So, starting a short-ish story, this probably won't last nearly as long as the other one, but hey… at least it's something. Anyways, for anyone just seeing this, this is an… alternate take of my original story "Change" and you should read at least up to chapter 21 of that story then start this one, or you'll be totally lost. But then maybe you want to do that because that's just how you roll you crazy maverick you. So, on to the show.

I don't own Steven Universe.

Chapter 1: Rogue Diamond

One month later…

"Pink, how are things?" came, as always, the business-first tone of Yellow Diamond.

"We're not falling behind, if that's what you called for." Pink replied.

"Good. No problems or delays?"

"We're on schedule, Yellow."

"What about the… natives?"

"We've had no trouble with them thus far, I doubt they will be any such kind in the future." Pink replied.

"All the same, be wary. Organics can be quite the nuisance if you aren't diligent in their control."

"I assure you Yellow, I will do whatever is necessary when the time comes." Pink said, her face serious.

Yellow took this as solemn determination and the edges of her straight face nearly curved upwards, but only nearly. "Good. Yellow out." The screen went blank and disappeared.

Pink sighed. Between Yellow micromanaging and "dealing" with the organics, she was maintaining a quite the balancing act. She didn't want to spring her ideas on her sisters too early so she had to do what she could practically in secret. If they found out what she was doing before she was ready, at best they'd tell her to drop it and follow the colony's plan, and at worst… she didn't like thinking what that would entail, her imagination painting a progressively darker picture every time she did.

Luckily for her, her four companions happened to walk in. She smiled as they approached. "So, Flint, 'Amethyst'… how went the strike team?"

Flint smirked. "Was there any ever doubt? We crushed them in less than a day, freed the humans and went on our way."

Amethyst returned to her true form. "Convincing the other gems of the importance of this mission, however, was a bit tricky. Frankly, I doubt we would have been able to get it done at all without orders coming directly from you."

"You didn't hurt them did you?"

"Err… define 'hurt'." The grey quartz asked.

Onyx shot her a look before returning her gaze to Pink. "They'll be fine, Pink."

"So, how are you preventing the sarrukh from capturing more humans?' she asked.

"We set up patrols around their usual hunting paths, anytime we see a human come near or see a human captured we intervene."

"Anything new to report about them?"

"The humans or the sarrukh?" Onyx asked.

"Either."

"Well… no."

Pink's face dropped. "No? What do you mean no? Nothing? You've learned nothing?"

"Nothing significant." Flint replied.

"Honestly Pink, whatever you're hoping to find that's gonna impress your sisters, we haven't found it yet."

Pink raised a brow. "You say that like you got a better idea."

Onyx seemed a bit apprehensive but spoke after a moment. "I do, but I'm not sure if you're going to approve."

"Oh, this ought to be good."

"If we want to find out more about them, find this 'quality' about them that you're looking for, I think we need to..." She looked up as if the word she was looking for was somehow suspended from the ceiling. "…appropriate some subjects."

"You want to capture these humans. Imprison them." Pink clarified.

"I wouldn't put it like that, I mean it's not like we would mistreat them or anything."

Pink shook her head. "That isn't the point, Onyx. We're trying to save these organics, not enslave them."

"Actually, my Diamond, it isn't a bad idea." Peridot interjected as the Diamond turned her gaze to her. "We could possibly build facilities to house the organics. With Onyx's expertise of them and my own specialty with design, I think we can create quite the comfortable facility for them." Pink gave a strange look something between disapproving and curious. "I know you may not like the idea, but this could be our best chance."

The Diamond's hand went to her chin. She didn't like it. Not one thing about it. But progress was stalled. The methods they had been using were of no further use. And she still needed something to show to her sisters.

Pink closed her eyes. "I don't like this, but I see I have little recourse. Onyx, Peridot, you're tasked with designing and implementing this facility. Take what… subjects… you need but only what you need. Understand?"

Peridot did a little bow. "I'll have it designed within the week and built within the month."

"Good. See to it." Peridot and Onyx left the room and Pink looked to Flint. "In the meantime, I want you to watch over the organic patrols, make sure my orders are followed to the letter."

"Got it." Flint replied before walking away as well.

With just the two of them left Pink looked down to her pearl. "So, where is White Pearl?" she asked.

