A/N: Holy Moly, that promo! This is now ultra-mega canon divergent (14?! I was way off!)
This chapter gave me so many issues.
I tried so hard to add some fluff to this. I really did. But then the urge to move along the story happened and sleep deprivation took a turn and well ...
This one has a little bit of a cliff hanger, but not quite since everything that is being alluded to is things that will be known (sort of) by the end of this chapter.
Thank you so much for the likes and reviews and we will definitely see more of Centipeetle and Lapis (and a few others) very soon! I'm having fun writing them and love them too much to not include later on.
I have a drabble series connected to this on Archive of Our Own that I will be cross-posting here soon. Mostly things that I couldn't quite fit into this main story but that do take place in this timeline.
Feel free to review!
-FourFaces
Emerald 29 ran down the hallways to the main council chamber. She rehearsed her announcement as she ran.
"Blue Diamond, I regret to inform you ... No ... I checked on your cloister and ... No ..."
She paused in front of the entrance to the chamber. White Diamond and the new Yellow Diamond were gone. This would make it easier.
Besides, Blue Diamond had already shattered someone recently so she wouldn't do it again ... she hoped.
Emerald 29 watched as Blue Diamond sat in the empty chamber, her fingers pinching the bridge of her nose. Her pearl sat nearby, waiting for orders.
It was now or never.
"Erm ... Blue Diamond?"
She watched the gem's shoulders tense up.
"Yes?"
"I checked on your cloister, as you wished, and I have some news."
The Diamond turned to look at her. Emerald 29 tensed.
She had been alive for several millenia. She knew what could happen if a Diamond was unhappy with an Emerald's service.
She had seen 28 other Emeralds under the previous Blue Diamonds shatter.
"They are all inert right now," she began. "I'm not sure why, but their gems were intact. They should regenerate soon."
Blue Diamond simply nodded, not turning around.
"It is to be expected. I did not want to shatter the Sapphire, but it needed to be done. There needed to be an example made to the others."
Emerald 29 released the breath that she did not know she was holding.
"But, why are the others inert?"
Blue Diamond continued to stare ahead.
"It is something that Sapphires in a cloister do. When one member is in pain, the rest can feel it. The pain of being repurposed would be enough to send them into their gems. Don't worry. They will regenerate soon and when one does, the rest of the cloister will as well."
Emerald 29 nodded.
"Shall I continue to monitor them then?" She asked.
Blue Diamond turned and the gem flinched and bowed her head. She didn't want to look her leader in the eye anyway, and she knew it could be the end of her if she tried.
"Don't be afraid," the Diamond started. "I don't want to shatter anyone. I'm not Yellow. I did not even want to shatter that gem, but I had to. It was for the good of our race. If there is something that could turn the tide in our war, then we have to know it."
Emerald 29 nodded, head still down. She wasn't sure if she was lucky to be in service under this Blue Diamond or not. She had survived this encounter, but what would happen if she failed her, truly? Woud she understand and perhaps just send her in for reprogramming? Or would she find herself replaced by another?
She felt the icy hand of Blue Diamond under her chin, tilting her head up to look at her. The Diamond smiled sadly.
"Everything that I do, I do to protect our kind. As long as you have that same goal in mind, then you will be fine."
When Emerald had been sent away, Blue Diamond returned to sit near her Pearl.
She did not want to send forces to Earth to destroy the Crystal Gems. She had seen, firsthand, what that decision had led to. She knew how fruitless it would be to try and conquer Earth, especially with the gems apparently working so closely with humans.
Bargaining with them for the hybrid and that odd human might lead to better results, however. They could find a way to recreate the conditions in the lab to create undetectable soldiers, like those two apparently were. Soldiers with barely any gem energy that would be able to destroy their enemy.
A fear raced through her, however. This could still not work. It could fail spectacularly, in fact. They could spend resources on a project that would not save their kind. Their enemy would still advance and wipe out colony after colony until they reached Homeworld.
There had not been an invasion in 20,000 years.
The only gem who remembered that invasion, other than her, was apparently gone now. Embedded in the body of this hybrid.
She sent away her Pearl before she began to walk to the Cloister. She would relieve the Emerald and wait. She had to strategize before she made any more decisions.
She hoped that the new Yellow Diamond would not act brashly.
Jasper paced in her chamber, clenching and unclenching her fists. Her Pearl stood, staring blankly at her. Jasper turned to look at her, searching her face for any defect.
The Pearl just stared back.
Jasper growled and returned to pacing. Didn't they see that Earth needed to be captured? That Rose Quartz needed to be brought to justice?
She felt the presence of another gem and turned to see White Diamond standing in the doorway. She fidgeted for a moment before taking a deep breath.
