You groan, holding your head as you sit up. Your ears are ringing. You can hear the sound of muffled banging in the distance. Your first instinct is to open your eyes, but doing so causes your head to throb more. You wince, sucking in a breath as you shut your eyes tightly. The walls surrounding you are bright white, making you dizzy the moment you lay your (e/c) eyes on them. Where the hell am I? You push yourself from the floor, your footing unsteady. Your ears are still ringing loudly, making your headache worse, but you can still hear banging through the high-pitched noise. You move toward the sound, taking short steps so as not to fall. The banging becomes more clear, and the ringing in your ears is quieter. You peel your eyes open slowly, letting in a little light at a time. The closer you get to the banging sound, the more colorful the room is, making it easier on the eyes. Maroon and orange hues fall over the blank white walls, reminding you of the sun setting on Beach City. Once you open your (e/c) eyes completely, you gasp, shocked at the sight before you. "Jasper?" The quartz snaps her head towards you, pressing her palms against the bubble she is in. It's Garnet's bubble, but...it's huge. And Jasper, unpoofed, stands inside of it. "Wh-What are you doing in there," you ask, pressing your palms against the surface of the bubble over Jasper's.
"Y-You're okay. I—I th-thought you were gone," the quartz says, her voice wavering. Jasper's hair was all over the place, frizzy and knotted. Her uniform was wrinkled, one of the straps hanging off of her.
"Are you okay? What happened?"
"I—I've been trying to get out of this stupid bubble to get to you," she replies, tears running down her cheeks. "I called your name an-and called your name, but you didn't answer...you just laid on the ground so I-I thought..."
"Hey, hey, look at me," you say, tapping on the bubble's surface. "It's okay. I'm okay."
"Y-You're not," Jasper shouts, banging her fist on the bubble. You flinch, her outburst frightening you. "You're hurt and you're on Homeworld! I've seen a room like this before...the Diamonds are going to kill you and I'm not there!"
"Wh-What are you—," you start, clutching your shorts. Jasper cut you off.
"I need out! I need out of this bubble right fucking now so I can come and protect you," she screams, banging on the bubble again. The bubble's surface doesn't so much as fracture, no matter how hard Jasper hits it. You run your fingers through your (h/c) hair, squeezing your head. What's going on? What's happening, you ask yourself. The last thing I remember is being thrown on the ship... You sink to your knees, looking around the room. No Steven, but where could he be? If what Jasper said is true then... You flinch at the sound of Jasper's claws scraping against the surface of Garnet's bubble. You gasp when your eyes fall on her, seeing blue spots and spikes beginning to appear on her arm, disfiguring the limb.
"Jasper," you shout, crawling over to her. "Ju-Just calm down, I'm okay! I promise! I just have to find Steven and—"
"No," she growls, startling you. "Rose can't do anything to help you. The Diamonds have most likely already shattered her for her crimes. So they'll either put you in the zoo, or kill you, and I have to be there! I-I have to! I can't—I can't...lose you," she says, her voice quieting to a whisper as she falls to her knees. Your eyes soften at the broken quartz before you, and you sigh softly, pressing your forehead to the bubble. "You're going to die here, and I can't do anything about it." Your heart breaks at the sound of Jasper's voice as you watch her sob in front of you. "All because...of this dumb, bubble!" The quartz soldier begins punching at the bubble again, the occasional kick added to her attack on the prison. The angrier she seems to get, the more the corruption on her arm spreads. Your eyes widen, and you stand up, yelling for Jasper to stop. But she ignores you, spin-dashing. Tears begin running down your cheeks as the orange and maroon light on the white walls in the room becomes tainted with blue. The new color seems to eat away at the orange. You bang your fist against the outside of the bubble, screaming for Jasper to stop, but she doesn't. The bubble begins to crack, the fractures littering the surface until it breaks like glass. You let out a cry of pain as your back slams into one of the walls, the impact knocking the wind out of you. You gasp for air, your vision blurry as your eyes search for Jasper. The now fully corrupted quartz soldier stands in front of you, sniffing and huffing at the air. She then begins howling, the sound causing your ears to ring again. You grit your teeth, slamming your hands over your ears to protect them.
"Jasper," you call through the sound. You pull your hands away from your ears, your palms painted red. You crawl towards the quartz, reaching out to her, but as soon as your hand makes contact—she turns to dust before your eyes.
You gasp loudly, sitting up abruptly. You grip your chest, your heart racing. Your (e/c) eyes take in your surroundings quickly, the action giving you a splitting headache. You groan, grabbing your head as you quickly shut your eyes. You curl into a ball on the floor again, trying to get the headache to go away. "(Y/n)!" You gasp again, your eyes opening once more. "Hey, are you alright? You were screaming." Your (e/c) eyes finally focus on the figure in front of you: Lars.
"Wh-Where are we?"
"I don't know," he says with a shrug, looking around the room. "That big banana tossed us in here after we got off of the ship." Topaz.
"S-So where's Steven," you ask quickly, sitting up. You wince again, your head still hurting bad.
"I don't know that either," Lars answers with a sigh. "The other...gem took him somewhere else. I don't know anything! I just wish—" Your eyes widen at the beam of white light that surrounds Lars, making him hover in the air for a moment. He looks at you with a worried expression on his face. You attempt to stand and go over to him, but your legs shake uncontrollably, causing you to fall to the floor. Lars then disappears, the beam of light disappearing with him. You sit there, shocked, not sure what to do when the same beam of light suddenly falls over you. You gasp, bracing yourself. When you open your eyes, you're in another bright room.
"(Y/n)! You're okay," Steven shouts, tears at the corners of his eyes.
"Steven," you yell back, crawling across the floor. You sit inside of the triangle on the floor behind him, hugging his body to yours. He giggles, leaning back into you. You smile softly, finally beginning to take in your surroundings. The first thing you notice are the two diamonds sitting on thrones in front of you. Yellow and Blue. You swallow, glancing down to see their pearls, and then you look on either side of you. Yet another set of yellow and blue gems. What kind of gems are they, you thought, your (e/c) eyes scrutinizing them. Finally, you notice Lars, who has a bubble over his head, his voice muffled inside of it. You flinch when the unknown yellow gem narrows their eyes at you, looking as if they want to put a bubble on your head too.
"It's gonna be okay," Steven whispers to you, and you nod, not fully believing him.
"As we can see from this...specimen, humans are loud, absolutely hideous creatures that serve no purpose whatsoever. What sort of gem would turn on her own kind for this? I'll tell you what kind. A that kind," the gem finishes, pointing at Steven.
"What about the other human? The words 'loud' and 'hideous' seem to only apply to that one," Blue Diamond's soft voice rings out as she points to Lars.
"Blue," Yellow says, closing her eyes and pinching the bridge of her nose.
"What," Blue asks with a slight pout. "This is a trial. I expect honesty at least. The human behind the accused has been relatively quiet and it isn't hideous at all. I wouldn't mind putting it in the zoo..." You smile softly at the compliment, looking away from the long-haired diamond.
"You have more than enough humans for that silly zoo," Yellow shouts, leaning towards Blue with narrowed eyes.
"Just let them go! They've got nothing to do with this," Steven shouts, gesturing to both you and Lars.
