A/N: It took me a hard time to get this chapter done, so I hope it's okay; hopefully the pacing is not disastrous :'v
I actually decided to split this chapter in two, so we still have another one to end this story! I'll have more free time this week, so I might get to finish it soon!
As soon as they entered, the smell of wood and paint was the first thing to hit his senses, followed by the realization of how damaging the Diamond attack must have been for half of the house to be under construction.
Despite having not been to Steven's house too often, if not for two times - the first, when Steven had taken him and Sadie to that magic island, and the second, when... the half gem had possessed Lars' body on accident; two occasions that the captain would sometimes struggle to forget and move on, especially the last one -, Lars could tell how different it was from before. It was worth noting that the house was rather big in dimensions, so, again, to have half of it destroyed must have been a disaster.
Steven's... room, which composed of his bed upstairs and the couch, he supposed, had almost remained intact, were it not for some cracks on the wooden floor. The other side, corresponding to the kitchen, was barely recognizable. There was a small, finished segment of it, that had more of a... gem tone, mixed with the original human environment. Rather than wood, it looked like some other material, a harder one, for that matter. Given that Greg and Bismuth were working together to repair the house, then the latter must be the one adding a more resistant structure while the former tried to make the house as welcoming to Steven as possible.
"So," Bismuth spoke, driving him out of his thoughts. "What do you think?"
"Oh, I, uh... I like what you're doing to the house. Like, how you're upgrading, but keeping the... human ambience and all."
"Thanks, Lars," Greg smiled. "We hope Steven and the others feel welcome once they get back."
Lars hummed, thus hearing Lion yawning from upstairs, as the pink feline occupied Steven's bed. The weird walking pumpkin barked at him in excitement again, much to his... discomfort? Surprise? He knew he should have gotten used to Steven's odd environment and life, especially due to the fact that Lars had had contact with the alien reality for months, but a living pumpkin? That behaved like a dog of some sort? It was like nothing he had ever imagined; even Lion, a giant pink cat, seemed normal at that point.
Even then, he should have learned that nothing in that town was normal, to begin with; not even... himself. And was that a bad thing? No, not necessarily. Yet it wouldn't stop being weird.
Regardless, the captain turned around to find Greg and Bismuth, who sat on the couch near him. The man placed the pizza box on the table, near... two gemstones wrapped up in a white cloth. One was blue, its shape resembling a teardrop, and the other, green, shaped like an inverted triangle. Having been exposed to the process of... "poofing" (as he remembered those... lawyers at the trial), but not witnessing it happening to his friends (thankfully), he raised an eyebrow in curiosity.
"Hey, uh, who are these guys?" Lars asked, pointing at the two gems.
"Oh - the green one is Peridot, the other is Lapis... Lazuli, right?" Greg replied, looking at Bismuth for confirmation.
"Yes, they were poofed by Yellow Diamond. Hopefully they'll reform in no time," The blacksmith assured. "They'll be alright."
The pink teenager looked at them again, especially as he recorded Steven mentioning Peridot, and how he would have liked to introduce them to one another. Lars had not imagined their first meeting would be like that... but, according to Bismuth, she and Lapis would return at some point. Lars believed to have heard of the blue gem, too, maybe before he was aware of Peridot, but he couldn't quite put his finger on that one occurrence.
"Now, get over here, Lars," Bismuth beckoned, as he would spend time thinking about many things. "We've gotta get this pizza tradition started, right?"
"Oh- Oh yeah," He let out a distracted laugh (and the way she described it as "pizza tradition" was just really good to hear). "Right."
He then joined the other two on the couch; Lars sat on the right corner and the rainbow-haired gem, on the other, with Greg between them. The adult man was the one to open the box, revealing a good-looking pepperoni pizza, that allured Bismuth's eyes.
"Oh, my stars, it looks beautiful!" She exclaimed, much to Lars' and Greg's enjoyment.
"Here you go," Greg handed her a slice.
While she admired it and tasted it, sounding very pleased, he grabbed another and offered it to Lars, who was... quite unsure whether he wanted to eat it or not. The pink teen didn't feel in the least hungry; he had not experienced that since Steven had revived him back on Homeworld, many, many months ago.
"It's okay if you don't feel like having it," Greg assured him, noticing his conflicted looking.
