Dark Diamond's Facility

Emerald

"I'll give it to the guy, he was some sorts of crazy," Fire Opal began, "But he sure knew how to make a building."

Quartz nodded, "This is Black Diamond we're talking about Fire Opal. He wasn't touted as the most intelligent Diamond just for laughs."

I ignored their comments and tapped the input panel, "Well Obsidian, you're up." She gave a slight nod and shyly walked up to the panel, putting the access code in. The doors creaked open, the need of maintenance very apparent. "Now, before we enter." I pointed to Quartz and Flint, "I need you two to go check on Coral, I refuse to allow him to fight alone."

Flint looked uneasy, "But he said-"

"He says a lot of things ma'am" Quartz said, already understanding the need of the order. "He also says that he alone destroyed an entire legion of Homeworld Loyalist ." A glimmer of shame flitted across Flint's face as she realized how easily she fell for Coral's bravado. Quartz reassured her, "That isn't to say he isn't a capable warrior, he is a praetorian after all. Emerald just needs us to go collect him so he doesn't do anything too rash." Flint nodded; it was slow, but she was beginning to understand how we worked.

As our two most mobile teammates flew off to gather our heaviest hitter, the last three of us continued into the building. Two things happen the instant we enter the facility, the doors slam shut, effectively trapping us, and I realized that Quartz didn't say my name with any honorific. I wonder if I did something wrong… wait… nevermind that, we were trapped within the facility and, try as she might, Obsidian could not get them to open again. She was able to reroute the power from the anti-teleportation generators into the actual generators, I found it suspiciously convenient. I transitioned into a cautious stance, suddenly wary of any denizen Black may have left with his mysterious disappearance, "Welp, c'mon guys, we aren't getting out anytime soon."

Earth, Crystal Gem Temple:

Ocasio:

I wake up and two things happen: a wave of nausea washes over me and I hear Jade immediately, and frantically, tell me to not move. "You must lie down klishkov." she chastises.

I arch my brow, "Klishkov?"

"Little foolish," she explains while she waves a lime emblazoned hand over my abdomen and chest, killing the nausea in seconds. She shrugged, "I admit, it would have been simpler to call you a fool." It was weird to hear Jade speak so much, Dad always said that it was rare for her to speak more than a couple words.

She helped me up to a seated position and told me that I was only allowed to sit on this couch. She then proceeded to inform me of all that I had missed out on when I was unconscious. It was surprisingly easy to digest, except the part where I was a sage… that wasn't so easy.

"You are close, but appearances can often be misleading." There was that odd voice again!

"Jade, is there supposed to be anything about voices when someone becomes a sage?" I asked.

She gave me the strangest look, "Well your father can communicate with Amoura, er, his father, and he did say Lapis could potentially communicate with their mother. I believe it has something to do with the host gem."

My newfound blood ran cold, "Do you think the voice I'm hearing is… you know who?"

Jade's face paled, "I… suppose it could be possible. Try communicating with her."

"How?" I asked only to receive a shrug. I asked how Dad communicated with Grandpa, another shrug. Great. Off to an amazing start.

"All you have to do is speak as if you were thinking." the voice, I mean, Star Quartz said. Wait, was it really that easy? "Yes."

Oh… 'Uhm… hello.'

Soft laughter filled my head, "Hello."

I crossed my arms, "So…"

Curiosity that did not belong to me flitted about my mind, "So?"

"Was that a question?"

Irritation seeped through, "I may be a Goddess but I am no mind reader, the only questions I can think you have are 'why did you choose me as a host' and/or 'what did you mean by what you said'. Sheesh, gemlings these days." For a goddess she acted rather childish, "I heard that."

I winced as a bout of anger crashed against my skull, 'Sorry… so what did you mean by what you said.'

A stretch of silence in the conversation, which, despite it's recent development, unsettled me. Finally, "Show me I was not wrong with my decision and you will receive the answer."

'No fair! I already have to take tests with Mom, I don't need anymore work.' not a single response was given. 'Star Quartz?' I said quizzically, 'Hello?' nothing.

"I see that the conversation is over." Jade announced.

I give her a stare, "How did you know?"

"I studied your facial expressions, they were the same as your father's when he speaks to Amoura and gets nowhere." she said that with so much indifference that it gave me goosebumps. She noticed this and immediately wrapped a blanket around me, "You must tell me when you are cold, otherwise I will be unable to monitor you properly." she seemed to be doing a pretty good job of doing so without my aid. When I told her that she didn't get flustered like I expected, she instead grew nervous and launched up from her seat, "I am terribly sorry, but I must be going."

