AN: I know! This is crazy! But I love this series, and after watching the Jail Break episode all of these ideas just started flowing. I hope you enjoy these theories!
Written After: Jail Break Episode of Steven Universe aired.
No Pairing. I repeat, this installment does NOT have a pairing.
Disclaimer: I do not own the characters or plot line from Inuyasha or Steven Universe.
Truth Revealed
"Hm….."
Steven Universe stared thoughtfully at the piece of paper resting on the table in front of him. The shape was right… but he needed the perfect color for his drawing. Should he use blue? Or maybe purple? Furrowing his brow in frustration, he fell backwards so that he was lying on the floor and let out a groan.
"What's wrong squirt?" Amethyst inquired suddenly standing over him, a half eaten sandwich in one hand and a soda in the other. "Pearl's home-schooling getting harder?"
"No," Steven let out with a sigh and put both hands over his eyes. "I've been helping dad with a new album cover, but it's not looking exactly how I see it in my head."
The purple gem picked up the piece of paper inspecting it thoroughly. After a moment she turned the paper left, and then right, trying to get a different perspective. "What's it supposed to be? It looks… weird."
Steven quickly sat up, snatched the paper back and held it over his head, displaying it pridefully. "It's a chimera! Part lion, part snake, and part goat."
A scoff from the doorway quickly drew the pair's attention. The other two gems had just returned home, and Pearl was quick to weigh in on the conversations. "It's a mythological creature composed of the combination of two or more sets of DNA."
"Well," Steven pondered out loud. "I'm half human and half Crystal Gem, does that make me a mythological chimera?"
"More like a rarity," Pearl responded sweetly.
She wore the same expression of longing that often crossed her face when thinking about the loss of his mother Rose Quartz. Growing up, the thought often crossed his mind that the gems resented him for ultimately taking the physical form from his mother. Would he ever live up to the legend that his mother used to be? After all, she was able successfully ward off the Gem Homeworld invasion over 5000 years ago. He couldn't imagine leading an army against a legion of battle hungry gems.
He decided to change the subject.
"Are there any myths in the gem culture?" Steven asked curiously. "Or any great legends?"
"Aren't you a little old for stories, Steven?" Pearl sat down on the couch and crossed her legs. "After all, you're what is considered a human high schooler now."
"Oh come on!" Steven threw the potential album cover down on the table and stood up. "You all are practically legends yourself to humans! You have to have some sort story that you all used to think was super cool when you were younger!"
"Oh! Oh!" Amethyst raised her hand in excitement. "What about that rumor after the Demon War a few centuries ago?"
Pearl rolled her eyes. "It was exactly that. A rumor. Besides, we don't involve ourselves in the wars of the Earth inhabitants. We are here to protect this planet from the attacks of other planets. Mainly the Homeworld Gems."
"Demon War?" Steven echoed Amethyst's words excitedly. "That sounds kind of interesting."
"We don't know too much about it, honestly," Pearl admitted. "Demons ran rampant throughout the Eastern countries even devouring some humans. But there was a legend that a jewel was created out of demons and a single human. It was referred to as the Jewel of Four Souls, or the Shikon Jewel, and it could grant a wish as well as unspeakable power to its owner. Many demons and humans fought for the power until it disappeared one day."
"I don't remember that being in any of the history textbooks you gave me in the past." Steven pouted and folded his arms.
Pearl pinched the bridge of his nose in frustration. "Because it was just a fictional story."
"But what about the other part!" Amethyst slammed her hands down on the table, scattering Steven's markers in the process. "About the human girl!"
Steven's excitement was rapidly growing as he looked at Pearl expectantly, awaiting the rest of the story. The older gem let out a sigh. "The last thing that was ever heard about the Shikon was that it completely disappeared. But rumor had it that a human girl embodying purity became the sole protector of the jewel. She and the gem merged together to form a new, unique Gem."
Stars formed in the youngest Gem's eyes. A human was able to transform into a Gem? That would be amazing! That would sort of make her a halfling too, right? Perhaps they could find this girl and ask how she did it!
"It was just a legend, Steven," Pearl stated pulling him out of his thoughts, the stars of excitement quickly disappearing from his eyes.. "I wouldn't look into it too much."
"You're wrong." Garnet monotonously corrected. "The Shikon Gem is very real."
