Blue lotuses, vivid upon lilypads, floated upon calm water reflecting a lush backdrop—a grassy expanse, a clear sky and a glint of blue—

. . .Connie?. . .

The voice is disembodied and distant, carried on the breeze that ripples the grass.

Connie?. . .

The view is constant, locked like a video camera during a scene in a movie.

"Connie!"

Connie woke with a start. She had fallen asleep on the couch in her dad's apartment. It was dark outside.

She became aware of the movie onscreen and sat up, feeling rather. . . damp.

"You okay, honey?" Doug asked, settling a hand on her shoulder. "You fell asleep during the movie. I was going to let you get some rest. . . but then you started sweating. Are you okay? Were you having a nightmare?"

Connie paused, grimacing. "No, I'm fine. . . ugh, I don't know why I'm sweating so much. . . ew." She yawned, and Doug checked his watch.

"Oh, gosh, look at the time! Let's get you home."

Connie smiled tiredly. "You know I like staying with you, Dad."

Doug's eyes were tender as he patted her head. "And I love having you. But the Gems will get worried if I keep you for too long. Besides, what if they need the most important Crystal Gem for an unexpected mission?"

Connie shook her head, but the smile remained. "Sure, Dad."

". . . Actually, you missed quite a lot! You want to try and guess the plot twist?"

"Was the investigator lighting the fires?"

He turned, eyes wide. "How on earth did you figure that out?"

Connie shrugged. "It's the oldest plot twist in the book. Not to mention the beginning was heavily stereotyped."

Doug looked incredulous, and she sighed. "Damsel in distress? Under-appreciated female colleague?"

Doug shook his head. "You'd make a fantastic sociologist."

Connie stepped up onto the stairs to the beach house and paused. "Dad. Before you go . . . can I ask you something?" She turned and gauged him cautiously.

"Of course, honey." He gave her a soft smile. "What's on your mind?"

"Did Mom ever talk to you about. . . Blue Diamond?"

Doug stared at her for a moment, before sighing. "Not really. There were some things she didn't like to talk about. I didn't press her on them."

"Why not?" Connie could feel herself growing a little desperate.

Doug shook his head and started up the stairs. "Holly and I talked about a lot of important things—the law system, social issues, things we were interested in," he said, wedging onto the step beside her. She sat down next to him. "Everyone makes mistakes some time in their lives. That doesn't mean we need to wallow in those mistakes. Sometimes. . . leaving trauma behind is the best thing to do."

Connie thought for a moment. That. . . was true. But since her mother was gone, that trauma was now hers. Or at least, some of it. The issues that came from it were now hers to handle.

"She was a private person that way. Even if it could have helped, I know she wouldn't have told me everything. And that's okay. What should matter is the person you become after that—whether you continue to hurt or help people, whether you grow from it. And. . . she recovered incredibly in the time I knew her. Sometimes what you need is just someone to listen and support you. And. . . I really hope I gave her that."

Connie gave a soft smile, feeling for the gem beneath her shirt. ". . . You're a great person, Dad. She was lucky to have you."

Doug flushed and rubbed the back of his neck. "Oh, well, I'm sure the Gems helped too."

Connie laughed and stood, leaning down to give him a peck on the cheek before ascending the stairs. "Goodnight, Dad."

"Goodnight, Connie."

Blue lotuses, vivid upon lilypads, floated upon calm water reflecting a lush backdrop—

I'm here again?

Connie craned her neck up to the clouds, and reacted with surprise when the view complied.

I guess that means I can look around. . .

Her eyes tracked up the branches of a tree overhead, and then scanned across the lorest.

What is this place?

A glint caught her eye—light refracting off a polished blue surface.

What's that?. . .

She followed the arc of the thing, which led back—up—to a huge, intricately patterned . . . thing. It was almost like a chamber . . . on legs?

Wow. . .

She was just taking notice of the environment around the structure, the masses of lotus flowers growing in the water, when—

Connie's eyes blinked open and, feeling sticky, she kicked the covers away. She didn't feel hot, yet her clothes stuck uncomfortably to her body.

She frowned. Again?

Connie cleared the coffee table with a swipe, sending papers flying. "Don't worry, I'll clean that up before Peridot gets back!"

