Jasper x Fem! Reader (NOT FINISHED, may continue at a later date)

Chapter 43: Space Exploration (First Mission)

Update (08/05/21): Grammatical errors were fixed, words were changed, etc.

     Garnet led you and Steven to the nearest warp pad as quickly as she could. You and Steven followed swiftly behind her, stepping onto the structure before light surrounded the four of you. You appeared back in Steven's house, Pearl sitting on the floor in front of you. "This can't be happening...," Steven said quietly. You glanced over at him with a worried expression on your face, looking back up at Pearl when she spoke.
    "Steven! You're back", the pale gem said, standing.
    "Hey, Stevo," Amy said, peeking around the corner. Sarge came from behind her, running to you. You giggled, bending down to pet him.
   "We're so sorry about earlier...," Pearl apologized.
   "Forget that! We have to catch up with her", the half-gem yelled, his voice filled with worry.
    "What," Pearl asked.
    "Who," Amethyst asked quickly after.
   "Blue Diamond," you and Garnet said at the same time.
    "Blue Diamond," Pearl spoke loudly, beginning to freak out. "On Earth," she finished after she stopped pacing.
    "Holy smokes! They're all coming outta the woodwork", Amethyst said, making you chuckle.
   "A-Amethyst...turn into a chair. I-I need to sit down", Pearl stuttered, leaning against the purple quartz.
    "She took Dad! She alien-abducted him! And it's all my fault", Steven yelled, burying his fingers in his hair.
    "Hey, it isn't your fault, Steven. Blue Diamond took him off of her own accord", you reassured, grabbing his shoulder.
    "She took Greg," Amethyst asked, a confused look on her face.
    "Our Greg?" You shook your head at Pearl's question, letting out a sigh.
   "What other Greg is there? How are we gonna get him back," Amy yelled.
    "What does she even want him for? To eat him? To put him in a zoo," Steven asked frantically.
    "I don't think she'd eat him, Steven, but the zoo thing sounds more believable," you mused, sitting on the edge of the warp pad.
   "Wait...that might be it", Pearl said, looking over at you. "There was uh...no, no. It can't possibly still exist. Not since we—"
   "That's right," Garnet exclaimed, cutting Pearl off. "Pink Diamond's insidious human zoo."
   "Wait, there's actually a human zoo somewhere out in space," you blinked, looking up at the fusion.
   "During her reign on Earth, Pink Diamond stole humans from their families. As trophies of her conquests", Garnet explained.
    "You've gotta be kidding."
    "I'm with Amy," you added. "Clearly she wasn't as great as Jasper made her out to be..."
   "Oh no. It was very serious", Pearl confirmed, glancing at everyone. "When I still served—Homeworld. I saw it myself. A private menagerie deep in space. Humans in captivity. We were never able to rescue them! We had no way to get to them after the war", the pale gem said, hardly ever taking a breath. Why did she pause after telling us who she served, you thought, narrowing your eyes slightly, but decided to ignore it for the time being. "But—that was over five thousand years ago..."
   "You really think Greg's there," Amethyst asked, looking up at Pearl.
   "Steven," the pale gem said, catching the boy's attention, "Blue Diamond wanted him alive?"
    "Yes...yes! She liked him!"
    "I can't think of anywhere else she'd put him if she wanted to keep him. That's if the zoo's still there", Pearl validated, basically sealing the location for their mission.
   "It's our only chance," Steven said, clenching his fists. "But—how're we going to get there?"
    "With the roaming eye," Garnet answered. You furrowed your eyebrows, standing again.
   "The ruby ship," Amethyst asked. You glanced back at the fusion again, waiting for her response.
    "That's right. We're going into space, and we're not coming back—without. Greg." You gulped slightly at her tone of voice, adjusting your bag around you.
   "Well, I hope everything works out for you guys, and I hope you get your dad back, Steven," you said, smiling at the teenage boy softly.
   "(N/n), why are you saying that," Amy asked, raising an eyebrow at you. "You're coming with us, aren't you?"
   "I-I figured you guys wouldn't want me in the way," you said softly, taking a step back to look at the Crystal Gems. "I'm only human after all, and I don't have anyone to watch Sarge for me if all of you are going."
    "You're coming with. You've proven so far to be a great asset to our team, even if you don't follow orders", Garnet said with a chuckle, adjusting her visors. You blushed softly, giggling.
    "I only wanted to keep Steven safe...I'm sorry", you said, rubbing the back of your neck.
    "Don't be. Come along, we have a ship to fetch", the fusion said, stepping off of the warp pad and beginning to make her way to the door with everyone in tow.

*time skip brought to you by 'Adventures In Light Distortion'*

    The gems gave you the chance to drop your things off at your house before heading over to Peridot and Lapis' place. You wanted to keep your sword on you, of course, figuring it might just come in handy, but Pearl pulled you to the side, assuring you that you wouldn't need it. You shrugged, trusting the gem and leaving it safely locked behind your front door. You were standing next to Amethyst by the ship, slightly leaning against the quartz as Peridot set the ship up for your trip. You weren't listening to the small, green gem, but were more concerned about who would look after Sarge for you. Steven had suggested that Lapis and Peridot could do it; but you weren't entirely sure how you felt about the gem who had kept Jasper trapped in a fusion for months, watching your dog. You sighed softly, earning a glance from Amy. "Hey, the little guy will be fine," she reassured, squeezing your arm.
    "Sorry, Connie, but we just can't wait," you heard Steven say from your left. You gasped softly, making eye contact with the teenage boy as he spoke to his best friend. "Dad's in trouble, and we need to go into space to get him back." He then sighed softly, turning. "There's no time! We're going right now. Just—protect Beach City for me while we're gone. And also, could you keep an eye on (y/n)'s puppy? She looks really worried." You smiled softly at him, and he returned the gesture, looking back over at the gems.
    "So, if I input the coordinates, it'll take us right there," Pearl asked Peridot.
   "It's a little more complicated than that," the green gem said with her hands on her hips.     "These aren't your Era One Light Kites. You're gonna be pretty much, bending reality, if you turn on the gravity engine. Come to think of it...I should really change the ruby preferences on that too."
    "So what, so it's red! Come on, come on, we gotta go", Steven yelled, running into the spaceship.
    "Rubies aside, will it fly," Pearl asked, looking at Peridot. You yawned, stretching before bending down to pet and kiss your dog.
    "Short answer? Yes", Peridot replied.
    "I'll see you later, Sarge. Be a good boy, okay? I promise when I come back, I'll spend as much time with you as possible", you said to him, kissing his nose.
    "Okay, let's go," Amy said, grabbing your arm and pulling you onto the ship. You looked back at your puppy, his amber eyes glowing brightly in the sunlight. Once Garnet stepped in, the ruby ship took off, quickly leaving the Earth's atmosphere. Your (e/c) eyes were glued to the windows around you, admiring the stars.
   "Whoa...," you said quietly to yourself. It's beautiful.
   "Don't worry, Dad...we're on our way", you heard Steven say from beside you.
    "Think I should've texted my mom before we left," you asked Amethyst. The quartz shrugged, and you sighed, leaning back in your seat.
    "I hope he got to see some of this. There's enough out here for a whole album about the cosmos." You smiled softly at the half-gem, your smile faltering seconds after when the ship began to shake. You gripped the arms of your seat, turning your head slightly to look at Pearl.
   "Space turbulence," she said, causing you to turn back around and look back out the window in front of you.
   "Space turbulence? It looks like we're in the asteroid belt", you said, turning back to look at the gem driving the ship with furrowed eyebrows.
    "Hold on," Pearl said, guiding the ship away from the large rocks flying towards it.
     "Alright," Steven said, standing and running over to the gems, "How much longer til—" He was cut off by the sound of something hitting the ship. You turned to see a gem, which you assume was a ruby, flattened on the window in front of everyone. You watched as she was knocked off and floated back into space, two more hitting the same glass next. "Sorry, Rubies," Steven said with a sigh.
   "We should really do something about them," Garnet said calmly.
    "We can pick them up on the way back. Dad comes first! How much longer 'til we get there," he asked Pearl again.
   "Well...at our current speed, we should be reaching the human zoo in...approximately seventy human years!"
    "What," you screamed, standing up to go over to the rest of the crew.
   "Just in time for Greg's one-hundred and tenth anniversary of being alive," the pale gem spoke cheerfully.
   "Pearl," Steven whined, "My dad's not healthy enough to live that long!"
   "Neither am I," you protested, crossing your arms.
   "Uh...do you think he'll be able to make it to one-hundred and nine," she asked, placing a finger on her cheek. You deadpanned, facepalming a moment later.
    "Before we left," Garnet started, interjecting, "Peridot did mention a gravity engine."
   "Oh yeah, she said it bends reality," Amethyst added. You peeked over your fingers, looking at Pearl.
    "Oh, I'm sure she was exaggerating," Pearl said with an eye roll.
    "Peridot doesn't seem like the type to exaggerate," you said with a chuckle. Pearl scoffed, a playful smirk on her lips.
   "It probably just alters the definition of speed by manipulating space-time." You hummed, nodding. "But what effect will that have on organic matter? It might flatten Steven and (y/n)'s bodies into a pancake of skin and bones!"
   "I like pancakes, but not like that," you said, crossing your arms.
   "Ew," Amy replied, "bones are gross."
   "You have bones in your bedroom," Garnet countered, looking at the smaller gem.
   "That's different. Those are my bones." You rolled your eyes, laughing.
     "Well, excuse me for being a meat sack that needs bones to stand upright."
   "If being a pancake means saving my Dad, then bring on the syrup," Steven yelled before smacking his hand on the screen in front of Pearl. Your (e/c) eyes widened, but before you could say anything, you felt like your body was being stretched, painfully before you blacked out.

