Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

“My Diamond, your court awaits.”

“Yes, Pearl,” Steven replied, and the two shared a small smile at their proper titles. Since they were in public, this was no place for nicknames. Bubble’s smile widened, Steven knowing from experience that she was merely glad for his attention. “Let’s go.”

She bowed gracefully and held the pose as he passed, only standing and moving to follow behind after he’d taken a couple of paces. Always following in the footsteps of a Diamond, never leading, as was her place as a Pearl.

Steven pushed down the building nausea, lest he start turning pink. He had a court to greet before heading out to conquer a distant planet. His schedule was packed today.

His Peridots had worked hard, locating an earth-sized planet minus viable life, a perfect lump of rock to terraform and grow new gems to build his court anew. His new colony was a barren wasteland, for which Steven was truly grateful. There was absolutely no native life to interfere with, but there were plenty of precious minerals to aid in gem making. His Bismuths had already gone ahead to establish a few base structures on his new colony, and his Lapides had already begun the terraforming, using their power over water to split deep, vast trenches of rock to form the valleys for the Kindergartens. Everything was shaping out quite well.

And to be honest, it made Steven pretty anxious. 

He had managed to successfully negotiate with the Diamonds. The Earth was his, and so it was protected, and humans were now an official protected species under the Gem Empire. But in return, the Diamonds insisted he assert his gem’s authority and play his part in expanding the Gem Empire across space. He had been resistant to the idea until he found out there was another alien empire out there, conquering worlds and enslaving any living inhabitants, their methods even more cruel and brutal than the Diamonds’. 

Homeworld had changed drastically in the last six millennia. After Pink’s supposed shattering, the Gem Empire continued expanding and growing across the universe. They eventually clashed with an organic species, one with high technological capabilities. Known as the Galra Empire, they made their presence known when they blew up one of Yellow Diamond’s battleships from a distant fleet. With them being the other main dominant force in the vast universe, the gems had focused their efforts on retaliation, ramping up gem production to counter enemy forces. The armies grown from his new colony would go straight to the battlefront. Gem tech was advanced enough for them to first terraform empty planetoids to ideal growing conditions, then establish Kindergartens for gem production. Maybe Steven could eventually shift the Diamonds’ focus from seeding planets that already had native life to the same uninhabited planetoids that he had decided to target for colonization. Only time would tell. 

After briefly greeting his court, Steven led Bubble and his current entourage to his legship. It had been fully repaired and upgraded with the latest Era 3 tech. It wouldn’t take long for them to reach his new colony in this ship, embarrassing as the design was. After a less-than-graceful takeoff, Steven was able to put the ship on autopilot and happily took a seat at the helm. 

He turned his attention to the display panel before him, showcasing their journey’s progress. Suddenly, the image on the screen glitched, concentric flashes of blue and teal overtaking it. As Steven stared into the oddly mesmerizing, strobing lights, his heartbeat thundered noisily in his ears.

And then, Steven blinked.

His surroundings changed in an instant. It looked like he was back on Earth in the temple, but the kitchen and living room were both strangely outdated. Pearl and Connie stood off to the side, Amethyst lounged on one of the barstools at the counter, and Garnet kneeled directly before him. Even her form looked off, like something from the past. 

“Uhhhh… Garnet?” 

A squeaky voice eked out. Wait, did that childish voice come from him? 

“What happened?”

“I passed my ability to you for just a moment,” she said calmly, rich voice soothing. Her hands rested lightly on his shoulders.

“Pearl?”

“What’s wrong, Steven?” Pearl asked with a slight frown. It was Pearl, but it wasn’t his personal Pearl. It was the Pearl from the past, the one that had been–

“Steven, tell me what you saw,” Garnet said slowly. 

Steven didn’t even want to know what kind of expression he was making right now. This should be impossible, but–

He broke out into laughter. 

If he was reading the situation correctly, then he was five years back in the past, back to his thirteen-year-old self. And clearly going by Garnet’s baffled expression, she didn’t know what just happened and hadn’t meant to show him years’ worth of a possible future. “-For just a moment,” she’d said. No, this outcome could never have been anticipated. 

