I was standing on a massive, yellow platform underneath a mauve-streaked sky. The horizon was spotted with caramel-colored mountains that were disfigured like melted candles. The platform was made of the same crystal material as every other Gem structure, but it must have been larger around that those football stadiums Steven would see on TV while he was flipping through channels. I jogged over to the edge and peered over at the ground that was several hundred feet below. The platform seemed to be at the center of a field that stretched for miles, broken up by rolling hills. When I looked closer, I gasped. Deep patches of the land had been uprooted, leaving enormous craters behind. Even from here, I could see the emergence holes lining these chasms. Kindergartens. As I looked around, I noticed spires in the distance or castles floating in the sky on a bed of fluffy clouds.

I didn’t have time to dwell on any of that as a loud rumble made me look upwards. A ship was descending, one that looked like those abandoned vessels on Earth that Peridot trapped us in one time. Its shadow swallowed me as the ship grew closer, dwarfing me as it hovered over the platform. A gust of wind stirred up dust as the ship’s legs touched down. Part of the wall opened and a ramp slid out onto the platform with a scrape of metal. A squad of Nephrites walked out, chatting to each other and laughing occasionally. Centipeedle and her crew had told Steven just how leisurely crews acted around each other, and it’s nice to see proof of that. When another Gem stepped out, I stifled another gasp.

Mo looked completely different. Her limp hair was now a wild mane to match that of a Nephrite. She wore a bodysuit with green markings running down the arms and legs, along with tufts of fur around her ankles. Even her build was different; her torso and limbs were slimmer than what it was today. If it wasn’t for her color, she would’ve looked almost exactly like a Nephrite, except for having two eyes and the cut of her gem.

The rest of the crew quickly left her, talking amongst themselves as Mo followed a distance behind. When her eyes skimmed over the friendly crowd, a pang shot through my chest. It felt heavy yet weightless, crushing but empty. It felt… broken. It felt familiar.

The Nephrites gathered on a round symbol curved into the platform, the emblem of the Four Diamonds the only varying colors. One said something to the others and, after much muttering to themselves, gestured for Mo to join them. Mo’s face brightened as the feeling in my chest lifted. She took a step forward before a hand on her shoulder held her back.

Fear erupted in my stomach so abruptly it felt like I had been punched. The Nephrites pulled back, one hurriedly activating the contraption they were standing. As they descended, Mo turned, her fear radiating off in waves. A new Gem had appeared without my noticing, and the sight of her made my stomach turn for a reason I don’t know.

She’s tall, maybe even taller than Bismuth, and wide. Her orange and scarlet hair was curled into three cones that stuck off the top of her head like horns. Her torso was covered by a severe, sleeveless bodysuit with red and yellow detailing and an orange band tied around her waist. Her skin was a pale peach with stripes of blood-red evenly spaced on her arms, the occasional yellow smear intersecting them. Large boots encased her feet. Her eyes were the darkest shade of red I’d ever seen, almost black around her pupils. An elliptical gemstone shone on her stomach, orange with dots of crimson. The most unusual part apart her was the insignia on her chest. Unlike others that had one diamond, this one had all four of the Diamonds’ marks, like the ones I found in old ruins on Earth.

She drew her hand back, but Mo didn’t relax. The massive Gem looked over Mo, scoffed, and tapped a ring on her wrist. A screen appeared in her hand. She scrolled through a few items before pushing the hologram away. “I see that there’s been some discourse since you’ve taken on your latest position, Moissanite.” Her voice was authoritative, each word perfectly shaped and oozing with status.

Mo’s arms twitched, and I realized that she wanted to wrap them around herself like she does when she’s stressed. It seemed to take all her will to keep them at her sides. “Yes, Condor,” Mo replied, a quiver in her voice. “I haven’t connected with the Nephrites quite yet.”

The Gem, Condor, pulled her screen back to her and tapped on a few items. “It says here that you’re distant and the others have trouble conversating with you. If this had been any other position, this wouldn’t bother me. However, Nephrites are known to be… well-acquainted,” She rolled the word like it she had to force it to come together. “It’s been several months, but you’ve haven’t had any of these interactions. Why do you think that is?”

Mo swallowed, a stone plummeting to her core. I felt her dread crawling up my skin. Still, she pushed past it and responded, “I don’t seem capable of forming a connection with these Gems quite yet. It’s… I’m not sure of how to do so. I’m sorry, Condor.”

Condor sighed and let her screen fade away. “Again with your apologizes. How many times must we go through this? Every time you fail to find a place in the hierarchy, you apologize and promise to try again. I grow sick of hearing that over and over again.

