If anything, she was amused. Two tiny Gems and a fusion had come tumbling from the chute and now they were lying in a crumpled heap at her feet. She could dispatch them all with her Pearl — but that would be no fun.
"What have we here?"
Her voice echoed back to her and, seeing the terror in the Gems' faces, she smiled. "And what are you here for? Here to take my Starlight back to Earth, even in the state she's in?"
By now they were all on their feet, weapons at the ready, but she could see the fractures in their defence. There were so many they were barely protected at all.
"I'm afraid I can't let you do that. Trapped in this lower life form as she is, she is in the process of reformation. She is a Diamond, after all, and she needs to act as such."
The overcooked Amethyst growled. "That lower life form is our family! He doesn't belong here!"
"Oh?" She quirked an eyebrow playfully. "And what would you know about Homeworld life? An Earth-born, defective Quartz?"
She could see the anger building in her tiny body and laughed. "Don't strain yourself, dear."
"White Diamond!"
This time, it was the fusion speaking. She turned to her. "A Ruby and a Sapphire as one Gem! Fascinating."
The Ruby inside gritted her teeth. "We want him back. Release Steven now."
"Steven?" How delightfully absurd. "Is that the new nickname she's chosen for herself? Steven? As if trapping herself in an organic wasn't enough!"
"Pink Diamond no longer exists."
Ah, and now the Pearl was contributing to conversation.
"Pink Diamond is gone. Steven is someone new. He's . . . he's completely different!"
"Mmm, she really has fooled you, hasn't she?" She clicked her fingers and received the answering bubble. From inside she withdrew the bleached Gem in question, and there was a collective gasp from below. She placed a long nail under the Diamond's chin and tilted her head. "She always has had a penchant for games . . . but even I didn't expect her to so sufficiently delude her own Pearl."
The Pearl tensed. "She hasn't deluded anyone."
"That's what you keep telling yourself," White sighed, and closed her fist around Pink. "It's really very . . . sad, to see you convinced so completely. Gems are a superior race."
The Amethyst looked like she was about to speak but was interrupted by a musical chime. When White turned, she found Yellow and Blue standing in the doorway.
"Hello, dears," she cooed. "And what are you doing here?"