Connie was still frozen in fear, pointing her sword up at the menacing Rose Quartz.
"Take the others, she's the one we need to handle with the most care." Rose whispered.
"No!" Connie suddenly grunted, she threateningly shoved out her sword to the leader that approached her. "Don't come any closer to me! I won't let you experiment on me!"
Rose stopped, and she looked confused. "Experiment on you?"
"Yes! That's what you want to do, right?! You and Pink Diamond have been searching for me!" Connie growled.
Suddenly, a familiar voice came to her ears that made the girl feel relief. "Hold your horses, kiddo!"
Jasper came out from behind the woman and laughed.
"Jasper! Get away from her!" Connie gasped in shock. "It's Rose Quartz!"
Then, two more women with the same face of Rose came out from behind her.
One had her gem on her shoulder with dark pink wild hair.
The other looked relaxed with light pink hair that looked soaked, her gem was on her chest.
"Kid, this isn't the same Rose who wants you. That one's called Lady Rose Quartz here." Jasper explained best she could. "Just like there's multiple versions of me, there's other versions of her too."
Connie stared up at the curly haired one and then realized with shock that the Rose she was looking at did indeed have more of a pink tone to her than the Rose who she had seen talking to Pearl.
"I… didn't mean to scare you…" The shy Rose whispered. "Are you okay?"
"S-So… you don't want me dead?" Connie breathed in relief.
"What?! No!" Laughed one Rose, the one with the darker hair. "Jasper, you're right, she's so cute!"
Connie sat awkwardly between Jasper and Peridot in a room where all the guards hung out while on break. She still couldn't really process what truly was happening.
There were so many Roses and Amethysts, all looking different, but the same somehow.
"This is… like my worst nightmare…" Connie hissed to Jasper. "Can you please explain how you got here?! What about Pink Diamond?"
"She was walking by so fast, she didn't see me, so I jumped into her army. The Roses take care of the animals here, and the Amethysts guard the other stuff. We're getting along great!"
"So they won't let Pink Diamond know we're here?" Peridot asked in clarification.
"Nah, we're cool." The hippie Rose laughed.
Connie tightened slightly. She still wasn't used to a Rose looking at her with a non-malice expression.
"You haven't met all of us, actually." A little red quartz named Carmilaine suddenly said. "We're missing a few Jaspers, and my buddy 8XM hasn't been back in a long time."
"Oh! Well, that's too bad!" Peridot chuckled. Though, they all knew exactly who she was talking about.
Suddenly, the door opened and Jasper quickly shoved Peridot, Connie, and Doug to the side wall before Morganite walked in. Lapis was behind her, looking worried. She then caught her eyes on Jasper and froze in shock.
The door then closed and Morganite glared down at the Quartzs.
"Your Diamond is here, so get to your stations, all of you!" Morganite hissed. She then gave a growl in anger, glancing at a small screen that popped up beside her. "Where is that pathetic Pearl?!"
The soldiers all gathered into a large clump, standing to be ordered. Connie, Doug and Peridot hid in them when the girl suddenly ran off to another closeby door, making sure that Morignite didn't see her.
"Connie!" Jasper, Peridot, and Doug all whisper-screamed in panic. She made a motion for them to follow before slipping into the room.
Doug and Peridot ran after her, but Jasper regretfully has to stay behind so Morganite wouldn't notice the hulking gem was missing, she promised she'd be waiting at the ship when they arrived.
"I need to find Rhodonite! I forgot about them and they probably think we abandoned them!" Connie explained softly to Peridot and Doug.
"WHY HASN'T SHE COME YET?!"
Connie gasped in pain and threw herself behind a pillar before Pink Diamond could see her. The girl then slowly turned around to peek over the balcony and covered her mouth to stifle a gasp.
There were thousands of bubbles in that room, all the same Rose Quartz pink. There wasn't much of a pattern to the gem types, all different colors, but most were yellow…
She then saw Pink Diamond panting with her eyes narrowed in anger in the room below, her Pearl by her side. The young Diamond gave a moan suddenly and rubbed her eyes, the dark circles hadn't left, if anything, they should've been larger. "She's… taunting me. I'm just as powerful as her now, more so! So why won't she face me?!"
The Pearl shrugged with a sad smile, trying to cheer her friend.
"Blue…" Pink whispered softly, looking up. "I… I really wish I had you to guide me now, I'm starting to get lost in my anger."
Suddenly, a giant door opened to the room below.
A silly-looking pink gem walked in with squeaky shoes, her gem in her chest and with a huge smile on her face. She suddenly wrapped her long, stretchy arms around Pink Diamond. "Hello, my Diamond! Does someone need their best friend?!"
"Spinel!" The Pearl gasped, delighted. The two embraced to Connie's surprise. She saw their Diamond grimace at their affection to each other. "I have great news! We found someone new for us to play with, a new friend!"
"A new friend!?" Spinel squealed in excitement. She started cart-wheeling around, and used her arms as a huge magnifying glass. "Where?!"
"I don't want to play." Pink Diamond growled, sitting down on the floor. "I just want to sit here and think."
"Think about what?" Spinel asked, sitting beside her.
The bigger gem looked up at the bubbles and winched. "Part of me wants to continue with the plan and get my revenge on Yellow, but another says I really shouldn't… I've been thinking about it ever since I met the human earlier."
Her Pearl looked up as well and then smiled suddenly. "Would you like me to sing for you, my Diamond?"
"Ooh! Ooh! Me too!" Spinel cried, making the Pearl giggle. "I love singing!"
"I guess we can sing together." Pink Diamond smiled weakly. "How about my favorite?"
