White Diamond's P.O.V

"It was as if an ancient tomb had been opened and the embodiment of Death had emerged from within. It walked right through my friend and left her in pieces, caring not one bit about the life it just took. The being then spoke with such a deeply resonating voice, one that could certainly frighten any gem alive, while not even moving its mouth. It didn't spot me at all and merely continued onward, trudging off into the valley where I had originally came from. I was scared for my life, really I was, but I had to know where it was going, so when the coast was clear, I followed the trail of black fog it left behind and went after it" The Peridot recalls.

Though she has certainly not finished, what Steven and I have heard thus far has been her story regarding some kind of threat on her home planet. Apparently, she had left in a hurry some time after coming across this thing and went directly to Homeworld with the hopes of talking to one of us Diamonds about it. She was planning on speaking with me about it, but ran into Steven instead, and he offered to help her. I, however, wasn't sure what was going on at all until Steven gave me a brief rundown of what this Peridot had already told him. In the end, I agreed to accompany them both to the planet, as Steven professed that he wanted to go there and investigate. The three of us then headed over to where the Peridot had landed her ship, which just so happened to be next to the Homeworld Warp Pad, got inside, and catapulted into hyperspeed not two minutes later. The gravity engine placed us right outside Valos-3's atmosphere, which gave us time to talk and learn about what had transpired here in greater detail. Right now, Steven and I sit opposite each other on the passenger seats while facing the Peridot as she's explaining.

".....I followed the trail for quite a long time and I was surprised at how fast it moved. Eventually, though, the trail ended and I found myself back in the central city of the planet. I was worried about the other gems, hoping that no one else had been killed just by being caught in this entity's path. The entity itself had stopped in the center square, a small group of gems having gathered around to see what it was. Terrified was an understatement for how I was feeling in that moment, because I was sure that I was going to watch them all be shattered like it would be nothing. I hid behind a nearby building and kept my gaze trained at the situation" The Peridot continues.

"And did this thing ultimately do what you thought it would do?"  I ask, leaning forward with curiosity.

"Not immediately, but, yes, it did" She answers, "At first, the being spoke to the gems. It asked how long it had been since Homeworld had been born and if the universe had been completely colonized yet. I could tell that none of the gems wanted to be the one to speak the words, but still, they did. The entity was quiet for a bit, but then the black fog surrounding it crept out and circled around the gems. In a matter of seconds, each and every one of the thirty or so gems were brought to their knees and turned completely black, twitching, shaking, and breaking apart into pieces".

The ship's compartment grows silent for a minute, an air of tension and nervousness filling the space. Steven looks scared, though he's also probably trying to make himself appear less frightened than he actually is. The Peridot is hunched over, her head hanging heavily from having to dredge up these dark memories. I, on the other hand, am the most on edge out of everyone. If what this gem says is true and my hunch about who it is is correct, then we could be in a lot of trouble.

"It was clear as day by this point that whatever this thing was, it was hostile and could not be reasoned with. Sneaking away as best I could, I then ran across the city, not caring what other gems thought of me, and went right to the landing strip where the city kept its ships for interplanetary travel. I commandeered a ship that could travel fast and put up a fight if needed, and took off into the sky. There was no time to look behind me, because the more time I wasted doing that, the less time I had to save everyone else. And to save them, I had to get help from Homeworld. The rest you already know" The Peridot finishes.

I slowly rise to my feet after the gem is done speaking, walking over to the pilot's seat and standing beside it while gazing out the cockpit window at the planet below us. If she is down there, then it's only right that I attempt to reason with her. After all, she entrusted me with making sure that the empire would grow and take over every planet there was. Though the reversal of such efforts was Steven's idea, and one that we all chose to follow, I don't believe that Steven can handle her. He's good at being convincing, but Black Geode is particularly clever when it comes to trapping people with their own words. And it's best that we approach her now rather than risk other gems on other planets getting shattered by us simply doing nothing. She'd still find her way to Homeworld eventually anyway, but at least with this method, we'd be the ones taking the first step by choice rather than by force. Turning back around, I return to my seat and face both Steven and our Peridot pilot.

"We'll need to inform Blue and Yellow about this"  I say, intertwining my fingers together,"Because based on what's been said, I can unfortunately say that I know who it is we'll be having to meet".

"Really? Who?" Steven asks.

"Black Geode"  I state, my voice devoid of all tone.

"Wait, what?!" Steven exclaims, "I thought she disappeared thousands of years ago!".

