Snow and Jasper save Greg and encounter...other issues.

Snow felt Jasper needed a bit of TLC. A gem lost in the chaos of too many answers thrown at her at once. She cried foul and left in deep want of a part of the new world that would accept her. That she allowed Snow to see what she had seen, knowing that their similarities would have them bond together. Snow wasn't as lost as she, but left just as confused. All the struggle for those they care about to survive and to save the world, if not the galaxy, from a horrible fate.

For now, they had more of a priority to take care of. They didn't find anything of note in the room they found, so they carried on down further the hallways. Again, the deeper they got, the more decrepit the environment became. Dori then became more proactive as she charged forward, recognizing a scent. It must have been Greg. The two Quartzes got a move on, hot on Dori's heel.

Another locked door. Dori scratched it twice before they approached it. There weren't any security scanners or anything. Jasper pulled her back and used her crash helmet to bust it open.

"So much for tight security." She noted with a trickle of sarcasm.

They wandered inside. The room was dark, save for any LEDs that were scattered here and there. Although they couldn't see anything, they did hear something.

"Uhh...hello, anyone there?" Called out a familiar voice.

Snow swallowed.

"Greg is that you?" She asked.

"It's Snow!"

She felt relief on hearing his voice again.

"You better not be an illusion, but I'm so glad you're here. If you're real, you'll cut me loose, right?"

Snow couldn't even see what was going on here. She urged Jasper to find a switch as she made a few clicks. No auras in this room. The room went brighter as she gasped at seeing Greg in the metal contraption before her. Poor guy didn't deserve this, feeling absolutely awful that he had to fall into this. She jumped up and placed her feet on two horizontal poles, which spread her legs and practically tower over Greg himself, who had his eyes widened as he looked at her, obviously a bit nervous and shaken. What had they done to him?

"Oh hi..." He said, awkwardly.

She smiled at him. She could see that he looked warn as she grabbed a hold of his chin and checked his features. He had red shaped branch like patches on his skin. An indicator of electrocution. This was more than cruel.

"Are you alright?" She asked him.

He nodded, showing off a bit more red on his cheeks.

"Much better that you're here...although I would be more so if you would be so kind to let me out." He requested.

She nodded, seeing how he was strapped down via his wrists, his neck and his ankles. She couldn't help but feel his stare as she took to doing so.

"How is...everyone?" He asked her, with his voice low.

She sighed. How could she tell him? How could she tell him how everything went wrong. Her face fell, unable to look up at him as she finished with the left most wrist strap then went to the right.

"That bad huh...well, once we're somewhere safe, I know I have loads to tell you as well. I think I do anyway, I just don't understand any of it..."

She appreciated that. But she had to make sure he knew exactly what was going on. It was only right. She then went to the neck strap, forcing her to lean on him as a grunt of surprise escaped his throat. She put an arm around his neck and made sure she wasn't going to be too tight as to choke the poor man. She felt his beard against her cheek as she focused on the more complicated back strap, as well as his body and his quickened heartbeat underneath hers. He must have been terrified. Again, fault of her own in dragging them here, not to mention he's someone who has no real means at defending himself.

"I'm sorry Greg." She told him.

"What for?" He asked, perplexed.

"I..."

She stopped with the back and then pushed herself off of him, then worked on the ankle straps. She did note his confused expression as she didn't finish her answer.

Once she was done, she jumped down and drew out her arms for him to jump. He rubbed his wrists and held the face of uncertainty before he jumped down into her arms. She smiled at him once more as he was a bit worried, but as soon as he responded in kind, she felt her own cheeks heat up, for reasons unknown to her. She let him on to his own two feet again as he sighed with relief.

"What about Lion? According to the two gems that were here, he was in the same position as me." Greg queried.

The whole room rattled violently, as they heard the loudest screech, which had Greg cover his ears with his hands in the fastest of reflexes. Darkness ran rampant behind the glass mirror, shrouded its occupant but at the time, reminding them of what they were really up against. Snow had to know more.

"You...you'd think years of dealing with audio would grant me some kind of immunity...but it doesn't."

A huge storage of Lillim, no doubt. As he could see Greg shiver, it became noted that the Lillim were extremely near, especially with Dori's loud growls. She looked at Jasper too, who stood by the door and looked on the defensive.

