A/N- The LoneEroticWanderer has returned, and with him, is chapter 30! I have finally bought my new laptop, and I'm still getting used to it, but I can type far faster than before. I hope you enjoy this new installation!

The End of a Crystal Gem

The escort ship landed on the steaming rock, its ramp descending with a hiss as two figures stepped down from it. The Black Diamond studied his surroundings as the Black Peridot was intently focused on the holo-screens in front of him, a map of their location leading the duo to their destination. After a while of walking, they came upon a suspiciously smooth wall, which, with a nod from his Master, Peridot breached with a few explosive charges. Walking through the newly-created entrance, the two slowly traversed the hall until they came upon their target.

"So…" The Black Diamond spoke with a bored voice, "You are the Bismuth that allied herself with Rose Quartz and her rebels."

"This is the Black Diamond?" Bismuth said, a hint of amusement in her voice, "The Elite Destroyer? Death Himself? The Warmaster of the Gem Homeworld? Huh… I'd thought you'd be taller."

"Physique and appearances are the same as weapons: Simple tools to be utilized when necessary." The Diamond replied, "I believe in honour on the battlefield, and using a taller form would grant me an unfair advantage over you."

This time, the Crystal Gem couldn't help but laugh. "You think you fight fair?! I've seen the things that you upper crusts consider 'fair', and it's far from it!"

"Then how about I give you the advantage?" With a stomp of his foot, the locks on the stone elevator were forcibly released, the two of them riding it down to Bismuth's magma training pit. "I'll give you one chance." Black Diamond offered, widening his stance and folding his hands behind his back, "Attack me with everything you can. I won't even attempt to defend myself. I give you my word."

Bismuth, still suspicious of the Diamond but understanding his devotion to promises, jumped away from him and activated the lava flows around the room. Molten rock flooded the chamber everywhere but where she was standing and completely submerging Black Diamond. When she drained the lava, she smiled victoriously at the thick stone statue that now imprisoned the Diamond. She flooded the room again, and again, attempting to ensure that he wouldn't escape, before finally draining the room one last time. Forming her hands into her forging hammers, she charged the statue and, with a ferocious scream, slammed them into his head.

The stone crumbled beneath the force of the attack, but as the smoke cleared, Bismuth noticed two things. The first was that the stone statue had been completely destroyed.

The second, that Black Diamond had not.

The Warmaster stood in the same position as before, seeming to be completely unfazed. "A valiant effort, I will admit." He said to her, "I can see that you are truly worthy of the praise that I have heard of you. But, unless you would like to try again, I would prefer we finish this up."

"Oh, I'll show you what makes me worthy of praise!" Her Gemstone shining, Bismuth took hold of the one weapon that Rose Quartz refused to accept, the very same device that destroyed their friendship.

The Breaking Point.

Strapping it to her arm, she walked right up to the Diamond, placing the pointed tip of the weapon a hairs-width away from his Gemstone. "This is your final day, upper crust scum!" She screamed in anger, "I AM! A CRYSTAL! GEM!"

The weapon fired, but instead of punching through the Warmaster's form, Bismuth herself was pushed back a few feet. Her eyes widened in shock when she saw that the Diamond's Gemstone was still completely flawless, bearing not so much as a scratch.

But that wasn't the worst part. The worst part- The reason she felt an overwhelming hopelessness wash over her- Had nothing to do with her weapon's uselessness.

It was the very simple fact that the Black Diamond had never so much as flinched.

Swiftly, the Warmaster grabbed her arm, tearing the limb off of her body and forcing her to the ground, screaming in agony. He ignored her, choosing instead to study the weapon he now held. "Crude." Black Diamond commented, "Clunky. Far too awkward to be utilized with an appropriate amount of efficiency." He looked down at the groaning Gem, "Powerful, but overall, useless My Peridot could design a device far superior to this in a matter of seconds."

"N-No…" Bismuth grunted, bringing herself to her feet, "I… Won't l-let you…"

"As if I would authorize the use of such a dishonourable tool." The Diamond countered in disgust.

"Why… Ca-Can't I… Heal…?"

"Because I harmed you. Allow me to demonstrate further." Black Diamond lashed out, clawing at the Crystal Gem and leaving deep, black gashes across her face.

She screamed, stumbling backwards as pain surged throughout her body. Black Diamond continued to inflict these small injuries upon her, but for some inexplicable reason, each wound felt as though her Gemstone was being turned inside out.

"You see, my…" Black Diamond paused for a moment, "My father… He had a very irregular sense of humor. For this reason, he granted me the ability to make it rather difficult for Gems that I infect to retreat into their Gemstones."

Bismuth rose to her feet, forming her remaining hand into a hammer. With a warrior's cry, she charged at the Diamond. Rolling his eyes behind his mask, Black Diamond shifted his fingers into sharp claws, re-positioned his feet to compensate for the arm that he was still holding, and, when Bismuth was just about to attack him, plunged his claws into her chest, wrapping his fingers around her Gemstone and bringing her charge to a sudden halt.

The Crystal Gem inhaled sharply, feeling her entire being tense up, unable to move. She struggled to speak, her mouth twitching as she slowly looked up into the mask of the Diamond.

"You believe that you can shatter the Diamonds…" He said, shaking his head sadly as he ripped her Gemstone out of her form. Bismuth fell to her knees, a pain unlike any other surging throughout her form and steadily growing worse, "But I am unlike my sisters and my brother. I will not fall to such incompetence."

Just like earlier, Bismuth found herself unable to retreat into her Gemstone, and unable to escape the pain. "J-J-Just sh-sha-shatter-ter m-me…"

Black Diamond shook his head again. "No. I want you to understand just how little you mean… You aren't even worth the effort it would take to close my fist…"

The Diamond bubbled her Gemstone, finally allowing her physical form to disperse. The black bubble warped away with a flick of his wrist, materializing back in his trophy room. Black Diamond rode the elevator back up to the main chamber, took a lingering glance at the wide array of weaponry, and left the forge. As he exited the volcano, he nodded to his Peridot as he walked by, heading to the escort ship. After a few moments, he felt slight tremors shake the earth beneath his feet as Peridot detonated the charges and collapsing Bismuth's forge.

Once Peridot joined him back at the escort ship, they took off, heading back to the Geode. It wasn't until the Geode was within sight that the Diamond broke their shared silence, saying, "Pearl has informed me about some recent events back in the District. Some of these events require my direct intervention, and thus, will take me away from our operation here on Earth."

"I understand, my Master." Peridot replied, "I will begin the preparations to collect the last of my research and gather what is needed to move my-"

"You will not be accompanying me." Black Diamond interrupted him, "Only myself, Pearl, and Amethyst shall be accompanying me. Yourself, Supreme Commander Malachite, as well as War Marshalls Sapphire and Ruby shall remain her to continue our operation."

"Master?" Peridot pressed, sensing that there was more to this conversation.

"After much thought, the Supreme Commander and I have decided that you are finally ready for your Sinov."

The technician's eyes widened, gratitude flowing through his entire form. "Are you sure, Lord Obsidian?"

"If I wasn't, we would not be having this conversation. Until I return, I am placing you in charge of our operation. The only one who would be authorized to counter your commands would be Malachite, but only if the circumstances become dire enough."

"I understand, my Master. I will not disappoint you."

"I know that you won't."

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A/N- I hope you enjoyed the chapter! Please leave a review and tell me what you liked, what you didn't, and if this chapter was worth the wait!

For those of you who are interested, "Sinov" is Uzbek for "Test".