Hello everyone. I am Avernacus (Aver-nacus.) today I bring you a tale I have been spinning together in my head for at least a month or two, give or take. Anyway, it takes place near the end of the off colours episode with Steven and lars. With one simple twist. Any way on with this story.

Steven universe and all its characters belong to Rebecca sugar.
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Chapter one: Under Pink Skies

Waves beneath his feet, a soft breeze wafting across his face. Steven was calm, happy, light as air. After escaping a gem court with his friend lars and saving said friend from death. Why wouldn't he be happy.

"I think… I think I deserve a break." He sat upon the comforting sand of beach city and looked upon the great pink sky. He was content.

"what do you think Lars. Don't you think we need to rest a bit?" There was no reply. Nothing. No birds chirping in the sky, no thundering waves, not even any shouts of joy coming from the boardwalk. It didn't bother Steven at all.

"yeah. You are going to be okay Lars. You're going to be just fine." A sudden drop of rain touched his face, it slithered down his cheek and into the sand. Another followed soon after, then another. The pink clouds opened up, letting loose their sad orchestra of pitter patter upon the sand.

"don't cry Lars. It wasn't your fault." Steven closed his eyes and the rain grew heavier. His couldn't open them again, they grew too heavy, to solid. To think being in his own gem, would feel so different to the time he and Garnet travelled into Pearls.

"I'm going to sleep now Lars… I need a break, just… for… a while…" the sand beneath him began to fall away and the waves that gently lapped at his feet began to cover him. He will sleep for a while, he needed to, Lars wouldn't mind. The crystal gems wouldn't mind. No one will mind, no they wouldn't, not one bit. He was only tired.

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"Steven" a gentle voice filled Stevens ears.

"hmm" he stirred, rolling over to his right side as the sand shifted beneath him.

"steven dear… it is time to wake up." he ignored the voice and shifted more sand up under his own head, trying his best to reclaim the comfort he just lost.

"Pearl made waffles. If you don't get up in time, Amethyst will eat them." The voice giggled in his ear, he couldn't ignore the sweetness of it any longer.

"waffles!" he lazily sat up, his eyes still half closed to the world. He wasn't going to let amethyst steal his waffles.

"oh, you're so adorable Steven" a slight breeze brushed against his cheek, a large chunk of sand fell away from his face. Who was talking, in fact, why the heck was he asleep on the beach.

"hello?" he turned his head left to right admiring the ocean, the clouds, the pink sky. "uhh… why is the sky pink?"

It was strange now that he noticed, all around him looked exactly like beach city. The boardwalk was there, he could see a hand of the temple just around the corner, he could even see his father's van pulled up next to it.

"why is it so quiet?" there were no people, no annoying gulls, even the waves didn't make a noise as they rolled up onto the beach. It's as if someone decided to turn the volume down on the world, leaving it in a quiet serenity.

"Look how much you've grown." Another breeze caressed his face, the gentle voice following it. 'this voice sounds so familiar, oh who is it?' it filled him with a type of giddiness, he could barely contain his own excitement every time it filled his ears.

"come on show yourself… you sound like someone I know." He stood, the sand falling away from his legs. He had to balance himself for it felt like he hadn't walked in years.

If I could. begin to be, half of what you think of me.

Steven heard a song behind him, it was beautiful. Turning around he nearly jumped in surprise, his dads van had somehow parked itself right behind him, the back door facing his way.

I could do about anything, I could even learn how to love.

"dad?" he reached forward and pulled on the handles, both the doors swung wide.

Like you.

His dads tv was playing a recording of himself sitting on the beach with the crystal gems. Connie was sitting with him, while Amethyst and Greg were chowing down on Hotdogs. Garnet and Pearl sat a bit further away admiring the stars that dazzled the sky that night, the only two missing were Lapis and Peridot.

"I am so proud of you Steven." the video changed to Peridot chasing after the corrupted runner in the desert, Steven was close on her tail, laughing. It brought a smile to his face.

"you have done so many, amazing things, even things I could never do myself" once more the video changed, this time to a watermelon Steven rising with its many brothers and sisters to fight off Malachite.

"you've changed so many lives for the better." A smiling Lapis flying high above the clouds with him on her shoulders, exploring the many places she could live. It was a great time.

"and you have sacrificed so much as well." Many images flashed across the screen, showing times of peril and anguish. It pained his heart, to see the things he could never change.

"Steven, you are so amazing" the tape stopped and two, long and soft arms curved around his neck, embracing him.

"mom?" tears filled his eyes as curls of pink framed the edges of his vision, her head was leaning softly against his.

"it's me." A drop of water left his chin, then another, the tears didn't stop as he turned to face her.

"mooom." She had a gentle smile on her lips and her eyes, oh he would never forget those caring eyes. He jumped without hesitation, his arms encircling her as best as they could. She was here with him, his mother Rose was here.

"shh, shh shh. You're okay. It is all okay. I have you."

"mommmm." His heart was soaring, the glow from his gem was nearly blinding. Here he was being held in the arms of his mother, the mother he thought he would never see in person.

