LOG-057.

  Silence reigned within the Roaming Eye for a while, even as the entire ship occasionally shook from being forced to plow through a slightly more durable patch of earth. Vermilion would let out a flinch every now and then, before being calmed by a gentle pat from the hidden Diamond standing next to her.

  It had been less than an hour, but we were making far more progress getting deeper beneath the crust than I'd initially expected. The benefits of being prepared and having plenty of time to plan, I supposed, even if I still wasn't entirely certain of what the next step was going to actually be, beyond a few hypotheticals I had thought up.

  The drill was holding, at the very least. Even now, I could see an endless wave of dark rock flooding past the view screens, occasionally making way for this or that material. My focus largely remained on actually navigating the scout-turned-mining vessel however, fingers flying across the simplistic controls of the Eye while the murmur of conversation finally started up from behind me.

  "So like, we're getting there inside of this thing, but what exactly are we supposed to do about the Cluster once we...you know, actually get there?"

  Amethyst's question proved stimulating enough to draw thoughtful looks from both Rose and Garnet, the fusion in particular seemingly straining for a moment as her fellow Crystal Gems turned to glance at her, before ducking her head in apparent defeat.

  "I can't make much out. If I had to guess, there's at least a couple of Sapphires in there." Her right hand clenched noticeably at the statement, though not without fair reason.

  Neither of her components, Sapphire or Ruby, were likely very happy at the thought.

  Of course with the resident oracle unable to provide an answer, those glances turned towards me, an uncertain feeling welling up within my being as Rose leaned forward.

  "Harlequin? You...you said you have a plan, right? Something about a bubble?"

  Swallowing (and almost shuddering at the sensation of simulated saliva sliding down my thoat), I let out a nod.

  "I-yes. There's two possibilities, from what I've come to understand. Brace yourselves, by the way. We're due to breach the asthenosphere in just a few seconds." Namely, from what I had managed to just barely pull from a certain someone.

  Hmph.

  Shaking my head in frustration and adjusting my grip as the Roaming Eye hit another 'bump', our previously dark surroundings turning distinctly molten, I turned slightly, allowing my upper gemstone to project a fairly large holographic screen.

  On it, several figures reminciscent of us all surrounded a spiky mass indicating the Cluster, their arms raised towards it.

  "The first, is that we can work together to create a, for lack of a better term, combined bubble. I'm...hopeful, that this will be the case. It would be the easiest, and generally the most simple, straightforward option. Obsidian could potentially pull it off. Or at least initiate...something."

  A few uncertain looks ensued as the figures all visibly combined, forming a far larger silhouette. Amethyst quirked a brow and crossed her arms, spinning slighly in the seat she had chosen for herself.

  "Can we even do that?"

  She blinked as I let out a shrug, waving a hand back and forth.

  "Possibly. Although I am, admittedly, banking on the Cluster still being condensed enough for such a thing to work. It's already large enough as it is, but it will only begin truly expanding within the next decade or so. Hence why we are dealing with it now."

  Garnet nodded, one hand going up to tap at her visor in a long since familiar motion.

  "Alright, so that's our first plan. What if that doesn't work?"

  Frowning, I glanced at Rose out of the corner of my eye before turning back towards the control console. Judging by the way the rebel leader shifted, she had caught my little look.

  "Well...there may be a method of...communicating with the shards. Normally such a thing would be impossible, they're all just fragments of previous individuals, after all. But...with so many of them fused together, even in the barbaric way the Empire has gone about it..."

  An angered grunt escaped my fellow fusion, both of her hands clenching now. It didn't go beyond that and a heavy frown to match my own, however.

  "I...maybe. If they're able to recognize each other enough to eventually form into a united body...maybe."

  It wasn't often Garnet looked visibly uncertain. Which made the next thing to slip out of my mouth feel even worse.

  "Yes well, if it works then we could potentially convince them to...bubble each other? Something along those lines. Although, I'm also not entirely certain that will work either."

  At all four of my fellow Gems' pointed stares, I resisted the urge to snap at them in annoyance, instead just shaking my head again.

  "I just don't have enough information right now. All I know is that the thing is dormant and will wake up later. What that actually means is something I can only theorize at best. Hence why I'd prefer to get a closer loo-"

  A solid thump cut me off, followed by a startled scream as Vermilion scrambled backwards, shaky hand pointing towards one of the screens.

  "L-look! There!"

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  I whipped around just as the others did, staring at the twisted amalgam attempting to bash through military grade starship armour.

  Yeah.

  Sighing, I waved a hand at the thing, alongside a few other smaller variants that had joined it in attempting to board us.

  "Ignore them. They're just prototypes of what we're actually moving to neutralise, besides, any purchase they have will be lost once I move past this last area." At their concerned glances, I couldn't help but let out a scoff.

  "What? We're technically inside of an, though admittedly extremely basic, largely functional warship. Do you all really think that some half baked abominations are going to get past alloy armour rated to survive sudden orbital entry from a Ruby getting too enthusiastic about landing?"

  That prompted a few sheepish looks, and true to form, the bulky experiment and the rest of its cohort finally lost their hold and slid back off into the magma around them once I poured on just a little bit more speed.

  Then the entire Roaming Eye shook, a small warning erupting on the modified control scheme in front of me.

  Finally.

  "We've hit denser rock. Prepare to breach."

  Another shake as resistance began to spike, before the entire ship dipped downwards, the extra sensor I'd fixed atop the drill itself showing a dazzling, and objectively horrifying sight.