“S-Steven?”

Young Connie’s voice, sounding so small and scared abruptly tore Steven out of his rising hysteria. That’s when he noticed the faint pink glow dusting his cheeks. Damn. Steven quickly shut his eyes and took a few calming breaths. It was way too early for him to begin glowing, and flashing the others his diamond-shaped pupils was the last thing he needed at the moment. Getting his racing heart back under control and feeling the pink blush fade away, Steven finally opened his eyes again.

“Sorry,” he said awkwardly. Everyone in the room stared at him with varying degrees of worry. “I saw some good things, but mostly bad things,” he replied, directed at Garnet. He turned to Connie. His best friend, whom he hadn’t seen in months. “Connie, we need to leave right away.”

She gave a single nod, determination filling her features. His Connie, so brave even at such a young age. 

They raced out of the house to collect his father at the carwash and head straight out to the Maheswarans’. Greg wore his cherry sweatshirt and received a compliment from Connie’s dad, the same as last time. No, the same as my future vision, Steven corrected mentally. This was going to take some getting used to. 

He lay awake on the couch that night, feeling like he was drowning. The future vision Garnet showed him… it had felt so real. It felt as though he’d lived through every single one of those horrible encounters. And he’d been several years into the future; Garnet’s vision was more for predicting short-term outcomes. He had his own Sapphires in his court, and once had a very detailed discussion with them about how their future vision functioned. He really wished Padparadscha was here to tell him the current situation exactly as it was because Steven was freaking out.  

A familiar warmth flowed through him, his pink glow flooding the living room with a neon hue. And then there was this, the whole turning pink thing that only happened to him well into his teens. Had seeing it happen in the future vision allowed it to happen sooner? Now that he knew he was a Diamond, would his body accommodate? 

He knew by this point that Garnet’s visions weren’t set in stone. Since it took many separate decisions to reach a possible end, far-off endings would inevitably change with time. For every decision made, the outcomes would branch from there. Every person and gem had the power to shape their own future through the choices they made every day.

A slight creaking caught Steven’s attention, looking up to see Connie descending the staircase in her nightgown. Meeting her eyes in the dark, Steven was finally able to take a much-needed breath and calm down. The pink glow finally faded from the room as he put a lid on his emotions.

“Steven?” Connie whispered as she approached. “Are you okay?”

Steven sat up, running a hand through his hair. “Fine. I’m fine.” He was lying, and they both knew it.

Connie moved towards the bench at the front window, looking out into the street and watching the snow fall. Steven got up to join her, and the silence stretched out between them. His father snored noisily in the background.

“Your eyes-“ Connie started before abruptly cutting herself off. She worried her lip between her teeth, unsure how to phrase her question. “They were pink.”

“My mom was Pink,” Steven replied with a chuckle, casually dropping future knowledge. He would have to explain it all properly later, but for now, he needed to get his thoughts in order.

“Yeah, her hair was pink, not her eyes,” Connie said pointedly. 

Steven remained silent, looking out into the heavily blanketed street of white. Large, heavy snowflakes drifted lazily down. He remembered this night from the future vision. The two of them had only quietly watched the snow fall, simply enjoying each other's company. But now, Connie’s dark gaze was filled with worry. For him. 

Steven sighed. He never could keep anything from her. He waited another moment, soothed by his dad’s heavy snore from the sofa. 

“When Garnet shared her future vision with me, I saw years into the future,” Steven confessed with a harsh whisper.

Connie’s breath caught in her throat. “What?!” she whisper-hissed back.

Steven exhaled through his nose. “It was extremely vivid. There’s a lot to unpack.”

“I bet,” Connie agreed with incredulity. “Are you really okay?”

“No, I’m not,” Steven admitted slowly. He gave her a small smile. “But it’s good to see you again.”

“What do you mean? Did something happen? Am I not with you in the future?” Connie asked rapid fire, immediately concerned. 

