Steven paced, feet rapping a sharp beat against the smooth pink floor. The pebbles watched him with interest as they scampered about, giggling as they ran in and out of his path, dodging his feet. He had been restless since his encounter with White, wound taut like a violin string, ready to snap, and every attempt at collecting himself had proven useless. So instead he paced, letting his feet pound his restlessness into dust (or so he'd hoped; he had yet to see results).
Steven knew, now, that his efforts to convince the diamonds to return him to Earth were useless. They treated him like a child, unaware of his own thoughts and self; he could scream from the rooftops that he wasn't Pink and all he'd get in return was a trip to prison and a lesson in proper diamond behavior. Or worse. So, that option was out. Escape was an alternative, except, even if he could escape Homeworld, the diamonds knew where he lived. They'd found him once before; surely his home on Earth would be the first place they'd look, given his escape plan got him farther than the door to Pink's room, which he still couldn't open. And he couldn't put his friends in danger like that, not again, not after... So escape was out, too. Which left… nothing. Well, almost nothing. He might be little more than a puppet compared to the other diamonds, but he still, so long as they believed he was Pink, held power. If he could figure out how to connect with the citizens of Homeworld, maybe he could help them? Even if it was only in small, insignificant ways. But that was better than nothing, right?
Steven sighed, completing another lap around the room. He was stuck here on Homeworld, probably forever. He'd expected another upwelling of emotion at the conclusion, to scream or cry or something, but he just felt numb. Empty. Tired. Maybe he'd run out of tears to cry.
His thoughts circled back to White, this time honing in on her pearl. She was so stiff, so lifeless… it was hard to believe she was a pearl at all. And the cracks on her eye: was that why she acted that way? Was Steven that broken, too? What had happened to her? What had White done to her?
Steven didn't have the answers (to anything, it seemed), so he just kept pacing, turning his questions over and over, polished stones caught in the tide. One, two, three, four, he counted his strides. Fourteen, sixteen, twenty-two, thirty-seven, the tension stretched, then broke.
"Aargh!" Steven cried, stomping out onto the balcony, shooting a tepid glower at White's head, looming against the skyline. He thumped his forehead against the stone. He couldn't just give up on going home! He'd gotten out of more hopeless situations before, hadn't he? He just needed to try harder! Steven groaned, thumping his head again. He was going to go mad at this rate, locked away like this. He needed to do something. Something besides listening to people tell him he was his mom.
He almost (almost) wished Blue would come back, just so that he wouldn't be alone anymore.
Steven sighed, looking out over Homeworld once more. He thought of the sea of gems he'd seen, passing the streets far below. All these people, subjugated, oppressed beneath the diamonds' unyielding rule, and most of them probably didn't even know how badly off they were. How few freedoms they had. The off-colors had been trapped in the catacombs of empty kindergartens for centuries; how many more were like them? How many more lived in constant fear, abandoned just because of who- or what- they were?
He rested his face on his fist, brooding. What could he do to help?
He knew what his mom would do: run off and start a revolution. He scoffed. Yeah, because that went so well. He knew what he wanted to do: talk some sense into the diamonds, convince them that their tyranny was wrong, but that hadn't exactly gone to plan either. He sighed. He didn't want to think it was hopeless, but…
He hoped Lars and the off-colors were okay. Maybe they'd gotten back to Earth by now; maybe they'd started a new life there. A sharp pang of emotion ran through him, one that wasn't altogether pleased at the scenario he'd thought up, and guilt followed it. If they were safe he should be happy for them. And they were safe, weren't they? They were all safer without him, dragging around his mom's problems and enemies. They must be happier without him messing things up.
The diamond chime sounded and Steven frowned. Blue was back already? But no… the sound was a little different, had a darker timbre to it… He walked back into the room, expectant.
The door slid open, revealing Yellow Pearl. She gave him a smug smile as she caught his eye, preening with importance. Steven stared, a rock dropped into his gut. Oh no… Not Yellow. He'd take anyone but Yellow- Well, maybe not White, but then again she hadn't done anything to him. Yet. Emphasis on yet. Why couldn't it have been Blue?
"Pink Diamond," the slightly-condescending voice of Yellow Pearl asserted, "My Diamond has requested your presence in the inspection chamber."