She sat and gazed at Steven seriously. "Now, the book."

He handed it over and she set it with a thunk! on the table, turning the cover and searching the contents page. "So that dream I had? I swear I saw something about it in here—" It was remarkable that such an ancient piece of literature should be so well organised, but she supposed that was a testament to Buddwick's character. Connie picked up a handful of pages and flicked hurriedly through them, searching, until she stopped and slammed her hand down on an illustrated page, pointing. "There!"

He leaned over. "The. . . 'Palan-quinn'? Whoa—that's so cool! You saw that thing?"

"Actually, it's pronounced palan-keen," she corrected him. "And yes. I think it means something." Further back in the house, the warp pad chimed.

Connie brightened. "They're back! They've got to know something about this thing!" She grabbed the tome and rushed over with Steven on her heels.

When the light from the pad cleared, Lapis opened an eye. "Hey."

"Hi guys, do you happen to know anything about this thing?" Connie motormouthed, and held open the book.

"Oh!" Peridot gladly stepped forward, calling on her touch-stumps to present a data panel. Onscreen was a palanquin diagram, a humanoid figure and a size key along the side. "That's a Gem palanquin! Humans have actually adapted this design over the years—primarily in India and the surrounding southern Asia, but those are typically carried by people or large mammals. This, on the other hand—" The projection zoomed in on the contraption— "Is completely mechanical! Gem palanquins are usually powered by separated and neutralised nebula gases."

"Ooooh!" Connie's eyes sparkled. "What are they used for?"

"Typically to parade important and uptight Gems. The Diamonds have the biggest ones."

Behind her, Lapis stiffened.

"Diamonds?" Connie asked. "I had a dream where I saw this palanquin, and Steven and I were wondering maybe if we could go there, we—"

"Connie," Lapis interrupted nervously. "Uh. . . I wouldn't. . . do that."

The other Gems turned to her questioningly, and she faltered. "I mean. . . it could be dangerous, right? Homeworld Gems, all that stuff. . . right, Peridot?" She turned to the green Gem for support.

Connie frowned. Lapis rarely called her by her full name. That usually meant that they were fighting—or that Lapis was on edge.

Peridot thought for a moment, and then nodded seriously. "Yes. If such a valuable piece of equipment was left behind during the War, Homeworld sentries could return to bring it back. Especially if. . ."

She glanced at Jasper. Jasper nodded.

". . . Especially if it belonged to Blue Diamond," Peridot finished cautiously.

Connie brightened. "Hey, it was blue in my dream."

The Gems looked confused, shooting each other darting glances. Eventually they settled on Peridot, who raised her limb enhancers in defense. "How am I supposed to know what a human-Gem hybrid dreams about?"

Connie sighed and lowered the book. "Point is, I've dreamed about this thing—this place—twice now, and each time I've woken up sweating. I feel like there's something important about it."

The Gems were silent for a moment. Lapis shifted uncomfortably. Jasper seemed to pick up on the motion and stepped forward decisively. "We're not taking you there, Connie."

"What?" she burst out, flinging her arms wide. "Why not?!"

"It could be dangerous," Jasper insisted. "And besides, Holly Blue never wanted for you to see that place."

"Holly Blue wanted. . ." she growled, voice rising to a shout. "What about what I want?! I'm this close to figuring something important out and now you're keeping me from it? Holly Blue is my Mom! Out of anyone, don't I deserve to know the truth?"

"Connie, let's calm down," Lapis interjected nervously. "Why don't we just—"

"No! I need you to take me there! Something important could be happening and I deserve to know what!"

"Uh— I'm sorry," Steven said, rubbing his neck. "I probably shouldn't have brought the book."

"Yes, you should have! It's lucky something has some information that I don't have to get out of them!"

All three Gems recoiled, shocked.

When Connie spoke next, her voice was calm but determined. "Steven, I need to borrow this book."

He hesitated before replying. "Okay, but just be careful. . . we gotta return it to the library in a week, remember?"

"Thank you," she said, walking past him.

"Wait, Connie, where are you—"

A hand on his back stopped him, and he looked up at a stern Jasper, eyes fixed on Connie as she slipped out through the door. Lapis bustled past them, wings at the ready.

Sat in the middle of the staircase, Connie gazed intently at the image. The creak of the door made her look up.

