Well… Last chapter was a bit different.

Uh… Cosmic genocide, woohoo?

Hm. I think I know what to do.

Kaold, engage Scionship Fate protocol Sigma-Delta-Iota-Nox.

ENGAGING F.A.T.E. ARRAY

SHIFTING COSMIC MATTER

SHIFTING ENIGMATIC RELAYS

ADAPTING UNIVERSE TO HEDONISTIC NEEDS

AWAKENING DESIRE TO EXPAND

THE F.A.T.E. IS IN YOUR HANDS.

Okay, back to a more serious note, you're getting backstory for Iota! And this chapter isn't a Intermission, so it actually adds directly to the story!

Alright, That's all from me, folks.

INTO THE NIGHTMARE

Scion, you must not fall. You are the finale of the Eternal, and you are our dark star.

A figure rose from the cryonic hypersleep pod that they were in. The edges of their vision blurred as they rise from their everlasting slumber. It was a Eternal, nominally taller than an exceptionally tall adult, but the structure of their face suggests that they are only around halfway through the journey to adulthood.

Yet, his facial expression is not one of a teenager. It is one of a hardened war veteran, who has witnessed a century of brutal conflict. He gazed confusedly at himself for a moment, before reading the name tag attached to his body.

"Unix Tetract"

Oh, it must be another dream again. Yet, the dreamer's vessel was far too apathetic to go any further.

Unix walked in a regal hallway to Eternal standards, while all Eternal architecture is considered absolutely beautiful to the vast majority of lifeforms, this specific hallway makes describing it as 'perfect' just not good enough. For an Eternal, it was simply beautiful.

Ceasing his walking at the end of the hall, a door blocking his way. Gazing up to the name above the door reads…

"VOIDHOLDER KAOLD ABYSS"

This hallway was very unnecessary. The dreamer declared. Yet, their voice did not course into Unix. Unix simply waited at the door for a few moments, its heavy doors opening swiftly.

The room in front of Unix is one that he knows so well. No light except for the dozens of holographic screens and monitors, In the center of the room is a large revolving chair with the figure of a very frail man in rather impressive clothing. The Voidholder was expecting Unix, and Unix already knew.

"Welcome back, Unix. I appreciate you going all the way from the Fracture of Greatness to Eternis. I know that it took you a short while." the Ruler warmly greeted Unix.

"Voidholder Abyss, I will always respond to your calls, especially urgent messages that request my presence in person." Unix declared.

"There is no need for such formality, Tetract. The situation is far too dire to slow ourselves down." the Voidholder said swiftly.

"Very well, Kaold. What is this urgent message you have reserved for me, then?"

The voidholder begins with "Let's get right onto the topic."

Kaold continued. "I see potential within you, Unix. I know that we are doomed to stagnate, for all change inevitably leads to it. You will be our guiding light Long Later, Unix."

"I do not understand, Voidholder Abyss." Unix said, though his face shows surprise instead of confusion.

"Argh… Again with the formality! What I mean, is that we have an incoming Age of Stagnation, and we will not be strong enough to fight off every little threat fast enough. We are a behemoth, but we are also lethargic."

The Voidholder continued. "The Finale of the previous cycle is no more, and we absolutely need a new one. I see potential within you, and I believe that you are to become the next Finale of the Eternal Empire, Unix."

Unix's face turned to minor discomfort. "Voidholder Abyss, are you sure that I am fit for such a duty? I am merely one Eternal, while the Zenith still lives. What exactly do you see within me?"

The Voidholder smiled. "Just because the exterior is frail does not mean its interior's potential is the same. There lies power within you that even I have difficulty comprehending, above any Zenith of before."

"Kaold, are you still certain? I am not sure I am ready for such a duty."

"Unix, you were from your genesis exceptional, even for the standards for my children. I am certain you are ready, even though you have yet to achieve full maturity. I know you are ready. Trust me, you are capable."

"I… I understand. Thank you, Voidholder Abyss, thank you for granting me the chance of being my kin's Aegis for the rest of Eternity. I accept the status of Finale."

"Then we are to begin the rebirth of you."

"Rebirth? I utterly have no idea what you're talking about."

The Voidholder types something into one holoscreen, and erases the profile of something, before rewriting it.