Before answering, Lars' eyes aimed at Bismuth, who ate the pizza with no trouble. He was aware that gems didn't need to eat nor sleep, but the blacksmith really was enjoying eating. Maybe he could give it a shot. Besides, he... truly hoped he could cherish something he had enjoyed so much. He had missed the Earth and its culinary very much, so it couldn't hurt, right?
"No, no- I, uh... I wanna try," Lars replied, in a more assertive tone.
"Oh, alright, then," Greg handed him the pizza slice.
The captain looked at the crust filled with cheese, tomato sauce and pepperoni for a few seconds. He frowned in determination and bit a piece. It... was quite delicious, with Lars even letting out a surprised noise. it felt so new, yet so familiar to him. However, as soon as the chewed remainings dived into his throat, it felt... strange. He didn't know how to put that in words, nor whether it was good or not.
"You okay there?" Mr. Universe asked him, with a slightly concerned look on his face.
"Y-Yeah, I am- I just... I'm not used to eating anymore, I guess."
Bismuth raised an eyebrow. "How so?"
"Like... I don't even feel hungry. I think it's- because of Steven's healing powers."
"Oh. Well, if that makes you feel better, I don't feel 'hungry', either. I sorta know what that means."
"But... don't you feel weird eating?"
"Nah, not really. I don't mind it."
Lars hummed, frowning.
"Really, Lars, it's okay," Greg tried to comfort him regardless. "You don't have to eat it if you're not comfortable."
After putting some thought to it, the pink boy gave it another shot: the same good sensation at the beginning, ending with the weird one of the food passing through his throat and making way down to his esophagus. Yet it wasn't as odd as the first time. Still... what was upsetting about it was that there wasn't that same pleasure, that desire. Not that his gut was full, it was merely... numb, at that point.
"I... I don't think I can get used to this," Lars concluded in defeat.
"Aw, it's alright, bud," Greg tried to give him a reassuring smile.
Before Lars could do anything about it, he heard the pumpkin bark at him again, only for him to almost jump in surprise. It had its eyes for the pizza slice in his hands... given that Lars wasn't hungry himself, he wondered if he could give it to the... animal-like vegetable?
"Uhhh, is pizza bad for the little buddy here?" He asked the other two.
"Hmm... she did eat a groom figure from that wedding cake..." Greg mumbled. Before Lars could even ask what the hell did that mean, he continued: "So, well, couldn't hurt to give her a little piece, I guess."
The teenager hummed in doubt, as the pumpkin had its orange tongue out. Lars ended up taking a small part of his slice and approached it, hesitant. The vegetable... smelled it and was quick to snatch it out of his hand, almost leading him to scream. Turned out that the pumpkin did enjoy the little piece of cheese and sauce.
"Oh, she liked it! Good," Greg smiled.
Lars' hand was shaking a little, perhaps from the surprise.
"Aw, Lars, it's okay, she doesn't hurt anyone," The man assured him, upon noticing that.
"S... Sorry."
Lars let out a deep sigh, leaving the remaining part of pizza on the floor for the pumpkin to eat. It barked in joy and began eating it frenetically. Lars would have snorted at the scene but was too disappointed for not being able to eat like he used to; and watching everyone, even Bismuth, eat without any trouble, would only make it worse.
"Don't worry about it, we can just sit here and chat for a bit," Greg told him.
"Yeah! Let's, uh, talk about your adventures in outer space! I want all the details," Bismuth grinned. "I'm pretty sure you and your friends went through a lot to get here, right?"
The sore reminder of his gem friends and their adventures together was enough to bring himself down even more. The small, random thought of the Off Colors being introduced to human food would have made him feel a little better but remembering the pained looks on their faces caused his chest to hurt, a lot more than it had been.
"Hey, captain?" Bismuth frowned in concern. "What's wrong?"
"Ah, h-his friends... sort of had a fight," Greg explained, sounding anxious regarding the teenager's misery.
"Oh? Why is that?"
Rather than using words, Lars looked over the wall by the front door; then realizing that the Rose Quartz portrait was still there. He hadn't given much thought to it, but then he wondered why nobody had taken it down yet, after everything that had been revealed about the leader of the Crystal Gems.
"... oh," Bismuth said, in realization. "Oh, cap... I'm- I'm really sorry."
