Diamond Times

Faded

They'd expected to live forever.

They'd been proven wrong when Pink's son had died, his gemstone faded of color with age as his organic body decayed with time. From then on, they'd all expected it to happen to them.

But it hadn't quite become so real until it affected Yellow so much.

"I'm so sorry."

Yellow had never expected to live this long.

"It's my time to go."

The most impulsive and battle ready member of the Authority, yet here she was. Not to die in battle or in a moment of defiance, but simply for living too long.

"Stay strong."

The last of the old Diamond Authority.

"Take care of them for me."

White was long shattered, and Pink had left them long before that, giving them her son, who brought just as much joy to their lives- but he, too, passed with time.

"I'll finally see our Pink."

Even Blue. Her lover, her amazing, her soft, her beautiful Blue.

"Please, tell them yourself."

Time, she thought, with bittersweet memories that still made her tear up, was the biggest thief of them all.

"It's time."

It seemed like just yesterday that she had emerged, looking into the eyes of her beautiful bright older sister, just moments before she first saw her lovely Blue.

"Do you remember when I first looked into your eyes?"

Just yesterday that they had anticipated Red's emergence, and she had become the most powerful of them.

"When we saw Red?" A tinkling laugh.

Just yesterday that Red complained about her duties and unconvincingly faked her shattering, leaving them for science and leaving behind a pink diamond gem.

"She brought us Pink."

Just yesterday that she, Blue, and White, had watched in that throne room as Pink made her first form in front of them and put the first joy into their lives.

"Pink brought out our best selves."

Just yesterday that Pink had begged for her own colony and finally gotten her wish.

"We all loved her so."

Just yesterday that Yellow had forced herself to be militant and emotionless as Blue sobbed into her chest and White locked herself in her head and that joy was stolen from them with Pink's shattering.

"Losing her brought out our worst."

Just yesterday that they had brutally attacked the planet Earth and unwittingly caused corruption.

"We hurt so many gems."

Just yesterday that Pink had revealed herself in her son, Steven- and that she, too, had faked her shattering.

"All for nothing."

Like mother, like daughter, Yellow thought ironically.

Just yesterday that White herself had been shattered, other Diamonds revealed, Red returned, and a new era started.

"But we grew."

We weren't sad. Not me, not Blue, and not Red. White had finally become too much for us.