"We'll have to come back for Lion. Greg, we'll get you to safety first." Snow ordered.

A lot filtered through Snow's mind as how to approach it with him. But first, she had to make sure he was comfortable.

They got back to Diga's Room without too much fuss. Greg questioned the factory aesthetic, before he noticed Connie asleep in the bed nearby with Lapis, noting the gem on her forehead, then seeing...Pink Steven standing there by the bed itself as he stared outwards. A washed wave of anxiety plunged deep into Snow, anchoring her in as she waited for the inevitable to occur.

"Steven!" He called out as he ran over. Snow broke free of her bind and followed, barring him from going any further by blocking him with her arm.

"Careful." She cautioned.

"It's Steven, but not as you know him."

Greg's attitude did a total 180 going from being enthused to seeing his son to...distraught.

"Oh geez, what's he gotten himself into this time?" Greg questioned.

They talked about how this version of Steven was simply his gem who had been discarded from his human form. He'll respond with Connie but hardly anyone else and is only interested in self-preservation. Peridot joined in as well as Lapis as they explained the battle that occurred in the Delta Kindergarten, turning Connie into a half gem like Steven, as well as losing Garnet, Amethyst and Pearl to the Lillim. His eyes went wider and wider as the tale went on and It wasn't long until Greg started hyper ventilating, almost losing it completely Snow took him away as he struggled to breath, sitting him on a nearby chair on the other side of the room, their backs to the middle pillar and out of their sight. She rubbed his back as he leaned over, with tears falling out at a rapid rate. She should have expected this.

"He's still your son." Snow told him.

He calmed down after a few minutes as Snow grabbed another chair and sat to the left of him, then wrapped a bit of her cloak over him as he tugged on it. Poor man. Snow would often forget humans perspective on gem magic and science would be vastly abstract on first glance. He's had to deal with it, time and time again surely, but stuff like this? Beyond anything else he'd ever dealt with before, going from his hysterical reaction. She felt for him, really. Not much she could do, but try and keep him together and ride the wave with him like she did with many others.

"I know... I'm sorry. It's just...I don't know any better when it comes to all the gem things he does. Rose wanted me out of it for a reason and I gave her the room she needed to do what what she had to. Steven's the same. But I can't help but worry about him. He's done a lot when it comes to the stuff he wants to achieve. But this is too much to bare. Seeing what symbolizes half of his life standing there and not knowing what to do about it scares me the most. N-now his friend is part gem now all of a sudden? And the other Gems? Gone? Oh boy..." He stated.

Losing his own son would be absolutely heartbreaking. He'd already lost the person he'd loved the most. He didn't need this.

"I still wanna have faith in them all." He continued. Greg took a deep breath and grabbed Snow's right hand, much to her surprise. She didn't pull away, as she pressed the top of his hand with her spare left one in comfort. He looked at her with intent, which struck another foreign energy through her.

"They help fill the gaps I can't...and they're family to Steven too."

Snow blinked twice, before she shook her head and grasped his hand.

"I know humanity has its potential in other ways. Having learned from its mistakes and to continue learning from its mistakes with every generation. But seeing it here, in full force. You hold a lot of compassion. I find human philosophy to be an eye opener really." Snow told him.

Greg gave off a small grin that warmed Snow all over.

"Heh...I still can't believe your knowledge on all of this human mind related stuff far outweighs any gem I've ever met. You'd make a great therapist." He complimented.

A slight giggle vibrated in her throat. She wouldn't get ahead of herself on that count. A gem psychologist perhaps, depending on how much be applicable in reality. Snow would only be scraping the surface, if she had to admit it.

"It's like they made you not long ago to help people...you know to help recover from the trauma."

Snow froze at that statement. She was remade...and seeing the image of Diga in her mind made her think. That her essence not only stabilized her being, tethering the two pieces together, but it had forged her entire status. Medusa was her body. Snow was her mind. Diga was her spirit. It made more sense now. For all the accessible data of humans didn't just come from her gem or from her studies or from being taught. She had to have had it from Diga's essence too, knowing how Steven functions on his own persons and maybe perhaps Connie too. All in a similar way. At least, that was her theory. Whether or not she should look at the journals again to see if Diga noted it, it was going to have to wait for a bit. Knowledge born from small memory patches or Howlite's access to Dori's mind did assist in a way. But being the one who had the know how to...force Connie this way? It was a burden to bare.

