Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

            White’s hands trembled as she handed the bubble over to Yellow. If gems possessed hearts, hers would be pounding in her chest. Perhaps even loud enough for the others to hear.

            “And you’re sure there’s enough of her left?” she asked, her eyes still glued to the bubbled shards.

            “I’ll be able to stabilize her form either way. As for her consciousness, yes, I believe there’s enough for her mind to be intact.”

            White nodded and took a seat between Gray and Blue. She was so full of anxiety and anticipation that she felt as if she might shatter. Never in her wildest dreams did she think this could ever happen; though, then again, she never thought Gray would come back to her either. After several millennia apart, her family would be near perfectly complete.

            Tapping her fingertips against her thighs, her mind swarmed with thoughts, none of which she could quite keep up with. Looking for any kind of distraction, she turned to her head to face Gray.

            “How are you doing, dear?” she asked, trying to keep her voice as steady as possible.

            “I don’t know how to answer that,” Gray said, speaking through the robotic voice of her communicator necklace, “I should be excited, right? This was my idea.”

            White took her hand in hers and gave it a gentle squeeze. In truth, she herself had thought of this long before Gray brought it up. As soon as Yellow revealed her new powers, all she could think of was the bubbled shards buried deep in the long-forgotten wing of her palace. She’d longed to ask Yellow the question, but seeing as she had just made peace with her and Blue, she held back in fear of sending them straight back to square one. Luckily, Gray had been braver, and when Yellow approached her asking for her blessing to go through with the mute diamond’s request, White was quick to approve.

            “You feel what you feel, Moonrise. This is going to be a big change for all of us.”

            Mere feet away, Yellow sat down at her desk and pulled out her tweezers. Working slowly and carefully, she began to remove the shards from the white-colored bubble. This would be her most ambitious repair yet; she’d never worked on a gem this large or this old before. It was going to take time, patience, and determination, but luckily, she had an abundance of all.

            One by one, hour by hour, Black Diamond’s shards was carefully pieced back together. Finally, with the last shard in place, Yellow stood up from her desk and took a slight step back. The large, still damaged gemstone began to radiate a grease-like sheen, and levitated off the desk. White stood up, staring anxiously as she moved in closer. In an instant, Black Diamond’s form snapped back into existence. However, as was often the case with incomplete gems, it was wrong. Her limbs sprang out like noodles, and her left leg was missing entirely. Startled and unable to stand, she could only let out a hoarse “GAH!” as she began to fall forward. Lucky for her, White was there to catch her.

            “It’s ok, it’s ok,” White assured her, nearly tearing up as she held her lover for the first time in literal eons, “I’ve got you.”

            Black blinked. “White?” she asked, half panicked.

            Rubbing her palms together, Yellow’s powers began to spark around her hands. A single touch on Black’s shoulder, and her form was corrected, the only trace of damage being the missing shards in her gem and a few rips in her dress.

            “What?” was all Black was able to utter as she stood up on her own. Her eyes darted around the room as she grew more in confusion and panic. “W-What happened!? Where am I? W-”

            She looked down at her empty arms, and a whole new kind of panic began to take over. “Where’s-!?”

            Suddenly, her eyes met those of the damaged gem sitting mere feet away. Gray slowly stood up, trying to suppress her shaking hands.

            “… Gray?” Her own hands shaking, she stepped closer to her daughter. She reached out and touched Gray’s cracked cheek, every possible emotion running through her at once.

            “Gray…” she said again, more somberly this time. Her demeanor instantly changing, she snatched her hand away and spun around to face White. “What’s going on!? How long was I out!? Wasn’t I… wasn’t I shattered?”

            “You were,” White confirmed, “I’ve lost track of the millions of years it’s been since we were last together.”

            Blacked blinked in bewilderment. “What… How am I back?”

            Smiling proudly, White gestured for Blue and Yellow to step forward.

            “Black, I’d like you to meet Blue and Yellow Diamond. Yellow is the one who put you back together.”

            Speechless, Black looked the two of them up and down. Though her head was still racing with questions, she nodded approvingly.

            “You’re both gems of the finest cut,” she said, “As for this…” She turned back towards Gray. “What happened to her?! Why is her form so…?”

