I stepped out of the lake and looked around, lost in thought.
Nobody was around for now, but that wasn't necessarily a good thing... or a bad thing.
I swam to the shore and eyed the fruit I remembered from the show. I grabbed a few and started eating, avoiding the ones stashed inside my Gem. No point in wasting premium supplies on day one.
Right then, I heard a noise and glanced over, spotting several humans standing in circles.
They were basically treated like pets... if what I remembered from the show was right. So I tried not to take advantage of them. I planned on setting them free eventually, though I doubted they'd even want to leave. Staying in one place for too long really messes with your head—that's just a fact.
I scanned the surroundings for cameras. Knowing how the Empire worked, they were probably hidden in the walls... or even inside whatever was simulating the sun. I'd have to be careful with that. I wasn't sure if an Amethyst or an Agate was running this place, but either way, I was going to break out. For pretty obvious reasons, Blue Diamond wasn't keeping me here just for kicks.
I didn't stick out much among the humans. I didn't want them getting attached to me... and I definitely didn't want to get attached to them. Bad idea all around.
I quickly ducked into a corner and kept my eyes on the door.
I thought fast, though only two options came to mind.
Either punch my way out... or make them cry.
Yeah, sounds as bad as it gets.
For obvious reasons, neither was a great idea.
I paced around the area, making sure people didn't stare and taking care not to draw attention. Keeping a low profile was key.
Reflect on what had happened to me? Pffff... that was for chumps. Someone who spent years in a void—or so I think—isn't about to get all philosophical right now.
Just don't think about your family and you're good... I told myself as I kept walking around.
I sat down and tried to relax. I was stressed... seriously stressed. These dreams coming and going were wearing me out. Hiding in some far-from-comfortable bushes, I closed my eyes and let the dream world consume me.
When I opened them again, I woke up in the exact same bush.
I shook my head, looking around.
First off: I had two plans right now... and one absolute pipe dream.
I quickly looked down at the ground, hoping this would work.
I grabbed the grass growing from the dirt. Grass was a living thing, right? So...
Steven started to cry. The tears fell onto the grass—which used to wither fast—but the moment the drops hit, they dyed it a soft shade of pink.
...
...
...
Yeah, this is definitely nuts, I thought.
Steven's Memory:
"Hey, Mom," I said, standing in Rose's room.
"Yes?" my mother's hologram replied.
"Um... if I kill a plant and then bring it back to life with a tear... could that create portals?" I asked, genuinely curious.
...
...
...
My mother looked at me in silence.
And after a few seconds...
"Yes, it can. That's how I used to vanish quickly without anyone noticing."
Holy shit...
End of Memory.
"Alright... she said that before I was born, she just destroyed them, so these can be destroyed too."
I left a pink plant on the ground, scanning my surroundings.
I quickly approached what looked like a door... which was, clearly, a door. (Thanks, brain, real helpful clarification.)
I shrank down to a super tiny size and squeezed right under it.
[Don't ask about the Gem or why it shrank too. I'm really not in the mood for an existential crisis right now.] [Alien X did it.]
Steven peeked out from under the door and spotted two Amethysts hanging around. He had already stored several pink plants inside his Gem in case he needed to loop back, but he wanted a few more... just in case. Because hey, you can never have too many back-up plans. Plan B, C, D, the whole damn alphabet.
He slowly backed away from the Amethysts, watching as they received some kind of transmission and walked off.
Shaking his head, Steven took off running, scaling back up to a more normal size. On the way, he tucked another pink plant into a hidden crevice, keeping his guard up for any more Amethysts.
What if Amethysts showed up?
He shrank down.
Now, having unlocked Pink's powers, he wasn't draining his energy like before. The strain didn't wear him out as fast either. Everything was... smoother. More natural.
Steven looked ahead and froze in his tracks.
Standing by a massive door was Blue Diamond, apparently handing down orders to the local Agate.
Sneaking close enough, he caught their conversation.
"Agate."
Blue Diamond's voice was soft... but heavy with authority.
"Look after the human I brought. He is... a final keepsake."
The Agate bowed instantly.
"Of course, my Blue Diamond."
There was a brief pause.
"Though I suspect I will soon have no need for him... so ensure he is kept in good condition until then."
The Agate gave a firm nod.
"He will be treated exactly as you command."
"Good," Blue continued, a trace of melancholy in her voice. "I want... no complications. Is that understood, Agate?"
"Crystal clear, my Diamond."
Hiding nearby, Steven could only think one thing:
Holy shit... I really am important.
