Chapter Text
There had been nothing. Any feeling was consumed within a vortex that was incomprehensible to an insentient being, surrounded by darkness that built into a terrible heat. Unbearable pressure turned into blinding light.
And then she surged forward, frosted air encompassing each atom of her being. Her fingers splayed out as they appeared, air rushing between them, while her toes brushed against the chalked dirt splayed across the lifeless terrain. They curled into the dust as her feet pressed firmly onto the ground, her body coming to a halt. The weight of it was unfamiliar, an entity separate from the darkness and the crushing density of the earth that she had resided in. Her legs quivered with the foreign heaviness of her body before she fell to her knees.
While the light began to fade around her, she squinted through to whatever lay beyond, unable to comprehend what she may find there. Her fingers pressed against the dirt, brushing her skin against the gravel. She had never felt anything so hard, so unfeeling. In fact, she had never felt anything at all. Then she felt conscious of a weight on her body, a fabric surrounding her bare limbs, a darker shade of her skin.
She brushed her hands up her uncovered arms to her shoulders. From one side, the fabric hooked over her shoulder, falling across her chest and under her armpit. Her fingers gripped the material, feeling its coarseness. Then she became conscious that she was not alone, not now the light had subsided. Her head snapped upward.
The surroundings were dismal. Above, the sky was black, only the faint glint of light scattered infrequently in the dark. Below, the ground was dry; jagged fractures coursing along the surface. They were a result of a chasm behind her, shaped like her body. Flushing at the thought she had caused such devastation, she turned her face back to the light before her. No, not light. Something illustrious; divine.
A muddied boot was positioned not far from her, a distinct contrast to the rock below, but as she travelled her gaze upward, she found a long pair of legs, the upper body decorated in something golden and metallic that she couldn’t identify. The metal covered the shoulders, flat and curving around the body, and from there, muscular arms protruded. They reached behind the body and disappeared from sight. Leaning slightly sideways, she tried to find the hands she expected to see. Then she looked back at the metal on their chest, something protruding from beneath, reflecting a sharp lustre in the gloom. A gem, she identified, and she raised her hand to her chest. She had one too, a faint whisper of life felt when she touched it. With pleasure, she realised hers was shaped similar to theirs.
Her curious stare caused the being to raise an eyebrow quizzically as she leant forward, pausing at the face that she had failed to notice in her scrutinization of their body. She had been too occupied by their leanness and their muscular limbs, the way it differed from hers.
Inhaling sharply, she took note of the sharp jawline, the way it curved so forcefully but exquisitely. Her own fingers flew upward to run along her jaw, feeling nothing but a rounded curve. Disappointed, she studied the long nose, the way the nostrils flared under her unyielding stare. The downward curve of the mouth, the wide lips, and those eyes; she could barely look away. Like the sun, they were molten gold reflected in a scorching fire. A heat that she felt to her core.
The being made a clicking sound with its mouth, their bright eyes rolling sideways and then falling back on the silent figure on the ground. Their mouth opened and the being watched her, leaning forward to see what would happen. Its voice sounded like dripping honey.
“Are you a mute?” When she heard no reply, her mouth curled into an expression that made her companion uneasy, even as she watched the movement of their lips. “Hm, typical. She wanted another and it’s a defective.”
Their chest protruded slightly at this disdainful comment, their lips tugging upward for the first time. Something about that sight was fascinating and the newcomer continued to watch them in silence. Then she raised her hand once more to the stone protruding from her chest. Tracing the edges, she found the answer without ever having to ask.
“Blue.”
Her own voice startled her, glancing wide-eyed at the being before her. They also seemed startled, their mouth opening slightly and their eyebrows rising. Blue pressed on.
“I am Blue Diamond.” Her brow creased, her fingers curling around the gem. “And you are a Diamond too?”
Her visitor blinked, straightening when they realised they had leant forward. They glanced across the horizon, the terrain below them, and the sky. Anything but Blue.
“Yes, I am,” they finally said. “I’m Yellow Diamond.”