            “Your forcefield saved my life, but it didn’t protect me completely,” Gray herself explained, “The cessineans got to me before mother could, and so I was never repaired. Many attempts have been made to repair my gem and restore my form since I returned home, but it was futile. Since the damage occurred while my gem was still developing, this form is permanent.”

            Black frowned, genuinely sorrowful.

            “You’re alive. That’s what matters,” she declared, though there was a slight hint of uncertainty in her voice.

            Feeling it was time to step in, White gently slipped her hand into Black’s.

            “So much has changed, Black,” she began, “Homeworld’s not the same as you remember it. Come with me to my chambers. I’ll explain everything privately.”

            Without exchanging another word, White led Black out of the room. As they walked through the halls, Black’s head raced with so many questions it was making her dizzy. So much was different already, even the palace. White even seemed to have a different air about her. It was all so… overwhelming.

            Before Black knew it, they reached White’s chamber. Stepping inside, White finally let go of Black’s hand.

            “Black…” she began, “The empire has changed since we fought our war against the cessineans. In fact, it –”

            Her words were cut off by Black practically slamming her lips into hers. As sudden as it was, it was not unwelcome, but White still found herself pulling away.

            “Black, this isn’t the time. I need to-”

            “This is the time,” Black protested, “I thought I’d never see you again. I thought I’d never hold you again. Please, I need this. I need you.”

            Once again, Black pressed her lips against White’s. This time, the lighter colored diamond found she was unable to resist. A long extinguished spark had just reignited inside her, and to deny it would be like an organic denying air.

Chapter Text

            Black paced the floor, too furious to even look at the other diamond. White sat, watching her, atop the mess of disarranged cushions. The infuriated diamond hadn’t even bothered to fix her messed hair or straighten the wrinkles in her dress, a state White was sure that she herself was also in.

            Finally, Black spoke. “We spent centuries fighting for this empire. I died fighting for this empire, and you threw it all away because some… some half-organic hybrid told you to!?”

            “Steven is all I have left of Pink Diamond.” White stood up, her brow furrowed. She expected Black to be upset, but she hoped she’d have at least an ounce of reason. “I won’t stand for you addressing him in that tone.”

            Black pressed her lips together, tightly, as she continued to pace the floor.

            “I can’t believe this. I can’t believe you.” She paused and glared at White. “What did we fight for? What did I die for? Our empire was–”

            “It was unstable,” White interrupted, “For a gem whose powers are based on illusion, one would think you’d be able to recognize just how flawed we truly were.”

            “Are you certain that it was the empire that was flawed, or was it the gem running it?” She stomped closer to White. “I used to see you as my equal – someone whose power and strength could only be matched by my own – but perhaps that was my own illusion. Have you always been this soft, or has Pink Diamond and this Steven corrupted you?”

            “Perhaps I have gotten soft, but with good reason! You have no idea what I’ve been through, Black. Trying to maintain the perfect empire cost me so much. I lost you and Gray, and even Pink trying to uphold it. Dismantling the empire was a difficult decision, but I’m certain it was the right one.”

            Black scoffed. “From the sound of it, it wasn’t the empire that cost you Pink Diamond, but your inability to keep her in line. Setting organics loose in the ballroom, throwing tantrums, and betraying her own kind to parade around under some quartz facade? Disgraceful behavior. How hard could it possibly be to keep an off colored runt in check?”

            White was shaking. It took every ounce of willpower she had to not smack Black across the face.

            “You think you have the right to stand before me and say such things? Losing Pink – losing her twice – was one of the hardest things I’ve ever been through. You on the other hand, I’ve gone without you for millions of years. If you want to know where my loyalties lie, know that I won’t hesitate to tell you where you can put your opinions about my family.”

            Black’s eyes widened, but somehow never lost their piercing glare.

            “No need to spell things out. It’s perfectly clear where your loyalties lie.” She stomped passed White but paused when she got to the door’s controls.

            “Do you need assistance?” White asked, coldly.

            Black spun around, glaring daggers at her. Without breaking eye contact, she slammed her foot into the door, causing it to collapse. White watched her storm down the hall, wondering both where she thought she was going, and what the repercussions of bringing her back would be.

Chapter Text

            A loud BANG echoed through the room. Startled, Blue and Yellow spun around, only to see White still sitting at the table, now rubbing her forehead, and a large indent on the table’s surface, where her gem made impact.