"There it is! The passion! The fury, that caused the diabolical Rose Quartz to—shatter her own Diamond," the unknown yellow gem says dramatically. Yellow Diamond rolls her eyes, making you giggle. She looks down at you, a smirk gracing her lips before she focuses on the gem you assume is from her court. "But I know what you're thinking! This thing doesn't look like a rose quartz. And for that, I would like to call an eyewitness." You furrow your eyebrows, taking your attention off the yellow gem to focus on the ruby that appears on a pillar in front of you.
"Oh, Eyeball," Steven calls, giving the red gem a soft expression.
"Is that one of the rubies that was looking for Jasper," you whisper to Steven. He nods, a small smile gracing his lips as the small gem glares at him.
"Do not address me, war criminal," she shouts, leaning forward on the stand.
"I'm just glad you're okay...," he says softly, squeezing his knees to his chest. You ruffle his curly hair in an attempt to make him feel better.
"I heard it straight from her," 'Eyeball' starts, looking at Yellow Diamond. "She said, 'I'm the mighty Rose Quartz! I've got her shield and everything.'" You and Steven frown at the mocking voice the ruby used to portray Steven. "And then...she threw me, into space!"
"I—tried to help you," Steven says, "I healed your gem!"
"And who else has the ability to heal gems other than the villainous—Rose Quartz."
"Oof," you say, scratching your eyebrow before resting your chin on Steven's head.
"And there you have it! Rose Quartz did it, and that's Rose Quartz. I rest my case," the yellow gem says, bowing slightly.
"Oh, she's good," the blue gem, who you assume is defending Steven, says with a worried expression on her face. Yellow Diamond's pearl finishes typing something on the screen in front of her before closing it between her hands. You then glance at Blue Diamond's pearl and see that she has drawn a picture of Steven on her screen. She then proceeds to cross out his face with an X, making the young teen gulp.
"Well, I'm convinced," Yellow Diamond says, clapping her hands together with a smile. "Time to execute!" You are about to protest, but the second Diamond beats you to it.
"Not yet. The defense still has to speak," she says, looking at the gem from her court. She glances at the offending gem before beginning to sweat. The blue gem stands straight, adjusting her monocle before speaking.
"Right! Well, uh...before I start my very, u-uh, thought out defense I'd like to remind the court that Rose Quartz did turn herself in."
"The court remembers and the court does not care," Yellow Diamond responds, sitting back on her throne.
"O-Of course," the gem starts again, more nervous than before. "I-Innocent! Uh, the word innocent can mean, oh, many different things..."
"I did it," Steven suddenly yells. You frown, slapping your hand over his mouth. He pushes you off, standing up.
"Whoa, wh-what?! Stop," the defense attorney stutters.
"No." The blue gem flinches at the sound of Blue Diamond's voice, and you look up at her. "I want to hear what she has to say." The triangle you and Steven are on rises into a pillar upon Blue Diamond's command, a spotlight shining on the two of you. You stand up behind Steven, forcing yourself not to look down as you are brought to about the hip level of the diamonds. Blue Diamond's hand then reaches toward the two of you, and you gasp, preparing to protect Steven. But the Diamond grabs you instead. Two of her fingers cradle your waist, bringing you to her. You hold onto her hand to balance yourself, surprised at the warmth. She places you on the arm of her throne, positioning you to sit down. Your mouth is open in both shock and awe as you look up at the diamond. She rests her thumb on your head, the action gentle. "You shouldn't be on the stand as you aren't being questioned," her soft voice rings out. You nod slowly, watching as she turns back to Steven with a glare, her thumb still resting on your head and the rest of her fingers to your right.
"State your name for the record please," Yellow Pearl says.
"I—um...I am Rose Quartz," Steven says, lifting his shirt to show off his gem. "And—I'm guilty. Anything you guys said I did, I did. And I did it by myself. I'm sorry. I'll accept any punishment you wanna give me. Just let him go," he says, pointing at Lars. "(Y/n) too," he shouts, gesturing towards you. "And leave the Earth alone." Yellow Diamond lets out a short laugh.
"Sounds like a solid confession to me."
"How. How did you do it," Blue Diamond asks, leaning forward so that she is face to face with Steven. You swallow hard, leaning forward as well to see him. "How did you shatter Pink Diamond?"
"Um...well...I did it on Earth. In front of Pink Diamond's palanquin. I was probably like, 'Stop!', and she was all like, 'No!", so we fought. I think." You notice Steven's attorney slamming her forehead gently on the pillar he is standing on top of, making you giggle. Yellow Diamond glances at you, causing you to clear your throat and look away with a blush. "And...she probably did some cool moves. I probably did some cool stuff too, maybe some jump kicks and stuff. But—I was most likely deeply conflicted about deciding to shatter her. Definitely crying. I probably had to use the Breaking Point to do it."
"It was a sword," Blue Diamond shouts. Her hair begins to float in the air around her as if she's underwater. The room turns blue, and all of the gems start crying, others only tearing up. You and Lars catch each other's eyes for a moment, confused as to why everyone is crying. "You shattered her...with a sword." Blue Diamond then sits back on her throne, covering her face with one hand as she sobs. You furrow your eyebrows, feeling slightly sorry for the diamond. You yelp as you are suddenly picked up again, this time by Yellow Diamond, and placed back onto the pillar with Steven.
"That's quite enough testimony from you," she says bitterly, resting her hands on the other diamond's shoulders to comfort her. "We shall take a short recess."
*time skip brought to you by 'The Trial'*
"How long do you think this'll take," Lars asks. You crane your head to see him better. He still has the bubble on his head. You shrug.
"I've never been to a live trial before, so I'm not sure how long it'll take. Maybe until Blue Diamond calms down I guess," you mutter, resting your chin on your knees. Lars scoffs, laying back on the floor.
"You sound like you feel bad for her."
"I'd feel bad for anyone that's lost someone they love," you reply with a soft smile, picking lint from your shorts. "Especially if they were taken from you." Lars looks as though he is going to say something else, but he's cut off by the blinding light that surrounds the two of you. You blink a couple of times, your eyes finally adjusting to the trial room you were warped back into.
"It's indisputable, that as the Diamond overseeing Earth, Pink was Rose Quartz's enemy," the gem from Blue Diamond's court continues. "Rose had everything to gain by shattering her. But even though she may have wanted to shatter Pink Diamond...could she?" You furrow your eyebrows, cocking your head to the side. "Blue Diamond, for the purpose of this argument, may I present your palanquin?"
"Is this necessary," Yellow Diamond asks exasperatedly.
"Isn't it," Blue Diamond replies before closing her eyes gently and waving her hand. "Please, proceed." You watch as what looks like a sitting area with legs appears, the apparatus slightly familiar.
"Now, as the records show, Pink Diamond was shattered just outside a palanquin much like this." Your eyes follow the blue gem as she steps onto the palanquin, walking up the steps. She then begins to reenact what she's saying. "Witnesses say Pink had just stepped out and had only taken a few steps forward when Rose attacked her from the front!" Blue Diamond lets out a soft whimper, turning her head away in sorrow. "But the question no one seems to be asking is, "how"."
"I've been asking that question," Blue says.
"A-A-An-And right you are to ask, my Diamond," the gem stutters, making you chuckle. "B-Because at the time that Pink was shattered, Rose Quartz had been a recognized threat for several hundred years. There were no Rose Quartz soldiers in her entourage and none in her guard. So how did a Rose Quartz, with no business being anywhere near Pink Damond, get so close in the first place?" You and Steven make eye contact before glancing back at his defense attorney. "Where were Pink Diamond's attendants? Her Agates, Her Sapphires? And where was her Pearl?" Blue and Yellow Pearl pause their recording and look at each other in shock. You quickly glance at Steven again, wondering if his thoughts are the same as yours. He nods once, his mouth slightly agape before the both of you flinch at Yellow's sudden outburst.