She rushed out of the room, electing to use the window instead of the door as a means to exit. Shortly after I heard the warp pad activate, Jasper and Black Opal appearing in unison. Each carried their own chunk of metal. They caught my eyes and Jasper set down her chunk of metal before taking a few steps off of the warp pad "You head to the barn, tell the others I'll catch up." It took me a second to realize she was talking to Black Opal. They nodded in acknowledgement and took Jasper's load before warping away, to the barn if Jasper's words have any weight to them.

She took the seat next to me before pointing to the blanket and asking if I were cold, "Yeah, I'm guessing it was the blanket that gave it away."

Jasper nodded. "Are you feeling ok?"

I waved my arms to flap my swaddling, "Yeah, like I said, just a tad bit cold. Other than that I'm fine."

"That's good, Flint had really done a number on you." Jasper laughed. It wasn't a "haha you're weak" laugh, more of a "I'm so relieved" laugh. As she finished laughing I found myself wondering something. Her form had something a bit off.

"Why don't you have Steven's star on your form?"

She froze up, "Is it important?"

I shook my head, "Not really, Aunt Lapis and Peridot don't have one either… but I know why they don't." There was a stretch of silence as I waited for Jasper to speak, it became apparent I would have to do it for her, "Aren't you a Crystal Gem?"

"No!" she roared; I winced out of fear. She saw this and calmed down a bit, "I mean, no, I am not a Crystal Gem. I am loyal to Homeworld."

Confusion welled inside of me, "Then why are you here?"

"Because, I want to help."

I shook my head, "But you just said-"

"I know what I said, let me finish!" my mouth had never shut faster. Jasper shoulders sagged, "I know it doesn't make sense, but I am a Homeworld Gem through and through." she looked to the roof as if it were an open sky, "But, it seems as if Homeworld is not what I have known it to be. I used to hate the Crystal Gems, to me they were just rebels out to destroy the very legacy of Homeworld."

She started to get a bit choked up, I put a hand on her arm, "You don't have to continue." she smiled, it was a nice smile. She told me she was ok.

"I had thought Rose's words were false, and though I respected her tactics during the war, I could not help but hate her for the death of our Diamond." Oh yeah, I forgot about the death of Pink Diamond, "Though, I've began having doubts that she did do it,"

"Why?" the question escapes my lips before I can think about it.

Jasper's gaze sunk to the floor, "Your father had joined her."

"My father? But didn't the diamonds pretty much exile him, and what about the clan wars?" it was nothing but wave of confusion after wave of confusion.

Jasper shook her head, "He is an Emerald, they are known for justice; Sageson would not hold an innocent Gem, no matter who, to the crimes of another." that made sense. Dad had told me Yellow was the only Diamond to have been heading the trial; and as far as I know only Yellow and White Diamond had ever transgressed against my grandparents. White and Yellow had cooked up the plan to turn the Jaspers against their fellows. "It was also his words…"

I cocked my head, "His words?"

"I'm tired of beating myself up for things I can't control." she loosed a sigh, "All my life I've beaten myself up for not being formed sooner, for not being able to protect my Diamond, to destroy who had destroyed her. But… those words, spoken by your father… something clicked." she turned to me, "Ya know?"

"Yeah." in truth, I did. "But so, why don't you have a star?"

"Oh yeah, that." she allowed herself another smile, "Like I said, I'm still loyal to Homeworld. But… I think… I want to see how it could have been."

She looks at me, her face seemed to ask me for confirmation, "I think that's a perfectly swell idea."

Jasper's smile became tinged with a melancholy smile. I had feared I said something wrong, "No… it's just you reminded me of my diamond." I must have made a face because Jasper laughed, "I meant Pink Diamond." that caught my attention.

"Really, why?" I asked.

She shook her head, "I've never known the Diamond I was made for personally, but I've read holoarticles and seen holovids about her. She tried to act like her elder sisters but she could never act like them. She had love for everyone and everything, which is why many liken the Rose Quartzes to her… though, she was also known for something else."

I cocked an eyebrow, "What?"

"Pitiless pity. It means she felt for those she could never have, for those she never should have." Jasper stated blankly. With that she patted me on the leg and walked off, "Thanks for humoring me Sagedaughter. It means a lot."

I nod my head, "Anytime Jasper."