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It was hard to think or feel, being so close to the spot where her dear Pink died. It was often better to just let her emotions run their course and leave her in sweet ennui for the rest of the century.
Life was meaningless now for Blue. How could it have any point when the only light in her life had been snuffed out? Leaving only Yellow who barely cared and the monstrous White.
No, it was better to mourn. Maybe the Cluster would emerge? Blue honestly had stopped caring about her own safety at this point.
But in her, somewhere deep under all the pain and the grief, clawed a gem that was all but dead to her these days. It wanted to live, to fight back. Blue barely listened to it anymore, but it whispered in her ear a way to not feel so bad. A way to forget without losing herself.
Blue had often chased it away, how -dare- it suggest she demean herself like that. On Pink's tomb no less. But now, when the end was steadily closing in, Blue couldn't deny it. She was going to lose the last of Pink's legacy.
Blue let her form shrink down, just enough that humans would accept her as one of them. It was easy, even in her current state.
"Pearl, watch over the palanquin," she said, heading down into the town.
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The small village didn't have much to do, but it had a good legal speakeasy to mingle in. Blue almost had missed the feeling of people surrounding her, offering her drinks in hopes of gaining something more. She wasn't a pebble anymore, however, and let them waste their resources in vain hope.
There was one girl, however, who did take her fancy. Not a local, with fading pink hair. It was a sign, especially as she easily began a conversation with Blue. Showing quite a bit of interest in her. Blue drowned another drink, feeling a joyous laughter form in her throat. This human would more than do for her.
After a bit of socializing and a lot of clear signals for mating, the two women stumbled into the girl's room.
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"S-so, you're an alien, huh? Cool" the younger woman stated, pawing Blue's breasts with acceptable eagerness. Blue grinned, nodding.
"Ooh, can youh, like..uh...do you have alien parts?" the girl asked, chuckling in drunken glory. The sloshed matriarch let her tentacle wriggle out, clawing at the sheets from the stimulation air alone gave.
"Cool...Can you spin it? Ya know, like a helicopter?"
"Oh, CANHhhh Ih?!"
Blue didn't know what helicopter was, but spinning the tentacle was easy. At least until she fell off the bed, cackling. She liked this girl.
The girl was amazing in other ways too. Blue took her time enjoying her body, inside her and out. The girl clearly did the same, not even caring about the extraction fluid Blue had ejaculated into her.
The night ended in both of them exhausted on a ruined bed. But it was worth it.
At least, until morning came and all that alcohol Blue had ingested found itself out, combined with a headache. Blue dragged herself out, letting the human sleep. She berated herself all the way back to the palanquin.
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It had been almost a year since Blue had visited Pink's so-called tomb. What a difference time had made. Even if Pink was truly gone, Blue couldn't feel the ever-consuming grief she once did. For better or for worse, it had washed away with seawater and finding new joy in her life. Though Blue trusted White as far as she could throw the Grand Diamond, things had changed between the Authority. Yellow was trying her best to be more open, White wanted to take part in their lives once more. Then there was Steven, sweet, compassionated and creative Steven. He couldn't replace Pink, but he didn't have to.He was perfect as he was.Yes, things were better. Enough that the diplomat chose to take a stroll in the local town. Not much had changed since her last visit, though it looked much brighter to Blue. Joy did funny things."Oh, hey! Blue!" someone called out to her, by name. Blue turned around, looking in the eyes of the girl she had met last year."Ah, hello. It is nice to see you" she said her usual platitudes with ease. The girl seemed a bit roughed up like she had not had a good sleep in a while. Blue could relate."Yeah, hey...nice that I caught you here. Gotta...er.. talk to you in private""I see"She was led to a lodging room (hotel, Steven had explained to her once), the girl seemed very vary for some reason. Blue kept her senses up, what if she was being followed? Or under threat?"Yeah, so... Just gonna say this might be a shock to you. I don't know how your species works" The girl said, hands wringing before reaching for a wriggly bundle from a basket. Blue had seen those in Earth movies, but it made no sense.She was given a warm bundle that made noises and stared up at her with electric blue eyes, with diamond pupils. Blue froze, staring into the eyes of a human child. No, not a human child, a hybrid. -Her- hybrid."Hey, Blue? You okay?" the girl asked, making the diamond try and move herself a bit."I... I sired this?""Her, and yeah, apparently. Not common in your species?""Unheard of, almost completely. We do not... I made her"There was a twinge of joy in Blue's voice, she didn't know why. She had sired a hybrid between a human and a diamond. She was sure White would make her sit in the dark tower for centuries for this. But she had made something positive, a flesh and blood creature of her own."Look...I can't keep her. Was tough enough to hide the pregnancy for the school year and from my girlfriend. Plus, I figure she needs to be with her own kind" the girl said, Blue gave a half-hearted nod."It is all right, I can keep her. I know gems who can help me raise her" Blue said, still beaming with joy.Despite her words, it was clearly hard for the girl to give up the child. Blue did start to feel a twinge of guilt, she was taking a child from her mother forever. Part of her wanted to suggest visits. But another part told her to respect the girl's privacy."Before I go.. what are you called? In case the fledgeling wants to know?" Blue asked the girl chuckled sadly."Sheena"
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Of course, explaining this all to Yellow was a rather different matter. Blue was aware that having a child with another person than your partner was cheating. But Yellow wasn't -that- into human culture, she hoped.No, the main problem would be the hybrid herself. It was one thing to indulge yourself with alien organics, it was another to literally -breed- with them. Pink might have created Steven, but Steven had a gem and that gem was him. He was, under the draconian laws of Homeworld, a true gem.Blue's little thing wasn't, she had looked over her from head to toe and saw no gem. Yet, little thing had tiny claws poking from her fingers and her eyes were unfocused and barely open. With, naturally, diamond shaped pupils. She was a true hybrid of human and diamond. Unable to fit in with either of her species.How would Yellow react to her, would she want to be part of little thing's life?There was only one, rather painful, way to find out."Yellow" Blue called out into the communicator window with as much cheer as she could muster. Her partner turned to look at her from her stacks of books. Ah, research hour was it?"Blue, I see the trip to Pink's grave went well," Yellow said, smiling wryly. Happy Yellow used to be a rare thing, content Yellow even rarer. Now, it was a common sight. After all, Yellow had no White strangling her slowly with the noose of approval anymore. Pity Blue had to give Yellow another noose."It