A/N: PLEASE NOTE - I made a few changes in this fic; I put part of the last chapter in this one just so the first isn't too long. I hope that's fine with you!

And be careful with this chapter because it contains a nightmare and might have some sensitive content!

It didn't take long for him to reach the attic (also known as his room). It had been a while since he'd been there, given he was almost always hanging out with the gems or Sadie. It was bigger than he'd remembered, the multiple skylights revealing the cloudy sky. He'd then come across his mirror, that revealed the pink teenager he had become. It still caught him by surprise, he admitted.

Lars faced his bed afterwards and sat on it, placing the cookies and milk on his bedside table. Then, he adjusted himself and his pillows as to make it comfortable. He looked around, unsure of what he could do while he ate. He thought of turning on the TV but wasn't sure what was even airing anymore. All he saw then were horror movies and similar things with Sadie and the Cool Kids then.

Well, he could give it a try.

Luckily, he found the controller near him, so he didn't have to search everywhere. Lars turned it on to some random TV show he wasn't familiar with. After switching a bunch of channels, he found something he hadn't expected – Camp Pining Hearts.

Goodness, he hadn't seen it in forever, only a few pieces thanks to Lapis and Peridot. After hearing all of those Peridot's theories and… ship analysis he was glad he wasn't the only one that liked Percy and Pierre together. It was his secret ship, since everyone else preferred Percy and Paulette.

The episode went on while he ate the cookies. It was one he… didn't remember? He hoped it wasn't from later seasons, since he hadn't caught up with it in a while. Apparently, things were heating up between Percy and Paulette after more competitions between their camps. Percy was then forced to leave the camp in a mission to rescue other campers in the wild. By the end, since he was feeling down over Paulette, he had an emotional moment with Pierre, and Lars just wanted to scream at them to be together already.

There had been a couple more episodes before a movie started; those had gone pretty fast. The film didn't sound too interesting to him, so he switched channels a bit more before he gave up. Nothing interesting was on.

At some point he'd eaten all the cookies and the glass was out of milk. Lars sighed since he had nothing else he could do on his mind. He didn't feel like playing videogames, either.

Given that, he looked up. The sky above him, while still cloudy, was beginning to show a few stars shining. The biggest one shined brighter than the others, that were shy and tiny.

The house was quiet then. He assumed that both his parents had gone to bed by that time. Everything was peaceful…

But looking at the stars reminded him of space. Lars had been told that Homeworld could be seen from Beach City, though he wasn't too sure it that was it since he wasn't at the Barn, where even the Milky Way was detected by the human eye. Regardless, he could only stare at the stars with a despondent look.

Lars sighed, wanting to do something about those feelings. He tried to come up with something on his own, only to remember his mother's suggestion.

You could just lie down, read a book, write something… just find a way for you to clear up your mind.

Well, Camp Pining Hearts hadn't cleared it up… he supposed he could do something… different.

An idea came to him, and so he was looking inside the drawers to grab one of his notebooks. Some were from school (which he… well, hadn't attended to since he'd become a space pirate then), others were more personal. He happened to find one of his… his stories about Camp Pining Hearts. Oh, god.

Yet it wasn't completed. Half of the notebook was blank, unlike the rest he'd kept. He must have abandoned it since he thought it was no longer cool, so he could hang out with the Cool Kids. Those thoughts he had had when he was younger, that he sort of hated remembering. Lars took a pen abandoned on his desk and returned to his bed. He took a look over the older pages, finding many pieces of writing. Of snippets of story ideas he had, theories… and even a shipping chart (Peridot's was obviously more advanced). Lars almost let out an embarrassed laugh. He soon reached a blank page. He became thoughtful. He could write everything he wanted down… he just didn't know how to start.

He wanted to know if Steven and his friends were okay and for them to know everything they wanted.

…

Soon, he was writing what his train of thought gave him.

Hey, Steven,he wrote. It's time I wrote you something, right? Although I'm not sure if you're ever going to read this, I felt it was right to do.

It's been almost three months since you left. The Off Colors and I arrived only like, two days after you guys were gone. Bismuth and your dad told us your mom was Pink Diamond in disguise and that she faked her own shattering, so you and your friends went to Homeworld to solve everything she left behind. So, no worries about updating me, since you have so much to do.