“Of course you are!” Steven said quickly, wincing as he realized he raised his voice. He shot a look at the couch; his father was still snoring away. Steven sighed with relief and turned back to Connie, continuing more quietly. “But you went away to college, and I went to- to space,” he finished lamely. 

“You went to space?!” Connie repeated with a near shout. They both flinched at her volume, turning in sync to cast a glance at the stairs. When no doors opened and the snoring from the couch continued, Connie tacitly whispered, “How many years did you see?”

“Five years,” Steven murmured. “A lot happened.”

Connie regarded him in silence, turning back to the window with her brows furrowed, deep in thought. The snow made the street glow in the moonlight. Steven joined her, feeling as though this was a moment of calm before the storm. 

Peridot’s robonoids were the next big event, occurring shortly after New Year's. Steven remembered that horrible moment in the Prime Kindergarten control room where he casually and carelessly listed out his friends and family to Peridot, only for the Homeworld gems to later kidnap them…

“Steven, we’re facing an enemy we don’t know, a technology we don’t understand,” Garnet told him seriously, voice low so as not to alert Peridot to their presence. They were crouched along the edge of the control room as Peridot muttered about the poor, outdated tech through a screen in the center of the room. “This isn’t the time to be asking questions.”

“Really sounds like it is,” Steven muttered petulantly. He then proceeded to climb up to the center of the control room and directly address Peridot through the main screen. He just wanted to know her, yet he naively gave away information about his family. 

“I’m reporting this!” Peridot snapped before the screen cut off. 

And she had, though the full consequences of his actions didn’t catch up with him until much later. What happened next after the robonoids? Steven wracked his brain for the next big event. He was pretty sure it was Lion finding the scabbard for his mom’s sword. Pearl’s tortured expression as she let him plummet off those floating rocks had definitely been a memorable event, from before he learned to float. Steven shuddered. Connie shot him a concerned look.

“I was your mother's sole confidant. For the words she could share with no one else, I was there to listen!” Pearl said excitedly between breaths, scaling a sheer cliff face with Steven strapped to her back.

“Why’d she keep so many secrets?” Steven asked curiously.

“She had to, Steven!” Pearl insisted cheerily. “It’s the mark of a great leader, knowing just what to keep hidden from everyone you’re trying to protect, everyone except me~!” Pearl ended with a chuckle, a pleased smile splitting across her face.

Steven hadn’t understood at the time what she really meant. But now he knows the truth, that Pearl had belonged to his mother. Pearl did her best to raise Steven carefully and with love, but she sometimes had a distant look in her eyes when she gazed at him. One full of longing.

It was only after getting his own Pearl that he truly understood. The bond between a Diamond and their Pearl was unlike any other. His Pearl, one with slightly curled, poofy bubblegum pink hair so he’d taken to calling her Bubble, was caring, loyal, and desperate to please. She had been coded for it, after all. 

“You can’t understand how I feel!” Pearl shouted at Amethyst. “None of you had what we had!” 

“She probably just wanted to protect you, like everyone else,” Steven reasoned, naively butting in when he shouldn’t. He’d never seen Pearl this worked up before. 

“What do you know?!” Pearl wailed, her anger now directed at him. “You’ve never even met her!” And then she proceeded to slam her fist into the wall, Rose’s looming portrait above the door creaking and tilting down–

“Steven? Are you okay?” Connie murmured, bringing him back to the present. “You’re turning pink again…”

Steven blinked, realizing she was right. Stars, was this also a side effect of that lengthy future vision? Never mind his pink hue coming in early; it was as hair-trigger as the early days. He would need to start doing his meditation exercises earlier now, given all that he’d seen. He took several deep breaths, allowing the pink glow to fade.

“Sorry, I’ll work on it,” Steven whispered back.

“But why is it happening in the first place? Is it another magical power?” Connie asked. 

“Yeah,” Steven agreed with a chuckle. “A really helpful one.” Because it was, in essence, a type of battle mode. One that further heightened his abilities in the face of danger (or panic). It allowed him to face oncoming threats with ease, though there were obvious downsides, namely making him dangerous to anything and everything in the vicinity. Steven would need to get a handle on this quickly; the absolute last thing he wanted to do was hurt Connie.

