Hello once again! Been some time since the last installment, so we hope you enjoy!

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Without further ado, let's go!


Olivine leaned back.

"That's where things get REALLY weird..."

"Oh! Steven..." Pearl turned, looking down at the boy. "You wouldn't be interested in this. Why don't you...go out, have some fun outside?"

Steven looked up at her, surprised.
"What?" He asked. "But...but I WANT to know! It's probably a cool story or something!"

"Steven." Garnet turned. "We'd...like some private time, to catch up with Olivine. Pearl said go out."

Mike looked between them, between Pearl, Garnet and Steven, though his eyes were clearly focused the most on Steven.

"But-!"

"Steven." Garnet repeated his name. "There are...many, many things we must discuss with Olivine. Things you should not hear. Not now."

Of course...how did he know that was the reason?
Olivine and Mike were staying out of it. They probably figured it's none of their business.
Amethyst was just standing there, arms crossed, looking off in another direction.

"...Alright." He sighed. "Fine, I'll probably go get a pizza or something." He turned, walking off and out the door, disheartened.
Some new gem shows up, she wants to tell some cool story, and he doesn't get to hear it? That just...sucks.

The hybrid gem-human walked out onto the deck, and headed down the stairs.
It was...dang, it was just too interesting! Another Crystal Gem? For one, it was nice for once that a gem they met didn't try to, you know,
shatter anybody, but Olivine knew the gems! Back before the war! He...didn't think there were any others! Then again, the others seemed just as surprised...

And then...there was Mike. HE was really interesting.
For one, the Earth name. Steven didn't know any Mikes, but he didn't expect the first he'd meet would be a gem!
Not to mention...he was a boy! At least, he looked and sounded like it.

It was so bizzarre...a boy gem named Mike, and he mentioned having a Mom earlier.
But...he wasn't like Steven, that much he could tell. Y'know, grey skin and everything...
Did gems HAVE Moms? He didn't think so, Amethyst came from the Kindergarten and all that, so what was his-

"Wait up!" A voice called, interrupting his thoughts abruptly.
Steven turned, in time to see Amethyst skid to a stop in the sand.
"Amethyst? What're you doing here? Don't you want to hear Olivine's story?"

"Nah." She waved a hand. "She's cool, but everybody's gettin' all sentimental and junk, so I had to get outta there. You mentioned pizza?" She asked as they walked with each other down the beach.

"Yeah..." Steven nodded. "I mean, it's still a bit early, but I need something to keep my mind off. I mean, two new gems? That's awesome!"

Amethyst shrugged. "It's pretty cool. That Mike guy is pretty weird, though. You see his friggin' gemstone? Looks half melted!"

"Amethyst!" He gave her a look.

"What?" She asked. "You gotta admit, the dude's freaky. I mean for one, the fact he's a DUDE. I know you are, but that was like a 50/50 thing." She made a weighing motion with her hands. "And, y'know, part human? He clearly isn't, his skin's all grey and stuff. What's up with that?"

They had reached town at this point, and were approaching Stew Fish Pizza.
"I dunno...and he mentioned having a Mom too, right?"

"RIGHT? Like, what IS he? Did some human raise him or something?"

"No, she was a gem." A voice behind them. "Really pretty and stuff, wore her hair in a bun in her later years."

Both Steven and Amethyst jumped, both also yelling as they turned around quickly.
And there was Mike behind them, standing there.

"...Hi." He gave a meek wave. "I was following you."

Steven and Amethyst gave each other looks.
"Uhhh...why?" Amethyst asked.

Mike looked down. Looked like he was actually pondering the answer.
"Um...hold on, I know this..." He scratched his head. "I thiiink...either Olivine told me to go outside, or I decided to follow you two because you're tiny and cute...or both!"

"Uh...!" Amethyst looked a little...freaked out, to say the least. "How...LONG were you following us?"

"I've been walking directly behind you as soon as you turned your back to your big wooden tent." He replied, scratching his arm.
He had a slight hunch to his posture. "Um...sorry, I'm not good at talking to people, I'm not allowed to do that, so I'm out of practice..."

"Not allowed?" Steven tilted his head. "Who doesn't let you?"

"Um...no, no, I mean I WASN'T allowed." He replied. "USED to not be allowed. I mean, I'm on Earth now, so I guess old rules don't apply..."

"You got that right." Amethyst walked up to him. "Ain't no Homeworld punks here...I mean, there IS, but that's a whole 'nother story."
She waved it off. "Nevermind. Since you decided to follow us here, wanna try out pizza?" She playfully punched his kneecap. "You look like you need to get a meal in you, dude!"

"...Huh..." He looked down, at his slim body. Not Pearl slim, but for a male his size, his lithe body did make him look a little starved, not that gems ate.
"...I guess it's been thousands of years since I've ate anything besides dirt and metal..."

"Ugh, that explains it." Amethyst seized his hand, and the two led him inside. "That stuff goes right through ya, tastes like crap anyways..."
They entered the shop, and Amethyst led Mike to a table while Steven went to order.

The two sat across from each other. Mike just looked down at the table, while Amethyst seemed to scan him over.
"...Soooo..." She said. "You're a dude."