did, but... I have someone you should meet" Blue said, showing Yellow the child. Little thing clung to her sire, clearly uncomfortable being lifted up. Yellow stared, dropping her book and Blue could see her hackles rising."Blue. What.IS.that" Yellow hissed, teeth bared."This, Yellow, is Little Thing. My daughter"Yellow kept staring, her hackles still fluffed up."But... Blue, I would have noticed if you were carrying a-" she began, hair joining her hackles."No, I am not her carrier. I am her sire. Which means we can breed with humans without losing ourselves" Blue interjected, trying to sweeten the deal."Does she have a gem?"Blue, despite herself, felt her own hackles lift. Damn it, she had hoped Yellow to be less direct for once. Blue bit her lip, trying to find ways to make her little thing worth it."No, she doesn't. But she is-" she began, only to be silenced by a wave of Yellow's hand."If she lacks a gem, she is not worth it, Blue. We need a reliable way to produce -gems-, not hybrids"Little thing cried out as Blue held her too tightly. The tiny claws of the hybrid dug into her sire's skin and Blue yelped. Holding onto the fussy baby more gently now, Blue sighed deep."It doesn't change my opinion, she is -my- daughter and I am going to raise her" she rumbled at Yellow. Her partner eyed at her and her now bleeding hand."Alone?" she asked, putting a bit of sarcasm into her voice."If you don't want to help me. But no, I will ask Steven's Court for help"It would have been easy to close the communicator then and let Yellow stew on her words. But Blue didn't want to slam the imaginary door at Yellow's face just yet. Instead, she went to a darker corner of her ship, trying to lull little thing to sleep. It wasn't working, the hybrid kept clawing at her hand."She needs food, Blue" Yellow noted, if a bit awkwardly. Blue looked up at the general, quirking a brow."How do you know that," she asked, trying to hide a grin."I have done my research on human anatomy. It will be of use now, it seems"Sometimes, Blue hated playing Yellow like that, relying on her empathetic nature. But right now, she needed all the help she could get.
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Yellow Diamond, despite many of her faults and issues, was a gem of simple truths. It had served her well in her millennia of trying to please White. It would serve her well now when she held the little thing Blue had created. This thing would be hers to raise now.It wasn't as uncomfortable of reality as Yellow had feared it would be. Pink had been all but a child for them, in Earth terms. This little thing couldn't be more demanding than Pink. Especially in its current state, clawing at the bottle it was feeding on. That wasn't a human thing to do, so it must have been the result of the hybridization."Do we have the requisite gifts for Steven? We are going to live in his colony for a while, after all," Yellow asked Blue, wincing as the sharp claws of little thing dug into her hand."I don't think he would value a custom gem-type or an army, Yellow. I think little thing is enough" Blue replied from her recently constructed resting spot. Their ships were vast when they were in human size, perfect for living in for now. Yellow sighed, cradling little thing in her arms gently."I hope so" she muttered.--------------The welcome committee was, as expected, fairly cold. Only Steven and Connie took their arrival in good spirits. Mostly spurned on by the fledgeling."She is so small, I didn't know gems could do that," he said, not noticing as Blue nudged Yellow to stay quiet. The general sighed deeply, she was far from her element in here. It was good that Steven's own sire was around. She would have to ask him on the mechanics of raising little thing."We don't, little thing here is a unique case. A hybrid like you" Yellow tried a smile, but it came out far too strained to fool anyone."Not like him, she has no gem" the fu-Garnet stated icily, glaring down at little thing. Yellow could feel Blue lean on the couch strong enough for her claws to extend."Maybe not, but she is still not fully human" she stated firmly. As if being strict with the rebels had ever been the solution, Yellow thought. Peridot was, luckily, more receptive."This might be a clue to a better way to produce gems, maybe even faster than our current pace" the technician mused, Yellow rolled her eyes."First we would need to make carrying and birthing not a death sentence to the gem. Second, even if we were to rely purely on siring, the lack of gem makes the effort null. Third, two hybrids of a different kind are hardly a good data-spread" she noted.Their conversation on the benefits of gem creation was stopped by the only true human piping up."Have you taken her to a check-up yet?" Connie asked, making the room quiet down instantly. Better that way, as Blue and Garnet had started yet another glare war."No? Should we?" Blue asked, glancing quickly at Yellow, who shrugged her shoulders."She is part human, right? She might catch diseases easier than Steven did"------------------------Priyanka had seen a lot since Connie had begun to hang around Steven. Alien weddings, an invasion and her only daughter leaving for a trip to an alien planet.Seeing the two monarchs of that planet come in with what they claimed was a hybrid, however, took the cake and stole the bakery.The child was underweight, a bit jaundiced but her temperature was fine and she seemed active enough. It was the child's tiny claws and a bit of hair (fur?) on her shoulders that made Priyanka pause. She knew the child was part alien, but seeing such traits outside sci-fi was still shocking.Worse, she couldn't do anything with this data. Priyanka bid farewell to her imaginary research grants money.Teaching two ancient aliens about childcare was work enough, anyway. They were receptive at least, but entirely clueless otherwise."What is her name?" Priyanka asked the blue one who was currently fussing over the child."Little thing, until she grows up. Isn't that how human names work?" the alien explained, causing the doctor to curse inwardly."No, unfortunately, children gain their true names from their parents. I need to write something on this so further visits will go smoother"The monarchs looked at one another, maybe communicating telepathically for all she knew. Finally, the blue one looked back at her and spoke."A-Zzu-Rre" she rasped like something that barely had vocal cords, let alone spoke English. What caused such a change in her voice? Especially after speaking in perfect English so far.Oh well, Priyanka would learn the truth over the visits anyway."Azure, I assume last name Diamond?" she asked, ignoring the blue one hacking up air. The yellow one nodded."Yes, child of Blue and Yellow Diamond" she stated curtly.----------------------By the time they exited the medical house, Blue and Yellow were carrying a stack of data papers about childcare, dates for further visits and a whimpering hybrid who had gotten injected with a frightening amount of vaccines. The medic had explained that even if Azure was immune to infection, she could still carry the bacteria.Azure, a name that forced Blue's mind to not think about it. She understood it was just another word for her colour, but her programming forced her to translate it regardless. But it was a good name for the hybrid. It would force gems around her to call her by her own sounds, not by any colour or gem-type."You look rather proud of yourself," Yellow said, trying to comfort the hybrid clinging to her."I am, I managed to speak human and Azzurree is safer" Blue beamed. It was a small victory, but right now, it was a welcome one as well.