*time skip brought to you by powder*

   You groaned quietly upon hearing someone calling your name, sitting up and holding your head. "Wh-What happened," you asked, gently massaging your temples.
   "You blacked out...that was my bad", Steven said, a nervous smile on his lips. "Are you okay?" You were about to tell him that you were fine, but the words got caught in your throat as you looked behind him at the gems.
   "Are they okay," you asked with a laugh, the action making your headache worse.
   "We're totally fine," Amethyst said, giggling. Garnet hummed, pursing her lips.
   "We are not fine," Pearl shrieked. "Our bodies are made of light. And usually, they form a mass-dependent on the air pressure and the level of gravity in the environment. But we're in a situation where the normal laws of physics don't apply!"
    "Yeah, we know Pearl," Amethyst snorted, "You said that already."
   "Well, I was only reiterating for (y/n)'s understanding," the pale gem argued back.
    "Oh! I know the problem", Steven suddenly said, walking back over to the dashboard. "Peridot said that the ship was calibrated for rubies. I-It must be making you all ruby-sized!"
   "That would make sense," you agreed, standing up slowly to stretch.
    "Ugh! Why doesn't she ever tell us anything," Pearl complained, "This is why we don't listen to her!"
   "I'm pretty sure she tried to tell you guys, but no one listened," you said with a chuckle, taking a seat in the chair in front of the main controls.
   "Maybe I can change the settings," Steven said, hopping up in your lap. You smiled softly, leaning slightly over his shoulder as he ran his fingers over the screen. You watched as the pictures changed from small gems to ones that were more built. Quartzes? The gems increased in size behind you, a grunt following their stretch. "No...," Steven said quietly to himself, scrambling the pictures again. You furrowed your eyebrows, slightly squinting to see the new images. You turned your head to see the gems change again, this time incredibly tiny. You giggled at how big their gems were compared to their bodies, turning to face the screen again when Steven re-scrambled the controls. The images on the screen displayed three diamonds, and you heard a loud thunk behind you, making you jump. You craned your neck to look behind you once more, seeing the gems' heads touching the roof of the ship. "Sorry," Steven called, turning to look at them.
    "This isn't working," Garnet said, stating the obvious.
    "Try adjusting it manually," Pearl said, sounding exasperated as Amethyst giggled. Steven then turned back towards the dashboard, clicking something that revealed a different set of controls.
     "Whoa! Um...maybe this one", he said, unsure, beginning to frantically click things. You kept your eyes on the gems, their bodies changing with every mash of a button.
   "It looks like it's just getting worse, Steven...," you commented, grimacing slightly at the pile of noodles behind you.
   "Ugh! Why is this so complicated," the teenage boy groaned, closing his eyes as he began to randomly click things. The gems began to change frantically; Garnet smashing into a disk, Pearl blowing up like a balloon, and Amethyst flattening out into a slug-like form.
    "Hey, Steven? This is getting a little weird, even for me", Amethyst said from beside the seat on the floor. Steven began to slowly freak out, mashing buttons on the screen faster.
    "Uh, Steven? Not to rain on your button-mashing parade, but I don't think—"
   "I think I found the off switch," he yelled, cutting you off as he slammed both of his hands on the large red 'X' in front of him. The lights in the ship went red, your back slamming roughly into the chair. Steven's back collided right with your chest, the back of his head hitting you in the chin. "Guys! Wh-What did I do," he asked, turning to look behind him. You tried your best to turn as well, but your body wouldn't budge. The sight before you seemed like you were traveling through a wormhole of some sort. You glanced down, your (e/c) eyes meeting with Steven's worried brown ones. He was speaking to you, but you couldn't hear him, the ringing in your ears far too loud. Your breathing was ragged as well, and you were beginning to feel your eyes close as you were losing consciousness. Tears began running down your face at the feeling of your skin tearing from your body, your bones straining to move. Steven's mouth was moving quickly, but the ringing in your ears had persisted. He squeezed your hand tightly, and at that moment, you blacked out for the second time.