"She did. But it appears that now she has returned. And going by what this Peridot has claimed her to have said, I'm willing to bet that she won't be happy to hear that the task she entrusted me with all those years ago has now been undone, more so that we are the ones responsible for it as well"  I let out, dread creeping into my system.

"Well, can't we try talking to her? You know, get her to change her mindset?" Steven suggests, "You and the others changed, so why can't she?"

"Black Geode is a very different case from us, Steven"  I say, my hands in my lap,"Even after spending only a brief amount of time with you, Yellow, Blue, and I felt some kind of emotional connection towards you, which is what made us more willing to hear you out about that idea of change. You've never met her, Steven, so I doubt that the same effect you had on us can apply to her as easily. Besides, she was way more set on the conquering of worlds than I was at the time, if you can actually believe it".

"It's still worth a shot, though" Steven persists, "How about we bring her to Homeworld with us? Give her some time there and I'll do everything I can to convince her. If time was what it took to create an emotional connection between me and you, then let's use the time we have now to create an emotional connection between me and her".

I sigh, knowing that he'll probably still try to pursue this even if I say no. But I'm not going to say no anyway, because it's the best and only hope we have right now.

"Alright, but we're all going to have to put in the effort to convince. You, me, Blue, and Yellow. They will have to try just as hard as you because they've never seen Black Geode before. But, I must warn you, Steven. Be careful when speaking to her. She can be crafty with what she chooses to say and if you're not paying attention, she'll use your own words against you. Just...keep that in mind, ok? I don't want anything bad to happen to you"  I confess.

"Of course, White. I promise" Steven smiles. 

I nod, somehow managing to smile despite the growing worry looming over me.

"I suppose it's time, then. Take us down to the surface, please, Peridot"  I politely order.

"At once, my Diamond" The green gem complies, spinning her seat around and waking up the engine.

The ship roars back to life and after a bit of commanding giving on behalf of the Peridot, begins to move once more. We breach the atmosphere shortly, which proves to be a little bumpy due to the air current and surrounding clouds, but it's not long until everything evens out and the flight is smooth again. As the Peridot steers the ship down towards the surface, I can't help but bite my lip and speak my mind.

"It seems like all my talk of worrying about future threats has become much more precedent quite sooner than either of us expected. The timing is quite ironic, really"  I vent.

"We'll get through this, White" Steven says, looking like he wants to hold my hand, "I know we will".

Though my mind is slightly panicking and visualizing all the ways this could go wrong, Steven's words do provide some much needed soothing, and I silently thank him for that. Things aren't helped, though, by the fact that the ship is slowing down and looking to land. Our Peridot pilot touches the ship down quite gracefully and within no time, we've come to a complete stop on the planet's surface. Now that it's safer to move around, I get up from my seat again and peer out the cockpit window. The Peridot placed us just outside the central city, the high-reaching towers dominating our forward view with a pale sky behind them. It makes this place seem eerie and desolate, which it may very well be depending on what we find. I don't see Black Geode from where I'm standing, but I'm willing to bet that once we venture inside the city, we'll find her in some way, shape, or form. She typically liked to make her presence known.

"Alright, everyone, this is how it's going to work"  I say, turning around and speaking calmly but authoritatively,"Steven, you and I will search the city for her while the Peridot stays with the ship. If and when we come back with Black Geode, we're to return to Homeworld with no questions asked. Steven, when we're back on Homeworld, I need you to fetch Blue and Yellow and explain the situation to them as best you can. Can you do that for me?"

"Absolutely" He nods confidently.

"And one final thing, remember this as well. Do not make any sudden or rushed movements around her, don't show any signs of nervousness around her, since she'll more than likely grow suspicious, and do not, I repeat, DO NOT volunteer unnecessary information to her. The less we tell her means the less she knows, which also gives us more breathing room for creating contingency plans in the event she takes matters into her own hands. Is that understood?"  I state seriously.

"Yes!" The Peridot and Steven reply in unison.

"Good"  I nod,"Then open the bay door and let's begin".

Doing as she's told, the Peridot activates the bay door and lowers it to the ground, creating a ramp for Steven and I to exit the ship with. I let him go first, giving him plenty of space before leaving the ship too. Once I'm outside, I transform back into my natural size, Steven now tiny in comparison to me. I help him up, though, and place him on my shoulder before trudging towards the city entrance. Since we didn't land too far from the city itself, the walk took no more than a couple minutes. I then find myself staring into the city, almost feeling like something's tugging at my mind to go in. And now that I'm closer, I can confirm that the area is deserted, not a single other gem in sight. Peering down at Steven on my shoulder, and seeing him give a supportive nod, I take a deep, swallow my hesitation, and step inside the city.