            “Oh gosh, White!” Blue worriedly cried out.

            The two of them rushed to her side, but White, still rubbing her forehead, waved them off with her free hand.

            “It’s fine, I’m alright.”

            “No, you’re not!” Yellow protested, “You’ve been like this for days! Something’s wrong with you!”

            White sighed. She knew Yellow was right – she’d felt off for over a week now – but that wasn’t something she’d admit out loud. “I’m just… tired, is all.”

            “Just tired!? You nearly fell asleep standing up yesterday, and now…” She gestured towards the indent in the table. “… This!”

            White cringed, the yelling further irritating the pain in her head.

            “It’s unusual, I’ll admit. I haven’t felt this fatigued since–” She suddenly froze, her eyes snapping open as the wave of realization crashed over her.

            “Since?” Yellow impatiently probed.

            “… since I was pregnant with Gray.”

            For a moment, Blue and Yellow just stared at her, perplexed, before their eyes widened along with hers.

            “Oh my!” Blue gasped, “White–”

            Barely even comprehending that Blue was speaking to her, White stood up from the table, her eyes wide and locked on the door.

            “I need to check something,” she hurriedly said as she speed-walked out of the room.

            Still shocked and running on autopilot, the other two followed after her. Soon, they came to one of White’s rooms, entering to walls of monitors and machines with blinking lights. No one spoke, the silence filled only by the beeping of the machines, mixed with the clanking of the keypad as White typed in some code. A scanning robonoid soon descended from the ceiling, cuing White to stand still and upright as its lasers scanned over her body. Her silhouette began to load onto the screen, and the robonoid retreated. After a moment of calculating, a small blip appeared on the silhouetted form, resting in the center of her pelvis.

            “Is that…” Blue trailed off.

            White nodded. “That’s the baby.”

            The three of them grew silent once more, their eyes glued to the tiny blip. White wasn’t sure if she wanted to laugh or cry. The last time she saw this blip, she and Black were in the middle of a war, one that would either end with their triumph or with their deaths. Oh, but how they celebrated that tiny blip. Now, the galaxy was at peace, nothing and no one left to fight, but no celebration was to follow this blip.

            “Where is Black?” White finally spoke.

            “In the garden with Gray,” Yellow answered.

            “Do you want us to come with you?” Blue asked.

            “No, I… it’ll be better if I go alone.” Taking one last look at the screen, White gathered her courage before turning around and leaving the room.

--

            “This one’s my personal favorite.” Kneeling down, Gray gently pushed past the leaves of what Black could only describe as ugly shrubbery. Beneath the fat leaves, dozens of closed, off-white flowers rested in the shade. “They’re called moon blossoms, a rare night-blooming flower native to Homeworld. I planted them myself, from the seeds stored at the asteroid base.”

            Black did her best to feign interest. She couldn’t understand why her daughter took such an interest in this useless flora, but she wouldn’t dare say it to her face.

            “Were all these plants grown from the base’s seed storage?” Black asked.

            “Most of them. Others were given to me by mother and the others.”

            Black hmmed. “All this life, and White had no idea it was out there.”

            “The base was well hidden. I even upgraded the cloaking mechanisms myself once I was old enough to understand it.” She stood up, intending to say more, before she saw the figure walking toward them. “Oh, mother!”

            Black spun around, her expression dropping upon seeing her.

            “White,” she greeted, coldly.

            “I need to borrow you for a moment,” she said, choosing to ignore Black’s greeting.

            “Is everything alright, mother?” Gray asked, sensing the tension in the air.

            “It’s… nothing to worry about, Gray. I’ll speak to you about it later, but right now I need to speak to your mother.”

            Gray nodded, and Black reluctantly followed White out of the garden. Once in private, White gathered her courage again before speaking.

            “Black… I’m pregnant.”

            Black’s eyes widened, the other diamond’s words leaving her stupefied. Opening her mouth, she tried to speak, but no words came out. She had no idea what she expected White to say, but this… this was the last thing she imagined.

            “Pardon?” she finally managed to choke out.

            “I’m pregnant. I just did a scan. I’m about two cycles in.” Finding it difficult to look Black in the eye, she looked down as she placed her hand on her belly. “We’re… We’re having another baby.”

            Black continued to stare at her, trying her best to wrap her head around this.