Well, great. Steven took a steadying breath, then forced his legs to move. It's not like he could say no.
Yellow Pearl looked him up and down critically as he approached, but didn't comment. Steven didn't ask, and she led the way out in her self-important strut.
Steven looked back, finding the topazes still guarding the door, and offered them a halfhearted wave. Predictably, they didn't respond in the slightest. Didn't even look at him. Had they even taken a break, all this time?
He wondered what'd happened to the topazes that had taken him from Earth under Aquamarine's orders. They had wanted to help him, almost had until Aquamarine had caught them, threatening them into submission. He hoped they were okay. Maybe he could ask, make sure they hadn't been shattered for even thinking of doing the right thing.
Their path took them through halls Steven hadn't seen before. A few times Steven slowed his pace (earning an impatient foot-tap and, "Ahem," from Yellow Pearl), looking out the windows. From one he saw a terraced white courtyard, filled with abstract art and small clusters of like-colored gems, prim and proper and flawless. The next showed a view of endless gem buildings, varying wildly in style and color, but all geometric masterpieces. They came together to form a coherent, ordered whole, perfect in color and symmetry, individual drops of paint on the canvas of the gem world. From another window, this one deep into Yellow's halls, a sort of landing bay extended, high above the ground (though still below his perch), with two small spacecraft parked perfectly parallel. He saw a few nephrites and peridots working on one ship, an unknown yellow gem and what looked like a pearl watching them from behind a wall of rubies.
"Who's that?" Steven asked, stopping to give in to his curiosity.
Yellow Pearl sauntered back, looking out the window in turn. Despite her rush, she seemed eager to answer Steven. "To who, exactly, are you referring, Pink Diamond?"
"That yellow gem," Steven specified, pointing. Yellow Pearl followed his finger with her eyes.
"Heliodor? Do you have business with her?" She frowned at Steven skeptically.
"No, I just haven't seen her type of gem before." He hadn't even heard of heliodors. But, then again, he'd learned more names of gems from Bismuth, freshly unbubbled in the temple, than from anyone else. He wasn't exactly well-informed on the subject.
Yellow Pearl sniffed, derisive. Her distaste for this gem, Heliodor, was apparent. "Then we should continue; My Diamond awaits us."
Steven looked out the window again, catching one last glimpse before hurrying after Yellow Pearl. "Do you know her?"
Yellow Pearl huffed, "It is not a pearl's place to know other gems."
Steven frowned. "What about your friends? Don't you and Blue Pearl get along?"
"I communicate effectively with any gem My Diamond requires me to. Whatever this 'friends' is, it is clearly outside of a pearl's duty."
Steven didn't know what to make of that. A horrible thought occurred to him. "Wait, you do get time off at least, right?"
"Time off of what?" the pearl asked, perplexed. She didn't seem to be enjoying Steven's questioning whatsoever.
"Time where you're not working? Time to relax? To do whatever you want?" Did she seriously not know?
Yellow Pearl glanced over, exasperated. "My wants," she spat the word, as if the very taste of it was repugnant, "are irrelevant. My purpose is to serve My Diamond in whatever she requires. At any time she requires it."
Steven fell silent, the only sound the tapping of the pair's feet against the ever-pristine floor. That would explain why Homeworld gems were so formal and uptight: they didn't get time off, ever, didn't even know what friends were. Was their only purpose in life to work? Did they truly find their jobs so fulfilling? Didn't anyone make time for fun? For family?
Everything had just gotten a lot more complicated in Steven's mind.
He remained in his thoughts until the hall opened up, transitioning into a broad, railingless bridge between two buildings. What was it with Homeworld and sheer drops?
The bridge led up to a massive door, flanked by yellow walls adorned with murals and yet another pair of twin topazes. Ornate statues lined the sides of the bridge, suspended in empty space above the drop. A few of them had fountain attachments, the graceful flowing of water augmenting their angular beauty. None of these statues seemed to be alive, though, unlike the ones outside Blue's pool room.
Steven followed Yellow Pearl through the massive doors, heart weighing heavier with each step. The room opened up into a wide chamber, brightly lit from the diamond-shaped lights set in the wall, along with a rather ominous, ambient source of illumination Steven couldn't pinpoint. Intricate geometric latticework ran along the walls, bubbles floating high out of Steven's reach. A large throne dominated the room - the only furniture in it, in fact - and sat upon the throne, turned slightly away, was Yellow Diamond. Steven gulped.