"Connie—don't go. Just. . . stay here, with us."

She sighed and craned back to look up at the Gem. "Lapis. . . I just want to know what's happening with me, for once in my life. Aren't I allowed to know about myself? About my mother?" She let her eyes fall. "Even if she was a war criminal?"

"We just. . . if she sees you, you could—"

Connie stood abruptly. "Who? If who sees me? What did you see?"

Lapis faltered, looking embarrassed. ". . .Please don't go."

Connie turned away. "I will."

And she padded down the stairs, mounting her bike at the bottom and riding off across the sand.

Lapis paused for a moment. Throwing a quick glance over her shoulder, she lifted herself into the air, and flapped up into the clouds.

Doug was at his desk, filing away shift reports, when a knocking at the door disturbed him.

Standing and stretching, he strode out into the entryway and opened the door to Connie, clutching a thick, leather-bound book. "Dad, I need your help!"

His eyes lit up. "Yes? With what?"

"Well. . . there's this place I saw in a dream, and it's real! But the Gems won't take me there." She pointed at the map displayed on a stained page. "I think it has something to do with Blue Diamond."

Doug lifted an eyebrow. "Blue Diamond?"

"Yes! And. . . And I know that that's probably something Mom wouldn't tell you about. But it's important to me."

Doug gave her a soft smile and knelt beside her, resting a hand on her shoulder. "And that's important. Thank you for coming to me."

He pressed a kiss atop her head and then, with an excited glint in his eye, he sprang up. "Now, just let me go get my jacket and my badge!"

With a smidgen of money to spare on leisure (overflow resulting from Doug's recent promotion), father and magical hybrid daughter caught a luxurious first-class flight to Asia. With a few hours to go on the flight, Connie had found herself gazing again at the illustration in the book.

"Don't overwork yourself, honey," Doug had whispered. "We can have some fun on this trip, too."

"We don't have time for fun!" She'd whispered back. "This is an important mission with high stakes!"

Doug made a noncommittal noise. "Theravada Buddhism is the main religion in Thailand, you know. There are hundreds of beautiful old temples. . . we could visit practicing monks. . ."

Connie paused.

"And, of course, there's nothing like traditional Pad Thai made by experienced hands."

Connie's stomach grumbled. She shifted a little in her pillowed seat. "Well, I guess we have time for a little fun," she had conceded.

Unsurprisingly, as it turned out, Thailand was incredible. Expansive plateaus, lush rainforests and bustling Bangkok; and, dotted through the countryside, humble little villages, inhabited with haggling traders and playing children.

In the city they went shopping and tried the local food, and in the Pathum Thani province they visited the Wat Phra Dhammakaya temple. After attending a dozen Theravada lectures and bunking for four nights in elegant hotels, they finally caught a bus to the Phra Sì temple complex.

Connie stepped hurriedly off the bus and gazed up at the prestigious temple. Four golden, bell-shaped towers loomed over the main structure, adorned with thousands of Thai verses and intricate carvings. Humanoid figures posed as columns beneath a once-painted roof, and when the afternoon light caught the huge double doors, four large, carved diamonds gleamed back at her.

"This has to be it," she breathed.

"This is it," said Doug behind her, examining the map. "The 'Four Monks' temple."

"I can feel something," she gasped, and ran forward, throwing open the doors and disappearing inside.

"Connie!" Doug cried, horrified, and hurried after her. "You can't go defacing ancient Buddhist temples!"

"This isn't a Buddhist temple," she puffed, skirting shrines and darting down a long passageway.

Eventually they came to the end of the complex and broke out into the warm summer air. . . to find themselves in a beautifully tended garden. When Doug reached his daughter, panting for breath, he set a hand on her shoulder—only to immediately yank it away.

His hand came away clammy with sweat, and he spun her around to find dark locks of hair plastered to her face. "Connie—are you okay?"

She pulled away, determined. "I feel fine. Let's keep going."

"But—" he pressed a hand to her forehead— "You're burning up!"

"Dad." She removed his hand and stared pointedly across the garden. It was bordered by a tall green hedge, offering escape through a pruned hole and inset gate. "This means that we must be getting closer. Come on! We're almost there!"