“Let’s see…” Steven murmured, combing through vivid memories of the future he’d seen. Lapis’ message coming through the wailing stone came next. It was the first time he’d seen the Crystal Gems so apprehensive, so afraid of the unknown. He remembered comforting and reassuring them that no matter what came, they’d face it together. 

Pearl hadn’t been so lucky in the end. 

Steven shook his head to rid himself of the memories. He wouldn’t make the same mistakes, determined to forge a new path with the information he had. 

“A lot will change,” Steven whispered, Connie glancing at him curiously. “But for now, it’s nice to enjoy the snow.”

Connie smiled, turning back to face the window. Steven relaxed, curling further into his blanket as the snowfall continued.

Chapter Text

After the snow plows went through the neighborhood the next morning, his dad drove him back to Beach City. He chatted about anything and everything, but once he realized Steven wasn’t replying with his usual vigor, he settled on turning on one of his old CDs. Steven shot him a grin and happily sang along with his dad, cranking up the volume. It felt good to sing and let loose for the first time in a long time. It was so nostalgic that– Steven abruptly cut off mid-chorus, feeling conflicted. He was still having trouble getting out of that future mindset, thinking that the present was the past. His current relationship with his father was great, no arguments or strain to speak of, at least not yet. And Steven was finally able to see him in person again, rather than through a screen projected via gem communication tech. He might as well enjoy the time with his dad while he could. With that thought in mind, Steven resumed singing, missing the worried look his father gave him. 

His dad dropped him off at his house, then returned to the car wash to clear the snow that inevitably piled up on the lot. Back home, Steven took a moment to really take it all in. It was his first time back home in years. No, he was just here yesterday. But once Homeworld eventually comes knocking, he won’t be permitted to return to Earth for a very long time. 

Steven sighed, scrubbing a hand through his hair. He was still feeling that odd disconnect between future and present, and the outdated appliances and lack of walls around his bed were getting to him. The Gems seemed to be out at the moment, the house completely silent. With a yawn, Steven strode ahead to the temple door. The pink gem in the door resonated with his own; the door parted like a blooming flower, revealing a faintly pink, glowing light. Steven entered his room, filled to the brim with fluffy, pastel pink clouds across a vast, empty expanse. He hummed in contemplation. 

“I want my room,” Steven said aloud. 

The clouds instantly parted and swirled to provide at his command. As their formations finalized, the familiar pink walls of his room on Homeworld surrounded him. The interior decor was just as he’d had it in the future. 

“Oh,” Steven remarked in genuine surprise. He’d been stuck living on Homeworld long enough that his mother’s old room had begun to feel like his, though it was a bit shocking to see the literal confirmation before his eyes. Steven sat down on the bench by the main bay window, which would have a perfect view of White’s head in the distance. The bench was pink and perfectly cushioned, courtesy of the pebbles. Steven rested his head on the sill. Just as he thought his view was lacking, the clouds swirled again in the distance, giving him an accurate perspective of Homeworld. Steven hummed, wondering if this large-scale replication was straining the room’s capacity. Then again, he hadn’t asked for any sentient amalgams, which would inevitably clog up the processing speed.  

Steven sighed, slumping further into the pink cushions. What should he do? When should he come clean to the Gems about Rose being Pink Diamond? Garnet would inevitably unfuse again, and… wait, had Steven even been introduced to Sapphire and Ruby yet? Stars, this was too much to keep track of. That future vision had been so incredibly vivid. 

To be honest, he knew there was no easy way to reveal the truth. Heartbreak and anguish would surely follow, but Steven would be able to handle the fallout better this time. There was a bigger picture to look forward to, and he definitely wanted to consult with Connie again before he made any major decisions. Satisfied for the time being, Steven curled up on the bench and allowed his eyes to slip shut. A quick nap couldn’t hurt. 

His nap apparently turned into another full-blown sleep, as he woke up extremely groggy and disoriented from oversleep. “Bubble?” he questioned, lazily rubbing the sleep out of his eyes. When he didn’t receive an immediate reply, Steven stiffened and tried again. “Pearl?”

