Original Idea by: Scraps
Collaboration work with: DeityDeviantWarrior
Characters Created by: Rebecca Sugar
Chapter 7: Run! Rose Run!
[*]
…drip…
…1 second…2 seconds…3 seconds…
…drip…
…1 second…2 seconds…3 seconds…
…drip…
[*]
Insidiae, Laboratory Number 11, several hours later
[*]
Howlite woke to the sound of breathing, as she came to she found herself strapped to a table, her left arm was positioned outward and a strange bracelet was attached to her arm and a metal gag mask around her face. As she tried to move, she could hear the sound of a woman screaming followed by the sound of a saw cutting through something hard and wet, as well as a child sobbing. This place was a genuine hell, and as she watched the door open, she saw the devil standing before her. There was "Master" Diamond, the leader of the Gems and the one responsible for the demise of so many Gems. As Howlite watched Diamond place a large assortment of tools and surgical on a nearby table. As Howlite looked at the sharp scalpels, a filled syringe of black fluid, spools of metal wire, and a small obelisk, she felt a sensation of loss. As Diamond set a thick metal vial down, he turned to Howlite.
"Ah! You are finally awake." Diamond said as he approached her, moving a stray hair from her head as she tried to shake him off. Diamond sneered and grabbed a tuff of Howlite's hair and slammed her head on the table she was strapped to.
"I would think a warrior of my sibling would learn some manners from them." Diamond said as he pressed a button on the side of the table, flipping it vertical and moving Howlite upward. "It's ironic though, Topaz is so reclusive and obsessed with the past, and yet, the answer to all our problems was in the past all along."
Diamond walked over to the table and picked up the metal vial. As he brought it back, he placed it next to Howlite's ear, allowing the gem to hear a skittering sound from inside.
"Do you hear that?" Diamond asked as he opened the vial and placed his hand on the mouth. Out from the vial, a small metallic centipede creature emerged. As Howlite watched the creature scrawl around in Diamond's hand, the Old King smiled as he turned his hand around to watch the insect move around.
"It is a creation that I call "The Mind Bug"." Diamond explained as he grabbed the mind bug by the back of its body and held it before Howlite. "Peridot designed it to burrow into the brains of my captives and extract their memories, which is quite useful for extracting data."
As Diamond held the mind bug near Howlite's head, Diamond noticed Howlite was starting to sweat. She was trying to talk, but only let out muffled grunts as the gag made it impossible to speak. Diamond approached Howlite and grabbed her hair, holding her head to the side and allowing him to hold the mind bug over the captured Gem's ear.
"It is a shame that you do not have anything significant to extract, but it would be important to test this bug on you. The last several subjects did not take their procedure very well. So let us see if five is the luck number, shall we?"
The next thing Howlite knew, she shrieked a muffled scream as she felt the mind bug dig through her ear, passing into her skull and begin to dig into her brain. The Gem tried to break free from her restraints, but it was no use. As Howlite looked around the room, everything was spinning and warped in shape. As Diamond appeared before her, she saw a freakish monster before her with a large beak and knives for hands.
"It seems the bug had broken your sense of perception and tore a portion of your brain tissue. Yet you are still in full solid formation and conscious" Diamond said as he walked over to her hand and picked up a pick and hammer off the table. "No matter, this next will only take a minute."
Howlite suddenly felt a sharp pain in her body as she saw Diamond dig a metal pick into her Gem. The Gem screamed as hard as she could, but between the brain bug and this, she began to gasp and cry as she felt the pick jab in deeper. Suddenly…
*CRACK*
In that instant, Howlite felt the world around her spin like a top as the sound of distorted laughter filled her head. As Diamond picked up the shard of Howlite's Gem, he heard the sound of maniacal laughter as he turned to see the laughing Howlite before him. Diamond then noticed the black cracks that were starting to grow around her face and neck. Diamond sighed as he removed Howlite's mask. As he did, the Gem began to scream at her captor.