Steven's P.O.V

I must admit that even if White hadn't told me that the long-lost creator of the Diamonds was here, this vacant city is plenty creepy and unnerving all on its own. As White casually walks past the high skyscrapers and sleek looking buildings, with me standing on her shoulder, I don't notice any structural damage or crashed ships, or really any sign of commotion at all. It's as if all the gems here just vanished from thin air, kind of like how White said that Black Geode disappeared. I can also sense White's uneasiness about this whole situation and I honestly can't blame her. I was having trouble keeping a confident vibe about this myself when we were coming in to land, so I can't imagine what she must be feeling. It especially sucks since like White said, Black Geode will only remember/recognize her out of anyone, which puts White in a pretty unfavorable position considering what we'll eventually have to tell her. I hope that we don't have to fight Black Geode, but I'm ready to do it if we run out of better options. Ever since the Diamonds and I started dating, I've found myself feeling a bit protective of them and that if something or someone were to cause harm to any of them, I'd fight using the powers that I was given. Black Geode doesn't sound like she'll go down easy, if it comes to that, but I'm not going to let that stop me if she makes a move.

"See anything, Steven?"  White asks me.

"No" I answer, shaking my head.

"Hmm, where could she be?"  White puzzles.

"Well, back in the early days of Homeworld, where was she most commonly found?" I try suggesting.

"Good question. Typically, she stayed fairly close to the center of our operations, so if she were to follow a similar pattern now, I'd say we should check the city center"  White says, coming to the conclusion all on her own.

And so White heads in that direction, passing even more abandoned buildings along the way. The thought of where these gems have all gone has me on edge the most, almost to the point where I'd have to audibly voice it. I can't just outright ask Black Geode either, because, as I have to remind myself, she's not as nice of a gem as everyone else I've encountered in my life. White's story of her had her portrayed as an evil, scheming, and untrustworthy being and I severely doubt that any of that had changed in the thousands of years since her departure. One can only hope though, hope for the best at least. And it's hope that I keep instilled in myself as White walks into the center of this gem city. She then pauses all of a sudden and I quickly understand why. Sitting by a fountain, with her back turned to us, is none other than Black Geode, or I would at least presume it's her based off the blackness swirling around her. White must certainly be struggling to come up with a proper way to announce our presence, because she's effectively freezed up and not saying anything. I guess seeing her is much more impactful than just thinking about her. But then something even more creepy than witnessing this city's aftermath happens. Without moving a muscle, a deep, disembodied voice that most certainly belongs to the ancient entity speaks in my head, and I'm assuming in White's too.

"I was wondering when you would come. When you would find me. And so far, I have yet to be disappointed by you, White".

"Yes, that is quite true. And I don't plan on changing that either" White replies, mustering up some confidence, "But I must ask. Is this where you came so long ago?"

"For an idea as big as universal domination, everything must be considered. And so I did, which led to a necessary hibernation period" Black Geode responds, dodging White's question with relative ease.

She then turns around and I can finally see what her face looks like. Though, that was apparently jumping the gun a bit, since I still can't fully see what her face looks like besides her glowing octagon-shaped eyes and tight line of a mouth. She then keeps talking and to make things even more creepy, her mouth doesn't move.

"I trust that in the time that has transpired that you've carried out my orders. But, yet, the gems of this colony spoke otherwise upon my arrival. Inferior beings like them, however, don't sway my judgment" Black Geode continues, her tone remaining fairly monotone as her eyes are fixed on White, "I don't feel the need to inquire you about matters such as that, rather that I see for myself and make ultimate judgment accordingly. The purpose of the tiny creature on your shoulder, though, is unclear. Come closer so that I can see better".

White does exactly that, walking closer to Black Geode and standing completely still as the glowing eyes scan over me. The fact that she noticed me without taking her eyes off White makes me even more unsettled. Being this closer to her as well isn't doing me any favors either. Then, slowly, Black Geode raises her arm and one of her large, slim fingers touches me.

"An interesting specimen. One that looks not to be of Diamond or gem origin, but of organic instead. By all means, I'd presume it has an intelligence level high enough to speak and hear coherently. So, who are you, tiny one?" She questions.