"Huh?" He looked up.

"I mean, no offense, but..." She gestured. "The flat chest, the voice, the...way you look in general. Ain't like a gem, y'know?"

"Oh." He nodded. "I got that a lot. But way meaner."

"...Oh." She nodded, tapping her finger. "And...your gem. It looks...melted? How does that thing even work? Can you summon your weapon or anything."

"I dunno." He looked down, tapping it. "Everyone told me by all means I shouldn't be alive. And that meant two things."

"Jeesh...Homeworld really isn't big on mess-ups, are they? I mean, you can walk around and stuff, ain't that good enough."

"Um...no." Mike replied. "None of the other Hematites liked me. And I'm no good fighter."

"Hematites are fighters?" She asked, leaning back in her seat.

"Lots of things." He replied. "They're grunt gems. Used for anything, really. Some're smart enough to build, others fight, some are even in the...
entertainment section. But...yeah, I wasn't good for any of that."

"You weren't?" Steven asked as he approached with a pizza.

This seemed to startle Mike, who jumped in his seat slightly at his sudden speaking.
The boy stopped, looking a bit freaked out. "Oh! S-sorry...I...guess I'm not supposed to hear this, huh?"

Mike tilted his head.
"...Why wouldn't you?" He asked.

Steven perked up. "You...don't think I can't know? You think that's alright?" He asked as he hopped into a seat next to him.

"I mean...yeah?" He replied. "The other ones kicked you out, but...what's it matter? You're a human, I guess..."
Wow, he...definitely wasn't as strict as the others. Really kinda shy, actually...

"Oh, I'm actually not! I mean...I AM, but half human. I'm actually half gem, too!"
The boy lifted his shirt slightly, showing his bright pink gemstone.

Mike looked down at it.
"Huh?" He leaned in closer. "But...you're all pudgy and small! Then again, so is a Ruby...and her." He gestured to Amethyst.

"Proud of it, pal." She replied, stuffing two pieces of pizza into her mouth at once.
"Hssh Mmph whash Roshe Kuartzhs." She said through a mouthful.

"Rose...Quartz?" Mike poked the gem, startling Steven. "She was...the one who started the rebellion, right? Her kind...was the only one I think people hated more than me." His voice sounded a little dark when he said it.

"Oh...yeah...?" Steven pulled his shirt down.

Mike nodded.
"Yeah...but, it's not her fault." He sat up straight. Well, slightly hunched, but still. "I...actually agree with what she did. My Mom said we had to stay far away from her. And to be fair, she DID shatter some gems."

"Huh?" Steven looked dumbfounded. "She...she what?"

"Uh oh..." Amethyst muttered. "Uh...oKAY, Mikey-Boy, you mentioned having a Mom?" She said aloud, to change the subject.
"I mean, Steven's half gem, but I'm...like 60 percent sure you ain't. What's the deal?"

Though Steven wanted the grey gem to elaborate further on that shattering business...he decided the Mom topic was much easier.
"Yeah." He said. "I mean, my Mom and Dad liked each other a lot, like a LOT, and that's how I was born, Dad told me. But what about you? Do gems...
make more gems?"

"...We're encouraged not to ask questions about the topic of gem-creation." He seemed to be reciting a rule.
"I dunno if gems can do that, but...it wasn't how I was made." He put a hand on his head, brushing some of his silver hair out of his face.
"I...actually don't remember. How I was born, at least. But...I was taken in by this beautiful gem. A Watermelon Tourmaline."

"Watermelon...Tourmaline?" Steven asked.

He nodded, and Steven and Amethyst were able to see a spark of life in the gem's eyes.
"...She was the greatest." He said. "She was beautiful. When I first met her, she had her hair down, and wore this pink and green uniform.
Her skin was a pretty blend of pink and green, and her hair was the same..."

Steven and Amethyst gave each other a look.

"...In her later years, though? She wore her hair in a messy bun. Wore a mint blouse, and a pink skirt down to her ankles...Earth fashion really fascinated her." He smiled. "She was...always so kind to me. The only person to treat me normally. And she...was completely okay with...what's wrong with me. She said...said they made me special. Not weird."

He seemed to break out of the trance he seemed to be in.
"...Amethyst?" He looked at the gem. "Do...do I call you Amethyst?"

"Uh...yeah." She had stopped eating, surprisingly. "Yeah, Amethyst."

"...Where'd you come from?" He asked. "I have a Mom, Steven has a Mom...where'd you come from? Do you have a Mom? The giant Ruby in the glasses has big lips like you. Is she your Mom?"

She blushed, and Steven snickered.
"Whh...! NO, she's not my...!" She gave a little groan.

She looked up at him.
"No, Garnet ain't my Mom. And Pearl ain't either, naggy and uptight as she is. You wanna know where I came from?"

He nodded.
"Yeah! Where does a regular gem come from? You're short, but that's just how it goes with gems. So...where'd you come from?"

She smirked, the purple gem setting her pizza back in the box, and closing it.
"Pizza's to go, boys. We're goin' on a hike."


Next time folks, we head to the Kindergarten!