Shaking my head, I shrank down again just to be safe and sprinted toward them. They wouldn't notice something on the floor unless they were looking closely... and the only one who might was Pearl. Just to be sure, I shifted into the pink glow of my transformation to blend into the surroundings and move faster.
I reached the side of the door right as Pearl unlocked it. Without a second thought, I slipped inside.
Crossing the threshold, it hit me.
This was where they kept the Quartzes.
Great... one more thing to fix. More work for me. Because clearly, I didn't have enough on my plate already.
I quickly ducked behind a pillar as Blue Diamond dropped to her knees and started crying. Honestly, the pose she was in wasn't the most dignified thing in the universe... but hey, who was I to judge?
Now that I knew they were leaving me here, I had a plan: slip out the second the ship takes off and head straight for Homeworld. Maybe I could talk to White Diamond...
And if that failed...
Well.
Time to brawl.
Simple. Straightforward. Zero chance of going sideways. Yeah, right.
I reverted to my normal form and leaned back, keeping chill. Pearl and Blue Diamond were locked into their own world, hardly moving.
Everything was going... surprisingly well.
Which, obviously, meant everything was about to go completely downhill.
Out of nowhere, the door slid open.
And in walked the one figure Steven definitely did not want to see.
Yellow Diamond.
She stroed in alongside her Pearl, without giving the Agate so much as a backward glance.
The door snapped shut behind them.
Yellow Diamond stepped forward and sat directly across from Blue Diamond, who was still on her knees.
The room grew heavy.
Tense.
The kind of air where you just know something is about to blow up... and not metaphorically.
...
...
...
"So... why the rush, Blue?" Yellow Diamond said, crossing her arms.
Blue Diamond didn't answer right away.
Her eyes stayed fixed on the floor, her hands clutched against the ground.
"I received the report... and I came," she finally replied, her voice slightly strained. It wasn't an outburst of sorrow... not yet. More like bottled-up frustration. Like something just wasn't clicking.
Yellow frowned.
"'I came,' she says... as if that changes a single thing," she blurted out, devoid of tact. "Pink is shattered. There's nothing to be done."
Silence.
Blue tightened her fists.
"I know."
She didn't sound convinced.
Yellow tilted her head, analyzing her.
"Then stop acting like there's some hidden solution out there," she continued, blunt as ever. "Things break. Gems break. End of story."
Blue closed her eyes for a moment.
"Pink wasn't 'things,'" she replied, her voice trembling slightly. "She was..."
She trailed off.
Yellow sighed, visibly uncomfortable.
"She was reckless. Immature. A constant disaster," she said with zero filter. "But she was ours."
Blue looked up slightly.
Yellow glanced away, as if admitting that much was already enough vulnerability for the next century.
"Listen," Yellow continued, adopting that dry, pragmatic tone that clearly wasn't helping. "Crying isn't going to piece her back together. Neither will staying here."
Blue's brow furrowed.
"I need time."
"Time for what?" Yellow shot back immediately. "To keep dwelling on her? To obsess over what's already done?"
Blue stayed silent.
To Yellow, that was answer enough.
"Pink made stupid choices. It had consequences. End of story."
The atmosphere stretched even tighter.
"You can stay here if you want," Yellow added, standing up slightly. "But don't expect the Empire to grind to a halt just because you can't let go."
Blue lowered her eyes again.
"...I just... needed to see it for myself," she whispered.
Yellow clicked her tongue softly.
"Well, now you've seen it."
A pause.
"Now get over it."
...Yeah, definitely zero tact, Steven thought, pulling a massive WTF face from behind the pillar.
"I am heading to Homeworld... are you coming with me?" Blue finally said, pulling herself up slightly, though her posture still bore that heavy weight she couldn't quite shake off.
Yellow Diamond stared at her.
For a second... she was at a loss for words.
Which, coming from someone like her, was rare as hell.
Her expression tightened just a bit, as if debating whether to drop another cold line... or just yield.
"...Tch."
She looked away for a fraction of a second.
"Of course I'm going," she finally replied, regaining her usual tone. "Someone has to make sure you don't do anything... reckless."
Blue didn't answer right away.
But for the first time since she arrived...
Her expression softened ever so slightly.
"Then let us leave," she said quietly.
Yellow nodded, turning toward her Pearl.
"Prepare everything. We are leaving now."
Yellow's Pearl bowed quickly.
"Yes, my Diamond."
The air was still heavy... but now it had direction.
"You as well, Pearl."
"Yes, my Diamond," Blue's Pearl replied with a bow.
"We are leaving him behind, correct, my Diamond?" Blue's Pearl asked, clearly referring to the human.
...
...
...
Blue Diamond paused, lost in thought for a few seconds.