"We need to talk about Blue. She is moving too slowly on this and I'm worried that she doesn't understand the need for Earth. It could have been a useful colony. It still can be."
Jasper grinned. She had known that infighting was common in the Authority, but she was happy to see that someone agreed with her.
"Yes. I agree. Perhaps we should send a fleet down, a combined force, and finish this, once and for all. Blue puts too much face in those Sapphires. She needs to understand that they aren't always right."
The two Diamonds conspired, the Pearl still staring ahead blankly. If she'd been defective, she may have twinged at hearing of the desire to shatter other gems, especially another pearl. She may have spoke up at some point, warning them of the chances of the plan failing.
This Pearl was not defective.
Blue Diamond sat near the inert Sapphires, watching them for any activity.
A part of her knew what was going to happen. She considered, for a moment, scrambling her fighter squadrons, grounding the other two Diamonds' flights.
What message would that send? Blue Diamond thought.
She had seen the uncertainty in Emerald 29's face when she dismissed her. She hoped that the gem had not taken this personally. She just needed information as soon as it was available.
She made sure to send a message to repurposing, banning any Emeralds from entry.
While she waited, she reviewed what she knew.
Pink Di- no, Rose Quartz had somehow created a hybrid.
This hybrid had her powers and lived with the rebels.
Somehow, it survived a mortal wound from Jas- Yellow Diamond.
It has a human companion who it fuses with regularly.
This part did make sense. A hybrid fusing with a human could theoretically work, she supposed.
But, this supposed human companion fused with a gem, according to the report from the Sapphires.
A Peridot.
Apparently, this human had also fused with other gems while fused with the hybrid. This was very interesting indeed. This could mean that they could utilize Earth for something other than Quartz production.
She was eager to experiment on these creatures. She wanted to know how this all was possible and how to create more. The excitement was almost too much to bear.
It was half a cycle of waiting before she was distracted by the icy, blue glow. A grin spread across her face.
It was time for discovery.
"Steven! Are you OK?"
Steven's eyes darted around the room, finally settling on Connie who was sitting up next to him.
"I ... I think I saw Centipeetle ... I don't know ... It felt like a dream but it was too real! She was upset and asking me if she was a monster ... but she didn't look like one!" Steven choked out as Connie helped him sit up.
"What do you mean?"
"I don't ... I think she might still be alive in her gem ... and she wasn't a monster in my dream. She looked just like any other gem and she was so sad and scared."
Connie gently stroked Steven's hair, watching as he fought with himself internally. She had known that he talked about dream walking before (and she was pretty sure she had been on the receiving end of it as well), but this was a huge development if it was true. She helped him up into a sitting position.
"Steven, if you think you talked to her, we need to tell the gems. We may still be able to save all of them."
Steven nodded, letting Connie fold him into a close embrace. She kissed the top of his head softly, feeling him release the breath he was holding.
"What if they still try to hurt us?" Steven asked. Connie knew who he meant and hugged him tighter. "We'll have to re-poof and bubble them ..."
She wanted to tell him that everything would be alright and not to worry, but she knew the chances. She knew that it would be hard for their enemies to be swayed to the Crystal Gems' side.
"Maybe we just work on our allies first? Then you can try to reason with the others in dreams?"
Steven was silent, still wrapped up in his thoughts.
"It's not like you haven't won over gems before," Connie smiled.
Steven chuckled slightly. She was right, of course. She always was. They both looked down to see the temple door open with Peridot emerging. The green gem sat down next to Ruby and gently placed a hand on the red gem's shoulder. Ruby didn't take her eyes off of Sapphire's gem, hot tears still sliding down her face.
"How long does it usually take for her?" Peridot finally asked.
"The last time she truly was injured, it was a month. And she wasn't in as much pain the last time. It's not like when we were captured on the ship and she needed to regenerate quickly," Ruby sniffled. "I just want her back. I can't see anything about the future and I don't feel complete anymore ..."
Peridot gently squeezed her hand.
It was another hour before Amethyst came out, joining the two on the couch, followed by Pearl. Steven and Connie watched silently as the group held Ruby close.
Sapphire's gem continued to rest, inert.
Steven turned to look at Connie. Tears rimmed her eyes. She hastily wiped them away before smiling sadly at Steven.
"Maybe you can learn to control who you talk to ... maybe you could even talk to Sapphire in her gem?"
It would be worth a shot.
"What do I even do?" Steven whispered.
"I had nightmares a lot when I was a kid," Connie started. "Before I moved to Delmarva, I had a doctor who taught me ways to control my dreams. Words to think and stuff … Maybe that could help."
Steven smiled and closed his eyes, sinking into Connie's arms as she began to softly whisper to him the words she would repeat as a child and the words that he needed to hear.
