Jarek walked to Steven, as he was talking to Greg.
Steven noticed him.
"Oh Jarek! Do you know what this is?" He asked, showing him the picture of the palanquin from the journal.
Jarek held the journal in his hands and examined the illustration.
"It's Pink Diamond's broken palanquin. Why?" Jarek asked.
"The gems won't tell me about Pink Diamond or what this is about and then Garnet said she can't be near 'her' and she doesn't mean Pink Diamond?" Steven said.
"She's afraid. Where did you even find this?" Jarek asked, concerned.
"I gave it to him." Connie said, who was there as well.
"Did you steal this?" Jarek asked.
"No no, I just checked it from the library!" Connie said.
"Hm, well I know where this would be. It says here 'location : Korea,' so we go there." Jarek said. "We can't take my freighter, people will notice and wonder where it came from.. and we definitely can't stand out. " Jarek added.
"I know a guy that can take us there!" Greg suggested.
"I know you don't want to get involved with mom's past, but-" Steven started.
"Don't worry, son. If you want to know the truth, then I'm all for it. You deserve to know this." Greg said.
"Yup. So who's this friend?" Jarek asked.
(Barn)
Andy DiMeo was setting up his plane.
"Hey Andy!" Greg called out.
"Yo, hey Greg, Steven. (Referring to Jarek) Who's that?" Andy DiMeo said, greeting them.
"This is Jarek. He's my friend." Steven said.
"Hello there." Jarek greeted Andy.
Andy shook his hand.
"Hey your hand feels like it's made a metal." Andy said.
Jarek took his right glove off, and showed his metallic right hand.
"Holy crap." Andy commented, his eyes widened.
"Anyway, can you take us to Korea? We really need to find out what this is." Steven said, showing him the palanquin picture.
"Sure, I just need to refuel my plane." Andy said.
"I have a plane too, but it only has a gunner as the second seat." Jarek said.
"Let's see it." Andy said.
"Alright." Jarek said, before walking a large open space.
"Uhh, where are you going?" She said.
Jarek then summoned his Geopelia, which was VERY large. About 3 times bigger than Andy's old style airplane.
"Holy cow, are you an alien?! (At Steven) Is he an alien too?!" Andy said, freaked out.
"He's a gem too, but he's like me. He's half human and half gem." Steven said.
"Ohh. So he's got a intergalactic space mom too?" Andy said.
"Close, but not quite." Jarek commented, walking to him.
"Wait.. you look kinda familiar." Andy said.
(FLASHBACK) - Andy
Andy was sitting on his sofa chair, holding a beer, watching his TV.
"And on other news, Ouroboros has struck Port Edwards in one swift attack. The fighter was identified to be this young man.
The picture I.D showed Jarek, but in black and white.
"Shoot." Andy said, shocked by the news.
(NOW)
"What? I was in a movie too, ya know." Jarek said.
"No no, not that. Aren't you the guy who blew up Port Edwards?" Andy asked.
Jarek gulped and answered normally.
"No, I wasn't aware that it was even gone. Is there someone who looks like me or something?" Jarek said.
"Yeah, now that I think of it, there is. He had a beard and his eyes were sorta baggy." Andy said.
Jarek nodded, agreeing.
"Sorry, pal. You just looked familiar." Andy said.
"Yeah, no worries. Anyway, my fighter is only has a gunner seat and I didn't know where Greg would sit." Jarek said.
"He can sit with me." Andy said.
"Alright. Steven, you wanna ride with Andy and your dad or ride my ship?" Jarek said.
"I'm good with Andy." Steven said.
"Me too." Greg said.
"Very well." Jarek said.
So Andy refueled his plane, while Jarek warmed up the Geopelia's engines.
(MID AIR) 10:43 A.M
The Geopelia, and Andy's plane were flying in the skies.
"So the Universes goin' to Korea?" Andy said.
"Thank you for the ride, Uncle Andy!" Steven said.
"Ah, it's no problem. Like they say, family helps family... find mysterious ancient artifacts." Andy said, weirded out by his own saying.
#BUZZ# x 2
"Nobody says that part. Just the first one." Jarek commented on the comms device on Steven's hand.
"Heh heh. Uncle Andy's kinda new to this." Steven said.
"You know, it's been a while since I rode this hunk of junk. I'm surprised I had any fuel left in it. I think Korea's gonna be great. I'm excited to see the Crossy Road they have there." Jarek said.
"Crossy Road? What's that, a game?" Andy said.
"Only the funniest game that involves a chicken crossing the road." Jarek responded.
"Hah! That joke is older than I am, eh Greg?" Andy said.
"Y-Yeah!" Greg said, nervous.
"Hey where;d you get that spaceship anyway?" Andy asked to the device.
"Dogfighting. Between the Red Star and one winged Delphinus." Jarek came up with.
"Oh, 'cause I gotta say, it looks like a spaceship." Andy said.
"This was the ultimate weapon against the Red Star, but then my friend turned the tide of the battle and defeated them. The Delphinus let him keep the ship, and then he gave it to me." Jarek continued.
"Huh, that was very nice of him. How fast is that thing?" Andy asked.