            “You… You’re pregnant…” She trailed off. Finally, she managed to regain control of her jaw muscles, and did her best to pull herself together. “Did you mean for this to happen? Did you know you were in heat when we–”

            “Of course I didn’t mean for this to happen!” White snapped, meeting her eye, “I lost track of my cycle eons ago!”

            Black raised an eyebrow, skeptical. “You lost track of your cycle?”

            “Well, I had no reason to keep track of it once you were gone. That with most of the symptoms having faded with age, I never know when it happens anymore.”

            “Hm, well that’s new. You used to get so rowdy, you’d even touch yourself with the cessineans watching.”

            White’s body stiffened, her eyes widening as words got caught in her throat.

            “That… that happened once!” she glared, her cheeks growing warm as she spoke.

            Unable to help herself, Black stared as the pink hue spread across White’s face. “Well that’s new too.”

            Growing in fluster and frustration, White covered her face with her hand and spun away from her gaze.

            “The bottom line is, we’re having a baby! It’s bad timing, I know, but–”

            “That’s putting it mildly,” Black interrupted.

            White spun back around to glare at her, but Black cut her off before she could speak.

            “Despite the shock of it all, I am happy to be having another child. We always planned on having two, after all. I will, of course, be there to love and support her… but not you.”

            Without giving White a chance to respond, Black spun around and walked away.

Chapter Text

            “Gray, it’s us,” Yellow said as she knocked on the door, Blue standing next to her, “Open up.”

            The door slid open, releasing a plume of thick, gray smoke into their faces. The smoke tickling their throats, they began to cough hoarsely as the dark clouds quickly filled the halls. Finally, Gray stepped out of her room and raised her arms, summoning the smoke to retreat behind the closing doors.

            “Sorry, I’ve been stressed.”

            Yellow let out one last cough. “Yes, that’s evident.”

            “Did Black and White get into another fight last night?” Blue asked, her voice still slightly hoarse.

            “Oh, did they ever.” Gray leaned back against the door and pinched the bridge of her nose. “I can’t believe I miss the days when they refused to talk to each other.”

            Blue twiddled her thumbs and glanced at Yellow. The other diamond nodded at her. In the short time they’ve known her, Gray had never been the most social gem, but she’d grown even more withdrawn over the last few cycles. This correlating with Black and White’s increased arguing led Blue and Yellow to become quite worried for their fellow diamond.

            “Do you… want to talk about it?” Blue asked, turning her attention back to Gray.

            “What’s there to talk about? My mothers hate each other.” She straightened her posture and ran her fingers through her tied back hair. “I insisted on bringing Black back, and it’s only made everyone miserable. If I knew it would be like this…” Small columns of smoke began to rise from her shoulders. Taking a deep breath, Gray centered herself and allowed the smoke to stop before continuing. “This just isn’t what I imagined.”

            “We understand, Gray,” Yellow consoled as she put a hand on her shoulder, “Trust me, we do.”

            Gray let out a silent sigh and brushed Yellow’s hand away.

            “It doesn’t matter. This isn’t about me. I need to get my mothers to be civil to each other. If they don’t want to be together anymore that’s fine, I don’t care, but they need to at least be civil. They’re about to have a baby for goodness sake.”

            “Yes, that much is certain, but… how do you plan on doing that?” Blue asked.

            “I need to start by getting them to be around each other without fighting. You both know what today is, right?”

            The two smaller diamonds blinked, looking at each other with uncertainty.

            “I… can’t say we do,” Yellow admitted.

            “A year ago today, I returned to Homeworld,” Gray explained, “It’s a special day for me; the day I saw the truth and was reunited with my family. In honor of that, I’ve asked my mothers to spend the day with me in my garden, and they agreed to do so without arguing. It’s not much, I know, but it’s a start.”

            The other two diamonds nodded.

            “Do you need anything from us?” Yellow asked.

            “No, I can handle my mothers on my own. They’re both suborn and prideful, but they love me.” She took a step forward and smoothed the wrinkles out of her dress. “Now, if you excuse me, it’s time I go meet them.”

--

            White stood in the garden, one hand on her growing bump as she admired the vines of black and red, tube-shaped flowers. With her free hand, she gently touched the soft petals, noting the red-yellow filaments that poked out of the flower’s center, and the sweet, yet citrusy aroma it emanated.

