Stars, Roses, and Scars (a Steven Universe Fanfic)

Prologue

It was dark. But warm. It was warm and safe, quite comfortable, actually. Agate knew she was still in her hole; she hasn't emerged yet. She knew she had a purpose: to fight and lead gems into battle and aid the Diamonds in conquering planets and expanding their empire. She could hear gems outside. Some she heard, or even felt, just emerging themselves. She heard other gems observing where there should be a hole, but no newmades emerging. She overheard one gem talk about how poor this planet was for growing new gems.
Then they all went silent.
Though she was still buried underground in her kindergarten, she could feel the vibrations of two large figures walking. Of course, Agate knew who these figures were.
They were the Blue and Yellow Diamonds.
"When will she emerge?" A soft, but authoritative voice. Blue Diamond. Her Diamond.
"Soon, my Diamond," an even softer, and shy voice. This gem was so quiet that Agate could barely hear her.
"It's been 1,586 years. She must be ready now!" A booming and professional voice said. Yellow Diamond, she must be.
It's best that Agate doesn't disappoint the Diamond Authority more than she already has. She would become the most powerful Agate Homeworld would ever see! She would help the Diamonds conquer worlds and expand their empire and she would lead other gems into battle. She would strike fear into the hearts of her enemies. All the Diamonds had to do was give her one chance. She started pushing her way through the rubble.
The ground was rough and dry, but she forged her way through. She wasn't out of the ground, but she could feel the eyes of the colony staring where she would soon emerge. She knew they were expecting her, and have been for 1,586 years, so she dug faster. She wanted to please Blue Diamond as soon as possible.
She felt her hand finally out of the ground. She clawed her way out, and a flash of light greeted her instead of seeing the world or her Diamonds. She couldn't see and stumbled out of her hole and fell. Of course, her hole had to be at the top of a cliff.
She landed on her back with a heavy thud and sent a cloud of dust in the air. When the dust cleared, she saw a tall, thin, blue figure. Not a massive one, but a gem taller than Agate.
That must be what a Pearl looks like, Agate thought.
Gems of many types were around her. Hundreds of them. Amethysts. Carnelians. Iolites. Aquamarines. Jaspers. Fellow Agates. But most importantly: Blue and Yellow Diamonds. They loomed over every gem. All of them were watching Agate with disgust and horror.
Agate looked at an Enhydro Agate. She knew that she was a Blue Lace, and she was supposed to have the same shape as this Enhydro: Broad shouldered. Muscular. Elegant.
But she looked at herself. She was less than half the average Agate's size. She wasn't much taller than an Aquamarine, and she didn't look powerful or elegant. She looked small and puny. She looked weak. She immediately knew what was about to happen.
"Pearl, do you know what that is...?" Blue Diamond said as if she was looking at garbage.
"It's...a defect, my Diamond" The Pearl responded. She was the owner of the soft and shy voice.
"Shatter it," Yellow Diamond ordered one of the Quartz soldiers. Both Diamonds walked away, losing all interest in Agate.
The soldier approaches her. She summons a mace and prepares to attack.
This couldn't be happening.
She didn't do anything wrong.
She didn't do anything at all.
But she had to do something. She couldn't emerge just to die.
"Sorry, it's an order," the Quartz said. "Don't make this harder than it has to. I'll make it quick if you-"
The Quartz shut her mouth when she saw what Agate was doing. She was summoning all the water from the ground. Every gem gasped in awe when they saw droplets coming out of cracks in the dry soil and into Agate's hand. Even the Diamonds turned to see.
"Water? Here?" The Quartz looked confused.
"Don't touch me!" Agate screamed. The Quartz just stepped forward and readied her mace.
"I'm warning you!" She tried. Water was coming out of holes and cracks on the cliff sides and Agate was guiding it to her. Adrenaline rushed through her.
The Quartz took another step forward, mumbling something.
Don't do it, Agate told herself. Don't do it, don't do it! But another side of her argued. They'll break you! They'll shatter you! They will kill you.
She squeezed her eyes shut and attacked. Within a matter of seconds, there was water everywhere, and she wiped out everyone. The Diamonds protected their Pearls, but both Diamonds and both Pearls' physical forms retreated to their gemstones. As for the rest of the gems in her kindergarten, they were all shattered.
Everyone was shattered. Because of her. She let the water out of her control and it rained for a few seconds. She looked around her. Gem shards littered the place. And it was her fault.
She fell to her knees. She didn't mean to. She didn't mean to! She didn't mean to...! She's sorry!
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Six Days Later
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Agate was hiding in a hole. She didn't care which of the millions of holes in this kindergarten she hid in, she was just hiding in a hole. The Diamonds were likely to reform soon. They would be after her. She hugged her knees to her chest. The gem on her stomach was still without a scratch. It deserved to be in a million pieces.
She heard footsteps. They sounded long as if the gem was taking wide strides. She gasped when she saw Pink Diamond walk right past the hole she was hiding in. She may not have ever seen Pink or the world around her, but of course, she'd know what the Diamonds looked like. Every gem does. Agate covered her mouth and prayed to someone, anyone, that pink wouldn't have just heard her gasp.
Her prayers were in vain. Pink bent down to peer in the hole, and Agate pressed herself against the wall. She didn't need to breathe, but she hyperventilated. Everything went blurry and she felt fresh tears of panic fall from her eyes. "Hello there," Pink said.
"Please, don't hurt me! I'll do what you want, I'll turn myself in, but please, do-"
"Shhh..." Pink quieted Agate. She didn't sound angry or authoritative. She sounded kind and gentle.
Agate tensed. What was she going at...?
"Just come out of there. We can talk." Pink said calmly.
Agate slowly stepped out of the hole she should have been a perfect fit in. She didn't get too close. Pink could be planning anything.
"I know your upset about what happened. I know how you feel, don't worry."
Agate eyed her questioningly.
"Let me show you something."
She expected Pink to turn around and ask her to follow, but instead, she shapeshifted into a powerful and very well made Rose Quartz. Agate stared confused.
"I'm planning to start a rebellion and lead it as Rose Quartz."
"But why? You're a Diamond! You can't just lower your status! I-it doesn't make any sense!" Agate tried and failed to keep herself from raising her voice. "...Sorry, my Dia-"
"No, no, you don't need to salute or apologize to me. Don't ever apologize to me. You have no reason to be sorry."
"But I shattered everyone here! Hundreds of gems, Pi- I mean, Rose! Thousands! I deserve worse than getting shattered myself!" She couldn't believe this. Surely a being as perfect as a Diamond couldn't be out of their right mind like this!
"Yes, but I can give you another chance. I can make sure you never have to shatter again."
Agate wanted to believe her.
"Let me show you why." Rose reached for Agate and held her, one arm supporting her back and the other supporting her legs. She stood and walked. This was all wrong.
"W-what are you doing!?" She lightly struggled. She never felt physical contact before, apart from the ground around her before she emerged. She didn't know how she felt about it.
"Haven't you ever been held before? Just relax." Rose was making her way across the kindergarten and to a warp pad.
Agate forced herself to ease her tensing. Every instinct told her to run. To fight back. To do something to get away. But she refrained herself.
"I'm going to show you Earth." Rose stepped on the warp pad, and there was a flash of blue light.