"How are you feeling?" Diamond asked as he placed the shard in his pocket. "I am impressed you are still alive, and even more that your Gem has healed…sort of. It seems you accepted the Ichor quite well and integrated it into your Gem, unlike your comrades. Now that I have a sample of your Gem I think I shall leave you here until I have everything prepared. Until then try to be on your best behavior, understood?"
Howlite sunk her head and began to mutter under her breath. As she looked up to Diamond, she began to say her mutterings louder and faster, revealing that she was only saying, and now shouting, a single word to the Gemian before her:
"Monster!"
As Howlite continued to scream the words "Monster" like a broken record, Diamond sighed as he walked to the door he turned back to Howlite, who was still shouting at him.
"If you think I am a monster, then you should consider your companion "Emmy"." Diamond commented with a cold tone as he held up a pair of black stones. "He fled the planet after he activated my trap and left you and Hematite for dead."
Howlite stopped in place at the sound of his words and the sight of the Gems, recognizing them as Hematite. As Diamond closed the door before her, Howlite was left in the dark chamber. The Gem was silent for what felt for ages, but it did not take long for the Gem to replace her silence with strained cried. She continued to cry as she tried to break free from her chains.
Suddenly she heard the creak of metal, followed by the sensation of her bracelet breaking off.
[*]
Insidiae, Escape Pod Chamber, present day
[*]
Diamond walked down the hallways of Insidiae until he approached a door bedside him. As he entered it, he walked into a chamber with a large pod within wall. Along with the pod, the Gem Peridot was organizing three cylinders attached a small box. As she turned to see Diamond approach her, he held the shard of Howlite's Gem in his hand, showing it to the Green Gem before him.
"Here is the final component." Diamond said to Howlite as she took the shard and placed it into one of the cylinders. "Will it be enough?"
"Of course." Peridot replied as she pressed a button on the side of the box, causing it to vibrate and hum loudly. "But I don't understand why you need one of these….Gems? Don't you have enough Servants?"
"Topaz's twins are off planet searching for Smaragdus, the Diamonds are tending to my orders on Homeworld, and Onychinos will be…unable to assist us for the time being." Diamond explained as he approached the box and examined it. "Until Hematite is recalibrated, I cannot risk an opening in my defenses, besides, this one will be for covert operations only."
"Convert operations?" Peridot asked as she looked to Diamond with confusion. "Who is this Gem supposed to spy on?"
"That will depend if we fail our mission my dear." Diamond replied as he watched the box open, steam pouring out of the container like water. He then reached into the box and pulled out an oval gem. This Gem was known to many Gems as a working class Pearl, designed to function for menial servitude tasks for superior Gem and Secundos, while Rose and Topaz had forbid the practice of modifying them due to...instability, Diamond had modified a single Pearl in secret, composed of his Vitae, his Secundo Onyx's and the Gem Howlite's.
"If anything happens to me, I will have this Pearl keep an eye on my sister while I am away while I dispatch lunam lapidibus to observe Topaz. With my teachings and a little displace, it will become an important servant in my plan."
"I see…" Peridot said as she summoned her finger pad and began to access it. "Should I put it with the rest of them?"
"Of course." Diamond said as he gave the Gem to Peridot. "But do not forget to apply a code name and modify the registration for Rose Quartz."
"Understood…" Peridot said as she typed into the pad before her. "What do you want to call her?"
Diamond paused before her a name popped into his head, a name, like the others servants and Gems, was to identify their servitude to the Tribunal. While this Gem would be called something else, Diamond would refer this Gems by one name:
"She will be known as…Vestibulum…" Diamond said with a smile as he turned to Peridot.
Peridot nodded as she placed the Pearl into a large pod. Diamond then approached the pod and then to Peridot.
"Peridot…it is time to initiate our plan." Diamond said as he grabbed her hands. "You know what you have to do?"