Their conversation was interrupted by the sudden activation of the warp pad just outside the sitting room. The Crystal Gems quickly jumped into action, not sure what to expect, drawing their weapons and standing on guard. They had yet to hear from Peridot since the destruction of her ship that looked like a giant green hand. Malachite had also yet to be heard from as well. Lapis must have dragged Jasper and herself out to the deepest parts of the ocean in one last feeble attempt to protect the planet.
To their surprise, a small boy popped out instead of an evil gem. Bright auburn hair was pulled back into a small ponytail, adorned with a light blue bow. The strange thing was, the boy looked like he had paws instead of feet, and a big bushy tail followed behind him. Distressed green eyes scanned the room anxiously.
"Where's Rose?!" He suddenly cried out, looking between the members of the group before him.
Pearl let out a growl and pointed her staff at the small creature. "We don't owe you any explanations! Who are you?"
"More like what are you," Amethyst trailed staring at the boy. Tears threatened to fall from his eyes, but with tightened fists he held back on sobbing. He turned his head away, stubbornly refusing to answer their questions.
"Shippou."
The group was shocked when Garnet stepped forward calling out what they could only assume to be the boys name. "Garnet!" The boy started with a sob before scurrying up to the tall gem. She quickly hoisted him up as though she were carrying a child. "They came and took Kagome!"
"Who is Kagome?" Steven and Pearl asked out loud.
But they were ignored as Garnet asked softly, "Who is 'they'? Who took Kagome?"
"The Great Diamond Authority." The gems instantly stiffened at Shippou's answer and glanced uneasily at one another. "Yellow Diamond has been sending others to look for her for years. We eluded them up until now, but… they found us."
Pearl let out a frustrated exclamation. "Who is Kagome?!" The intelligent Crystal Gem never did like being kept in the dark about anything, often times priding herself on the knowledge she held.
"She is the legendary Shikon Gem." Garnet quickly supplied. "Supposedly the Diamond Triumvirate started looking for her over 500 years ago when she was created. Rose intercepted one of their transmissions and sent me to try and find her on Earth, her home planet. I found her along with her son, Shippou, in Japan along with other demons that she fought along side."
"But I thought she was involved in a war against demons," Amethyst pointed out, recalling the legend that they had just been told.
"It was against the bad demons," Shippou quipped. "Kagome loves everyone no matter what species they are as long as they have a good heart."
Steven glanced at the small creature's paw like feet sticking out the large pants he wore. His eyes quickly moved to the pointed ears sticking out of his auburn hair. "Shippou, are you a demon?"
Shippou flashed him a fanged grin. "I'm a fox demon. Kagome adopted me when I was little after my parents were murdered."
"Murdered?" Steven squeaked out in surprise. He thought about not having his dad in his life at all. It was bad enough he hadn't gotten to meet his mom before. That would have meant no jam sessions. No car wash. No Mr. Universe at all. Sure the gems were just as much a family to him, but they frequently kept him in the dark to 'protect' him. He could always rely on his dad to have his back. Greg had usually been open and honest with him, even when he didn't want to be.
"Now that I answered your questions. I'm still waiting on an answer to mine. Where's Rose?" Shippou reiterated his query, eyes scanning the gems before him.
"She's gone." Steven briefly stated.
"Steven!" Pearl's distraught voice only caused him to turn away from her.
"Mom gave up her life so that I could live," he wanted to cry, Steven felt so emotional. Like the Crying Breakfast Friends that he used to watch on TV all the time. "I even have her gem now," he continued, lifting up his shirt to show off the pink gem on his stomach.
Silence consumed the room. No one knew just what to say. Steven hadn't been wrong in his choice of words, but they came across a bit more abrupt than he would care to admit. The sadness and awkwardness was clearly displayed on the other Crystal Gems' faces.
"I'm sorry for your loss," Shippou bowed his head apologetically to the team and hopped to the ground from Garnet's arms. "Well, I came seeking Rose's help, but since she is unavailable, I will continue my rescue attempt on my own."
"Wait!" Steven approached the fox demon. "We can help you. If Rose Quartz promised you help, then Rose Quartz will help!" He pointed at his gem with a grin. "But," he started while turning back to his fellow Gems. "I think it's time we all started being a bit more honest with each other. All of us. I want to know all about the Diamond Authority, that way maybe we can figure out what they may want with Kagome."
Steven motioned for them to all sit down around the table in the living room. While he and Shippou sat on the floor comfortable, Garnet, Amethyst and Pearl all hesitantly sat on the couch. They glanced warily at one another before Pearl started to speak:
"The Diamond Authority represent the three strongest characteristics that make up an individual. Yellow Diamond represents intellectual strength, White Diamond represents physical dominant strength, and Blue Diamond represents the strength of soul."