            “Hello White,” Black’s cold, relaxed voice suddenly came from behind.

            White jumped at the unexpected voice. Turning around, she glared at Black with a gaze sharp enough to shatter.

            “Don’t sneak up on me like that!”

            “I didn’t intend to startle you,” Black said, though her tone lacked any hint of empathy.

            “Am I supposed to believe that?”

            “I said it, didn’t I? Stars, I forgot how emotional pregnancy makes you.”

            White’s glare somehow grew sharper. The two diamonds continued bickering back and forth, their voices steadily growing in volume. As Gray entered the garden, she was immediately greeted by that now familiar sound. Her stomach sank but she held her head high, glad for once that she was unable show her emotions on her face.

            “Mother, mother,” she greeted as she approached them.

            The two of them stopped, suddenly remembering the promise they made.

            “Gray,” Black greeted in return, a small smile on her face.

            “How are you today, dear?” White asked.

            “I’m doing well,” Gray lied, “How are you, mother?”

            “Oh, your sister is giving me a hard time.” She put Gray’s hand on her belly. “Do you feel that? She’s been hitting me in the same spot all day.”

            Black stared at White’s bump. “I wasn’t aware her movements could be felt from the outside yet.”

            Sensing more tension building, Gray pulled away from White, scouring her mind for a subject change.

            “Oh, you know, it’s still early. The moon blossoms should still be blooming.” She led her parents to the other end of the garden, where the moon blossoms rested in partial shade.

            “Such interesting flowers moon blossoms are,” Gray admired, kneeling closer to her beloved flowers, “So sensitive to light that anything stronger than moonlight will burn them, yet so resilient. Their buds could be frozen in ice for weeks, yet once thawed, they’ll still bloom as beautiful as ever.”

            “Resilient and rises with the moon,” Black reflected, smiling at her daughter, “Now what does that remind me of?”

            White smiled as well. “Yes, that does sound familiar.”

            Gray smiled as much as her damaged face would allow. “Perhaps that’s why I like them so much.”

            She stood up, catching a glimpse of something out of the corner of her eye.

            “Oh, I nearly forgot!” She hurried a few yards away to her table of botany equipment, picking up one of the potted plants that sat under the rows of sprinklers. “These have just started to bloom.”

            Moving carefully as she walked with the fragile pottery, she handed the potted plant to White. The flowers it contained were the color of the night sky; a purple so dark it was almost black, scattered with tiny specks of yellow, and hints of a deep, royal blue around the edges. Each flower held only one large petal, with grass-like strings of blue streaming down from the center.

            “I spliced a few flowers to make these,” Gray explained, “I thought they’d be a nice addition to the nursery.”

            White smiled and took the small pot from her daughter’s hands.

            “Thank you, Moonrise. They’re lovely. They’ll go perfectly in the nursery.”

            “They are lovely,” Black added, “Though I can’t say if they’d go well in the nursery, seeing as I haven’t seen it yet.”

            Gray froze. Before she could stop it from escalating, White rebutted.

            “Well, perhaps if you bothered to ask about it, you would have.”

            “Yes, because I’m supposed to have the powers of a sapphire. I’m supposed to know exactly what you’re planning, exactly when you’re planning it.”

            “You don’t need the powers of a sapphire take any interest in your unborn daughter.”

            “I have plenty interest! Just because I’m not at your every beck and call doesn’t mean I have no interest!”

            Gray tensed with every word. Unbeknownst to her mothers, small amounts of smoke began to rise from her body.

            “Oh, my mistake. Only asking about the results of my annual scans once a cycle must mean you have an interest.” She sat her plant down on a nearby rock. “You’re going to have to do more than the bare minimum if you want to know things so badly.”

            “I’m sorry, but who’s the other mother of that baby? Nothing’s stopping you from keeping me updated on my child! Stars, if I didn’t know better, I’d think it was Blue and Yellow’s child you’re carrying.”

            “My, my, it’s almost as if Blue and Yellow are being more supportive and helpful than the actual sire of my child. If you–”

            “ENOUGH!” Gray shouted through her necklace. Caught off guard, Black and White stopped arguing and faced her, finally seeing the now dark plumes of smoke coming off her body. “I’m sick of this! I’m sick of both of you! You promised you’d go the day without fighting, but it seems you can’t even go five minutes!”

