Work Text:
MISTAKE
"Blank, do you understand!?'
Connie Celest Diamond Maheswaran, 'Sugar' to her fellow zooman, the child and successor of White Diamond, turned her white eyes upward at the giantess that was Blue Diamond.
"Yes, Blue...I-I can handle it." The twenty-one-year-old reassured, as steadily as she possibly could, in the presence of her fellow diamonds. Their judgemental gaze, sending all sorts of cortisol throughout her mind and adrenaline throughout her body. 'I want to leave!'
"Hmmph, we shall see, Blank." The militant tone of Yellow Diamond challenged. " It would be a nice change of pace if you could not be a blight on us diamonds and live up to your predecessor, Off-White."
" I never asked to be one of you!" Connie thought with her hands behind her back in a fist, a grayish blush across her cheeks as she swallowed her words, fear of what they would do to her or those closest to her...Again. "I'll do my best not to bring the Diamond authority shame." She spoke as evenly as possible.
"Hmm, wouldn't wager a speck of dust on that, Zooman." Yellow sighed dismissively, "but you do deserve another chance." She leaned back into her throne.
"Just remember your role, Connie." Blue regal tone started, "and who's at stake."
Connie gulped, feeling her heart tighten up. ' You...how dare you!…' The hybrid screamed in her mind, her eyes going cold as she tried to calm herself. She just had to get through this, and then Cotton, Nora, and their fellow zooman will remain safe. ' Just gotta be a diamond. One of...them.' she wanted to vomit.
"My radiant and illuminating Diamonds, it an honor to be in your presence-"
"Cut the fanfare, White Zircon. We are all busy." Yellow declared, annoyed. "Just bring in the culprit so we can move on with our lives." Yellow glanced at Connie. "Some of us aren't that long-lived."
Connie's fist tightened, her knuckles white. 'Is this what you meant by showing a united authority, childish clod!" The hybrid roared, feeling the adrenaline in her rise, but overall kept a neutral face. "Please, Zircon."
"Y-yes, my Diamonds." The gem stuttered before bowing her head and summoning a holographic panel. Pressing a button on the far left, Zircon was able to call a bubble beside her. The bubble unfolded, and within stood a gem the new White Diamond never saw before.
It was a jasper gem, though the actual stone on its neck was a bit strange. It was splayed out and resembling a slightly faint star, upon the gems brown and beige throat. She was thinner than your average jasper, her mass matching that of the Zircon presenting them. Her hair was in a dragon-braid and reached the nape; her lips were a big full,l cupid and housed a fang-filled overbite. Her eyes were so unique, slightly slanted and hooded with slit pupils and swirling brown and white irises, and she had three of them. Her hands sported four fingers instead of a full five digits, no middle finger.
"Jasper, what's your designation, and where did you come from?" Connie asked with a face of pure disinterest, involuntarily gripping her chair arms . ' Please let her be one of mines, please let her be one of mines, please let her one of mines.'
"Mookaite Jasper, facet - W38, Cut- 3D5. I come from the sigma kindergarten on alpha-335, My brilliance." Mookaite bowed, staring straight at Connie's eyes.
'Yes! Yes! I can save her!' The hybrid praised, feeling a little relieved. ' and she has such a melodic voice.'
"Well, it seems like she's your mistake, White ."
Connie bit her lip at the threatening tone of Yellow. "M-mistake?"
"Of course, White, " Blue interjected, slyly "Look at her! Thin as pearl, missing fingers, horrid color, cut gem, the offensive mouth, and worst of all, those eyes. Despite the obscene amount, they are the only beautiful thing she has. Shame they are muddled by her 'dirt-colored complexion,'
'REALLY!?' Connie turned fully toward the Diamond, embarrassment, and insult on her face.
"It's not her fault she comes from such a horrendous origin," Yellow added nonchalantly. "Ugly little, Off-Color ."
" ENOUGH !" The hybrid roared, releasing some of her stress, "You two said your piece about my gem …" Connie tone returned to its even state as she interlaced her fingers. "Can we get to her offense, Zircon? Why are we here?"
