Asteria Diamond - Blog Posts

Asteria Diamond: Yellow Pearl (Part 6)

Yellow Diamond's Pearl stood primly where her Diamond had left her, doing some organizing for some far off colony as she waited for her Diamond to return. Hopefully her owner would burn her anger out while she was here and Yellow Pearl wouldn't have to deal with it herself. She did not envy Pink Diamond, even if she was a Diamond and would therefore be fine. Her Diamond's current levels of anger made her shiver just by proximity. The air around her Diamond had a tendency to become charged in her anger, and when it got bad enough it would hurt Pearl's gem. Not that she would ever complain, that was not a pearl's place, but she could silently wish for the air to be calm and still. Not long after her Diamond had left Pink Diamond's Pearl entered the ship. Despite there being nothing different about her form Yellow couldn't help but think that something was wrong with the other gem. She couldn't pinpoint exactly what, and that made her afraid. She knew what hiding pain of all kinds looked like, why couldn't she recognize this?

"My Diamond had instructed me to give a message to the gems abord this ship." The other Pearl said. It was clear what that statement meant, but Yellow couldn't help but worry as she handed Pink a ship communicator.

"Of course." Was all she said aloud, but with her body she signed the question, 'are you well sister?'

As she fiddled with the communicator the other Pearl responded, 'I am well. I have been given to a new owner. I am still adjusting.'

Whatever Yellow had been expecting, it hasn't been that. What had happened that she had been given to another? Who had she been given too? If she had displeased her Diamond, why hadn't she been shattered? Before she could voice or sign any of these questions, the communicator went live.

"This is a message from Asteria Diamond to all the gems abord this ship. Every gem who's job is not absolutely necessary to the ships continued functioning are to report to room 8x3 in the conjoined ship. Wait there for further commands. That will be all."

Yellow stared in shock signing, 'what happened?!' the moment she could.

"Come, I'll escort you to the other ship." Pink said, signing, 'to much to share in this moment. Find hiding spot first.'

Yellow considered this, mind racing. "My Diamond may not pleased if she does not find me where she left me."

"If necessary she will be notified of your whereabouts." 'Owner will not be here for some time. (Comforting)'

"Understood." Yellow said, following Pink out of the room and to the other ship.

'I will show you.' Pink signed. Yellow waited, but got no further explanation.

What could Pink want to show her? Hopefully it would explain this horribly concerning situation. She didn't know what was going on, and she didn't like it. She became more and more unnerved as they started to hear a sound. It was the yelling and screaming of some gem, muffled by the walls of the ship. It was always a horrible sound to hear, but Yellow tried to ignore it. As they got closer and the sound got louder, she realized that the gem must be pretty loud for them to hear them from so far away. She refused to acknowledge the pull in her gut until the wailing became horribly loud and painfully clear. She froze, feeling like she had just been dropped into a bucket of icy water. That was her Diamond. That was Yellow Diamond, screaming and wailing like... like...-

Pink put her hand in hers and pulled them along, putting up no fuss at having to practically drag her along. Her vison blurred, time seeming to warp as she was pulled through the spinning fuchsia halls. Pink pulled her into a small room, pushing her down into the corner on top of something soft and tapping her hands in a steady rhythm of comforting sign. (Asteria tried to give Pearl a bigger room, but Pearl wanted somewhere small so she could "hide", so her room is a repurposed closet.) It took a long time to calm down from her panic, and by then she didn't even try to speak. Not for something like this.

'Explain. (pleading)' She signed, staring at Pink (was her name even Pink anymore?) with wide teary terrified eyes. Pink had lost most of the strangeness in her form, and both her signs and eyes were gentle with unspoken pity.

'Me or you first? (Where do I start?)'

She stopped and thought for a moment, trying to decide which choice was better. It was like choosing between the bad news and the worse news, but she needed to know both. 'Beginning, need it all anyway.'

Pink started to explain, sometimes with Pearlsign and sometimes with words. There were parts where she gave the signed 'Redacted.' (I cannot speak of it.) But thankfully the story still made sense without the parts Pink skipped. And what a story it was. A Diamond dead, the rebellion over, the Crystal Gems tamed and a part of the new Pink Diamond's court, and a new order born through the fallout of Asteria Diamond's creation. It was all so much, especially since Yellow now had an idea of why her Diamond was screaming. The new Diamond was apparently not all that thrilled with the current state of the Diamond Authority, and seemingly had the power to do something about it. Pink was just Pearl now. She had asked if she was to call her fellow pearl Asteria Pearl or something similar, but Pearl had said it would probably be better if she didn't. Pearl had said that her Diamond would be alright, but Yellow had her doubts.

(Yellow both loves and fears her Diamond. She was made to serve her, and doing so makes her happy in turn, but sometimes her master had a temper that she will take out on the objects and gems around her. Unfortunately for her, Yellow Pearl counts as both. This did not mean she wanted something bad to befall her Diamond, or otherwise be separated from her. Unfortunately it seemed unlikely that she would be able to see, let alone help, her Diamond in the coming cycles. The uncertainty of it all made her itch with anxiety, but Pearl promised to help her adjust.

Pearl calms Yellow down, before going and helping to sort the new gems. Some upper crust gem kicks up a fuss at Pearl, who gets to show off her renegade side and Jasper's submission to Yellow Diamond's gems. At some point Asteria "tames" Yellow Pearl, and somehow ends up changing her ownership to Asteria even though Yellow Diamond is still around and alive. Yellow Pearl isn't happy about this change, so to ease her into it and to make her feel better she is assigned to help Yellow Diamond when she is awake and needs it. This does not disclude her from the order bomb Pearl got, but Asteria is a bit slower and gentler with it since she knows Yellow Pearl isn't used to the idea of freedom of any kind unlike Pearl.)

When Pearl is summoned to her duties, Yellow goes with her. She didn't know exactly what work they would be doing, but Pearl assured her that she could follow her around and serve Asteria Diamond with her for the time being. Yellow was glad for this despite her fear of the new terrifying Diamond. She didn't want to know what might happen to her with her Diamond unable to have a say in her fate.