"I was training her a bit earlier, but she said she wanted to try practicing on her own for a little while. I'm sure she'll be along shortly." The two of them heard the sound of approaching footsteps and turned to look. "And look who it is, your new protégé." Pearl said as they watched Rose Quartz draw nearer.

Pink narrowed her eyes and said in almost a whisper. "Quiet you."

Pearl just shrugged as the quartz continued to approach.

She saluted as she reached the top stair. "My Diamond, you summoned me?"

Pink turned to her. "indeed, I did. You see, I wanted your opinion on something."

"I would be glad to give it." She replied.

"You are aware of my intentions to mitigate the damage to the Earth, yes?"

"Your intentions yes, your plan… well… no." Rose replied. "You asked me to help you save the planet, and I'm all for it." She glanced through the glass to the Earth below. "But you didn't say how."

"You are aware of my sisters, yes?"

"Blue Diamond, Yellow Diamond, and White Diamond? Of course." Rose replied, noticing a slight wince from Pink at the mention of the eldest gem, but not commenting on it.

"And you are aware that this is my colony, my first colony. Yes?"

"I am." Rise said, unsure where the Diamond was going with this. "Not to be disrespectful, my Diamond. But what are you getting at?"

The Diamond was silent for a moment the she suddenly stood up. "Let's head down to the surface."

Both gems nearly did a double take, this sudden interest to leave coming out of nowhere. "The surface? My Diamond what-?" Pearl began before her Diamond quickly looked to her.

"Pearl, stay here watch over things while I'm away." she then turned back to Rose. "Come, let's get going." With that Pink began walking down the stairs.

Rose quickly snapped back to reality, shaking her head a little. "Yes, of course. I'm right behind you, my Diamond."

As they reached the stairs to descend a white blur suddenly came rushing up the stairs, the high-pitched voice of a pearl accompanying it. "Sorry I took so long I-Oof!" she slammed right into Rose and bounced off the much larger gem.

Pink gave a small look of surprise as did Rose who bent down, hand extended. "Sorry about that. Are you alright?"

Pearl took the hand without looking and quickly got up, brushing herself off. "Yes. And if anyone should be apologizing it should be-" she stopped as she beheld the gem in front of her, Pearl's face suddenly gaining a look of awe as the last word tumbled out almost inaudibly. "-me."

Pink snapped everyone back to reality as she coughed into her hand. "Well, we should be going."

"Ah, right." Rose replied then looking to Pearl. "It was nice to meet you." She said giving a wide grin.

The two descended the stairs and Pearl watched them leave as her Pink counterpart walked up to her. "Hey, White, you alright?"

"Who was that?" she asked.

Pearl looked down the descending staircase, a small frown upon her features. "The new favorite."

Pink Diamond and Rose Quartz found themselves walking on a shoreline. The Diamond had put down a small ship nearby and suggested they do so. The quartz wondered if she should say something, to break the silence, yet every time she was about to she could swear her Diamond was about to start speaking and would immediately shut up, only for Pink to also remain silent. This went on for the better part of a half-hour before Rose finally decided to say something regardless.

"My Diamond, not to be rude, but you did summon me for a reason, didn't you?"

"Yes, because I wanted your opinion."

"And again, I would be happy to give it, but I need to know what it is you want my opinion on."

The Diamond then stopped walking, so Rose also stopped. Pink suddenly turned towards the ocean and sat down, crisscrossing her legs and staring out to the horizon. Rose watched her but said nothing. Then her Diamond spoke. "Why do you want to save this planet?" she asked.

Rose was caught off guard by the sudden question, nevertheless, she answered. "There's so much unique life here. Beings with such simple, yet such fascinating lives. Everything we are as gems? That's who we are, it's who we'll always be, forever. But even moment to moment these creatures are always changing, not always for the better but even when it's not they don't give up, they just change in a different way. I think they're worth saving, even if it means we can't make a colony here."

Pink smiled, still looking off into the distance. "I think so too." She picked up a handful of sand and held it up to her face, now looking at it. After a moment, several small crabs started to crawl out, their pinchers snapping. "I want to save them because I think we can learn so much from them."

Rose raised an eyebrow at this. "What do you mean?"

The Diamond set down the sand and the crab scurried off into the ocean or buried themselves. "How old are you, Rose Quartz?"