"Snow?"

She didn't realize that Greg had been looking at her with a concerned look while she had been putting her theory together. His stare stirred something fierce within her, with Snow none the wiser for the abridged pulse of internal light. He needed the courage to get through this. They all did.

"It's...I've...no. I will make sure you all get out alive. I will help the others...they have to be alive and fighting." She responded with shard spread confidence.

"They're amazing warriors, defined and inspired. I trust that they won't go down easily."

She didn't realize her voice had gotten softer and that was she edging her face closer to Gregs, as a tender wave of yearning crashed through her body. This was new...weird but not unpleasant. Painful? Yes...but it was more than that. More than what she could get her head around. She wasn't in pain but it was definitely another part she had no idea what to do with.

"They are, aren't they?" He said, his voice low and quiet, with his face getting closer to Snow's as he drove their hands to her cheek. A subconscious want, a desire...fresh yet chest tightening. She wasn't even paying attention to the world around her, her mind mixed up in sorting out what the stars this had to be.

"And we'll get Steven back. I promise..." Snow whispered unknowingly.

It really was a matter of faith. But there was still so much of the unknown to be explored. Humans had yet to explore their depths as the ocean, fearing the darkness and pressure within. Gems had to deal with it the same way. Or maybe it was Diga talking. How much of it, was really her talking, Snow wondered. Their lips almost came to a close...

"Hey guys!"

The two jolted out of their trance as they spread apart on hearing Peridot yell out to them. They wandered over, as if nothing just happened, to see Connie breathing heavily. Greg went first as he sat down beside her and put the back of his hand on her forehead. Snow could see the sweat that dripped down her cheek.

"She's heating up." Greg commented, clearing his throat as if the last few minutes never happened.

"Symptoms of a fever I'd say."

A fever? Snow would not have believed it. Greg fretted over it, worrying on how her parents would react to all of this.

"I don't remember Steven going through this at any point. I mean, he has the common allergy to pollen but, nothing like this from what I remember."

This definitely wasn't normal then. Human/Gem biology was still considerably new to them and it would take them years to find out the barriers that they would need to understand or overcome. Greg looked deeply troubled by this, as he wanted to cool her temperature down. Lapis utilized her water wings over Connie's forehead and gem. From what little Snow could gather, Connie did take more energy from Pink Steven than the human body could handle. One could underestimate their fragility at times. Gems would have no idea. She got knelt down before the bed and grabbed Connie's hand, then clicked to see her Aura hanging in there.

"I know I had fevers when I was younger." Greg explained further.

"Caused by sickness or infection. Usually bed bound for a few days."

They didn't have a few days to wait however.

"She's been infected?" Peridot exclaimed with worry.

Snow shook her head. Wrong infection.

"No. I don't think so. It could be her body trying to adapt to her Gem. Humans get sick for a variety of reasons."

She felt Connie's hand squeeze in hers, seeing her struggle to open her eyes.

"Hey you need to rest." Snow told her.

She struggled to get each breath, forcing herself to smile at the gem.

"I...Know...but...you mentioned...infection. My...body could be thinking...my Gem is a...foreign object...it could...be fighting it off. I have ibuprofen and a small bottle of water in my backpack...please..."

Did none of them consider the human involved could end up having a negative reaction? She would have thought that Diga would know that. Unless Diga was never human to begin with. Homo Magia...that term popped up in her mind again. Greg pilfered through her bag and brought out a small white box and popped out two white tablets, as well as a bottle to which he aided Connie in swallowing the tablets and tipping the bottle into her mouth.

Snow had to keep her cool. She patted the back of Connie's hand as she got up and walked off. She was getting incredibly angry for all the nonsense this had wrought. Garnet, Amethyst and Pearl were gone, Lion and half of Steven were missing, Milky and the others were no where to be found and now Connie was sick. She wanted to feel hope could guide them through. They needed Connie to help out with this obscure prophecy.

Who was Diga, really.

"Have you considered talking with Apophyllite? After all, they helped us with the whole transition. Practically designed for this purpose." Peridot suggested as she stood by her.

She had a point. A GIS designed for this kind of operation would not have been so blindly made either. They would have been written in the turn of events, guiding them as they went along with the Prophecy in trail. In case Milky and/Or Black Star Sapphire were no longer around. She thanked Peridot and went to the console as its Sphere projected from it.