While you're doing your best to save our planet, we've been working really hard, too, to take care of everything back on Earth. On the other hand, we've been having a lot of fun! The Off Colors have been exploring the Earth in the meantime and they're loving it. They love the nature, the beach… and people here have pretty much accepted them, too. I've also begun teaching them and Bismuth how to cook some stuff and they've been learning fast; Bismuth herself just loves it. She loved the ube I made, and she even broke a plate while yelling for another one. Also, Lapis and Peridot have reformed, and I think they worked out their differences, even though I don't really know what happened between them. And we've all been working together to repair your house, since it was busted by the Diamonds. I'm sure you guys will love how it's coming undone!"

A smile grew on Lars' face as he wrote the experiences down.

Oh, and Sadie and the Cool Kids have been amazing, coming up with new songs that are super cool and spooky. I went to their concert and took the Off Colors with me. It was extraordinary, there were all these laser light effects and the band's costumes were awesome! You should've seen the gems, they were so pumped! We even hopped on Fluorite, so we could see the band play from behind the crowd. It's a shame you couldn't attend it in time, though. I hope you are here to see their next one; I've been going to their band practices lately and their next work is already great. So, yeah, I've finally become friends with the Cool Kids!

Meanwhile, other people – the humans - in Beach City have been doing fine, too. Some changes here and there, like Mayor Nanefua's new proposals to attract more tourists, and Ex-Mayor Dewey working at the Big Donut… that reminds me, I tried that "Pink Lars" donut you told me about and the fries from that food truck Ronaldo's little brother opened; they were both pretty good, even though eating is sort of weird to me now, being pink and all. Still, just wanted to thank you for your thought.

In addition, Ronaldo won't stop interviewing me and my friends for that blog of his… and, weirdly enough, we've been kind of talking again? He was actually happy to see me again, which is… good. At least we aren't on that awkward thing anymore. That guy Jamie wanted to say he was developing a play or something that you'd love, too… other than that, I'm pretty sure everyone else's been living their normal lives like always, even with the new gems on the scene. I like that everyone's chill with me being pink and all. Even my parents have accepted it, even though they were pretty freaked out at first…

I've been really happy with the new friendships I made. Times here have been great. Though, things aren't really the same without you and your friends here. I know you have to do what you have to do, for the greater good, but I do hope things are okay on Homeworld. Everyone here misses you, y'know.

The joy was quick to fade. Lars sighed as the following words were created by his pen.

And… I miss you, too. I know I've never said this before, but... you bring joy to my life – to everyone's lives. You've done so much for us all. Beach City isn't the same without you, Steven.

I just wish you could send anything to let us know you're okay. Maybe you're too busy, I don't know, but I've been… really worried. I know I'm too pessimistic, but I'd appreciate it if you proved me wrong.

Well, I guess… I'll see you, then? Maybe not soon, but we're waiting for you! Good luck on Homeworld!

Hugs,

Captain Lars of the Stars

Lars snorted at the signature, since he sort of defined himself that way then. He was sure that Steven would love to receive that letter; and it immediately saddened him as well. The captain's eyes found the sky again. He sure hoped everything would end right.

He blinked his eyelids…

… they were… strangely heavy.

In fact, Lars ended up yawning. He would have tried to write something else, while not knowing what, but his arm stopped cooperating. He felt his body sinking in the comfort of his bed, adding all the weight that had crushed him and the effort he had put in the space battles and duties on Earth. Lars placed his notebook by his bedside table, open to the last page of the letter, throwing himself on his pillows afterwards. Come to think of it, he hadn't had sleep since he had… awakened.

Lars took a deep breath, rolling himself in the blanket he had longed. He glanced at the notebook before anything, though. He knew Steven might never read that thing but writing it did make him feel better. He could at least pretend he had said everything to Steven, even though it wasn't too good to deceive himself.

He faced the skylights on the wooden ceiling, silently wishing for the stars for everyone to be safe in the end. Thus, Lars took a deep breath and closed his eyes for once.

A sweet, heartwarming smell. The sunshine rays illuminating everyone's hearts. The wonderful laughter that filled his ears with ultimate joy. The hand that held his, their fingers intertwined. The smile that caused the butterflies in his stomach to go wild.