"They were with her, of course! They saw the whole thing!"
"But none of them saw Rose Quartz approach? Wouldn't her Sapphires have seen Rose Quartz coming? Wouldn't her Agates have tried to fight her off?"
"That is strange," Steven says softly. You nod.
"Facts."
"She must have slipped past them," Yellow shouts, leaning forward in her seat.
"Even if she did," the attorney counters, "wouldn't Her Pearl have cried out in alarm? "Watch out, My Diamond!" No, whoever did this was already close to Pink Diamond. Someone her guards would allow to get near her, someone she would listen to when asked to stop her palanquin and step outside, and someone with the authority to cover it up afterward! Someone with supreme authority...someone—like one of you!" The gem from Blue Diamond's court ends her speech by pointing at the diamonds. Blue gasps loudly in disbelief, and you watch as Yellow uncrosses her legs. Okay, that was pretty hot, but we might all die now. Her heel hits the floor hard before she pushes herself out of her throne, clearly unamused. The blue gem backs away in fear, and even Steven takes a few steps back towards you and Lars. "Uh, disregard that last statement! I might have gotten carried away!" Yellow then crushes the gem with her pointer finger, poofing her. Your (e/c) eyes widen, your body beginning to tremble.
"Case closed," the offense attorney from Yellow's court says smugly. "Right, My Diamond?" Yellow turns around angrily, her body glowing with energy. You watch as she blasts her own gem, who screams before her body explodes, leaving her gem behind. Steven turns to look at you as you start hyperventilating. You can't hear what he's saying. You can't listen to what anyone is saying. He drags you and Lars into Blue Diamond's palanquin, pressing his hand to what you assumed are the controls. You grip the armrest of the throne, trying to control your breathing as the three of you fall from the building. A diamond is cut into the wall with laser precision, revealing Yellow again. Her piercing amber eyes glare at the three of you, and you grip your chest, beginning to regret leaving the house in the first place.
*time skip brought to you by 'Off Colors'*
"(Y/n)! (Y/n)!" You groan, your eyes beginning to open upon hearing your name being called. Your vision focuses on Steven and Lars, who are standing over you, worried expressions on their faces. "Come on, we've gotta move," Steven says, offering you his hand. You take it, and he pulls you up. You wince, sucking in a breath loudly. The young teen looks back at you as your legs falter, a sharp pain traveling up your spine. "Do you think you can walk?"
"I-I think I'll be okay, Steven, thank you," you say quickly, not wanting to be a burden to him in such a life-or-death kind of situation. You walk as quickly as you can behind the running boys, taking a moment to look behind you. Blue Diamond's palanquin was destroyed in the crash, and you have no idea where you are on Homeworld.
After a while, Steven and Lars stop running, taking a breather. You press your lips together to keep from whimpering, the pain in your lower back excruciating. "How're we supposed to get off this planet? Do you even know where we're going," Lars asks, looking at Steven.
"No," Steven replies, "This is my first time here too." You lean against a nearby statue, watching as they continue their conversation.
"This is so messed up," Lars groans, holding his head in his hands. "What're we gonna eat?" His brown eyes meet with your (e/c) ones for a moment, and you shrug, giving him a defeated smile.
"There's tons of food if you like rocks for dinner." You chuckle at Steven's little joke, your ears perking up at the buzzing sound of machinery.
"Salt is a rock, right? Maybe we can season some dirt and make a meal...," Lars replies, shoving some dirt with the toe of his shoe.
"Wait," Steven says quickly, holding up a hand to silence Lars.
"You heard it too, right," you whisper, pushing yourself off of the statue. Steven keeps his eyes closed for another second, cupping his ears. The three of you freeze at the sound of a stomach growling. You and Steven look at Lars. He groans, holding his abdomen as his shoulders slump.
"...sorry." Suddenly, a light is shined on the three of you from behind. You turn, your eyes widening at the floating, yellow machine in front of you.
"They found us! Run," Steven shouts, but Lars stops him.
"If we stand perfectly still, it won't see us. I saw it in a movie once," he says, freezing in place. You and Steven do the same as the light shining on you goes from a dull yellow to crimson.
"A movie? Seriously," you say between clenched teeth as the light travels down your body like a scanner. Steven's gem is highlighted, the robot making a noise you couldn't even describe.
"That sounds good," Lars says sarcastically. You smack him across the head as your (e/c) eyes watch the face of the machine rotate, seeming to charge up.
"W-We should probably move," Steven screams, tackling both you and Lars off to the side. You scream in pain as Lars lands on top of you. Although he isn't heavy, the force of your fall did more damage to your spine.
"I think that movie...was about dinosaurs," Lars says, his voice muffled. His face was planted in your chest.
"No shit, Alan Grant," you say, smacking his head again. Your eyes then widen when the robot turns back to the three of you, and you sit up despite your pain, dragging Lars with you. Steven helps by grabbing the other teen by his shirt sleeve, dragging him across the ground as he runs away. You follow behind him as quickly as you can, glancing back to see that the robot is lagging. You turn your head again, catching up with the two when they slow to a stop. You lean against the structure behind you, biting the inside of your cheek in pain.
"You just don't get it. I hate being scared all the time," Lars complains, his palms pressing against his knees. "I was scared of everything except baking. Actually—I was scared of that too. I never even tried making baklava because it looked so hard!" You peek around the corner, scoping out the area you all just came from. "I never had the guts to stick up for anybody," Lars says more to himself, but you still heard him. "Not even me! And now I'm hiding again like a big cowardly loser under some—space building!"
"Lars, it's okay to be scared," you say softly, cocking your head to the side as you look at him. His shoulders slump, and you smile softly, looking around the corner of the building again.
"(Y/n)'s right. Don't beat yourself up like that, Lars. That's what the killer robots are for," Steven says. A puff of air passes through your nose in a quiet laugh, the three of you suddenly going on high alert at the sound of someone speaking.
"The fuck was that," you whisper, your (e/c) eyes flicking between the two boys. Steven slowly raises his arm. Your line of sight follows along his chubby arm, and your eyes widen at the sight of a red hand, beckoning you from a hole in the ground.
"Steven," Lars whispers, hiding behind the smaller boy, "What if it's a trap?" Your ears perk up at the sound of mechanical whirring, and your body tenses up before you push yourself from the 'space building', as Lars called it. You move closer to the two, pressing your back against Lars'. The scanning robot came around the corner, just as Steven begins talking.
"I don't think we have a choice!" You squeak as Lars yanks you by the arm, quickly pulling you away from the robot. Your eyes meet with darkness, and you blink a couple of times, the orbs finally adjusting. You shiver abruptly, your body catching a chill as you push yourself from the cold ground. Steven and Lars hold each other close, evident fear in their eyes.
"Guys, I think we're okay," you say, dusting yourself off as you watch the red beam of the machine pass over the rock. The two of them sigh in relief, letting go of one another.
"Close one, huh," Lars asks, looking down at Steven. He chuckles awkwardly.