Their haughty tone expressed their feelings on the matter. Blue knew she had a duty, that she must be a leader for the others. How she knew that, she wasn’t sure, but it had occurred to her in that moment. She supposed Yellow would be her companion, seeing as they were also a Diamond. Not they; she. Yellow was like her…
A smile slowly spread while she stared up at the other. This being, splendour in all its glory, would be her companion. Her aide. Scrambling to her feet, she released a breathless giggle. She had stepped forward before realising that Yellow had already moved toward her, thinking she was going to fall. The alarm in her eyes was clear. Her hands had reached out, remaining in the air for a moment to ensure she was steady.
Blue inspected the hands, the broad palms, long fingers, and the lines etched in her skin. She reached out, her fingers running along the palm when Yellow pulled her hands away. Fearful, Blue questioned if she had offended her. Perhaps that was not how she was supposed to behave. As scandalised as she appeared, Yellow said nothing.
Clearing her throat, her companion stepped away, her hands returning behind her back. Blue watched them disappear again, disappointed.
“We have to go,” Yellow told her. Although a command, there was a slight softness to her tone. “White will be expecting us.”
“White?”
Blue repeated the name in her head, receiving the answer in return. White was their creator, their leader. The expansion of her empire and the role Blue would fulfil unravelled in her mind. A logical solution.
An answer hadn’t appeased her, her hands clasping together. She felt that it would be right for her new partner to join her. The thought of meeting someone else alone was a frightening idea. Staring wide-eyed at Yellow, her bottom lip jutted out.
“Will you come with me?”
Yellow took a moment to answer, her gaze running over Blue. The new Diamond hoped she was liked. Despite her indifferent stance, there was a security in her presence. Blue trusted that. Besides, she wanted to have a good relationship with her new partner. She knew they would stand alongside each other in their given authority, something told her that.
With a loud exhale, Yellow brought her arms round to cross them. “Yes, I suppose I will. White might want to see us both.”
Blue clasped her hands together, a squeal escaping her lips. The sound surprised both her and her companion. In response, some strange sound came from Yellow’s throat, as if she were trying to remove something lodged there. No words were spoken and still, Blue knew it was a warning for her to compose herself. Some thought, like a faint whisper, informed her that she mustn’t behave that way.
“We must leave now if you wish to make a good first impression.” By the way she spoke, it was hard to comprehend whether Yellow thought that to be positive. “She will be expecting you.”
Blue took a step forward, pressing her skin against the surface in response to the unexpected coolness. The terrain below was blackened but some substance lay beneath it. Where her emergence had occurred, fractures cascaded through the shades of brown, blue, and white. Each rupture stretched beyond her visitor, devastating enough to have caused the earth to blacken. Almost as if it was dying.
Bending down, she brushed her fingers across the jagged glacier beneath the greyed dirt. The ice did not bother her; she did not feel its effect. Some strange feeling itched at her fingertips. As if she felt home there. But this was no longer true; she had a new home now. Glancing across at Yellow, she felt some feeling flutter inside her gem.
Her lips curled upward, unable to restrain the smile that was forming. Yellow seemed unsure. She stared down at Blue as if she were an enigma that she could not comprehend, her squared jaw jutting outward. Blue’s lips twitched, her smile lessening. It occurred to her that this being did not want to be here, not with her. With an affirming grimace, Yellow spun on her heel, one foot after the other treading its way across the terrain. Each step resounded across the landscape. Blue was momentarily distracted by the sound, her hand pushing against the trembling dirt below.
“Come.”
Her response was instant, springing to her feet as a panic settled across her gem; a pounding rhythm that made her uneasy. She copied the movements of her companion, feeling the knowledge come naturally to her. Hurrying, she eventually came to stand beside her, matching each step with confidence. There was no acknowledgement from Yellow. Staring ahead, she appeared inconvenienced with every synced footfall, the clear aggravation causing the flurry in Blue’s gem to deepen.
“We will be together?” she asked.
Her voice was overcome with uncertainty, the sentence stumbling to a hesitant end. Half a question, half in hope. Yellow glanced across, an eyebrow raising. A gesture that Blue was becoming accustomed to.
“As the Authority, yes.”
“But you and I?” Agitated, Blue clutched her hands together. “We shall spend time together?”