"Of course." Peridot said as she looked up to Diamond. "I just hope…that after…after all of-"
Peridot was silenced as a pair of lips embraced hers. As the Old King kissed his lover, he pulled away and held her face in his hands.
"Peridot, after this is all over, I promise you, we will leave all of this behind." Diamond said with a smile. "We will live in a perfect Universe, together, I promise."
Peridot then pulled a folded piece of parchment out of her pocket and handed it to Diamond. As he looked at it with curiosity, he unfolded it and read what was inside.
Est DI: Poterit vas tuum gemma tuae somniant machinamenti?
Diamond umquam interiorem hominem Quo pulchrior es sis. Ego dilexi vos pariter cum primis diebus erogaverat volumus. Non laboro Propter alium quam te.
Autem Diamond, ego sum a Metalian. Creationem factus sum inimicus. Te amo quod tibi dicereautem unum scire possum quod pro vobis non potest esse. Sufficeret ut diceret fortiter Non sum quod ego te amo orbabor filio quoniam pavea. Venient autem dies, dicam te amo. Donec commodo Jerosolymis mecum manent.
-PE
"This is…" Diamond said as he looked at the poem with confusion as he looked back to Peridot. "A poem...your poem."
"This was the first poem I wrote after you gave me life." Peridot said with tears welling in her eyes. "I want an answer from you when you return, is that clear?"
Diamond paused for a moment before he sighed and placed the poem in his coat.
"I give you my word, my Peridot." Diamond said as he stared into his lover's eyes. "Twicefold."
Just then, there was the blare of an alarm as sirens and light began to flash.
"What the?" Diamond shouted as he looked to a terminal. "It's the laboratory sector…"
"Howlite…" Diamond muttered under his breath as he clenched his fists. "Dampnas!"
"I'll handle it." Peridot commanded as her hand turned into a laser gun. "You need to go back to Homeworld, continue with the plan."
"Peridot…" Diamond said with shock as he reached for her. "I can't leave you with…her. I have to keep you safe."
"I'll be fine Diamond." Peridot said as she snapped her fingers and several Agates appeared before her. "I have backup."
Diamond entered the pod as he looked back to Peridot, who pressed a nearby console and closed the pod on Diamond. As the pod door closed on Diamond, The Old King watched as Howlite burst through the door, ax in hand and a insane grin on her face.
"You can't hide monster from me!" Howlite snarled as she held up her ax. "I gotta cut him up, he killed my friends!"
Peridot quickly slammed the console next to her, jettisoning the pod with Diamond in it into space.
"Tutus esse dilectione mea." Diamond whispered as he watched the Insidiae colony shrink in the distance.
"Sorry, you just missed him." Peridot replied smugly as she armed both of her finger guns. "Perhaps I can leave a message for him, but I don't think he accepts messages from dead clods."
Howlite screamed as she clenched the ax in her hands. She then looked up and began to giggle loudly as she grabbed a tuft of her hair.
"I NEED TO KILL MONSTER!" Howlite howled as she ran through Peridot and the Agates and slammed her ax into the escape pod door, ripping out a large chunk of the door and creating a vacuumed into space. Peridot and the Agates quickly applied magnetized grips onto the metal floor as they saw that Howlite was nowhere to be found. She then turned and saw that among the rubble of the room, there was an Agate with its lower body cut off.
"Oh-no…" Peridot gasped as she looked through the hole in the chamber and saw the flash of an Agate's thruster in the distance.
[*]
Diamond peered through the window of his pod to see the Homeworld coming towards him. As he sighed and sat back in his seat, he heard a loud thump from on top of the pod.
"What the…?" Diamond asked before a large Ax blade shot through the hull of the pod and ripped out a chunk of the pod and sucked Diamond out, only to be caught by a familiar whit hand with a cracked Gem. Diamond saw the crazed Howlite before him, her eyes black shot and a wild smile stretched on her face. Diamond quickly summoned his mace, only for Howlite to quickly slice the mace from his hand along with several fingers. As Diamond shouted in pain, Howlite raised her ax and sliced into Diamond's shoulder, spraying blue blood into the black stars. As Diamond looked to Howlite as she aimed the ax at his neck, he gasped before he began to laugh.