"Yeah. But...who—"
"Don't worry. You're safe now. We're not gonna hurt you," two voices speak quickly after one another. You narrow your eyes in the direction of the silhouette, your brain not fully comprehending what you are seeing.
"Thank you," Lars exclaims, throwing his hands in the air. "Whoever...you—" You watch as a gentle red light, much different from the one the robot emits, lights up the underground, revealing your savior. Lars screams in terror, the gem in front of you having a similar reaction—minus the screaming.
"It's okay, Lars," Steven reassures, patting his arm.
"That's no way to react to the person who saved us," you say, smirking at the teen. He lets out an awkward laugh, rubbing the back of his neck.
"Thank you for saving us," Steven says, approaching them. The gem leans down at the waist, one of their heads inspecting Steven. The other glances between you and Lars curiously.
"How bizarre," they say, placing a hand on their chin. "What are they?"
"They certainly don't look like gems we've ever seen before," the second head on the right answers. They both then gasp, and you look up, seeing the crimson light of the scanning machine between the cracks of the rock again.
"I-I think we should get moving, if you don't mind," you say, glancing at the two-headed gem with furrowed eyebrows. They begin walking backward down the tunnel, looking worried.
"Come. This way," the right head says.
"This way. Come," the left head says, pointing down the tunnel before they begin walking. You and Steven start to follow them before Lars calls out to the two of you.
"Is this really a good idea," Lars asks, biting his fingernails. You look down at Steven, waiting for an answer.
"They seem—different," he answers, seeming to struggle to find the words. "I think we can trust them." He then starts walking again, and you turn to follow him. You turn your head over your shoulder to see that Lars still hasn't budged, so you wave your hand, silently calling him. He walks slowly, before jogging slightly to catch up with you, and you lock your arm in his in an attempt to comfort him. He sighs softly, his shoulder touching yours, and you smile, turning ahead again to follow Steven.
The five of you walk in silence. You shiver again, your body catching a harsh chill. Lars presses closer to you, a light blush across his cheeks. You giggle, bumping your hip with his before looking up at the ceiling. Water drips from the stalactites above you, the noise calming for you. Reminds me of the cave back home. You sigh softly, tuning back into the conversation in front of you. "—fast food joints, do you?"
"What about food," you ask, looking at Lars. Steven laughs, the sound bouncing off of the walls. You came up to a cave opening, and your eyes widen at the sight before you. Thousands, if not millions of exit holes ran up and down rock towers and along every wall as far as you could see. You exhale sharply, your mouth falling open.
"Holy shit," you breathe, stepping closer to the edge. "That's a lotta holes..."
"Wh-What is this place," Lars asks nervously.
"A kindergarten. A really, really big one," Steven replies, his voice echoing throughout the area. You swallow, stumbling back a little as the gem begins to speak again.
"Come. Follow me," they say, beginning to climb down the pillar.
"W-We're gonna get down there, by climbing down," you ask, stuttering. The gem hums in agreement, swinging into one of the holes. Steven looks up at you before patting your leg, following after the gem. Lars visibly swallows before going after Steven, leaving you alone on top of the Kindergarten pillar.
"(Y/n), come on," you hear Steven call. You peek down to see his curly head, and he raises a hand, ushering for you to take it. You let out a breath before getting down on your hands and knees. You crawl slowly to the edge, turning your back to it as you let your legs dangle. You could feel your body begin to heat, your hands sweating from fear. You feel your way down until your foot comes in contact with a solid surface. You then look down to see that you are standing on the edge of the exit hole Steven and the others are in. You blow out another breath before swinging into the hole as you have seen the gem do. "That wasn't so bad."
"Y-Yeah," you say, clearing your throat as you begin to follow the group again. There are a series of tunnels inside of the pillar, allowing you and the rest to make it down safely without having to climb. It impresses you, to say the least.
When you make it to your destination, the red gem whistles loudly. "We're back! Here we are! It's okay to come out!"
"Oh, thank goodness," a relieved voice says from one of the exit holes. "I hope you weren't followed." You smirk, crossing your arms. A fusion. Your (e/c) eyes glance over the new gem, noticing that she has four arms. Her hair was curly, like Garnet's but more fluffy, like Steven's. "You weren't, right? You double-checked?" She gasps loudly, her entire form shaking. "You've been followed," she screams, backing away as Steven approaches her.
"Uh...hi. D-Don't worry! I'm not a threat or anything," he says in an attempt to reassure her.
"It's okay, Rhodonite. Relax. We brought them here," the red gem says, approaching Steven and placing their hands on his shoulders. "They're with us."
"Can we trust them," Rhodonite asks, appearing calmer than before.
"Sure. I think so," the red gem replies, looking over at you and Lars. You smile softly at them and then at Rhodonite. The red gem gladly returns a grin, while Rhodonite gives you more of a shy smile.
"Everyone!" You and Lars flinch at the sound of a new voice. You peek past the teenager to see a much smaller gem who resembled Sapphire.
"Aw...," you muse.
"A wondrous vision has appeared before me. The twins of rutile will bring one...no. Three strangers to our current place of hiding," she finishes happily. You can't help but squeak at how cute she is, turning back to Rhodonite as she speaks.
"We know Padparadscha, your prediction already happened."
"They were being chased up on the surface by one of those terrible robonoids," one of the Rutile twins say.
"Don't tell me you tried to fight those things," Rhodonite says worriedly, placing a hand on her cheek.
"No, of course not," a twin answers. "These three were about to be scanned when we pulled them under. We were just in time."
"Let me see..." You turn towards yet another new voice, glancing upward slowly. Lars screams, backing away while you stand there in awe. A huge caterpillar-like gem came from behind the pillar in the middle of the "room" you stood in. Lars runs away, and her two sets of eyes follow him as she moves a bit closer to you. You can hear the sound of Steven's flip-flops pop as he approaches you, stopping at your side. Lars hides behind the both of you. "They don't look like gems," she says slowly, her face inches from yours.
"That's what I said! I said the same thing," the Rutile twins shout excitedly.
"Hi, I'm Steven. I'm a gem. Well...half-gem. And this is Lars, and (y/n)," the young teenager says, looking between you and Lars. "They're all human."
"That's why you look so...unusual," the caterpillar gem replies.
"We look unusual?!" You giggle at Lars' outburst, covering your mouth slightly.
"Of course you do," Rhodonite starts. "You can't just walk around on the surface like that! You're off-colored. Just like the rest of us."
"What do you mean...off-colored," Steven asks.
"You know—wrong. Not...right. Flawed," the Rutile twins answer.
"Space racism," you say, raising an eyebrow. Lars shrugs at you, and you sigh, shaking your head.
"Wait...I don't see anything wrong with you guys," Steven says.
"They look like normal gems to me," you add, shifting your weight to your right leg.
"Gems like us, aren't needed," the caterpillar gem starts. "Padparadscha can only predict things that just happened."
"Here comes, Fluorite," the smallest gem says cheerfully. You chuckle at her, going through all of their names in your head. Fluorite, Rutile twins, Rhodonite, and Padparadscha.
"And a fusion like me? Is unforgivable," Rhodonite says sadly. "When my—o-our Morganite found out, let's just say...we were replaced. But my story's nothing! Fluorite! How many gems are you now?" You quickly turn to look at Fluorite again, slightly excited to hear just how many gems can make a fusion so big.
"Six. Maybe more if we meet the right gem." You smile softly at her, looking at the twins as they begin to speak.
"And then there's us!"