"I've been out of the ground for a year and several months now."

"Do you know how long I've been around? Twenty-one thousand years, and I spent most of that time on colony worlds leaning everything I could about them. Do you want to know what I learned about each and every one?"

"What's that?"

The Diamond threw her hands into the air. "They're all the same! Each and every one!" Rose said nothing but gave a look that asked for elaboration. "Some are big, some are small, some were planets, others were moons but in the end? All the same." She turned to look at Rose. "Our kind has reached a period of stagnation that's been going on since we left Homeworld for the very first time. But then look at this planet!" she said motioning to all around them. "They can't even stay the same for longer than an hour. But I find that so fascinating because they're constantly improving themselves, but us? If we can't do something we are never going to do it. We may design a new type of gem that could do whatever we need, but not any of the gems before it. Instead of us expanding our empire further to make ourselves greater, I think we should look inside, and change just like them."

"So, you want to save them… because you want to use them?" Rose asked.

Pink detected a tone and softened her eyes, a small frown now showing. "You disapprove?"

Rose was hesitant but spoke anyways. "It's just… shouldn't we leave these creatures to their own devices? You make it sound like you want to enslave them, harness their power."

"You may have a point. It may not be our place to influence these creatures. We are far from Homeworld and we have little business interfering in their lives, but…"

"But something… no someone is putting you up to this, aren't they?" Pink was silent as she turned her head away from the quartz now focusing back on the horizon. Rose's eyes then widened with realization. "It's the other Diamonds, isn't it?!"

Pink nodded. "Those planets I mentioned? Those colonies? A great many of them were once inhabited by organics, just like here, but when we completed the colony…"

"…You destroyed their home, you destroyed them." Rose finished.

"Not me... But, now that I've been put in charge of a potential colony, they do want the same for this world as they did for those worlds."

The quartz took a step forward, touching her Diamond's arm. "But… but you can't! That would be horrible!"

"I'm glad you think so, Rose Quartz. I think so as well." She said glancing down at her but not turning her head.

"You have to stand up to them! Tell them you won't do it!"

"You don't know what that's like Rose. They raised me, everything I know, everything I am. It's because of them. If I told them I wouldn't build a colony because of all the life here Yellow and Blue would not react well at all. At best, they'd say that organic life here is inconsequential and that I have a duty to our society by making this place another colony and if I still refused they'd just replace me and complete the colony anyways. At worst…" She sighed. "At worst, they'd think I'd gone insane, perhaps imprison me, or perhaps… even worse than that."

She was silent for a moment, closing her eyes and taking a deep breath. "It's why I'm…" she stopped, should she let Rose know of this? Was she really the one to pin her hopes on? Well, it's not like she had any better options. "It's why I've been studying some of the organics."

"Studying them?"

"Their habits and mannerisms, what they can do, their potential. I want to know everything about them. It's also why I had you Rose Quartzes made." Pink explained.

"You mean how I can communicate with some of the organics? Like how you can?"

"Exactly. With your abilities, you'd be a natural bridge between us and organics."

"But why?"

"Because if I can find something, anything, that could show that killing these creatures would be far more wasteful then preserving them, I could save them. Though they'd still be part of our empire, at least they'd be alive and you'd be there to help them through it."

"And if your sisters still want to annihilate the life here? What then? Would you fight them?" Rose asked, her face serious.

Pink turned to her fully. "Your fellow gems, your sisters, who popped form the wall with you, you must be close with some of them. Yes?"

"A few." The quartz admitted.

"Would you want to fight any of them?"

"No…"

"And neither do I."

"But what if it comes down to choosing between this world and all its life, or your sisters?"

Pink's frown grew deeper. "Let's just hope it doesn't come to that."

2 Years Later…

Peridot was practically brimming as she and Onyx stood side by side before Pink Diamond. Flint and Pearl were also present as well, standing on either side of the chair while she faced them. "I think you're going to like this, my Diamond. We've really come though."

"You'd better hope so. Today's the big day." Flint reminded.

"Don't you worry. There's no way they can refute our logic." Onyx replied confidently, once again in her Amethyst disguise.

"Let's hope so." Pink said looking through the glass ceiling as she saw the blue vessel of her sister approach. "The future of this planet will be decided in the next few minutes."