"What's so funny Monster?" Howlite snarled as she pressed harder, "WHAT IS SO GEMIA-DAMNED FUNNY?"
Diamond pointed with his unscathed hand at the planet behind Howlite, who forgot to realize what happens when a high speeding projectile in space begins to enter a planet's atmosphere.
Suddenly, the pod began to burn through the atmosphere as everything upon it, including Howlite and Diamond began to ignite. As the cracked Gem screamed in pain as she tried to put out the flames, they both began to descend to the planet below. Diamond tried to enter the ship, but could not as Howlite still had a grip on him.
"YOU'RE NOT GETTING AWAY FROM ME MONSTER!" Howlite shouted as she tried to lift her burnt body. "YOU MADE A TERRIBLE MISTAKE FOR WHAT YOU DID TO ME!"
Diamond then noticed a piece of sharp metal dangling from the broken hull next to him, using his damaged hand he barely grasped the shrapnel and plunged it into Howlite's wrist.
"I do not make mistakes Howlite…" Diamond informed coldly as he twisted the shrapnel. "…I erase them!"
As he pulled the shrapnel out, Howlite felt her hand release as she metal had sliced through her wrist. The cracked Gem watched as the pod shot away from her, while she began to plummet straight into the ground below.
"I failed…" Howlite muttered as she watched the ground begin to approach as an alarming rate. But just as she began to black out, she could swear she saw a pink flash of light, and a tuft of pink hair in her face.
[*]
Homeworld, Gem Recovery Hub, Private Chamber, several hours later
[*]
Howlite awoke to find herself in a bed in a strange room. As she stood up, she looked at her cracked Gem and then clenched her fist. Just then, she heard a door open, and saw a familiar face before her. It was Rose Quartz, the Lion, here before her.
"Master Rose!" Howlite addressed as she quickly knelt before the Gemian, surprised at how quickly she had healed, let alone moved.
"Stand up Howlite." Rose said in a calm but serious tone. "We need to talk."
Howlite then remembered what had happened on Insidiae and bolted up before the pink Gem.
"Master! Monster had betrayed us! He staged the attacks and…he…and…he…"
"…stopped Onyx once and for all." Rose interjected. The tone in her voice was still concerned. "And you will address him as "Master Diamond".
"Wha…" Howlite stammered as she tried to process what had happened.
"Diamond brought in Onyx and now she is on trial for rebellion and will be executed." Rose explained as she stared deep into the eyes of the little Gem before her. "…as will all the Gems that sided with her."
Howlite paused as he understood what Rose had meant by that. The very thought that Rose, the forever loving, would call her a traitor was more painful than any brain bug. Howlite stood back before she clenched her fists.
"HE'S LYING!" Howlite shouted as she slammed the wall beside her, startling Rose. "HE CREATED ONYX, HE STARTED EVERYTHING! HE TURNED JADE INTO A MONSTER!"
"Howlite…I know my brother, he led the final attacks on Insidiae and nearly died…" Rose paused before she continued "…from you."
Rose then summoned a projection from her Gem as it displayed Howlite attacking Diamond from the pod. Howlite watched as she attacked the Old King without mercy, her eyes black shot and pouring obsidian tears. She then looked to Rose as fresh watery tears rolled down her eyes.
"It is bad enough that Emerald fled from the attack." Rose sighed. "Topaz is beside themselves about this. But for you to betray us, to become a spy for Onyx..."
"Master! You have to believe me!" Howlite begged as she fell upon her knees before the pink Gemian. "I'm innocent! Diamond…He's the one behind all this! He's a monstrous traitor!"
At that moment, Rose gave Howlite a cold glare, the Gem could see the disgust in her eyes as she looked to the Gem before her.