"Pink," Yellow greeted, terse. Her voice was cool, deliberately disinterested, though her hand hovered motionless over the screen before her, betraying her hidden interest.
"Hi, Yellow," Steven offered, timid. He kept his gaze away from the diamond, taking in the room more closely.
Steven now saw there were gems floating in the bubbles around the room, some of which seemed odd- He squinted up at them. Oh stars- were those shard fusions? Steven hurriedly looked away, ten times as tense; if he'd still been human he might've even puked. Why was she keeping those here? Did she make them? What was this, some sort of horrible gem experimentation chamber? Why would she bring Steven here?
Yellow finally tapped a finger against her screen, closing it. She peered impassively at Steven. "So, you met with White," her words had a bite to them, a faint bitterness that bled through the monotone.
Steven nodded, keeping his eyes on his feet.
Yellow huffed. He could practically hear her rolling her eyes. "Use your words, Pink. You're not a pearl."
Steven bristled momentarily; what was wrong with pearls? But anxiety overcame him again. "Y-yes, I met White," he confirmed.
Yellow leaned back in the throne, steepling her hands. Steven watched the movements, fearful. "And?" she queried, impatient. Expectant.
"Uh, well, she said, 'Welcome home'?" What more did Yellow want? It's not like they actually talked about anything; White did all the speaking, mysterious and cryptically terrifying as she monologued.
Yellow looked away, then back. She clucked her tongue, derisive. "It's so unfair. I have hundreds of successful crystal system colonies, thousands of warships under my command, but when your one colony is a failure, you get to see her." Was she… pouting?
"I…" Steven frowned. "If you really want to get her attention, why not just… fail?"
Yellow's brows shot up. She leaned forward, staring at Steven, before her lips parted, a laugh escaping her. It boomed about the room, near-hysterical as Yellow clutched her chest.
"Oh, Pink, you remind me why I kept you around; you always did make me laugh." She smiled, shaking her head in endearment, wiping a tear from her eye. "You're almost worth the trouble."
Steven offered a nervous chuckle in return. Well, that was a backhanded compliment if he'd ever heard one. Still, it was probably the nicest thing Yellow had said to him.
Yellow leaned back again, more relaxed. "Sit, Pink. You look like you haven't seen light in centuries." She massaged a temple. "You're making me exhausted." Yellow waved a hand, and a group of pebbles raised a miniature throne for Steven.
Steven walked forward and took the seat, still wary, but less so than before. Yellow at least seemed like she was trying to be nice to him. At any rate, she didn't seem very likely to yell at him, lock him up, or shatter him and use his broken shards as decoration, provided he didn't piss her off. Which, regrettably, was easier said than done.
Yellow pulled up the screen again, and Steven began to fidget. Surely she didn't call him here just to sit around?
After a moment Yellow kneaded her brows, sighing. "There have been skirmishes in sector F-7 again. I'll have to allocate additional forces, but to request fifty warships!" She shook her head. "Absolutely ridiculous. What, am I expected to completely abandon sector T-60 and reassign the entirety of its post? My armies may be vast, but these defectives should've been dealt with decades ago."
"There have been skirmishes?" Steven asked, curiosity winning out over common sense. He hoped it wasn't Lars and the off-colors.
Yellow's eyes flicked to him for a moment, then back to the screen. She scrolled through a few pages, then answered, "The insubordinate bismuths and off-color peridots from the botched kindergarten on Colony 417 still haven't been apprehended. To make matters worse, they've now corrupted at least a dozen rubies, among others, into aiding their crimes of piracy and terrorism, and acquired a force of over twenty craft in total, one of which is a military warship." Yellow sighed wearily, though Steven couldn't bring himself to feel sorry for her. If it were up to him (which it most definitely wasn't), he'd let the supposed 'defectives' stay on Earth. He was sure the Crystal Gems would welcome them with open arms.
