Chapter 10… something something about a hen.
I don't own Steven Universe.
Chapter 10: Enemy
White and Blue looked over the planet of the system they were now in. It was nearly all a dull brown-red. A barren planet with hardly any life at all, but very rich in minerals. Under the right circumstances legions of gems could have been made here.
There was just one problem.
"The entire planet is unstable." White explained, a hologram of the planet shown before them. "The core is in flux and had we begun any serious operations the entire thing could have fallen apart."
"Why not just hit where we think they are with a few orbital strikes then?" Blue suggested.
"Any immense firepower like that could set the planet to explode. We'd take out the enemy and half of our fleet with it." White replied.
"We're doing this the hard way then." Blue said exasperatedly.
The planet was even more dusty then it had appeared from space. Not with sand so much, but sand and dirt that flew on the wind. The planet mostly simply consisted of plains, plateaus and gorges.
White looked over one such gorge, it looked like it could go down over a thousand feet or more. "See anything?" Blue called from her palanquin.
White turned around as the dust blew through her hair. "No." she said simply before striding back to her own palanquin and sitting down.
The gems behind them had already set up the camp near the drop ship. The base of these rebels was somewhere in the many gorges and cracks in the planet that had been caused by the constant earthquakes.
Blue watched as her sister seemed to stare out at nothing, seemingly in thought. She frowned at this. "Come sister, you can't be serious..." she said.
White remained silent.
"Was it that confrontation with Yellow? Look, you know she didn't really mean anything."
Nothing.
"Or Are you still thinking about that Pearl? It's not like-"
"Blue?"
"Yes?"
"Be silent."
"Very well."
Things were like that for a few minutes before White sighed. "I didn't see it coming Blue." Blue, to her credit said nothing and let her eldest sister continue. "She was at my side for longer than I can remember. I knew her longer than our youngest sister. Stars… I had her for the better part of your existence" White clenched her fists and then relaxed them. "How long was she working for them? How long was I so blind?"
Her younger sister frowned. "It's not your fault, White. You have so many duties, so many things on your mind…" she trailed off.
"And that's supposed to be an excuse?" White asked. "I am White Diamond. The leader of the Diamonds, of all gem-kind. My failure means the failure of all gems. I can't afford mistakes, not even a small one. And this…" she said motioning to all around her. "…is more than a small mistake." She brought a hand to her face, rubbing her temple. "I sometimes wonder if Yellow is right. I've been ruling for so long… it has worn me down."
Blue was silent for a moment, seeming to want to say something. "White, sometimes I can't stand the way you rule. Sometimes, I think Yellow is right and you're overly cautious. Sometimes, I think you hold us back from what we could really achieve."
"I appreciate your honesty." White said.
"But…" Blue began. "There are times when I agree with you too. There are times when I think… no… I know that the decisions you've made are the right ones." White looked to her sister and saw a smile coming from beneath the hood. "I've been around for a long time too White. And we're still here, because of you. It's wasn't your fault and if you suspected nothing not I nor Yellow nor Pink would have fared any better. You do the best you can, and whether or not you hear it from anyone else, know this one thing. You've done amazingly."
White was a bit surprised at Blue's reassuring words, surprised and glad. She even smiled.
"Thank you, Blue."
Meanwhile…
The rain kept coming down hard outside, the gems had just finished setting up the communications relay for the camp and Yellow was ready to get down to business. Drops ships were coming in now, the small field being appropriated for military drills. She looked towards the forest and watched as her sister walked her way out of it. Pink stumbled out as she freed herself from an overhanging vine and made her way towards the camp.
"Have fun sightseeing?" Yellow asked.
"Yes, my guide was quite informative." Pink replied.
Yellow raised a single eyebrow at this. "Guide?"
"Yes, you know, the guide you sent?" Pink said. Yellow's face remained unchanged. "Little? Green? Goes by Idocrase?"
"I didn't send any guide after you." Yellow said.
Pink's facial features reflected her confusion. "Wait…" She looked back towards the forest. "Then who-"
"My Diamonds." A large orange gem, a jasper by the looks of it, addressed. "We're ready to begin our operations to siege the abandoned facility."