She always waited patiently by the door for him while he slept. Without her statue-esque figure there, Steven felt unease curl in his gut. Something was wrong. He headed straight for the door, it phasing out of existence and revealing not the grand halls of his palace, but his beach house back on Earth. 

Steven halted in his tracks; apparently, he was still disoriented from oversleeping. Yeah, that was probably it. 

“Hey Ste-man!” Amethyst called out, snapping Steven to attention. “Wow, you opened the door to Rose’s room! You haven’t managed to do that in, like, forever! We were all wondering where you were.” Despite her words, she was sitting on the kitchen counter, nonchalantly emptying jars of mayonnaise down the garbage disposal. 

“Hey, Amethyst,” Steven greeted with what he hoped was a normal tone. “Where’s Garnet and Pearl?”

“Dunno,” she replied helpfully. “Should be back soon, though.” She flicked the switch. The garbage disposal made a horrible noise as it churned up the mayo. 

Steven snorted at Amethyst’s antics, and feeling slightly more calm, headed to the fridge to make a sandwich. “Don’t use all the mayo,” Steven warned. Amethyst casually slid one unopened jar his way. Steven grinned and got to work making his lunch? Dinner? Meal. 

Steven chowed down on his meal, not realizing how hungry he’d gotten. Amethyst eventually ran out of mayo jars and decided to curl up against the foot of his bed, Steven having switched on one of the Lonely Blade movies on his old tube television. 

At some point, he had to get up to use the washroom. Steven pointedly avoided looking at himself in the mirror while washing his hands, opting to cover it with a towel. With how vivid his future vision was and the strange disconnect he was still feeling with his current thirteen-year-old self, he might accidentally shapeshift into the version of himself he’d gotten used to seeing in the mirror in the future. The diamond eyes would be impossible to explain away to the Gems. 

Steven sighed and pushed everything to the back of his mind, rejoining Amethyst on the bed for more Lonely Blade and trying to feel like the child he still was. Towards the end of the movie, the warp pad lit up, signaling the Gems’ return. Pearl immediately questioned where he’d been, all panicked and in a huff, before compulsively tidying the place up. He’d been with Bubble long enough to see the similarities between the two. Amethyst hurried to her room in the temple to escape Pearl’s nagging about the state of the kitchen, and Steven giggled at their familiar, silly behavior. Garnet stood off to the side and observed it all, still and silent. 

Eventually, Pearl left to do some laundry. His movie finished, and Steven got up to choose a new tape. That’s when he realized Garnet was still there in the living room, watching him. She’d practically been a statue. Garnet fixed him with what would be an impassive stare had Steven not known her his entire life. The corner of her mouth ticked downward; she was currently deeply unsettled. 

“What’s wrong, Garnet?” he asked innocently enough. Steven set the tapes down and turned off his TV to give her his full attention. 

Garnet made a non-committal grunt; clearly, she was weighing whether to tell him or not. What had their relationship been like in the days leading up to this point in time? Right, she only just told me about her future vision not too long ago, Steven recalled. She had taken a risk at his expense and told him the truth, in the hopes it would bring them closer together, yet Steven freaked out and ended up on the roof, yelling in the rain. Right now, Garnet was having the same internal debate. To come clean and risk Steven spiraling again, or to remain silent. 

Steven huffed quietly. “Whatever’s bothering you, you can tell me. It won’t be like that time on the roof,” he assured. 

Garnet gave him a hard stare, but Steven didn’t flinch. He wanted Garnet to see just how serious he was. After a moment, she turned away, staring out at some random corner of the living room. 

“I can no longer see the future paths laid out for you.”

Steven blinked in surprise. That was certainly not what he was expecting. “Then what do you see?”

Garnet crossed her arms. “The individual possible streams have connected to form an endless, churning abyss.”

Steven mulled over her words. Had he not seen five years into the future, his current self would be freaking out over the possibilities as he had before. “If you can’t see my future anymore, then does this mean I die?!” he can practically hear a more naive, alternate version of himself saying. But no, Garnet seeing the future not as individual branching lanes, but instead a churning sea around him, meant–

“Then anything can happen at any time,” Steven concluded.