"I will be aware that I am dreaming … I will be able to go where I am needed ..."
Flashes of ships touching down interspersed with the pain.
Fire.
A scream cutting through the chaos.
Sadness as Steven and Connie were taken away, limp and lifeless, by Homeworld forces, the gems helplessly watching, unable to act.
Two stones pressing against her entire being, shattering her and grinding her into dust.
No. Not hers. Sapphire 19.
That Sapphire had almost gone to Rose instead. She was glad she didn't. She had often felt a connection with this Sapphire who had once felt the curiosity towards what Rubies were like, when Sapphire had explained her emerging experience to her.
Now she would never know.
She wondered if the vision was her way of warning the gem, one final time, of the plans that the Diamond Authority wanted to put into place. A way of saving a fellow Corrundum from a terrible fate.
She wanted to give her pleasant feelings in return, but the pain was so great.
Ruby ... she needed to think of her.
The pain lessened a little as she thought of the literal warmth of her love. She thought of the times before they even started fusing outside of battle. A time before Garnet was fully realized as her own gem. Stolen kisses in the halls of Rose's base. Embracing every night, after learning how to show affection to one's lover from watching the inhabitants of this planet. Love ... It was a strange and wonderful feeling. One that was rarely felt within their species.
She hoped that Sapphire 19 was feeling this as well in her final moments. She wanted her to have some form of comfort now.
She could feel the connection still remain. She had to be shards now. Not quite dust to be repurposed yet. She could feel the disjointed thoughts and fear begin to melt away.
Please ... Think of love ... Remember that at least ...
She thought she might have felt an acknowledgement of it, but she was certain she would never know.
A voice broke through the pain. She smiled sadly. She knew who it was.
"You're learning how to control it. I knew you would ... Did you feel any of that?" She asked, concern in her voice.
"No," Steven responded. "But you're still hurting."
Sapphire smiled sadly.
"It will hurt for a while, but it will get better. I'll come out soon, Steven. Don't worry. I just need time."
"I saw something though ... is that future certain?"
Sapphire paused. She wanted to protect him from it. She didn't want him to worry.
It was a foolish and dangerous gamble.
"Almost. There are pieces that need to fall into place to prevent it, but I'm not sure if they will."
Steven nodded and came closer.
"Can I help?"
Sapphire thought for a moment.
A grin.
"You already are."
When Steven reopened his eyes, he saw Connie hovering near him, an expectant look on her face.
He didn't want to tell her what he had seen. He knew there wasn't any point in hiding it, however.
He felt fortunate that the gems had finally convinced Ruby to go into Pearl's room. That everyone was gone from Steven's part of the Temple.
It made it easier to hide Connie's sobs from the rest of the gems as he told her the terrible, possible future.
Ruby sat on the lowest column of water in Pearl's room. Amethyst had pulled Peridot away into her room to give Pearl and Ruby some privacy. The slender gem sat down next to her and watched Sapphire's gem with the same intensity.
She had been there twice (really, three times - but she didn't like to think about that time as negatively as the others thought) before with Rose's gem. She knew how hard this was. She closed her eyes, remembering the feelings and pain of waiting.
She ran back along the beach to where the original battle had taken place. She was empty-handed but they would catch the Larimar and Rose would heal her, like always.
"I couldn't catch her, but ... Oh no ..."
Rose's gem rested in Garnet's hands. Pearl choked back a sob and -
"Ack! I didn't mean for -"
"No ..." Ruby whispered. "It's alright."
Pearl nodded and gently draped an arm on her shoulder.
"Do you know what she was seeing, before you unfused?"
"Some of it. It was horrible and erratic. I'm not sure how much was from Homeworld and how much was the future. If it was a vision, it couldn't have been certain. There has to be a way to stop it."
"Stop what?" Pearl asked. "I thought this was from the repurposing of a Sapphire."
"The pain that unfused us was, but the vision we saw ... They were coming back and they were going to do something horrible."
"Do you know what it was?"
Ruby thought back. She feared it was the same nightmare she had seen when Garnet was aware. The nightmare as they tried to see if Steven would regenerate. The horrifying possibility of what could happen to the hybrid.
It was too terrible to talk about. She began to speak when her hands began to feel a chill. She looked to see the icy glow surround Sapphire's gem.
She watched as Sapphire reformed, her blue dress a slightly darker shade than before. She had barely touched the ground before Ruby had embraced her.
"I thought you were going to be in there so much longer!" Ruby cried out.
"I couldn't," Sapphire began. "Ruby ..."
Ruby didn't need Sapphire's Future Vision to know what she was going to tell her. The look on her lover's face told her everything. Pearl looked between the two gems, watching their eyes lock in silent conversation before Ruby gasped.
"Oh no ..."