*time skip brought to you by breaking the sound barrier and more*

   You gasped loudly, your eyes shooting open. "Oh, thank the stars!" You then began coughing harshly, your abdomen hurting extremely bad. You clutched the area where your scar was, looking down at it. It didn't appear any different, but it felt like it had been torn open moments before.
   "What happened," you asked, your voice hoarse.
    "In Steven's attempt to fix our bodies, he turned the calibration to the ship off, leaving us lagging behind because of how fast we were moving," Garnet explained.
   "H-How come I didn't turn into a pancake then," you asked with a chuckle.
    "I like to assume that Steven had a hand in that," Pearl said, looking over at the half-gem warmly. "He was crying, so his tears might have aided in your survival. Even though I'm not sure how healthy you may be..."
    "Pearl," Amethyst said in a warning tone. You glanced over at the purple quartz, seeing that her eyes were filled with tears and her hair more wild than normal. "(Y/n) is going to be fine," she said, sounding more like she was trying to convince herself rather than you. You smiled softly, reaching up to pat her head. Your entire being was sore, and you groaned, scooting to the edge of your seat with Amethyst's help.
    "So, where are we now," you asked, looking out the window in front of you. You saw a large pink structure in the distance, a planet in the backdrop. Your mouth fell open slightly, your (e/c) eyes wide as you took in the beauty before you. "Whoa..."
    "The human zoo," Pearl said, controlling the ship from your side. "I can't believe it still exists."
    "Dad's gotta be in there. We just have to find him and bust him out", Steven said as the ship entered the place. You gasped softly at what you assumed was a forcefield you guys went through, turning around to watch how it rippled once you passed through it. You winced, rubbing your neck. Amethyst looked at you with a worried expression, gasping softly once the ship stopped.
    "Those gems...," she said quietly. You turned to see who she was referring to, your cheeks heating up slightly.
    "Amethyst guards," Pearl said, pinching the bridge of her nose. "Right—like we could just waltz up as an ownerless Pearl, a fusion, and-and you," she said, smiling softly at Steven.
   "We just need disguises," Steven said optimistically. "I'll be Esteban Universidad!" You giggled quietly, leaning against your hand.
   "And I guess I'll be Escuela de Esmeralda, his sister." Steven grinned at you, giggling.
    "Steven, (y/n)...it doesn't matter what your name is. We're all going to stand out", Pearl exclaimed. You rolled your eyes, a playful smirk on your lips.
   "Okay, fine. We can just—I don't know, turn me in as another human", you joked, chuckling.
   "(Y/n)'s right. We won't stand out if we play the roles we were made for." Your (e/c) eyes widened, and you turned around quickly, looking behind you. Garnet was nowhere to be found, but in her place were two gems. One blue, one red, and they were holding hands.
   "Ruby! Sapphire", Steven said with a surprised expression. Amethyst and Pearl sported the same look. You gasped, clamping one of your hands over your mouth. Oh my gosh, they're so cute! You screamed quietly, holding onto Amethyst's arm.
    "Okay, everybody," Ruby started, "Hear her out..."
   "Today...I'm a sapphire traveling with her ruby guard", Sapphire's gentle voice said. "And my personal Pearl. Esteban and Esmeralda", Sapphire said, glancing between you and Steven,     "I've brought the two of you as an offering for the zoo."
   "Pobrecito Esteban," Steven exclaimed, making you giggle.
   "Uh...what about me," Amethyst asked Sapphire, raising her hand.
   "You're accompanying me as extra muscle."
   "Muscle like them," the purple quartz said, pointing to the guards standing at the entrance to the zoo.
    "Exactly," Sapphire confirmed.
   "But I've never even seen another amethyst before! What do I do? What if I say something wrong?" You placed your hand on Amethyst's shoulder, squeezing it gently.
    "You'll do fine."
   "Just look the part," Sapphire reassured with a wave of her hands. "You're new, and we're rusty. But we just have to sell this long enough to find Greg."
   "Is this really going to work," Pearl asked softly.
    "No," Sapphire replied simply. You and the gems let out a worried groan, tensing up.     "Just...stick together. Play it straight! Let's—change the future", the small blue gem said, smiling awkwardly.
    "Lord, give me strength," you mumbled, running a hand down your face. Pearl then opened the door to the ship, the hissing sound making your heart start beating quickly. We're really going to do this, you thought, quickly taking your jacket off and laying it in the seat before standing up slowly. Your legs were very wobbly, but Amethyst supported your weight, shapeshifting to look more like the guards. "Thanks, Amy," you whispered as you were led off of the ship, hands restrained behind your back.
   "You'll never cage me, ya rock heads," Steven yelled. You pressed your lips together to keep from laughing, blowing some of your (h/c) hair from your face. You were led up the steps, Sapphire stopping in front of the amethyst guards. They looked at you all suspiciously before glancing at one another.
   "State your purpose," the one on the left demanded. Your stomach twisted at the sound of her voice, it reminding you of another quartz.
   "I'm here to make a delivery to the human zoo," Sapphire said calmly.
   "Bad news," the same amethyst spoke again, a smirk on her face, "The human zoo, shut down. Which means, we'll just have to throw these two into space", she finished, leaning down to peer into Steven's face. You raised an eyebrow, narrowing your eyes at her. Steven looked noticeably terrified, sweat dripping down his face. "Heh, look! It believed me", the guard said to the other, the both of them laughing.
   "Dickheads", you growled, causing the two of them to glance at you. But before they could say anything, another voice cut them off.
   "What're you doing?"
   "Nothing, Holly Blue Agate," they both said fearfully, standing at attention and saluting. You cocked your head to the side, looking at their salute curiously. Ohh...it creates the shape of a diamond. Clever. The third gem glanced over at Sapphire before gasping, kicking one of the amethysts in the ankle. The poor guard's eyes filled with tears as her knees slightly buckled from pain.
    "Why didn't you tell me there was a sapphire here! What have you miscreants been saying to them," she demanded, pointing in both of their faces.
   "Nothing, Holly," the amethyst guard with shorter hair said.
   "You'll have to forgive them," Holly said, smiling warmly at Sapphire with a chuckle. "They're from Earth...Ahem! Apologize", she whispered loudly to the guards.
   "Forgive us," they said in unison, turning to Sapphire. Holly Blue punched the one with longer hair in her arm, causing her to crash into the other. "Forgive us, Your Clarity."
    "No use dwelling on the past," Sapphire said, holding up a hand. "I've brought two new humans for the collection."
    "How unprecedented," Holly said. "Nothing for millennia, and then three humans back to back," she said, cheerfully. You and Steven made eye contact, giving each other a subtle nod.     "Well, it's probably for the best. The first one wasn't in the...best condition."
   "Rude," you said, leaning against Amethyst. Your legs were starting to hurt.
    "Dad! That's him!" Ruby aggressively shushed Steven, looking worried.
    "Oh, their incessant barking! What is it saying," Holly asked, annoyed. She then laughed, placing a hand on her chest. "The other one was loud too. And all that thrashing about! I'm sure Blue Diamond would want to thank you personally, but you just missed her!" Steven and Ruby sighed, Pearl and Amethyst's bodies physically relaxing. Holly then turned to the Amethyst guards, about to give them orders to take both you and Steven, but Sapphire cut her off.
    "The thing is—we've traveled so far, and it would be a shame to leave so quickly. Perhaps you'd grant us a tour of the facility."
    "I would be honored," the agate said excitedly, pressing her fingertips together. "Right this way, your grand Clarity." She then suddenly yanked you from Amethyst, pushing you into Pearl. You groaned, your legs still sore. The pale gem gave you a worried expression, rubbing your arm gently. "Amethyst's are to stay and guard the door."
    "Uh...but", Amy began to protest, sweatdropping.
   "The door," Holly said sternly before turning to walk beside Sapphire. You glanced back at the quartz, giving her a weak smile before turning around again. You and the rest of the gems had been walking for a while before the agate spoke again. "Does your pearl always walk next to you," she asked Sapphire, giving Pearl a dirty look. Pearl laughed awkwardly, slowing her speed so that the both of you were behind the rest of the group.
    "I'll just be...right here", the pale gem said, a light blush on her cheeks.
    "Hm...chatty", Holly commented before facing forward again. "This facility originally belonged to Pink Diamond and houses and staffs the, otherwise useless, quartzes that she produced and what was her colony. But Blue Diamond and her trusted Agate; That's me, have been maintaining this place since the dawn of Era 2."
    "If anyone's chatty, it's her," you mumbled as the agate stopped in front of a door. Pearl covered her mouth slightly to prevent a laugh, standing behind the large, blue gem patiently like everyone else.
   "Is she going to do it, or...should I say something", Holly asked Sapphire.
     "Oh," Sapphire said, "Pearl. The door."
     "Hm? Oh—right. Right! I've got it", Pearl said as she handed you off to Ruby as she went to open the door. Ruby placed her hand on your thigh, making you giggle at how short she was. The red gem pouted as Pearl got the door open, allowing all of you to pass through it. Sapphire whispered an apology, and Steven told her to hang in there. You and Ruby hit her with a thumbs up.
