The Black Diamond

Chapter 30: The Barn

(SE POV)

After making a temporary truce, the Crystal Gems and I began to plan on how exactly to incapacitate the Cluster. We're currently at a barn, which belongs to Steven's relatives.

In order to move around, they tied me to a "wheelchair", something Human's use whenever their legs are broken, or in my case, missing. For a better explanation on the Cluster, I used my screen to display an x-ray of the planet, with a white dot in the center.

(SE)"This is the Cluster. A massive, artificial fusion composed of millions of Gem shards. When this Gem activates and takes its form, the result will be catastrophic. The ground will shake and crack, magma will rise from the core, and it will be reduced to meteorites in seconds."

The planet began to shake, and was abruptly ripped apart from the inside.

(SE)"Now the most effective way to retrieve it with the minimum amount of damage is to build a number of drilling machines, and taking it out. It'll need to withstand up to 360 gigapascals of pressure and temperatures of 9800 degrees. The parts needed are readily available in my wrecked ship. Bismuth, as you're made for building things, I suggest you be in charge of the designs."

(Bismuth)"Yeah, whatever..."

(SE)"What?"

(Bismuth)"You know what! You tried to kill us, then you gave Steven amnesia!"

(SE)"That? Don't worry, It'll come back in time...eventually."

(Bismuth)"It better, or it's gonna be your ass if he doesn't get better!"

(SE)"I'd be sarcastically intimidated right now, but I currently don't have an ass!"

(Bismuth)"Keep talkin' and I'll make a new one just to shove my-"

(Garnet)"That's enough!"

(Bismuth/SE)"..."

(Garnet)"I'm just as anger as you, Bismuth. But if we don't cooperate with each other, the Earth will be destroyed."

(Bismuth)"I-I know...but what if Steven can't get his memories back?"

(Garnet)"Trust me, everything will work out."

(Amethyst)"Where is he, anyway?"

(Lapis)"Greg's with him right now. If anyone can help Steven, it's got to be his own dad, right?"

(SE)"Oh, we'll need to get some drill heads, there's none big enough here. The Prime and Beta Kindergartens should have some."

(Bismuth)"Yeah, yeah, I'll go get them."

(Garnet)"I'll go with you. Lapis, Amethyst, watch him until we get back."

(Amethyst)"A'ight!"

The two Gems left, leaving the small ones and me staring at each other.

(Amethyst/Lapis)"..."

(SE)"...So, how's the...weather cycle?"

(Meanwhile: Homeworld) (No POV)

(Black)"....Why hasn't SE responded yet...? He was supposed to report back in a week."

(Pearl)"M-Maybe his ship was more damaged than he first thought?"

(Black)"Then he would have requested a replacement by now. Rose may have somehow taken the upper hand and defeated him...but his data would've been sent back to his spare bodies!"

He slammed his fist into the desk, this time without breaking it. Pearl flinched upon seeing this, as his previous episode left the building in such a bad condition, which took a whole month to repair. The colony was finished now, and Black Diamond decided to go back for a week just in case something happened. Now that Rose was confirmed to be active, he refused to take a day off work, even when Blue showed concern. The only thing he could do to take his mind off things was working.

Now that everything was in order, he and his Pearl got into the leg ship towards the next planet on his list.

(Black)"......Why? Why did this have to happen...?"

(Pearl)"What do you mean?"

(Black)"How did Rose survive? I cracked her gemstone, but there was no way anyone could have gotten her to that fountain in time. I never found out where it was, but her gem should've split apart in a few minutes!"

(Pearl)"Well...it could have been that strange Gem."

(Black)"The clown?"

(Pearl)"Yes, him."

(Black)"That Gem, I believe he was a Hematite. He was a strange individual, we both had that energy blade power. It makes me wonder...if we're actually the same type of Gem."

(Pearl)"What??? My Diamond, it's impossible for a Gem to have the exact same powers as a Diamond!"

(Black)"That may be, but we've seen that lower Gems can achieve Diamond-like status."

(Pearl)"But, how did he come to be? We never had a single Hematite created in your Kindergartens!"

(Black)"And that makes me think of yet another mystery I had since I was born. It may be why I'm so small. I don't know how, but Hematite just may have been created on the same planet."

(Pearl)"Th-That's impossible! You should have taken all of the planet's energy!"

(Black)"I believed that as well. But, I now believe that everyone was wrong..."

(Not sure what else to do, so here's this pic I found.)