"You insult my brother, the one that led you into battle, you then turn on him and nearly kill him, and you call *him* a traitor. If I was not the Exemplar of Compassion, I would not even consider doing this for you."
Rose summoned a small scroll and dropped it before Howlite.
"Because I cannot kill you myself, I am giving you a choice Howlite. You can leave now, and be banished from the Homeworld and the Gems for life, or face execution. If you choose the former, I will not stop you, nor tell anyone about this."
Howlite looked to the scroll and then back to Rose. As she did, a smile grew on her face as she opened the scroll and summoned a portal.
"I get it now, you talk big about being the Gemian of Compassion but only for those who support your cause?" Howlite chuckled grimly as she stood before the portal, looking back to Rose with a tearful smile. "You are no Lion…you're just a selfish Ferreo!
Rose was stunned as Howlite stepped through the portal. As Rose stood in the camber for what felt like house, composing what she had heard from Howlite, a though continued to burn in her mind, something she could not answer on her own.
But perhaps her brother could answer it for her.
[*]
Homeworld, Tribunal Chambers, present day
[*]
Diamond stood over the balcony of the chambers, looking over the vast Gem City from under a dark blue sky. Diamond then looked at his hand, which just about a few hours ago was missing several fingers, but was now healed, as was the rest of his body. Moreover, the crisis with Onyx was finished, which for Diamond was a problem, caused by Howlite. Fortunately, the Cracked Gem probably burned in the atmosphere.
As he pondered the probabilities of what to do next, he heard the door behind him open and saw his sister Rose enter the room.
"Ah! My little sister, the savior of my life." Diamond said as he hugged the pink Gem. "Is everything alright with the Gem I saved?"
"Yes, she's alright." Rose said as she walked over to the nearby sink and turned on the water. "Although she will probably have no recollection of what happened up there, if she has any."
"Good to hear." Diamond replied as he turned back to the balcony. "The more we forget about Onyx's actions the better."
Rose turned on the water as she began to rinse her hands through them. It was a pointless exercise for Gems, but for Rose, she always enjoyed using it to relax after a difficult day.
"By the way?" Rose said as she continued to rinse her hands in the warm water. "I found another survivor."
Diamond flinched, but just a little, nothing to draw any attention.
"Another?" Diamond replied as he turned to Rose. "Who was she?"
"I don't know" Rose lied as she continued to wash her hands. "I found a pod outside of the main colony and when I moved in closer there she was. She…was injured and she was…different... She attacked me, called me a monster before then fled, I don't know why?"
"I suspect it had something to do with her being captured." Diamond said as he approached Rose and stood behind her. "I could barely imagine what that dreadful things Onyx did to her."
Rose hesitated as Diamond turned his sister around and smiled at her. She looked up to Diamond and smiled back.
"But don't concern yourself with this madness." Diamond said as he kissed her forehead. By tomorrow, Onyx will never harm another Gem, and I will make sure anything like this will never happens again. I promise."
"I know you will." Rose said with a relieved smile as she began to walk away. "You always have a tendency to be absolute."
"Of course I am." Diamond said as he turned and walked back to the balcony. As rose was half way across the room, she heard Diamond shout back to her.
"But if it will make you feel any better, I will send my elite to find Howlite for you." Diamond said as he leaned on the balcony. "We can then get her back to the temple and fix her up. Where did you last see her?"
Rose paused as she stood at the door, she then looked back to Diamond with a nervous expression.
"Nearby the warp pad hub..." Rose replied with a black tone, her eyes staring at the back of her brother.
"…but I never said it was Howlite."
Diamond froze, he realized what he had just said. In that instant, the room became dead silent, the only sound that could be heard was the small drips from the sink between the two Gemians.
…drip…
…1 second…2 seconds…3 seconds…
…drip…
…1 second…2 seconds…3 seconds…
…drip…
Diamond then looked back to Rose, seeing the look of concern in her eyes, he knew it was over. Diamond then looked back to the balcony and sighed.
