Beyond The Gem

Nineteen

     Oh, things were truly perfect and beautiful. We shared more kisses and more embraces than we had done before, and I went back to the Kindergarten with confidence. Before, I was nervous about talking to the other gems, but now, I spoke to them freely and whenever I wanted, and I began to gain more and more followers. They agreed that Pink had to be dealt with, that the Diamond Authority was getting out of hand even though they had never been to Homeworld. They admitted that they wanted to fight for freedom, even if they died.

     And when I'd finally been noticed by the guards, they snatched me by the arms and dragged me to Pink's palanquin. They threw me onto the ground in front of her, then looked to Pink. "My Diamond, this rogue gem has caused trouble in the Kindergarten. Instead of working, she chooses to speak to the others and examine the surrounding world. We're falling behind on our work to make new areas for new gems. What shall we do with her?"

     Pink rubbed her chin. Oh, her acting was good. She looked down to me. "What have you been telling the other gems?"

     I explained that the world was beautiful and that we shouldn't destroy it, clapping my hands together and attempting to seem desperate. Pink tilted her head back and laughed, her voice echoing through the palanquin. "Silly gem! This world is my colony, and there's nothing of note here other than the fact that this planet is rather green. Become your own Diamond and tell me what you think to do with your own colony." She gestured to the guards. "Get her out of my sight, and watch her. Make sure she does not speak to anyone else again."

     Before the guards dragged me out, Pink winked at me, flashing me a grin. They put me back to work, and I instantly began speaking to the others once more.

     "Are you crazy?" A Jasper said to me. "Overthrowing the Diamond Authority? That's insane. You must have a death wish."

     "There's more gems here than guards. We can take the fight to Pink! We can overthrow her first, shattering her! It would be easy! Plus, if we kill Pink Diamond, then we can live here without having to work! We can be free!" I explained, and the gem thought for a moment. She shrugged, continuing to swing her picaxe.

     "I don't know. We aren't supposed to be speaking to each other. Why can't you just accept the fact that we're here to mine?"

     Uh oh. I had to switch forms. I had to change, and I'd been so lost in conversation and mining that it had completely slipped my mind. The Jasper was focused on me, though. What could I do? I kept talking to her. "Come on, you don't want to mine rock for a thousand years, do you?"

     Jasper threw down her picaxe, the other gems going silent. The guards glanced our way. "We aren't here to overthrow Pink Diamond! We're here to mine!" The guards lifted their brows to me before summoning their weapons and charging. I shifted into a butterfly and flew out of the Kindergarten, thus out of sight, and then into a small gnat. I flew back down into the Kindergarten, my size causing me to be hidden from the guards' eyes, and flew into Pink's palanquin, shifting into Pearl.

     "They found out Rose wants to overthrow you," I exclaimed, and Pink's eyes widened. "I don't know what to do! I can't go back out as Rose!"

     Pink faltered, the pursed her lips. "Yes you can, and you are. You're going to poof those guards with my blade, and poof every other gem that is not on your side." She reached behind her throne and grabbed Rose's sword, handing it to me. I looked down to it, then back up at her. She smiled confidently, and I shifted back into Rose, but this time with her dress. I unsheathed the blade and burst out of the palanquin, swinging my sword and poofing any who charged me.

     Pink watched with a grin from the palanquin, and I could tell she was proud. Though it was her own guards I was poofing, she was proud I'd become who I was. The deformed gem who didn't want to bow down to a Diamond had become Pink Diamond's one and only love, had become her warrior.

     A smile spread across my own face as I poofed the final guard, leaving the gems. I raised my blade above my head, shifting back into Pearl, but not Pink Diamond's Pearl. One wearing different clothing that would make me seem different, yet it was still my own form. Instead of Pink, Rose walked out of the palanquin, and I handed her the blade. She looked to all the gems.

     "Are you going to fight with us or against us?" She simply shouted, and the gems looked around uncertainly. Suddenly, a gem threw down her picaxe, balling her hands into fists.

     "I want to fight with you." She said, and another gem dropped her picaxe.

     "I'm fighting with you as well!" She smiled. Other gems dropped their picaxes, claiming they would fight with us. I looked to Rose, breathing deeply.

     "Our rebellion is beginning," I said, and she nodded.

     You know the rest, don't you, Steven?"