Steven listened intently to Pearl's explanation of the Diamond Triumvirate. Their representations made sense. Back when they intercepted the Wailing Stone and Lapis warned that the technology on Homeworld was so advanced that she couldn't even understand it, and that Peridot and Jasper worked for Yellow Diamond (as shown by the yellow diamond symbols on their outfits) supported the idea of their strength of mind. Lapis herself had a Blue Diamond on her outfit, and even she could act as a representation of the soul. The ocean is fluid and ever changing, yet strong like a soul. Finally there was the fact that she was able to subdue Jasper when they fused as Malachite. Strength of soul over strength of mind.
But then there was White Diamond. Had they even met any other gems affiliated with the authoritative gem?
"I always thought that Rose was actually a diamond too, but chose not to live like a diamond," Shippou mumbled laying back on the ground.
"Hey!" Steven interjected, looking at Pearl. "Didn't your space suit when we tried to build a spaceship have a pink diamond on it?"
Pearl blushed in embarrassment and crossed her arms. "I don't know what you're talking about."
"It's true." Garnet bluntly said. Pearl looked at her in distress and Amethyst stared in disbelief at the taller gem as she continued. "Your mother was the rarest and strongest gem of them all. She was born Pink Diamond. But she did not follow in the footsteps of her fellow Diamonds. Your mother represented strength of heart. She stood for love and compassion. She cared for all the creatures of the universe, and quickly fell in love with all the beings of Earth. She renounced her Diamond heritage and became Rose Quartz. Together our five gems work together to form a star, which is why we adopted the star to represent our loyalty."
Pearl sighed and continued to speak alongside Garnet. "But your mother didn't like the idea of hierarchy. She believed in all of us working together to form a whole unit. After all, you can't form a star without five points. Our love and compassion for each other and the planet helped us dominate in the end of the Gem War. Even when the Diamond Triumvirate fused together to form Herkimer Diamond," Pearl's Gem lit up instantly, projecting a gruesome fusion with four arms and large hair, a giant triangle on its chest. It had a menacing smile that chilled Steven down to his very core. She quickly made the projection disappear. "Rose was able to outlast the three of them together. After the war, we only ever heard rumors in regards to Yellow Diamond ruling over Homeworld."
The images on the ceiling of the temple from the Strawberry Field flashed in his mind. His first serious mission. The murals all made sense now. His eyes widened in sudden realization and he quickly stood up slamming his hands on the table. "Were the gems recovered from the obelisk at Strawberry Fields and the lighthouse actually Blue and White Diamond?"
They remained silent, unwilling to look at Steven as he slowly pieced everything together on his own and confirming his inquiries. All these years he had been kept in the dark. Finally it all made sense. Mom had managed to capture Blue and White Diamond, while Yellow Diamond escaped and went back to Homeworld where it was ruled as a dictatorship.
"So…." Amethyst broke the silence that hung heavily in the room. "What we don't know is what this Kagome person has to do with all of this."
"Amethyst makes a good point. What would Yellow Diamond want with the Shikon Gem?" Pearl pondered out loud. "What sort of power does this hybrid possesses?"
Shippou sat back up and crossed his arms. "Kagome didn't ask to be turned into a Gem. The Shikon chose an immortal life for her as its eternal protector."
"That sounds… interesting…" Pearl responded with raised brow. "So Yellow Diamond wants the power of the jewel perhaps?"
"Kagome and the Shikon are unified now. They are one and the same entity. She is the embodiment of purity and life. Much like Steven and Rose's abilities, she contains the power of healing and protection." Garnet provided.
Steven let out a delighted gasp, stars in his eyes. "Twinsies." He whispered enthusiastically, wishing he could meet the new Gem.
"But very few people know that the Shikon consists of souls forever waged in battle. While there is purity and light in the jewel, there is also tainted portion, corrupted in malice. It's an eternal struggle in the jewel, and Kagome's pure heart keeps it at bay." Shippou explained. For someone who looked like a child, he acted like an adult with centuries of wisdom. Steven secretly wondered how old the fox demon actually was.
"Does that mean she has a cool destructive power too?" Amethyst excitedly asked.
Shippou nodded. "She can purify and destroy a Gem."