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Diamonds didn't need to sleep. Diamonds, as the rulers and the truest progeny of the Grand Diamond, did -not- need to sleep.Yellow kept repeating that mantra in her head, as Azure whimpered in her arms. It was still the night cycle, but if the little black hole wanted to eat, then by all the stars of the universe it would. The medic had been clear, Azure needed to eat nearly her body weight daily to grow. It didn't make getting up from next to Blue to feed her any less frustrating.Yellow was thankful that the hybrid would be in this stage of development only for a short while. The general put Azure back in her box, making sure she couldn't accidentally strangle herself on anything. She then traipsed back to Blue, almost flopping on the other diamond."You are getting better" Blue mumbled from her position, nudging herself closer to Yellow. Yellow rumbled an annoyed tone."I once wondered why humans couldn't produce litters. I guess this is why" she muttered, burying her face in Blue's hair.Silence reigned in the hand ship, up until Blue whimpered a little."Do you hate me, Yellow. For what I did?" she asked, trying to erase the space between the two of them even further. Yellow sighed deep."No? You didn't know and frankly, I am glad you found some joy out of life" she stated, nuzzling into Blue's hair more."It is still cheating, mating with another creature than your partner""We aren't humans, Blue. I know you enjoy organic mating rituals so why should I be offended?"Blue hissed an annoyed sound, rolling to her back. Exposing her belly, though not even truly containing anything of note, still felt vulnerable."I just fear you might not like that she is not yours" she admitted, trying to not to sink her claws into Yellow as the other diamond burst into laughter."B-Blue, Pink wasn't mine nor yours, White is technically the mother for all of us. If we start thinking about ourselves in human terms, it'll be an incestuous mess" Yellow said as she began to pet Blue's hair."I'm glad that she is truly yours, Blue. Something of -our- own"--------------------------------Beach City wasn't anything like the capital of Homeworld, but for once Blue found that a good thing. No one stared at her, no one stopped her or made comments on her looks. She was free to do as she wished.Which meant having a relaxing walk away from Azure's efforts to destroy her gem's audio receiver. The hybrid had, apparently, no sound sensitivity at all. Blue hoped one day Azure could sing just like true gems and to hear music like them.If nothing else, maybe she would stop all the yowling then.Easy steps took Blue from the town's centre to the boardwalks. The sounds of the sea and the sun were recharging her energy levels more than rest had. "Oh, shit! Hi Blue!" someone familiar sounding called out, causing Blue to whirl in her place. It was Sheena, her arm around the rebel Pearl. A black hole swallow her now, please."Sheena! It is nice to meet you" Blue said, her poker face as good as it ever was. Thank the stars. She nodded at the Pearl, it was the safest method to showcase her acknowledgement without being run through with a spear."Pearl, this is Blue. I met her in Korea" Sheena said, either ignoring or being entirely oblivious to the shattering glare Pearl was giving Blue."Yes, we have met" Pearl stated plainly. "Oh, good. Makes this easier then. You remember when I left there a few weeks back? Yeah, I actually was pregnant and-" Sheena began, looking as rundown as Blue remembered her being the last they saw each other."Oh yes, I know. I have -met- this child" Pearl interrupted and for a moment, Blue was back in the palace, caught stealing documents.Sheena looked between the two gems, before sighing."Let me guess, you guys are the rebels and she is part of the Empire?" she asked, receiving nods from both gems."You guys don't like each other?" nods continued. The human groaned and rolled her eyes."Well, just my fucking luck. Can you not try to kill each other right now?"The awkward moment stretched on and on before the pearl decided to break the silence."Sheena, this isn't about you or anything you did. You couldn't have known about the war or our alliances. The child is safe, regardless. They don't hurt one of their own" she stated, Blue bit her lip at the 'they.' Like the rebels were somehow different from the rest, bah."Yes, Azure is with my partner currently" Blue added, emphasising her child's name. Sheena chuckled at that."Oh, you call her Azure, that is so cute"Blue turned to leave, deciding to leave the conflict for a future occasion. The pearl was Sheena's partner, she deserved to have her human. Blue had been a fling, just a dalliance that ended badly. "For what it is worth, thank you for caring for her," the pearl said, suddenly next to her. Blue's hackles lifted dramatically. Shaking them back down, the diamond rumbled annoyedly."I don't like needless bloodshed, no matter what my court says" she hissed in reply."Why do you remain here, then? Wouldn't your court be a better place for you and Yellow?"Blue sighed deep, wetting her lips for a painful answer. No matter how long it had been, that pearl had once served White. It had once been the gatekeeper between her and her fun."Homeworld is no place for a child, especially a hybrid. I want Azure to grow as safe as Steven did. Like Pink didn't" she admitted, her shoulders slumping a little. "Where is your pearl? I thought you would have her help you" the pearl continued prodding her."Pearl is at home, in human stories only the bad people let their servants raise their children. Steven and the rest of you need to see that I am respecting your ways"They walked in silence then, back to the temple. The pearl looking proud as ever, unafraid of the diamond next to her. It made Blue feel small again, thousands of years and still the urge to trick and escape from this pearl was there."I wish you luck then, Blue," the pearl said as she left, leaving Blue standing on the very edge of the beach. ----------------------------In the arm ship, Yellow was once more feeding Azure. Blue couldn't help her smile as she sneaked in, not wanting to disturb either of them. The general looked peaceful, cradling the whimpering child in her arms. Azure made an indignant noise and tried to swat Yellow with her claws."Ha! You think you can take on me, do you?" she said, letting Azure grab onto her hand. The little thing tried her best to get through the heavy cloth with her claws and teeth, hissing angrily."You'll be a fine fighter one day, mop" Yellow concluded."Mop?" Yellow spun around to face Blue, trying to not look guilty."She is growing hair fast and long. She is starting to look like the human invention" she defended herself, letting Azure still dangle from her hand. Blue chuckled and rolled her eyes."You are just hiding that you cannot say her name yet" she teased, kissing Yellow on the cheek. The general blushed, letting Azure try and get her teeth deeper.CHOMPYellow cried out as Azure hit gold, quite literally. Blue watched as her partner tried her best to gently dislodge the feral beast.