   "Do keep up, Pearl," the agate called, walking quickly. She then went up to a nearby screen, sliding her finger across it. The very floor you were standing on went clear, making your heart drop. "The bottom half of this structure is devoted entirely to specimen containment. Apparently, humans don't take well to captivity", she said mockingly, "but once you understand their needs, they're easy to control." You scoffed as she returned the floor to its original state, continuing the "tour." "It's tragic that Pink Diamond's existence in this universe ended up being so finite. But what a selfless act for Blue Diamond to step forward and spend her own time and energy preserving this place in Pink Diamond's memory. It's a real testament to Blue Diamond's merciful and giving nature. Don't you think?"
    "Uhh...of course", Sapphire replied. You sighed loudly, rolling your eyes as Ruby growled softly behind you.
   "Keep it together, Ruby. Our roles remember? Gotta Esteban and Esmeralda it", Steven reassured, trying to keep the gem's anger to a minimum.
   "And here, of course, is the human disposal chute," you heard Holly say, causing you to look up in a panic.
     "H-How do you get into the zoo," Steven screamed, his voice wavering.
    "Ah, there it goes again. With its hilarious noises", the agate said.
    "So, how do you get in the zoo," Sapphire asked politely, repeating Steven's question.
    "Excellent question, your grand Clarity! On the rare occasion that we would need to enter the containment area", Holly begins explaining as she walks over to a pink door decorated with flowers, "we would do so, via this service door."
   "Dad...that door's how we get to Dad", Steven whispered, looking between you, Pearl, and Ruby. "We just need to come up with a distraction."
    "I could kick her in the back of the head as a distraction," you grumbled, looking at Holly Blue. Ruby hummed in agreement, cracking her knuckles.
   "No," Steven whisper-shouted looking between the two of you. You sighed with an eye roll, and so did Ruby before she agreed to a different kind of distraction.
   "As a one-way access point, there are no risks of escape. It's only been used once for a human—," Holly was cut off by Ruby's yelling, her expression going from calm to angry. "Pardon me?"
    "Uh...I just remembered I left the gravity engine—idling. I'm sorry, My Sapphire, I'm so forgetful and disposable!"
   "What," Sapphire said in disbelief. You and the others glanced at the door, signaling that you guys had a plan. "A—foreseen turn of events! Yes. It is going to overheat, and explode. The damage will be massive", she said to Holly Blue calmly.
    "My word! I don't know why anyone trusts rubies with those ships", the larger blue gem said, her voice peaking at the end of her sentence. "This is what happens!"
    "If we hurry, we can disable the engine before any damage is done. It should only take five minutes, so everyone be on your best behavior", Sapphire said before pulling up her bang and blinking. Pearl and Steven looked confused, and Ruby winked, but you were more focused on the fact that she only had one eye.
    "This way, My Clarity," Holly said, beginning to walk back down the hallway with Sapphire. "Even though I'm sure you don't need my guidance." As soon as the two blue gems disappeared down the hallway, Ruby let go of you and Steven, growling loudly as she held her head.
    "I can't believe all that stuff about Blue Diamond being merciful! She's a shatterer! She yelled at Sapphire! She hates fusions, an-and love?!"
    "I know, Ruby, but we don't have much time! We have to open this door", Steven exclaimed.
    "Right, right," Ruby said, smacking her forehead. "Pearl, open it!"
   "Of course, what else am I good for," the pale gem replied with a blank look on her face as she approached it. You chuckled, crossing your arms and leaning against the wall as you waited for Pearl to open the door.
    "It's different than the other ones," Pearl said, sliding her finger across the screen.
    "Well, shit, that's not good," you said, sitting up from your reclining position.
    "I actually can't figure this out at all," she said with a shrug.
    "What," Ruby screamed.
   "But, Pearl! You're our hacker", Steven said, looking worried.
    "We don't have time for this! Steven, help me open the door", Ruby said, a determined look on her face. "And Pearl! Hack faster!" Steven began banging on the door while Pearl kept pressing buttons, and Ruby ran up the wall, falling back down to scratch the door and scream.
    "Oh yeah, that's definitely going to get it to open," you said with an eyebrow raised.
    "You could help ya know," Ruby protested, her face on the floor.
   "What am I supposed to do? I don't have any weapons on me", you said with a shrug, pushing yourself off of the wall.
    "I'm so glad we're almost back."
   "Sapphire's back," you screamed, pulling on your (h/l) locks.
    "I was really enjoying the tour," she spoke loudly, the sound of Holly's heels getting closer.
    "Yes, I can tell by the tone of your voice. Thank you so much again for averting that crisis", Holly replied to the smaller blue gem before the both of them gasped loudly in shock. Steven and Ruby grinned nervously, and so did Pearl as she leaned against the panel to open the door. You stood off to the side next to the red gem, rocking back and forth on your heels. "What is going on?!"
   "Oh, well...I'm sure there's a reasonable—," Sapphire started but was cut off by Holly Blue's question.
    "Did you see the amethysts that did this?" All of you sighed, visibly relaxing. "Really, we have guests," Holly said, attempting to clean the smudge marks from Ruby's boots from the door. You turned upon hearing footsteps behind you, your eyes meeting those of two amethyst guards.
   "Holly Blue Agate! We have important news for you!"
   "We do not run or shout in these hallways," the agate yelled. You facepalmed, shaking your head.
   "I-I'm sorry, it's just that—," the amethyst guard spoke again, quieter this time.
    "How am I supposed to know what you're saying when you're mumbling," Holly yelled. You pinched the bridge of your nose before taking a deep breath, pressing the palms of your hands together in front of your lips. She might as well be a black mom, oh my gosh...
    "Uh...", the paler amethyst started, "I'm sorry Holly Blue Agate, it's just—"
   "—Blue Diamond is on her way," the other finished, yelling again.
    "Oh, my stars! She's back already", Holly said, pushing you, Steven, Pearl, and Ruby aside.     "You two? Best behavior", she said, walking up to the amethysts. "Shoulders squared," Holly continued, squeezing the paler amethyst's shoulders, "Minds cleared," she said, knocking their heads together. You winced, feeling slightly bad for the quartz pair. "Backs straight," she said before slapping the amethyst whose gem was on her left bicep. The magenta-skinned gem groaned, rubbing her back where the agate had hit her. "And surely, Blue Diamond would want to thank you personally for this special delivery, your grand Clarity," Holly Blue said sweetly.
    "Yes...I suppose she will", Sapphire said softly, clasping her hands together in front of her chest.
   "Well, don't just stand there, you useless chunks of Earth! Make yourself useful and escort these humans to the assimilation bay", the agate yelled. You and Steven looked at each other with a worried expression before he was roughly grabbed by the amethyst with her gem placed on her arm, picking him up easily. The other grabbed you as well, tossing you over your shoulder.
   "Hey! Watch those hands", you screamed, a blush spreading across your (s/c-t) cheeks. The amethyst grunted adjusting you against her shoulder, and you sighed, pressing your elbow into her back as you rest your head on your hand. This feels familiar, you thought, blowing some of her hair from your face.
    "Let me go, you bigger Amethyst," Steven yelled. You turned quickly to see what they were doing to him, almost making your amethyst drop you. You tightened your legs around her waist, your arms wrapped around her neck. Her indigo eyes widened, but you ignored her, turning to see what was going on with Steven. The Amethyst that was holding him was opening a small door, chuckling.
   "These newer humans are so spunky," she said, looking down at the teenaged boy. The amethyst holding you laughed, her shoulders bouncing. You turned to look at her, your face heating up after making eye contact with her.
    "You're right about that..." You gulped, pushing away from her.
   "Put me down, right now!"
    "If you say so, princess," the paler amethyst said.
    "In ya go!" Steven was then thrown into the door by the magenta-colored amethyst, you being thrown in right after him.
    "Ow," you screamed as they closed the door, leaving you and Steven in darkness. Suddenly the lights came on, a loud thud is heard before you, and the half-gem began moving. "What the hell? Are we on a conveyor belt," you asked, staying on all fours as you looked around. You two then entered a different section, this one being surrounded by walls instead of space. You looked to your right upon hearing a whirring sound, your (e/c) eyes coming in contact with four, blue pegs floating in front of your features. A light was shined in both you and Steven's face, leaving you blinking. The pegs then formed an octagon, presenting a picture of you looking shocked. "Ew, could you at least retake it?" Steven giggled, making you smile. Four more pegs then appeared in front of you, pulling your cheeks to look inside your mouth. You shooed them away, only for them to pat your face as if they were hands. "Okay, these things are annoying." Steven agreed as he rubbed his eye, your set of 'gem hands' shining a light into your eye like they had done his. The thing then aggressively stuck one of the fingers in your mouth, seeming to check your temperature. A moment later, two more stuck themselves in your nose, making you sneeze.