"Please grant me a moment, my- "
"Please, Zircon!"
The Zircon nodded in fear as she looked at the hybrid's apprehensive eyes before rushing through her files on Mookaite. With nervous eyes, Zircon turned to the three, "There seems to be no...Noticeable offenses, my luminous." Zircon swallowed, looking at the three.
"Then, this...Was a waste of our time." Connie sighed, her eyes half-lidded. "This farce of a trial is over."
"Farce!?" Both her fellow Diamonds exclaimed.
"You have to be joking, White ," Yellow growled, the cracking of electricity resounding in the chamber. "Are you blind to the crime right in front of your eyes?
"And what crime is that?" Connie's voice grew as the blush on her face returned this time full white, "as my Zircon stated this Mookaite, my Mookaite has committed no offense against gem kind."
"Her very presence is the offense!" Blue wailed, "How can you not see her as anything but a Blight on homeworld! She needs to be shattered for even showing herself!"
"That's for me to decide, Blue!" Connie glared, "Stop acting as if you have agency over the fates of MY GEMS !"
"Someone has to be their diamond, organic!"
"My Diamonds, if I may." White Zircon interjected, with a pleading voice.
"Zircon-" Blue coerced
"Please go ahead." Connie interrupted, "The floor is-."
Before Connie could finish her statement, she witnessed yellow spider lines crawl up Zircon form, causing her to shake and scream in pain, calling out to Connie, her diamond, before dissipating, and with her came a lapse in Connie's judgment.
"Why?" She asked in a hollow voice as she turned to Yellow. Her weapon, a bow in her hands. "She didn't do anything, so why did do that, Yellow." She urged as she pulled the translucent string back to her chest, creating what looked like a shooting star ready to be shot directly into Yelllow's Diamond.
Blue gasped as she summoned up her emotional aura, hoping to bring the hybrid to a kneel.
Even as the tears ran, Connie never dropped her weapon or broke her stressed fuel gaze. "Why!?"
"Because you forgot your word and your position, Blank."Yellow retorted, wiping her eyes. " You are a diamond, a symbol of perfection for Homeworld, despite your creation. Furthermore, you are White's legacy." She held her hand towards the crying Mookaite readying a deadly blast. "Do you believe that she would want something like this to besmirch her court!?"
"DO YOU THINK I CARE!? BECAUSE I DON'T!" Connie roared, her skin entirely white, hair standing on end. "I'M NOT HER. AND I'M NOT TRYING TO BE HER! AS FAR AS I'M CONCERNED, HER LEGACY DIED WITH HER! NOW GET YOUR HAND AWAY FROM MY GEM, OR-"
"What? You'll shoot and subject your precious Zoomen to punishment."
Connie's eyes turned to Blue, who was glaring harshly, "You-
"Is this off-color, you just met, worth your fellow humans, your 'father.'" Blue grinned darkly, " Is it worth your beloved twins."
"YOU STAY AWAY FROM STEVEN AND NORA!" Connie warned the 'arrow' growing hotter as were her tears.
"I won't touch them," Blue assured, " but I'm sure Holly Blue would enjoy having them as toys, but none of that has to pass, and all will be forgotten and forgiven, Blank." The blue giant picked up the zircon and handed it to Mookaite, forcing her to hold it up to her gem's height.
"As long as you play the role and honor your station."
Connie looked wide-eyed, and her breath became short and stout; the stress of the situation was too much. Her pupils receded as she fell into a trance.
'No..this is wrong..they're innocent…
But I can not risk those three!
It's not right! Not right at all!
Neither is getting every zooman killed or worse!
All Mookaite did was exist! She never asked for this
Neither do I! I just want to be free to exist!
"My Diamond!"
Connie blinked her teary eyes as she looked at the smiling face of Mookaite, who nodded gently.
"It's an honor that my last sight will be you, my Diamond. I apologize for not being up to par."
Connie shook her head. "You're beautiful, Mookaite It was a gift seeing you, and I'm so sorry."
She pointed at the gem and let it fly.