Within only a few moments Blue Diamond and her Pearl stepped up from the stairs. Pink rose from her seat and walked towards her. They briefly embraced before Blue formally addressed her sister. "Pink, you told me you have something important to show me?"

The younger Diamond smiled. "I do, but we need to get in contact with Yellow as well."

Blue raised a brow at that. "This must be really important if you're wanting to make sure we're all here."

"I know she can't come from Homeworld, but I still want her to see this." Pink replied as she walked back to her seat and sat down. Pink clapped twice and suddenly the floor opened up and another chair came from beneath, as large and regal as Pink's though a bit off to the side from the console rather than directly in front of it as hers was.

Blue sat down, her pearl by her side, as Pink accessed the console and opened the Diamond communication line. After a few moments Yellow's pearl answered the call. "Yellow Diamond control room how may I direct your call?"

"I want to speak with Yellow Diamond." Pink ordered.

"Connecting now, one moment please."

The face of Yellow Diamond soon appeared before them. If Pink didn't know better she would have said her sister was scowling, but this was simply her neutral relaxed face. "Pink, why have you-" she stopped as she noticed her other sister. "Blue? Why are you there?"

"It seems Pink has something important to show us." Blue replied.

"is that so?" Yellow said before turning back to Pink. "Why have you not informed either of us about this before now?"

"I wanted it to be a surprise." Pink replied.

"I don't like surprises, Pink."

"Come Yellow, let's hear her out, what could be the harm?" Blue asked, supporting her younger sister.

Yellow sighed. "Very well." She crossed her arms on screen. "Get on with it then."

Pink turned to Peridot, moving her chair slightly out of the way. "The floor is yours Peridot."

The green gem looked a bit nervous but Pink's nod and smile calmed her nerves as she stepped up, between the two Diamonds and the console lowered to her height. The holographic display of Yellow moved to the side as a presentation began to unfold before them.

Within moments a finished model of Earth as a planetary colony was before them. "Earth, as you can see in time it will make a fine colony. Eight-nine kindergartens, sixty-seven spires and a galaxy warp within each facet, effect and complete use of all available materials. As you can see it will make a grand colony in time. But, what if I told you there was a better way?" Pink watched as her sisters seemed to share mirrored expressions of slight curiosity and confusion.

Peridot continued the show, typing commands into the console and the finished colony disappearing, to replaced by another different image. Before them stood a human male, in holographic form for all to see. "Presenting the Humans!" she said, her showmanship helping to present her case. "By all estimates the most intelligent organic life on the planet. As you can see they are-" Pink began to turn out as Peridot went on but looked to her sister faces for their reactions.

Blue's face, which had once been only slightly confused and curious seemed to toss the later out as the confusion on her sister's face became more and more evident as the green gem droned on excitedly.

Yellow's face however remained utterly stoic. But as Peridot went on Pink watched the lines of her elder sister's face become more and more defined, a frown clearly forming.

"…as you can see." Peridot said moving to the last part of the presentation. "In conclusion, the colony plans of the Earth should be replaced and the new plan for preservation and cultivation of life here be implemented immediately."

Pink looked back to her sisters with hope. She knew Peridot was a good researcher, she knew facts and statistics like no one else, if anyone could convince her sisters of the tactical importance of sparing Earth, it was her. But as she looked to them her hope significantly faltered.

Blue's face was one of complete confusion. Not of what she had just seen but more of why she had just seen it.

Yellow on the other hand was much different. She had closed her eyes and gripped the bridge of her nose, as if suffering from a massive headache. She then spoke, clearly and with finality. "Everyone but my sisters, leave. Now."

Peridot's own prideful smile had also faltered and she looked to Pink wondering what she did wrong as did the others, but she simply nodded and the group descended the stairs, leaving the Diamonds by themselves.

There was a tense silence as Blue looked unhappily to her younger sister and Yellow seemed to be trying to center herself as she inhaled deeply. "Pink, what is this? What are you doing?" she asked at last.

Pink was now the one who was confused. "What do you mean? I-"

"We gave you instructions on what to do with this planet, all you had to do was follow them. So, I ask again, what are you doing?" Yellow said, eyeing her sister with a narrowed gaze.

"I thought that maybe, a colony wasn't the best idea for this planet. That maybe it could be used for a different purpose." Pink replied.