There was a slow exhale. “Yes, I suppose we will. I usually conduct my work alone; White rules separately to me.”
“Oh…” Somehow, that response did not seem apt for the role she had been given. Blue was sure that they would rule together; that was the reason for their existence. Reaching across, her fingers brushed against Yellow’s wrist, a silent question for her to cease walking. “I shall be honoured to work alongside you.”
Yellow’s eyes widened. It was unclear whether she was offended or astonished by this unexpected sentiment. Her gaze flickered across Blue’s face, scrutinising the softness in her eyes, her honest smile. Some movement was seen in Yellow’s throat, a small ball rising and falling almost imperceptibly. Like she was swallowing any words that she wanted to say. Then her attention fell to Blue’s hand against her wrist, her finger and thumb splayed across the back of her hand in a simple touch. Blue was sure it didn’t feel simple. The flutter in her gem grew frantic, unbearable; although it did not cause her any pain.
Pulling her arm away, Yellow did not meet her shameless scrutiny again, choosing to glance across the horizon. Blue followed her gaze. Some colossal structure was sitting across the land, the same shade as its owner. Like a star from the heavens above that had come to rest.
“What is it?” she breathed.
Blue felt drawn to its glistening surface, the curved construction that parted into five. She thought it strange that it looked like a hand- Yellow’s hand, to be precise. It beckoned her.
“That is my ship,” came the peeved reply.
“Ship?”
She continued toward it, conscious that her companion was no longer beside her. There was no need to find her; Blue could feel her presence without looking. Static and irregular, she felt her energy somewhere in the back of her mind, bristling down her back as if they were almost touching.
Blue reached out and pressed a hand against the cool surface of the ship. Azure amid an expanse of, well, yellow- the same colour as the glimmering lights above them. She peered across, noting Yellow step beside her. They were watching each other, waiting for one to speak and finding, in that silence, that neither said what they wanted to. Eventually, Yellow reached out her hand and touched the ship, its surface glowing where her fingers barely grazed the surface. A groan sounded from somewhere within the ship, air whistling beneath it as it lifted itself into the air, turning until the palm faced downward. Lips parted, Blue tried to follow every movement, exclaiming in amazement.
Spinning toward Yellow, she pointed upward, laughing breathlessly. “Will I have a ship like this too?”
She crossed her arms, offended that there had been any need to ask. “Well, it wouldn’t be yellow. You will have one in blue, most likely. Although, you’d have to prove you are worthy of having your own ship first.”
Her nose rose slightly in the air as she said it. Staring down at her, she gave one last haughty look before walking into the shadow that stretched its way underneath the ship. She paused mid-way, peering over her shoulder. At such a sight, Blue raised her hand to her chest, tracing the gem in a silent wish that it calm whatever feeling had overcome her.
Yellow reached out. It was unclear what she was doing until her fingers twitched inward. “Come here.”
Without question, Blue drifted forward, fixated on the outstretched hand. She tried to absorb every tiny, little detail, knowing she might not be given the chance again. This being still fascinated her. Although, she was sure that feeling was not reciprocated. Pausing one step away, a thought struck her, raising her own hand in front of her face. A sight she hadn’t considered until that moment, she traced the lines that ran through it, the width of her palm, and the large but slim fingers. Different, but somehow similar to the one that beckoned her to follow.
Yellow said nothing; her hand remaining outstretched, a question visible in her expression that Blue was unsure of. Still, she knew she mustn’t keep them waiting. Who they were, she wasn’t sure, vaguely aware that there were beings out there who awaited her arrival.
Tentatively, Blue placed her hand atop Yellow’s, feeling a strange sensation swell in her cheeks. Her other hand rose to touch the burning under her skin, surprised at the heat there. It hardly seemed to help that Yellow’s honeyed gaze was fixed steadily on her, causing the shade of her cheeks to darken even more. Blue tore her gaze away from their hands to her companion’s face, noting there was a darkened shade similar to hers on Yellow’s, spreading across her nose and along her cheekbones. The sight comforted her. She reasoned it must be natural if they were both reacting that way.
Yellow made the same noise in her throat from before. “We need to go.”