Everyone was together and happy, reunited at the Barriga's backyard. Lars had invited all his friends – the Off Colors, Bismuth, Peridot, Lapis, the Cool Kids and Sadie – and his parents over for a special occasion. It had been such a long time of hard work to them while Steven was busy on Homeworld and Lars was thankful for all the friends he'd made; so, he wanted to show his gratefulness and reward them for never giving up and putting so much effort all those months. With the help of his mother, he'd managed to arrange a lunch at his home, welcoming everyone with his culinary.

They all laughed and told stories to one another. There was no uneasiness to be spotted in their gazes or smiles. That day, they were finally at peace. Lars couldn't get the smile out of himself for seeing them happy. Although Steven had not yet returned, everyone made sure to move on and relax for the day. Besides, they all knew Steven, the gems and Connie would return soon.

While the gems narrated their adventures to the humans, Lars could hear Pumpkin running and barking, whilst playing with Garnet's blue-eyed cat. Lion was somewhere around, watching over the other two pets. Everything was fine and enjoyable.

Lars himself was… relaxed. There was no bad feeling in his gut, no restlessness and anxiety controlling his every thought. He was there with the people he loved, laughing like he had never done before.

For the moment, everything was fine. Everyone was okay.

He grinned at the people around him, somehow not quite believing he had come this far. He felt Sadie squeezing his hand, giving him her lovable smile. Lars could then look at her in the eye with all the love he felt, for her, for everyone else. He was no longer afraid of expressing himself, even if it was subtle.

As lunch went on and people savored the food he and his mother had cooked, Lars stood up and made an announcement.

"Everyone," He said loud. "I want to thank you all, again, for coming here. We've done a lot of hard work and we deserve the best day off ever!"

They clapped and smiled, a few cheers coming from his mom causing him to snort and blush in embarrassment. He cleared his throat and proceeded to say one more thing he'd like to tell them.

"I hope you've enjoyed the food," He resumed. "But don't worry, there's more – what's the best way to reward ourselves? Why, a delicious dessert! It's all on me!"

It caused positive commotion, everyone curious. He could hear Martha questioning her unfamiliarity with the dessert. Lars had ensured it was a delightful surprise to everyone. He had baked it whilst his parents had gone out and he had hidden it back in the kitchen, way inside the fridge so they never discovered. So, they could all enjoy the big thing he wanted to give them!

"Wow, what could it be?" Bismuth wondered.

"You'll see – it comes from these hard-working hands!"

"Well, surprise us, cap!" The blacksmith grinned, while the Cool Kids cheered on Lars.

"I'll be right back! Prepare yourselves!" Lars claimed.

"Ha, okay!" Sadie replied, laughing.

The pink teenager ran all the way to the kitchen, as to find the special dessert. He had spent the entire afternoon from the day before working on it, so he truly hoped they would enjoy it, to compensate that period of hard work, acceptance and adaptation. It was their moment!

Once Lars grabbed the meal, he took a deep breath and began to take a step forward… until he stopped on his tracks upon hearing strange noises. Lars blinked and waited again.

It had all become quieter, for some reason. While he could hear his friends' laughs from outside, they had toned down a great deal. There were undistinguishable sounds coming from behind him, unsettling him.

Turning around, he found out they came from the pantry. Lars glanced at the backyard outside, wondering if he should call for help before checking it. Though it might be nothing, he assured himself. Except, those noises were louder for some reason and it felt as though as some sort of dark energy was spreading over the colorful kitchen.

"H… Hey, mom?" Lars decided to call someone, yet nobody outside appeared to have listened.

He tried again, louder:

"Mom? Dad? Can you… c-come over here?"

No answer. No footsteps approaching the kitchen, no worried mother or father to check on him. His friends were still laughing outside, but he couldn't… see them. The passage to the backyard was completely bright, brighter than the sun. The room he was in began to lose the colors one by one, as the noises from the pantry were the only sounds to echo.

Seeing as though no one would come to his aid, Lars concluded he should… get by this on his own. It would be quick, he thought. Whatever it might be, he would solve it and then he would be back with everyone else, and everything would be fine. It was fine.

He placed the dessert on the table to do this. For some reason, the distance between him and the back door grew much bigger, as well as the pantry itself. Lars swallowed something burning in his throat, as if he were about to throw up.

