Steven Universe: The Diamond Legacy

Selene

I woke up in the the middle of the night from the sound of footsteps passing my door. They creaked down the stairs, treading carefully as to not wake anyone else (They failed. At least with me.) At first I thought  it was Amethyst looking for a midnight snack because I heard the refrigerator open, apparently Aunt Pearl thought the same, because her footsteps went down the stairs into the kitchen.

"Eating at this late hour again Amethyst?" She shrugged.  She suddenly gasped, causing the other figure to scrabble away.

"I'm sorry." The black Pearl said hushed. "I shouldn't have left the bathroom I'll go back-"

"No." My Aunt stopped her. "No. You don't have to do that. " She paused. "What are you doing with that ice cream?"

"I was going to share it with Nora." the other Pearl answered. "We always split it in half and she tells me different things about this planet."

"It's a little late to be eating ice cream," My aunt replied in the kindest voice. "and Nora is asleep. Humans need to sleep to regain their energy for the next day. She'll be awake in the morning." "Oh." I heard the disappointment in her voice. "I apologize. I didn't mean to bother anyone." "It's okay." Aunt Pearl said .

It's weird hearing the two of them talk. All Pearls had the same voice, but each had a unique pitch, tone, or inflection making it easy to tell them apart. Same with every Gem type. I recognized each of them. In fact if you put me in a room blindfolded with a Quartz, Jasper, Ruby, Peridot, Zircon, or Lapis Lazuli I could recognize off the bat which Gem type they were if they spoke to me.

"You are not a prisoner here." My Aunt said. "If you want to leave and start a new life, you can. There's a school in the city not far from here that can teach you how to live on Earth. I've been a teacher there for thirty years, and if you want I can enroll you. You'll be with other Gems that are in your shoes. Would you like that?"

"I would." The black Pearl answered graciously. "But not now." She paused and took a deep breath. "I can't live in happy freedom knowing other Gems are suffering out there. I was lucky, I escaped, but there are others....." She started to rasp as though she had difficulty breathing. "I'm sorry I can't..... I can't say anymore." She sighed. "I really want to tell you but I can't. You're a Pearl like me, you understand what I mean."

"I know exactly what you mean." My Aunt's voice was full of pain and regret. "And I understand better than anyone."

"That's  a relief." The other Pearl sighed. "What I can tell you is that Nora will be their biggest target once they they find out she exists. She's Pink Diamond's granddaughter."

"She is." My aunt said tense. "If anyone is out to hurt her, we will protect her with everything we posses." "I hope so." the Black Pearl said severely. "Because if they find her, they'll kill her."

A chill raced down my spine and I curled tightly into my blanket.

"Why are they after her?"  Aunt Pearl said angrily. "Is it because of something her grandmother did? Did she hurt another Gem who now wants revenge on her family?"

What in the world was she talking about? My grandmother never hurt anyone! I knew she made decisions that had negative consequences for the people she loved, like faking her death and keeping it secret from everybody except her Pearl or not telling the Crystal Gems she would die giving birth to Dad,  but harming other Gems? That didn't sound like her at all.

Unless she  meant literally when she fought Homeworld  during the war. Ugh, I'm not going back to sleep again anytime soon.

"No. It's not because of anything Pink Diamond ever did, it's what Nora is going to do." My entire focus was on her.  "She's going to end what they established. A Sapphire foretold it to my old master and word got out across the planet. Both sides know who she is, and luckily I'm on the side that wants her to succeed."