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Azure Diamond knew what a gem was, most of her family were gems. She just wasn't one.She also knew what a human was, most of her high school were human and her cousin was a half-human.She just wasn't one, either.Seventeen years on this planet and Azure felt quite ill-fitting no matter how hard her family tried to make her feel included. Well, part of it. The other part barely cared for her, eyeing her with suspicion every time Azure even moved near the temple.Mum said it was just her not being part of Steven's Court. Mother didn't waste her breath in such sweet nothings, the Crystal Gems and Homeworld had fought a war for 6000 years and those scars wouldn't leave anytime soon. To mother, Azure had to earn the respect of the Crystal Gems on her own, no matter how hard it seemed.But just like the many more fortunate members of her class, the CGs only cared for looks and lineage. Being born into money and a good family made you respected at school, so being born as a rebel and on Earth mattered to the CGs. Azure only had a good family and Earth in her favour, even her family was looked down upon by her classmates. They were aliens, they were dumb, they had no political power to wield.If mere humans saw her as nothing more than a parasite and a pest, what hope did Azure have among the immortal gems?The hybrid kicked up some sand, it wasn't her fault. None of this was, she was just a freak born in a hick town to a bunch of inbred old money hicks.She rolled up a joint, lighting it as she looked up. Stars were supposed to be the gods of her species, but they had little to give to Azure. Why should they? She wasn't a gem, she hadn't been born on Homeworld. Let the human 'god' sort her out, they must have thought.She lay down, trying to ignore the gigantic pair of pink legs near the temple. Why did her family have to have such stupid spaceships? Closing her eyes, Azure breathed out some smoke, at least the dope helped her to relax.She didn't know how much time had passed as she saw something bright fill her vision. The hybrid cracked open an eye, seeing a giant head staring down at her. Azure felt her hackles rise and her claws come out. This had to be just a bad trip.A grey bubble formed around her out of the blue and the clawing and the shrieking hybrid was dragged into the Godhead."There you are, Little Thing" a sickeningly sweet voice spoke to her. Azure screwed her eyes closed, pained by the light."Open your eyes, dear, it is rude to close them" the voice continued, tone not changing a bit but Azure could feel the intent change all right.She opened her eyes, blinking as a gigantic figure of a woman stood before her, arms outstretched. Oh fuck.God Herself had descended from Heaven to punish her."I...I...I...Oh Lord... err...Lady! It was just a bit of fun, I don't even use much!" Azure said, crossing her hands in a way that she had seen her classmates do."Please don't smite me!"God didn't move, she didn't speak. Was she going to throw lightning on her? Like mother sometimes did? Oh Stars, mother would -murder- her for this."I...am unclear what you are saying, Little Thing. What are you referring to?" God asked. Azure didn't know any answers. She never went to church, how was she supposed to?"Hey, White!" Steven's voice called out from up high. Azure looked up and saw two holes. Instinct took over and the hybrid lunged up high and climbed the rest of the way up the wall. She didn't even say high to her cousin as she all but surged through the hole outside.Azure didn't know how long she ran, just that she had to get home. Just that she had failed as a diamond, becoming a simpering thing before a deity. She was supposed to be better than THAT!Reaching the house, she fiddled with the lock far too long before getting inside."-And I'm worried that she might be coming-" Mother's voice trailed from the communicator.Azure ran to her bedroom, slamming the door closed and hiding under her bed. "Azzy, are you all right?" mum asked, peeking inside the room. Azure tried not to flinch at the glowing blue eyes. Which was dumb, hers were similar."I..uh... saw God" she explained sheepishly."God? Come on, Azure, that human thing isn't real" "B-but I saw it, bright an' everythin'!"The doorbell rang, stilling the room into an uncomfortable silence."Azure, get the door. Hiding won't do you any good" mum noted, claws outstretched to drag Azure out if she didn't comply. Azure dragged herself out, dusting herself.She was still supposed to be a diamond. She was supposed to be an -example- of the Blue Court. Azure walked to the front door with the stilted way her training in courtly manners had taught her.Opening the door, Azure was about to ask who it was. But it was useless, God stood there. Smaller now, but still bigger than Azure."Ah, Little Thing, you ran off. I got worried about you" God said, Azure swallowed hard, turning her head to look inside."Muuum, God wants to talk to you!"Mum did come to the door, but not before her hackles lifted and fell. Oh, fuck, God better not hurt mum while mother was away. Azure took a deep breath."White, I wasn't expecting you," mum said, smiling awkwardly at God. "I know Blue, I wanted to surprise you and meet my granddaughter" God replied, smiling at Azure.Azure bristled visibly, shaking her head."Uhhh, I...um... Hi, God. I'm pretty sure I am not related to you" she got out. Mum stared at her, then at God. She laughed."Azzy dear, that is White Diamond. The creator of