"You mean...you're not a fusion," Steven questions, looking confused.
"I kind of assumed they weren't," you say with a slight shrug.
"We're...just a Rutile that came out wrong. We survived because all the other Rutiles ran away when we emerged. We survived because...they were afraid of us."
"Afraid of you? So...you've been hiding your whole lives," Lars says, looking troubled. You raise an eyebrow at him, slightly surprised since it has been a while since he spoke. "What happens if they find you," he asks, suddenly standing. You look at the Rutiles, waiting for an answer, although you suspect the worst.
"We'll be—"
"—shattered," Padparadscha finishes for them. Lars looks down at his feet, and your stomach turns, feeling sorry for the gems around you. Your ears then suddenly twitch at the buzzing sound of a machine. Just as you are about to ask if anyone else hears what you do, it is obvious by the look on all of their faces that they hear it too. Rhodonite shouts in distress as the crimson red light of the robonoid travels along the cave walls.
"You were followed! They're gonna find us! They're gonna break us!" You begin to hyperventilate, the wheels turning in your head. You want to find a way to get everyone out and safe. The gems didn't deserve to be shattered because of you, Steven, and Lars, and Steven didn't deserve to be killed or put in jail for things his mom did. As you are thinking, your arm is yanked. You blink a few times before your eyes focus on Steven who is pulling you to an exit hole. You look behind you to see three of the hovering robots floating after you. You duck into an exit hole next to the one Steven and Lars are in, watching as one of the bots scans the pillar in the center of the off-colored gems hideout. Fluorite manages to avoid it, and you let out a breath you didn't know you are holding.
"Maybe Jasper was right...maybe I am gonna die here," you gasp.
"No! We're going to be okay," Steven shouts, peeking out of his hiding spot to look at you. His brown eyes then suddenly widen, and you turn your head to follow his line of sight. The other two robonoids had been scanning one of the walls of the Kindergarten, where the Rutile twins just happened to be hiding. "Oh, no!" Your calves twitch, your legs wanting to move to do something to help, but Lars beat you to it. He throws a rock at one of the robots, and it squeals, turning to him along with its companion. They hover towards Lars and begin to scan him, but nothing happens. You and Steven look at each other with wide eyes.
"He doesn't have anything to scan," you say.
"So they can't see him at all," you and Steven shout at the same time.
"Because you two aren't gems," the young boy finishes, and you grin, feeling a little more confident. As you and Steven came to your conclusion, Padparadscha approaches Lars to tell him about her vision that has already happened. You watch as a robonoid is getting closer to the two of them, and you yell for Lars to watch out. He kicks the robot just as it scans the small gem, its beam hitting one of the walls and cracking it. You run over to Lars, placing a hand on his back.
"Are you okay," you ask, looking over him.
"I think that's the coolest thing I've ever done in my life," he says between breaths. You laugh, patting his back.
"I'm sure it was but—"
"It's not over yet," Steven says, finishing your sentence. He tries to use his shield to block his gem, but the robonoids still manage to scan it along with Padparadscha's again. All three of them begin to charge up their beams, and you stand to your feet along with Lars. He grabs a fallen stalactite, heaving to hold it over his shoulder like a bat. Lars manages to hit two of them, but the third one moves before he can get a hit in on it. You grab Padparadscha, holding her in the crook of your arm as you move to stand in front of Steven. But the robonoid fires its beam before you can do so. Steven ducks behind his shield, the energy beam bouncing off of it.
"Lars! Duck," you shout quickly, and his knees hit the ground as the reflected beam destroys one of the three robots.
"Oh. The shield is reflective," Padparadscha states.
"Yes, it is," you say with a grunt as you slide across the ground to duck behind Steven as he reflects another beam.
"Padparadscha! Come back! Hide," Rhodonite calls, alerting the robonoid. The machine ceases its attack on Steven, turning to go and scan the area where the smallest fusion stood. Lars runs over, quickly scaling the wall to get to her. He uses his body to hide her gems, protecting her from the crimson scan. You watch as he then jumps on the back of the robonoid like a horse, hitting it with the makeshift bat he had earlier. The robot begins flailing around with Lars on it, shooting its beam as it tries to get him off. You gasp before jumping out of the way, still holding the small gem to avoid the blasts. Lars then shoves the sharp end of the stalactite into the face of the bot as it prepares another beam, and it explodes, along with him. You watch as his body slams against the center pillar Fluorite hid behind, his head hitting the corner of the rock on his way down before he hits the ground—hard. You put down Padparadscha, running along with Steven to the teen's side. Steven fazes away his shield, turning over Lars' body gently.
"Hey, bud," you say softly, pushing Lars' hair from his face. You wince at the sight of the nasty cut that runs from his hairline to the top of his cheek. His head is split open, along with his eyelid, revealing the white of his eyeball. Part of his iris showed through the blood, the color dull—almost as if it is faded. Steven tugs on the front of his shirt, calling his name. You look at the half-gem, seeing tears in his eyes. The gems clamor around the three of you excitedly about the recent battle, but you and Steven ignore them. You place two fingers over where Lars' pulse would be as Steven rests his head on his chest for a moment. He then sits up quickly with a gasp, covering his mouth. You frown, brushing your thumb over the back of Lars' hand as you hold it.
"I'm sorry, Steven," you mumble, looking at the broken expression on his face. He whimpers before he begins sobbing, covering his face with a hand. Steven then lifts Lars' body, cradling the teen's head in his arms. You watch as Lars' hair falls back over his eye, covering the wound. You stand, going to sit behind Steven as you rub his hair and back in an attempt to comfort him. You watch helplessly as Steven continues to cry, his tears falling on Lars' face as he gently rocks him. After another moment, Lars begins to glow pink. Your (e/c) eyes widen as you peek over Steven's shoulder to look at what is happening. The young teen gasps softly, tears still falling down his cheeks. Lars' entire body is enveloped in glowing pink light. You reach out and grab his hand, his body beginning to feel warm again. Lars then groans, his hand gripping yours as he tries to sit up. Your heart feels like it is going to come out of your chest as he does so. He slides back, holding his head where it was just split open. He groans again, squeezing the bridge of his nose before brushing his hair out of his face. There's a scar over his eye where the cut was and you grin, squeezing his hand in yours. Lars looks over at you, asking what happened.
"Something incredible is going to happen to Lars," Padparadscha exclaims, slapping her hands on her cheeks.
"You were a badass, that's what happened," you reply with a chuckle. Lars smiles at you softly before his eyes widen in surprise as Steven tackles him in a hug. "Easy, Steven," you say with a chuckle, rubbing his back.
"Lars! You saved us! You stopped the robonoids but one of them exploded and you weren't moving, and then I started crying—," Steven says all too quickly as tears began running down his cheeks again. He then cuts himself off with a gasp, pulling back to look Lars in the face. "I brought you back to life! I-It was an accident. I probably would've done that on purpose if I would have known I could do that, but I didn't really ask you permission so...I'm sorry." You giggle at the dumbfounded expression on Lars' face, squeezing his hand which you are still holding.
"Back to life," he questions, blinking slowly. "So I was...away from life," Lars asks with a shrug, raising his hands. He then seems to notice that he's pink and lets out a squeak. He inspects his arms before holding his head in his hands. "I'm pink!"
"Yes," you answer simply, pushing yourself to your feet.
"Do you feel okay," Steven asks him, his brown eyes scrutinizing his friend's body.
