The Black Diamond

Chapter 7.2: Ambitions

(Pink's Room)

Pearl was amazed by her Diamond's skill, as she was currently balancing atop a large orb whilst juggling smaller bubbles at the same time. She threw all three high into the air, leaping after them as the bigger one popped from under her feet, and the bubbles popped into little sparkles as Pink floated down gracefully, ending it all with a wink to her Pearl, sending her into a small fit of laughter.

Pnk Pearl: You're so wonderful at that, bravo!

Pink: Thank you, Pearl, I've been practicing for days at this point.

There was a knock at her door, followed by a female voice.

"Pink? It's me, may I enter?"

Pink: One moment!

The two Gems headed towards a nearby mirror, and when they were ready, the large, automatic doors slid aside to allow the soft spoken Blue Diamond to enter.

Blue: I see you're preparing yourself, yet another celebration...

Pink: What brings you down here?

Blue: Oh, it's nothing serious, but I just wanted to talk for a moment, if you don't mind of course.

Pink: It's no problem, Blue, we talk all the time!

Blue: Hm, yes, but it may be different from our other discussions.

Pink: What do you mean?

Blue found the most spacious area of the room and sat down in front of her, and her voice became slightly softer than normal, as if she feared her words escaping the room itself.

Blue: How do you feel, Pink? about Black, I mean.

Pink: How do I feel about him? Well...he's a bit, odd, and he only really talks to, well anyone when he really needs to...

Blue: But he doesn't...frighten you at all?

Pink: Nnno? Why'd you ask?

Blue: I've noticed things around Homeworld, the way other Gems behave around him. Isn't rather strange he'd rather have the company of his mechanical inventions rather than a normal court? I believe there's only 30,000 in total.

Pink: Well, I guess that is odd, and I honestly don't know why, but I'm sure Black is just really busy.

Blue: It's been more than 5 centuries, Pink. This, Oton project takes more of his time every day.

Blue was not wrong in her statement. While unspoken till now, the other Diamonds had become somewhat weary of Black's obsession with machines, and yes they have made the Authority ever stronger, the sheer contrast of the Otons made all around them feel an emotion thought to be nonexistent to Gemkind: unease. If you were walking past a pair of Otons conversing with one another, they would immediately stop and stare at you till you were out of sight. The older ones were only capable of shouting every sentence, seemingly angry for no apparent reason. And the fact they had a never ending gaze unnerved even Gems of similar personality. But it was their numbers that frightened most. Almost every colony Black has established is dedicated to producing more Otons, rather than making true Kindergartns. Instead of massive floating spires that touched the sky, he built entire cities beneath the dirt, and his architectur lacked the "beauty" his comrades otherwise took pride in, seeing it as "pointless decoration and a waste of time." From the very beginning, Black Diamond had been a very different Gem, his court could be considered a separate faction altogether due to their antisocial behavior.

Almost nobody outside of his court speaks to the wider empire, save for Flugurite and his Pearl, but everyone else seemingly have very little to do, as far as the Diamonds could see, which too, was very little.