"No... leave him. We will retrieve him later when I am calmer."
Blue's Pearl nodded and fell in behind Yellow's Pearl.
"What was that about?" Yellow asked, eyeing Blue Diamond sideways.
"Nothing... just an organic I brought along," Blue replied with a forced smile.
Yellow shook her head, saying nothing more as she began walking toward her ship.
Blue Diamond followed...
Completely unaware that tucked into her dress was a tiny person.
"Dammit..." I muttered.
I sprinted toward Blue Diamond in my tiny pink form. There was no way in hell I was staying here. Leaving those pink plants behind as return points was more than enough.
Reaching her, I hitched a ride on her dress right as she started moving.
Steven, utilizing his vastly superior IQ (ahem), crawled right under Blue Diamond's dress to avoid getting spotted... because getting caught out in the open would be way too obvious.
It was dark.
Pretty damn dark.
Steven activated his pink glow, lighting up his immediate surroundings just a bit.
Okay... this isn't weird at all, I thought. Hiding under the dress of a giant space dictator. Perfect plan. Zero flaws.
He squished into the best position he could find and decided to stay dead still.
Waiting.
Until they made it inside the ship... without getting caught.
Because if they caught him...
Well.
Everything would go down the drain.
"My Diamonds," all the Quartz soldiers called out in farewell.
Neither Diamond even bothered to look at them.
They simply headed straight for their ships, boarding their respective palanquins alongside their Pearls.
Step by step, Blue Diamond walked inside casually...
And a tiny little guy tumbled out without anyone noticing, rolling into a small crevice.
Naturally, it was Steven.
Wasting no time, he planted a few pink sprouts in the corner and dug a small hole so the leaves wouldn't fly off for some absurd cosmic reason. Because yeah, with his luck, that would totally happen.
Steven stared at the plant for a second...
And without thinking twice, he dove inside.
The moment he stepped through, everything felt... familiar.
He looked around.
Trees dotted the landscape, the atmosphere calm, almost surreal.
Steven gave himself a nod.
"Yep... still weird."
Not wanting to waste any more time, he headed right back the way he came.
Popping back out, he took a look around...
And almost had a heart attack.
"Rose?" a Pebble asked, looking utterly confused.
Steven nearly jumped out of his skin.
...
...
The two of them just stared at each other.
...
"Hey," I said, waving like it was no big deal.
The Pebble nodded slowly, then glanced around.
"Are you trying to hide or something?" it asked.
"Something like that," I replied, looking toward the back.
Then I turned toward the plant.
The Pebble looked at it too.
"Will you watch over it when I'm not here?" I asked.
"Of course. Anything for Rose," the Pebble said without hesitation.
I nodded.
I walked over to where it had dug out a tiny niche...
Which I promptly squished myself into.
Because why not.
My life now consisted of hiding inside plants and holes in the wall.
They call it character development.
Days passed.
I stayed with the Pebbles. I didn't want to go back to Beach City for two main reasons: first, if I went back to the Gems, they probably wouldn't let me leave again. Second... I was going straight for White Diamond, and what I was planning was dangerously stupid. Like, at what point did I think this was a good idea? stupid.
The Pebbles, like a crew of professional nosy aunts, spilled all the tea about what had been going on while I was gone. And of course, Peridot had "forgotten" a few key details. How shocking.
First off: the Diamonds had gotten even stricter.
Second: the Earth rebels were basically seen as Satan with glitter.
Third: White Diamond was pulling a Rapunzel in her tower, refusing to come out.
And fourth... Blue Diamond.
Well.
Let's just say she wasn't doing... great.
—
"I'm telling you, I saw it with my own eyes," Pebble 1 said, crossing its arms like it was the most reliable source in the universe. "Blue Diamond was crying. Crying!"
"Yeah, yeah, you've said that ten times already," Pebble 2 replied. "But it's not normal. Before, she just gave orders and that was it. Now... she just sits there. Like she's thinking."
"That's worse," Pebble 3 chimed in. "When a Diamond thinks too much, someone ends up shattered."
"Thanks for the vote of confidence," I muttered.
Pebble 1 pointed at me.
"And you, Rose—"
"Steven," I corrected automatically.
"—Rose," it continued, ignoring me completely. "All of this started when you... you know."
"...Died. Yeah, you can say it."
Pebble 2 shook its head.
"The Empire changed. More control, more security. The Agates are harsher than ever."
"Don't even get me started on the Amethysts," Pebble 3 added. "They patrol non-stop now. You can't even move without them staring like you're about to blow up."
"Well, technically I could," I whispered.
All three Pebbles ignored me.