   "Bless you," Steven said before protesting at the hands taking his shoes. They attempted to do yours next, struggling with the laces. You sighed, untying them and taking them off, giving them up. They then took off your socks, and you curled your legs under yourself, your feet cold. Steven grunted as they took his shirt, your pair of hands moving to pull off your sports bra. You gasped, using your arms to cover your chest as they managed to rip it off you. Your face turned a darker shade from embarrassment as you quickly turned your back to Steven. The 'gem hands' then yanked on your tights, and you whined, not wanting to uncover your chest to stop them so you let it happen. "I'll just find my dad without pants," you heard Steven say from behind you.
   "They took yours too," you asked, pulling your knees to your chest. Steven coughed in response, and you turned to see if he was okay, only to be sprayed with something that smelled like rubbing alcohol. Your (e/c) eyes teared up as you coughed as well, rubbing your eyes. You heard Steven scream, but you couldn't open your eyes. "Steven! What's going on?"
    "There's this big mashing thing," he yelled.
    "What," you screamed, peeking your eyes open to see what he was talking about. You gasped, ducking, but the machine had already come down on you. You stayed completely still, expecting to be dead until you heard Steven's voice.
    "Ugh...loincloths." You looked down at yourself, shrugging slightly.
   "Eh, I kinda like it," you mused, admiring your reflection in the pink walls around you. The 'gem hands' suddenly came back, holding something. You looked at the item curiously, wincing when it was stabbed into your ear without warning. Steven growled, balling his hands into fists.
    "Okay! What else, huh!? What else you got for me!? I'm on that Dad mission adrenaline rush and ready for whatever space junk you have next! Futuristic cattle prods! Human horseshoes! Whatever you got, come and get me!"
    "Okay, calm down," you said with a nervous giggle. "I don't want any nails in my feet, man." Water suddenly floods into the room as Steven is about to speak, surrounding the both of you. You hold your breath, but not quick enough, the water flooding into your mouth. You choke, seeing a hole open below you and Steven, pulling you both in. You could hear the half-gem gargling next to you, and you reached out to him, holding his hand as the two of you were spit out of whatever waterslide you came from. You breathe in air, coughing up water, your nose burning.
   "What...is this place," Steven says from beside you. Your breathing was heavy as you looked up, your eyes squinting at the bright, blue sky above you. You shakily stand up, using your hand to shade your eyes from the—sun? "An-And where's—?"
    "Steven, I don't—," you start, looking down at the boy.
   "Dad?"
    "Steven," Greg said as he turned around, quickly standing up to greet his son. Steven ran up to his dad, reaching up for him. Greg picked him up, hugging him tightly. Your heart swelled at their tender moment, your lips curling up into a smile.
   "Dad! When Blue Diamond took you, I got so scared! And then the gems said that you might be in some horrible human zoo all chained up to a wall...doing tricks for peanuts", Steven explained as he began sobbing. Greg glanced over at you, and you shook your head, crossing your arms. 'He's exaggerating,' you mouthed to the older man, to which he chuckled, holding Steven out in front of him to look in his son's face.
   "Hey, hey, it's okay, schtu-ball. Your old man's perfectly fine", he reassured, wiping away Steven's tears. Greg then paused suddenly, furrowing his eyebrows. "Wait, how'd you even get out here?"
   "We got on a gem ship from Earth. I'll tell you about it on the way home. We got separated from the gems", Steven said, hopping from his dad's arms. "We've got to find them and bust you outta here."
   "It's going to be a very long story," you said with a chuckle, watching as the teenage boy walked back out into the water, splashing in it. "But I don't think we'll be able to go back through where we came, Steven," you called, sitting on the sand.
    "(Y/n)'s right. I've already tried," Greg confirmed.
    "What? Well, there might be another way out if we can find it", Steven said, jogging back over to you and his dad.
   "Ga-reg!" You turned upon hearing a male's voice, seeing the same guy who was with Greg earlier. "Who is that with you?"
   "Is this a new friend, Ga-reg," a blonde girl asked cheerfully. You recognized her as being with Greg earlier as well, standing to your feet as Greg spoke to them.
   "Wy-Six, Jay-Ten, this is—," he started, but Steven cut him off.
    "Let me have my dad back already!"
   "Hey, don't be like that. Relax. These people have treated me so well since I got here", Greg said, placing a hand on Steven's shoulder.
    "Wha...," the half-gem said softly. You gasped, moving to stand slightly behind the father-son pair as more people began to come out from everywhere. They happily greeted the three of you, gathering around to say hello.
    "Everyone, this is Steven. He's my son!"
    "Uhh...Hi", Steven said shyly, a small blush on his cheeks. The group surrounding you said hi back, some waving.
    "And this is one of our good friends, (y/n)," Greg said, turning slightly to push you forward. You laughed quietly, waving at the people. They waved back, giggling and mumbling amongst themselves.
    "Thanks for...braiding my dad's hair", Steven said softly, looking up at his dad as he began to speak again.
    "Steven, (y/n), these people are the descendants of humans brought here by gems thousands of years ago. They've never seen the Earth before. Isn't that wild?"
    "Wait, really," you asked, looking at the older man. He nodded with a grin, his eyes falling off of you to look at the man he called 'Wy-Six.'
   "Ste-van! Ga-reg has told stories of you. 'The bits, the bits!' That's you, right?" You giggled at how he pronounced both Steven and Greg's names, finding it cute. The rest of the residents of the zoo chanted 'the bits,' copying Wy-Six. One of them even asked Steven to say it. The young boy had a blank look on his face before turning to his dad, placing a hand on top of his.
   "Let's get out of here. We came across a door that leads into the zoo, but we couldn't open it from the other side. Let's find it and try to open it from in here", Steven said, looking between you and his dad. You gave him a nod, glancing at Greg to see if he was on board.
    "A door? Really? Alright. Let's find it tonight. It'll be easier to look for it after the routine."
    "Routine," you asked, furrowing your (h/c) eyebrows. On queue, a chime is sounded right by your ears. You glance down at the earrings that were put on you earlier, seeing that they were glowing. Greg's and Steven's were glowing as well, and you jumped slightly at the sound of a disembodied voice.
      Greetings, everyone. It's time to start the daily routine. Please enjoy your meal during this designated eating period.
   "The hell," you said, looking at Greg.
    "Who was that," Steven asked his dad.
    "Ste-van and (y/n) do not know what a little voice is! Just like Ga-reg when he first arrived", Wy-Six stated, making everyone else laugh.
   "Our little voices guide us through life here," Jay-Ten explained before the voice began speaking again.
      You all must be hungry now. The 'Zoomans,' that's what you've decided to call them, all agreed in unison, mumbling amongst themselves as they walked off.
   "Um...Dad?" You looked at Greg expectantly, wondering just what was going on and what the three of you were going to do.
   "Don't worry you two. We'll get out of here. But for now, let's just play along." You hummed softly, following the older man to the 'eating location.' You watched in awe as fruit spawned on the trees, their appearance crystalline. Where are we? The Garden of Eden, you thought playfully, walking through the trees.
    "Here you go, Ga-reg," Jay-Ten said sweetly, handing the older man some fruit.
   "Oh, thank you," he replied, taking it from her.
    "Ste-van, (y/n)! Today the fruit is purple", Wy-Six said excitedly, handing both you and Steven a fruit. You thanked him, examining the object.
    "What color was the fruit yesterday," you asked him curiously as the voice spoke again.
   "Red," Wy-Six answered, grabbing your wrist and pulling you to sit with him on the grass.
      How is the food? Is it good, the voice asks, slightly startling you. The Zoomans, including Wy-Six all, agreed that it was delicious. Steven glanced over at you, an uneasy expression on his face. You shrug, biting into the apple as he does the same.
    Some time passes before the voice speaks again, letting everyone know that it was time to play. You follow Greg and everyone else to a hill, watching as they all begin to roll down it, laughing as if it was the funniest thing in the world. You and Steven share an uncomfortable look before following suit. You stand up to brush yourself off once you reach the bottom, walking over to the trio with Steven. You lay down in the grass on your back like Greg, Wy-Six, and Jay-Ten were doing, your (e/c) eyes trained on the "sky."
      Now, everyone, reach up like you're going to touch outer space.
    The Zoomans comply and reach their hands upwards. Eventually, you, Steven, and Greg do the same.
     That's it. Reach up high! Wasn't that fun?
     You sigh, glancing over at Wy-Six, who was next to you. "I have not had that much fun since yesterday," he said, his green eyes meeting yours.
    "Did you guys do the same thing yesterday," you asked with a smirk.
    "Yes," he said happily, sitting up and pulling you with him.
      It's time to stop and smell the flowers, the little voice said as Wy-Six dragged you over to the many bushes littered with pink flowers. You pulled one of them, breaking the stem to hold it in your hand. They resembled the ones you saw on the mountain in Korea. You pressed it to your nose, inhaling gently. The flower didn't have a particular smell, causing you to sigh and drop your hand in your lap. Wy-Six chuckled next to you, taking the flower from your hand and placing it in your (h/c) hair. You smiled softly at him as he gave you a close-eyed smile, standing up to stretch a moment later.