gemkind. Not some human god""Ain't she a god for us then?"They invited G- White Diamond inside, the pale gem walking in like a runaway model. It made sense, she WAS the top dog in the gem game. Better than mum and mother, at least. Steven seemed to be close to White's rank by the way Azure's parents spoke of him. "Steven told me where you had set up your camp. It is quite quaint, Blue. You know you could have just taken Little Thing to Homeworld" White spoke as she sat down on the living room sofa, smile still on her lips. Azure kept close to a wall, trying to ignore all the baby pictures of her hanging on it."It was better to raise her here, where she could have more friends like her. That was the problem with Pink" mum said, as casual as ever. Azure winced at the mention of her long-dead aunt. Pink the Perfect, Pink the Great Rebel, Pink the Great Healer. Pink Pink Pink. Ugh."She is also called Azure, not Little Thing" Mum added, looking at Azure. The hybrid bristled just a bit, trying to correct her posture."Yes, ma'am, I am known as Azure Diamond, member of House Blue of the Diamond Authority," Azure said, speaking rote her full title. She did not let her body shake, she was a diamond. Diamonds were not weak. "Well aren't you the definition of dignity now, Azure. I suppose I might have scared you at the beach" White noted, Azure resisted the urge to bare her teeth at her. No shit, you lamp."It is fine, ma'am, I was just... relaxing," she said lamely."With your drugs? I see the apple has not fallen far from the tree"Azure didn't look at mum, she just nodded and hoped she wouldn't tell on her to mother."I do find it curious that you were alone, shouldn't you be with your friends?" White continued interrogating her."They go to a different school" Azure admitted, looking at mum for support. The older diamond offered her a smile."Azure is currently going to a private school, we hope she could gain some needed insight there to be a better leader" Azure tried her best not make a face, neither mum nor mother knew what was said about them. Or her. A diamond had to be strong, even in the face of opposition and ridicule."School? Stars, Blue, what could she learn from a -human- school that a -diamond- needs?" "History, politics, things outside the scope of Homeworld's society. So much of our history is just stasis" Azure retorted, going to the kitchen.Letting White and mum talk in peace was better for all, mum was the head noble and White the grand leader. Azure was just a bastard with no gem.She startled when the door slammed shut, mother rushing in."Mop, is White here?" she asked, trying to hide her panting. When did mother shapeshift lungs for herself? Azure nodded stiffly, pointing towards the living room."Thank you" was her only reward as mother did another lunge, the smell of sweat and blood wafting behind her."White, please, don't hurt the hybrid!""Oh sunray, I wasn't going to. There was no need to rush from your colony here""Excuse me if I do not trust you too much currently"Azure eavesdropped the conversation for a bit, before heading back to her room. School work was waiting and the adults didn't need her there.She just needed to get through high school, then she'd be accepted as a full diamond. Maybe she could even visit Homeworld then.
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Yellow Diamond, if asked, would often state that the modern gem society was still a massive work in progress. It was to be expected, though. After all, it had only been 18 years since the very nature of Homeworld was shaken to its core. It was nothing in the eyes of the eternal diamonds, but Steven's human mind made them hurry up things.It was for the best, as the formerly corrupted gems did what most rebels post-rebellion did. They turned on each other.Steven and Yellow had poured far too much time and effort on trying to settle peace between the former loyalists of Homeworld and the rebels who had expected to rule humanity as gods. In the end, the best they could do was to give them the Kindergartens and try to avoid another civil war.Such was the life of a diamond, even with the new free-time they had established.Azure, however, was showing signs of a familiar numbness despite having no role in running the empire. This was not acceptable.Yellow found her daughter sitting on the roof of the house, smoking that plant once more."Mop? Are you all right?" Yellow asked lamely, trying to sound more confident than she was. Azure bristled, staring at Yellow with wide eyes."S-shit, sorry mother" the hybrid mumbled, trying to get up. Yellow pushed her back down."I'm not angry at you if you think I am," she said, trying for a smile. Azure stared at her with wide eyes still, so effort wasted."It isn't that, it isn't you or mum or grandma. Not even the CGs. Just shite at school" she said, baring her teeth a bit.Ah, school. The most wasteful human thing Yellow had ever seen. She had never been much of a fan of the nobility culture but Azure's school was something else. Only the rich and powerful could get in and Yellow was certain the staff was licking the shoes of the parents. Azure only got in thanks to Blue being a diplomat on Earth, thus fitting in the 'powerful' caste.But for how long would her daughter last in such a poisonous void? Yellow hoped not very long."Has something come up there?" Yellow asked, once more trying to sound like a concerned parent. Azure shook her head."Nothin' new, just the same old shit about rank" she grumbled, turning to look at Yellow then."Mother, if I finish High School, can I go to Homeworld?" she asked.Yellow swallowed, frankly she had wanted Azure there already. But Blue insisted on schooling."Of course. I am sure you have learned enough by then" she answered lamely. Azure lunged at her, hugging her awkwardly."Thank you!""Azure? If something does come up, you know you can tell me, right?""uhh... Sure?"