Yellow turned to her. "Very well, let's get on with it then." She rose from her palanquin and walked over to the camp where commander gems were waiting on orders from their leaders. Pink looked to the forest one last time before joining her sister as she begun the briefing. She spotted her own gems mixed in among them, Flint and Amethyst. The former appointed one of the three main commanders and the later a lesser commander. Peridot was working back away at one of the terminals in the camp and Pearl was awaiting her Diamond along with Yellow's near the ship.
"You all know your duties." She began. "The enemy is out there and they need to be eliminated." She looked over the crowd. She pressed a button on the holographic display and the field before them shown above as well as the forest beyond. Dots glowed on screen and lines formed intersecting from the field into the forest. "These are the main three paths that we will be taking into the forest, the base will be somewhere beyond. Once found activate a become and the remaining forces will converge for the siege on the base." She pressed another button and the holographic image dispersed. "Your route assignment will be given out after you've converged with your gems, be ready for a fight." The gems nodded in unison to the diamond. Yellow turned to her sister. "Anything to add Pink Diamond?" she asked.
All eyes were suddenly on her and Pink wasn't sure what to do. She hadn't expected to do any speaking and suddenly being thrown on the spot surprised her and made her uncomfortable.
However, she was still a Diamond.
"Like Yellow said troops, you're all here for a reason." She raised a fist into the air. "Do your best! The enemy doesn't stand a chance!" The gems cheered before dispersing to their squads.
Yellow turned to her sister with a smile. "Not bad, sister." Pink simply returned the smile with one of her own.
Onyx sat atop a pyramid, eyes closed, listening to the sounds around her. She could hear them in the distance. Troops from that camp she'd seen were making their way here, soon they'd enter the forest. She stood up and brushed herself off. "They have no idea what they're in for." She said aloud before taking out a small vial of corrupted gel.
White and Blue stood side by side, standing in the center of the camp as drop ships came down and added more soldiers to their forces. "Where exactly is this place supposed to be?" Blue asked.
White pulled a map on their hologram projector. "The facility we're looking for was built right into the side of one of the gorges. Unfortunately, constant tectonic shifting and years of absence here have made our maps obsolete." She pressed a button and the image was gone. "Which means we'll be looking for it the hard way."
"Lovely." Blue sighed looking up to the sky, a single hand extended out. "I can barely feel the moisture in the air…" she rubbed her index finger and thumb together. "…if there's any at all." She returned her hand to her robe. "I shouldn't be here, not on this dust ball."
"I suspect there is, or was, water here." White said a hand on her chin. "Some of the gorges, they weren't cracked and dusted like they'd been ripped apart by some tectonic movement. They were smooth, ordered, patterned, eroded away bit by bit over millennia by water." She turned to her sister. "I suspect it may still be here in some places."
Blue Diamond seemed to be silent for a moment before speaking again. "If there is, I can't feel it." She tapped her foot in the ground, dust sprinkling up for a moment. "It must be buried deeply then. I can't feel it."
"The scouts have already been sent out." White said looking out to the dusty plains. "Shall we see what this 'dust ball' has to offer?"
The crunch of branch and leaves was heard over and over as the gem soldiers made their way through the forest. The commanding gem, a jasper with a long mohawk, gave the silent signal of halt. According to the data the base they were looking for was within the next two hundred yards, they had better be on their guard.
She heard rustling and saw a bush nearby shaking. "Everyone be ready." She ordered as the group summoned their respective weapons. A small furry creature popped out holding a small blue sphere, at the sight of the gems it immediately turned around and fled. The jasper lowered her club and turned around to address her subordinates, only to find a single ruby standing all alone, her hands behind her back. The jasper marched right up to her. "Hey, where did the others run off to? I didn't order anyone to break ranks!" she barked.
The little ruby, shrugged. "I don't know, they were here a second ago."
The Jasper sighed. "What do you mean?!" she bellowed. "Where are they?!" she asked as her face got real close to the ruby's, the smaller gem showing signs of intimidation.