            The smoke emanating from her body grew swiftly in both darkness and volume. Black and White stepped closer to her, their concern growing just as the smoke did.

            “Gray–”

            “No, I’m speaking now!” she interrupted, “All I asked, all I asked was for one peaceful day with my family, but that’s just too much to ask for, isn’t it? I don’t understand why you can’t just act like adults! I’m the child, I shouldn’t have to be the moderator. You’re both just so… so…” She was shaking with anger, and the smoke around her was now so dark it was almost black. “… so SELFISH!”

            As she shouted the last word, a fire erupted at her feet. Feeling the heat, Gray looked down just in time to see the bright orange flames catch onto her dress.

            “Oh my stars, Gray!” White shouted.

           All remains of their anger forgotten, she and Black rushed to her. They managed to smother the flames on her dress, but the rest were growing too fast to be controlled. In a blink of an eye, the blaze spread through the foliage, engulfing the moon blossoms in their blaze.

            “My flowers!” Gray cried out.

            Panicked, she rushed to her botany table, her mothers following after her as she unplugged the hose to the sprinkler system. Turning on the water, she managed to douse the flames before they could spread further.

            Black and White sighed in relief as the flames were extinguished, but Gray trembled at the sight of her beloved flowers. Dropping the hose, she slowly walked towards the smoldering shrubs, the charred hole in her dress scratching against her leg.

            “Gray?” Black worriedly asked, reaching out for her, “Are you alright?”

            Gray didn’t answer. She fell to her knees, holding the still smoldering remains of leaves and petals in her hands.

            “We’re so sorry, Gray,” White said, she and Black walking up next to her.

            “We’ll help you replant them,” Black offered.

            “Yes. We’ll–”

            Gray stood up. Without so much as sparing them a glance, she began to walk away.

            “Gray–”

            “Leave me alone.”

            Black and White found themselves unable to speak as they watched her walk away. Even once she was out of sight, they stood there, staring into nothingness.

            “We should clean up the mess,” Black quietly suggested.

            “We should,” White agreed.

            Without uttering another word, the two of them began picking up the damp, burnt foliage. Once the last of it was placed into the compost pile, Black finally spoke.

            “You were right, you know.”

            White looked at her, confused. “What?”

            “About me being able to see the flaws in our empire. I knew they were there, I always did, but how else were we supposed to rule?” She sat down on the botany table’s bench. “The way things are now… I don’t understand it. Everything’s so different from the world I knew. Even you’re different. I was… we were meant to be flawless. The perfect rulers. That was our purpose. Now it’s just… gone.”

            White, stunned by Black’s words, quietly sat down next to her.

            “I don’t understand this world you’ve built. I don’t understand anything. One minute I was accepting my death, the next I’m plopped into a world I have no place in. My own family are strangers to me. I don’t understand you, and I especially don’t understand Gray.” At this, she began to tear up. White was even more stunned at this. She’d only ever seen Black cry once; the day Gray was born. “That’s awful, isn’t it? I don’t understand my own child. We’re strangers to each other. I have no place in this world, not even with her. Not even… with you.”

            Unable to stop it, she buried her face in her hands, slowly running them through her hair as tears streamed down her cheeks.

            “Why did you bring me back?” she asked, her voice trembling, “Why would you force me to live in a world I don’t belong? I have no place. I have no purpose. I don’t belong in Era 3. I don’t belong anywhere. What am I supposed to do without my power, without my purpose? What good am I if I can’t do the one thing I was made for?”

            White stared for a moment. This was a side of Black she’d never seen. The confident, divine aura she always emitted was gone, replaced with one of fear and uncertainty. Not knowing what else to do, White wrapped her arms around her.

            “I understand, Black. No one understands more than I do. Dismantling the empire, dismantling everything I spent my life working towards… It’s still a struggle for me some days, but I have so much more to lose if I go back. This–” She let go of Black, taking her hand and placing it on her belly. “This is our purpose right now. Our baby and Gray need us. They need you. Your place in this world is with our family. Nothing will change that, Black. Even if things seem uncertain right now, we’ll always be connected. We’ll always be a family.”