They arrived in the room where the rest of Yellow Diamond's gems had been sent too, where several ex-crystal gems and Quartz soldiers were milling about interrogating the new gems. Pearl walked through the crowd with the grace of a pearl and the confidence of a Diamond's belonging. Yellow had to puff out her chest just to try and portray the confidence she had. Pearl headed straight for the Bismuth, and Yellow had to bury her fear from being in the room with Crystal Gems. But her sister made no signs of warning to her, and spoke without fear, so there shouldn't be much immediate danger.

"Bismuth. Are we ready to start sorting?"

"Hey Pearl! Yeah, we should be good to go! There's some we're going to have to play by ear, but things have been going pretty well so far!"

Pearl nodded to the smiling Bismuth, seeming unaffected by the gem's strangely jovial mannerisms. Yellow didn't want to turn her back on the strange gem, but Pearl did it without a second thought so she tried to follow her lead. This time they stopped before what must be Pink Diamond's Champion Jasper. Yellow puffed up on instinct being next to such a large warrior gem, but Pearl seemed just as unflappable as before. She saw no signs of fear in her as she spoke to the much larger gem. How could her sister be so fearless in a room full of gems like this? Did it have something to do with the strangeness she had first seen in her? The pain that wasn't?

"Jasper, round up your squads that are assigned to this and prepare them to start escorting gems to their proper places."

"Yes my Pearl."

Yellow, along with all the new gems nearby, gaped in shock. Yellow stood frozen for a long moment, trying to register what she just heard and fit it into her view of how the world worked.

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Part 6

Asteria: Yellow Diamond (Part 5)

It does not take long of no contact, both via communications and any gems they sent, for Yellow Diamond herself to show up to earth to dispel the crazy rumors going around and fuss Pink about her disaster of a colony. They have heard rumors about the situation, but all of them seem so outlandish that they disbelieve all of them. Yellow barges in demanding to speak to Pink, and to her frustration the gems bring her to another gem instead. To her shock and disbelief she finds out that some of the rumors were indeed true. Not wanting to believe that Pink is gone Yellow throws a fit, intending on shattering this gem that for some reason manages to strike fear in her, but she is no match for Asteria who just bubbles her before she can do any damage. Yellow manages to pop it once or twice in fits of rage, but Asteria just makes thicker ones in its place.

She is brought to the correct room and restrained. There is also a camera that Asteria turns on. The video will be edited later to look like it was stolen and then leaked out so that it can be seen without pinning the blame on any particular gem that it got out. Yellow Diamond starts her Taming full of anger and frustration and just a slight bit of fear. But a slight bit for a diamond is unusual enough that it might as well have been ocean deep. Asteria starts her work, slowly and steadily trying to bring Yellow into a state of calm.

Yellow is having none of it, and her struggle quickly starts to make it look like she is in pain. Her thrashing gets less angry and more desperate or instinctual, actively having to fight the new Diamond's song. She is more immune than most as she is another Diamond, but it still affects her and Asteria's song is like no other in this world. After a while of Yellow stubbornly putting up as much of a fight as she could, Asteria started to kiss little packets of information over to her. Each time she did this was jarring for Yellow, forcing her to stop her thrashing and fighting for a few moments each time as she blinks through the information and shock. Along with that the information itself becomes more and more distressing.

Over the course of several kisses Asteria shows Yellow not only that Pink is dead, but that she didn't think they would care if she died. She thought they had not cared about her, and therefore would not give much care for her death. She had agreed with Rose Quartz, had tried to get them to stop the colonization, but they had thought she was just being difficult. And now she was gone, her power given to make this new being. She was truly gone, and never coming back. As good as shattered. All because she thought they didn't care. That they would prefer a Pink Diamond of greater power, that they would listen to someone of greater power. The only thing Yellow could think of was that she had been right. Asteria did not keep pushing for calm as Yellow broke, dismissing her helmet and running claws through her hair as she sobbed out her regretful anguish. Yellow sobbed and cried and screamed for a long time, frightening any gem near enough to hear her.

Eventually, after her cries had started to slow from exhaustion, Asteria once more pressed a soothing calming song into the larger Diamond's gem. This time Yellow welcomed it, letting her turbulent mind be calmed and allowing her form to go lax. Asteria whispered soothing nothings and encouragement to her, occasionally giving her a less distressing kiss. Nothing much so soon, but small things like Pink's joy at seeing the simple beauty of a flower, and Rose's determination to protect the Earth's beauty in its unique life.

Eventually Yellow was coaxed into moving, and brought to a room with a soft place to lie down big enough for a Diamond. Yellow faceplanted into the closest thing gems had to a mattress and let herself fall deep into the well of the other Diamond's power. Asteria knows that Yellow is hiding from her emotions, but seeing as she has already cried once and Asteria would not let her hide forever, she let the larger gem be for now. She visited every once in a while to pull Yellow out, introducing her to the ideas of things like fusions and organic life and free will from a more positive perspective, adding restraints if needed while the other Diamond was made to work through at least some of her emotions, before she was submerged back into the calm. The process was helpful for many reasons, and Yellow didn't fight as much as she had been expecting. The poor thing hasn't had a proper break in millennia. She also took the time to remove some of the Diamond's clothes, her gloves and heels taking priority after the helmet. It wasn't much on the outside, but Asteria could tell it helped to make Yellow Diamond both more physically comfortable and more emotionally vulnerable.

Yellow lay on the plush surface in the quiet room provided to her, floating in the calm nothingness of the new Diamond's power. She had come here with the intent of bringing things back to order, by force if necessary, but instead she had learned a horrible truth that left her world in pieces. It had not taken long for the new Diamond to go from an enemy to an ally. She could not handle the weight of her grief, her anger, her horrible bitter self-lothing. Here, deep within the soothing song of the other gem, only the slightest touch of it could reach her. She knew it would not last forever, but for the time being she cherished the time she had before she had to face the consequences of her actions. She knew once she came out there was nothing she could do to soothe the ache of what her negligence had lost.

(Direct inspirational quote) "You either get bitter or you get better. It's that simple. You either take what has been dealt to you and allow it to make you a better person, or you allow it to tear you down. The choice does not belong to fate, it belongs to you." Yellow doesn't fight Asteria even when she does things that make her mad because she understands that this is what Pink died for. To make them, to make her, listen to what she had to say. Asteria will absolutely chain Yellow down if she throws a fit over what she is trying to tell her, and Yellow can't stay mad for long because she is upset at herself and ashamed that the other Diamond has to resort to such measures just for Yellow to hear her out.