"It's become increasingly apparent that at least one high-ranking gem has been aiding their efforts from the inside, aside from that imbecilic chrysoprase that tried to cover up this debacle to begin with, buying them the time to become such a pest in the first place." Yellow shook her head irritably. "Rest assured, when I find this traitor I will shatter her, personally, for her insolence." Yellow's voice was dark and cruel, and Steven shuddered. As awful as it was, he was glad the anger wasn't directed at him.
Yellow swept her hand to the side, dispersing the screen once more. "You're too quiet," she accused, and Steven was unpleasantly the center of attention again. "Whatever's bothering you, Pink, just spit it out already. Some of us have work to do."
A flash of frustration, cornered by fear, swept through Steven. Yellow was the one who'd asked for him! It wasn't his fault that he didn't know what she wanted. He wished she'd just get the point already so he could leave. "I'm… fine, Yellow," he stated.
Yellow leveled him a look that dripped with disbelief. "I really have to do everything for you, don't I, Pink?" The question was plainly rhetorical, and Steven cringed. "Stars know you won't fix your problems yourself. If anything, you'll end up destroying yet another chamber, and I assure you White will not take as kindly to your antics as Blue and I." She paused, then, when Steven didn't respond, really did roll her eyes. "I am offering you assistance, Pink. To take valuable time out of my day to see that whatever inane crisis you're fixated on is removed. The least you can do is accept it."
"There's really nothing…" that you'd actually do, Steven finished silently.
Yellow remained unconvinced. "I've received a report of your meeting with Turquoise. She assures us that your… issue, will be rectified with utmost haste." She paused, narrowing her eyes as Steven looked away. "What else could possibly be wrong? We have been unduly patient with your little outbursts, Pink; we all know this needs to stop, both for your sake and ours." Yellow's fingers rapped on the arm of the throne; she studied Steven intently.
"I…" Steven began. He gripped his knees tightly, scrambling to come up with an excuse: anything that wouldn't immediately make Yellow want to kill him.
"By the Authority, Pink, just say it!" Yellow snapped. She pounded her fist against the arm of the chair, not hard enough to break it, but more than enough to get her point across.
Steven flinched back, hand reflexively protecting his gem, and Yellow froze. Her shoulders and jaw tightened, and suddenly the tables were turned; Yellow was the one avoiding Steven's gaze.
Abruptly, the diamond rose. She strode to a wall and it parted before her; a balcony opened out, flawlessly integrating itself into the surrounding structure. Yellow let out a tense breath, hands tightening about the railing as she looked out over the city, suspended beneath the rose-tinted sky.
Steven took a minute to collect himself, grateful that Yellow had chosen to ignore him, at least for the moment. Once he was sure he wasn't going to explode, or worse, he got up, making his way around Yellow's throne to peer out.
A patchwork view, partially obstructed by the railing's twining geometric supports, suited much more for someone of Yellow's height than his, spanned of the city surrounding them. Tall, colorful buildings and chasm-like streets glowed without the need of sun, a few small craft zipping by the open space (Steven thought they were too small to carry gems, unless they were pebbles). Transfixed, Steven drew closer, taking in the alien sights of a whole new facet of Homeworld.
The seconds passed, turning to minutes, and neither made a move to speak. Steven began to relax again, eventually drawing close to an empty square in the fence, of perfect height to peer over. He crossed his arms, resting his chin on them, and watched the city bustle around the still balcony, an empty alcove in a sea of purpose.
Eventually, though, Yellow remembered him, breaking the silence. "Why have you done this to us, Pink?" the diamond lamented, worn. "We gave you everything you ever wanted. When you asked for your own Court, we gave you the gems to fill it. When you cried for your little toys and odd chambers, your silly zoos, we built them. When you begged, begged for a colony, we provided it to you, along with research facilities, weapons, and an army to conquer it! I gave you a hundred of my best ships, manned with my most effective crews, despite the fact that the primitive lifeforms in the area posed no risk to any gem. I provided you everything you needed to succeed, and you threw it away! And for what? To rid yourself of the responsibility you pled for? To play at war? To protect some insignificant organics? To pretend to be someone else?" Yellow looked down at him. "And you're still pretending, Pink," she stated bitterly, a pain in her expression hinting at betrayal.
"I'm not," Steven insisted. "I'm not pretending."
"This isn't a joke," Yellow spat. "You-"
"I'm not joking!" Steven interrupted.
Yellow threw up her hand, shouting, "That's enough, Pink!"