"Okay!" The two gems chorused.
Spinel and the Pearl started to softly sing a gentle tune as Pink Diamond stood to look at the gems above her. The Diamond sighed. "I wish you could hear me, Blue…" She then started to dance around slowly, twirling like a waltz. "If I could, begin to be, half of what you thought of me, I would do about anything, I could even learn how to love…"
Spinel smiled up at her Diamond. She had such a lovely voice, she wondered why she didn't sing more.
"You should see, the way I act, wondering if she's coming back, if I can do about anything, why can't I just learn how to love… like you?"
The two smaller gems increased the tone of their background vocals as Pink gave a sad laugh with tears in her eyes.
"I always thought, I might be bad, now I'm sure that it's true! 'Cause, I think you're so good," The Diamond clenched her fists, holding back a rising cry in her throat. "And I'm nothing like you!"
Connie felt touched in her heart, watching the woman give all to the song. Doug could only stare and Peridot was sitting curled up on the ground, covering her ears. She wouldn't listen to all the pain Pink Diamond had, she wouldn't feel sorry.
Pink Diamond started to twirl faster and faster as her song reached its high point.
"Why did you go?! I just adored you! I wish that I knew..!" She gracefully stopped, staring out at the stars from a window. "What made.. you think I'm so… special?"
She turned away with a hardened face. "... I swear I will, begin soon to do, something that does right by you, I will do about anything, maybe then I'll learn how to love, like you!" The ruler looked up at the gems and frowned. "And when I see, the way she looks, shaken by how long it took… I will do about anything, and then at last, I will learn how to love, like you…." She twirled once. "Love… like you…" She slowly fell to her knees. "Love me, like you…."
"That was beautiful…" Her Pearl breathed.
Pink Diamond said nothing, staring back out at the stars.
Suddenly, the door opened once more, making everyone turn to it.
The hidden human prisoners suddenly heard a familiar cry and looked out in shock to see Rhodonite land at Pink Diamond's feet.
"What is this?" Pink Diamond asked with surprise.
"That thing is an abomination, My Diamond." Morganite hissed, glaring down at the gem while Lapis entered quietly behind her, hiding slightly from the Diamond. "I found it in my quarters, it is my Pearl and a Ruby guard, I demanded them to unfuse, but they wouldn't!"
"I-I won't unfuse unless it's on my own terms!" Rhodonite whispered, trying to sound brave. "I-I'm not built for fighting, I was made out of love!"
Pink Diamond's eyes suddenly narrowed and she gritted her teeth. "What?"
"That's right. I won't unfuse! You can't make me!"
Lapis in the back could barely breathe, seeing Pink Diamond's lips suddenly turn into a cruel smile.
"Is that so? You really think having an attachment to a gem is… good?" Pink Diamond whispered. She then nodded to her Spinel who suddenly grinned like a tiger about to pounce on its prey. "I learned a lesson a long time ago, that you'll never remember, fusion. This will erase all the pain love will bring you."
Connie gasped in horror as Spinel brought a small device out of her pocket that turned into a giant pink scythe.
"Rhodonite, run!" Connie cried, running down the steps with her father and Peridot close behind.
"Love is weak."
Lapis' eyes widened in shock, realizing what was about to happen. She leapt out to try to save the fusion, but it was too late.
Rhodonite screamed in pain as pink lines went into her body.
"NO!" Doug gasped, and Connie tripped over herself just in time to watch the gems fall in front of her eyes.
"I'm sorry..." Connie whispered to the gems. "I'm so sorry!"
"What are you all doing here?!" Morganite screeched, seeing Peridot and Doug as well.
Pink Diamond stared in shock as Connie held back tears. "You're the human girl with the rebellion."
The girl looked up in fear and for the first time, the two finally had met.
"Connie, come on!" Lapis cried, pulling her away. She, Doug, and Peridot all ran as fast as they could away, Morganite staring dumbfounded after them.
"GET THEM!" Pink Diamond screamed at her, cracking the walls around them. The smaller gem gasped in pain before running after them. "They can't ever escape this place, they'll all pay for what they've done to me!"
Luckily, Jasper had kept the promise of staying by the ship and she had already fired it up. "Get in!" She then waved to all the Roses and Amethysts. "See you later, I'll miss you guys!"
Lapis grabbed all her wingless family and practically threw them to Jasper. Connie was last, but just as she was about to throw, Morigintie grabbed her foot.
Lapis gave a cry in pain. "Let go of me!"
"You little traitor!" Morganite fumed. "I'll shatter you, all of you!"
Peridot suddenly gave a war cry and hurtled her body onto the gem. Lapis got her leg free and flew up to the ship.
Peridot smirked at Morganite and raised her hand as if to slap her. But all she did was hold her chin. "Didn't I tell you? She's insane!" She then leapt onto the ship as it was about to fly off. "Now then, that will be all!"
The ship flew off into space and Doug sighed in relief to them all. "Thank you guys for coming to save me, I haven't been that intimidated since the last Diamond I met!"
"I can't believe Rhodonite's gone.." Connie whispered, finally letting it sink in. "If that Ruby and Pearl forgot everything, then that means they'll never find each other and be happy again. It's all my fault!"
"Don't worry, honey." Doug smiled. "People who truly love each other will find always find a way get back to one another, even if it seems impossible."
"Like you and me." Connie replied with a weak smile.
"Precisely."
I hope you guys liked the arc! Also, I embraced my dark side for this one with Rhodinite, I felt awful writing it, but at the same time needed to show how Pink Diamond feels about love in general and that she froze out everyone close to her after Blue Diamond.