            Black looked up at White, her body trembling and tears still flowing. For a moment she just stared at her, processed her words. Still trembling, she got down on her knees, putting both hands on White’s bump. Without removing it from her bump, White gave Black’s hand a gentle squeeze and moved it higher up on her belly, allowing her to feel the baby’s tiny kicks. Breaking down into a full-on sob, Black buried her face in White’s bump, the latter holding her as she cried.

Chapter Text

            Rays of the midday sun began to shine in through the window, covering everything it touched in its soft, warm glow. Just as the clouds fully parted, allowing the sun to fully illuminate the world below, a sharp cry pierced the air, overshadowing the pained howls that had occupied the space for the last few hours.

            “You did it, darling!” Black proudly announced, her eyes glued to the screaming, fluid-covered newborn in her arms, “She’s here!”

            Still breathing heavily, White slowly opened her tightly closed eyes. All the pain and distress of she’d felt over the hours melted away as she saw her; dark gray skin, slicked-back black hair, and gem placed in the center of her forehead. Unlocking her death grip on the handles of the U-shaped stool, she held out her arms, taking the baby from Black and holding her against her bare chest.

            “You did amazing, darling,” Black said before gently kissing her lover’s lips, “She’s gorgeous.”

            “She’s perfect,” White added, still out of breath but tearing up as she stared down at the still screaming baby. The tiny thing was filthy, covered in gestational fluid and bits of sediment, but still she was among the most beautiful things she’d ever seen.

            White held the baby as close to her body as she could as Black began to clean her. The feeling of the damp cloth touching her delicate skin only seemed to make her scream louder. Still, her mothers never stopped smiling.

            “You have quite the vocals, little one,” Black grinned, her voice having a slight tremble to it.

            White glanced up at her, seeing that she was tearing up too. She smiled at her before looking back down at the baby. Her cries muffled as she buried her face against her mother’s chest, trying to find a spot to latch.

            “Oh, she wants to feed,” White said before moving the baby to her breast. The baby continued to scream for a moment, stopping only once she managed to get a good latch. White winced at the sensation. “Ah, I forgot how strange that feels.”

            Black did her best not to chuckle as she continued to clean the newborn. White had made a similar comment when she first nursed Gray, stating that it was the strangest thing she’d ever felt. She resisted bringing it up, mostly out of her still lingering guilt. She always tried to avoid talking about their first time around, as it just served as a reminder of how inattentive she was during the first half of this pregnancy. Despite White’s assurance that it was water under the bridge, and no matter how much support and attentiveness she tried to give her after that day in Gray’s garden, she couldn’t seem to shake the shame and guilt she brought upon herself. She supposed it would always be there, lingering in the back of her mind, but she swore to herself that it would only serve as a reminder to do better moving forward.  

            Once the last bit of sediment was cleaned off, Black lifted White off the birthing stool, carrying her bridal style to the bed. Leaning back against the pillows, the exhausted diamond shifted into a loose-fitting robe, leaving the breast the baby was nursing from exposed. The seemingly equally exhausted infant began to open her eyes, revealing her light gray irises and white pupils.

            “She has your eyes,” Black happily noted.

            White smiled, and Black sat next to her on the bed, wrapping her arm around her. Resting her head against Black’s shoulder, White found herself unable to look away from her new baby. She never thought she’d have this moment again; that euphoria felt after months of waiting and hours of pain. That moment when she finally got to hold the new life she created, the joy from which was overwhelming in every way, yet somehow the best feeling in the world. Part of her wondered if she deserved this; if she deserved to be allowed such joy after all the devastation she brought upon the universe. She wondered if all she’d been through – holding Gray’s shards in her hands, losing Pink, and Steven’s fear and distrust of her – was a kind of cosmic punishment. Was the good she’d been trying to do enough to make up for it all, or was the universe not done with her yet? She knew she couldn’t think like that, that those thoughts would only serve to drive a wedge between her and her new child. Whatever she’d done in the past, she couldn’t let it prevent her from giving her daughter the life she deserved.

            After about a half hour, the baby decided she was done nursing. With the baby now fed, the new mothers diapered her and swaddled her in a soft, gray blanket, before deciding it was time they were joined by their firstborn.

             Once they sent word, it was only a matter of moments before Gray entered the room. Her good eye locked onto the bundle in White’s arms, she silently walked closer to her mother’s bedside.