Her hand tugged Blue gently closer, their fronts almost pressed together. With a curious twinkle in her eye, Yellow looked upward. Blue felt her feet lift from the ground, some force pulling her to the palm of the ship. A square-shaped hole had appeared, filtering through a beam of light that seemingly carried them to the entrance.
Unsure of what was happening, her free hand flew to Yellow’s shoulder, her fingers slipping against the smooth metal there. Blue grimaced, lowering her touch to press against her companion’s chest. Yellow seemed to notice her apprehension and Blue felt a hand curl around her waist, a firm but reassuring grip. With another flare of heat in her cheeks, Blue bowed her head, resting it against the cool metal on her shoulder. She trusted that Yellow wouldn’t release her until it was safe.
There felt no need to look around, staring not at the ship or the light that engulfed them, but at Yellow. The way her head bent backwards as she looked up, the broadness of her neck clearly visible. Before they were engulfed by the squared light, Yellow looked down at Blue, a smile tugging at her lips. There was no harshness visible there, not like the first time. Blue was already smiling in return, unable to repress the delight she felt at such a reaction. Unsure, she questioned what that feeling was, receiving the answer immediately. It was happiness.
It wasn’t until they were left standing in an empty, circular room that Blue realised that she may never see the place again. The planet she had emerged from. No, not a planet, she corrected herself. It was a moon. She chastised herself for being distracted, surveying the area they had found themselves in.
“My Diamond.”
Her gaze fell down to the small figure that had produced the nasally sound, its arms crossed in a peculiar shape. Almost the same as the cut of her gem.
“Prepare for departure, Pearl,” Yellow told her. “We are returning to Homeworld.”
“Yes, my Diamond.”
The Pearl bowed, its little feet padding against the stone. As the door opened, it hopped through, disappearing from sight.
“Pearl?” Blue tested the word aloud.
“Yes, you’ll have one soon,” Yellow muttered, half-distracted. “Hopefully, yours won’t be so talkative.” She paused to emit a loud burst of laughter. “Won’t you be lucky?”
She released her grip on Blue, who failed to hold on a little longer. Bottom lip protruding, Blue reluctantly let her fingers slide away, her own curling into her palm where they had been touching. Yellow was already striding through the doors, arms swaying by her side in a reserved manner. Blue followed her, assuming they must stay together.
There was hardly any time for Blue to survey her surroundings, not if she were to match the determined stride of Yellow. They stopped only when they reached a room that Blue did not know the name of. It was simplistic, a glass panel on the opposite wall that revealed the view before them, and a chair placed at the centre of a raised platform. There were two seats on either side, although Blue noticed they were not situated as high.
“What do you do here?” she asked, already headed for the glass panel.
Yellow glanced across as if she should know better before, perhaps, realising that she had never seen a ship before. Her frown lessened and she released a barely audible sigh.
“This is the cockpit. It’s where you fly the ship.”
Blue cocked her head to one side, an eyebrow rising questioningly as she looked around her. It seemed simple enough. There was not much there, even though she did not understand what the objects were for. She straightened her head back up when she saw Yellow sitting in the central chair. Impressive was the first word that came to mind. Her gaze lingered a moment, appreciative of how authoritative she seemed sitting there.
With a smile, she faced the glass to take a longing look at the fractured rock below. It appeared worse from afar. Even aboard the ship, the chasm was still visible. There were no sharp edges, despite the crooked marks that stemmed from it. Rounded, almost perfectly, the hollowed earth sunk inward, the bottom imperceptible. Blue could hardly believe that was where she had emerged. She could see, from that height, how large the chasm was. There felt no need to question it, not at first, but she thought of the Pearl she had seen. How small she was.
Clutching her hands together, she felt Yellow step beside her. Blue was surprised she had halted in her preparation for departure, expecting her to have been seated. As before, her hands were clasped behind her back. Blue let her gaze trace the curve of her nose, the protrusion of her shoulders from whatever garment covered her torso, and the way her gem glistened in the light of the ship. An austere being, there was a charming quality to her that was difficult to place. No doubt she was a leader; Blue hoped she could be that fearsome.