Garnet noticeably stiffened. “...Yes.”

Steven hummed thoughtfully. When Garnet passed her future vision to him that snowy day, he knew she would never purposefully show him years of a potential future. The consequence of seeing so much of one specific path seemed to be that now Garnet had no vision of him whatsoever. Steven simply knew too many long-held secrets, most of which were life-changing for all of Gemkind. Steven could just come clean now and reveal the truth that Rose Quartz was Pink Diamond, or he could hold onto it a little longer. He could do anything at any time, which was why there was no distinct future Garnet could foresee. The present was in a state of flux, full of uncertainties. No wonder Garnet was so concerned.  

Then this means the horrible future I saw can be avoided, Steven reasoned. Some things were inevitable, but at least some things he could try to steer clear of. Maybe Steven could spare himself (and others) the extra trauma and lead them down a better path for the future. 

“Thank you, Garnet,” Steven said. “For trusting me enough to tell me. I’ll be careful.”

She nodded stiffly, Steven finally turning back to his TV and popping in a new movie. He settled in for more Lonely Blade, but barely paid any attention to the film. He was mostly just relieved Garnet wouldn’t pull the rug out from under him with her Future Vision. Connie was coming to hang out again in a week, and after filling her in on some key details, they could make plans for the future, together. 

Chapter Text

“Hey, Steven!” Connie called, running up the sandy hill to his home. It had been a week since she’d last seen him, the heavy snow from that freak storm already long melted down. She’d barely been able to talk to him on the phone, and when she had, he’d been quiet and closed off, like he was holding himself back. When she asked what happened, Steven simply told her he’d rather talk about it in person. Connie took the rickety wooden stairs to his beach house two at a time, looking forward to hanging out with her only best friend, and letting him get whatever he needed to off his chest. 

“Hey Connie,” Steven greeted her upon entry, but the smile didn’t reach his eyes. He looked tense as he sat on the sofa, leg bouncing nervously. “The Gems are out today.”

“What’s wrong?” Connie asked immediately. The screen door creaked shut behind her. 

Steven grimaced, looking away. “I’ve been meaning to go somewhere, but I had to wait until the Gems were out so I wouldn’t have to tell them about it. But since you were coming over today, I also didn’t want to leave without telling you. You can wait here, though. I won’t be gone long.”

This sounded like some sort of top-secret spy mission. Connie steeled her resolve, stepping closer with determination. “Where are we going?”

Steven huffed in obvious relief; the expression on his face didn’t suit his age. It was something that belonged on her parents’ faces instead. He looked positively exhausted. “Thanks, Connie. To be honest, I didn’t really want to go alone.” He got up, heading to the crystal warp pad deeper in the house.

“Of course,” Connie said, following and joining him on the crystal. Her heartbeat thrummed with anticipation. “What are jam buds for?”

Steven grinned, and though a bit shaky, it was a welcome sight. He activated the warp pad, an off-white beam of light engulfing them. Connie enjoyed the floating sensation of being teleported as light. After a short while, the ground appeared again underfoot, and the glow faded to reveal their destination. It was some sort of vast, barren valley, and judging by the heat, these rocky mountains were active volcanoes. Connie glanced around at the doom and gloom, a bit unsure.  

“Follow me,” Steven said, and began leading her down a narrow, sloped path. 

The heat was stifling, and the temperature only climbed as they reached a structured chamber. 

“What is this place?” Connie questioned. 

“It’s called the forge, it’s where Bismuth made weapons for the rebellion. Well, the real forge is deeper down.”

In front of a dial, Steven appeared to contemplate for a moment before his entire body was saturated with pink, and he casually reached out and twisted the undoubtedly heavy stone mechanism with his bare hand. The ground started to rumble, several doors opening up in the slab, creating a tunnel deeper into the volcano. 

Connie gasped. “Secret tunnel,” she whispered.