"I'm Steven. Steven Universe" I answer shortly, remembering White's advice to not volunteer any more information than necessary.

"And where are you from, Steven Universe?" Black Geode further questions.

"A planet separate from Homeworld" I say vaguely.

"Yes, Homeworld" Black Geode muses, her eyes now shifting up towards the sky, "How I wonder what it looks like now. Better than this planet, or so I would like to expect. Let us return there now, shall we?".

"Yes, let's indeed do so,"  White cautiously agrees.

Black Geode then stands up, fully showing her height, which comes out to be a couple feet taller than White.

"And do be sure to keep the Peridot piloting your ship in line, White" She says tersely, "The other gems on this planet met a fate that they didn't have to and I would like it if your gems didn't follow a similar mindset. I let her escape for a reason, after all, and it seems as though she's done exactly what I had surmised her to do, which is why she remains living".

"Noted"  White nods, secretly gulping.

Without another word from any of us, White and I turn and head back towards the ship with Black Geode trailing behind us. Based on what I've heard from her already, Black Geode reminds me very of how White was before the change, only more menacing with blunt and casual words that carry a lot more malice within them. I'll have to keep my guard up when we get back to Homeworld, because who knows if she's the kind of lurking-around-the-corner type of person that will be watching me and waiting for me to slip up. We waste no time walking back to the ship, nor do I think we'd want to in this instance, and White shrinks back down to get inside. Black Geode, surprisingly, doesn't question her on it and actually does the same thing herself, then coming over and sitting down in the spot right next to me. A wave of nervousness hits me when she does this and I can see White looking concerned from the seat across from me. I do my best to calm myself as the ship starts up and lifts up off the ground, keeping an eye on Black Geode to make sure she doesn't try anything. Things remain this way as the Peridot sends up into the sky and soon past Valos-3's atmosphere, sling-shooting us into space.

The trip is a quiet one, which under normal circumstances wouldn't be nearly as uncomfortable. What I find interesting during this time, though, is that Black Geode's form becomes more and more visible, even to the point where I can describe what she looks like. Her face is long and thin with a small nose and youthful-looking charcoal skin, her hair salt and pepper grey, though most of it is hidden behind the hood she's wearing. She has on a multi-layered robe that, after some of the black fog has vanished, reveals her gem just below her collarbone. It's an octagon, just like her eyes, and is even darker than her skin. Naturally, my curious nature wants to ask her about herself, but I have to hold myself back and remind her that she's not exactly a friend entity. I've had to remind myself a lot about just that fact, mainly because it's been a while since anyone like her has been around and I've sort of gotten rusty on how to talk to those kinds of people. Every once and while, I catch a glimpse of her staring at me and I can actually discern some curiosity within her gaze. Though, in all honesty, that makes it even harder to try and not reveal the fact that I notice her doing it.

Upon finally reaching Homeworld, the ship glides into the planet's atmosphere and carefully sets down on the Homeworld Landing Pad, the back end of the ship opening towards the Palace. Black Geode still has not said a word since we left Valos-3 and even when White stands up and offers to show her around, the Diamond creator remains silent. White then leaves, probably feeling like she should go since staying might potentially anger Black Geode, and just as I'm about to stand up, Black Geode grasps my arm with her hand. I stiffen up, not moving as she pauses for a second before taking that same hand and placing it on my chest.

"I sense great power within you, Steven Universe" Black Geode says, "One that is only worthy of a Diamond. I think you will be a very useful adversary, something that Homeworld and myself need right at this very moment. So I ask you this: should White fail to keep her promise to me, will I be able to trust that you will do right by me and not fail as well?".

"Yes" I say, almost immediately.

"Very good" Black Geode smiles, "That's just what I wanted to hear".

She then removes her hand from my chest and stands up, walking out of the ship and down to where White stands by idly waiting for her, growing back to regular size after exiting the ship. I'm still a bit freaked out by the close contact I had with her, so it takes me a bit to get up out of my seat. I then go up to the pilot's seat and quietly tell the Peridot, who looks just as scared as I feel, to head to another planet once the opportunity presents itself. She nods and I leave the ship, walking down the ramp and onto familiar ground. White and Black Geode have already made it towards the Palace a bit, White doing most of the talking while Black Geode merely listens, so now my task is to round up Blue and Yellow and explain the situation to them. I can't guarantee, though, that they'll be happy when they find out that White knew about Black Geode all this time and didn't tell them, but that's not really my primary concern right now.