Steven shut his mouth with an audible snap, breath leaving him in a shudder. Yellow's hand curled into a fist as she looked away once more, anger written in every line of her body. A moment passed, both of them stiff with tension, before Yellow sighed, exhaustion mingling with exasperation. She rested her elbow on the rail, laying her hand across her eyes. If he didn't know better, Steven would've thought she was in pain.
"Why must it always come to this, Pink?" Yellow mused, cynical. She threw her hand out in an exasperated gesture. "To keep the company of rebels, defectives, and organics over your own kind… What did we do to deserve such hatred? All we ever asked, all we ever wanted was for you to shine: become the diamond you were made to be. And you repay our kindness with lies. Grief."
"I never wanted this," Steven said sadly.
Yellow looked to him, skeptical. "Then what did you want?" Her words were frustrated, but held an honest question, a need to know.
A beat, maybe two, of a human heart passed, somewhere far away from this place. "I don't know," Steven answered, voice soft as he blinked back a sudden wave of tears. He wished he did.
Yellow pondered a moment, pressing her knuckles to her lips, before she turned around, leaning back against the rail. She crossed her arms over her chest, though the motion was more thoughtful than angry.
"You always were so soft, Pink. So naïve. I…" She stared off into the middleground, caught in images Steven couldn't see. "I regret not doing more to keep you safe."
The almost-apology surprised Steven. It wasn't an admission of guilt, but it was apparent that even Yellow didn't like the animosity between them- was attempting to rectify it. Steven felt a bitter pang run through his chest, an echo of something that might have been. Maybe things weren't as hopeless as he feared; maybe there was still time to change the diamonds' minds.
"I'm sorry, Yellow," Steven said, and the diamond started from her thoughts, looking to him in surprise. "This is all my fault." Even Yellow was hurting because of his mom- because of him.
"Yes, it is," Yellow agreed, punctuated by a bitter laugh. "Though I never expected you to admit it."
"I… I kinda pride myself on surprising people," Steven offered, sharing a shy smile.
His attempt to lighten the mood worked: Yellow's lip quirked up; her eyes softened. They breathed in sync, drinking in the momentary truce.
"Why did you call me here?" Steven asked, after a moment.
Yellow looked away, a frown appearing once more. "You met with White," she stated, deadpan.
"…Oh," Steven realized, finally seeing the picture. Yellow rolled her eyes. "She- Really, nothing happened. She just talked for a bit; I couldn't even get a word in edgewise."
Yellow huffed a laugh. "That sounds like White. The last time I spoke with her, I managed to get in a total of six words and a hand gesture." She smirked. "Blue and I have a running bet on who can get her to listen the longest; naturally, I'm in the lead, have been for the past seventeen-thousand years."
Steven smiled, despite himself. He hadn't thought of the diamonds in that way before, to be so petty as to bet on conversations. He wondered what the prize would be for winning.
"Maybe Blue would do better if she talked louder," Steven suggested, and Yellow gave an appreciative chuckle.
"She would never; you know what she says," Yellow began to mimic Blue's voice, with a surprising degree of success, "'To raise one's voice is to admit weakness.' Hah! And she wonders why her colonies take twice as long to build as mine." Yellow shook her head wryly. "For once she could take a shine to your methods, Pink. You've never had trouble making yourself heard."
Steven shuffled awkwardly, letting out a noise somewhere between a laugh and a sigh. "Sorry," he murmured.
Yellow huffed. "You've never been sorry for anything in your life, Pink; by all means, don't start doubting yourself now. It's unbecoming." Steven was confused; she'd seemed to accept his apology earlier, yet she didn't want him to apologize now? Yellow interrupted his thoughts, continuing without venom, "However deplorable your actions have been, at least you've held firm to them: the one thing you've done right," she paused, raising her brows with an vexed half-roll of her eyes, "even when you do everything else entirely wrong."
Steven wasn't quite sure how to respond; he couldn't decide if she was reprimanding him or praising him- well, his mom. Could she possibly do both? His thoughts were cut off once again, this time by the sound of footsteps. Judging by how light they were he expected Yellow Pearl, and a moment later his guess was proved right.
"My Diamond, it is time for your meeting with Demantoid," Yellow Pearl asserted, smug as always.