He took a few steps forward. His feet felt heavy on the floor all of a sudden and he could almost fall over. The sounds were nothing like he'd heard before.

As their volume increased, he could… somewhat tell they were voices, all mangled up, mixed into nonsensical blare.

He could run back to the backyard, he reminded. He could go back to the light. He didn't have to do this.

But, somehow, they drove him closer and closer to the ominous door. His legs worked without his brain's commands to retreat, to grab the dessert and run the hell out of there while he still could.

There was something about those voices that were hypnotizing. He couldn't understand why. Yet, in the middle of that mess, there were familiar ones, even though he couldn't figure them out.

No, get out of there! Go back to the dessert, everyone's waiting for you! His mind screamed.

But it was too late – Lars stood right in front of the door now. It was somehow… much taller than he'd remembered.

His hand, that trembled, reached for the doorknob. Lars stopped and stared at it.

Get away from there!

He opened it nonetheless.

Rather than all the food and ingredients inside numerous pots, there was… absolutely nothing. It was pitch-black. He tried to find the light switch, that was right next to the door, but he found nothing.

The noises could still be heard, but Lars couldn't see anyone inside. What was going on? Why was this happening? What did it mean?

No, he should go back. He should forget about it. There was nothing in there, only a creepy, black void. Lars would rather return to the light. He would tell everyone later. For now, they all needed to be happy and safe, and not worry about anything. He deserved it, too.

Lars had just turned around to leave when the door closed right to his face, so strongly that its noise almost deafened him. He gasped and tried to open it; but it was locked, somehow.

"No, no- what the f-?!" He cursed.

He knocked on the door loud.

"Guys?!" Lars yelled. "Can anyone hear me? I'm- I'm stuck!"

He still received no response. Worse yet, he could actually distinguish his friends laughing outside as if Lars hadn't just disappeared.

"Guys? GUYS?!" He screamed again, to no avail.

They laughed and laughed, and it was much clearer after a while, as if the creepy voices from the void had quieted down a little. Lars' hands tried to open the door with everything he had. Sweat drenched all over his face and his breathing became rushed. He could feel his heart beating so fast it was abnormal and he could feel it all over his body, thumping in his head.

"Someone help me! Please!" He begged, panting.

Still getting no answer, Lars growled in desperation and began slamming himself against the door as hard as he could; but no matter the strength of the impact, he couldn't knock it down. It felt as though the door was standing thanks to some unknown force that refrained him from escaping.

"Guys, come on! Can you hear me!?"

He didn't give up for the meantime, in hopes he could get out; but the more he hurt himself, the more he hit and scratched his own arms to the point of them bleeding and turning black, it was apparent that nobody could hear him. Nobody would come to his aid. The laughs continued and- they sounded so off then. It was like… they were at his expense.

"GUYS! MOM! DAD!" He cried. "SOMEONE GET ME OUT OF HERE!"

Nobody came.

The laughter went on, and on, and on – He kept on pushing and all the noises mixed up with his own sobs and cries. Yet he was neglected, as if everyone had forgotten about him. As if he didn't actually matter a thing to anyone.

No, that wasn't true, he- he was loved! Someone would come, right?

But nobody did. And nobody would.

He didn't want to accept it, but he began crying helplessly. His right arm was numb after some time.

"P-Please… someone…" He pleaded, leaning himself against the door, wanting to punch it, break it, but he no longer had forces to keep it up.

The cheerful sounds of his parents, of Sadie, the Off Colors, the Cool Kids and the other Crystal Gems were much more apparent after he had left. It was so obvious.

He didn't- actually matter. After all his hard work, his hardships and battles, he was worthless.

"NO!" He screamed, unsure if at the thought or at the fact he wouldn't be rescued. He wanted to deny it, he wanted to believe he mattered to someone.

But… the dark prison told him otherwise.

"No… no…" Lars shook his head, managing to punch the door; yet he felt himself breaking, rupturing and making his way to the ground. Everything was so, so dark and it was lonely and empty, if not for all the sounds that deafened him with rejection.

He had thought… he had managed to convince himself that he was worthy. But how could he be so stupid?

It was clear that nobody cared. Nobody would save him, and he couldn't save himself.

Did he even deserve to?

Yet, he cried. He should have known better, but he cried so much, he craved for a hug, for reassuring words.