"It's okay," Lars assured, even though he didn't feel much better. Yet he knew he couldn't hold a grudge against her, nor Greg, nor anyone but Rose herself.
Lars could feel his own eyes growing deep. He couldn't find himself enjoying his time there; he couldn't enjoy food the same way he did, his friends were upset and/or gone, and he was unable to help them... all because of everything an irresponsible brat had done so she could hide her own identity and hurt everyone around her.
He knew it had happened many thousands of years ago, but those thoughts were infuriating him a great deal.
"Yo, Lars," Bismuth called him. "You sure you're okay? You seem..."
"What do you think?" Lars replied, a lot harsher than he had expected; though he could barely give much thought to his speech at that moment. "You really expect me to be okay with- with Steven in the same planet that wanted to kill him? With my friends feeling a lot worse about themselves, all- all this because of the crap Rose did?"
The rainbow-haired gem was surprised at his change in tone. Greg, on the other hand, wasn't; but he didn't appear to be comfortable with how bitter Lars sounded, either.
"Lars," Mr. Universe called him. "I understand how you feel, but- believe me, it's going to be okay-!"
"Stop- just stop telling me that! How do you KNOW things are going to be 'a-okay', huh?!"
The teenager even stood up in rage, glaring at the other two. Greg became cautious, but Bismuth was more defensive, and even put herself in front of the former.
"Woah there," She said. "Come on, don't do that-!"
"YOU stop doing that! Stop trying to lie to me AND yourselves that everything's gonna be fine! You keep insisting on that when everyone around is miserable and- and Steven might never even come back because Homeworld will have him SHATTERED by now!"
"Hey!" Bismuth raised her voice and stepped towards him in a menacing way. "You take that back!"
"Guys, stop!" Greg tried to intervene, by getting in the middle of them.
"You really think we're FINE with your friends hurt and the others gone off to space for who knows how long?" The blacksmith asked Lars, ignoring Greg. "Who do you think you are to say that?!"
"Yeah! I'm someone who actually cares about my friends, that's why I'm upset!"
"And WHAT do you expect us to do, huh?" Bismuth challenged. "Go all the way there to ruin the chances Steven has of actually doing something for all the oppressed and corrupted gems in the universe and start another freaking WAR?! Did you even get that into your stupid, pink brain?!"
"Guys!" Greg yelled louder than the two of them. "Quit it already! There's no need to fight!"
"Yeah, that's exactly my point!" Bismuth said. "We can't do anything because Steven has the capability of turning things around and helping us!"
"And how on EARTH are you so sure about things going right?!" Lars pressured.
"Because we BELIEVE in him! Why can't you do the same?!"
Those words shut him so quickly, that Lars was left speechless. That, and how he was hit within the realization of the pumpkin and the small, blue-eyed cat that hid behind it, watching the other... human in fear.
Bismuth panted, as Greg served as a barrier between their conflict. Lars found himself gazing at nowhere, taken aback by those last sentences, while the other human let out a deep, shaky breath.
"C-Come on, let's sit down," The adult lead Bismuth to the couch, the gem not protesting. Lars was left standing there on his own, as everyone drew apart from him. "Now, I know you don't need to breathe, but it does help someone calm down. Can you do that?"
In the meantime, the teenager had a dumb look on his face. Lars hadn't... meant to imply he didn't believe in Steven. For Christ's sake, the kid had battled against corrupted gems, had been abducted by Homeworld twice - and had saved the world, too!
Yet... Lars had been to Homeworld, so he knew how cruel gems could be. Everyone on that planet had desired to kill Steven, and to have the same rebels who had helped Rose initiate the Rebellion there was indeed concerning. But he had never, ever meant that he didn't believe in Steven. Despite knowing how amazing the half gem was, Homeworld... might not go easy on him. No matter if he was a Diamond or not.
However, his eyes fell upon Bismuth and Greg calming each other down. The former, at first, was yelling that Lars didn't know anything. She sounded very upset while doing so, which caused Lars to watch the scene with sadness and regret.
The two had been dealing with a lot of hard work without the Crystal Gems there. They would shift from repairing Steven's house to protecting Beach City on their own. Lars could then see in their eyes how much they struggled to keep themselves positive about everything.