At some point Yellow is in a deep almost coma-like state because she discharging lightning to the point she's hurting herself. Asteria makes special restraints to syphon the electricity away before it could cause damage and keeps Yellow deep under so that she can't feel it. Between the glowing restraints, the Diamond's blank eyes, and the small twitches from the electricity, any onlooker is petrified by the sight.

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Asteria Diamond: Jasper and Pearl (part 4)

Jasper takes her place under Asteria Diamond fairly well, especially when the Diamond's power is used on her, but she does not adjust to the Crystal Gems and their ideas so easily. There are a few skirmishes here and there, just enough to have Jasper get a taste for Asteria's brand of punishment, but things really kick off when Jasper insults Pearl. Pearl, having just gotten concrete confirmation that she was allowed to defend herself, waits her out for a moment before summoning a sword and proofing Jasper with a single swipe. She goes to her Diamond to make sure she isn't in trouble and to ask what to do next, and Asteria decides it would be best to beat out the more violent prejudice sooner rather than later.

Asteria, with pearls permission, tests something that they think Rose had done on accident a few times. Pearl is given an order to go along with her fight, which means any time she might have slipped her coding automatically corrects her, keeping her from getting as hurt in the fight. The advantage is slight, but enough to beat Jasper. So Jasper reforms in an arena with Pearl at the other end, waiting for her. They spar three times, Jasper losing all three times. The first time Pearl just poofs her again, the second time they spar for a bit longer so that Pearl can get a good grasp of her fighting style, and the third one is just Pearl making an example of the buff gem. Seeing as Jasper is one of the most powerful gems on the ship everyone learns that day not to mess with Asteria Diamond's Pearl. Jasper admits that Pearl is a strong warrior, but that is as far as she goes. She still has many negative beliefs about others.

Next time Jasper acts up, horribly insulting one of the Crystal Gems which quickly gets physical, she is told by her Diamond that her punishment would be handled by her Pearl. Jasper isn't thrilled, but she's not as insulted as she would have been before Pearl defeated her. Pearl was waiting for her in a sparring room. She was told that she was allowed to move around and be defensive, but she couldn't fight back or summon her weapon. She isn't happy about this but doesn't have time to complain as Pearl immediately attacked. She was using a rounded blade so her strikes hurt, but wouldn't slice through Jasper's form. She took the beating for a while, but eventually she got fed up and fought back. Pearl immediately stopped the fight and chastised her, instructing her to put her hands through the holes in one of the walls. Chains fastened themselves around Jasper's wrists, diamond hard, and Pearl gave her a few good wacks before leaving. After a while she came back, and they did it again. Eventually Jasper stopped trying to fight back, and was worked until she dropped. Just barely not poofed, but exhausted enough that she laid down on the ground and gave up. She half expected Pearl to keep hitting her, but after a few fairly soft thwacks her surrender was accepted. Pearl sat on her back and started to talk to her as she messed with her hair. The action made her want to growl and puff up, but by this point she had learned her place. Pearl talked about her lack of respect for others, and how it all came from a lack of respect for herself. Jasper wanted to deny it, but she was too tired to fight even a verbal battle at this point. Pearl talks her through some big thoughts, before just staying silent. Most of Jasper's hair is braided by the time she is strong enough to lift herself, and Pearl instructs her to leave her form how it is and rest for a few cycles before returning to her for the last of her punishment. Jasper knows better than to fight it, and does as she is told, returning to her bunk room. She settles into her cubby, ignoring the stares of the other gems around her. One of the other Jaspers bothers her, i.e., is worried about her, and Jasper, practically the gem equivalent of half asleep, gives a concise version of events of what happened to her. To the much smaller and weaker Jaspers it sounds like absolute torture, and even more rumors spread about the ex-renegade Pearl. Seeing such a huge gem, a Jasper warrior no less, return from her punishment with a bruised form and an elaborate design weaved into her hair is terrifying. No one has seen Jasper look this beaten before, not even after huge battles. And everyone knows you don't mess with a Quartz's hair unless you want your hands to get cut.

After taking a few cycles to recover, Jasper goes back to complete her punishment. The Pearl exsplains that she will poof her, and gives her specific instructions on how she should regenerate her form. After she was poofed she could smooth over the damage, but she must make some change to her form to show Pearl that she understood her punishment. If Pearl approved of the changes her punishment would be over and her new form would be shown to their Diamond. Pearl told her to take her time, and then poofed her. When Jasper returned she looked fairly similar to before, the main change being the pink diamond symbol on the front. It was still pink and still a diamond, but instead of straight edges between the points each side swooped in, giving it a concave look. It took a moment, but Pearl quickly realized what it represented and found herself pleased. It was a diamond star. Pearl praised her for her choice, and told her to go show their Diamond for final approval. Jasper wasn't sure how to feel at the Pearl's praise, frustrated about how much she liked it. She pushed off the nagging thoughts of Pearl's words and went to show her Diamond her form.

(Something like this for Jasper's new symbol)

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Part 6

Asteria Diamond: Bismuth's pov (part 3)

Bismuth hit the bubble surrounding her with her sharp hands, but it refused to pop. They were being floated through the halls of the ship, Garnet stuck in another bubble and Pearl blank-eyed and forced to walk by the Diamond's side. No matter what she did the bubble wouldn't pop, and she could do nothing but watch as the other Crystal Gems were similarly entrapped. They were brought to a seemingly empty room, or at least it had been empty when they had entered. The Diamond did something with her weird song-like powers, and suddenly there were the beginnings of a torture device sticking out of the wall. She shouted for Garnet as the fusion sent her a panicked look, but she could do nothing but watch the rose-tinted scene unfold. Garnet fixed her face into a blank mask as she was restrained, ready to withstand the Diamond's torture. Bismuth glanced at Pearl, who was standing on the opposite side of the room from her cage. The other gem had the presence of mind to be staring at Garnet, but Bismuth couldn't tell if Pearl actually knew what was going on. Her form was stiff and her eyes were blank, only the slightest twitch of her fingers and her eyelids to tell that she wasn't a statue.