"I need to know whats going on with Connie. Did anything in the Delta Kindergarten files talk about her getting ill?" Snow queried to it.

"Human Gem growth part of three phase plan. Phase 1. Diamond formation. Status. Completed. Phase 2. Human Gem symbiosis. In Progress. Phase 3: Human/Gem to action course to fight Lillim Gems and Unknown Enemy."

Phase 3 did sound a bit ominous, but Human Gem Symbiosis. It would have to be complicated wouldn't it?

"Explain Human Gem Symbiosis." Peridot asked it.

"Human Gem Symbiosis. Using the genetic information from the human source in line with the Gem's bioenergy , the Gem is interwoven with the human component. In this process, the Gem's magical resonance is required to spread through the blood stream in order to enforce the new Resonance Setting. The Gem's natural magical power can be engaged with right away, but the full response and technique is required to be developed over time. In the meanwhile, the human component can suffer side effects as a result of the Symbiosis, such as nausea, increase in temperature and dehydration due the humans natural responses to an unknown object, as well as the Gems way to blend its bioenergy by fusing with the bodies cellular constructs. Nature of event is Gemma Mixitio Modum."

That would have been nice to know earlier. But they had anticipated it, at least. But it began to frustrate Snow to no end. She wanted to go out there now to save the others since she felt that they were running out of time.

"She'll have to recover." Peridot said.

"Or else it wouldn't make sense for her to go through this." Snow continued. She could see something bothering the smaller gem.

"What is it?"

Peridot sighed as she dragged Snow around to Diga's computer.

"I managed to tinker around with Apophyllite earlier." She said.

"I had it hack local comm logs that it detected in the Southeastern Section. A lot of noise due to Lillim interference primarily but it did pick up an interesting conversation."

Peridot explained to Snow about how it seemed to be a conversation about two individuals, though it wouldn't explain who. It knew Greg and Snow (as Medusa) were in the area at the time. Which meant the conversation would have to have been very recent and a whole bunch of other logs that made zero sense. Snow then remembered Greg had something important to say as well and asked him to come over to speak. The three then sat and discussed what Greg had mention about his experiences with the supposed Master behind the mirror. Every time it shocked him, it reacted in tandem. Like the logs mentioned, according to Peridots notes.

Hearing that Greg had been tortured like that built up protective instincts and made sense about what she saw, but then Greg told them how it somehow connected with him in very strange ways.

"Well, it's weird and kinda hard to explain." Greg stated in an awkward way.

"It was like it was broken. It constantly went through three forms. Steven, Rose and whom I assume was Pink Diamond."

It managed to connect with Greg in a way like it was trying to manipulate him. The nerve!

"Then it settled on a younger version of me. I was...flattered but weirded out. Then it gave me its name."

It had a name?

"Black Diamond."

Snow and Peridot exchanged glances. Another Diamond in the facility? Was this what they were so afraid of? Was this...the Cosmos of Despair? While they didn't have concrete evidence, the fact that there was yet another Diamond roaming around did have much cause for concern. A being so formidable...that of course the only thing that could stand up to a Diamond was another Diamond.

"The other gems seemed to revere it. Going from when we talked, it didn't seem evil. Just...scared."

No one had even heard of a Black Diamond. But it was a common practice and mindset to worship the Diamonds; being the strongest, wisest and oldest.

"Did it say what it wanted?" Snow questioned further. The more she could know about them, the better.

"It wanted me to stay with it, for what ever comfort it brought." Greg continued.

Intent to infect maybe? Greg didn't seem comfortable about it.

"Look, I don't know much about what's really going on around here. When ever Diamonds are involved, I know it becomes a lot more serious."

He wasn't wrong. Snow stood up and attempted to wrest control of her dangling thoughts. Another Diamond with a seemingly innocent demeanor but had no control what so ever. An internal snap sounded within the white Quartz. Snow had grown...tired of people around her getting hurt from this.

"Yes lets just casually grow immensely powerful Diamonds anywhere we please." Peridot commented sarcastically.

"But if I had to be serious, two grown on one planet? Imagine how many resources had to go into planning both. But from your description, it sounds utterly broken and flawed. A gem should have a singular solid form. Not constantly flexing through multiple ones. Unless you're doing it intentionally like some gems do..."