It... really was the best they could do.
"There, there... listen, he's just frustrated," He heard Greg telling Bismuth in a lower voice, but somehow Lars managed to distinguish it. "I'm sure he didn't mean it."
It hurt Lars to catch Bismuth's eyes watering.
Lars himself had... to lead a group of aliens, aliens who had been excluded from Homeworld and who still had issues with themselves. He couldn't just... remain sad about his own issues, either. He had to maintain strong and to lead the way, while giving them all the support they needed.
He couldn't help... feeling a little hypocritical at that moment.
He wanted to say something, to apologize, but he didn't know if the two of them would scold them and tell him to leave. In fact... he might as well do so. Lars wasn't doing anything worthy to help the people he cared about.
But it wouldn't feel right to leave without saying something. Just so they knew he was regretful for making them feel bad.
"I'm... I'm really sorry," Lars approached, hesitant. Bismuth looked up, frowning at first, but proceeding to stare at the wooden floor. "I- God, I'm such a jerk."
"No, Lars, it's alright," Greg sighed. "I get that you are upset. We... We are, too. It's just... we really can't do anything about it, and- and it's not our fault, you know? This whole- Homeworld thing is way beyond our control."
Lars had his eyes on Bismuth, then, who refused to talk.
"Bismuth, I didn't..."
"Listen, captain," The blacksmith breathed heavily, sniffing. "Greg's right. We're not okay with them out there. In fact, we... we're really scared. We know that something bad could happen and all, but if we focus on the bad outcomes too much, it's not going to do any help to us.
"Even if we, well... had a ship and weapons before you arrived, it's like what he said: it's... beyond our control. These are diplomatic matters we can't intervene.
"As I said before, Steven is the only one capable of changing people's minds. He can convince the other Diamonds to free the Earth, to do something about the- the Cluster thing down the planet's crust, the corrupted gems... and the 'off colors' like your friends, too."
Lars looked away for a moment, having... not thought about it. There weren't only his friends, but millions of Off Colors in outer space were hiding, fleeing from robonoids to survive.
"And I know he can do it," Bismuth continued. "He- He changed my mind, too. Before even getting here, I... I actually wanted to shatter the Diamonds so we could be free. But that would've been a disaster, and I only realized that when Steven showed me that a dialogue is possible. Blue and Yellow Diamond, after knowing that Pink hadn't been shattered, were willing to do everything he said. Heck, he was the one to convince them to take everyone to Homeworld so they could solve all their issues."
The rainbow-haired gem dried her eyes, as a few tears had rolled down her face. Greg and Lars listened in silence. The captain reflected on her arguments, finding the sense and belief in them.
"Yeah, it's true that Steven shouldn't be dealing with what Rose did, that it's dangerous and all... but that kid has impressed me with his kindness," A tragic grin could be found in Bismuth's sadness. "He has proved us a lot that we could never expect. So, I... I believe in him."
Her eyes met Lars', and the gaze was locked for a long time. She allowed a more silent, comforting contact between them, showing comprehension towards his own feelings, while trying to convince him not to let himself go of the hopeful outcomes.
"About your friends, I truly am sorry," Bismuth said. "But we should let them think about it, before anything. The others - that is, Steven, Pearl, Garnet and Amethyst - were in the same state before, but they learned to stay together after giving some time to themselves. I'm sure you guys can come up with something too, because you appear to be a pretty great team, huh? For you to escape a highly advanced, oppressive planet together...
"You guys are much stronger than you realize. You just... need to allow them to believe that."
Lars was thoughtful, as Bismuth's beliefs were... were valid. Despite her fear, hope was clear in her words and actions, and not as a way to blind herself. She truly... believed in Steven. She didn't let the bad thoughts affect her trust in the younger boy, unlike... how Lars was behaving lately.
"Wow, you're... you're right," The captain admitted, rather speechless. "I guess I... didn't give much faith on Steven. Or... anything, for that matter."
He sighed afterwards, for some reason gazing at the house pets again. The pumpkin and cat were watching everything with observant, curious eyes.
"I've... never been an optimistic person. Just this- emo garbage," He murmured, frowning.
"It's not your fault," Greg said. "I know the gem stuff is a whole new thing to you. You're not supposed to know everything. And that's alright, because you can learn better."