"w… why…" he couldn't get the words out, he was so happy to just be held by her, why would he want to ruin it with some stupid question.

"it's okay, calm down. You're okay." Her hand patted the back of his hair, smoothing his curls down. His sobs soon began to subside.

Rose turned and sat down in the back of the van, careful not to make him uncomfortable. Her whispers of safety continuing until he finally stopped crying.

"there you are. Better?" Steven didn't speak, he only nodded against her neck. He didn't want to speak, for a fear was starting to nibble away at the back of his thoughts.

'I just want to hold on a little longer.' The fear was obvious, what if this wasn't real. It could possibly be so for all he knew, but at the same time he could be having some crazy delusion on Homeworld.

"Homeworld!" it clicked, he leapt from her arms, he previous fears squashed for the time being.

"Lars! Where is Lars!?" his eyes scanned the beach with an intensity that could have rivalled Garnets. Nowhere along the sandy beach or boardwalk could he spot him.

"Steven calm down." He turned back to see Rose standing once again, her face no longer holding a graceful smile, it was replaced with a small frown.

"where is he? We were on Homeworld and, and um. He died! Then ohhhh. What happened next!?" his mind was jumbled, messed up. The details just weren't turning up.

"Steven, please calm down. Your friend is fine." His head began to hurt. Flashes of an explosion lit up his eyesight followed by a pink glow and then, blackness

"what happened?" Steven pulled his hands away from his face and clenched the tight.

"Steven. i… need to tell you something." His heart fell as his mother's expression grew even sadder. Tears threaten to break across her cheeks as she patted the sand in front of her. it hurt Steven to see her like this, was he the one causing her to look so sad?

"what's…. what's wrong. Did I do something?" he took the place in front of her, she merely shook her head in response.

"no Steven, no you didn't" she pulled him forward into an embrace.

"when you wake up Steven… you're going to be somewhere unfamiliar okay?"

"but. I'm already awake and in an" he yawned. "un familiar place, the sky is pink."

"I know Steven, I know. But this place will be a bit scary okay?" he nodded. He found his eyelids starting to get heavy. 'am I already tired again? I haven't even gotten my waffles yet'

"so you have to promise. To run okay?" Steven accidently tuned out of his mother speaking. He could feel the sand beneath his legs begin to shift.

"yes mom… but I can't run right now. I'm kind of sleepy. Will you tuck me in?" he rolled over to see her biting her lip, tears at the fringe of her eyes. What was wrong?

"of course, I will… anything for you Steven." With tears streaming down her face, she lifted him up into her arms, holding him close to her chest. She approached the van and laid him down on Greg's mattress.

"I've been… meaning to ask." Steven was trying extremely hard to keep his eyes open. Rose pulled over the covers and gently tucked in the sides. She wiped away some of her tears and leaned over him a smile trying pierce through her frown.

"mm?" he returned the smile and closed his eyes.

"where…. Is… your…. Gem?" Rose leaned down and planted a small kiss on his cheek. The tears streaming once more. He looked so peaceful. To think this would be the first and last time she would ever see him.

"you are my gem Steven. My precious Crystal Gem." She stepped away from him and out of the van, his light snores bringing a smile to her face. Rose was proud to have brought someone so kind, so caring, so passionate in what he believes in, into the world. it was just so sad that he was taken out of it so soon. Why did Homeworld, have to be so cruel.

"it doesn't matter now. I brought Steven into the world, I'll do it again." Rose clenched her fists, then released them, her anger Dissipating. This isn't how she wants to leave, she doesn't want to feel angry or mad, or upset. For the first time in fourteen years, she held her son in her own hands, not even disappearing from existence would take that away.

"if I could, begin to be, half of what you think of me." The sound of waves filled her ears as they gently lapped against the sand.

"I could do about anything" laughter and happy chatter filled the boardwalk as the voices of those long pass filled the air.

"I could even learn how to love" A soft glowed filled the sky as the sun began to fall below the horizon. She couldn't help but cry as the image of Greg appeared before her, arms wide open. With the last of her strength she fell forward into his arms.

"like… you." She thought of Steven as the glow intensified, she was so happy to finally meet him.

"we did good Rose… we did good." Greg's hold tightened around her.

"I know… I know…"

She was gone.

The glow grew brighter and Steven…

Woke up.

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Okay Jesus… i'm no joke crying. Sorry. I was listening to that song love like you from the show while writing and wow. This is only Chapter one Avernacus. God dammit. Okay so yeah. If you haven't gathered what happened somehow Steven died right after reviving Lars. So, he was basically in his gem and he met Rose. The real Rose, she knew what was going on she also knew Steven can't reform like normal gems so yeah, she sacrificed her entire existence, not just her form. She is no more, she's gone. Um she was there the whole time seeing his adventures, the friends he's made. I'm not going to mention anything about the next chapter except Steven will be back on earth.

If you enjoyed the first chapter of Under Pink Skies let me know. If you cried to then then I'm glad you got the same feeling I did.