"I don't… I don't…oh, wait. That's right." She said, her look of fear quickly turning smug. "They're right here." The jasper looked down to see a blade penetrating her torso, the ruby's other hand was outstretched and held several gems of varying colors and sizes, her squad. The orange gem poofed and the ruby caught the gem. The little gem changed form and Onyx tossed the stones in her hand up and down before catching them again. "I wonder how many I can get before they reach the base?"
The palanquin of Blue and White crawled by side by side as their escorts surrounded them. They had made their way to the base of one of the gorges and were currently making their way through it. The scout team they had sent ahead was due to meet them there, to see if they had gotten any closer to finding the enemy's base.
And now they were late in reporting.
The caravan stopped as they reached their meeting place. "Where are they?" Blue demanded of one of her guards.
"I don't know, my Diamond." One of them responded as she bent down to inspect the ground. "There was something here, but it's hard to make out." She said as she studied the ground. She reached out and pulled something out of the ground that had been nearly hidden by the dirt.
It was a communicator.
"One of ours?" White asked. The guard nodded. "It would seem we won't be meeting up with the scouts then."
The sound of crumbling rubble overhead caught their attention as a block of stone fell towards them. One of their guards jumped up and kicked the stone away only for more and more to stop dropping down. The guards started jumping and swinging weapons at the falling debris but they could only stem the tide of dirt and rock for so long.
"All of you, close ranks." White ordered as she stepped out from beneath her palanquin. They did as they were told, albeit somewhat reluctantly as the stones kept falling from overhead. White raised a single palm to the sky and light came streaming out, going up and over the caravan, creating a near-white see-through dome around them. The stones continued falling, landing on top of the dome and stacking on top of each other, eventually burying them.
The last stone fell atop the others and all was quiet for a moment.
Then the rocks rumbled and were swept aside as the dome underneath extended upwards and the out, pushing back the pile to either side. Once she had clearer enough room White closed her palm and the dome disappeared.
"You weren't wrong about the tectonic movement here, sister. This planet is a deathtrap." Blue said dusting herself off.
White said nothing, walking over to the stones and peering down at them. "No, this wasn't tectonic activity." She picked up one of the stones and held it up, it was crumbled on several sides and fractured, but clean smooth flat edges could be made out. "Whoever did this didn't need to, they wanted to make sure we noticed."
A dark shadow covered the group and they all looked up to see a massive cube of stone falling towards them. White held up a hand and light shot from it, spreading across the stone and stopping it in midair holding it in stasis. She flung it away and in its place, at the top of the ridge, stood a green-hued gem with long, curled hair, her arms crossed and a smirk across her face. "Not bad, I knew the Diamonds were strong, but stars… you guys are the real deal."
White said nothing, only narrowed her eyes, but Blue practically snarled as she called out to the new gem. "How dare you attack us!"
The gem turned to Blue. "Ah Blue Diamond, you're every bit arrogant as I remember. Even when at such a disadvantage." She said.
"What?!" Blue said outraged.
"I think that'll be enough outta you for now." The green gem said before stomping her foot down, a large crevice opening beneath Blue and the guards. The fell and were swallowed up before they could even react, the ground returning to normal and leaving White and the new gem by themselves.
The green gem dropped down from her perch and landed on her feet, some distance away from White. "What did you do?" White asked her.
"I've simply moved them off the field White Diamond, now it's just you and me." She said confidently.
"You're going to challenge me?" White asked, rather calmly. 'Who are you?"
The gem clenched her fists. "My name is Diopside, remember it well." She said before looking White dead in the eyes. "It's the name of the gem who shattered a Diamond."
Pink and Yellow made their way through the dense underbrush, pushing aside leaves and branches as they made their way to where their scouts had secured the abandoned facility.
They found it, a small pyramid sticking out of the ground, covered with moss and brush. About a three dozen gems were gathered in front of it, all of whom snapped to attention as their leaders approached. Yellow looked to them, quickly counting the numbers, then she turned to one of the quartz commanders. "What's happened? Where are the rest?"
The amethyst saluted. "My Diamond, we've… we've lost contact to everyone else."