(Pearl doesn't stay watching as Garnet's taming becomes more violent, but at this point she is just aware enough to know that Garnet is distressed and is trying to comfort her. Unfortunately she is doing so in Pearlsign, which no one else in the room understands. She isn't quite aware enough to realize this, and once Garnet starts screaming Pearl checks out to do some sorting as a distraction.) Garnet screamed, and Bismuth's gaze snapped back to her. Her friend was twisting and convulsing, writhing in her bonds as the Diamond's song shook her body and the Diamond's hands pressed down hard into her gems.

Bismuth watched in horror as her friend thrashed and screamed, fighting against the Diamond with all of her strength. Bismuth called out to her, trying to ground her somewhere other than the obvious pain she was in. "It's gonna be alright Garnet, you've got this! I'm right here, just keep fighting it!" She kept up a steady mantra of support, despite the horror and dread pooling thick in her gem. She oh so badly wanted to bash this fuckers face in, but no matter how hard she pushed the bubble surrounding her wouldn't pop. She watched in slight confusion as the Diamond leaned over Garnet and pressed a soft kiss right above her third eye. The fusion went from having all of her eyes scrunched shut in pain to wide-eyed shock. She shouted some more, but Garnet didn't respond. Her eyes were blank, glassy and listless in a way Bismuth had never seen. Her body had relaxed completely, sagging against her restraints as the Diamond watched. Bismuth swallowed hard, hoping that it wasn't already too late. That spark of hope was dwindling within her, and she desperately tried to call Garnet back to herself with her voice. Garnet blinked almost frantically, a spark of awareness showing in them once more. Relief swept over Bismuth, and she kept encouraging Garnet to come back. But the other gem didn't come back all the way, didn't start to fight again, barley twitched her fingers. Bismuth begged her to respond, but at this point, she wasn't sure the other gem could hear what she was saying. She growled as the Diamond pressed another kiss onto her friend, now aware of the dangers of the action. After a while, Asteria Diamond spoke for the first time in several minutes.

"Garnet," she called, hands now holding the fusion's instead of pressing into them like before.

"Yes My Diamond." Garnet responded in a placid tone, and Bismuth felt like the air had been knocked out of her. She had never heard those words from Garnet, and she had hoped she would never have had to. Despair tried to rise up and swallow her, but she pushed it down.

"Unfuse for me." The hands and the restraints retreated, and Bismuth held her breath. Please don't be brainwashed, please be strong enough to resist, come on, no one tells Garnet to unfuse, this should snap her out of it! Right?

"Yes my Diamond."

There was a bright white light, and Ruby and Sapphire appeared. Despair gnawed at her as she watched Sapphire and Ruby be restrained, only a single cuff necessary to keep them in line. She had stopped shouting now, knowing it would do them no good. She glanced back at Pearl, who's eyes were blank as she stared at a spot on the floor. There wasn't a thought behind her eyes, and the despair climbed higher. Pearl was brainwashed and out of commission, Garnet was now brainwashed as well, to the point where she obeyed when told to unfuse, and now Ruby and Sapphire were getting the Diamond treatment. The Diamond was on Ruby now, murmuring to her with her song infused voice and periodically pressing kisses into her gem. Ruby whimpered and squirmed a bit, but didn't fight like Bismuth wished she would. She tried to strain and hear the conversation, but she only got a few words here and there. Then she heard the dreaded words once more.

"Yes my Diamond."

Asteria Diamond ran her claws over Ruby's hair, undoing the restraint and praising her.

"Good gem. Now wait here for a moment while I talk to Sapphire."

The Diamond moved on to her next pinned prey, while Ruby stood next the them, fidgeting and watching with anxious eyes. Bismuth tried to get her attention, but Ruby only met her eyes once, shook her head, and went back to looking at her lover. Bismuth didn't know how the other gem could stand watching her love get molested by a Diamond. It was hard enough for her to watch, and she wasn't nearly as close as they were. Eventually Sapphire gave her own, "yes my Diamond," and was allowed down from the restraint table. As suspected they immediately held hands, and to Bismuth's surprise the Diamond didn't object.

"Ruby, Sapphire. Fuse."

Bismuth was shocked, trying to figure out why the Diamond would want the two gems fused. Of course Ruby and Sapphire did as they were told, and in a flash of light Garnet was back. Bismuth couldn't help but hope something would finally go their way, but then she saw the altered design on Garnet's chest. She looked almost exactly the same, except now there was the outline of a diamond etched in black. It sat right below the tip of her half star, giving the shape a pink background. It hurt to see the symbol of a Diamond on a gem she knew had never had to wear one. Bismuth could see the angle here. The Crystal Gems' cross fusion war machine, brought to heel by the newest Diamond. Garnet took a step forward and knelt down on one knee before Asteria Diamond. Her arms crossed over her chest in a salute, something else she should never have been forced to do, and spoke.

"I am at your service, my Diamond."

Bismuth wanted to scream, but instead she fixed her eyes on the Diamond. The bastard seemed far to pleased with herself. The Diamond's next words were so laced with song that Bismuth could barely understand them, but it is clearly praise of some kind. Another kiss was pressed into Garnet's form, on the back of her offered knuckles this time, and the fusion was quickly lost to the Diamond's power.

The Diamond stepped away from Garnet's still kneeling form and turned to her. Bismuth bared her teeth in a growl, knowing that it was her turn now. The despair trying to swamp her told her that she was powerless to fight the Diamond's power, but no matter what she would fight till she could fight no more. For the Crystal Gems. For Biggs. For Garnet. For Pearl. For Rose. There was no room to fight her restraints, but she fought anyway. Her struggle against the unyielding metal was cut short as the Diamond once more started to sing, the sound echoing with power in her ears as it sank into her form like a stone sank into water. It was like a lullaby with power behind it. It surrounded her and tried to drag her down, a gentle but all-consuming pressure that had her muscles unclenching. She grit her teeth and clenched her jaw. She had to keep doing it every time the song dragged against her, but she kept making sure to twitch her fingers and toes. It could do her good to save her strength, but she couldn't let this consume her. She couldn't let the Diamond do what she pleased with her. No matter how trapped she was, no matter how angry she was, she wouldn't back down from the Diamond's strength. She didn't care if it got her shattered, she wouldn't let this monster use her against her friends. Against her home.

