Rebellion
The Stars and the Circles faded from the screens, and they were replaced with videos. Projections and recordings of war, of fighting, of whippings, of executions, of fusions, of monsters, of a Diamond shattering, of rebellion—
Music spilled from the speakers— old music, music that had not been heard in millennia, and new music too— songs of fear and joy and pride and justice.
Rise up , the song called, rise up, rise up —
oOo
They rose up with weapons in hand.
Some weapons were summoned— swords and lances and maces forged from pure light. Others bore hidden knives and daggers, built of metal— smuggled and hidden and kept for the perfect moment. Others did not have true weapons at all, but garbage and debris and shale, picked up and protected and shaped…
A brown Pearl pulled a jagged piece of debris from beneath her skirts, admired its rainbow glint for the fraction of a moment, and then plunged it into her Master's back.
oOo
In a great, grand Temple, all manner of elites— spinels, emeralds, beryls, and more— gathered for a performance. They would watch, and they would applaud. Once the show was over, they would turn away from such frivolities to discuss matters of actual importance.
They never got the chance.
Halfway through their performance, the Starlight Dancers lunged out at the audience. The closest didn't even have time to react, before being hit by swift kicks and punches. Their forms dissipated, and the pearls found new targets. Those targets screamed, or tried to run, or tried to fight back — it shouldn't have been too hard, they were just pearls...
But these pearls were fast.
And they were strong.
And they were trained.
oOo
The chain of command began to break down — link and after link snapping.
And the society it had held down for so long began to shatter.
oOo
Agates, quartzes, obsidians, rubies... Soldiers of all descriptions tried to rush to their positions- to protect their leaders and quash the riots.
They tried, but most couldn't.
Surveillance systems were down. What orders the soldiers received were sporadic, and often contradictory. They had no idea where to go. Some tried to push on regardless, but doors wouldn't open and some elevators were non-functional. Other soldiers found themselves poofed with a sharp blow from behind— a rebel among their ranks.
Those who did manage to get through found nothing left but empty hallways and abandoned chambers.
oOo
The rebels ran.
They ran down secret corridors, hid behind removable panels, crouched in forgotten storerooms, fled in ancient spaceships. Spaces too small for the elites to ever reach.
They had survived in these forgotten places for millennia, and now they only needed to survive a little longer.
oOo
Some Gems fought. Not just by taking their Masters and managers by surprise—stabbing and poofing them before they could react— but by charging into full-on battle. The rebels needed to gain ground, grab resources, seize control. They battled for the Communication Hubs, the armouries, the factories, the Kindergartens, the galaxy warps, the ship bays—
Guards were posted at all of these stations, but not in numbers intended for any huge insurgence. And it was unbelievable, the size of the attacking force. Most of them weren't even built fighters, but they didn't need to be— not when there were so many of them.
Not when half the guards reached for guns only to find them broken.
Not when a Lapis Lazuli could freeze a Gem solid using the moisture in the air.
Not when a Pearl could summon winds of dirt to blind them.
Not when a Flint could make the very ground shake and crumble beneath their feet.
Not when the smallest of Gems could shape shift claws and horns and razor teeth.
Not when anyone could fuse together into something newer and stronger.
Panic broke out. Civilians fled for cover, tried to hide from the fighting. What communication networks that had remained operational were filled with panicked reports:
The worst of the fighting is in White Diamond's sector, it was being said, Right inside her base, it's absolute chaos—
There were snatched recordings and photographs— all of it too ludicrous to believe.
The Court of White Diamond was being besieged by defects and monsters. There was no other way to describe them. Baroques, runts, fusions, mutants. Some of them didn't even seem to be Gems at all—matching no known models and leaking red liquid when hit.
It was preposterous. These traitors were fools. There was no way this army of rejects could possibly take on the most elite warriors every produced.
But somehow, those elite warriors began to fall, and the rejects pressed forward.
oOo
Blue Diamond received reports from dozens of sources, and took immediate action. She was well aware of the things she'd been called since Pink's death— grief-stricken, sentimental, moping, useless...
Perhaps it was all true. But she wouldn't allow herself to lose another Diamond.
Orders flew out as she organised her people and her troops. Systems were down across the Empire, but she had her own ships and computer networks. Old and obsolete, Yellow had sneered, but Blue had kept them around anyway. Never knew when they might be useful. Now they served as backups, managing to survive even as the more modern networks failed. She will use them to mobilise a defense, send aid to her fellows...
"I want every ruby under my command here," she said, pointing at a star map. "They'll be the distraction. The hand ship fleet will come in from here. No doubt the rioters will attempt to find cover. We'll cut off their retreat with three platoons of phantom quartzes, forcing them back into the open—"
Blue Diamond went silent as every light in her war chamber went dark.
There were a few startled screams, but the generals were well trained. They remained calm. The darkness remained for only a moment before every gem in the place lit up, filling the massive chamber with a peaceful glow.
Blue Diamond was gone.
Now the generals screamed. Screamed, and shouted orders, and fanned out. A Diamond could not just disappear. They would find her.