"What?" Pink asked aloud, she looked around quickly and saw Amethyst and Flint had made it safely, giving an inner sigh of relief.
"We were all that made it here." She finished almost ashamedly.
Yellow pinched the bridge of her nose, closing her eyes. "Okay, okay, alright then." She took a deep breath, let go of the bridge of her nose and opened her eyes. "Begin the breach of the facility, it's time to put an end to this."
"At once, my Diamond." The soldier replied. Several of the non-commanding quartzes drew their weapons and began to cut into the pyramid, it's surface resisted at first, but gave way to the weapons as they applied more pressure. Within a few minutes a square hole was cut into the pyramid's grey and green surface. Wind blew out from within as the group peered down a long and surprisingly wide shaft leading down into darkness.
"Age before beauty." Pink said snarkily.
Yellow raised a brow to her sister before turning back to the commanding quartz. "Go." She commanded.
The amethyst nodded, motioning troops in as they grabbed hold of the wire-rope of the elevator shaft and plunged in. One by one they descended into the shaft until only the Diamonds remained. Pink looked to the shaft and then her sister and back again. She then leaned down to where the hole had been cut and, with a little effort, widened it.
"What do you think you're doing?" Yellow asked.
"If you'd rather stay up here Yellow, by all means but I'm going to see this through personally." She replied.
"There's no need for-" Yellow started before seeing that her sister was now gone and she was talking to herself. "-that." She looked down to the shaft, breathed deeply once and plunged in after them.
Pink had underestimated the jump she was now subjecting herself to, she thought it would be a quick drop just out of sight but it was turning into a near freefall.
CLANK
The bottom of her boots sounded off as she hit the top of a metal surface, presumably the elevator. She turned to look down and could faintly see light coming through a hole that had been made in the elevator's top.
Pink bent down and widened the hole, managing to squeeze herself in and landing inside the elevator. Several lit gems turned towards her and then back out towards the inner facility. Pink heard the clanging of boots above her and moved to the side as Yellow lowered herself next to her, filling up the elevator.
Pink stared at her. "What?" Yellow asked.
Her young sister shrugged. "I guess I wasn't really expecting you to come."
"Someone has to watch over you. Besides, it's been ages since I've been on the frontlines, I'd forgotten how much I enjoy it." Yellow replied with an honest smile that happily surprised Pink.
The two walked out and found the soldiers in a great room that separated into hallways. The commanding gem turned to the Diamonds. "The facility here is decrepit my Diamonds." She informed. "From what we've been able to glean from the schematics of this facility there are still several sub levels below this one, each one of these hallways lead to one of them. We're not sure which the enemy might be in though."
"Which means we'll have to divide our forces." Pink finished wearily.
"Hmm… we have no idea what might lie in wait for us, but at the same time if we all go as one we will waste too much time." Yellow said a hand on her chin. "We'll have to take that risk, but not into three forces into two." She turned to her sister. "You lead one of the groups and I'll take the other, if we find nothing in either hallway we come back and join together for the last."
"And what if one of us doesn't come back?" Pink asked.
"Then it means that one of us found the enemy and is either fighting them or…" she trailed off.
Pink nodded in understanding. "Alright Yellow, we'll do this your way." Pink turned to the soldiers who had been patiently waiting for their leaders to decide on a plan of action. "Beta and Gamma, with me. The rest with Yellow Diamond. Move!" she ordered.
Just outside the facility's entrance…
Onyx took note of the gaping hole in her base's entrance and dropped the gems she been holding on the ground. "Looks like I've underestimated them. Didn't think they'd make it this far this quickly. Gotta catch up before they find her." With that last thought, she jumped into the darkness.
Diopside huffed loudly her arms hanging at her sides as she slumped over, barely keeping on her feet.
White stood away from her, arms crossed and completely unfazed as piles of small chunks of rock surrounded her. "Are we done here?" she asked.
The green gem gritted her teeth and launched yet another large stone from the ground, aiming for White Diamond's head. She barely moved a finger as she effortlessly summoned a shield around herself and the rock smashed against it. White dismissed the shield and began walking towards her. "So 'Diopside' why don't you stop this and return my sister and the rest of my gems?" she asked.