"Already?" Yellow pushed off from the rail with a sigh, brushing some nonexistent dust from her glove. "Walk with me, Pink."
"Oh, okay," Steven acquiesced, following in Yellow's wake.
He forced himself not to look at the bubbles (and the horrors they contained) as they passed through the throne room once more, then out and across the bridge. Yellow walked at an accommodating speed, slow enough that Steven and Yellow Pearl barely had to rush to keep pace. It was interesting to see the almost ridiculously ornate diamond-sized hallways instead of the plainer ones the pearls had led him through, even if it did leave him feeling exposed, and Steven found himself falling a bit behind to take it all in.
Yellow glanced back at him, perhaps to see if he was still there, before chiding, "Keep up, Pink." She waited until Steven had fallen in step beside her to continue. "You've been spending too much time sulking in your personal chamber. You should redecorate; that's always cheered you up."
Steven bit his lip. "Wasn't everything just repaired…?" He really had more important things on his mind at the moment. Besides, he didn't know the first thing about Homeworld-approved décor, and he wouldn't want to undo anyone's hard work… and it's not like any of his mom's stuff was really his.
Yellow rolled her eyes. "Yes, I heard about your little tantrum from Blue. At least you managed to see sense in the end. But, that aside, now is the perfect time to improve your chambers; the laborers have already been acquainted with your return." She clapped her hands together, decided. "I'll set up a meeting for you with several of my most prominent architects- well, and perhaps one or two of Blue's; you know how she is about art- and you can refit your rooms to your preference." An unfamiliar green gem in a full-length dress crossed the hall behind them, offering a quick salute, but Yellow paid no notice, continuing her spiel. "So much has changed- the holograms in particular, just wait until you see them in color! They're every bit as detailed as video, now. And you'll love some of the new crystal the Bismuths have come up with. It sparkles like nothing else- too gaudy for my tastes, but Blue insisted on continuing development even after your… absence." Yellow's smile grew tight, but only for a moment. She looked down at Steven, encouraging, "You'll be so glad to have a new project, won't you Pink?"
It wasn't truly a question, but Steven still felt pressured to answer. "Yeah… of course." He forced a smile, and Yellow's grew more satisfied in return.
"It's settled then." Yellow nodded to herself, accentuating her confidence with a decided motion of her hand. "Everything will be perfect; you'll leave all your nonsense in the past and move on to better things, those suitable for your station."
Steven withheld a sigh. Yellow was appraising him, no doubt waiting for another affirmative, another promise to do better, but he couldn't bring himself to offer one. It would only be a lie. He settled on another insincere smile, which, fortunately, Yellow seemed to accept.
The hall reached a fork ahead, marked by two sets of enormous doors, and Yellow took the left path, the wider of the two. The door opened soundlessly at their approach, though the noise of shouting reached Steven's ears a moment later. Rounding the corner, a gaggle of quartzes could be seen: a few jaspers, some amethysts, and what looked to be a red agate: the one responsible for said yelling. The group's yellow jumpsuits marked them as a part of Yellow's army… or maybe court? They served Yellow, anyway.
Upon seeing Yellow the majority of the gems froze, backing against the wall and offering an assortment of dutiful and startled salutes. Unfortunately for the agate, her back was turned, leaving her to continue railing against a progressively-more-terrified amethyst, desperately trying (and failing) to alert her commander to the diamond looming behind her.
The agate, completely ignorant to Yellow's increasingly-aggravated stare, continued her rant, "-might as well replace you with a pebble! You can't even-"
"Agate," Yellow snapped, words like a whip's crack, and said gem spun about. She clumsily stumbled into a salute as she looked forward, then up, realizing just who was before her.
"My Diamond!" she cried. "Forgive me-"
"Do clarify why, exactly, you thought it appropriate to conduct yourself so negligently in the diamond halls," Yellow demanded, cutting off what was likely to be a hopeless excuse.
If gems could pale, Steven was sure Agate would be white. She sputtered, "M-my Diamond, I can explain, this amethyst-"
"Then explain yourself, Agate, so I don't have to listen to your excuses," Yellow commanded, tapping her foot to emphasize her impatience, looming menacingly over the other gem.