Lars' face softened as he processed the words for a while. He preferred not to say anything but didn't feel he should... go too hard on himself when it came that topic.
"Sorry for yelling at you before," Bismuth sighed.
"No, I should be apologizing. I get it," Lars managed to smile at her.
She hummed, a small smile appearing, too.
"Again, this whole thing is pretty revolting," Bismuth emphasized. "Yet the best we can do right now is to remain strong for the gems - and for ourselves, too! We can't just suffer from sorrow forever."
"We'll do what we can for Earth. And we'll get through this," Greg said. "Together."
"Yeah... together."
The trio gazed at themselves for what it felt like forever, sharing a similar feeling of solidarity and understanding, as well as admiration coming from Lars. He appreciated how the other two managed to keep it up, given their positions on the Crystal Gems' lives.
He was sure Steven would be proud of them both.
...
Lars' smile faded as he was met with the window, finding the starry sky. That, and Rose's portrait, whose... pinkness he could spot while gazing at the darkness outside.
"Even then," Lars sighed. "I just... hope they're okay up there. Because I know it's not going to be easy."
"We do, too," Greg nodded. "But let's not do anything irrational, or else it could get worse."
"Yeah, but..."
The captain's voice faded, as his pessimistic thoughts were coming back to him. Lars just couldn't get a grip, huh... he began to clench and unclench his fists, unable to avoid that rush.
"Look, I..." Lars began speaking, without realizing, but did not interrupt himself. "I hate to be- gloomy and everything, like- you're right, Steven can turn things around and stuff, but let's think about it: what if something DOES happen? Even if the Diamonds are on their side, we're not sure about the entirety of Homeworld being okay with his mother lying to everyone. Pink, Rose, whoever she was, still betrayed Homeworld. If gems were capable of starting a rebellion against Homeworld, then... they can start another movement against Steven, right?
"This might be extreme to think about, I don't know; but I- I want to at least... be ready for whatever that comes. If everything does turn out to be hopeless for them, then I want to be there to fight! Don't you think we should do that for precaution?"
For a rapid moment, he caught Bismuth glancing at Greg with a worried look. Lars was about to continue defending his argument, despite wanting to remain positive. The blacksmith, however, nodded without questioning him.
"You know... you do have a point," Bismuth said, finally showing some determination. "Especially since..."
Her small smile was quick to disappear. Her eyes focused on the damaged side of the house. Lars could spot the fear in them, the dark color deeper than before. Although he was aware they were both afraid, there was something more to that, something he hadn't... quite noticed before.
"Since... what?" Lars went straight to that, wanting to know what could be bothering her.
Bismuth shook her head at first, refusing to look at him.
"Bismuth, if something's worrying you this much, we-" Lars told her, gulping once she glanced at him. "We should know."
The blacksmith sighed once more.
"You see, I... b-before Steven and the others went to Homeworld, they talked to the Diamonds about the corrupted gems, and... honestly, the... the main reason why they went there at all was because they couldn't heal those guys on their own; not without... without White Diamond."
Lars didn't exactly know what that meant at first; but the sound of her voice as it spoke "White Diamond" sent shivers down his spine. He recorded asking about the Great Diamond Authority to the Off Colors. His friends feared all of the matriarchs, but the mere mention of White had caused everyone to almost panic and cry, and instead opting not to ever speak of her again. Not to mention that none of the gems he had battled against had been aligned to White, thus never giving an idea of how she truly was.
Bismuth herself was shaking as she revealed him such information.
"Listen, I do believe in Steven, but even Blue and Yellow fear her," She said. "They might not face her quite peacefully."
Lars gulped. Blue and Yellow Diamond already frightened him a great deal, but White? She was an entirely different level. If those two feared her, then...
Bismuth... actually began looking hopeless, as she gave more thought to the situation. Lars admitted to feeling somewhat guilty for making her desperate, but, at the same time, they couldn't push that aside.
"Oh, now that I think about it... stars," Bismuth muttered to herself. "We couldn't even beat two Diamonds. If White is this bad, then I don't know how on earth we're gonna-!"