*time skip brought to you by 'Gem Heist' and 'The Zoo'*

     Time to clean up, everyone. Let's all take a refreshing bath.
    You sighed softly at the sound of the voice, sitting at the edge of the pool. The Zoomans were happily bathing and relaxing in the water. Many of them perching on top of the columned waterfall. Several were laughing and splashing each other.
     "Watch my splash, Ga-reg," Jay-Ten called from a ledge, diving into the water. She resurfaced a moment later, pushing her hair away from her face and giggling.
   "Nice one," Greg cheered.
   "Watch my splash, (y/n)," Wy-Six yelled, gaining your attention. You glanced up at the male, pausing what you were doing. He was standing at a higher level than Jay-Ten was, diving the same way she had, but his splash resulted in a small ripple as well. You giggled, covering your mouth slightly as he resurfaced, placing his arm over the edge of the pool. You crawled over to him, watching as he flipped his wet, black hair from out of his face. "What did you think," he asked, looking up at you.
   "It was pretty good," you said softly, leaning against your hand in front of him. A blush fell over his cheeks as he laughed, his eyes shutting from the action.
    "Hey, Wy-Six," Greg called from behind you. The man in front of you took his attention from you to glance at Greg, humming softly in reply. "You ever heard of a 'cannonball'?" Wy-Six chuckled, tilting his head to the side.
    "I've never heard it. Tell me what it is."
   "Check this out. I'll show you", Greg said, taking a couple of steps back before running forwards. "Cannonball," he exclaimed, jumping into the pool. You giggled, shielding your face from the water splashing everywhere. The Zoomans began cheering, copying Greg's actions.
      Wouldn't you like to clean off in the pool, you heard the little voice say to you, to which you sighed, sliding into the water. You swam over to Steven, who had an unamused expression on his face, patting his head.
    "'Little Voice' tell you to get in the pool too," you asked him with a chuckle.
    "Yeah," he said with a sigh, shrugging.
   "Hey, you two hanging in there," Greg asked after swimming over.
    "I can't believe this. They're all so happy", Steven said, gesturing over to some of the Zoomans. "It's like...they don't even know that they're trapped here."
    "That's because they don't, baby," you said with a chuckle.
    "They've never been anywhere else. They love it here, I mean, look at this place. Can you blame them? They've got everything they need, and they never have to worry about a thing."
   "It's a paradise without the 'being in captivity' part," you added, splashing the teenage boy. He giggled, splashing you back before sighing again.
    "I guess you guys are right." It then begins to get dark, and you turn around to look at the light acting as the Sun. It was getting blocked out, turning into a crescent moon, the sky changing into a starry night. The earrings chime again, signaling that the 'Little Voice' was going to give instructions again.
      And now it's time to say goodnight. Goodnight, everyone. Sweet dreams.
   You glance around to see the Zoomans beginning to fall asleep around the pool area, lying on the flower bushes. "Geez, I sure am tired from doing a whole lotta nothing," Greg said. You crossed your arms, raising an eyebrow at him. "Well, goodnight, schtu-ball." You and Steven made eye contact before you both grabbed Greg, making him wake up.
    "Dad! Now's our chance to get out!"
    "Oh...right", the older man says, standing up and stretching. You chuckle, following Steven as he begins to walk around the containment area to search for the door.
     The three of you had been walking for a little over ten minutes, your body beginning to feel sluggish. "Man, Little Voice has really got me on that Zooman sleep schedule," Greg said, rubbing his eyes.
   "How long have you even been in here, Greg," you asked. "In, Zooman days, of course." The older man hummed, scratching his head.
    "A day? I'm pretty sure Zooman days are the same as Earth days." You hummed at his answer as Steven groans. You look down to see him holding his nose.
   "You alright, Steven," you ask, your eyebrows furrowing in worry.
   "Yeah, I'm fine," he says, examining what he had just bumped into. "Is that—It's the door," Steven says, moving the leaves that were covering it out of the way.
    "Great. How do we get it open," Greg asks, looking at his son. Steven begins banging on the door, driving his shoulder into it a moment later.
   "Steven, I don't think—"
   "Ga-reg! (Y/n)!" You and Greg jump at the sound of Wy-Six's voice, clutching your chest.
   "Jesus!"
   "Ste-van," Jay-Ten says, popping out from the bush next to Wy-Six. Steven is the last to jump when his name is called.
   "So you're the ones making the noise," Wy-Six says as if he caught you guys doing something fun.
    "What are you doing? Is it a game", Jay-Ten asks excitedly.
    "Can we play too," Wy-Six asks, looking up at you.
    "It's not a game," Steven answers with a sigh. "We need to get this door open."
   "What is a...'door'", Jay-Ten asks, stepping out of the bushes.
   "Like, this part of the wall but open," Steven explains with his hands.
    "Walls don't open. They are walls", Wy-Six says with a chuckle. You snort, covering your mouth as you look at Steven's confused expression.
    "There is a story of an opening wall. A very long time ago, a gem came through a wall hole to help someone who was...'hurt'", Jay-Ten explained, her green eyes expressing confusion.
    "What do you mean...'hurt'", Wy-Six asks, moving to stand next to the blonde woman.
   "I don't know. I don't know what 'hurt' is", Jay-Ten answered sadly.
   "Y'all don't know what hurt is," you asked, placing your hands on your hips. They both shook their heads, and you blew air out of your mouth, leaning against the door behind you. "Must be nice..."
   "I know what hurt is!"
    "You sounded way too happy about that, Steven," you said with a chuckle.
   "You do," Jay-Ten and Wy-Six asked together.
    "Um, it's like when you feel...bad", Steven tried to explain.
   "'Bad'", Wy-Six asked, putting his hand up to his mouth in thought.
    "Yes, like, the opposite of good." Steven then sighed, turning to his dad. "If that's the only way out, then, Dad, slug me in the face."
    "What," Greg said, sounding genuinely offended, "I'm not gonna hit you!"
    "It's our ticket out of here," Steven said matter-of-factly. "One of us has to get hurt."
    "Can't we just fake it," you asked. "Like, fake cry or something?"
    "I don't think that'll work, (y/n)," Steven said with a sigh. You shrugged.
    "Worth a shot."
   "You hit me then, Steven," Greg said, pointing at himself.
    "You sure," Steven asked, concerned.
    "Yeah. I'll take one for the team", Greg said, determined. Steven looks at his hand, balling it into a fist before pulling it back, about to punch his dad in the face. Greg shut his eyes tightly, only for Steven to hold back and hit him softly. "Come on, give me all you got! I can take it!" Steven balls his fist up again, pulling back to punch Greg and actually hitting him this time. Steven sends him flying into a tree, and you wince, jogging over to the older man as he groans in pain.
   "Cannonball!"
   "Not the time, Wy-Six," you shout.
   "Uh...how was that," Steven asks, joining you and his dad by the tree.
    "Good," Greg says, his voice cracking. "Anyone coming?"
    "Doesn't look like it," Steven says as he glances at the door. "Should I...try it again?"
   "There won't be anything left to rescue if ya do," Greg said. You laugh, standing to examine the door again.
   "What do we do now," Steven asked sadly, looking down at his feet. You turn and pat the boy's head as your earrings chime.
   "Whatever she says," Greg answers with a dull look on his face. You groan, crossing your arms as Little Voice begins to speak.
     It is time for the Choosening. Please gather around the Circle of Choosening.
    "The what now," you ask, your eyebrows raised.
   "Ste-van, Ga-reg, the choosening will start soon," Jay-Ten said excitedly approaching the three of you. "You too, (y/n)!"
    "Come with us. It's-It's finally time", Wy-Six adds, matching Jay-Ten's excitement as he grabs your hands. The three of you share a glance before following the Zooman back through the woods. They bring you to a glowing circle, where all the other Zoomans are gathered, giggling in joy.
   "Ga-reg, step into the circle with us," Jay-Ten says, taking the older man's hand.
    "Is it somebody's birthday?" you heard Greg ask as Jay-Ten leads him forward. Wy-Six then grabs your hand next, smiling brightly at you.
   "Ste-van, wait here until the choosening is complete. Come with me, (y/n)."
    "O-Okay," you say softly, following the black-haired man over to the circle like everyone else.
   "The choosening is a very special event to us," Jay-Ten says, clasping her hands together.
    "We're glad to have you and (y/n) with us at such a wonderful time," Wy-Six adds, crossing his arms as he smiled warmly at you and Greg.
    "Glad to be here," Greg says with a shrug.
    "I have to say the same," you said with a giggle, smiling at the two Zooman.
      Let the Choosening, begin, Little Voice says. You look around to see that everyone has their eyes shut, so you do the same. U-12, please step in the center of the circle. You open your eyes to see a black woman with curly black hair step into the circle. Your (e/c) eyes watched her curiously as Little Voice spoke again. F-3, please step into the center of the circle. A blonde man with long hair then steps into the circle next, chuckling. You have been Choosened for each other, Little Voice says as the two hold hands.
    "Wait a second...," you and Greg say at the same time, glancing at each other.
    "Is this some kind of matchmaking thing," he yelled, groaning. You put your hands behind your back, slowly rocking your way out of the circle.
     Jay-Ten, please step into the center of the circle.
    "Steven, help me...!" The teenage boy looked between you and his dad, cupping his mouth.
    "Don't worry, guys! You're new here, so maybe you won't get choosened."
    "Right," you both said, only for you to freeze up once Greg was told to step into the circle with Jay-Ten.
   "Hold on! Maybe there's been a mistake", Greg said, holding up his earring to speak directly to the Little Voice.
    "Ga-reg, Jay-Ten is waiting for you," Wy-Six said excitedly, placing his hand on Greg's shoulder. The older man groaned as the Zoomans cheered for him, trying to coax him into the circle. "I see what is going on here..."
   "You do," Greg asked, raising his thick eyebrows.
   "You are just shy," Wy-Six exclaimed before starting to push Greg into the circle. "Do not worry about it! Now. Touch hands", he said, guiding Greg's arm to Jay-Ten's outstretched ones.
    "Hold on," Greg shouted, snatching his hand away, "This isn't how it works on Earth!" Everyone stared at him, whispering to each other. "I—don't wanna be told who to the choosened with."
    "Ga-reg, this makes no sense. Why wouldn't you want to be choosened", Wy-Six asked, a gentle smile on his lips.
   "Look, back on Earth, there was no voice to tell you who to be with. It was your own decision."
   "My mom and dad didn't get together because someone told them to," Steven interjected, helping his dad out. "They spent time getting to know one another and...fell in love. They choosened each other 'cause...that's what they choosed."
    "Well said Steven," you said, smiling warmly. He grinned at you, rubbing the back of his neck, a blush gracing his cheeks.
   "Hmm, I see," Wy-Six said, putting his hand to his mouth in thought. "If that's how it's done on Earth then...," he suddenly then grabbed your hand, a huge smile on his face, "I choose, (y/n)." Your (e/c) eyes widened, a blush crawling across your face and ears.
    "And I choose Ga-reg," Jay-Ten said, grabbing the older man's hand. The other Zoomans began to gather around you and Greg, some chanting 'I choose (y/n)' and others chanting 'I choose Ga-reg'.
    "Wait," Greg yelled, appearing overwhelmed. "I get a say in this, too! You're all very nice, and I'm flattered, and yes, you get to choose whoever you want, but—I also get to say I choose, um...none of you."
   "I have to agree with Greg," you said with a light laugh, patting the back of Wy-Six's hand. The containment area was completely silent as the Zoomans looked at you and Greg, shocked before they all began crying hysterically. "Oh, shit," you said softly, looking back at Steven worriedly.
   "Whoa! Hey, don't cry! You can choose someone else", Greg reassured, backing away from the Zoomans.
    "I feel...not good. I feel...bad", Jay-Ten said through her tears, clutching her hands to her chest.
    "Could this be...is this...'hurt'", Wy-Six asked, tears running down his face uncontrollably.
   "Why would Ga-reg and (y/n) 'hurt' us? Take this 'hurt' away", Jay-Ten shouted, reaching towards you and Greg, her fellow Zoomans doing the same.
   "I choosen," Steven starts, picking up his dad, "to take my dad and run away! Come on, (y/n)!" You quickly follow after him into the forest, the Zoomans running after the three of you. You turn to look behind you, shuttering at their zombie-like demeanor.
   "Watch out for that—" You turn to face forward again to see Steven run Greg right into a low-hanging tree branch. You wince, ducking under it and grabbing Greg's free hand to drag him into the bushes with Steven. The Zoomans run past the three of you, Wy-Six leading the group. He jumped over and through the tree branch, many of the others following right behind him in search of you and Greg. "I haven't broken this many hearts since I had all my hair," Greg said, peeking through the bushes.
   "Tell me about it...I haven't broken this many since high school", you whispered in reply, laying on your stomach in the foliage. You suddenly hear the electronic sound of something opening, Steven and Greg yelping a moment later and ducking. "What? What is it?" you ask, peeking over the bushes as they had done seconds before. Before you could see what was going on, though, Steven yanked you back down, causing you to let out a squeak.
   "The door just opened, and an army of amethyst guards ran in," Steven told you, peeking through the bushes again after one had run past.
   "This is nuts," Greg commented, watching the chaos the both of you had in ensued. You could see the amethyst guards rounding up the Zoomans, talking to them in hushed voices like you would a child.
    "I'll never choosen again," you heard Wy-Six sob. You pouted slightly, feeling kind of guilty.
    "Sure you will," the amethyst guard sitting on the ground next to him said.
   "Hey, that door's still open," Greg whispered, pointing to the pink door.
   "This might be our only chance!" Steven then grabbed your wrist as they made a run for the door. You looked back at all the Zoomans, and the amethyst guards comforting them and huffed.
   "I want one...," you pouted. You then gasped loudly, kicking your legs as you were suddenly lifted off of the ground. There was a thick arm wrapped around your waist, and you turned your head, looking up to see an amethyst guard behind you. Her gem was on her right cheek, her stark, white hair falling just past her shoulders.
   "Oh, no, you don't," the amethyst guard said, tightening her grip on you as you struggled in her grasp.
   "Steven," you screamed, reaching out for the boy who was still running ahead of you with his dad. He turned, gasping before running back.
   "(Y/n)! Put her down!" The amethyst guard chuckled, and you screamed again as Steven and Greg were picked up and restrained by another guard.
    "You three are in big trouble," she said, frowning, getting close to your face.

