Chapter Text
News of the attack on Pink Diamond spread far and wide in a matter of minutes. There was shock, disbelief, and anger. A Rose Quartz, attacking Pink Diamond in front of her entire entourage. It was believed her gem was intact, as no shards were found, but the entirety of homeworld was in an uproar over this horrible transgression. The Diamonds expected blackmail, a ransom, a message. Blue, Yellow and White had convened in White’s head to discuss what their next move would be. It was less of a discussion and more of a cycle of outrage.
“UNBELIEVABLE. We’re all just STANDING here while those disgusting rebels have Pink captured! WHY AREN’T WE DOING ANYTHING?” Yellow exploded, pacing back and forth in front of a screen displaying the reports which were flooding in. Fighting had broken out at the scene of the apparent poofing and kidnapping, and their on-screen view of the chaos made an excellent backdrop to their own pandemonium.
“Yellow, Please.. We can’t be rash! What if they hurt Pink??” Blue’s choked up voice spoke up, huge wet tears welling in her eyes, her hands laced together and pressed to her lips to hide the trembling there.
“We must make our next move carefully.”
“And what, just GIVE IN to their demands!?” Yellow rounded on Blue, her heels at this point having cracked the floor, the thin cracks following her footsteps.
“We must show these Crystal Gems that we DO NOT negotiate with their filth, and that punishment for kidnapping a diamond is SWIFT and AGONIZING.”
“I won’t risk them hurting Pink!” Blue shot back defensively, her blue aura encompassing the enclosed space, tears streaming down her face like rivers. Yellow paused to blink back her own tears, balling her fists at her sides.
White, who had been quiet so far, finally held up her hand to stop their bickering.
“If it weren’t for the fact that Pink was still on the planet, I'd simply destroy every gem on the surface. But with Pink there, we’re at a stalemate. We have no choice but to wait for their demands… Give them what they want, and the moment Pink is off-world, we obliterate every miserable gem on the surface.
Yellow huffed and crossed her arms, glaring at the screen displaying the chaos at Pink’s Palanquin. Blue ducked her head in grief, her hair covering her face, and her blue aura retracting its effect. White silently commanded her Pearl to cycle through the reports that were flooding in for any updates, the puppeted gem sliding eerily across the room with that blank smile on her bleached face.
Yellow Pearl and Blue Pearl watched the ghost of a gem with silent discomfort. What was there to do now, if all they had to do was wait for news?
On screen a pink notification flashed in Gem Glyph. All three diamond’s attention were promptly directed to the screen. Yellow’s face twisted with irritation.
“That’s our direct message line. The Rebels would dare use our personal communication line??”
“Clearly they want our attention..” Blue spoke in hushed tones, her tears ceasing to flow and her gaze hardening. “Well, they have it.”
The communication screen unfolded, and on their seperate screens of the battle at the Palanquin, the fighting had stopped completely.
All over the galaxy, communication screens were unveiling the same message that would change gem-kind forever. Every colony, every mining asteroid, every tower and kindergarten, every space station, if it had gem tech, the message was being received.
An image was soon revealed of Pink Diamond’s gem, glowing in the hands of her very own pearl, a spear held deftly in her other hand. They were atop the Palanquin, and before the eyes of every gem in existence, Pink Diamond’s form appeared, then changed, in both stature and size. When Pink Diamond reformed anew before the screen, she no longer looked like the Pink Diamond they knew. She was no larger than a quartz, her short poofy hair exchanged for pink ringlets which grazed her shoulders, her outfit reminiscent of the playful Diamond attire, but now altered to demonstrate a flowing layered skirt and off-the-shoulder sleeves. Her gem, upside down from its original position encompassed by the symbol of the Crystal Gems, the star. She looked like a cross between the familiar Pink Diamond, and the rebel leader Rose Quartz.
No one spoke as she took form, facing the communication’s screen to let every gem take her altered appearance in. Finally, she spoke.
“Pink Diamond is gone.” She stated with absolute certainty, her expression more serious than the Diamond’s had ever seen.
“She was killed by the thoughtlessness of her family, by the injustices of the Empire, by the neglect and the manipulation. Homeworld has failed not only Pink Diamond, but gems of every cut, color and facet. I come to you now not as part of the diamond authority, nor as my alter-ego Rose Quartz. I am Rose Diamond. And I fight for Earth!”
Rose drew her sword from her gem, lifting it up towards the sky.