Steven shot her a grin before heading down the stone stairway, Connie quickly following behind. As they descended, the temperature climbed again. 

“So, rebellion?” Connie asked, breathing heavily. She could already feel the sweat dripping down her neck. 

“Against Homeworld, where gems originate from. My mom led the rebellion with the Crystal Gems, fighting for all life on Earth. The original plans for this colony would have completely destroyed the planet.”

Connie blinked in surprise. She couldn’t see Steven’s expression, trailing behind him as she was, but his tone was cold. They eventually reached another circular chamber, and it would be pitch black down here if not for the pink glow Steven gave off. Various weapons hung from the ceiling, and a single suspicious pedestal sat in the center of the room. 

“You might want to stand back for this.” Steven walked up to the pedestal with purpose, slamming his fist down on it and quickly stepping back to rejoin Connie. The pedestal sank into the ground, another mechanism above activated, and lava began to flow like a waterfall directly in the center where Steven had been standing. Connie’s jaw dropped. The glowing liquid began filling the room, creeping along designated grooves in the floor and casting the chamber in an ominous light. The temperature skyrocketed.

“Steven,” Connie said, a bit worriedly. “The heat.”

Steven, still engulfed in pink, glanced at her as if just realizing the issue. Those white and fuchsia eyes, diamond-shaped, appeared particularly inhuman in that moment. Paired with the pink hue his skin tone had taken, he looked like a proper alien. Connie’s breath caught, feeling something she could only describe as raw power emanating from the person in front of her. 

“Ah, right. Maybe we should fuse? It might help with the heat,” Steven suggested casually. 

Connie let out her breath. Steven was looking at her so full of hope, like she was the only one in the universe that mattered. She smiled back.

Steven let out a whoop of a cheer, immediately opening his arms to a surprisingly graceful twirl. Connie responded with a twirl of her own, stepping closer with every spin. She reached out at the same time as Steven, meeting his smiling face with those diamond eyes that no longer frightened her. Because those eyes belonged to Steven, her first and best friend, whom she trusted implicitly. In a flash, Connie and Steven were gone. 

Stevonnie stood in their place. 

“Huh, that does feel better,” they mused, opening and closing their palms a few times in examination. Their dark skin had a pink, glowing undertone. “Told you. Gems can take the heat better than organics. Er, humans.”

“Right,” Stevonnie said quickly, snapping back to attention. “I need to finish this sooner rather than later.”

With that, Stevonnie stode across the room, kneeling where there was a recess in the floor. Using their super strength, Stevonnie twisted the screw, causing the stone panel beneath their feet to lower them to yet another room even deeper within the volcano. In this lowest chamber, they accessed a hidden compartment where that item was stored. Stevonnie felt a questioning pull from within.

“It’s called the Breaking Point,” they murmured aloud, tone somber. “After suffering repeated losses against Homeworld, one gem from the rebel forces wanted to level the playing field by using the same dirty tactics.”

Stevonnie closed their eyes, breathing shakily. “She wanted to shatter them with this.”

She wanted to shatter me!

Stevonnie stumbled, disoriented. “What’s wrong?” they questioned aloud, feeling their grip on themselves waning as panic rose. A white butterfly danced across the edge of their vision. Stevonnie shook their head, huffing with frustration. “Nothing. I’m fine. We’re fine.”

“...What’s shattering? Oh, that,” Stevonnie grimaced. “It’s like death for gems. Except, gems don’t really die. So when they shatter, they just… split apart. Like, their consciousness gets fragmented across the shards. Their coding gets all messed up, so the gem they were is gone, but they’re still not really dead since some shards retain consciousness…” Stevonnie trailed off, looking down at the large, pointed weapon they held, at the innocent star that marked its side. Their fists clenched around it.

Stevonnie lugged it to the closest lava pit and wasted no time in dropping it in. The horrid weapon sank slowly, and with it, a sense of relief filled Stevonnie. Such a dangerous weapon didn’t deserve to exist. And with it gone, a certain issue from the future could be avoided. 

“Sh-Shattering Gems... wouldn't that make us the same as Homeworld?”

