Amethyst sat alone in the sparsely appointed space that was her room in the temple. The tiny tower of pebble she'd built up in front of herself collapsing in on itself as the door slid open.
"Amethyst, it's almost time. . ." Garnet's voice echoing hollowly through the empty space between them. The smaller gem remained still as the stones now scattered out in an irregular pile before her. Garnet made to move into the room as pearl's strained voice could be heard calling out. "Garnet there's no time left it's happening!"
Darkness slid back over Amethyst as tears began to wash down her cheeks, a moment passed before she stood and bolted for the door, her gem shining out to open the passage Garnet had just vacated. They were all standing in the new house, the bare wood and windows pale reflections of the home it would be in the years to come. They were gathered in the center of the room, Garnet stood glasses clutched in one hand, tears in all three eyes, pearl's face a comforting mask a hair's weight from cracking. Greg was on the floor, Rose's head cradled in his lap, his skin afire with the reflected brilliance of her gem. Her lips formed words that didn't seem to make it to Amethyst's ears, one soft hand cupping Greg's face as her eyes roamed from Garnet to Pearl in turn. Then she saw Amethyst standing just outside the door on the far side of the room, and he face lightened. A look of contentment so pure it could only have been worn by that singular Gem as the Rose Quartz glow spread over the whole of her body. Amethyst rushed forward, arms outstretched as the glowing form before her spiraled out into the air like petals on an unfelt wind, one danced over Amethyst's cheek and she could feel the tremndous warmth of it, and she tried to snatch it from the air. Even as she did it rushed back, along with it's mates pouring back into the gem now bare on the ground. A light burst forth eclipsing all that had come before, it seemed to flow through Greg and back out again before it began to coalesce into a form round the abandoned gem. What formed there was small, and pink, and pudgy around it's feet and hands, the rose quartz gem taking up the whole of it's rounded Belly, and fine black hair covered it's head, it wore the same look of contentment his mother had as he drew his first breath, and Greg scooped him up into a blanket.
"Hello Steven." Tears still freely flowing from his eyes. "This is Garnet."
Garnet had composed herself and replaced her glasses by the time the boy was held up to her. He gave a small cooing laugh as she waggled one finger in front of his face, and he latch onto it with both barely formed hands. "I see a very bright future for him." Laughing as he began to whine each time she tried to pull her finger away, only relenting when pearl leaned in close to him, her sorrow at the lose of her friend now softened by curiosity.
"This is Pearl." Greg offered as their eyes met, little Steven's widening in wonder at the new face presented to him. "Amazing. . ." Pearl whispered. "He really does appear to be half Gem, half human, that's never been done before." A cool light from her Gem washed over the squirming form, and Greg fought to not pull his newborn away, remembering Rose's words "Trust them."
Pearl wiped more tears from her eyes and smiled up at greg. "He's perfectly healthy for a human anyway, I'm not sure exactly how his gem attributes will present as he grows." Greg waved a hand dismissively, grinning at the spot where his wife had lain moments before. "She knew what she was doing." Sniffling up a runny nose Greg turned Steven a third time.
And this is Ameth. . ." By the time he moved to hold the baby up to her the only sign Amethyst had been in the room was the fading purple glow of her mark on the door. As she wept to herself in her room Amethyst could hear the baby uttering it's first cry, his wailing a counter point to her sobs.