Snow and Stevonnie come across a door that can only be opened by song...
Snow had met plenty of humans during her life on Earth. While she was practically supposed to observe from a distance, Snow fell into a habit of meeting new and interesting people.
Specifically those of alternate beliefs. She'd wandered into a temple of sorts, known as a church and sat in the middle set of pews on the right side, where she was behind a fair few people. No one noticed that she wasn't human as they all had their heads down. She did the same. Having never been in a Church before, she could hear the chatter and sermon of a man in robes at the front as he talked about his God and all kinds of fascinating terms. Her mind would not come to the belief that humans could be taught such things as a leader who lived in their skies and never dared to show himself. Sounded like the Diamonds, really.
Snow liked the atmosphere though. The people listened and were silent. The candles everywhere held an interesting glow. Primitive constructs were beautiful in their own unique way as she was busy in noting down the environment she found herself in.
She spoke with the man after his sermon, wondering if she could learn more about this faction of humans. He handed her a black book which she was excited to read but had to ask him a question about the nature of humans. Good, bad...more of the places they could be when they died. Not all humans were completely innocent and not all humans were completely bad.
"Not everyone who goes to Heaven, is exempt from Hell."
The nature of the book was filled with confusing analogues and paraphrases and some even contradicted earlier chapters. She knew what Heaven was and what Hell was now, however. Her research in the matter lead her to find many more books on the topic, garnering the means of sin and the love of God.
Whether or not Gem kind would gain much out of it either. It'd be relevant to what ever the Humans believed in. The simple notion of all an powerful creator was lost on Snow, though creation itself was neither here or there. But it did bring a source of comfort to the people who attended. They took to such beliefs for what ever reason.
Gem kind believed in the power of the Diamonds and their all-knowing, all-sparkling light. They made the rules. They made them. That is the tale of their creation.
Heaven seemed like a source of purity and general goodness and Hell was a source of corruptibility and boiling evils. The differences of light and darkness were very known to them.
Some of it made sense from a humans perspective...based on their own sets of morals and boundaries they'd set for themselves. Not too dissimilar from Homeworlds policies.
Since the Rebellion and the cessation of the war, it became clearer to change these policies as they seemed to hurt themselves more than they helped. The light itself could shine from the Heavens...or from the belly of hell where darkness slept. The Lillim were images of Hellspawn come to corrupt the innocent.
As Snow walked alongside Stevonnie, she walked alongside a Diamond. Part of a Diamond. Child of a Diamond. Like Gods Son in the scriptures. Subjected to the sins of everyone else only to wiped away on songs of sacrifice.
It made her wonder, that could God himself be corrupted? Diamonds were not Gods but they were the closest equivalent that existed.
The Prophecy of Black Star could be another Gem like Edda in the tales yet to be told. They were getting closer now. Only a few more rooms to go. She'd hoped the others were doing okay, even if they did have a ways to go.
"I'm wondering, you've been to Homeworld recently." Said Stevonnie, cutting the silence.
"How have things been there lately?"
Changes on the mend with constant discussion and debate over how to change gem lives for the better.
"Much deliberation over their rules and ruminations. Some Gems are taking it harder than others." Snow explained.
"Why? I'd hope with how we convinced White that they all would have embraced it." Stevonnie assumed.
If only that were the simplest truth.
"Every Gem has their role in the Empire. They've stood in that ground for millennia because they know what they are for and some do take pride in their positions. Many fear they will lose all that in the wake of the Diamonds change of heart. It's on the contrary. Many will still keep their roles. Others who did not want to partake are simply allowed to leave." Snow told them.
Stevonnie scratched their chin.
"Leave? They're not saying they're gonna send em all the Earth to live with us?" They wondered.
Snow laughed. Far too idealistic yet, not too far-fetched.
"No, no...it was discussed in a series of forums that they're looking to resurrect dead colonies. Despite all the resources disappearing, they're finding ways to bring them back. Maybe for other free gems to live there." Snow stated.