All he had was the cold ground, cold and dark reminder of the punishment he deserved, the emptiness of that place. It felt like death; even if he couldn't remember it when he had died, but it was just as horrible, if not worse, because the pain wouldn't stop.

He would forever be alone.

He didn't want to.

But he deserved it.

"I-I don't… w-want to be here…" He sobbed quietly, all the sounds around him imprisoning him.

"Please… anyone…"

Why was he still calling for help?

Why did he still have hope?

He curled himself into a ball and shrank, protecting himself with his injured arms. The ground below him was flooded with the hot tears that rolled down his face. He cried so much his eyes hurt, everything hurt, why couldn't it stop, make it stop, make it stop, make it stop

All he did was cry. He couldn't do anything.

He never did anything right.

No wonder nobody acknowledged he was gone. It had been that way when he had been in space. Everyone moved on with their lives when he was dead. It was just how reality was.

"H… H-Help…" His voice became nothing but a whisper. "Help me…"

"Please…"

Nothing was heard, then.

He would never get out. He would have to be there for an eternity. And everyone was fine with it.

He closed his eyes, but it wouldn't make a difference anyway. There was no light in that place. Nobody.

Nobody to save him.

He felt gravity dissipate. He floated. He felt empty, numb.

There was so much pain that he had grown used to it.

He couldn't even feel himself anymore. Was he even alive, anymore?

A weak breath came out of his mouth.

A whisper.

Countless, nonsensical whispers all at same.

But he didn't bother to understand them.

More, more whispers.

Except, they were… turning into actual words.

Incomplete, like a puzzle.

Piece

by piece

…

…?

C…?

G… rn… t?

Ame… st?

P… P… rl?

…

… anyone?

With eyes wide open, Lars gasped out loud. Gravity was still absent and nothing, but the blackness was there. Except, he could see a shy, pink light coming out of him. It was fading in and out, as if he were a flame that was close to burning out.

The laughter of his friends was gone, too. Those sounds from the pantry weren't echoing in there anymore.

Yet what struck him more were the whispers he had just heard.

Whoever had said those, they sounded so… familiar.

Lars couldn't put a finger on anyone that owned that voice.

They weren't like the creepy noises from the pantry. Nor like his friends and family laughing. No, those last words… they were different. He just knew it. He just… didn't know why.

Lars moved himself around with his arms, so he could take a full 360 degree turn, except he couldn't find anything.

He knew better than calling for anyone, but if… if his senses were correct, then…

"H… Hello?" Lars called out.

His voice echoed all over the mysterious void, that suddenly didn't feel so empty anymore. Lars would have called again but was silenced by the sound of whispers once more.

…

H… lp!

Despite not recognizing the voice, the tone was of… of desperation, too. Of hopelessness. Much like how he had called for help.

It came from somewhere in the middle of that void. Lars just couldn't find it.

He took another turn around, but as soon as he took notice of a… a small pink light, he stopped. Lars heard… someone crying. Before he could "swim" to its direction, the light then extended into a huge pink aura, almost blinding him. He let out a protested noise. He rubbed his eyes before he could acknowledge what was beneath all the… pinkiness. He blinked multiple times in order to adjust his vision to the lighting.

The aura slowly began to fade into the darkness, helping the space pirate to perceive the figure in the distance, the one that called for help.

Lars proceeded to move towards its direction, a bit unsure of the shape the figure began to take. Once he was close enough, the sniffs and sobs were louder and echoed. It was then that he could tell the short figure that appeared to be curled up like a ball, hugging itself. It took him seconds to recognize the… the curly hair, that reminded him of… of someone he hadn't seen in such a long time.

"P-Please…" The voice, that was much clearer now, sobbed, broken. "A-Are you still… out there?"

…

…

No.

No, it… it couldn't be…!

"Please…"

"St… Steven?" Lars let out.

He heard a tiny gasp in response. The short figure titled its head towards Lars' direction, one of its wet, dark brown eyes widening at the sight of him. It was convinced to turn around and-

"Wha- L-Lars?!"

Steven.

It- It really was him!

The pink teenager stared at him, speechless. How- How on earth was Steven in that place? Where the hell were they, in the first place?!