"You mean just until the gem can regenerate again, right?" Pearl questioned with a nervous laugh, hoping that she had misunderstood what was just said.
Shippou shook his head. "She completely disintegrates a Gem out of existence. She can also purify demons too. She's more than just a powerful Gem, she's a powerful priestess too."
Only Garnet seemed unaffected by the smaller demon's words. Steven shuttered at the thought of dissolving into ash at the mere touch of someone. That's a dangerous power to have. But if demons are affected too, Steven couldn't help but wonder how the kid didn't constantly fear for his life.
"What I want to know," Pearl started, crossing her arms and glaring at Garnet. "Is how you know so much about this girl. Rose told me everything and I don't remember hearing anything about a created Gem that could destroy others."
"She thought you would over analyze the situation and worry too much," Garnet responded with a small smirk. "Rose wanted to investigate the rumors that had made their way to Beach City, but was pleasantly surprised by Kagome. She genuinely loves everyone and doesn't harm anything unless provoked otherwise. Rose made her an honorary Crystal Gem and told her that if she ever needed help to just contact us."
Steven's face lit up. "Then we have to help her! She's part of the team! We can't let Yellow Diamond force Kagome to do anything!"
Suddenly the warp pad lit up from activation. Once again, all the Gems including Steven and Shippou immediately hopped to their feet. Was there a chance that he had been followed? Maybe Yellow Diamond was going to force fuse with Kagome and destroy the Crystal Gems. Every worst case scenario that Steven could think of instantly flashed through his mind.
When the stream of light dimmed, it revealed a teenaged girl standing all alone in the center of the pad. She was thin, with big blue eyes. It could have been the effect of the warp pad, but it looked like her long hair shimmered back and forth between blue and black. She wore what looked like a short red dress, reminiscent of a kimono. It was torn and tattered, smudged with dirt and blood.
"Momma!" Shippou cried out and ran towards the mysterious woman. She instantly scooped him into her arms, hugging him tightly and nuzzling his hair.
"I thought you might have run off to see the Crystal Gems," she said looking thankfully at all of them armed and ready to pounce. "Thank you for your kind words," she flashed a bright smile directed toward Steven. "I caught the tail end of your conversation."
"She's the Shikon Gem?" Pearl asked incredulously. "She looks like a teenager!"
"Technically I was a teenager when I became a Gem. Time sort of froze for me what with the whole immortal protector of the jewel and all," Kagome said with a shrug.
Garnet beckoned for their new arrival to come into the living room. "It's good to see you again."
"It's good to see you too. Happy to see my two favorite little Gems are doing well," she kindly remarked while making her way further into the home. She suddenly stopped in front of Steven and smiled at him. "And you must be Rose's son. You have your mother's heart."
"Well, she wouldn't want anyone that lives on Earth to be harmed. And you live on Earth…" he trailed.
"But how did you escape from Yellow Diamond?" Pearl always wanted to know the answers to everything. Kagome would be no exception.
"Honestly?" She let out an exasperated sigh, moving Shippou to rest comfortably on her shoulder. "I was able to singe Yellow Diamond with a bit of my purification powers and use the rest of my energy to stop time for a few seconds. I managed to escape her grasp in that short time frame and slip away."
"You can stop time!?" Amethyst cried out excitedly. The purple Gem looked around the room hoping the other Gems shared in her exhilaration to this news.
"Just for about ten seconds," Kagome corrected. "It takes a lot of my energy, so it's a rarity for me to actually do it. But in a skirmish, everything can change in mere seconds."
"Whoa," Steven muttered starry eyed. "Kagome's so cool!" If she could get away from Yellow Diamond, she could do anything. Like stop time! Literally!
The priestess rolled her eyes at the child-like antics of the shortest Gems. "It's not really that cool," she muttered slightly embarrassed. "Truthfully it's more trouble than it's worth. People are always after me."
"Well, we can help protect you!" Steven declared. "It's better to fight as a team rather than alone. We can all protect the planet while protecting one another!"
Kagome's expression softened along with those of the other Gems that had taken the time to raise him throughout the years. It seemed like there would always be some sort of impending doom to deal with in the foreseeable future, so why not do it united? Made the most sense to him. Surely that's what his mother would have wanted… and she had been successful in saving Earth before. Maybe he could help with the next victory.
"Spoken like a true king."
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AN: Sorry if you hated it. Just something that came to mind and I just had to do. After all, Kagome could be a Crystal Gem. Imagine the sweet fusions she could make.
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