Agate gulped. Her eyes dashed around; the other quartzes did their best to avoid returning her gaze, stiffly holding their salutes. "Please forgive me, your Radiance, I shouldn't have disturbed you by reprimanding this worthless soldier here. I assure you, this will never happen again."
Yellow considered this for a moment, then waved a hand dismissively, saying, "Ensure that it doesn't." The short statement sounded much more threatening than it had any right to. As Agate opened her mouth Yellow continued, "Now leave. Before I reconsider my leniency."
Agate bowed, practically groveling before Yellow. "Of course, My Diamond! Right away, My Diamond." She turned to the soldiers, her personality doing a one-eighty before Steven's eyes. "You heard your Diamond! Move it, you lazy clouts, before I turn you lot into paperweights!"
The other quartzes scurried into a formation, shooting terrified, aweful glances back at Yellow as they began to march in time down the hall. The amethyst that had been reprimanded fell in last, cowed under the judgmental watch of both Yellow and Agate, very much looking like she would rather be back in her kindergarten hole than here.
For a moment the situation seemed resolved, at least until the procession made a sharp turn into a connecting (much smaller) hall. While the rest of the quartzes kept their steps in perfect sync, the last amethyst was ever-so-slightly off-step, and when she pivoted into the turn she tripped over her own feet, falling face first into the others. Several toppled like dominoes, coming to form a very ungainly pile of mortified gems, trying to untangle themselves.
Agate seemed even redder than before as she shouted, "Get up, you worthless heaps of dirt! What do you think you're doing; your Diamond is watching!"
Yellow stalked forward; the hall held its breath. The quartzes quickly regained their feet, offering salutes as they glared at the offending amethyst.
"I am so sorry, My Diamond," Agate spoke. "I assure you this amethyst will be punished most severely." She began to aggressively shoo the quartzes on, but Yellow held up a hand.
"Stop." Yellow spared barely a glance for Agate before her eyes bored once more into the cowering amethyst's skull. "What," she spat, "is the meaning of this?"
Steven couldn't help but shrink back at Yellow's tone, an imitation of the amethyst's flinch. The purple gem grimaced, though her voice barely betrayed her anxiety, "It was a mistake, My Diamond. It won't happen again."
"A mistake," Yellow repeated.
Surprisingly, the agate spoke up, "My Diamond, there's really no need to concern yourself with something so trivial…"
Yellow's eyes flashed and the agate, wisely, stopped talking. "Just how long has this one," she gestured dismissively to the poor amethyst, "been causing these problems?"
"My Diamond," the agate began placatingly, but one of the jaspers interrupted.
"She's been messing up our drills for weeks! Uh, My Diamond."
"And is there a reason for these interruptions, Amethyst?" Yellow asked, and Steven had a terrible feeling about whatever was to happen next.
The amethyst was starting to look very faint. An edge of panic crept into her voice, "I- It's not what you think- I'll pay more attention!"
"I don't want excuses, Amethyst, I want answers." Yellow paused, leaving the amethyst gaping like a fish. She gave an exasperated shake of her head, then looked back to the agate. "I've seen enough. This gem is clearly unfit for duty."
"Please, My Diamond! I'll do better! I-"
Yellow talked over the amethyst, loudly, "You've had your chance and you've failed; those who cannot serve must be culled from the ranks for the benefit of the whole." Her voice was like ice, and it cut just as fiercely into Steven's chest. She turned back to the agate, then, dreadfully, the fateful words came. "Break her."
There was a collective intake of breath. For a moment Steven thought the agate would object, but then she bowed, resigned. "Yes, My Diamond."
No… he couldn't let this happen. He had to do something! But his mind was reeling, his limbs leaden; all he could see was blood and sand…
"No!" the amethyst cried, an echo of Steven's thoughts. "Please, don't do this! I won't make a mistake again, I swear-!"
"Shut your mouth!" Yellow's patience was clearly gone. She drew back her hand, crackling with electricity…
Steven forced his body into motion. Act now; think later! He stepped forward, propelling himself between the now-groveling amethyst and Yellow, arms outstretched.
"Stop!" he yelled, and the sharp crack of shattered glass echoed through the hall. He didn't bother to check what he'd broken this time.