"Diamond…" Rose said with a worried tone as she began to approach The Old King "…what have you done?"
Diamond stood up and turned to Rose, she gasped as she saw the molten red eyes glare back towards her.
"I did what had to be done." Diamond replied coldly as he approached his sister.
"No…" Rose said as she placed her hands on her head, realizing the truth that was standing before her. "…no..no..no..no..no!"
"Do not weep for me my sister." Diamond said to Rose as he approached her. "I have seen our true purpose. The reason we exist."
"You…you were behinds all this?" Rose pleaded as tears began to trickle down her face. "The attacks on Homeworld…the Insidiae ambush."
"I had to Rose." Diamond explained as he walked around her. "Those Gems will power an army of solders that will multiply with each new Gem acquired. An army composed of the brilliance of the Metalians, and the power of the Gems. With this, no force will stop me from saving this Universe."
Just then Diamond heard the sound of blade as he turned to see Rose, armed with her sword and shield, with a tearful glare before her brother. As she stood before him, the two Gemians could hear the sound of rain from outside the chamber, followed by the flash of lightning and the roar of thunder. As Diamond looked at the sight before him, a smile grew upon his face.
"What are you going to do?" Diamond asked as he approached Rose.
"I…I'll stop you." Rose replied as she aimed her sword at him.
"Then if you want to stop me…." Diamond said as he grabbed Rose's blade, and aimed it at his chest. "..you will have to kill me."
Rose gasped in shock before she regained her focus. As she looked into Diamond's eyes, she felt a sensation of horror before her, she felt the desire, the rage to plunge her sword into her brother, but she couldn't.
"Come on Rose, you want to stop me, don't you?" Diamond asked as he held the blade with his hands, blue blood began to trickle down the sword as he held it tighter. "Then do it! Kill me Rose!"
Rose felt her hands begin to shake.
"Kill me!"
She then felt her stomach knot up as fresh tears began to flow down her eyes.
"Kill Me!"
The sword began to waver as Rose's shield began to dissipate.
"KILL ME! KILL YOUR BROTHER! KILL! ME! NOW!"
Rose screamed as she pulled the sword away and threw it across the chamber, the blade slide on the floor before it fell off the balcony. Rose then fell to her knees and began to weep. She cried until she began to choke.
"I…I can't…" Rose gasped as she tried to stand up. "You…you are my brother…You can't…can't…"
"I know, it is been since our conception that a Gemian, even Tiberium, cannot kill another Gemian." Diamond replied as he watched Rose stand up and stumble before Diamond and grab his robe, looking up to him with pleading eyes. "But there is one thing that I found the most interesting."
The next thing Rose knew, Diamond had pulled his arm back and shot his fist into Rose's stomach, pushing all the air out of the Gemian's lungs and causing her to collapse to the floor. As she tried to get up, Diamond raised his foot and kicked his sister in the face, causing her to topple onto the floor. Diamond then grabbed Rose by the back of her dress and up towards him.
"There was never anything about us hurting one another." Diamond hissed, perhaps we should see how far we can go, shall we?"
Before Rose could answer, Diamond threw Rose into the sink, breaking it into chunks of clay and dousing Rose's face with water. Diamond then grabbed Rose's feet and dragged her out the rubble. As he stopped pulling her, Rose, grabbed a chunk of the sink and threw it at Diamond, who blocked the attack only to see his sister stumble upward and towards the balcony. As she raised her arm to summon Lion, she was tackled by Diamond. Who pinned her arm behind her back.
"Sorry Rose, but we cannot have any uninvited guests." Diamond said as he stood up, placing his foot on Rose's back as he placed her arm under his arm and hand it with both hands.
"Diamond…NO!" Rose shouted as she felt her arm begin to lightly pull from the socket. "Diamond please! I won't summon Lion! Please…Dimy!"