"Unix Tetract is no more, you are to adapt. Rise, my Scion. Unix is a Singer to all now. I declare you Iota, for now on. Now, I shall show you your new starship, Iota."

"I have to say I like the new name. Rest in the stars, Unix. Long live me..." Unix, now Iota laughed a small amount before regaining his composure. The two Eternal walked into the hallway, the massive door closing behind them.

Both Eternal entered cryonic hypersleep pods, and drifted to a slumber…

When the both Eternal re-awoke, they were in a space station far above Eternis, the planet below being a massive planet-wide city, where skyscrapers were the norm. The buildings went so high that if the very top of some of the buildings were cut off, they would be in a semi-stable low Eternis orbit.

Kaold lead the way to a dock, Iota following closely behind. Upon entering the room, Iota stared in wonder at the starship.

The ship was a impressive size, had dozens of marks of the Eternal all across it, and had a beautiful pitch black paint on it. The thrusters of the starship were cleverly hidden, and the ship looked much akin to a low-polygon spaceship. But this only increased its beauty, somehow. Iota knew what it was.

The starship of the Voidholder himself.

Kaold spoke up. "This was once my starship, the Zenith's Path. I am passing it down to you, as I will be getting myself a new one. The starship has the standard Catalyzed Eternium reactor, is equipped with the latest revision of Temporal Shielding, and the entire ship's hull is made of self-mending Eternium Nanoalloy."

Kaold took a deep breath, and then continued. "The starship also has dual Sundown missiles, a standard amplified Eternium laser, and the Firewall guided object defence system. It should last you for… Well, eternity."

Iota looked… Very happy. "Thank you, Kaold. Now I must find a good name for it..."

"You are free to keep its current name if you wish." the Voidholder announced.

Iota dismissed this. "No, I mustn't. I know the perfect name for this."

"This starship, is the beginning of my departure from the Eternal, I will now be an interstellar nomad… Wait! I got it!"

"I declare this starship, the Nomad."

Then, the dream began to fall to ashes. The dreamer was left in Iota's body, gazing out into an infinite abyss. Then, the Voidholder appeared.

The Voidholder(?) spoke. "Child, why do you commence incursion opon my mind?"

Iota(?) spoke up "I didn't mean to! I just went to sleep and-"

The Voidholder turned into the form of Iota, and the false Iota turned to the form of a child. "Hold on… I know that feeling. I know exactly who you are. Get out of my mind, this is your reckoning."

IT'S OVER, IS IT? YES. THE DREAM IS OVER.

Steven woke up in a cold sweat, he had no idea what just happened. How did he access the memory of someone he never met? Was this a new-

No, he's just paranoid after Garnet's wedding… Take a deep breath, everything went fine. It's been 7 days, everything's fine…

Steven then looks at the bubble shield he accidentally summoned in his sleep. Except it doesn't look like a bubble, it's made of a bunch of pentagons. That's strange.

The bubble disappears with the pentagons shrinking and then vanishing. Steven notices that it's a bit too bright, it's still 3AM, right?

Steven looks out his window, and sees nothing. He gets out of bed and runs over to the door to look at the beach…

He wished he didn't.

A behemoth starship is in the skies, easily multiple times larger than the Diamond's arm ships. It was utterly massive…

The other Gems (excluding Peridot and Lapis) were gazing at the behemoth starship, weapons summoned but at a loss of what to do.

On the side of the ship was a collection of alien symbols, but Steven somehow knew exactly what it spelled.

"CULMINATION OF DESIRE"

Then, a beam fired from the ship, and a figure stood tall amongst the dust the beam kicked up. They were taller than Garnet, their height was inhuman, at least 8 feet tall. The dust settled, and what looked like a human stood tall, body covered by sleek & thin space suit.

The man gazed at the Gems in front of him, although not taking much notice to Steven's presence.

"And here I thought we wiped out those abyssal Geoloid in the battle of Solaris Gamma. You will all freeze in the abyss for this."

The man rushed forward, faster than what a human should be able to go at.

AND FATE SHIFTS.

Honestly, the chapter was planned to end right at the arrival of the Culmination, but I wanted to leave you at a even bigger cliffhanger! Now the story REALLY begins to shift!

WHAT IS TO COME:

The battle begins. Then there is a calm before the storm, before Reunited takes its course. Boy, I almost feel bad for the Diamonds, now...