A large, bulky gem with rainbow hair stood in the chamber with them. “Of course not! We'd be shattering them for the sake of our cause, to protect our allies, our friends; to free all Gems from Homeworld's tyranny!”

“It's just, it... It's not what a Crystal Gem would do…” they protested hesitantly. 

The strange gem’s expression fell as she approached, looming tall over them. “Don't tell me what a Crystal Gem would do. Nobody's more ‘Crystal Gem’ than I am,” she stated coldly, huffing with irritation. “If you won't take it, I'll just use it myself.” With that, she made a grab for the Breaking Point.

“NO! No one is using it!” They snatched it and threw it across the chamber, the weapon clanging noisily against the stone floor. “I'm sorry, Bismuth, but it's not right.” Stevonnie felt tears run down their cheeks. 

“...That's exactly what she said…” Bismuth trailed off, clenching her fists. 

Stevonnie blinked in confusion. “Huh?”

“That's exactly what you said,” Bismuth snarled, expression darkening. 

“Um, uhh…” Stevonnie stuttered nervously, backing up. 

“It is you, isn't it, Rose?”

The scene played out, and Bismuth attacked them, calling them Rose all the while. The walls started closing in on them, pale butterflies swarming their vision until it filled with white, and Stevonnie fell apart. 

Steven and Connie slammed into the heated stone floor, tumbling and rolling from the force with which they separated. Connie quickly sat up, rubbing at her head in a daze. She winced, knowing she had scraped her skin against the rock when she landed. She heard a sizzle.

“What happened? Who was– Bismith? Why was she so mad?” she asked hurriedly. Connie hissed in pain as she stood; the stone had seared the skin of her thigh, leaving a worrying red mark behind. “And why was she calling us Rose? She tried to… Steven?”

Steven was unresponsive, still seated on the floor with his face buried in his hands. 

Connie frowned. “Steven?” she tried again, gentler this time. 

“Sorry,” he rasped out, and she noticed he was trembling. “It was just an old memory. Well, a memory of a future vision. I told you my future vision was really vivid.”

Connie’s frown deepened. Her mother was a doctor, and Connie knew enough about mental health to be aware of the significance of Steven’s current state. The memory she had seen through their shared eyes as Stevonnie was vivid enough to give her the shivers; their combined terror as that larger gem threatened to shatter them, only to be forced to poof and bubble her in return… it felt as though Connie had truly lived it herself. Was this why Steven had seemed so closed off recently? How many more horrifying things had he seen and experienced just like that? 

“It’s okay, Steven,” Connie murmured, stepping closer. The heated floor sizzled beneath her steps, shoes slowly melting. “Just take slow, deep breaths. In through your nose, out through your mouth.”

Steven sucked in a shaky, audible breath before letting it out in a whoosh. 

“Perfect, Steven, just like that. Keep going, a little slower,” Connie encouraged gently, stepping closer to kneel beside him. Her knees accidentally hit the stone, and Connie hissed in pain before adjusting her stance to squat on her heels, avoiding touching the stone as much as possible. As Stevonnie, the heat had been present but not overwhelming. She wondered how Steven felt right now, still seated on the chamber floor, pink as he was. Steven continued his deep breathing, and slowly his trembling ceased. He scrubbed at his face, finally glancing up and meeting Connie’s gaze with those diamond eyes of his. 

“Thanks,” he said, giving her a wobbly, but genuine smile. 

Connie’s vision blurred with tears. “Anything for my jam bud,” she said, standing and offering her hand. 

Steven’s smile broadened as he reached up–

And Stevonnie was standing tall once more. 

“Ouch,” they said, stretching out and wincing from pain. Their skin felt cooked all over. “Hm. I wonder if I can heal, too.” And with that, Stevonnie raised a hand, kissing the back of their knuckles. Instantly, their blisters smoothed as their body healed, injuries rapidly mending. 

Stevonnie sighed in relief, stretching out and cracking their joints. They shot one last look around the empty chamber, ultimately relieved that the scene they’d seen wouldn’t come to pass in this reality. 

“Let’s get out of here.”