Diopside spat at her and White stopped in her tracks, nearly within arm's reach of her. "What are you trying to prove little gem?" The green gem locked eyes with the Diamond, her eyes flaring with defiance and rage. "You can't win, you must know that. Surrender and I may consider being lenient considering your actions."
Diopside dropped to her knees and gripped her stomach apparently in pain, but then swiftly threw a vial at White Diamond. The giant gem noticed it too late and it smashed against her arm. White backed away and examined her arm, a black substance stuck to it and it was slowly but steadily expanding. "What is this?" she asked.
"Like it?" Diopside asked with a cunning grin. "It's a special replicating, light-absorbing, quick drying, adhesive polymer. One of my friends made it for me, I like to call it the Black Water." White tried scraping and clawing at it with her other hand but to no avail as it spread to the tips of her other hand. It continued to spread as Diopside sneered. "It wasn't really something I wanted to rely on. I wanted to beat you without any tricks, I even saved my trump card, but this'll have to do."
As White's arm and most of her body was covered in the black water she tried to emit light from her palms but found she was unable to. She could also feel the black water stiffening her movements, beginning to hold her in place. White gave one last, surprisingly calm look to Diopside before it engulfed her completely, leaving a large black humanoid statue in her place. The green gem then clapped her hands together and two slabs of dirt and stone popped out and encased the statue. "Well that's one down and one to go."
Blue opened her eyes to a dark void before her. She activated her gem's light and was met with some sort of underground cavern. She looked around and saw two dozen gems laying around, her guards and the scouting gems before that. The sound of ground ripping apart sounded above her and Blue watched as the green gem she had briefly seen was now descending towards her on a stone pillar. She smugly grinned towards the Diamond as she descended. "Blue Diamond, So sorry about that. White Diamond and I simply had some private business to take care of."
Blue's eyes shot open wide. "What have you done?!" she bellowed.
"I've done what I've been planning to do for centuries!" she bellowed back. "I've had my revenge on a Diamond…" she clenched her fist. "…but it's not enough. YOU ALL NEED TO PAY!" She made a stone punching motion and a boulder came flying at Blue, she barely dove out of the way as it smashed into the wall behind her.
Diopside gave a cruel sneer. "That's right Blue Diamond, I almost forgot! You can control liquids right? Too bad you came to this dust ball!" With that she launched another rock and Blue ducked. "How does it feel Blue Diamond?!" she said before a stone pillar launched out of the ground and uppercuted her, sending Blue's hood flying back and revealing her face. Her feet sunk into the ground and two pillars of stone engulfed her hands before the green gem walked closer. "How does it feel?" she asked again, quieter. "To be so helpless?"
Blue tried to turn away but a great stone hand shot from the ground, grabbing blue by the head and turned it back to Diopside. "Look at you, what makes you think you're so much better than anyone else?" The Diamond said nothing only gazed at the smaller gem with loathing. "Even now, look at you. The high and mighty Blue Diamond, looking down on me, on all gems."
A small steady stem of water came pouring from one of the cracks in the ground, slowly at first but soon a thick stream formed. It shot out and wrapped around Diopside and threw her aside. The water then whipped through the stone holding Blue captive, freeing her.
The green gem wiped her mouth as she stood up to face Blue Diamond. "I really must thank you." Blue started as water continued to pour up from the ground. "If you hadn't brought me down here, so near to where this planet's last reserves of water were, I might have never gotten to them. And going on and on like that, really, thank you." Blue gave a victorious smirk. "And now it's over."
Diopside smiled wildly, she pulled out another flask, one Blue recognized as the corrupted gel. "No, it's only just begun." She poured it into her open mouth and the gem on Diopside's chest began to glow brightly. The green gem's form grew and transformed, her hair grew darker and more green and extra arms popped out of her side. When she was done, she was much larger, nearly the size of Blue Diamond and looked much closer to a beast. Diopside looked up to Blue Diamond, her eyes now black and her iris shining a bright white. "NOW, IT'S OVER."
Wow, I am late on this. Gotta fix that.