*time skip brought to you by 'That Will Be All'*

   You had given up fighting a long time ago and lay limply in the amethyst's arms. They silently carried you down the hallway, making a turn before a door opened before them. You were then tossed on the hard floor. You groaned, the wind being knocked out of you on impact. "These the ones," the guard said, placing her hand on her hips. Your eyes widened once you turned to look in front of you, seeing at least twenty gems. They were all laughing, and they were all quartzes. You blushed, sitting up on your hands and knees to take in the sight before you.
   "Steven! Greg! (Y/n)!" You gasped when the quartz soldiers stood aside, revealing Amy. She was being restrained by another amethyst guard. "They found me out!"
   "Amethyst," you and Steven called, a worried expression on your faces.
   "You won't believe what I've been through. These amethysts...they're really, really—great!"
   "What," Steven shouted. The amethyst guards began laughing loudly, including your amethyst.
   "Your faces," the one who had carried you there said from behind you in hysterics. You frowned, puffing your cheeks out as you stood up, crossing your arms.
   "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I had to," Amethyst said giggling, running to hug Steven. She then pulled him back to look at him, laughing more. "What are you wearing? And Greg, love the hair. Oh, and (y/n)", she started, her indigo eyes roaming your form, "this is a good look for you." You blushed, grumbling.
    "What is going on," Steven shouted.
   "These amethysts, they're all from Earth! They're from the Prime Kindergarten", Amethyst explained enthusiastically. "Wait! Hey, 8XL!"
    "Yeah?"
   "You guys, I'm an eight! Tell 'em. Tell 'em", Amethyst said quickly, turning her attention back to 8XL.
    "The amethyst under me never popped out! We were all waiting, and—pfft—nothing."
   "I'm 8XM", Amethyst said excitedly, sliding over to her sisters. "Facet-5, Cut-8XM—that's me!" You chuckled at her feverishness, no longer being mad about the prank that was pulled on you. "This is 8XG", she said, gesturing towards an amethyst whose gem was on the back of her right hand. "This is 8XH."
   "I'm J," the amethyst to her left corrected, grinning. She had curly hair, her eyes a light shade of pink.
   "Ah, geez. Sorry! I'm worse than Holly Blue", Amethyst exclaimed, holding her head.
    "Aren't we all," 8XJ said with a shrug, making all the amethysts laugh again.
   "Prime, prime, prime. You amethysts are so cliquey", an orange gem with scarlet stripes said.
    "Skinny's a—"
   "Jasper," you finished, looking over the gem curiously.
    "You know your gems, don't you," Skinny said with a chuckle, making you blush.
   "I—I guess you could say that...," you replied softly, averting her amber eyes.
    "There are gems here from the Beta Kindergarten, too! Hey, where's Carnelian," Amethyst asked in a calmer tone, putting her hand on her hip.
   "Celebrating," Skinny answered with a grin.
   "I'm not the shortest anymore," a red gem with long red hair shouted as she lifted Amethyst in the air and ran around the room with her. You giggled at her antics, covering your mouth slightly.
     "This is unreal," Greg mused, and you hummed in agreement. Who knew that all gems were so pretty, you thought with a sigh.
     "Hey," Steven shouted, pulling you out of your thoughts. "Please, if you don't mind me asking...we really need your help. We came in with Sapphire, Ruby, and Pearl. We've gotta find them and get out of—mmph!" Your (e/c) eyes widen as you leap across the room to Steven, clamping a hand over his mouth. The door into the room behind the three of you had suddenly opened, and revealed Holly Blue, Sapphire, Ruby, and Pearl. Speak of the devil... You drag Steven with you to hide, quickly taking cover behind the amethyst with her gem on her right cheek. You had noticed she was the only one with razor-sharp teeth like a shark, so you mentally began calling her 'Sharky.' The quartz guards all stood at attention, Holly Blue approaching the one that you and Steven were hiding behind.
    "What are you all doing in here?! Get to your stations", the agate yelled, roughly pushing past Sharky. "Even you hideous off-color Betas! Get out of your cubbies and into your places!" You winced at the sound of one of the amethyst guards hitting the ground roughly. "It's the least you can do for the Diamond that kept you worthless sorry gems in service! That's right. Blue is back already! Now go pretend your filthy vein of Quartz is capable of gratitude! Go, go, go!" The quartz soldiers began marching out of the room, you, Steven, and Greg staying hidden beside them. "Disperse! My Diamond is waiting!"
    "Run! Just run", Amethyst said to the three of you, frantically pushing you away. "We'll find you! Go!" You ran off with Steven and Greg, looking back to see Amethyst get in line with the quartz guards. You sigh, turning your attention forward again to see Steven jog into a dimly lit room. You flinched as the door closed behind you and begin looking around, spotting hundreds if not thousands of quartz gems floating above you.
   "Who bubbled all these gems," Steven asked, his voice echoing off of the walls.
    "Oh, how I wish I had my khopesh," you whined, following the males to peer from behind a pillar. "I'd feel a lot safer if I had it..."
    "Wow...it's kinda like a—birthday party in here", Greg mused, looking up at the bubbles. You gasped softly at the same time Steven did, noticing that he had begun crying.
    "Oh, no! We gotta hide!" The half-gem grabs both you and his dad's hand, pulling you behind a pillar where you all could hide. You ducked down, resting in the shadow of the pillar just as Blue Diamond walks into the room.
   "Pearl? Close the door", she says before kneeling as if she were about to pray, a sigh passing her lips. She then removes her hood, finally revealing her entire face. Tears ran down her blue cheeks, her white hair cradling her face and her gem. You hear the door open again and peek from behind the pillar, gasping quietly.
   "Please tell me you're joking," the second large figure says, her arms crossed. "You only just left, and you're already back?"
   "Yellow! Wh-What are you doing here", Blue Diamond asks, quickly wiping her eyes free of tears before looking up at the woman standing over her. That's...Yellow Diamond, you thought, crawling across the floor to get a closer look. Her skin was pale, yellow, and so was most of her color scheme. Her eyes were bright amber, black-winged liner making the color stand out even more. You giggled quietly to yourself, covering your mouth. Now I know where Jasper gets her eyeliner from.
    "I'm here to bring you back to reality, Blue," Yellow Diamond says sternly, walking across the room.
    "I'm fine. Just...leave me alone", Blue Diamond said sadly, watching her diamond counterpart walk across the room.
    "It's been thousands of years, Blue, and you still can't bring yourself to destroy these gems? She was shattered by a rose quartz! The entire cut of gem deserves the same fate!"
    "But they were hers," Blue said, looking up at Yellow Diamond.
   "They should be wiped out of existence! Not kept safe in bubbles", Yellow pleaded with Blue, clenching her fist. You turned to your left momentarily to see Steven and Greg by the door you guys came through. Steven tapped the screen used to unlock the door, trying to open it only to fail.
    "Yellow, she made them. This is all we have left of her. These gems, this place, and the Earth", Blue Diamond said softly. You watch as Steven and Greg ran back over, hiding behind the pillar again with you.
   "I thought we agreed we need to put that planet and this whole debacle behind us," Yellow said as she walked across the room, bending at the waist to be face to face with Blue Diamond. The other massive gem frowned, her thin eyebrows furrowed.
   "Why can't you just let me grieve," Blue said, turning her head away from the other diamond.
    "You can't keep coming here forever!"
    "Why not?" You frowned slightly at the fact that Yellow had made Blue start crying again, looking up when Greg had tapped you. He pointed towards another door, most likely signaling to try and find a way out there. You weren't entirely ready to leave yet, thank your nosiness, but you knew the diamond would most likely kill you or throw you back into the zoo if you didn't get away. You stood up slowly, your (e/c) eyes trained on the new voice that had spoken. You saw another pearl standing next to the one you had seen in Korea. You cringed, not very fond of her voice or look. I never thought I'd see an unattractive gem...huh, you thought as Steven grabbed your wrist, pulling you to another pillar. The pearls had begun harmonizing, Yellow Diamond walking towards you three with her eyes closed and arms behind her back. Your orbs widened as Yellow began singing, your body being pulled by Steven as you continued to stare at the diamond, listening to her voice.

Why would you want to be here?
What do you ever see here
That doesn't make you feel worse than you do?
And tell me, what's the use of feeling, Blue?
Why would you want to employ her, subjects that destroyed her?
Why keep up with her silly zoo?
Oh, tell me what's the use of feeling, Blue?

    Yellow Diamond pushed the bubbled Rose Quartz gems away from her as she sings to Blue Diamond. You watch in awe as you got a closer look at the diamond, almost being caught if it weren't for Blue Diamond's head in the way.

An army has a use, they can go and fight a war
A Sapphire has a use, she can tell you what it's for.
An Agate terrifies, a Lapis terraforms.
Where's their Diamond when they need her, Blue?
You've got to be a leader, Blue!