"I know you will...but like what you said…" Diamond said as he planted his foot deeper into Rose's back. "…I have a tendency to be absolute."
In that instant, Rose felt the blinding pain and screamed from the top of her lungs as she felt Diamond, her older brother and protector, tear off her entire right arm. Diamond felt the warm blood splash across his face and body as he held the limb of his sister in his hands.
"It seems I have "dis-armed" you, my sister." Diamond commented as he pointed to the arm and laughed. "Do you see Rose? I can be funny too! I can be humorous!"
Rose gasped as she watched Diamond discard the arm onto the floor and kneel behind her until he was next to her face.
"I am sorry for that, but this is necessary to rid you of your corruption." Diamond hissed to Rose.
Diamond then bent back up and looked down at Rose's body. As he looked to see Rose looking at him, he sneered before he forced Rose's lower half upward, tearing open the back end of her dress.
"NO! DIAMOND NO!" Rose pleaded as she felt Diamond's hand grab her remaining hand and hold it forward.
"DIMY PLEASE! NO! I'M SORRY DIMY" Rose pleaded as she felt Diamond rip her inner lining open, exposing her Gemhood to the Gemian behind her.
"I'M SORRY DIMY…" Rose cried as she heard the sound of Diamond removing his rob.
"I know Rose, but you have to be punished for your corruption…" Diamond said with a reassuring tone as he aimed his weapon towards its target. "…and what better tool to end savagery than savagery itself? Don't you agree?"
Rose suddenly felt the pointed weapon of Diamond behind her, in a last effort to escape, she tried to break free, but it was no use, she was too weak from the attack and with only one arm, she was but a small wounded lamb, under the mercy of the mighty vulture above her.
In that instant, Rose felt her brother stab himself into her with a hard and powerful thrust. Rose howled in pain as she felt the pulsing thrusts of Diamond enter and exit her again and again. As the process when on Diamond began to create and steady rhythm and he moved Rose's other arm behind her back.
The pain was too much for Rose, she could feel Diamond piston push into her and then pull out like an endless cycle. Diamond then planted his hand on Rose's head, ensuring his grip on his little sister as he raped her. As Rose tried to focus out the pain, a memory suddenly shot through her mind.
[*]
Unknown location, 14 billion years ago
{*}
"Dimy" Rose said as she ran up to her brother, who was meditating underneath a certain tree.
"Yes Rose." Diamond said as he took a deep breath and turned to the little Gem beside him. "If this is about that joke about butterflies, I finally get it."
"No…I was wondering." Rose asked, trying to remember the word that her siblings called it. "How do you…uh…medodate?"
"Do you mean meditate?" Diamond asked as he raised an eyebrow. "It's really simple actually."
Rose crawled onto Diamond's lap and waited for Diamond to continue.
"If you want to truly meditate, you must clear your mind of all feelings, all emotions and the world around you."
"How?" Rose asked bluntly, causing the not so Old King to sigh.
"Look…" Diamond explained as he looked around until he saw a perfect sight. "…see that leaf?"
Rose watched the leaf, noticing it was dripping water onto the soil below.
"Now I want you to, *silently*, count the seconds between each drop. Can you do that?"
Rose nodded as she stared at the leaf above her, waiting for the next droplet until…
…drip…
…1 second…2 seconds…3 seconds…
…drip…
…1 second…2 seconds…3 seconds…
…drip…
{*}
Present day
[*]
As Rose continued to feel Diamond pump through her, the young Gem looked around at where she was staring and then she saw it.
…drip…
A lone crystal from the balcony was dripping in rain water. A perfect specimen for meditation.
As Rose stared at the droplets that fell from the crystal, she began to count the time between them.
…drip…
…1 second…2 seconds…3 seconds…
…drip…
…1 second…2 seconds…3 seconds…
…drip…
At that moment, for that moment, all was bliss once more.
At least, until it stopped raining…
[*]