Steven, Pink, Rose...even Greg? How powerful was this Diamond exactly that it wanted to be connected to him? Though Snow was reminded of the Thought Marker that Jasper gave her. Notes were stolen from them...notes regarding the Hope Diamonds creation perhaps? Snow pondered on that for the moment. Pyrope was indeed the culprit for most of the deeds done here that had the facility in lockdown. How she found out was irrelevant. Why was irrelevant. The matter was...how they could take it down.

"Do you think we can try and communicate with it?" Snow queried.

"If its open to speaking, then it might be worthwhile interrogating with it, to see what it knows."

It'd be a long shot, considering they were walking around in the dark due the amount of Lillim interference in the area that made it hard for Apophyllite to see clearly. Saving Greg was a stroke of luck, but that had been one of the many Experimenta Rooms they noted in existence. And that Storage Room Twelve had the biggest concentration of Lillim with its capacity. It wouldn't have been too far off from where they had found Greg then.

"I'm not sure I feel comfortable dealing with it again. It spoke in riddles that I could barely understand. I mean, I will if you want me to." Greg stated.

No. Snow refused to let Greg fall into that obvious trap. The more Snow thought about it however, it being Diamond meant it had its own Psychic Aura like the others. It spoke to Greg that way...and the only other person in the room that could make that powerful connection was currently bedridden. She didn't even think about what Pink Steven could do.

"Steven usually has to fall asleep to be able to see into other minds or something of the like." Greg continued.

"But I don't know...if he has to be...well, put together again to do it."

She didn't want to have to resort to using Pink Steven to that extent. But maybe Connie if she's asleep. She technically didn't have to use her body at all. She got up and checked on the girl, who was still struggling. In that state, she would be half awake. Snow felt pained to do so, with a degree of madness alongside it to boot.

"You're not gonna make her do it like that are you?" Greg asked her as Peridot and himself caught up with her.

Snow rested her hand on Connie's cheek. Not much had changed, but Connie barely opened up her eyes and struggled to smile in the meanwhile.

"We may not have a choice." Snow stated.

"I can't risk any of you out there and being swallowed whole by them. Black Diamond is obviously some kind of powerful Lillim Gem that needs to be incapacitated...or at the very least, bubbled. If its the source of the Lillim outbreak, shattering it may be the last resort we need to stop it."

There was little go on than that. The Prophecy needed them both. Snow's power to detect auras was standard for their Quartz line. Medusa freezing or turning Gems to stone...was another. But she had no idea of other powers that that type of gem had. Even Peridot couldn't explain it. There wasn't a lot of data pertaining to Medusa's, which meant it may have well been the only one in existence. Labradorites had their own subtle psychic abilities to help track and determine threats as well as creating their own markings to warn any other Labradorite or their Snow Quartz partner of danger.

"Connie. How are you feeling?" Snow asked her.

"No, no way is she doing it. Look at her Snow! She can barely move." Greg said with anger, which stunned her.

Snow then stood up. She expected a differing opinion, as using Connie was the other alternate route.

"Then the only way through this for me to go out there on my own then." She told him.

"I can't predict when Connie will get better, but we need a Diamond's Aura to get in contact with Black Diamond."

Greg then growled. Snow had never seen him so grated before.

"Fine, I'll do it." He said, begrudged.

"Black Diamond can talk to me if it wants. I'm not a gem and it hasn't infected me so far. I'm not even sure if this...thing can infect humans ya know."

Snow shook her head. She wouldn't allow it. The only practical solution she had right now was to go out on her own. The logs indicated her immunity. She will be fine, but right now she had the hardest decision to make. Garnet, Amethyst, Pearl, Steven and Lion were still lost to them. The guilt piled up on her shoulders as she had her back to the group who had surrounded and protected Connie. Snow did not want her to suffer any more than she had, so it was time she took matters in her own hands.

"Apophyllite." She muttered. Regret would be had, but any small sacrifice to get answers and solutions would be worth saving and fixing a mistake she started.

"Lock the door behind me when I leave please."

She heard the inevitable gasp.

"What are you doing?" Jasper roared.

"You're gonna do this again?"

Snow said nothing as the door opened and she left on her own. Without Dori.