For a moment there was silence, Yellow glaring down at him, barely keeping her own powers in check. "This isn't your concern, Pink-"
"It is my concern! You can't just kill someone for making a mistake! She-"
It was Yellow's turn to cut him off. "Do not interrupt! This inadequacy cannot be allowed to continue. If we bend the rules for one, we must bend them for everyone! I cannot permit that to happen!"
"Then demote her or something! She tripped; accidents happen all the time!" It wasn't fair!
"They do not!" Yellow lowered her voice warningly. "Don't presume to know better than me what is necessary."
Steven could feel himself shaking. "What, because you think she's defective? Is that it?"
Yellow growled, "Of course she's defective! In case you've forgotten, Amethysts are soldiers; they do not simply trip, let alone show a pattern of such ineptitude, unless they are fundamentally flawed. Now move, or-"
"Or what? You'll make me? You'll shatter me?" Steven held his ground, and for once Yellow was speechless. "Then go ahead, Yellow!" he cried, tears running down his face. "I'm ten times as defective as this amethyst, and you know it!"
Yellow looked away, hissing, "You're not defective, Pink." She seemed sickened by the very thought.
Steven knew he should stop, but he couldn't keep the words from rolling off his tongue, marred as they were by sobs. "Yes, I am! The very first time you saw me you said I should be shattered just- just for looking like myself! Everything I do is a failure to you, from Earth right down to my very existence! Well, go ahead, Yellow! Uphold your stupid rules! I'm already broken, so just do it; finish what you started!" He stared Yellow down, daring her to reply. "Well?" he demanded. "What are you waiting for?"
Yellow's fist clenched, so tight it looked as if her fingers might break, but, tellingly, she said nothing.
Steven looked away. "That's what I thought," he murmured. He couldn't help the trickle of relief that flowed through him; Yellow wasn't going to shatter him, after all.
He let out a pitiful noise, scrubbing his face as he shunted down his turmoil. This isn't about you. He ignored the stunned faces of the gems around him, turning instead to the amethyst behind him. She stared up at him, shaking, tears running down her face. She seemed to be in shock, unable to say a word, and Steven knew in that instant that he would do anything to protect her.
"Come with me," Steven said, reaching out a hand.
The amethyst stared for a moment, then grabbed it desperately, as if clutching a sinking lifeline. Steven pulled her to her feet and for a moment they stared eye-to-eye, sharing something deeper than words.
"I won't let them hurt you," Steven reassured, with a degree of confidence he certainly didn't feel. Truth be told, he wouldn't put it past Yellow to crush him at any moment. He started walking, dragging the amethyst along with him, away from her impending doom.
"Where do you think you're going, Pink?" Yellow regained her words, immediately demanding answers.
"I'm going… I'm going to my room," Steven replied. It's not like he could go anywhere else.
Yellow grit her teeth. It seemed she was trying desperately to retain her composure. "That's not going to happen. Let the amethyst go, and I won't have to take you back to the tower."
Steven stopped. He squared his back, looked up into his murderer's face, and spat the one word he desperately wished he didn't have to say, "No."
"Pink, this is your final warning." Yellow's voice was quiet now, a furious hiss between her teeth, but Steven refused to be cowed by it.
"No, Yellow." Steven summoned his shield in his free hand, holding it at the ready, only vaguely noticing its distinctly not-round shape. "I won't let you hurt her, even if I- have to fight you!" His breath was coming quickly now, the room closing in, but he was betting this was a bluff. There was no way Yellow would actually fight him, right? Not after-
Yellow looked to the shield, to the gems still clustered by the hall, then back to him, fists clenching and unclenching. Steven saw the look on her face change, harden into something distinctly diamond, and he blanched. Oh, stars. He was truly dead this time. He turned to look at the amethyst behind him, still clutching his hand like it was the only object left in the world, then back to Yellow, then to the cluster of gems to his left, the small hallway behind them. Stuck in the midst of a million possibilities, for a split-second there was only stillness, a heavy fog of indecision. Until Yellow moved. She stepped forward and Steven, fighting back panicked visions of death, turned tail and ran to the hall, too small for Yellow to follow, if only he could reach it before- No, he wouldn't let that happen! He pushed past the quartzes in his way, the warm hand in his - someone he needed to protect - the only thing keeping him from breaking down on the spot.
His terrible feeling had been a terrible, terrible understatement.