    Blue Diamond clung to the pillar where you, Steven, and Greg were as Yellow continued to sing the condescending song. The pearls began dancing together, still harmonizing in the background as Steven dragged you down the stairs in the room. You were surprised that the three of you hadn't been caught yet, even though you had had a few close calls.

Yes, of course, we still love her
And we're always thinking of her.
But now, there's nothing we can do
So tell me!
What's the use of feeling?
What's the use of feeling?
What's the use of feeling, Blue?

    You, Steven, and Greg peek from behind the pillar at the bottom of the stairs, watching as Yellow puts her hand out in front of the pearls. They both hop on it, and she lifts them as they continue to sing the song with her.

How can you stand to be here with it all? (Here with it all!)
Drowning in all this regret?
Wouldn't you rather forget her?
Ohh! Won't it be grand to get rid of it all? (Rid of it all!)
Let's make a plan of attack!
Start looking forward and stop looking back!

    Steven drags you to another pillar, Greg tripping and falling on the way. You wince, looking over at the diamonds to see they hadn't noticed. Yellow Diamond then squats in front of Blue, holding her hands in hers. You pout, mouthing an 'aww' as the yellower of the two begins singing again.

Yes, of course, we still love her
And we're always thinking of her.
Don't you know I miss her too?
But tell me
What's the use of feeling?
What's the use of feeling?
What's the use of feeling?

    You watch as Yellow turns away and walks towards the pearls, gripping the side of the staircase beside them. She bowed her head, seemingly in grief. Steven yanks your wrist again, dragging you to the pillar right beside the door you were planning to leave out of. You watch as Blue walks over to Yellow, placing a reassuring hand on her back. The diamond snatches her hand away as the door opens, revealing Pearl. "And we have arrived," Holly Blue says as Pearl steps aside to reveal Sapphire and Ruby. "That will be all, Pearl," Holly says, clapping her hand twice. Pearl walks away with her head down. "My Diamond," the agate says, bowing.     "My gracious, wondrous, luminous, lustrous Diamond...sss?" You chuckled when Yellow Diamond rolled her eyes at the agate as she was speaking. Holly Blue then gasps in surprise when she notices Yellow, her blue eyes wide. "Oh, my! It's truly an honor to bask in your radiance...ses?
   "Get to the point, Agate," Yellow says bluntly. Holly clears her throat, becoming visibly nervous.
    "Yes, of course. My deepest apologies. You'll be pleased to know that your sapphire has completed your special delivery", Holly says as she takes a couple of steps back, gesturing towards Sapphire.
   "What special delivery," Blue Diamond says slowly, glaring at Holly Blue.
   "Um...the special delivery you requested from Earth, of course", Holly answered, clasping her hands together.
   "I never asked any sapphire to go to Earth," Blue says suspiciously, raising a thin eyebrow.
   "I—Um...," Sapphire stutters, placing her hands behind her back. You could see the floor at her feet begin to freeze up, a small gasp passing your lips.
    "Oh, no! She's freezing up", Steven whispered, gripping the pillar in front of him. You saw Ruby grab Sapphire's hand, providing her with comfort.
    "My...future vision foresaw you, My Diamond, desiring more...humans for the zoo. So I—acted accordingly."
    "...it's true", Blue Diamond said sadly, looking at her feet. "The window for preserving Earth's specimens is closing." Steven let out a sigh of relief as Yellow began speaking.
   "Is that what you want," she asked Blue. The other diamond didn't answer, so she turned her attention to Sapphire. "Sapphire, has the Cluster emerged yet?"
    "No, it has not," the small blue gem answered quickly.
    "Then there's still time," Yellow said softly with a smirk, turning to Blue. You shuddered at the slight smile on the diamond's face, feeling a sense of dread. "That will be all." Yellow Diamond's claps echoes throughout the room for a brief moment. Holly Blue Agate bowed before turning to leave the area, Sapphire, and Ruby following her. Steven quickly grabs your arms, pulling you from the room before the door closes. You watched as Yellow put an arm around Blue's waist, turning your head once the doors shut. You were now standing in an open hallway, rejoined by the Crystal Gems.
    "Two Diamonds?! I can't believe it! Can you believe it," she asked Sapphire. "Oh, well, of course, you can, you probably foresaw the whole thing."
    "Of course! No surprises here", Sapphire replied, walking behind Holly as she walked through the hallways. You, Steven, and Greg stood behind Amethyst, walking cautiously behind her.
   "I never expected to see Yellow Diamond in person! What a commanding presence. You can just feel strength and confidence radiating from her."
    "She's right about that...," you whispered. Amethyst, Steven, and Greg turned to look at you, and you shrugged, your (s/c-t) features sporting a blush. "What?" You gasped as Holly Blue unexpectedly turned around to continue speaking to Sapphire. Amethyst quickly shapeshifted, hiding the three of you behind her easily.
   "Don't misunderstand me, of course. I'll always be in Blue's confidence, but if I had been made for Yellow, you wouldn't see me complaining", Holly finished, turning around again and walking. You looked past Amethyst to see that Holly was leading the group back to the ship hangar. The amethyst guards guarding the door notice, but Amethyst puts a finger to her lips, hushing them. "I do hope they appreciate all my hard work to preserve Pink Diamond's legacy. It would really make it worth being stationed here with these sorry excuses for gems. Oh! It's a shame though..." You roll your eyes as Holly Blue begins to monologue to herself with her orbs closed. The Crystal Gems took it as an opportunity to sneak past her to the Roaming Eye. "...this outpost is so remote, I was beginning to think we'd been forgotten. But we haven't! Two Diamonds, one day! What an honor. I don't think anything could spoil this for me", the agate says as she turns towards the ship, which you weren't on yet, smiling brightly.
   "Shit," you say as Steven and Greg laugh nervously beside you.
   "What...is...the meaning of this," she yells loudly, her fists clenched at her sides. You watch as all of the quartz guards appear in the doorway, startled at Holly Blue's discovery. "Why are these three outside of the containment area?!"
   "Holly Blue, I can explain," Sapphire says, taking a step towards the agate.
   "No need, Your Clarity. Not even you could have foreseen how incompetent these amethysts are."
    "That was rude," you said, folding your arms. Steven and Amethyst shushed you, to which you grumbled.
    "Well, if you want something done right...you just do it yourself", Holly says as she summons an electric blue whip. Your eyes widen, and Greg gulps. "You three are coming with me!" Holly Blue then cracks the whip towards you, Steven, and Greg. Ruby and Sapphire quickly join hands, fusing back together into Garnet and catches the whip. Holly Blue and the quartz guards gasp in shock.
    "Garnet," Steven and Greg shout happily as you grin at the agate devilishly.
   "Steven, (y/n), get Greg on board."
    "Yes, please," the older man says as his son pushes him onto the ship. You decide to watch the scene unfold before you, sitting on the door of the ship. Pearl slices Holly's whip in half with her spear, and Amethyst grabs the end of it, spin-dashing to wrap it around the agate. The quartz guards cheer in the background as Amethyst walks away, a smug look on her face.
    "I've been waiting to do this all day," Garnet says as she summons her gauntlet, threatening to punch Holly Blue with it. "Matter of fact, no," she says, crossing her arms. "(Y/n), would you like to do the honors?" You gasp, jumping up from your place on the ship door as you run to Garnet's side, giggling. The fusion chuckles standing back as you crack your knuckles.
    "This might hurt a bit...," you say softly, feening punching the agate in the face, only to flick her in the nose. She squeaks, falling over. The quartz guards laugh at Holly Blue as Garnet picks you up, laughing.
    "What are you doing? They're traitors! Destroy them", the agate yells at the guards as she rolls over. The quartz guards ignore her and begin waving and saying their goodbyes to you all as you begin to board the ship again.
   "Famethyst for life," Amethyst shouts, blowing a kiss to her sisters.
    "I'll report you to the Diamonds! All of you! You'll be shattered!" Pearl walks over to Holly Blue, squatting down as she speaks.
    "You're really gonna tell the Diamonds that you allowed a band of traitorous rebels to infiltrate a highly secure facility and escape from right under your careful watch?" Pearl bites her bottom lip, sucking in a breath. "Doesn't sound like a wise thing to do, Holly Blue." You chuckle as Pearl walks back over to the ship, standing on the open door proudly. "So do yourself a favor and keep your mouth shut. That will be all", Pearl says, bowing. Steven claps twice from beside her, mocking the agate. You take a seat in one of the chairs as the ship takes off out of the human zoo.
    "Thanks so much for coming to get me," Greg says. "That has to be like, the third craziest weekend I've ever had."
   "Tell me about it," you said with a giggle.
    "Dad, I'm really sorry I got you into all this," Steven said sadly, looking down at his feet. "This whole thing started 'cause—I wanted answers."
   "You don't have to be sorry about a thing. I hope you found what you were looking for", Steven's dad replied. Steven smiled softly, closing his dark eyes.
    "I did. I found you", the teenage boy said, hugging Greg tightly. You smiled warmly at the pair, sitting back in your seat with a sigh as you watched the stars pass by.