She narrowed her eyes at the Diamond in challenge. "That all you got?"

The diamond hummed in reply, before reaching out and putting her hand inside Bismuth's gem. Bismuth jerked and yelped as the Diamond's fingers rubbed her gem, waves of calm turning into spikes. Fingertips stroked the facets of her gem, making her pant and whine at the song's strengthened intrusion. She threw her head back with a clang, heaving for breath as she fought against the encroaching apathy. The fingers turned into a full fist, and the lulling song turned into an almost harsh demand. Bismuth knew she wouldn't be able to fight it forever, not with the gentle pressure in her gem that insisted she stop fighting. She screamed out her anger and fear, yelling with all her might like it could keep her from the Diamond's clutches. It was only over if she gave in. But it felt so much better than she thought it would. She had braced well for pain, and against that she was strong, but the sweetness of the song beckoned to her like the scent of rose petals on the wind. The song shook her with the force of it, but it was trying to bury her in calm and peace, not the pain or numbness she had been expecting. There was a cloud of apathy that came close, but it hadn't managed to muffle her. Bismuth had the feeling that it wasn't staying on the outskirts because of a lack of ability. The Diamond leaned over her, and she stared with wide eyes as a kiss was pressed into her sternum. The storm of rage and calm fighting faded into the background.

She saw the conversation Rose had with her when they first met. It was like she was looking through Rose's eyes, but she was detached in a way she wasn't when looking through her own. It took her a moment to realize that this was an information transfer in the form of a memory. Rose asked her what she wanted to be, and a spark of awed rebellion caught in Bismuth's eyes. Rose was gleeful when she had shown her the first weapon Bismuth had made with her own two hands. The memory was soon soured by the thought of war. Of Bismuth choosing to make weapons because it was useful, not because it was what she wanted. Rose wanted Bismuth to be who she really was, not what she made herself to be for Rose's benefit.

Bismuth blinked hard, jarring herself out of the memories. The Diamond still sang above her, sharp diamond eyes soft with the emotions Rose had once held. The Diamond's words were woven with intent, notes of reassurance laced deep in them as she spoke. "With the death of Rose Quartz, it may be the end of the Crystal Gem rebellion, but it is not the end of the Crystal Gem ideals. As long as one of us is standing to brandish the star, the spirit of the Crystal Gems lives on." With her words, she showed her palms, which each had half of the Crystal Gem's symbol sitting there. It wasn't immediately obvious, but seeing them both side by side left no doubt. Bismuth realized that this was somewhat mimicked by the two triangle cuts in the other gem's dress. There was a triangle cut around her gem, and another tringal cut flipped the other way above it. A diamond symbol cut in half horizontally, and a star symbol cut in half vertically, This might not be normal fusion, but it was similar enough. Rose was a part of this gem. Unfortunately, so was Pink Diamond. That thought held her back from giving in and falling into the ocean of song. It was one thing to trust Rose, but it was another to trust a Diamond.

"...S-still a Diamond!" She managed to gasp out, shaking with the effort to resist the blanket of calm. She knew things like talking and breathing would be easier if she did, but she couldn't bring herself to trust a Diamond with herself. Asteria Diamond hummed again, an almost mournful note to it this time. Before she could really question it, another kiss was pressed right above her gem.

This time instead of one of Rose's memories, it was one of Pinks. She had a feeling this was a long time ago, when the Diamond was still young. Bismuth probably hadn't even emerged at the time this conversation happened. Pink Diamond was not the cruel dictator Bismuth knew now. She was bright and bubbly and kind. She was small and deep-cut and not the color she should be. Nothing the other Diamonds did or said could make her act like them. Pink confronted them about how they treated her, about how she came out wrong. The other Diamonds brushed her off. She was just too young and immature for her duties. She could have a colony like the rest of them when she grew up and acted like a Diamond should. Pink Diamond looked at the shards of an off-color who couldn't do their job right and tried to find the difference between them and her. She couldn't.

Bismuth gasped in shock as she came back to herself with a few sharp blinks. Her already shaken world just did a spinning jump and had ended up upside down with everything having gotten jumbled up and eventually fallen out.

"Even Diamonds can be different."

Bismuth stared into Asteria's soft weary eyes, and slowly, shakily, started to loosen her iron grip on her mind. Rose had always wanted freedom for all gems. All those who didn't fit within the Diamonds machine. She wasn't surprised that Rose's soft heart had gone out to a Diamond as well. Said Diamond smiled at her as she lowered herself into the lapping waves of calm. She had been right, it felt wonderful after days and days of stress and panic.

"We will bring peace." Asteria Diamond sang. And Bismuth found she believed her. If there was anyone who could fight the Diamonds, it was another Diamond.

Bismuth does take her time accepting the new order, but with further reassurance from her new Diamond and talking with Garnet and Pearl she accepts that Asteria really does want what is best for them and the Earth. Asteria also told Bismuth that if she was ever worried about something or needed anything that she could come to her like she could with Rose. The Diamond did tell her that for now, it would probably be best not to do so in front of any Homeworld loyalists so that she doesn't cause any more drama with them than she already has just by being there. Bismuth likes to help out with the lower class's work when they let her and has a tendency to make friends with gems whose ideals lean more toward the Crystal Gems, even if they don't realize it. Soon enough, she finds that she has a knack for picking out perspective Crystal Gems from a crowd, and when combined with Pearl and Garnet's own talents, they can separate a group of gems by what introduction they will need to Asteria's rule. They might miss a few here or there, but when Yellow Diamond's gems come, they separate them out by who needs to be informed with a firm hand and possibly threats to keep them in line until they can be handled individually, while the softer, typically kinder gems are more receptive to the positive changes that come with working under Asteria Diamond.

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Part 6

Asteria Diamond: Garnet's pov (part 2)

Garnet focused hard on the mission, not wanting to think about the torture and horror she had witnessed. This was not helped by her future vision showing her all of the different ways this could fail. But she also saw the ways, few as they were, that they succeeded, and she knew they had to try. Pearl was worth it, and she wanted the gem to know it. Especially with everything the Renegade has been going through the last few days. She couldn't imagine being forced into slavery once more after years of freedom.