"I don't...really know," Lars replies.
"But your body...a-are you sore?"
"...no."
"Are you tired?"
"...no?"
"Do you feel good?"
"No?"
"Do you feel bad," Steven exclaims, looking restless.
"No?! I-I guess I just feel really freaked out?" You purse your lips, trying not to laugh at the interaction the two teens just had.
"Well, I am too so, at least we're on the same page here." You nod and hum, agreeing with Steven and Lars before you hear the now all too familiar mechanical whirring of a hovering robonoid.
"They're back. Those shattering robonoids are back," Rhodonite exclaims worriedly.
"Quickly! Block the entrance," Fluorite orders. The Rutile twins and Rhodonite quickly run to the exit with Fluorite not too far behind them. You are tempted to run after them and help, but Steven asks you to stay with Lars. You nod once, watching as he helps the gems move a boulder to cover the entrance to their hideout.
"I predict...Lars will change in hue. What a mystery," Padparadscha says excitedly. You smile softly, shaking your head at her before looking back over to where Steven now is. They have succeeded in moving the boulder. The sound of Lars groaning softly drags your attention back to him. You hold out your hand to help him stand, you, him, and Padparadscha making your way to where everyone else is.
"They seem to have overlooked us...for the time being," Fluorite says after the crimson tractor beam scans over the opposite side of the large rock.
"Quickly! Block the entrance," Padparadscha yells. You pat her head, looking to Steven for what you all are going to do next.
"As long as I'm here, they're going to keep coming after us," he says seriously, placing a hand on his chin.
"It's true. This was a horrible plan," Rhodonite agrees, becoming flustered again.
"Should we try to find a new hiding spot," Steven asks.
"That would mean we would be exposed to the robonoids again," you say with a sigh.
"Exactly," Rhodonite exclaims, tapping her feet on the ground.
"But if we stay here, they'll find us for sure," Fluorite adds with closed eyes.
"So we either stay here and get caught...or go out there and get caught," the Rutile twins say. Everyone goes quiet. You can feel the hopelessness in the air, but then Lars speaks up, breaking the silence.
"So wait...am I a zombie now?!" You facepalm internally, your face lax as you look at him.
"No," Steven answers, the statement sounding more like a question as if he was unsure. "W-Well...no! Y-You can talk and zombies can't do that!"
"He has a point, Lars," you add with a nod.
"I-I must've healed you. I've healed people before, just never this much," Steven finishes with a shy smile.
"Just admit it Steven! I'm a zombie," Lars shouts. You laugh, shaking your head.
"You aren't a zombie. You look very much alive to me, just more...pink," you say with a shiver. "Besides, zombies are the undead. Just a reanimated corpse."
"Oh, I know! A zombie wouldn't have a heartbeat," Steven says, walking over to Lars and putting his ear to his chest.
"Exactly," you agree, nodding and crossing your arms. You watch Steven's expression go from a calm one to a more worried one. "Uh...everything okay?"
"It's uh...pretty slow," he answers, stepping away from Lars. "But I think we can rule out pink zombie." You slide over to Lars' side, looking him in the face intently.
"You don't have the craving for brains or anything, do you," you ask, squinting at him. Lars shakes his head, swallowing. You hum, removing yourself from him.
"I can't believe humans just change color like this," Rhodonite says.
"They don't," you and Steven correct at the same time.
"Well...I guess if you get really cold you turn blue...if you get really embarrassed you turn red," Steven explains, looking up at Lars.
"That doesn't apply to all humans though," you add. "The more melanin you have, I'd say it's a bit harder to see all those colors in your skin." Steven hums, nodding.
"True. Wait, what's melanin?"
"So what does pink mean," Rhodonite asks curiously. "Is Lars going to explode or something?!"
"Maybe then Lars will reform with a different color," one of the Rutile twins adds.
"I'm sure whatever color Lars chooses will be lovely," Fluorite says.
"Aw," you muse, looking at Lars.
"But, why am I pink," he asks, sinking to the ground. He then groans, seeming to be having a crisis.
"Even your hair is different," Steven says, poking the fluffy tuft of hair on Lars' head. He screams, pulling away from Steven.
"What was that?" Lars then touches his hair, exclaiming in confusion. "It like, lit up, right? You saw it too!"
"Yeah," Steven agrees.
"What did you do? Do it again," Lars tells Steven quickly, looking up at his hair as the younger teen reaches for it again. You watch as Steven's chubby fingers disappear into Lars' hair, a light surrounding them. A soft humming sound could be heard accompanying the action. "Why is it doing that?"
"Hey...that's kind of like Lion's mane, right," you ask Steven, leaning down so you are face to face with him.
"Yeah...," he hums, looking back at Lars. "There's something I can try, but—no. You don't want me going in your head."
"You're going to...possess me again," Lars asks worriedly, leaning away from Steven. You raise an eyebrow, letting out a small 'oh' as you recall the events of said 'possession' Lars mentioned.
"No," Steven answers, "it would be more literal."
"Very literal," you add.
"What is it," Lars asks curiously, but Steven dismisses his question, telling his friend to forget about it. "Look, Steven...I'm not gonna get mad, okay? I trust you, just—help me out here." You look over at Steven, and he glances at you. You point your lips in Lars' direction, silently telling him to go on. "If I've got magic hair now, I wanna know." Steven smiles softly, ordering everyone to stand back. You do as you're asked along with the other gems, Padparadscha lagging, but eventually moving away too.
"Alright now, just bend down," Steven tells Lars.
"Like this," the teen asks, bowing his head in Steven's direction.
"Now...you might feel a slight foot in your head..."
"Wait, wha—," Lars is cut off by Steven putting his foot in his head, and you chuckle at the teen's facial expression.
"Just relax, Lars," you call, "I know that's probably super weird though..."
"Ya think," he shouts, losing his balance a bit as Steven places his other foot in Lars' head as well.
"Wh-What is happening? Th-They're fusing," Rhodonite says. "They're fusing, right," she asks the Rutile twins, to which they shrug.
"You're doing great, Lars," Steven encourages.
"Uh...okay," he says, his expression showing discomfort. Steven then disappears into Lars' hair after taking a deep breath, leaving you and everyone else in silence as you waited.
*time skip brought to you by 'Lars' Head'*
You are poking at Lars, watching how his skin reacted to the heat of your hands like a thermal apparatus. He is also doing the same to pass the time, sighing after a moment. You stop poking at him, about to ask if he is alright, but are cut off by the sound of his hair humming. It glows for a moment before Steven's head pops out, surprising both you and Lars. Steven loses his balance, making Lars fall along with him. You wince, standing up to look over them. "You two alright?" Lars sits up with a groan, and Steven stands a moment after him, apologizing.
"So what happened? What's in my head," Lars asks Steven curiously.
"Home!" Your eyes widen slightly before you raise an eyebrow.
"What do you mean, Steven?"
"I just traveled back to planet Earth, by going through Lars' head," he shouts, raising his hands in the air.
"I didn't know that Lion's mane was a portal, Steven," you say, crossing your arms.
"Well, not really," he giggles, "It's—"
"You went back to Earth," Lars asks in disbelief. "What the heck? Is my head like a wormhole?"