--------------------------------------Just like every damn day, school just wasn't working out for Azure. It wasn't the teachers, though she knew they were powerless. Her fellow students had long since made it clear to her where she stood in the social hierarchy.Outside.Azure kept to the sidelines, avoiding the sons and daughters of senators and other Earth Nobility. Still, they eyed her. Waiting for a moment to strike."So, Diamond. I and a couple of pals were thinking of visiting your people's Temple. Might you be interested in being our guide?" Jarvis the senator asked, grinning at Azure."Why?" Azure asked, trying her best not to get put between a wall and the bully. "Just to remind you guys who rule this planet. It has been far too long"Azure scoffed, pushing herself to her full height."Are you really being that open about it? You know I could call the police and-" she hissed, keeping Jarvis' gaze without much trouble."And what? You guys don't have any rights, remember? You just live here without doing anything like the parasites you are. Even if you did go to the police, who would they believe? A gem or the son of a respected senator?" he countered, laughing."You publicly confessed to this, Jarvis""You know who the teachers listen to, Diamond"Azure bristled, watching as Jarvis left her. Would he actually attack the temple? Was he just messing with her?Regardless, she had to warn the Crystal Gems. ---------------------------"So, Azure, you are saying that a group of students from your school is coming to cause trouble?" Pearl the rebel asked, standing dominant over the slouched diamond."Yeah, I know these guys, so-""And why should we be worried? Even if they are nobility, we are much stronger than them"Azure rubbed her hair, fingers worrying over the frayed ends. "Look, I know you guys can handle yourselves. But these guys have political power, if you harm them they'll get their parents to bulldoze the temple down. At best" she explained, Rebel Pearl still not looking convinced."So should we just give up? Is that what you want?" Garnet asked, her expression stoic as usual."No, I mean, be careful, okay?"At least most of the rebels had gathered around her, so they'd know to watch out."Well, I'm eager to smash some upper crusts, bulldozers or not" Bismuth declared, Peridot and Lapis joining her bravado. "Guys, really, this is not a joke-" Azure began, her words fading off as she heard cars pull up to the temple. Cars, plural.The gems stared as a sizable group of humans armed with melee weapons exited the vehicles. Most were wearing masks like it was Purge night or something. Azure swallowed hard, stilling herself as she watched them. She heard Steven sigh."Come on, let's try to talk this out," he said, leading his group to face the humans."We do not want to fight" Steven spoke calmly at the bullies, as Azure took stock on them. It wasn't just students that Jarvis had brought with him, she could see some adults among the crowd."Then fuck off from this planet, this is OURS" someone yelled from the human group. Jarvis waved his hand to quiet them down."Too late for that, Universe. My parents have watched you fuckers ruin things for a while. You know, the -multiple- invasions? How often this hick town has been destroyed? Yeah, fuck that. We are going to end it here" he spoke, waving his machete in the air. "Jarvis, are you insane!? You're just causing more harm!" Azure piped up, pushing her way to the front."Oh, look, the bastard child actually had some backbone. Good for you"Azure could feel the gems around her tense, they had to stop this before it came to blows. "Jarvis, we are not your enemy. The gems have been here si-"Steven began to speak, but his words slurred as one of the thugs hit his face with a baseball bat. Azure stared as her cousin leaned back, groaning. It was all over, the gems on Earth were all dead.It was on then. The humans surged forward, trying to attack the gems. The gems were less than impressed, countering the humans with little effort. Steven's shield protected those the thugs had managed to trip off their feet. It wasn't quite a chaos, even as the humans frenziedly hit and slashed at the gems. Pearl easily dodged the blows, tripping up her attackers with equal ease. Bismuth and Garnet took on the adults, barely caring for their bats and blades. A group chased by Lapis and Peridot ran past Azure, their weapons stolen by the green gem. Steven popped up through the melee once or twice, stopping a gem from hurting a human too badly. Azure kicked a couple of thugs off her easily, trying to keep her eyes on Steven and any of the more gung-ho rebels. Her instincts told her to keep her guard up, but she couldn't. They were going to be exiled from Earth now, she was sure of it.A hot pain took her out of her panic attack, something had struck her in the shoulder."Ha! Got you, Diamond!" she could hear Jarvis' voice, as the pain increased. She saw blue droplets falling from a blade.She was bleeding. The fucker had cleaved her shoulder."Shit! It bleeds blue!""I knew it was not human!"Azure's mind went to the seemingly endless lessons mother had taught her. Don't hesitate in a fight, never let pain still you. Keep fighting until you are left victorious. Maybe Jarvis had expected her to die, maybe he had assumed she was down for the count. It didn't matter as Azure lunged at him and grabbed his knife arm. Pulling it down harshly, she could hear his shoulder joint give. Azure pushed Jarvis down, pinning him on the sand. Her teeth were exposed wide, ready to bite.Something cold was pressed on the side of her head."You harm a hair more of him and you are dead," someone said. Jarvis' bodyguard? Did he have one? Azure didn't know, panting as her shoulder ached."You hear me, freak? Let him go, now!"Azure felt frozen in place, unable to let go."THAT IS ENOUGH YOU MISERABLE CREATURES!" A bright light flooded the beach, bright enough to hurt. Azure didn't think, this was an opening. She kicked off the gun and jumped off Jarvis, growling.White was here, arms outstretched wide in her full height. The gigantic woman leaned over the battlefield, drowning everyone in her light."YOU HAVE MADE A GRAVE MISTAKE, HUMANS. GET OFF THIS BEACH OR I WILL MAKE YOU!"It was hard for Azure not to laugh at the humans as they screamed and ran, bumping into one another. Even Jarvis was limping away, with his bodyguard as support.Actually, Azure was feeling very light headed all of a sudden. She took a few steps forward before her face hit the sand. Ow.She could hear someone approaching, licking their hand an pressing it to her shoulder. Azure whimpered a bit, her wound closing."Are you okay? That was a nasty cut" Steven asked her, offering his hand for her. Azure took it sighing deep."You got hit in the face, doesn't it hurt?" she asked in turn."Nah, I've been hit with worse" The gems were celebrating, ignorant of just what had happened. Jasper was bragging to Amethyst, Bismuth and Pearl were laughing over something. Azure felt the ice in her stomach grow."We are dead, we are so dead" she whimpered, not noticing someone approaching her."Hardly, starshine, there are few who dare to face me" White announced, patting Azure on the shoulder."