Goodness, Lars… had longed to see that boy again. He and the gems, and Greg, they- they all missed him so much, and worried over him. Yet there was Steven and the captain had no idea what to say. Though, was- was this even real? Steven was in outer space, and Lars… had been home, but he was trapped in a prison. It didn't make sense. He was supposed to be alone in the dark, but Steven was right there, floating with him, and crying.

"Lars!" The half-gem threw himself towards his direction, colliding their bodies and wrapping the older in a tight hug. Steven buried his face in the other's chest, yet the tears would make their way to the anti-gravity rather than Lars' clothing.

The older boy had… no idea how he felt at that moment. He was so confused, so lost, but- but, as he released a sob, he realized how relieved he was to meet Steven again. Regardless, the entire situation felt odd. Too odd.

The physical contact he shared with Steven felt strange, too. Lars couldn't quite explain it; the hug didn't actually feel physical, superficial. It was almost like he could feel the other's energy in his… spirit? Soul? If- that made sense?

"Oh, Lars! I-I'm so glad to see you!" Steven was laughing and weeping at the same time as he grasped Lars' clothing.

The pink teenager's arms then reached him, while he wasn't sure of what to do yet. Not only was Steven's hug warming his… his broken soul (the pink light that came out of him shone brighter now), but the younger boy felt weird, too. Lars' fingers were supposed to be in contact with the other's t-shirt, but, instead of the fabric, he felt something else. It was almost like their bodies weren't actually there, but…

… it all felt… real.

"I-I'm so sorry for not visiting you anymore!" Steven sobbed. "So much has happened and- a-and I- "

"S-Steven," He said, breathless. "How- where are we?" Lars looked around, still not finding anything.

"Oh! I… I guess we're in my conscience? Or yours? I don't know, but… I know I'm dreaming."

"Wait, are we like- having a mental connection?"

"Yeah! Yeah… so you must be dreaming, too! Right?"

Lars blinked multiple times, not understanding anything. If they were both dreaming, then…

"This is messed up," He commented.

"Well, we've… had this before, when I entered your mind… b-but don't worry, I have it under control now!"

Lars couldn't contain the shiver at the memory of Steven possessing his body for a day. He shook his head, since it was no priority.

"So, like… you're still on Homeworld?" He wondered, frowning.

Steven was about to open his mouth but frowned once he gave more thought.

"Wait, how do you know?" He asked.

"Let's just say I've… already made it back to Earth at this point."

The younger boy gasped. "What?! Oh my gosh! You guys made it home!?"

Lars nodded. "Yeah… and don't worry, I know about… pretty much everything. Your dad and your friend Bismuth told me all about your mom."

"Wow, Lars! I'm so glad to know you're home! How long has it been?"

"It's… been a few months, actually. We've gotten back just two days after you left."

"Oh my gosh, it's… been that long?"

Lars nodded again, frowning deeper as he could sense Steven forcing a smile on his face. As if, under the joy, something broken was inside. The younger boy had cried for help, for that matter, but it was like he was trying to cover it at the news of his friend getting back home.

Something bad must have happened in space.

"H-How's everyone?" The half-gem asked.

"They're doing fine," Lars told him anyway. "But we've been missing you a lot back there, dude."

"Aw, you guys… I wish I could be there sooner, but… s-something came up…"

Steven's eyes began to tear up. The two boys were still close to one another, as if they were afraid of letting each other go. As if they had craved for the contact, despite the odd situation of the two encountering in some sort of… lucid dream?

"Steven," Lars called, the other boy looking up. The tears floated away in the meantime. "I… I heard you calling for help. What happened?"

The black-haired boy was about to open his mouth, but gasped and turned around, his grasp on Lars tightening.

"W-What's wrong? What is it?" The older teen asked.

Steven wouldn't answer him. He looked behind them, but there was… nothing.

"Steven," Lars called him again, grabbing him by the shoulders to force him to look back.

The younger boy panted, and more tears formed.

"L-Lars, I shouldn't-!" Steven tried to say, but the words caught up in his throat. "I should leave, I can't-!"

"What- dude! You're in trouble!"

"Exactly! I don't want anything happening to you! S-She'll find us here and-!"

"What are you talking about? There's no one here!... right?"

Steven gulped, looking behind him again. Lars couldn't figure out what he meant, but… given that he knew more about those mental powers of his, he assumed he wasn't going crazy. He was… genuinely frightened.