"And the rebels..." Pebble 1 went on. "They're the Empire's public enemy number one now. They paint them out to be monsters."
"Worse than before," Pebble 2 said. "Now anything connected to Earth is suspicious."
"What about White Diamond?" I asked.
The three went silent for a second.
"Locked away," Pebble 3 finally said. "Doesn't come out. Doesn't talk. Doesn't do anything."
"That's scarier than if she were out destroying planets," Pebble 2 added.
"Because when she does come out..." Pebble 1 trailed off.
"...something bad is gonna happen," I finished.
Silence.
"Oh, and another thing," Pebble 2 said, like remembering a juicy piece of gossip. "The other two Diamonds are business as usual... but Blue..."
"Blue is acting weird," Pebble 3 concluded.
"Crying, I told you!" Pebble 1 insisted.
"Yes, Martha, we get it, she's crying," Pebble 2 snapped back.
"My name isn't Martha!"
I sighed.
Yep.
Definitely like nosy aunts.
But through all that chaos...
One thing was clear.
The Empire wasn't getting better.
It was getting worse.
And I was about to jump straight into the deep end.
Great.
Flawless plan.
Once again.
(I really outdid myself writing this part XD)
"Oh, come on, it's not that hard," Pebble 1 said, as if talking about buying groceries instead of sneaking into the core of the Empire.
I stared at it.
Then I looked at the others.
And I sighed.
"Alright... I'm gonna tell you the plan," I said, scratching my head. "But if you tell me it's stupid... I won't be surprised."
"It already is," Pebble 2 said without missing a beat.
"He hasn't even said it yet," Pebble 3 added.
"I trust my gut," 2 fired back.
I ignored them. Professionally.
"I'm going to Homeworld."
Silence.
"..."
"..."
"..."
"Ah, makes sense," Pebble 1 said. "You really are a little dummy, Rose."
"Appreciate the emotional support," I replied drily.
"Go on," Pebble 3 said, intrigued.
"I'm going to talk directly to White Diamond," I blurted out.
Now came the real silence.
Heavy awkward silence.
The this is going to end horribly kind of silence.
"Directly?" Pebble 2 repeated. "To White Diamond?"
"Yep."
"The same one who's locked up, completely unhinged, and could erase you from existence just by looking at you weird?"
"That's the one."
Pebble 1 slapped its hands to its head.
"Oh no, Rose is back and she's even more reckless!"
"Steven," I corrected automatically.
"Rose!" it insisted.
Pebble 3 stared at me.
"And what's the plan, exactly? Because so far it just sounds like suicide with extra steps."
"The plan is... to talk," I said.
...
...
...
All three stared at me like I'd just said the stupidest thing in the universe.
"Talk?" Pebble 2 said. "That's your grand plan?"
"Yep."
"No weapons? No army? Nothing?"
"Nope."
...
...
...
Pebble 1 slowly shook its head.
"This isn't a plan. This is a slaughter."
"Listen," I said, holding up a hand. "I can't fight her. Nobody can. But... maybe I can get her to listen." (I said that, but I didn't mention there'd be lead involved.)
"And why would she listen to you?" Pebble 3 asked.
I pointed to my Gem.
"Because I'm... well."
"Rose," all three said at the exact same time.
"...Steven," I corrected again, purely out of habit.
"Whatever," Pebble 2 said. "Even so, you can't just stroll up and knock on her door like it's nothing."
"Exactly," I added. "That's where you guys come in."
The three went silent.
Oh no.
They caught on.
"I need you to guide me," I continued. "You know how everything moves around here. Routes, sectors, patrols... paths that aren't heavily guarded."
Pebble 1 crossed its arms.
"Are you asking us to help you sneak into the most dangerous part of the Empire... to talk to the most dangerous Gem in the universe?"
"Pretty much."
Pebble 2 sighed.
"This is a terrible idea."
"A complete disaster," Pebble 3 added.
"It's going to end badly," Pebble 1 finished.
A pause.
"...But I want to see how it ends," Pebble 2 said.
Pebble 3 nodded.
"Me too."
Pebble 1 pointed at me.
"If we get into trouble, it's on you."
"Duly noted."
They sighed.
"Fine," Pebble 3 said. "We'll guide you."
"But you do exactly what we say," Pebble 2 added.
"And if we say run—"
"I run," I answered.
"—you run," Pebble 1 finished.
I nodded.
"Then we have a deal."
The three looked at each other.
Then back at me.
"This is gonna be a mess," one said.
"A massive mess," said another.
"A historical mess," the third chimed in.
I cracked a small smile.
"Yeah... but it's my mess."
