Brittle as Diamonds | Steven Universe

❀ The Decision ❀

"How many times did you lock her in here? How many times did you make her cry?"

❀❀❀

"Why do you do this to us, Pink?"

        She closed her eyes against Blue's mournful reprimand. She would not cry this time. She would not.

        "Why do you always lock me in here?" she murmured, almost to herself.

        Blue's eyes widened and her lips trembled. "I . . . I can't believe you. You're shifting the blame onto me? Trying to put me at fault?"

        And suddenly, the room was awash with blue, knocking her to her knees. A heavy, hopeless weight settled in her chest and when she opened her eyes, all she could see was a blur.

        "You're trying to blame us when we do everything for you! We colonise planets to give you Gems, we plan your balls, we even manage your Court for you!—how can you be so . . . selfish?"

        On the floor, Pink could only sob. She hated being treated like this—but did she deserve it? Was it the only way to teach her? Yellow and Blue really were doing things for her all the time . . . maybe she really was selfish.

        But it hurt too much.

        "Blue! Stop!" she pleaded, trying to wipe away the flood of tears.

        "Stop what?" the Diamond cried. "Making you see reason? You're barely a few thousand years old, Pink! You don't know what's good for you!"

        "This isn't good for me!"

        "Enough!"

        Abruptly, the aura faded, and Blue wiped at her eyes, shooting Pink a disdainful glare. "You can stay here until you're ready to apologise."

        And she sashayed out, leaving Pink in the dark.

❀❀❀

"YOU'RE the one that wanted to keep those organics from the Kyanite colony . . . I'm just the fool that let you! Now your little . . . PETS are chasing the Pearls up and down the halls. What were you THINKING, letting them loose in the Ballroom? They could be anywhere!"

❀❀❀

For the most part, keeping the organic lifeforms had only been a test.

        Pink had wanted to see how the other Diamonds would react—and they hadn't acted favourably. Instead, she had been punished, and her Pearl taken away.

        She had finally realised that they would never listen to her, no matter how much she begged and pleaded. That much was evident from the rebuttals they had only recently given to her on her case for Earth.

        This beautiful planet and everything on it would die, all because of her. All because of them.

        She hated it. The only person who ever talked to her—treated her like a normal person was her Pearl, and she was programmed to please her. She was sick of being struck down. She was sick of being confined. She was sick of being ignored.

        The air above the panels in front of her still flickered, residue from her telecommunications with Yellow and Blue. Fine. If they shut her out, she would do the same.

        ". . . My Diamond? Are you alright?"

        Slowly, she raised her eyes to meet her Pearl's. In that moment, she could see them together, frolicking on Earth, watching the organics . . . she turned to the window. The lush planet was spread before her, masked behind whorls of cloud.

        Her face hardened.

        When she clenched her fists, closed her eyes, she could see Rose Quartz in her mind's eye, free, happy, beautiful . . . and she felt her body shift, her gem rotate.

        When she opened her eyes again and looked down at herself, she could see Rose Quartz's body, Rose Quartz's gem . . . freedom.

        She felt (rather than saw) her Pearl step back.

        "My . . . My Diamond?"

        She took a breath and turned to her. "Pink Diamond is gone. Pearl, let's save our Earth."