“It’s rather big,” she heard herself comment, turning back to the devastating demonstration of her emergence.
Yellow stared down at the chasm, no word offered as comfort. With no immediate response, Blue began to wish she hadn’t said anything. She hadn’t considered that there was something unnatural about the way she had emerged.
“Yes,” Yellow eventually said. Eyebrows slanted downward, she seemed to draw out the word. “It would be. We are Diamonds, after all. We are supposed to be that large; it marks our importance.”
“Oh.”
Blue felt foolish for not thinking of such an answer. Still, it was pleasing to know that she measured up to expectations. The statement had somewhat answered her question in regards to the other gem. That Pearl she had seen. She was beginning to realise that there was nobody like them. Blue glanced down at her hands, thinking of the way she had fit perfectly with Yellow, how she seemed to be her only equal. There was nobody like her.
Barely noticeable, Yellow glanced across, any emotion displayed there diminishing. She slowly inhaled through her mouth.
“We will be leaving now,” she told her. The softness in her voice caused Blue to return her stare, provoking the dark shade on Yellow’s cheeks to return. “It will be easier to sit. You don’t want to stand up the whole time.”
Her chest puffed out a little, her voice deepening, and the motion seemed to satisfy Yellow, pleased with the way she looked. She returned to her pilot seat and Blue stared after her, thinking the sight rather funny, if not perplexing. Curious, she watched Yellow hold out her arm, the panel upon her armrest beginning to glow. From there, a stream of light burst upward and encased her arm, stopping just below her shoulder and glowing a lighter shade of her skin. Her fingers curled inward and the ship began to rise.
Blue spun back to the glass panel, her gaze darting to the surface below. She knew, somehow, that she would not see this moon again. There was no time to visit a lifeless clump of rock and there certainly was no time for sentiment. Something told her that. Pressing her hand against the glass, she felt some sensation emerging from within. Sadness.
With one last, lingering look, intaking the place of her emergence, she wondered if Yellow had also come from a moon. It seemed unlikely that someone as radiant as her could ever come from a place like that. She opened her mouth to ask but then closed it again, changing her mind. Desperately dampening the anguish she felt, Blue decided she did not enjoy that emotion as much as the others. It only grew stronger as she watched the moon shrink until it no longer seemed to exist, encased somewhere by an expanse of darkness and distant stars. The sight depressed her more, even in her awe, and she dragged her gaze away from the glass.
She decided to follow Yellow’s advice and sit down, noting the Pearl from earlier, who now stood at the foot of her Diamond’s chair. The small thing barely glanced in her direction. Blue glared down at her, questioning why the Pearl wouldn’t acknowledge her presence if the Diamonds were so important to their empire. There was a haughty air to the gem that reminded her of Yellow. With that thought, Blue felt her irritation lessen.
Already impatient of the silence, she watched Yellow pilot the ship. She would need to learn if she were to prove her worth, that’s what she had been told. Restless, her finger tapped against the armrest, irritated that she couldn’t comprehend the function of the ship. The other answers had come to mind when she asked; it seemed that she would have to obtain this knowledge from elsewhere.
Her brow furrowed, watching the subtle curl of Yellow’s fingers as they rested on the glowing panel, the way they twitched occasionally to send the ship in another direction. The sight calmed her considerably and she started to question what would happen when they arrived on Homeworld. Leaving the moon behind had been unsettling. Yet, she believed there was a promise of happiness ahead of her. She had been created for a reason; to fulfil her role within the empire, to be a Diamond. Only two other beings could share that responsibility. How special, she thought, to have been chosen. There was a place in this world specifically for her. What that place was, she couldn’t entirely say. All she knew was that her life would continue the way it begun- with Yellow. There was much to be desired in her knowledge and experience of worldly matters, but she had never felt so certain.
There was no subtlety in the way she stared across at the pilot. Not that Yellow paid her any attention. Her gem released a fluttering sensation, one that she was fast becoming accustomed to. Blue trusted that she would have Yellow, a fact that presented itself as easily as her own name. They were Diamonds, after all. Blue was sitting beside the only person who would always be with her, apart from their creator, and she needn’t question that fact. There was no other place she would rather be.