And honestly...
I was already too deep in to back out now.
"And why aren't you with Blue?"
The question dropped out of nowhere. Direct. Unfiltered.
Like everything else that came out of their mouths.
I went silent for a second.
"...It's complicated," I finally said.
"Of course it's complicated," Pebble 2 shot back. "Nothing with you is ever normal."
"Thanks for the support," I muttered.
Pebble 3 locked eyes with me.
"Explain."
I sighed.
"Okay... first off, I'm not actually Rose."
All three froze.
"Uh-huh..." Pebble 1 said slowly. "That sounds like something Rose would say."
"Seriously," I insisted. "I'm... her son."
Silence.
Heavy, processing-critical-information silence.
"...What?" Pebble 2 said.
"What do you mean, her son?" Pebble 3 added.
"Biologically weird, emotionally weirder," I replied. "But yeah. I'm Steven."
Pebble 1 pointed at me like it had just uncovered a massive conspiracy.
"So you are Rose!"
"No—"
"Just Version 2.0!"
"I said no!"
I dragged a hand down my face.
"I'm me... but I'm not her. I have her powers, her Gem, memories sometimes... but I'm not Rose."
The three looked at each other.
"...Okay, that explains a lot of things," Pebble 2 said.
"And complicates a whole lot more," Pebble 3 added.
"What about Blue?" Pebble 1 asked. "Why aren't you with her if you're basically her walking trauma?"
"Because she kidnapped me," I said point-blank.
...
...
"...Excuse me?" all three said at once.
"Yeah. She snatched me off Earth and brought me here like I was some pretty little keepsake to lock in a box."
Pebble 2 scowled.
"That's... pretty messed up."
"Tell me about it."
"And you're not... mad?" Pebble 3 asked.
I thought about it for a second.
"...Yeah. But I get where she's coming from, too."
The three pulled an 'okay, this guy is weird' face.
"She lost Rose," I went on. "And now I show up with her face, her powers... everything. It's like... rubbing salt in the wound."
Pebble 1 winced.
"Salt with lemon and hot sauce."
"Exactly."
A brief pause.
"So why didn't you stay with her?" Pebble 2 pressed.
"Because I'm not Rose," I replied, firmer this time. "And I can't stick around being a replacement."
Silence.
"Besides..." I added, crossing my arms. "This gave me an opening."
"An opening for what?" Pebble 3 asked.
I smirked a little.
"To get here."
The three blinked.
"Blue practically delivered me straight to the center of the Empire," I continued. "Unintentionally, but she did it."
Pebble 1's eyes went wide.
"...Holy crap."
"So I'm gonna take advantage of it," I said. "Since I'm already here, I'm gonna do what I came to do."
"Talk to White Diamond," Pebble 2 whispered.
I nodded.
"Bingo."
Pebble 3 slowly shook its head.
"You're still completely insane."
"Yeah," I said. "But now I'm insane with VIP access."
Pebble 1 sighed.
"This sounds worse by the second."
"And I haven't even started yet," I replied.
...
"He's definitely Rose's kid," Pebble 2 said.
"No doubt about it," Pebble 3 added.
"100% confirmed," Pebble 1 closed out.
"...I'm gonna stop correcting you guys," I muttered.
(Author's Note: I gave the Pebbles these personalities, XP, it's pretty funny XD. Plus they're more understanding of this stuff since, well, Rose wasn't exactly subtle about what she did and basically vented to the first Pebble that walked by.)
"Looks like we're here..." Pebble 3 whispered.
Out of nowhere, footsteps echoed nearby.
Another Pebble hurried over, looking frantic.
"Hey, Rose needs to get down on the floor to leave with Blue Diamond."
The others nodded.
I followed them quickly.
We positioned ourselves on the ground, waiting for the signal in complete silence. The air felt... heavy. Like the planet itself knew this was a terrible idea.
Another Pebble nodded and, without wasting time, carved out a small hole—just big enough for me to squeeze through in my mini form.
Efficient. I like it.
I shrank down immediately and slid inside, hitching a ride on Pebble 1, who was going to help move me along.
I flared my pink glow to light up the dark.
"Alright... suicide mission in progress," I whispered.
"Shh," Pebble 1 hissed. "Every tiny sound carries in here."
I nodded.
And then...
A voice echoed out.
"Welcome, my Diamonds."
I felt the entire atmosphere shift in an instant.
Colder.
Tenser.
Pebble 1 froze dead in its tracks.
Me too.
Because if that voice belonged to who I thought it did...
Then we weren't playing around anymore.
We had arrived.
Straight into the lion's den.
End of Chapter 82.