Prequel:Everything Changes

Life can bring many things, such as happiness and joy... the happiness you get when you do something right... the joy from bringing happiness to others... the warm feeling you get from the love of others... but life can also be deceitful, full of decietful people, who are only looking out for themselves, and will take the happiness of others to ensure themselves out of trouble... which is what happened to him... A five-parter story about Dorado, and how he ended up as the leader of the Vendettas.

## Chapters

### **Chapter 1 - Blissful Ignorance**

My name's Imperial Topaz, yet I'd like to be called something else in the future, something more distinctive, and today is one of the most important days of my life. This is the day I see the highest members of the Homeworld community, the Diamond Authority. Almost everyone who sees the D.A. get the most high paying jobs in Homeworld, in which I'll be able to live life in luxury, and complete all my goals. My life, at this moment, hasn't exactly been the best.

I barely get by because while my job pays a lot, I have to spend a lot of money getting my organisation off the ground, one I feel would really help the Homeworld in the future, and I'm getting close, too. I don't have many friends, either, because I have to focus on my work, which seems to be working considering what's happening today, but I do wish I spent more time with my staff. Most people I know regard me as a nice guy, albeit a bit strict, and I don't think I have any enemies.

I'm not anything special, however, as I'm only slightly above the average officer, aiming to become a military commander. What I pride above everything else in my life, above the organisation, and the meeting, are my morals. They help me through life, if I go against my morals, life will surely punish me for it. An example being when I was a younger gem, I stole from a rich gem, and I was found and punished for it. Life always knows when I do something wrong, and now, I always listen to what I know is right.

I arrive to the Homeworld Offices, which may not sound like much, but is actually the building that holds the most important and influential meetings in the history of gemkind. I walk up to the counter and look at the gem working there.

"Hello, I'm I-" I say before she cuts me off. She looks at me with a dull gaze in her eyes and speaks in a monotone voice, as if she's already tired from working at the counter.

"Yeah, hello. Do you have a meeting?" She spouts, before looking to a computer, on her left. When she finished speaking she made a loud click sound with her mouth, and I could tell she was eating some kind of unusual food. Whatever it was, it was certainly annoying.

"Uh, yes, I do. I have a meeting with the D.A, Diamond Authority, in twenty minutes." I answer her. "My name is Imperial Topaz, and-"

"Yeah, yeah, I found it. Top floor, room H3, have a nice day, sir." The gem quickly, and lazily, informs me. While the way she acted was something I found quite rude, I simply wish her a good day and take the elevator to the top floor. It's not really that crowded, today, so I quickly make it up stairs with fourteen minutes to spare.

I look around as I try to find the correct room. The way the rooms are arranged are a bit unusual, so I struggle a little bit, but I eventually make it to room H3. I sit down by the door, waiting for when the meeting starts, when I hear talking going on behind the door, I can't make out what they are saying, but it sounds quite serious. I wait a while, until I see a smart looking gem walk off, he looked mad, yet it also feels as if he was scared or in despair.

I was too distracted looking at the gem to hear the secretary, but when she shouts the second time, I hear her and immediately get up.

"Sorry, I didn't hear you." I apologize.

"Yeah, okay, well, they're ready to see you now, Mr. Topaz." She says. I thank her before walking into the meeting room to see only one of the four diamonds there. The Diamond Authority consists of four diamond gems, Yellow Diamond, Green Diamond, Blue Diamond, and the one I saw sitting at the table, White Diamond. When it came down to the diamonds, most people agreed that Yellow and White Diamond, were the most important ones, with White Diamond being slightly more.

White Diamond stands up from her seat and welcomes me. "Take a seat, Dorado." She insists, yet I was confused to why she would call me that name. My name is Imperial Topaz, and I am still slightly proud of it. It sounds professional.

"Um... Dorado? I'm sorry, White Diamond, but... my name's Imperial Topaz." I tell her, she looks at me with slight surprise, before donning a smile.

"I know, I know," She replies to me, in a calm and soothing voice "but Imperial Topaz is a name that's too simple and bland for a gentlegem such as yourself." I smile, I didn't expect to be complimented so casually by a member of the Diamond Authority.

"Thanks, Miss Diamond." I sit down on a chair on the opposite side of the table to White Diamond.

"Your welcome." She says as she sits back down on her seat. "Anyway, we're here because I can see the potential in you, Dorado, you are different from the other gems. You work harder than the others, and looking at your records, I have to say... I'm impressed."

"Really, Miss Diamond?" I ask, while trying my best not to come off as egotistical to her.

"Yes..." She replies, before a pause. "And I feel that you deserve a job more fitting for someone like yourself, maybe, commanding officer of Homeworld defenses?" I stand in complete silence and awe. Me? Commanding officer of Homeworld defenses? That would fix all my life's problems, I'm so honored to be offered this position "... but, like all of our high ranking officers, you have to pass a test, if you want to become commanding officer of a department that important to gemkind.

Without hesitation, I stand up. "I would do anything, your grace." I declare. She smiles and stands up, and slowly walks her way towards me.

"Are you sure? You don't even know what I am about to tell you to do." She advises.

"I would do anything to get a position that high, Miss Diamond, anything!" I remark. She stands right in front of me and looks me directly in the eye.

"Good... Would you take an army, go to the third Kindergarten, one that is filled with hundreds of rebel gems..." She asks, with a somewhat demonic smirk on her face. From the way she says the words she does, with a distasteful and painful essence in all of her words, I brace myself for the end of her question. "...and exterminate every single last one of them?"

Exterminate hundreds of gems...? Some of them would surely be innocent too, and even if they are all rebels, is it truly right to take the lives of another gem, let alone hundreds of them? I ponder this, until I snap back into reality with a seemingly patient gem staring at me.

"...Pardon?" I ask, hoping I misheard her, I can't kill... other gems, it's just wrong... "You're asking me to... what?"

"Kill a bunch of worthless traitors..." She whispers into my ear, before standing back and looking at me directly. "Imagine the life you could have with the money the job will get you... think of all the joy you could bring to another... think of everything you can accomplish with it... We already know you have a dream you want to build a foundation on... The Vendettas, right? Well, maybe, this will be your first successful vendetta... Stopping a massive threat to the billions of Homeworld inhabitants."

I look at her in the eyes, scared and confused. In her eyes, I see nothing, but an empty void, with the gleam of the light reflecting off of it. It was kind of sad, yet also, kind of beautiful, it made me pity her a little... and then it made me think... it made me think about what I should do... I know that I can't do it...yet I have to... I'll be forced into problems later in life if I don't take the job... I know this is wrong, yet I have to... I need to... for my future... for my happiness... for the Vendettas. I mean, it's one job, if I get it done, I'm free from everything else, and just live on my life.

"Well... I don't have all day, you know..." She jokes. I bite my thumb and then look at her, with my final answer ready. "Do we have a deal, or not?"

"...We have a deal." I shook her hand, and smiled.

"Good... let's get started..." She smiled, menacingly.

My body feels heavy, and the atmosphere seems more ominous than the one that seemed to hold promise of a brighter future. I'll rise above this feeling of heaviness and dread... as I have not made any mistakes... I'm sure my life beyond this point will be more clear and bright, I'm sure of it.

## Trivia

This story is about Dorado, the psychopathic leader of the Vendettas from the Kindergarten Roleplay.