"If we wanted to use this planet for something else, we would have told you, not the other way around." Yellow said in her reprimanding voice.

"But Yellow, what about the potential here? We could use this planet for so much more then another colony among the thousands we have!" Pink argued.

"You are asking us to lower ourselves to these lesser creatures and work with them to build, what, some sort of reservation for them?! And for what?! Meager returns on all the resources we would be putting into this?!" Yellow argued back.

"But Yellow-!"

"I've heard ENOUGH!" Yellow shouted, slamming a fist onto her throne. "You will do as you have been told and build this colony! You will forget about these ridiculous plans! You will forget about your obsession over these organics! And you will do it immediately! Is that UNDERSTOOD?!" Pink said nothing, a mixture of horror and surprise on her features, never expecting such a response from Yellow. "Yellow Diamond. Out." she said before her screen flickered off and disappeared.

Blue watched the entire scene unfold but remained quiet as her younger sister turned to her. "Blue, surely you see why I did this, what this planet could offer us."

The older diamond simply looked to her sadly, but in a way that spoke of pity for her rather than sympathy. "Pink, she's right. This plan… it's ludicrous. This is the way we've done things. This is the way we've always done things. Just stop with these delusions and finish the colony." With that she stood up and began to leave but Pink caught her around the wrist.

"Please, Blue! Just listen! This can work! I just need you to believe me!" She pleaded.

Blue said nothing, only staring at her sister with that sad, pitying look and Pink's grip relaxed and let go allowing Blue Diamond to walk away. Pink stared off dejectedly at the floor, not knowing what to do, not knowing what to say. Eventually her gems filled in one by one, gathering close to Pink Diamond, but giving her space, all sharing looks of worry for their leader.

"My Diamond, are you…?" Pearl drew closer but Pink pulled away, standing up suddenly.

"I… need to be alone right now." And with that she walked off and descended the stairs.

One week later…

Yellow looked upon screen after screen, approving and denying requests and plans for Homeworld and the empire at large. She'd never quite realized how competent her elder sister had been until the duty had been passed on to her. It had dawned on her how little credit White had actually received for her mastery at running things, how little credit she herself had given White.

Suddenly an alarm on her console sounded and she quickly accessed it to see what the problem was. A ship of some sort was entering Homeworld's atmosphere.

And fast.

She watched the monitor as it caught fire and barreled itself into the Diamonds' personal landing pad.

Yellow accessed her intercom. "Investigate that immediately!" she barked with irritation.

Gems quickly did as they were told, circling the crater until it was surrounded completely. Then a few quartzes made their way down to the glowing-red ship.

"Look like the burn through the atmosphere welded it shut." One said as she inspected the door that was once the ship's mode of ingress.

"Not a problem." Another replied as she summoned a blade and with a little effort managed to rip off the door.

Suddenly a stream of gems came flooding from within. Landing in a heap before the quartzes. "What the-"

Yellow watched with confusion as her monitors displayed the scene before her, but the they went to static and after that, a blank screen. Then the monitors flickered to life and suddenly she was face to face with her youngest sister, her face grim and serious.

"Citizens of the Gem Empire, hear me now!" She said, her voice low and calm with deadly seriousness. "I am Pink Diamond. I am the leader of the soon-to-be colony known as Earth. But know this… it is a colony no more." All across the cosmos, gems were stopping what they were doing as they received the signal from Earth. "The ways of the old empire are backwards and outdated. I have been to every colony in our society and have seen only apathy and decay, no more. I will not allow this planet to suffer the same fate, nor will I allow the continued oppression of my sisters upon all other gems, upon all other life. And that is why, with great sorrow, I must say this. White Diamond, Blue Diamond, Yellow Diamond, I declare war on you." If there was such a thing as silence on a galactic scale, this was probably the closest it had ever some to it. "I fight for the freedom of all gems, and if you wish to fight with us, then take up arms and join me. For all others that stand against us, you will face the fury of the Crystal Gems." Pink then looked dead ahead, as if looking directly at Yellow Diamond herself. "Get ready my sisters, I'm coming for you." The transmission suddenly cut and the screen disappeared.

Yellow sat in silence her face contorted with barely-constrained rage.

I know, I know, lazy as hell… just wait, I got something for ya. Please review.