            “She’s beautiful,” she final managed to say.

            Staring down at the baby, she gently brushed her finger against the little one’s soft cheek. Still staring in awe, she found herself flashing back to her days in the asteroid base. How many times growing up did she wish she had a sister? How much time did she spend in front of her reflection on the shiny metal walls, pretending she had a twin? It was such a lonely life, waiting for right time to wake the cessineans. And for what? To exact revenge based on a lie?

             In spite of these thoughts, she found herself smiling. As much envy as she felt knowing her sister would never know that level of pain and loneliness, it was outweighed by the relief and happiness that she would have a better upbringing than she did.  

            “Do you want to hold her?” White asked, snapping Gray out of her thoughts.

            The damaged diamond’s head snapped up. For a moment she was frozen, an overwhelming dread washing over her. “I… No, you know I… What if I drop her?”

            Black patted the side of the bed. “You won’t drop her. Come, sit.”

            Hesitantly, Gray sat down on the side of the bed, struggling to keep her arms from shaking as White placed the infant in her arms. She sat there, perfectly still, terrified that the slightest movement could cause her to lose her hold on the baby.

            “Ok, I–” As she started to speak, the baby stirred and started to wake. Gray bit the inside of her cheek, waiting for the moment her sister saw her damaged face and started wailing in fear. The little one’s eyes fluttered open, and she and Gray locked eyes. Not even a minute passed before the baby yawned and went back to sleep.

            Gray blinked, not quite registering what just happened. After a moment, she smiled and allowed herself to relax. Unbeknownst to her, her mothers had started to tear up. Neither were quite prepared for this; the emotions that came with seeing their firstborn holding their newborn.

            Gray handed the baby back to White.

            “You know, I wasn’t the only one waiting to meet her,” she reminded her mothers.

            “Yes, of course,” White said, “We’ll send for them right away.”

            It was only a matter of minutes before the door opened once more. In walked Blue and Yellow, with Spinel riding on Yellow’s shoulder. All three pairs of eyes widened as they laid eyes on the baby.

            “Oh my stars!” Blue breathed, “She’s so tiny!”

            The three of them approached closer, unable to hide their fascination. None of them had seen a gem like this before – so underdeveloped and dependent. It was surreal, a concept so alien to them, yet they couldn’t help but feel a pull to this little diamond.

            “Who would like to hold her first?” White asked.

            “I, um, I suppose I would,” Blue offered, though her tone was lacking confidence.

            White handed the baby to her, and Blue did her best to mimic the way White held her. She’d handled small gems before, but none this fragile. After barely a minute, she found the experience too nerve wracking, and handed her to Yellow.

            “I believe it’s your turn,” she said, quickly.

            Yellow suppressed a chuckle as she took the baby. She too did her best to mimic the way White held her, finding the experience more enjoyable than Blue did.

           “It’s just a baby, Blue,” she teased.

            As Yellow finished her sentence, Spinel swung down from her shoulder, taking care to land gently on the baby’s blanket.

            “Hi baby,” she said, walking closer to the baby’s face. Next to Pink, this was the smallest diamond she’d ever seen, but she still outsized her by a good amount. “I still don’t really get what a “baby” is, but you’re the cutest one I’ve ever seen!”

            She kissed the baby’s cheek before hopping back up to Yellow’s shoulder. Grinning, Yellow handed the baby back to White.

            “So, what are you going to call her?” Yellow asked, “Dark Gray Diamond doesn’t exactly have a ring to it.”

            “Yes, we’ve thought of that,” White agreed.

            “We have a few names picked out, but we haven’t come to a decision yet,” Black added.

            Gray, having not taken her eyes off her sister the entire time, looked up at her mothers.

            “I think Shadow would be a good name for her.” She turned her head towards White. “She has your eyes and gem placement. She looks like she could be your little shadow.”

            Black and White looked at each other.

            “Shadow Diamond…” Black pondered.

            “That does have a lovely sound to it,” White admitted. She looked down at the baby. “Is that your name? Shadow?”

            As if in response, the baby yawned and did her best to stretch her tiny little arms, a tiny gurgling sound escaping her lips.

            “It’s decided, then,” Black grinned.

            “Yes, I believe it is,” White agreed, “Welcome to our family, Shadow.”