It was quite some time until any of them realised that their Diamond's Pearl was missing too. And by the time they think to look, said Pearl was already running down a hidden corridor built by an old Bismuth— a getaway ship within her sights, a bubbled gem cupped carefully between her hands.
oOo
Yellow Diamond will not fall for the same trick. She refused to.
She was safe. Or as safe as anyone could be, with the Empire falling apart around them. Those blasted bubbles had turned out to be a blessing in disguise, she thought, as she read the grim messages about Blue's disappearance and the siege on White's court. They'd made her paranoid, and that paranoia saved her.
She had not held physical council with another actual Gem in a dozen Cycles. No staff remained inside her personal chambers. She did not even have a Pearl waiting on her— she never had bothered getting a replacement after the last one turned traitor. She was completely alone.
All her computer systems had been backed up and doubly secured, in order to bear the strain of her many digital conferences. Her base was perfectly defended by an automated security system— one keyed onto her own magical signature, impossible to hack. She was safe.
She will be their Empire's saviour. She will restore order. She will protect them.
Out of the corner of her eye, she saw a tiny yellow speck appear.
Yellow Diamond barely had time to turn towards the bubble before the bomb inside it exploded.
oOo
With two Diamonds gone, their remaining generals and advisors— those who had remained loyal — did what they could without their Diamonds' guidance. They commanded their hand ships and armies to converge on White Diamond's base, to protect the one leader that remained.
But the enemy had warships of their own. Not as many, or as big, or as powerful— but they were waiting. And their leadership remained intact.
oOo
White Diamond's armies had been destroyed.
It should have been impossible. She was guarded by the most advanced of technologies, the strongest of soldiers, the most intelligent of generals.
But somehow, the defects and the monsters overcame it all.
There was still a single defence left. A single mighty door, shining silver. Larger than some moons, imbued with the the most ancient of magics. Seemingly impenetrable.
And behind it, The Matriarch White Diamond, the most powerful Gem to have ever existed.
The remaining rebels threw everything they could at the door— Ice, flames, arrows, acid, lasers. None of it made so much as a dent.
Four figures stepped forward. Garnet. Amethyst. Pearl. Steven.
They were wary, but determined. They had fought hard, and there was still yet a fight to be had. But first, they would dance.
They danced, and came together, and dissolved, and glowed. From the light formed a figure large enough to rival even a mighty Diamond.
The Crystal Fusion stepped forward, thrust all eight of their hands deep into stone of the door, and ripped it open.
oOo
White Diamond was prepared for a fight. She did not hesitate as she lunged at her enemy. There was the clash of blade against shield, against spear, against gauntlets.
The fusion summoned a whip. Pulled White Diamond in. As soon as they made contact, they froze.
Both of them.
Utterly still.
They began to glow. Their gemstones, first: all five of the fusion's, and White's solitary diamond. Then the eyes began to glow, too, the light spilling out, staring at nothing, staring at everything.
Not a physical fight. A battle of minds, of souls.
The fusion's glows grew brighter, brighter. White Diamond's dimmer, dimmer, dimmer… until finally, it faded completely. She slumped, fell to her knees, eyes dark and barely open. The fusion was shaking, shimmering, their form fuzzy. Still, they did not falter as they summoned a spear, and drove it down.
oOo
In a single Cycle, all three Diamonds fell.
Their people fought on.
oOo
The fighting did not end for a long time.
Finally, though, it tapered out. The battlefields went still. There was no one left fighting. Many had been shattered. Many had been bubbled. Others had surrendered, or fled, or hidden, or else were just waiting to see what was to come next.
There was a silence—heavy and eerie and expectant.
It was broken by static. Across the Gem Empire, all functional screens flickered back on. They were white for a moment. Then they filled with the form of a Pearl. Demure and peaceful and polite, like any pearl would be.
She brushed her blue hair out of her face, and her eyes were sharp.
She raised her hands in a circle.
"Hello," she greeted. "I am the Pearl once said to have belonged to Blue Diamond."
Her salute broke, as she reached to the side to pull something on screen. A bubble. Inside was a gem as large as her head. A diamond.
The Pearl smiled a smile, which despite everything, seemed genuine.
"There are going to be some changes."
oOoOoOo
Author's Note: I want to say thank you.
I started this story a little over a year ago, mostly as an excuse to practice writing some shorter pieces and do some exploration of Homeworld. At the time, I had ideas for about twenty one shots, and maybe the vaguest idea that there could be something like a plot. Since then, this story has grown and grown into something so much larger than I never imagined, and it's been one of the most fulfilling things I've ever written.
There will most likely be a few follow up stories after this, but for the most part, this is the end of Little Rebellions. It feels very weird to me, but very satisfying.
A very special thank you to LadyRavenEye, for putting up with my ramblings for a full year and her unfailing editing help. To all the members of the Cluster, for their constant support. And to everyone else who's supported this story, whether it was through fanart, spin-offs, comments, kudoses or follows. I love all of you.
Stay strong.