The Diamond in The Rough

Chapter 8

Steven took a deep breath as he bubbled Midnight's gem again, "looks like she's not giving us any more clues to this mystery." Amethyst made a face at Steven, "well, duh dude! She nearly tried to slice you with her weird fan thing!" Steven picked up the bubbled gem and gave it a sad look, "I just wish she can tell us more because if she told us what's wrong maybe we can help her." Pearl sighs in defeat at Steven when she heard this, "I doubt she will tell us anything, not in the state of anger she is in." Suddenly Steven remembered the diamonds and their new powers, "maybe the diamonds can use their powers to help her calm down enough so we can talk to her." Lapis gave Steven a worried look when she heard this, "I don't think that a good idea."

Peridot nodded her head in agreement, "I agree with Lapis since she freaked out when you mentioned the diamonds. So I suggest when just keep her bubbled for the time being." Steven nodded his no and place the bubbled gem into a backpack, "no, we have to help her even if it means we have to risk her going on crazy ramage to find the truth."Soon enough everyone was in agreement after discussing and arguing about it for the next two hours. To go to the homeworld and talk to the diamonds about Midnight and the Black Court.   

At homeworld/in the throne room...

Whit Diamond smiled as Steven and the rest of the crystal gems walked into the throne room. "Steven! It is so good to see you. What brings you back to homeworld?" Steven gave a serious look to White Diamond as Blue walk into the room with a confused look on their face, "White? Is there a reason you call us here?" Steven looked at all three diamonds and sighs at them, "the Black court." Yellow gave Steven a confused look while she sat on her throne, "Black what?" Blue turns towards Yellow as she sat down in her throne, "I believe he said the Black Court but there is no such court within the gem civilization." All of the other crystal gems grew nervous as they hear since they knew the would have to use physical proof to them.

Garnet steps forward to the diamonds in order to explain the situation, "surely you must no something about the Black Court. Please, we accept any kind of information that can be helpful if you have it." Blue gave the gems a nervous look, "the only courts that exist is White's, Yellow's, Pink's, and mines." Yellow rolled her eyes in annoyance, "we don't have that kind of information because the Black Court doesn't exist." Steven put down the backpack he was carrying and took out whatever it was carrying through his travel to Homeworld. "This gem would certainly disagree with you." White looked down at the small bubble and soon recognized the gem that is in the bubble, "Steven? Is that Pearl within that bubble?" 

Steven nodded his head yes, "yes, this gem is a pearl. I really don't want to pop this bubble because if she comes out. Being angry and vengeful would be an understatement if she sees any of you." Yellow  only grew more curious about this pearl Steven was keeping in the bubble, "well, perhaps it is best to let her come out so we know what is going on here." With slight hesitation, he was about to pop the bubble but everyone jumped in shock when there was a sudden earthquake. This was more powerful than the one Midnight caused back at the beach house and caused everyone including the diamonds to fall to the ground. Yellow sat up when the earthquake died down, "what was that!?" 

Steven rubbed his head as he stood up, "I don't know. It wasn't Black Pearl because she is in the bubble. Even though she did something similar back at the beach house." White Diamond got up but was in shock when she felt a mysterious aura around her, "what!? What is this?" Everyone was in shock when White's gem glowed and her shadow changing its shape. It formed some kind of silhouette that Steven recognize it's the gem from the mysterious mural.  The shadow whispered to White Diamond that caused her to panic and snap out of this weird haze that this magical aura had over her. Which caused the shadow to disappear and return back to White's original shadow. Yellow and Blue rushed to White's side to make sure she was alright. 

Steven ran up to White as the other's diamonds helped her up, "White? Are you Ok? What happened? What did that shadow tell you?" White held head her head as she sat back down onto her throne, "I am fine, Steven. I don't know what happened just now but the shadow only whispered one phrase to me." Steven gave her worrisome yet curious look, "Which was?"  White Diamond looks at Steven with a serious look on her face, "it was, bring me to the garden where we go, free from the anger I hold." Flashbacks of Spinel in the garden flash through Steven's mind as his blood ran cold through his body. As he was hoping it wasn't the same garden that his mom left Spindel behind for 6,00 years give or take. 

Steven paced back and forth as frustration builds up inside of him. But he quickly remembered his breathing exercises from his therapy to calm down and keep his powers under control. After taking a deep breath, he walked across the room and picked up the bubbled gem. That rolled across the room when the earthquake happened. Bismuth stood nest to Steven as he stares at Midnight's gem in the bubble. "Bismuth, what do I do? She knows what happened but she doesn't have a clear head or mind to tell us anything." Bismuth thought for a moment and noticed the mysterious black aura was still around. "What if you place the bubble near White, where that weird shadow was and pop it."

Steven gave Bistmuth a confused look as she took the bubble from him and placed it near White Diamond. "That shadow must have been made by the gem she serves because  it was looming a dark aura and changed the color of White's gem to jet black." Steven shrugged his shoulders at her as he pops the bubble, "it's worth a shot but you're poofing her if she gets out of line. " Bismuth nodded in agreement as Midnight reformed in front of them. But what caught them off guard when black vines appeared out of the ground and were moving on its own. It slowly danced and twirled around Midnight when she finished reforming.

"Are you going to poof be again and lock me up in a bubble for  - What! Where did this come from!?" Midnight ran her hands along with the vines as they dance around her while Steven approached her with his shield draw out. "Midnight, please? Can you just tell us what is wrong and we can help you instead of holding all that pain to yourself? This vine is clearly made by your higher up a gem, right? Since they are clearly using their aura powers to send some kind of message to us!  Please, can you tell us about her and anything about a garden." Midnight looks at Steven with a sad smile, "well, I guess I can tell - Why is she here!?" Steven saw Midnight was looking directly at White Diamond who was very confused about her. "Clearly you must be confused, my dear -." 

"Don't you dare call me your pearl! Not after everything you have done to basically wipe out the Black Court from the gem's history and records!" White Diamond's anger boiled as she hears Midnight's outburst but what kept distracting her when looking at this pearl. Is her voice... sounds similar to the shadow's voice that spoke to her not even a few minutes ago.