A Diamond That Doesn't Shine

Remember

In a base located in a far away place sat a strange alien, a body that has yet to show any sign of being alive, and a figure that looked to be made of pure shadows.

The figure moved her head to look at the pair in the room.

"We...we must keep going my diamond."

The room shook and a dark hue filled the walls.

Spinel, the alien, collapsed to the ground, her body contorting in agony. She fought valiantly to suppress her screams, but eventually, the pain overwhelmed her. A piercing cry shattered the once-quiet room, echoing the torment she was enduring. This gem was vulnerable to the power of a diamond forged from darkness, a weakness that plagued ordinary gems.

Nothing was more formidable than an enraged diamond.
"You left them behind." The voice, soft yet tinged with anger, pierced through the silence, barely audible but laden with emotion. Tears welled up in the new Diamond's eyes as their resolve wavered.

The once impenetrable darkness in the room seemed to fade as Y/N sank to the floor, overwhelmed by guilt and sorrow.

"My Y/N..." The voice hesitated, grappling with a mix of concern and realization. "My Diamond... They are strong. They will survive. They have to."

"But you don't know that!" The response was sharp, laced with fear. "They could be shattered right now!"

"Why do you care so much about us?"

"Why do I care?" The Diamond's voice cracked with raw emotion. "Because you're family! You're my only family! I can't lose you all!"

"My Diamond, you can never fully embrace your diamond heritage if you harbor such feelings for other gems,"

"I am not just a Diamond!" Y/N's voice rose with defiance. "I have emotions, empathy. I can't change who I am to fit some standard!"

"...I have something you should see." Spinel approached a control panel and retrieved a small, transparent bag hidden beneath it, revealing a gleaming hard drive within. "When you're ready to embrace your true self, watch the videos on this hard drive."

With those words, Spinel left Y/N alone, leaving them to grapple with the weight of it all.

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Sat in her dimly lit makeshift room, the soft glow of her laptop screen illuminated her troubled expression.

Curiosity mingled with apprehension as they clicked the link to the first video of many. The video began with a montage of their happiest moments of them and their family, set to a melancholic soundtrack. Memories of laughter, shared secrets, and countless adventures played before her eyes, evoking a sense of nostalgia.

Then the video took an unexpected turn. A voiceover, disguised to protect the speaker's identity, began narrating a story that shattered Y/N's world. It spoke of hidden orders and pride. Y/N's heart sank as she realized the voice belonged to her once good friend, peridot.

"Pride, ego, call it whatever you choose. We as gems were made to serve the strongest
Diamond. We were made to make sure that their...your......the project, went well. To be given a direct order, to manage a project by our creater...we couldn't fail and we knew we couldn't turn back."

Tears welled up in their eyes as the video unfolded. Peridot confessed to feeling anger and disgust toward the child.The video revealed that the gems had betrayed her trust by disclosing personal secrets on a hot line all while pretending to be the most loyal of friends.

Y/n felt as though their world was collapsing. Her closest confidant, the person they had trusted above all others, had been harboring such negative feelings for so long. She watched in disbelief as Peridots voice continued to recount their friendship's darker moments, the emotional scars that had remained hidden beneath a façade of smiles and camaraderie.

The video concluded with peridot forming a strange sign Y/N remembered as the diamond symbol.

The screen faded to black, leaving Y/N alone with their thoughts. The room felt colder, emptier, and the bond that had once defined their closest relationship had been irrevocably broken. The video had left them with a profound sense of betrayal and the daunting task of deciding whether forgiveness was possible, or if it was time to let go of a friendship that had been built on deceit.

Just then, Spinel entered the room.

"We all cared about you at one point in time. However, we were constantly reminded of our mission," Spinel began cautiously.

"What was your mission then?" Y/N asked with a mix of curiosity and apprehension.

"It was you, my Diamond," Spinel replied solemnly.

Y/N shook their head in disbelief. "I don't understand why you would go through all this trouble just for me. None of you even liked me. Perry... Peridot admitted she despised me."

"It's a long story. Do you think you can handle it?" Spinel's voice softened as they noticed the child's once-tearful expression now curious and intrigued.

"A long time ago, there was only one Diamond. She was the heart of Homeworld. Then, one day, she had to give up her light," Spinel began, The child, now captivated, looked at Spinel eagerly, urging them to continue.

"After Rainbow Diamond's light was depleted, Black Diamond was born almost instantly. The other Diamonds immediately saw Black as a potential successor to Rainbow. From the very beginning, expectations were high," Spinel recounted, their voice trembling with the weight of past trauma.

"As the days, years, and millennia passed, Black Diamond was burdened with more and more of Rainbow's responsibilities and gems until she reached a breaking point. She became frustrated. Why were all these gems, who had nothing to do with the color black, assigned to her?" Spinel paused, the memories vivid and painful. "So Black Diamond rebelled. She stopped following orders and began experimenting. Once-beautiful, colorful gems were drained to black. To the other Diamonds, Black Diamond was tarnishing treasures that had once belonged to Rainbow. That's when Red, or Pink Diamond, came along."

"Peridot never mentioned any of this," Y/N whispered in shock. "Why was I never told about these experiments?"

"Because Peridot used to be one of those gems," Spinel explained softly. "She used to be the most vibrant green, her pride and joy. But when Rainbow Diamond left, Peridot was assigned to Black Diamond. Since there was already a Peridot in Black Diamond's court, they thought she could influence this new one. Peridot's color was faded to a deep green, and eventually, she was sent away to a special place called the Room because Black Diamond couldn't completely remove that green. The color that had once been her pride and joy became the reason she was trapped."

Y/N's expression turned horrified as they processed the revelation. "Wait if that's Perrys story, then what about yours?"

Spine, proud that she got Y/N to use peridots name again, sighed.

My story is...much different form peridot. I was with Black Diamond since the beginning." She smiles a soft smile with a look of nostalgia in her eyes. "I was her Spinel."

TO BE CONTINUED WITH THE REST OF SPINELS STORY!