Mo’s head bowed as Condor’s words dug into her. “Of course, Condor.”

“Now, it’s time for your next assignment.”

My heart vanished. The feelings came on so fast that it felt nothing short of a whirlwind. Shock and denial clashed with fangs as they struggled for a hold. Grief pulled on me, trying to make me sink. Above them all was fear, so absolute that its hold crept through my form as a horrible posion.

Mo raised her face to Condor, her metallic eyes wide. “B-but it’s only been a short time! Please, give me a bit longer!” Mo took a step forward, folding her hands in front of her chest. Pleading. “I know I haven’t been able to fit in, but I like it here! Piloting these ships is amazing and I want to keep doing it! Please, Condor.”

Condor glared down at Mo without empathy. Her gaze was as unwavering as the gem at her core. “That doesn’t matter,” Condor threw at her, leaving invisible marks. “It’s clear you don’t belong here. It’s time to move on.”

“But-”

“Enough!” Condor barked. Mo flinched, drawing back from the towering Gem. “This display is pitiful! I thought I made it quite clear that I won’t stand for these miserable pleas. Whatever you think doesn’t matter. My job is it find your place amongst our fellow Gems. It’s clear to me that you could never belong here with Nephrites. You’re incapable of being a part of their crew.”

Mo finally embraced herself, hands clutching her shoulders as she cried. Smoke rose from her body, thin wisps that tried to calm her with inklings of calm. They didn’t work. The storm was too vast from them to quench. Everything was a confusing mess, but the hate and fear blended together, a cold uncertainty that made me want to rip myself apart. It’s horrible. I want it to stop. I’d do anything to make it stop. The anger and spite weren’t aimed at Condor but at Mo, a revulsion of herself so immense that I couldn’t comprehend it, yet it felt so similar to something

“Please don’t do this,” Mo begged, sobs breaking her words. “I can’t keep doing this. I don’t want to do this anymore.”

Something ran down my cheek. Tears fell from my eyes to the floor beneath my feet. I can’t tell if these are mine or Mo’s.

Condor continued, her voice not rising despite her shift in tone. “We’ll repeat this process for as long as necessary. If we have to go for thousands of more years, then that’s what we’ll do. And in the end, if we’ve exhausted all possibilities, then we’ll know that you don’t belong anywhere. That you’re a mistake and nothing more. A fluke without a calling.”

That’s not right. She’s not wrong! She’s… she’s different, but that’s okay! Shut up, you cone head!

“Do you have anything else to say, Moissanite?”

At those words, a cloud descended over the storm, smothering the madness until it was lost in the haze. It was empty. It was blank. It held nothing and absorbed nothing. It encompassed everything and yet rejected it all the same. I felt swallowed, but I couldn’t work up the nerve to worry. I was so lost amongst the cloud that I couldn’t find my bearings. It was all gone so quickly that it snatched my breath away as well. In this unnatural peace, I felt nothing but wrongness. Whatever this is, it isn’t right. It’s horrible.

Mo let her arms fall, her sobs muted almost instantly. She kept her eyes down, looking past what was in front of her, or maybe seeing nothing at all. Her smoke faded from her form. While tears still stained her face, Mo’s expression held nothing, completely void of emotion. “Yes, Condor. I understand.” Even her voice, moments ago pleading her haven, held nothing.

Condor nodded as she reached for her Gem. “Good. Your next assignment will be with a squad of Hollandite that recently emerged from one of Blue Diamond’s colonies. The head Gem has already been alerted to your arrival. Are you familiar with their average form?”

“Yes, Condor. I’m familiar.”

“Excellent. Now, let’s begin.” Her gem glowed. A rod sprouted from the stone. Condor grabbed the object and pulled it out. It was swift, all five feet of the weapon in her hands in the blink of an eye, a curved blade with a spike pointing backward from the middle appearing at the end. Condor took a step back, balancing the axe in her hands.

This is all smoke, an illusion of a time long passed. This is a memory, insubstantial. This is a projection of the past. This isn’t really happening.

But it did. This… this all happened…

I can’t believe she went through this. She’s so scared.

She shouldn’t be treated this way. She doesn’t deserve this!

We can help her. We can-

The axe rose, the blade reflecting the weak sunlight. Condor drew the weapon to her right, planting a foot hard against the ground as she swung with all her might.

“NO!” I screamed with voices that weren’t my own, reaching for Mo even though I can’t save her.

Mo doesn’t react as the axe falls. She doesn’t try to defend against the threat. She doesn’t try to dodge as the blade nears her. And when the axe cuts her in half, Mo doesn’t make a sound.