...is not you who pays fer it. It's us"--------------------------------White took her home, helping her walk onward despite the mess her shoulder was in. Steven healed the worst of it, but Azure knew from experience it would take some time for her body to accept the healing.Azure opened the door, almost falling inside as she saw her parents waiting for her. With the pearls.Shit."M-mum, H-hey. S-sorry I-" Azure began before mum grabbed her into a tight hug."Azzy, oh stars I was so worried about you" she cried, quite literally. Azure hung limply from the stronger diamond's grasp, confused.Mother got up and marched to greet her and White."Steven informed us what happened. Thank you for saving her, White" she said, sighing deeply then as she buried her fingers in Azure's hair."Mop, didn't I ask you to tell me if something came up?" mother asked, her voice barely holding up her stoic facade."It would have been a worse fight then. We are so gonna be exiled now!" Azure retorted, her hackles lifted."Exiled? Azure, what are you talking about?" mum asked, not letting go of Azure. The hybrid grumbled, starting to sniffle."I hurt Jarvis, he's gonna call his dad and mom and they'll bulldoze the temple and throw us off Earth," she said, trying very hard not to cry. It was mum's power, it had to be. Azure was not weak.Her parents looked at one another, then at White who just shrugged."Is that what this was about? Some bully trying to scare you?" mother asked, tensing her fingers."Well, that 'bully' did try to kill her and brought a small army with him. Azure's fears weren't that unfounded" White interjected, grimacing."Get her out of there, I'd say. I know organics and the ones doing that are not worth it"
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
White had seen a lot in her long existence. She had seen civilizations rise and fall like the sun, she had been created and she created others in turn.
Sometimes that vast knowledge was painful, like now. It was one thing to watch afar as organics fought for their children, it was much harder to see her own kin act the same. About an attempted murder.
She was glad, of course, that Yellow and Blue had trusted her to care for Azure. After the centuries of abuse, she had not expected them to trust her that quickly. Then again, no matter how long they had lived here, White knew organics better.
"I should have been better" Azure grumbled from the sofa, her arm in a sling.
"You are barely two decades old, starshine. Stop beating yourself over it" White retorted. If it had been Yellow and Blue, they possibly would have mentally added 'I do it for you.'
"Yeah, but, I got hurt. By a human, then another almost shot my brains out. An' now mum and mother are gonna deal with Jarvis' lickarses" the hybrid continued her whimpers. Clearly Blue's child, this one.
"Which they should have done long before this. That school was no good for you, starshine"
-----------------------------------------
It was quite a sight, to be sitting at the principal's office with her partner like on trial. With only the lawyer of the organic scum that had cut her daughter representing it. Blue had known many worse situations. But this was just pathetic all around.
"As you can see, missus Diamond, Azure caused Mr Lockwood significant harm" the organic prattled on. Blue glanced at Yellow, who no doubt was planning a murder by now.
"How does my daughter defending herself from a knife-wielding maniac count as doing harm?" Yellow asked, leaning on her hand. Not the most dignified show, but that was just how Yellow rolled.
"Well you see, your daughter did not contact the authorities when she had the chance, instead she resorted to violence towards Mr.Lockwood" the lawyer piped up, as expected.
"Actually, according to the Agreement of Delmarva, the Crystal Gems are seen as the proper authorities regarding human-gem interactions. Moreover, we have witnesses stating Mr.Lockwood's group refused to step down after numerous requests from a Diamond. Followed by a violent act towards that Diamond in question" Blue Zircon retorted.
It was rather underhanded to call upon her own lawyer, but it made Blue's position much more secure. Besides, -she- was here to stand up for her daughter. Where was Jarvis' family?
"Witnesses that are gems, therefore unreliable"
"I see no proof of this in recent court records, care to enlighten me?"
The principal watched the lawyers argue, before sighing deeply.
"Look, the Lockwoods have financed this school for generations. Whether or not their son is at fault, our hands are tied" they explained.
"So you will let him get away with this? While our daughter is punished?" Yellow asked, tensing up.
"Frankly, missus Diamond, we can lose Azure. You and your people bring nothing to the table for us. No donations, no privilege, nothing but a vague tie to a planet somewhere. The Lockwoods bring political power, money and have supported our school well"
"In turn, you turn a blind eye to what they do? Isn't this school supposed to train leaders and not cowards who cannot fight their own battles?"
Blue listened to the two arguments, letting Yellow and Blue Zircon handle digging up the needed information while she plotted. Underhanded as it was, Yellow had never voiced disapproval for being the attack dog in arguments.
"You do realise, Principal Edgewood, that suspending Azure while Lockwood goes free, is stating your school wants no part in diplomatic ties to Homeworld? You do realise this will be the case long after you have stepped down from your position?" Blue finally asked, eyeing the Principal icily.
"I find that a loss we can take"
-------------------------
Being the bigger gem had never been easy for Blue. She was petty, she was opinionated and her anger ran deep. These humans had more than angered her, they had dared to see her child as an acceptable loss.