I walk towards the Palace, but at the same time keep some distance between me and White and Black Geode. By the time they've gone into the Palace through the front doors, I've just begun walking up the stairs to get there. Once I reach that point myself, I look around to see if either of them are still in sight, which they aren't. I then start off towards Blue's chambers, getting a handful of gems coming up to me with questions in regards to "our new visitor". For now, I just tell them that she's from another planet and to not ask her anything. I then politely walk away and continue on towards Blue's chambers. When I get there and head inside, Blue is sitting off to the side, her gaze directed at the very same doorway that I just entered through. That means she was obviously expecting/hoping for me to return and her reaction all but solidifies that.

"Steven! I'm glad you're back. And so soon at that. Did you perhaps......want to have some more fun?" Blue asks, hesitating and blushing at that last part.

"Unfortunately, no" I reply, kissing her on the cheek, "I was looking for you and Yellow because White and I have come back with someone, someone that I need to talk about".

"......You speak as if this person could present danger" Blue frowns, referring to the dreadful tone in my voice.

"Well, that's not.....out of the question, per say" I hesitate to say, "But I don't think it'll immediately come to that".

"Then, let's hurry and find Yellow" Blue agrees, "For if this is like you say it is, we best assess the situation as soon as possible".

I nod and we quickly leave her chambers behind, now going down the hallway towards Yellow's chambers. We don't stop for even a second until we're outside her chamber door, Blue doing me the favor of knocking. It takes a little bit, but eventually Yellow opens it.

"Blue? Steven? To what do I owe this visit?" She asks in a rather good-natured manner.

"Is it alright if we speak with you?" I ask.

"But of course. Here, come on in" Yellow offers, opening the door wider for us to enter. 

Blue and I thank her and step inside.

"So, what is this about?" Yellow asks, closing the door and sitting down on her bed.

"Well, I had partially told Blue this already, but the full story is that White and I got a request for help from a Peridot off of Valos-3. The Peridot had proclaimed that she just escaped from the planet right as something made it into the central city. White and I agreed to help her and went to the planet ourselves. Before landing on the surface, though, we were filled in with greater details regarding what had happened. And it turned out whatever had been released was not a something but rather a someone, a being that White actually knew a long time ago. Her name is Black Geode and she not only created White, but was the one that gave her the idea to conquer the entire universe in the first place. Right as Homeworld was beginning to take off, though, Black Geode disappeared, only to now apparently reappear on Valos-3 after what she herself described as a "necessary hibernation period". She wanted to return to Homeworld to see how much it had changed since her disappearance and also to check up on how the colonization process was going. And so, White and I brought her here, which is essentially where we stand now" I explain.

"My, that's quite a development!" Yellow remarks, leaning forward, "And can this Black Geode be trusted?"

"Not according to White" I reply, "She described Black Geode as someone who is scheming and manipulative, the kind of person that will 'use your own words against you'. I even experienced this for myself on the flight over here".

"Hmm, so we'll have to be particularly cautious around her, then" Yellow muses.

"But what is the ultimate goal here, Steven?" Blue asks, sounding worried.

"To convince her that colonization was never the right idea and that this new path is a much better direction" I summarize, "But as you might've guessed, it won't be easy. All four of us will have to try our best".

"If you say so," Blue says.

"Is there anything else White has said about her?" Yellow inquires.

"Yes. She advised me to not make any sudden movements around her and most importantly to not tell her anything more than what she asks to know about. That and it would be best to not let her know that this whole reversal process was my idea" I answer.

"That is good, yes, but we should also be sure to avoid having her find out about the fact that we're on to her" Yellow suggests, "The less suspicion we arise, the better our chances are of actually succeeding in convincing her".

"I agree with you on that" I sigh.

"Well......let's go and meet her, I guess" Blue hesitantly says, "It's best we make the best first impressions on her as possible".

"Very much so, Blue" Yellow concurs, "Let's go, Steven".

Yellow then gets up from her spot on the bed and the three of us exit her chambers. We then stride confidently down the hall and into the former throne room, which, upon entering, made us stop in our tracks. White and Black Geode are already here and when White notices us arrive, she stops talking and makes Black Geode turn around to see what's going on. Blue and Yellow stare at Black Geode as she stares back at them, not really creating an air of tension, but not straying that far from it either. No one says anything, so I feel like I should be the one to break the ice.

"Well, Blue and Yellow, I'd like you to meet Black Geode" I say.