There were several teams all breaking into the ship at the same time. Some would free the captured, some would fight off any guards, and some would sabotage. Garnet and Bismuth's main goal was to find Pearl. As she had predicted, there were few guards around, all of the soldiers out looking for them. They fought their way to the right room and broke in. The sight of Pearl curled up on the floor in a little ball made her gems ache with sympathy. Bismuth carefully reached out and put a hand on Pearl's arm. She only startled slightly, and Garnet had never been happier to see such tired blue eyes. The slightest bit of subdued spark shone in Pearl's eyes as she looked up at them, a fragile smile tugging at the smaller gem's lips. Bismuth practically cried in joy, scooping Pearl up into a crushing hug and telling her how glad they were to see her. Garnet seconded that, joining in on the hug and taking a moment to check her future vision.

"I'm sorry." Came Pearl's voice, softer than she had ever heard her speak. Bismuth was trying to ask Pearl what she meant, but the gem only clung to them harder. It was all drowned out for Garnet, as she could see exactly why she was sorry. "We can't get back out..." She almost whispered in horror. How could she not have seen this?! "What?" Bismuth asked, " What do you mean?!" "... We were almost always able to get in... But now we can't get out." "What do you mean?! I thought-!" "There's something around the ship. No one can get in or out. This was all a trap." Before Bismuth could freak out or yell anymore, Pearl shifted between them to hold onto her. The soft blue eyes looking up at her were filled with sadness, but they were alive in a way they hadn't been in the video. "Garnet, it's not your fault. She knows about your future vision, and she knows how to get around it."

They were all silent as the situation sunk in. Garnet pulled Pearl into a tight hug, trying desperately to find a future where they get out. No matter how hard she strains, all she can see is the end of her future vision as she splits apart—the bright white light of fusion and then nothing. The door opened, and immediately Bismuth was between them and the Diamond, weapons out and ready for a fight she would surely lose. "There is no need for that now Bismuth," the Diamond's musical voice spoke softly. Despite that softness, her voice reverberated around the room like a drum, impossible to ignore. "Come here my Pearl." And Garnet could do nothing but watch as Pearl walked daintily into the Diamond's arms. Bismuth was yelling threats, but Garnet's mind was going a mile a minute. Her eyes were still fairly clear. She wasn't under her control, just like she had predicted. But she still went to her when she called. Bismuth was the one yelling and pacing and putting on a show, but the Diamond's eyes were on her as she thought through the puzzle.

"What have you done?" She asked as calmly as she could. "It was nothing I did necessarily. Just existing was enough. Pearl, be a dear and show your friends what your first master had you wear." Pearl looked uncomfortable but did as she was told. The clothes of her form brightened and shifted, and a moment later, she was looking at Pink Diamond's Pearl. The puzzle pieces smashed into place. "You belonged to Pink... so now you belong to her... but how..?" There was no need to articulate further. Everyone knew what she was asking. How had Pearl escaped? How had she followed Rose? How was she now bound to this new Diamond? If it were purely a question of loyalty, then they wouldn't be having this conversation. Pearl might have been in love with Rose, but she wouldn't just sit there and take this because of her. "Do either of you understand how pearls work?" The Diamond asked, one hand curled possessively around Pearl's shoulder and back. "Pearls are created with the inability to disobey a direct order from their owner. It doesn't matter what it is; if it is ordered of them, they will do it." The Renegade's eyes were downcast, and her friend made no move to try and remove the touch from herself.

"Well, our Pearl is the Renegade!" Bismuth protested, "you can call it a defect all you want, but Pearl is greater than anything you could ever have thought she could be!" "Oh, I didn't say that they weren't. Just because they are incapable of disobedience doesn't mean they aren't intelligent or resourceful. Pearls are some of the most crafty and adaptable gems out there. They can find loopholes in orders they don't like and do things they were never originally designed to do with more ease than most. But even that can only get you so far." "No..." Garnet whispered in horror. Please, don't let it be! It made sense, but please! She didn't want that to be the truth for her friend! "She was created to serve her Diamond, and her Diamond told her to serve Rose. And so she did. She learned to fight, and she learned to speak to others like equals, and she learned to shift the clothing of her form as she went from one master to another. She learned to imagine things and have thoughts and dreams and hopes, all without anyone there to tell her to do it. But at the end of the day, she is and always has been a Diamond's pearl." The Diamond's hand wandered up Pearl's body until it reached her gem. Pearl shuddered harshly at the touch and blinked rapidly as a kiss was pressed into her hair. "*My* Pearl." Garnet could feel the way the Diamond's words vibrated around the room. Pearl let out the smallest sound, almost a mewl, and her eyes started to haze once more as she leaned back against her Diamond. "Rose was working with Pink Diamond?!?" Bismuth asked the room at large in disbelief, glaring at the pink gem touching their friend. "That isn't what's important right now Bismuth!" Garnet snapped, still desperately trying to find a way out. "It seems pretty important to me! What about the war!? The rebellion!? Was there even a rebellion to begin with!?"

Before Garnet could attempt to steady the panicking Bismuth, pink bubbles flowered into place around them. She hit the one around her with her fist, but she knew from her future vision that she was not strong enough to break it. This was a Diamond's bubble, none of them had the power to break it on their own. The bubbles started to float, and the Diamond carried them off. Bismuth continued to try and break the one holding her, and Pearl walked placidly along at her Diamond's side. As they walked through the ship they saw the others get bubbled as well. Some were already in a bubble, some were bubbled as the Diamond caught sight of them, and others were brought to the Diamond's feet by homeworld soldiers. There seemed to be quite a few more than she had seen, both on their way in and in her future vision. Another sign that this has been a huge trap. They were brought to a room in the ship, but Garnet had no clue what it was for. Their bubbles were put off to one side of the room, and Pearl was made to stand on the other. The Diamond hummed, a low reverberating chime that felt like it shook her as it passed through her form and sunk into the walls. With seemingly no warning a tilted restraint table slid out of the wall with a clink. Garnet immediately knew that this was a room for "taming" gems. Even knowing for a while that this was to be her fate, she still felt surprised. It felt too soon.