That was of Blue Diamonds suggestion of course. It would require a lot of effort and may even take thousands of years.
"But as normal with these sorts of ideas, we can see a lot of arguments in for and against this sort of dilemma. Be glad you don't delve into the more complicated aspect of Gem Politics."
She wouldn't expect Steven to put his foot down in opposition. He was part of them. Their discussions would go unimpeded without him there, though his contribution could be worthwhile. His perspective and fresh look on the reality before them, as well as potentially fantastic ideas they'd never even heard of could be valuable. But their stance was clear. For the moment.
"Okay this room is locked with a code." Black Pearl announced.
"Oh...this is one of the musical locks. Requires a tune to unlock it."
Stevonnie furrowed a brow in confusion.
"A song?" They murmured.
Snow laughed. This was so typical of Milky.
"A Snowsong, no doubt." She told them.
"Which means what ever is behind there is not for prying eyes."
She made a few clicks. No aura or impending darkness was shown. The map didn't detail the rooms contents either. So it was a complete mystery to them.
"I remember Milky talking about it. I don't recall the exact details, but the only words I heard her say was it was about a type of white flower with a bit of yellow in the middle. I looked it up. It said Zinnia but that meant nothing." Black Pearl stated.
A flower of an interesting meaning. She loved her sisters so much that a Snowsong granted them to voice their individualistic natures and feelings with words alone. Words left unheard by everyone else but themselves. It was the only part of themselves they could claim and the core legacy of each Snow Quartz that had been shattered. Milky had several songs made up from past recollection, but Snow did her hardest to try and remember them all. For if she were to be shattered, no one would be left to call on those legacies.
Flowers were simply organic memories left behind. Snow Quartzes would need to learn their meaning and their origins, as Milky had taught her in the past. Simply because if left in frozen wastelands and pastures, they would not learn about life in colour.
"Stevonnie..." Said Snow as she sat down with her legs under her feet while in front of the door. She patted the spot next to her and ushered her to have a seat too.
"Humans can leave powerful histories behind with their deeds. Good, bad...someone will remember. Remembrance is a powerful tool. It speaks of our experiences. But it will not speak for who we are. But for what we leave behind. However we can use it, to project ourselves forward. There will be times will you choose to voice it as you will and times where you will need to leave it behind. You may not forget it, but you will not let it pull you back."
The Fused one was left with their mouth agape of her words. Her kind did that often, unfortunately.
The flower in question Snow understood well enough. They had them planted on the Lillim Homeworld after the war. There was another song she created at the makeshift gravesite of all the Quartz that were forced to be shattered.
Once, we were here...over beyond the stars.
We fought them in fear, cold, dark and shrouded
There were many of us, in the battle of the world to call home.
But the shadows we jest, it all became crowded.
Smash, crash, shattered in blasts!
Come we must move on, we need to, have to win!
Sacrifice here and there, to them it means nothing.
For every one lost, is one given to sin.
Every flying petal, is one of our shards
Called on in sorrow, the call to the dark.
We never gave up, not for one little moment...
Till they called the war over, we had to embark...
She didn't want those memories of the war to surface, but surface they did. She didn't even notice the door had opened until Stevonnie tapped on her shoulder.
The three of them entered, seeing a room she hadn't expected to see. Images of former Snow Quartzes lost to them in time, alongside huge lists of identification numbers. It looked like nearly that all were created in the meantime. Huge x marks were next to each as a reminder of those who had indeed been shattered. It was odd, because this wasn't tech based. All of the boards on all the walls were engraved in bronze manually, alongside the dozens of Zinnia flowers that surrounded them.
"So many lost..." Black Pearl commented.
"Too many lost."
It wouldn't just be those who died in the war. Those who had rebelled against the Diamonds in the past and those who would refuse to do their duties because of their affiliation with the organic planet they grew fond of.