"No, it's way simpler than that. You see...I have a pink pet Lion who belonged to my mom when she was still here, and it turns out I can go into his mane and it transports me to a magical dimension where my mom kept a bunch of artifacts on a hill, with a tree and for some reason I can't breathe in there." You blink at him, glancing at Lars as he looks at you as well. You shrug, wondering exactly how all that Steven said is any simpler than just saying Lion's mane is a portal. "But anyway," Steven continues, "when I went into Lars' head, I got transported to the same magical dimension, but it was a new part. But since the two are connected, I could reach the portal that leads out of Lion's mane, which is back on Earth!" Poor Lars looks so confused that you can't even laugh at him.
"So it is a portal. Just with extra steps," you say with a blank stare at Steven. He hums in agreement at your statement, shoving a sandwich in Lars' face.
"Here. I brought you some food."
"Huh? Thanks, but you can have it, or give it to (y/n)," Lars declines before standing to his feet.
"I already ate when I was back at home. But...aren't you hungry," Steven asks worriedly, turning from Lars for a moment to hand you the sandwich. You take it from him gently, looking at Lars for confirmation.
"Are you sure," you ask with a sigh, shifting your weight to the opposite leg. The teen nods, shifting his eyes to Steven again as the younger boy begins to speak once more.
"Maybe you only eat magical lizards now like Lion," Steven wonders aloud to himself. "A-Are you hungry for lizards?"
"No, I do not want a lizard," Lars answers, shaking his head.
"But, you haven't eaten in days. Neither of you has," Steven says, as you take a bite of the peanut butter and jelly sandwich. You sigh, your shoulders slumping as you swallow your food.
"I know," Lars says. "There must be pink magic in my guts now or something."
"What is this box?" You look over at Rhodonite to see that she is holding a juice box.
"It's juice. We drink it back on Earth," he replies. The gems begin clamoring, talking over one another before they suddenly stop.
"Steven's back," Padparadscha says.
"That can't be. I'm incredulous," the Rutile twins say, looking at each other.
"Why can't it be," Steven asks, a slight frown on his face.
"Everyone knows...that the Earth—", Fluorite says before she is cut off by Rhodonite.
"—was decimated by the Diamond attack! Sorry," she apologizes to the other fusion, an embarrassed blush on her face. You choke on the bread of the sandwich, coughing hard. Steven rubs and pats your back.
"Huh," you manage to get out after swallowing.
"It's...not like that. The Diamonds did attack, but there's still gems living on Earth. And the planet's full of life! It grew the potatoes that became these chips," he says, showing them a bag of Chaaaaps. "An-And grew the wheat, that eventually became the flour, that eventually became the bread, that eventually became this sandwich!" Your mouth waters at the sight of the food Steven holds up as he explains to the gems.
"Sand? Wich," the Rutile twins question, furrowing their eyebrows.
"But...why would gems still live there," Rhodonite asks.
"The Earth is a place where we can be ourselves. We can live freely without having to hide who we are," Stevens says endearingly.
"Live freely? Without...having to hide," the Rutile twins say excitedly to each other.
"That sounds won...derful!" You chuckle at Fluorite's enthusiasm, resting your hands atop your head.
"It is! And now that we have this portal we can all go there!"
"Did you happen to see the gems," you ask Steven. He shakes his head.
"The house was dark and empty when I got there. There was only Lion," he answers, turning to Lars.
"How am I supposed to go through my own head?" You purse your lips in thought, looking at Steven.
"Oh...hm," he hums, poking at his bottom lip. "Can you bend down for me again, Lars?"
"Uh, sure," the teen says, bowing down towards Steven again. The half-gem steps into Lars' head again, leaving only his torso exposed. He asks for Lars' hand and pulls it into his hair with him. Lars strains as Steven pulls on his arm from inside his hair.
"Hey, Steven? Maybe you should stop," you call, seeing that Lars is in obvious pain.
"You're gonna break my elbow!" A second later Steven jumps out of Lars' hair, placing his hand on his hips.
"Okay, so...that didn't work. But I'm sure there's another way," Steven says optimistically.
"No, no, I get it. Everyone just go, and I'll stay here," Lars says standing.
"What? No, are you crazy," you say, crossing your arms. "We got stuck in this mess together, and we aren't going to leave you behind. You're just a kid..."
"There's no other way out, (y/n), I'm it. The Earth is way better than this! There's no robots flying around...just—seagulls that fly in front of the sunset, and it's beautiful," Lars says quickly, obviously embarrassed to admit it. "Just go! You'll see. I took it for granted! So don't...pass up this chance." There's silence between all of you. You and Steven look between Lars and the gems, Rhodonite breaking the silence.
"Welp! If you insist!" The Rutile twins place a hand on her chest to stop her with a frown. Rhodonite takes a step back, looking down at her feet.
"We won't do it. Not if it means leaving you behind," Fluorite says.
"See," you say, gesturing towards the fusion.
"What?! I'm trying to perform a beautiful act over here," Lars shouts in disbelief, pointing at his head.
"And I'm sure everyone appreciates it, but that's just not right," you reply.
"We know this planet. We've been hiding in these tunnels for eons. You'll need us to help you get around. Besides...us off colors need to stick together." Lars smiles at Fluorite warmly after looking at his hand. You sigh contently, patting Steven's head. He giggles, holding onto your wrist.
"We'll get to Earth another way. We'll find an alternate route," the Rutile twins reassure.
"But you've gotta go back," Lars says, pointing at you and Steven.
"It doesn't feel right to just leave you here," Steven says, his voice wavering.
"Steven's right, Lars. We could be of help too."
"You've said yourself that everyone on this planet is out to get you. You won't be safe until you're back on Earth," he says to Steven, pointing at him with furrowed brows. "And you, (y/n)...although it would be nice to...ya know, have you to myself," he says with a blush. You chuckle, cocking your head to the side as he finishes. "I'm sure you have a family to get back to. Besides, I've seen you fight with the gems before! The Earth and Beach City need protecting and I think Steven could use your help more than me. I have some gems of my own to help me now." The off-colored gems look at him warmly, smiling softly. You turn back to Lars, nodding once.
"But...Lars—," Steven starts, only to be cut off.
"Don't argue with me," he says sternly to the younger boy. Steven flinches slightly, taken aback. "You're always trying to help me! You brought me back to life," he says, gesturing to himself. "Just—let me be somebody who deserved it."
"Alright," Steven says determinedly. "I'll tell everyone you're okay. I'll be back. I-I can bring whatever you need. Be careful, okay?"
"We will," Fluorite says.
"We can't leave without Lars," Padparadscha exclaims. You chuckle, glancing at Rhodonite.
"We'll see you on Earth! I hope...no, no, no. We will!"
"I'm liking the confidence. It looks good on you," you say with a giggle. Rhodonite blushes, rubbing the back of her neck. "Ready, Steven?" He nods once, looking up at Lars. Steven places his hand on the teen's chest, but Lars slaps it away and hugs him instead. Steven squeezes him back before slightly pushing away a moment later.
"Um...i-if you could just...?"
"Oh. Oh yeah," Lars says, remembering. He bows to Steven for the last time. Steven ushers for you to come over, and you take a couple of steps until you're at his side.
"See you later, Lars," you say, kissing the top of his head. "Kick some ass while you're here, alright?" Lars laughs, scratching his cheek. You could see that the tips of his ears are red. Steven then takes your hand, stepping into Lars' head.