“I fight for freedom from homeworld’s oppression! I fight for the gems broken, imprisoned and outcast for being made too small, off-color, or for fusing with whomever they choose! I fight for truth, even if it means sacrificing Pink Diamond and Rose Quartz. Earth is an independent colony and i hereby claim it for all the gems that Homeworld hates, and the organic life being stamped out for the sake of a broken and pointless empire! You are NOT invisible! You are NOT another cog in the machine! You are NOT defective! I call upon all gems who are ready for a new era of freedom! Of Love! Of Truth! Join the rebellion, and together we’ll spread peace across the universe, and make Earth safe from the oppression of The Diamond Authority! We are everywhere, we are powerful, WE ARE THE CRYSTAL GEMS!”
Below her, all the crystal gems fighting had raised their weapons in a chorus of cheers. The gems who had once been part of Pink Diamond’s entourage stood there stunned, unable to react. Did they join their diamond? Fight for homeworld?
A Ruby with her gem in her eye threw down her dagger and raised her fist.
“Rose. Rose. Rose. Rose!”
Other gems threw down their weapons and raised their fists in a chorus of cheers.
“ROSE! ROSE! ROSE! ROSE!”
Rose looked around, a grin slowly spreading across her face as one by one, gems who once served Pink Diamond were now dedicating themselves to the cause. She did feel some doubt at whether they were truly following her ideals or herself for being their diamond, but it felt good to announce the truth. No longer would she pretend to be a perfect diamond or be something she wasn’t. Her followers deserved her honest self, and evidently she was applauded for her honesty.
The Diamonds stared at the screen in complete and total shock. Yellow was the first to regain her composure.
“Pink! What fresh nonsense is this!? Stop this childishness at once, you’re embarrassing gemkind!”
Blue pitched in next, her face dark and somber. “This is completely unacceptable.”
White, her face a blank mask, merely smiled serenely. “Have your fun then Starlight. You’ll come crawling back home eventually. I’ll make sure of that.” Her voice icy and vaguely threatening seemed to echo.
Rose did not back down. She faced them with her head held high and her eyes ablaze with passion. “Pink is gone. No more gems need to suffer. Release Earth from the Empire and the fighting will stop.”
“ABSOLUTELY NOT.” Yellow snapped, sweeping her arm out dramatically. “Let it be known that every gem to join your petty rebellion will be known as a traitor to homeworld and shattered for their insolence!
Rose closed her eyes and furrowed her brows as if in pain. She’d expected this response, but that didn’t make it hurt any less to hear out loud.
“Then you leave me no choice.”
With that, the communication device cut out, and the Diamonds were left with their auxiliary video from the gems on the ground, their last vision of Pink being her holding her sword aloft atop her Palanquin, gems cheering for their new leader, Rose Diamond, before that video too was then cut out.
What ensued between the 3 Diamonds was total silence. A total civil war was on their hands now, and with the added disaster of Pink Diamond herself leading the charge. No word in existence could accurately describe their collective confusion, hurt and anger. But this was their reality now and so, wordlessly, they prepared for a much bigger war than anticipated.
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Rose jumped down from the Palanquin, floating gracefully to the ground to address her former subjects and her Crystal Gems. She was immediately surrounded, until Pearl alighted beside her and began to defensively push everyone back, fanning out her spear to give Rose some space. She was bombarded with questions, and the overwhelming intensity of it, and the way she’d directly defied The Diamonds had left her mind racing.
“Give her space!” Pearl demanded shrilly, slashing her spear at those who crowded in too close.
“I can’t believe you did that!”
“What happens now??”
“Rose Quartz was Pink Diamond!?”
“Why would you do that!?”
“Enough!” Rose raised her voice, and the cacophony of voices fell silent. Rose released an uneasy sigh, then addressed the gems before her, gentler this time.
“I know many of you are confused and lost. I won’t make anybody fight. I’m no longer your diamond. Those who would rather remain on homeworld, you’re free to leave unharmed. Those who wish to join, not out of loyalty to who I used to be but out of support for our cause are welcome to come to the temple to join up. Please… no more questions at this time.”
Rose moved through the crowd like a shark through a school of fish, all eyes on her. Now, Rose just really needed to be at the temple to plan her next move.
Her announcement hadn’t been a total surprise to everyone. Bismuth had suggested the idea of getting herself poofed publicly to make a statement, and Garnet had been the one to predict what kind of reaction her announcement would receive. Pearl of course had been her confidant every step of the way. Telling her friends hadn’t been easy, she was terrified of being rejected for lying to them, of being accused of being fake, or selfish. She was surprised at how they’d understood. Really, they just seemed grateful they were told at all. It felt good. To be who she truly was without apology or secrets.
The gems too confused or too loyal to homeworld broke away from the scene to find the nearest warp home and away from associating themselves with the rebellion. Those who were left with no purpose with no diamond to pledge loyalty to followed the other Crystal Gem’s lead, to find a new purpose.
Her message had been sent. Now it was time to wait for it to be received.