"It's amazing how the Diamonds kept on trying with our line." Snow commented.
"I'd wager that would be also Blue Diamonds doing?" Stevonnie assumed.
Snow smiled. Once you get to know Blue better, she saw potential in all gems. Just...don't get on her bad side.
"I would assume so. She'd preserve as much as she needed us to do things others couldn't." Snow said.
"What was your cut then?" Black Pearl asked.
Snow perked up, trying to remember her designation.
"Oh that...um. Well, that's...that's a great question..."
Her mind dipped into her memories. Deeper still was that she had no need for the ID until now. The Diamonds promptly just called her Snow Quartz, but none of the additional code was added. Did..
Did she even get one? Black Pearls expression looked suspicious.
"It'd have to be on here." Stevonnie suggested.
"One of the earlier ones?"
Snow froze in place. Why couldn't she remember her number in the chain? She was..before...no...she was after.
"Milky praised our individual natures. Each of us had a proper name, as opposed to having specific numbers. But each of them here did...so why..." Snow stumbled.
"People do forget sometimes." Said Stevonnie, it an attempt to assure her. But going from the look on their face, even they were wary.
Snow was left wrestling with her mind. Why was it now, of all times, she'd forget her own ID. Every gem would have one and they'd never forget it. It was then Black Pearl brought out her weapon from her gem; a rapier, then charged towards Snow in a sudden and unexpected bout of hostility.
"You're one of them aren't you?" Black Pearl sneered.
Stevonnie was stunned at the gems anger.
"You're a Lillim Gem! Luring us in here so you can corrupt us!"
Certainly not true! Definitely not true! Snow stood her ground.
"I am not a Lillim Gem!" She roared, her voice shaking the room slightly as she pulled out her weapon, a black and white doubled sided axe, out of her forehead to defend herself. She wondered how Dori would feel about that.
Black Pearl aimed her blade at Snow's forehead.
"This is a list of EVERY Snow Quartz. You see? It says THEY'RE ALL DEAD!" The Pearl roared back.
Stevonnie pulled out their blade and aimed it towards Black Pearl.
"Hey back off! Snow is on our side. I don't know why she's not listed on here either. But one thing I do know...is that she is not a Lillim Gem!" The fusion said with steadfast confidence.
Black Pearl looked offended.
"You better do as the Diamond says." Snow told her.
The dark gem started to shake with rage.
"But...My Diamond, how can...how you not see? Milky was astute with her notes! She would not have forgotten a single Snow Quartz gem if she could help it!" Black Pearl pointed out.
Unless. Milky did it on purpose. Milky left her name out. For one reason or another. The list didn't seem to include Milky's name either. Every other Quartz here was marked dead..and within her own instinct, she knew Milky wasn't dead.
"My name is Stevonnie and I will ask nicely. Put...the weapon...down." They said, their tone low but filled with threatened breaths. They remained in a stance with their legs wide and form that was left unmoved. Like a true warrior of courage.
Black Pearl stood back and withdrew her weapon. She grumbled something under her breath.
"Of course...My Stevonnie." Black Pearl said out of obligation.
Snow stared at the fusion as they looked back at them.
"I was also going to suggest, maybe there's another room filled with names. Or maybe this was just a memorial room. For old times sake." Said Stevonnie.
They had a point. Well Snow didn't know the exact number, of course Milky would be sentimental about it.
"Possibly. A Snowsong to enter wouldn't be out of line with her either. Come on, if we're done shouting, we should be close to there now." Said Snow as she unsummoned her weapon.
They left together as Black Pearl followed. It could have been nothing, but not once was Snow ever asked for her code. Usually, a Snow Quartz is summoned at random or at behest of their kind being contacted and one at random was always chosen. She had her own comm line and with number but not a code she would have recieved since the start of her incubation. But for what ever reason, she simply could not recall it. Snow hoped once they met up with Milky, she'd be able to answer that.
It was then the screeches and the static returned to haunt them once more.