wanted to know why White keeps him around and what Whites plan for him is but she thought better than to question anything her Diamond does it wasn't her place after all.