"Well, now that this school thing was an utter failure, I guess we should take Azure to Homeworld" Yellow mused as they walked home. Blue gave an approving nod to Blue Zircon, before turning to look at Yellow.
"Not yet, I need to speak with her about it. She thought we could be exiled from Earth by one noble family. I think she needs to unlearn some lessons first" she admitted, baring her fangs.
Entering the house, Blue expected to hear the static of White's presence or some of Azure's music. Instead, there was cheering. She carefully sneaked into the living room, not noticing White who was watching from the kitchen.
There they were, the rebel Amethyst and W-Pink Pearl, cheering at Azure and patting her on the back. Blue squinted her eyes, trying to reach through her mind to see if this was an illusion.
It wasn't.
"Then you just kicked that bastard in the face like it was nothing! Where'd you learn that?" the Amethyst asked, patting Azure on the back enough that hybrid shook a bit.
"Mother taught me, seriously, it wasn't -that- impressive" Azure tried to explain, but neither rebel cared.
Azure had actually made it, she had impressed the Crystal Gems. Blue backtracked into the hallway, a thought forming in her mind.
It wasn't proper, it wasn't mature. But right now, Blue felt like being neither of those things.
------------------------
"Azure, get up" Mum's voice cut through the haze of sleep. Azure lurched forward and almost fell off the bed.
Damn this wound.
"Whuhh, wut mum?" she asked, getting up and looking around. It was still night, the world shades of grey and black in her eyes.
"Get your spray paints and some cardboard, we are going on a trip"
-------
The school grounds were dark, though Azure could see some cameras and guards patrolling. She didn't like this one bit.
Mum crouched next to her, her clothing in the darkest shades of her colour and her hair hidden somewhere. She blended into the darkness frighteningly well.
"We wait until the guards have completed their rotation and then move, got it?" mum asked, a glee in her voice that Azure didn't care for.
"What about the cameras?" she asked, trying to think of a method to avoid them. No cardboard boxes in sight anywhere.
"Don't worry, I have them covered"
As soon as they rushed from their hiding spot into the open, mum all but jumped under one camera. Taking out a destabilizer from stars knows where she shocked the camera. Azure had to pause at that, how did mum know it would work.
"Go" mum hissed and Azure was over the fence in record time.
It wasn't hard to find a pristine wall to paint, the school was like grandma's ship. Mum was quick to grab a can and some cardboard, going to work. Azure stared at her, looking at her own can of paint. Did she dare to? This was very illegal.
But mum was here and she seemed intent on this, so the hybrid shrugged mentally and shook her can.
Azure painted a star in yellow, before trying her best to do the authority symbol. Painting a diamond in the dark with light paint was not easy. She spared a glance at mum and stilled.
Unlike Azure's clumsy tries, mum had written a full sentence in gem script and had the authority symbol down to perfection.
'Gems of Earth, this place wants you dead. Stay away if you value your gemstones' the text read clearly. Azure swallowed, trying to write something in the script too. Her hand felt frozen, though and she looked at mum's work once again.
"Where'd you learn that?" she whispered, looking around for the guards.
"What? Tagging? I used to do this a lot when I was younger" mum stated proudly. Azure just stared with her pupils blown wide from the confusion.
Luckily so, as she saw the flashlights of the guards. A quick motion of her hand and she and her mum were out of the school grounds.
---------
Walking home, Blue felt quite a bit better. The school had certainly deserved it and would now be known to most gems as a forbidden place.
"Mum? What was that? Why'd you do that?" Azure asked, taking Blue from her happy thoughts. She looked at her daughter, scared and unsure. Like the girl had never broken a law in her life.
Well, technically she hadn't, but still.
"I needed to make sure the school knew its mistake, and I needed an outlet" Blue admitted honestly with a grin.
"But that's a crime, can't they trace it to us?" Azure whimpered.
"Oh dear, even if they could, what would they do? Try to deport us after they let an assaulter off the hook? I wonder how that information would go with the press"
Azure still stared, quirking a brow up.
"But where'd you learn that? Like, this whole sneaking in thing an' then just tagging the walls as revenge? That's not proper or noble, that's criminal" she said, hackles lifted and fangs exposed.
"From criminals, Azure. I have been dealing with the underworld of Homeworld since I was a child. Just because I don't make it public, doesn't mean your mother has forgotten those skills" Blue stated proudly. And why should she feel guilty over it? It had kept her sane over the centuries under White.
Azure seemed perturbed even as they arrived home, going to her room in stunned silence. Blue sighed, letting her normal form return.
Crawling into the bed next to Yellow, who was actually trying to sleep, Blue sighed.
"Your daughter is one stick in the mud" she muttered as she pressed her head against Yellow's shoulder. The general chuckled into her hand.
"Is that your way of saying 'good job Yellow you didn't fuck up -this- one'?" she asked, laughing through Blue's nip of her neck.
"It is me saying that she certainly is -your- daughter more than mine. She started telling me defacing a building was illegal!"
"Good, that means she has some sense in her"
That started a shoving and tickling war, one which neither escaped unscathed. Especially not with Blue's strong hold over Yellow. When it was over, the two lay there hugging. Feeling good for once in long centuries.
"I'm so happy, Yellow. Even with all this mess, Azure isn't going to run off. She is happy here, with us" Blue stated with a soft murmur in her voice.
"I hope so, she has grounded you here for a while" Yellow stated, making Blue quiet down and think.
"I don't want to go back, Yellow. Homeworld might be a home, but it has none of the things that make Earth so beautiful. Plus, I rather fit into houses than not" she admitted. Yellow embraced her, their gems touching.
"You don't have to go if you don't want to, Blue. I know you are happy here"
"Yellow~"
"CAN YA TWO BE QUIET, TRYING TO SLEEP 'ERE!" Azure's voice put a kibosh to their plans.