"Take a deep breath, (y/n)," he warns before disappearing inside, only leaving his outstretched hand that is holding yours. You look back at the gems, nodding to them before taking a deep breath and stepping in after Steven. You fall into what feels like fur, opening your eyes to see just what Steven described before: two trees on hills. One with what you assumed are gem artifacts, and the other, the closer one, is bare. Steven tugs on your hand, and you stand again, moving your way through the soft pink grass to the bigger tree. Once you make it there, Steven dunks down into the grass, pulling you with him to which you gasp. Since there was no air, when you pop out of the other end, through Lion's mane, you begin coughing harshly. Your breathing is uneven, and your chest burns as you try to catch your breath. "Oh! Oh, are you alright, (y/n)," Steven asks worriedly, fawning over you. Before you can answer him, you hear the sound of the warp pad activating, causing you to look up at it. The Crystal Gems, Greg, Connie, and Sarge appear before you.
"This is hopeless," Pearl says, looking defeated. Steven gasps, and you smile, standing to your feet slowly. "We'll never get that drop ship to fly and we're losing time! Who knows what they're doing to Steven! Or (y/n)! Hey, Steven, (y/n)," she waves as she continues to pace, not looking at the two of you. "What are we going to d—" Pearl cuts herself off, turning to stare at you and the half-gem.
"I'm back," Steven exclaims, holding his arms out. Sarge barks as he runs over to you, jumping up on you. You stumble back with an 'oof', laughing as he licks your face. He whimpers, his tail shaking so hard that his entire body followed its movement. You pet him, rubbing his ears as he gets off of you. You look over to Steven to see his dad hugging him tightly, tears in his eyes. The gems and Connie stand away, allowing them to have their moment.
"Are you alright," Greg asks, pulling away from Steven to look him over. "You aren't hurt are you?" Steven laughs, leaning into his dad's hand.
"No, Dad, I'm fine," he says. Greg ruffles his hair, stepping away and allowing the gems to hug Steven. He then pulls you into a hug, and you pat his back, laughing.
"You're alright too, (y/n)," he asks, looking you over as he had done Steven.
"Hungry, but I'm alright," you say with a chuckle.
"Thank you for keeping him safe," he whispers, looking over at the gems. You look in their direction as well, smiling as you see Pearl rubbing her face on Steven's, tears falling down her cheeks.
"He's the one that kept me safe. Lars as well," you reply. Greg hums as the gems finally let go of his son. Steven looks at Connie expectantly, waiting for a hug, but it doesn't come.
"Y-You probably have to get home, right? It is pretty late," the half-gem says as Connie walks past him out the door. Steven follows her, and you chuckle as the Crystal Gems and Greg rush to the window to watch him. "We'll be fine, I'll be right back," you hear Steven call. You plop down on his couch, feeling exhausted. Sarge places his head in your lap, his amber eyes boring into your (e/c) ones. You smile, petting him.
"(Y/n)." You look up at Garnet who called your name. "We need to talk."
"Oh...uh—alright," you say, about to stand, but Garnet waves her hand, so you stay seated.
"Did you talk to Jasper while you were on Homeworld," the fusion asks as Amethyst pulls Pearl from the screen door to the couch.
"Y-Yeah...how'd you know," you ask, looking at the other two gems. You are confused by Pearl and Amethyst's presence during your and Garnet's conversation, given the fact that they've always been private.
"I told them about the link between you and Jasper," Garnet says after seeming to notice your concern. "It was necessary after what happened."
"Wh-What do you mean?"
"Jasper got out of her bubble." Your (e/c) eyes widen before you sink back down into the chair, thinking about the dream you had. You remember how Jasper had finally broken Garnet's bubble before you woke up and came out as her corrupted form.
"H-How? Please tell me you let her out," you say with a light laugh. The gems look at each other before turning back to you, and Garnet stands to come and sit next to you. She presses the tips of her fingers together after she rests her elbows on her thighs.
"She popped it. And reformed still corrupted. In the process, she popped a few other bubbles in the Burning Room, but overall there was no damager done," Garnet says. You sigh in relief, relaxing slightly.
"Except for the warp pad," Amethyst suddenly adds. She scratched it up real good, along with us." Pearl chuckles, shaking her head.
"We think she was trying to reach you, (y/n)," Pearl says, her blue eyes lying on you softly. "Do you know why?"
"I—she knew I was on Homeworld," you say after a long pause. "When I talked to her, she immediately knew that I was there without me having to tell her. She kept saying that the Diamonds were going to—hurt me. Or either put me in the Zoo." The gems look between each other before their eyes fall on you again. "She was really angry but I—I didn't think she could get out of her bubble like that."
"We talked before about that," Garnet chuckles. "About exciting her too much." You blush, averting your eyes from Garnet's visors. "But overall nothing bad happened so you don't need to worry. She managed to rough us up a bit to get to the warp pad, but she couldn't use it."
"And she didn't really seem all that interested in us until we attacked her," Pearl states. Amethyst elbows her, frowning. You smile, blowing air out of your nose in a silent laugh.
"It's alright, Amethyst. You guys did what you had to. I'm just glad that she—ah!" You grab your lower back, pain shooting up your spine. Tears sting the corners of your eyes, and you press your lips together hard, trying not to cry.
"Hey, are you okay," Amethyst asks, going around the table to look at you closely. Sarge whimpers, nudging your hand with his nose. At this point, Greg has come over as well.
"M-My back...," you manage to get out through gritted teeth. "I don't know—" You then remember when you had woken up in the depths of Homeworld how bad your back was hurting. I must have fallen out of the palanquin. "I-I think I hurt it on Homeworld. I guess the adrenaline made me forget about the pain," you laugh before groaning in pain again. Garnet slides her forearm under your knees, shooing Sarge off of the couch. He obeys, moving so that Garnet can place your body face down into the cushions. Your breathing has become heavy again, tears wetting your cheeks as you are unable to hold them back anymore. Greg makes a noise of discomfort, making your heart race.
"Oh goodness," you hear Pearl say softly. "It's incredibly swollen..."
"How b-bad," you ask, but the gems don't answer you.
"I-I'll go and get, Steven," Amethyst says, standing up.
"Get me for what?"
"Steven! (Y/n) needs medical attention," Pearl screeches. You press your face into the couch cushion, not wanting Steven to see you cry.
"Steven isn't a doctor," Greg says worriedly.
"But he can heal her," Pearl replies.
"(Y/n) what happened," Steven asks, placing a hand on your back. You wince, flinching away from his touch.
"She said she thinks it happened on Homeworld," Garnet answers for you. There's a long pause in the conversation before Steven gasps.
"The palanquin crash. You said you were okay!"
"I didn't wanna be a burden," you choke out, gripping the side of the couch. You hear Steven sigh before he places a hand on your back again. You shiver at the slimy feeling that is most likely his spit.
"That should have fixed the problem. How do you feel, (y/n)", he says patting your back, to which you shout in pain. "O-Oh, I'm sorry! Does it still hurt?"
"Yes," you cry, "just as much as it did before."
"I-I don't think it worked Steven," Amethyst says. "It's still swollen, see?"
"Your powers are fluctuating again. Did you do something to exhaust them," Garnet asks.
"I—I healed Lars on Homeworld. Maybe that's why..."
"We need to take her to the hospital, now," Greg speaks up. You're then lifted yet again, your eyes rolling to the back of your head. You are dizzy with pain, your eyelids feeling heavy. The voices of the gems and Greg start to fade out as your exhaustion gets the best of you, and you fall asleep.