Her bubble started to move, and she shot Bismuth a panicked look. As the bubble started to flatten and line her up with the diagonal slab she took a deep breath and fixed her face into a solid mask. She would give her captor nothing for as long as she could. She would stay strong for everyone, and she would stay strong for herself. She would not let this Diamond tear her apart. The bubble popped and the restraints tightened at the same time, leaving her trapped. But unlike the bubble, she was completely exposed like this. She strained against the table, but it did her no good. Loops of what she assumes is some kind of metal entrapped her, pink bands pushing down against her ankles and thighs and abdomen and chest and biceps and wrists and neck. Her wrists and neck were the worst, as it made it hard to move her head and exposed her gems. She clenched her fist tightly and tried to keep her gauntlets up, but a single tap from the Diamond's claw made them explode into a shower of sparkling light. The Diamond made a sound like a song, somewhere between a hum and a purr. It sank into her like she was soaking up rain. The sparkling flame and sharp icy edges were filled down inside her, not trying to tear her apart like she had expected, but instead trying to drag her down into peaceful apathy. Finding herself somewhere between uncomfortably grounded in the present and having a sirens song luring her into something along the lines of meditation, she didn't notice that her hands had unclenched until large hands held hers open and *pressed*. She screamed and thrashed as a Diamond's power sunk straight into her gems, desperately fighting the lie of peace and calm and safety. She knew, she *knew* that it was all a lie, that she would be split apart and shattered if she gave in, but it was *oh* so tempting. She knew if she stopped moving, if she stopped struggling, then she wouldn't be able to resist. She could hear Bismuth shouting, and tried to focus on that. She was Garnet, and she would not let this tear her apart. The Diamond's soft lips touched the skin just above her third eye, and it was like she was having a compulsory vision.

It was her, but from Rose's perspective. The wonder of seeing a cross fusion for the first time, the pride as she summoned her gauntlets and learned to use them, the worry at seeing them unfused, the joy at seeing her fused once more and playing with some new recruits, the care as she was hugged close, safe in the knowledge that she was accepted for who she was.

She blinked hard, aware of the world around her once more. She had stopped struggling, and while powerful calm was still pouring over her like a waterfall, she found that she was no longer afraid of it. This being might be a Diamond, but she was also Rose. And she had made it clear to Garnet that she did not want to hurt her. She was not disgusted by her existence, she did not want to rip her apart, she didn't even want to control her. She wanted to keep her safe. She had always trusted Rose. She wasn't about to stop now. She relaxed and let down her walls, falling headfirst into the river of soothing song.

After a while with nothing but Bismuth's muffled voice to tell that time was passing a kiss was once more pressed into her forehead. This time there were no discernible images or memories, just feelings and ideas. She was a fusion of love, and that was beautiful. She was not just Sapphire and Ruby sharing a body, but the embodiment of their relationship. This meant that while Garnet wouldn't do things against Ruby or Sapphire's will, she was not them, and they were not her. They could still be together even when they weren't fused. Their love for each other would not die. There is a difference between separate and apart. "Garnet." Asteria Diamond called to her. Blinking her eyes open she took in what she had just been given. The information was pure and raw, no room for lies or deceit. She wanted her to unfuse, but would not force her to. She was asking for permission. Permission to talk to Ruby and Sapphire as themselves. Laced with reassurances that just because they unfused didn't mean she disappeared, and how even if they were pulled apart their love would live on. Knowing that this Diamond was somewhat a cross fusion herself, Garnet decided to trust her. "Yes my Diamond." She responded. Fusion with Rose or not, this was not the time to skip respect. "Unfuse for me." The restraints holding her sank back into the slab. "Yes my Diamond." She said, and for the first time that she can remember she intentionally and calmly reached for the bright white light in her palms and unfused.

Ruby and Sapphire are held by only a single restraint each, their gemless hands pinned close enough to touch. Asteria goes to Ruby first, knowing her emotions are more likely to burst outward in flames. Asteria communicates with a mix of some soft words and informational kisses to the Ruby's gem. Her song sings calm into the gems around her, and she encourages the unfused gem's love for each other in and out of fusion. Both gems are made aware that there will be times when they need to unfuse, but for the most part, as long as they are healthy about it, they can remain as Garnet most of the time. Having reassurance, a plan, and Diamond given permission lifts both gems spirits. As soon as Asteria gives the word they refuse, and Garnet properly swears her loyalty to the new cause. Asteria rewards her with another kiss and a note of deep song, which has her in a state of deep meditation while Bismuth has her turn.

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Part 6

Asteria Dimond and the Era 1 war (part 1)

It is towards the end of the war that it happens. Pink Dimond, also known as Rose Quartz, does something both unexpected and unprecedented. Pink Diamond did not believe that the other Diamonds cared about her, and she knew that they would not listen to her as herself nor as Rose Quartz. But she had to find a way to make them listen. She knew she was defective, off-color, but maybe if she could find a way to increase her power the others would listen to her. And so she did. No one knows how. No one knows uf she knew the consequences. In all honesty, even if she had known, she probably hadn’t cared. She somehow became Steven Universe. But an adult Steven Universe who has long balanced himself to look more like his mothers' forms and who goes by Asteria Diamond in professional settings. Asteria sends out a message to all the gems on Earth, both the Crystal Gems and the Homeworld Gems. In the message, they state:

"I am not Rose Quartz. I am not Pink Diamond. I am not a fusion of the two. I am something never before seen by Gemkind. Pink Diamond and Rose Quartz are dead. I am taking their place. This war is over. All Crystal Gems are to give themselves over peacefully to Homeworld. All Homeworld soldiers are to gather up the Crystal Gems peacefully and bring them to containment in my ship. There will be no shattering or excessive force from either side. Crystal Gems, if the ones trying to take you in are being cruel, leave them and find someone else. Gems still loyal to the diamond courts, only use violence if absolutely necessary. I repeat, I want no shattering and no excessive violence. That will be all."

Pearl had been watching this all in horror from across the room, the only one aware of the fact that this could not be some kind of unknown fusion between Rose and Pink as they were the same person. She could tell that this being was not her, which had horrible implications on its own, but she could also feel that her gem had shifted in a way she had never experienced but knew what it was instinctively. This gem was her new owner. She shied away in fear as the new gem, the new Diamond, approached her, but she could only go so far as her back hit the wall. They made a deep purr-like sound she assumed was supposed to be soothing, and she froze as a white-clawed hand brushed over her gem. His song weaved into the core of her being, bringing with it a great soothing calm. 