"I… I-I suppose she… isn't here…" Steven muttered to himself.

"What's going on? What happened on Homeworld? And who are you talking about?!"

The boy trembled, trying to swallow his fear.

"L-Lars, things… things have gone wrong – they've gone really, really bad, and I-I don't know what else I can do!"

He began panicking, rushing his speech at every word. Lars tried not to panic himself, since it was… what he feared the most, but Steven was so scared that… that he didn't want to imagine how bad it must have gone for the younger boy.

"H-Hey, try to… to breathe, alright?" Lars tried to calm him down, but mentally kicked himself because, of course that's not going to help, you dumbass. He was on the verge of freaking out again, too. "What went wrong?"

"Everything! Y-You know that I went to Homeworld to do something about the corrupted gems, the colonies a-and all that, right? T-The thing is, White Diamond refuses to listen to me. Everyone does, but- b-but she's the worst! She keeps acting like I'm just playing a game out of spite!"

White Diamond.

The very person that every gem he knew feared. Bismuth had told him how threatening she was, how even Yellow and Blue were scared of her.

"The other Diamonds aren't really helping either, a-and- and the thing is, White has set me apart from the gems and- a-and Connie, and I don't- I don't know if they're okay!" Steven continued. "I've been trying to contact them mentally, but it's- it's not working - White Diamond somehow interferes in my empathetic powers!"

"Oh, shoot," Lars whispered, letting out shaky breaths. The bad feeling inside his gut resonated once more and it felt terrible. But what got to him the most was that Steven's pink aura was becoming another color – a mix of red and purple. Did it represent his feelings?

"P-Please, you've- you've gotta help us! I don't know where my friends are and- and White trapped me in this room thing and she keeps watching me, even through her creepy Pearl!" Steven sobbed. "Please, Lars, I don't know what to do! What if they were poofed? Or bubbled? O-Or even-!?"

"Hey, hey – I'm-" Although the space pirate panicked because it was even worse than he'd expected, he tried to put on a brave face for Steven. "Don't worry, Steven, we'll be prepared, and we'll get you back. W-We'll find your friends and- you'll be okay. I promise."

"I-I don't…" Steven hugged him tighter.

"I promise," Lars kept on reassuring him, though he also felt that those words were for himself, too. "Everything's gonna be okay. We'll-!"

Steven froze. He pushed Lars away as he let out a shocked noise and looked behind. This time, a… another sound could be heard in that void, coming from the distance.

"Oh no, she's here!"

"Wh-?"

An ominous voice took part of the void, while a… a white light, in the shape of a diamond, revealed itself.

Starlight, what are you doing over there? It was strangely playful, but it was creepy.

"N-Nothing!" Steven replied.

The light was growing bigger. Lars had seen him afraid before, but this- this was far worse than when the two had been stuck in that spaceship back then. No, Steven was downright terrified and White Diamond was the one doing this.

A strong feeling of hunting her down was beginning to take the best of him. Lars would have yelled at her to leave him alone, but Steven must have noticed how angry he became because he decided to throw the captain to the other side with a pretty… surprising strength.

"HEY-!" Lars yelled as he was farther and farther from Steven, who hissed at him for yelling.

Who is there? Another friend of yours?

"N-No! It was nobody!"

Lars managed to stop in the middle of the way, barely able to see Steven, since his light was being obfuscated. The diamond-shaped flash was taking over the black void and- somehow, he could hear something else accompanying. Much like… a tune, a… a song?

But it had no pleasant notes.

I can sense it… your friend's presence. It's another pet, isn't it?

"No, t-there's no one here-!"

Now Starlight… you keep running away from me. If you are not willing to stay where you belong… A laugh was heard. I'm afraid we will have to do this the hard way.

Lars gasped. God, what could he do? What-?!

He felt an even enormous amount of force throwing him away from the pink and white flashes. He knew it was Steven, but he- he didn't want to leave him there with that horrible dictator, Lars wanted to go back there and save him, and get him home.

But then the white light filled the entirety of the void and Steven was soon gone. Lars stretched out his arm, but it was useless.

"STEVEN!" He screamed.

Everything turned white; in the middle of that, a pair of eyes with gray irises and white pupils shaped like diamonds opened at him.