"VERY fast. Wanna see?" Jarek said.
"Yeah." Andy said.
Then suddenly the Geopelia sped forward, about 8 times faster than the plane.
"Whoa!" Steven said in amazement.
"Look at him go!" Andy said.
#BUZZ# x 2
"That's only half my speed. It goes way faster than that." Jarek said, slowing down his plane to match Andy's plane.
(KOREA) - 1:00 P.M
Jarek, Steven, and Greg were traversing through the city, taking a tour throughout the city.
"Oh look! A seoul food stand! Let's go eat!" Jarek said, running.
"Are you kidding?!" Greg said, excited and following.
"Oh boy!" Steven said.
...
After they were done chowing down, Jarek saw a gift shop.
"Oh look, chickens.. " Jarek said, seeing Crossy Road chicken plushies on the display glass.
"Uh Jarek?" Greg said, noticing his strange, childish behavior.
"It's been a while since I played Crossy Road, but I got back into it. We have to free those chickens!" Jarek said, pointing to the display case of chickens.
"You're like a kid! I don't believe it! Aww!" Steven awed, thinking it was cute.
"What?" Jarek said, confused.
"No, I've just never seen this side of you before." Steven said.
"Come on! Before time runs out!" Jarek said, running into the store.
Greg and Steven exchanged shrugs and entered too.
Steven and Greg browsed through the different items that were purchasable, while Jarek rounded up a cart of Crossy Road Chickens, and two tabby cats, and a Minecraft Skeleton with a heart on it.
"I'll take all these!" Jarek said to the cashier.
"Yo, you can't just buy all these at once. First, you gotta beat me in a Crossy Road challenge. Best 300 wins!" The Cashier said, holding up his phone.
"Long story short, Jarek won. The cashier had sticky fingers from eating his cinnamon rolls, and scored up to 54. Jarek made it to 305." Orange Diamond narrated.
"Dang it!" The cashier said.
"Since I won, I get a discount." Jarek declared.
"Here, just take these! Get outta my store! All three of you!" The cashier whined, blushing in embarrassment.
...
Jarek, Steven, and Greg came out of the store.
"Dude, you totally beat him on Crossy Road! That was amazing!" Steven said.
"One day, we're all considered badasses because of our 'talent', if you know what I mean. Mine in particular is gaming." Jarek said.
"You sure showed that guy who was boss." Greg said, unsure.
"Yes, and I freed the chickens! Here, I got this for you too." Jarek said, holding a golden necklace.
"Oh, I can't take that. It's yours." Greg politely refused.
"I insist, it's got a mushroom on it, which means 'Mario'. You the man." Jarek said.
"Gee thanks." Greg said.
"So anyway, now that we've freed the chickens, let's go shopping!" Jarek said, running ahead.
"He's like a kid.. I've never seen him like this before." Greg commented.
"Maybe he's just really excited to be here?" Steven said.
"Who knows?" Greg said.
(Bus Stop ; Restricted Fence) - 3:03 P.M
The bus then dropped off Jarek, Steven, and Greg.
"Chang you very much!" Jarek said to the bus driver.
"(Korean accent) You racist! [Speaks korean]" The bus driver said, driving away.
Jarek laughed at him.
"Jarek.. what's wrong with you?" Steven asked.
"What? I'm just kidding around." Jarek said, walking up the hill.
"It was kinda funny." Greg said to Steven.
They walked up the hill, to the fence that 'NO TRESSPASSING!' on it.
"Huh, trespass shmutpass." Jarek rhymed, then he shocked the fence and made it fall over, sizzling.
He walked on the fence, the fence now deactivated.
"Whoa, don't destroy property!" Greg said.
"The fence wasn't here before, and plus from what Steven told me, you used to break in through the crystal temple fence, where's your sense of adventure?" Jarek said.
"I guess you have a point there.. " Greg said.
They walked up the mountain ridge for a little while.
"You sure this is the place?" Greg asked.
"Yeah, it's hard to explain, but... I can feel it." Steven said.
Then Jarek felt something too.
"Oh no... she's here." Orange Diamond said.
"Who's here?" Jarek thought.
"Blue Diamond! Turn around and run! She's gonna sense us!" Orange Diamond panicked.
"No, we stand our ground. No more running off." Jarek thought.
"Huh, sure is pretty here. So does any of this look familiar to you? Steven?" Greg said before he saw tears in Steven's eyes again. "Whoa! You okay? It's happening again."
"I-I'm fine. Let's keep going." Steven said.
"Come on, let's take a break. I think this mountain is really messing me up." Greg said.
"Jarek, you have to tell him! He has to know!" Orange Diamond said.
"No.. I can't. Not yet." Jarek thought.
"No, dad. This can only mean we're getting closer. Come on!" Steven said, running ahead.
"That kid sure is determined. But he lacks precision!" Jarek said, following.
"Hey, wait up!" Greg said, following him.
They kept going, until they saw Blue Diamond's Palanquin.
"*GASP!*" Jarek inwardly gasped, stopping. His eyes were widened.
"Look! This is it, but... it's different? I-In my dream, it was all broken down, and pink! It's in perfect condition." Steven said.