As the captain gazed at the window again, he could spot the Diamond ships, as both were reflected by the moonlight. The Sun Incinerator could also be seen by the beach. It took him a while, but Lars began to consider something: having been somewhat familiar to the gem technology, they could get something out of those ships, given that most of their structures were... somewhat intact. It could be worse, as he remembered that other hand ship, the green one, that had fallen right into the hill and the pieces spreading out everywhere.
He then looked at Bismuth, who was still mumbling in uneasiness. Greg approached her so he could offer some support. Lars remembered that she could build weapons; as well as... towers and other things, right? Not to mention Lars' own ship had its weapons and speed. Just him and the Off Colors had taken down several Homeworld soldiers.
So, they could... upgrade their weaponry. The Off Colors had knowledge of the advancements Homeworld had gone through. Bismuth knew how to build things, and must have experience in battle, too!
"Hey, Bismuth," Lars called her. "We... might have hope."
"What?" She raised her head to look at him, a bit incredulous.
"We- might have more resources in to use in battle this time. We can get something out of those Diamond ships, as well as my own ship. And you can make weapons - the Off Colors and I could help you with our knowledge of the new gem technology, since I assume you guys don't really... have much advanced equipment or anything, right?"
Bismuth's eyes widened a little, yet she still nodded at his question. Lars was somewhat aware of their unfamiliarity, as he remembered his friends being at loss with many of the changes Homeworld had gone through. Assuming the Crystal Gems had remained on Earth without contacting their home planet in thousands of years, then it might have been case, too.
"Maybe we can't fight off a Diamond, but I think we have more advantage," Lars smiled. "My friends and I have never got caught in outer space, so I think we can rescue the others without much trouble.
"Besides, I don't want to just remain here and not do anything. I think we should... still try. Because...
"... that's what Steven would do, right?"
Greg and Bismuth appeared to be surprised at his strategies, while listening to them with attention. Lars hoped it made sense, since he knew how dangerous it was. They might not have a chance against Homeworld.
But that was what Lars had believed before he had escaped. He had thought he would be stuck in that horrible place for eternity, when, after giving some thought and working together with the Off Colors, they had found a way out. They had overcome their fears and still managed to get out of those dark tunnels. They had stolen the fastest ship of an elite gem, had stolen the flotanium for their engines, had battled against Homeworld in outer space countless times.
Maybe... Maybe there was hope.
Maybe they could rescue the Crystal Gems, save the oppressed and free the Earth for once and for all.
Whatever would come, they could handle it. Even if it seemed impossible, they... they would still try. At least, Lars would. He hoped the Off Colors could join that cause, too, after everything that they had found out. He ought to talk to them at a later time.
He awaited Greg's and Bismuth's replies, which took long to be revealed. Lars was not impatient, however, understanding their insecurities. He wasn't... 100% confident himself, but he managed to hold on to the tiny hope that began growing in his heart; something he had rarely done in his entire life.
"Yeah... yeah!" A grin stretched around the blacksmith's face. "You're right, captain - we should work together and get ready for whatever that comes."
"I agree!" Greg approved.
Lars smiled at them, grateful for their willingness to help. He was sure they all had potential to do great things and make accomplishments. They would do whatever was required from them in the meantime.
After a long pause, Bismuth approached the pink teenager with a determined grin on her face. She... offered her hand, waiting for him to shake it.
"I like you, captain Lars," She told him. "I'm sorry for underestimating you. You truly are dignified."
The tired, genuine smile of his did not fade, and might have even stretched longer across his face. He nodded in gratefulness and said, "You're one cool fighter, too."
"No way, I'm from the lava!"
The two laughed (even though Bismuth might have only done it since Lars was the one to begin it). Greg let out a relieved sigh, smiling at them in silence. The newly formed trio was then giving each other support and sharing genuine laughs.
After things were finally settled, Lars remembered the pizza, that had been abandoned in the center table. It must have gotten cold at that point, given the temperatures were not too high that night; even if it didn't particularly bother him too much, thanks to his altered, pink body.
"Oh, guys, you should finish that," He told them, pointing at the food.
"Ah, man, I almost forgot," Greg laughed.
"Well, doesn't seem too cold to me," Bismuth observed, as she took another slice. "It's good."
They all sat on their last spots, with Greg getting another piece for himself. Lars accepted watching them eat, then, even though that same disappointment was somewhere inside his chest. He managed to ignore it for the time, though.