Chapter I – Aftermath
“When the sword of rebellion is drawn, the sheath should be thrown away.”
Anonymous
Murmurs interrupted the shocked silence in the court. What had happened? What was going to happen? Nothing like this had ever been seen, in any court, and the crowd was still in stunned surprise. The rebels had attacked Blue Diamond’s court and though she had surrounded herself with the strongest of gems, the two had been able to escape.
But that wasn’t what the murmuring was about.
In the midst of the rebels’ attack, a lone ruby soldier had leaped in front of the gem known as the Renegade Pearl and dared put her hands on Blue Diamond’s personal sapphire. And then…
The two fused.
Disgusting!
Outrageous!
Unheard of!
An abomination to be sure.
The…thing was still clear in the minds of the crowd and of their Diamond; it was really too hard of a thing to miss. And worse! Instead of allowing punishment to be handled out, the sapphire had run off with the ruby and down to the horrid planet below. It just didn’t make sense. Above it all though, Blue Diamond was quiet and it was causing a stir as her gems wondered what their monarch would do.
“Silence!”
She had spoken and the court immediately did her bidding, turning to look at her, awaiting the next steps to hopefully put this nightmare out of their minds. Blue Diamond, though sitting, still loomed large over her subjects. Anger and revulsion were coursing through her form and it took all of her control not to leap down and smash every single gem standing before her. Cloaked though she was, her steel blue eyes surveyed everyone before her, pinning a Holly Blue Agate among her loyal followers.
“Agate,” she called, waiting as the gem quickly hurried to reach her palanquin throne.
“Yes, My Diamond?”
“Prepare a squadron of quartz soldiers,” she said, her voice calm and even. “I want those two found. And I want the rebels found. And when they are, I want them all broken.”
“Yes, My Diamond,” Holly Blue nodded, bowing in respect. “I will see it done at once.”
Raising her head a fraction, Blue addressed her court. “We have seen something unspeakable today,” she began. “Something that will haunt us, I’m sure. But we will not let this stand. The rebels have been a nuisance to us for decades, but they will be stopped. For now, we will return to Homeworld to try and forget the scene we saw…it will be difficult, but rest assured, that as your Diamond, I will make those who dare defile our society pay dearly.”
Appreciative claps went around the arena, the gem elite and aristocrats safe in the knowledge that their Diamond knew all and would put a stop to such blasphemous behavior. The group began to head out, leaving Blue and her pearl to leave last. Pearl had dutifully gone and retrieved the gems of the fallen, the two defeated jaspers and the two ruby soldiers, before heading back inside the enclosure. With a subtle gesture, the palanquin rose and began the walk back to the Diamond’s ship.
Blue hadn’t wanted to be down here on Earth, but Yellow had told her it was her duty to wrangle some kind of order on the planet. While time truly meant nothing to a gem, Blue had been counting the days since…it…happened and today marked one hundred and forty-three years. And the more time went on, the angrier Blue and the others got. How hard was it to capture two rebel gems!?
Apparently, harder than they imagined.
Rose Quartz and her disgraceful pearl seemed untouchable, clearly, as they had yet to be caught. Sending in their best had done nothing but reduce them to their gems and obviously, not even a Diamond could…
Shaking her head, Blue stopped that train of thought.
“Pearl.”
“Yes, My Diamond?”
“I have an important task for you,” Blue replied.
“Of course,” the lowly pearl replied, her head nodding in acquisition. “Whatever you need.”
“Find out the cut and facet of that ruby,” she said. “The one that ran off.”
“Of course.”
“And have every one of them broken. And I want all sapphires to be gathered in my quarters once we reach Homeworld.”
“Yes, My Diamond,” the pearl said. She held up the four gems she had in her hands. “What about them?”
Blue narrowed her eyes. They wouldn’t be in this mess had the four of them had done their jobs. “Destroy them,” she commanded. “And make sure the jaspers are there to watch. I will not abide or tolerate incompetence in my court. If they wish to survive, they will discover their comrades’ failings and correct them.”
Pearl nodded. The commands were quite harsh, but to be expected. After all, in light of what happened, how would anyone learn? Gem society hinged on order and compliance and when gems went outside that, well…calamity ensured, as it did that day.
The blue servant would accompany her Diamond back to Homeworld before immediately setting out to see her requests were done. By the end of it, rubies of cut 6 from Facet 8 where no longer in production, with exception of the lone ruby down on the Earth. Sapphires, whom were already rare, lost two of their gems – one who ran off the Cloud Arena with some no name ruby and one whom Blue Diamond shattered in front of the others, a reminder and a warning of who they were and who they served.