"Maybe it got a paint job?" Greg asked.
"No, it's too perfect and elaborate to look like just paint." Jarek said, rubbing the wall of it. Then the door closed suddenly.
He froze, afraid that Blue Diamond had taken notice.
"Okay, that was a close call." Jarek commented to Steven, running to him.
"You really need to be more quiet." Orange Diamond whispered through Jarek's comms device.
"Why?" Steven whispered to it.
"(Barely hearable) Oh Pink... " Blue Diamond's voice was heard.
They looked over the bush to see Blue Diamond on her knees, mourning to Pink Diamond's Palanquin, which was badly damaged and broken with moss growing all over it.
"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry... " Blue Diamond said.
Steven and Greg looked at each other.
Jarek was hyperventilating.
"Jarek, what's wrong?" Steven whispered.
"I can't.. I have to get away, but it's Orange.. she's hyperventilating, making me hyperventilate." Jarek whispered.
"I should've done more. Yellow says it'll all be over soon. I wonder what you would think. This is your planet, after all. I still think it is." Blue Diamond continued.
"Steven, do you know her?!" Greg asked, concerned. He noticed Steven's tears increased. "Whoa, buddy!"
"My dreams.. I was seeing through her eyes! I've been crying her tears!" Steven said, realizing.
"What are you doing over there?" Blue Diamond asked.
Steven and Greg froze, thinking she had heard them.
Then Blue Pearl walked to their bush, not noticing them.
"I thought I heard someone. I think we're not alone." She said.
"Don't worry, I got this." Greg whispered to Steven, then he popped up from his hiding spot.
Blue Pearl gasped inwardly, seeing Greg.
"He-hey! Uh, nice day isn't it?... Whatcha starin' at?" Greg said, smiling nervously with his teeth.
Jarek shuddered silently, thinking his words were hilarious.
"Fucking Johnny.. " He whispered to Steven.
Then suddenly, his revenant cracks started showing through, but orange.
"Oh no... I must not fully be alive." Jarek whispered.
"Are you gonna be okay?" Steven whispered.
..
"My diamond, I found a native." Blue Pearl said to Blue Diamond.
"... Bring it here." Blue Diamond said.
Steven - "Dad, no!"
Blue Pearl guided Greg to Blue Diamond.
"How curious. I'm impressed by humanity's ability to survive in the wild. What a strange planet. Where else would a being as fragile as a human live, while a being as a powerful as a diamond, perish? This is where it happened. Where she was... broken." Blue Diamond continued.
".. Were you close?" Greg asked.
"Very." Blue Diamond answered.
"I-I'm awfully sorry. I know how hard it is to move on when you've lost someone." Greg said.
Blue Diamond looked at him with a shocked expression, a tear leaking from her right eye.
"You do?" She said.
The same tear appeared on Steven's right eye.
"I lost someone very important to me too, I miss her every single day, and I think about her all the time. But she's never coming back. That feeling can be so hard to be okay with." Greg said.
"I'm surprised that a human being is capable of understanding how I feel. It's a shame. There's a geo-weapon incubating in your planet that will destroy everything shortly. But you don't deserve that, do you?" Blue Diamond said, smiling slightly.
"Geo-weapon huh?" Blue Diamond said.
She leaned over to Greg, getting closer to him.
"You know, I really shouldn't be here. But I'm glad I came back one last time. I can save one last piece of her legacy." Blue Diamond said.
"Oh yeah?" Greg said.
Then she grabbed him with her right hand, making him squeak.
"DAD!" Steven whisper-yelled.
Jarek grabbed his shoulder and stopped him from leaving. He shook his head at him.
"But she's taking him!" Steven whispered.
"(Weakily) No... she'll take you too, and then Garnet will risk exposure." Jarek said.
She then lifted her left arm, which brought the Blue Palanquin and levitated it to her.
"Pearl, did you close the door?" Blue Diamond asked Blue Pearl.
"No, it must have closed by itself again." Blue Pearl said.
"Darn things." Blue Diamond said, opening it and then entering the room inside.
The door closed, and the Blue Palanquin flew up to the Blue Arm Ship that was hovering in the clouds.
"Go!" Jarek said, letting go of him.
"DAD!" Steven said, running to him.
The Blue Palanquin entered the hand.
"STOP!" Steven shouted, jumping up and flying to the hand.
Then he threw his spear, which latched on the Palanquin.
Steven grunted and yanked back, which instead pulled him up.
"Oh no.. he actually made it.. " Jarek said, regaining his strength.
"I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to do that to you! I'm so terribly sorry!" Orange Diamond said in his HUD.
"If Steven dies, I will hand you over." Jarek said, getting up.
"Jarek!" Garnet said, running to him.
"Steven insisted on following. It wasn't my fault." Jarek said.
"Where is Steven?!" Garnet asked, worried.
"Blue Diamond captured Greg and then Steven used Scorpion's spear and is riding her Palanquin." Jarek said. "We must pursue!"
"No, we go back, and we regroup." Garnet said.
"Roger that." Jarek replied.
To be continued...