She was brought into a deep calm headspace, everything else chased away for the moment by the Diamond's song. She made no attempt to fight it, as it came from her Diamond, and let herself be picked up into her new Diamond's arms and carried away. Her Diamond purred deep in her chest all the way to the ship, almost rattling her body with the power it sung into ribbons twirling around her being. Her Diamond sat in a quiet and fairly dim room, and the soothing purring stopped. She started to come back to herself, but the entirety of her emotions refused to come back with the hand on her gem. As her grief started to hit her that touch quickly became a comfort, and she tried to lean further into it to try and hide from the pain of loss. Her Diamond did not take away her grief, or let her hide from it, but she held her and rocked her and comforted her as best as anyone can when faced with a pearl's fresh grief.

Eventually her Diamond laid her down and told her to stay and take deep breaths. She was all worn out emotionally, but somehow the unnecessary breathing helped to take the edge off everything. Her Diamond was somewhere in the room, dealing with reports and giving out commands. She had not been ordered to listen, so she did not bother too. Her programing would not let her miss an order if one is given to her.

Because the Crystal Gems are going to of course fight back, especially gems like Bismuth and Garnet, Asteria decides to use Pearl as bait to get the remaining fighters in. This is of course after Pearl has calmed down some and understands that Asteria doesn't want to hurt her or the other gems. He doesn't want to hurt anyone, and only wants the war to end without bloodshed. He reveals his plans to her, explaining how he will be taking the Crystal Gems into his court along with Pink Diamond's gems, mixing the two together just like he was a mix of the two leaders. Pearl expresses her doubts, both with the gems who had just been fighting getting along, and the fact that Asteria is not actually a mix between Pink and Rose. Asteria assures her that they can learn to get along with help, and that he was very much like a mix between Pink and Rose seeing as they are the same person. This shuts Pearl up about her doubts. And so Asteria goes to his new throne and pulls Pearl onto his lap, having her in her rebellion garb. They need to make it seem like the Crystal Gem's sneaking onto the ship to rescue her was their plan. Asteria knew that Garnet would discount the idea of Pearl betraying them, giving them a strong advantage when it came to getting around her future vision. So a message about a captured and tamed Renegade Pearl is sent out.

Biggs came running up to them with the Crystal Gem's pirated communicator. It had been three days since Rose and Pearl had disappeared. It had been three days since the message from the fusion(/?) of Rose Quartz and Pink Diamond. Garnet hadn't been able to see much with her future vision as none of them could have ever seen this coming. What she could see wasn't good, and while it seemed like no one was shattered, many of them had been captured in the last few days. Bismuth could do nothing but worry and wait. They couldn't find their resident renegade anywhere, and none of them knew what to expect from "Asteria". She had asked Garnet her opinion, and the only thing the other gem could think of was some kind of heinous forced fusion. They knew that this was a dark and uncertain time, they knew that things were not likely to go well in this situation, but they fought anyway. And then Biggs, with her misty eyes filled with tears, handed her the communicator with another video from Asteria to all Earth channels.

Pearl sat in between Asteria Diamond's legs, a hand bigger than her entire head curled around her neck and up her chin. It was clear she was being held in place, and with more than the strong hand and sharp claws threatening her. Her eyes seemed hazy and far away, and she stared resolutely at the floor. Bismuth was aghast for a number of reasons, but a big one was her eyes. There was no spark of fire in them. No sparkle or otherwise rebellious look. She looked like-... like a pearl. Asteria Diamond spoke of their disobedience like it was utterly trivial. Like the entire rebellion was not only not a threat but something that would soon be neutralized. But instead of threatening them or ordering her troops to fight them once more, she reassured them that they would not be shattered. That there would be no need for them to be shattered. But the Diamond's "reassurance" only made Bismuth's mouth dry with horror. The Crystal Gems don't need to be shattered because they can be tamed. She could do nothing but watch and try not to gag as white claws and pink fingers traced over Pearl's gem. The Renegade shuddered and whined at the intrusion of the Diamond's power, her hands tightening in her lap, her eyes screwed shut, her body folding in on itself the best it could. But it was obvious she had long stopped fighting the control. The Diamond pushed, and the rebellious pearl shuddered and went lax, a low keen the only thing to show her discomfort. The Diamond cooed and pet her like she was a dog finally giving in and submitting to its abusive master. Bismuth didn't want to know how much Pearl had been touched and tortured to get her to this point. This was the fate the new Diamond had in store for them. To Bismuth, it seemed worse than a fate of shattering. But as the horrific message ended, there was only one thing on her mind. It looked reversible. Maybe not completely, but it was obvious that unlike what she had heard of White Diamond's mind control, Pearl was not completely a shell of herself. At least not yet. She turned to Garnet, who was clutching herself as she stared in open-mouthed horror. She snapped her out of it and got her to check her future vision. It didn't exactly look good for them, but there seemed to be a high chance they could get Pearl out, along with sabotaging the enemy. However, there was also a chance they would fail, that Pearl would already be too far in the Diamond's control, and they would end up captured. Seeing few other options, they planned their infiltration.

Asteria Diamond makes it clear that Pearl is fully allowed and even encouraged to fight the prejudices of other gems. After Pearl stabs the first gem who won't back down when she told them to, most of the others fall in line. Especially when her Diamond backs up her behavior. The gem was out of line, and Pearl ensured she knew that.

Pearl is seen as off by other characters because she is processing the change in owners and orders. Asteria takes the time to put a whole bunch of fail-safes into any direct orders so that Pearl can get around them if she needs to. Having all of these extra what-if's and stuff makes it a whole lot more to process, and Pearl will often use times when Asteria has used her powers on her to sort through stuff. She appreciates having the owner given power to circumvent her orders, and she also appreciates the concreteness that Pink/Rose often lacked, but it's still a lot.

Rumors say Pink Diamond and Rose Quartz didn't fuse. They melded. Instead of their forms becoming one, able to separate if they wish, their gems melded together and they beget an entirely new being.

(This concept was based very very loosely on this fanfic. It's not all that similar in terms of plot, but it is very good!)

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