  It was one thing to imagine it. To see a vague image on a report.

  It was another entirely to look at the remains of millions, possibly even billions of separated corpses.

  "...Stars..."

  I cringed, glancing to the side just in time to catch Rose leaning over my shoulder, her eyes almost impossibly wide.

  "It...they...!"

  Tears began to drop down from those eyes, even as I tensed in place, resisting the urge to wrap my arms around myself and follow suit.

  As horrible as this all was, now wasn't the time to sob about things. There was work to be done.

  I followed that mantra as best as I could while I stood from my seat, grabbing Rose by the hand and pulling the surprised rebel leader along with me towards the already lowering boarding ramp.

  "H-harlequin? What are you-"

  "We need a closer look. The rest of you, wait in here in case something happens. Vermilion should be able to pilot just fine, and I'd rather have Garnet and Amethyst ready in case some of those prototypes managed to follow us down here."

  To my internal relief, I got firm nods from the fusion and Quartz respectively, alongside a hesitant affirmative from the crimson Pearl.

  Then I was stepping out of the familiar confines of the Roaming Eye, and jumping down towards the surface below, hand in hand with Rose. The impact with the outer layer of the Cluster was a bit awkward, as the faux Quartz and I were briefly forced to adjust ourselves in order to find a relatively flat footing.

  Eventually though, I managed to settle down atop what looked like a pair of shattered and melted together Agates, even as Rose herself despairingly took her own position standing on top of a large patch of what seemed to be Citrine shards.

  A few moments passed like that, with me awkwardly standing there as the hidden Diamond took deep breaths, staring around her at the dark but glittering landscape surrounding us.

  The shards themselves were seemingly devoid of life, but I knew better. They were merely inactive for now, sooner or later, they'd finally wake up from this temporary state of pseudo rest they'd been locked into.

  "What...why would anyone do this?"

  It hurt, hearing her voice so...broken. Enough that I didn't even feel all that much satisfaction as Viridian let out some more knowledge of her own free will.

  "It's Yellow Diamond's vengeance. Her attempt at ending this particular story, so to speak."

  I kept my voice low, just in case anyone onboard the Roaming Eye had figured out how to focus the exterior sensors on our position, even as Rose whipped around to stare at me with shocked eyes.

  My own expression remained largely blank as I focused on interpreting the strange memory correctly.

  "She...wants this planet gone. Wants Earth, and everything on it, to die as the Cluster fulfills its purpose as a geoweapon and destroys the shell surrounding its new lightform. It's her way of coping with Pink Diamond's death, beyond just trying to drown herself in the work of running the Empire. She doesn't associate anything remotely positive with this world."

  Rose's hand went to her mouth, cupping it and muffling the equally saddened and horrified "Yellow..." that emerged.

  I just sighed in response, ducking my head.

  "This is where the Diamond comes in." At her renewed attention, I gestured to the impossibly large mass of shards below us, my voice turning ever so slightly strangled.

  "You...you need to connect with them, Pink."

  My entire lightform tensed as she didn't move, and my next attempt to speak was cut off as she vaguely gestured towards me.

  "I...how?"

  I tilted my head in confusion.

  "How what? It's your ability. Figure it out!"

  She wavered, long curls of hair swaying in time with the rest of her lightform.

  "No. How can you be so-so focused!? We're surrounded by...by this and all you can think of is fixing it! How can you be so strong at a time like this!?"

  For a second, it almost felt like she was disappointed in my lack of apparent horror at the situation, before the final question rang out, followed by the clear tone of desperation in her voice.

  How can I be that strong?

  ...

  I shuddered, hands wrapping around my torso as I did my best to stand straight.

  ...

  "I'm on borrowed time, Rose. And for a damn good reason. I need this to be done. Finished. Completed."

  ...

  Whatever she'd been expecting, it wasn't that, but in the face of her confused silence, I couldn't help but continue.

  ...

  "I...I'm not healthy. I'm perfect. Perfect for what I was made for. Perfect for fixing messes. But not much else. Not with how things are right now. And as much as Pearl and Viridian want to work together, they don't like this. Don't like me. Not how they should, at least. They've tried to defuse and I've managed to hold them together, but the only reason I could do that is because they let me...knowingly or not."

  ...

  That strangling sensation continued to press in on my throat as I felt a familiar wetness sting past my eyes, my voice growing more and more choked.

  ...

  "I just want to help fix problems, Rose. But-but I'm causing issues as well. And it hurts. I don't want to do that, don't want to be a problem. And-and the easiest way to fix that is to go away, but that's not something I can do until I'm certain the Cluster will be out of the picture. That Earth will be safe."

  ...

  I looked back up, pinning the Diamond with a desperate stare of my own as my hands finally balled together, clenching into shaking fists at my side.

  ...

  "So-so stop crying and get to work damn it! You have a job to do so...so just do it already!"

  ...

  It was almost enough to make me lash out at her with an attack right then and there, the look of pity she gave me.

  ...

  "I'm sorry this...this was your first experience together. I'm so sorry, Harlequin."

  Scoffing, I looked away as she kneeled down, hands settling atop some of the shards directly in front of her as her eyes closed. Even now, my lightform was beginning to glow with the familiar ripping, tearing feeling of my components doing their best to pull apart.

  ...

  Screw it, I'd done all I could here. As they continued to stretch in separate directions, I didn't bother to resist, finally letting them go their own ways.

  ...

  "You can make it up to me by finishing the job."

  !!

  At last, my world came apart in the flash of light I'd long been expecting since the start.