Hesitantly, Doug trailed behind her until they reached the gate. Up this close, Connie could see that yellow police tape had been tied across the gate—fastened in a familiar pom-pom bow.

"Peridot," she whispered, and ripped it away, stepping through the arch and into a serene forest. Tentative footsteps rustled the grass behind her as Doug padded through.

Out of the corner of her eye, she caught a sharp glint of light. Gasping, she turned, and pelted off again.

With a groan, Doug followed after her, almost smacking into her when she came to a stop.

"Dad," she breathed, "Look."

They found themselves in front of a huge, polished pink structure hung with curtains. It sat on what looked like angled legs and inside sat a grand carved throne.

"This is it! But. . . this one's different." Connie gazed up in confusion at the pristine palanquin. "In my dream it was. . . decrepit and blue! This one's in perfect condition!"

Just then, a furious scream echoed through the forest, and the ground shook. Connie froze.

"Okay, Connie," Doug said cautiously. "I think we should leave now."

"BLUE!"

A high, strained voice echoed back to them from somewhere close. When Connie turned she could just make out a tall, pink figure through the spiked leaves of an obstructing plant. She edged over and peered through.

The pink figure stood in front of an even larger blue palanquin, this one broken down and half-sunken into the water of a previously hidden lagoon. The calm water was dotted with lilypads, blooming with striking blue lotuses.

The pink figure, curly hair bouncing, advanced on the palanquin, dealing it a vicious punch. Cracks ran up the structure and Connie winced. What a brat.

"This is my colony," the supposed Gem seethed, trembling with anger, and turned to the water, picking up a stone and pelting it into the lake. "You just had to take it from me. Like you took everything! My planet, my organics, my Court—you couldn't be happy, could you?"

Suddenly, Connie's knees buckled beneath her.

"Connie!" Doug whispered in distress, catching her. "What's wrong?"

She lifted her hand to find she was shaking. "I. . ." Her hand was wet. Her shirt stuck to her body with moisture.

When she next lifted her eyes, she found that the tall pink Gem was now sitting calmly on the banks, furious tears streaming down her face. "You and Yellow took it all," she whispered. "And now I've got even less than before."

"Pink, I think someone's here." A high voice, unnervingly close, and Connie and her father jumped.

The Gem on the banks—'Pink'?—hurriedly swiped an arm across her face. "Wh— Pearl? What did you say?"

"I think someone's here," the Pearl repeated, even closer now. "I heard voices."

"You stay here," Doug whispered, and set his daughter gently on the ground, drawing a shaky breath and stepping boldly out into the open. A surprised gasp came from the other side of the plant.

"It is my duty as an officer of the law to ask what you are doing in an unauthorised area," came Doug's voice.

Connie facepalmed.

The pink Gem abruptly turned, eyes wide. "Pearl?"

Connie could see the Pearl now—her pink hair was drawn away from her face in two tight, curling buns, and she wore what appeared to be some form of leotard with a transparent drape hanging down to her ankles. Her feet were enclosed in what looked like pink ballet slippers.

The Pearl beamed excitedly, pointing at Doug. "My Diamond, it's a human!"

Slowly, 'Pink' stood, padding cautiously over and stopping a few feet away from him. After examining him for a moment, she too broke out into an infectious smile and held out a gloved hand.

Unsure what to do, Doug stepped forward and took it, planting a quick kiss on the back of her hand. The Diamond laughed, surprised. "Oh, how amazing! I didn't know you humans still lived here!"

She stepped away, and Doug followed hypnotically. Connie bit her lip, but kept silent.

"Uh, yeah," her father replied eloquently. "We're. . . we humans are sort of everywhere."

"So, how do you find life here?" Pink asked, oddly conversational. "Isn't it just. . . beautiful here?"

Doug nodded, and she continued. "It used to be mine—all of this." She swung an arm around at the lagoon, the forest. Her face darkened. "I wanted to keep it like this. Keep the organics. Keep the humans. But. . . Blue took it from me, and left. And then. . ." she trailed off, eyes distant.

Doug was silent for a moment. ". . .Were you two close?"

Pink looked wistful. "I. . . I don't know. We could have been." She stepped away and again sat on the banks. Doug joined her, trailing loafered toes in the water.

"I'm sorry. That's hard," her father said sympathetically. "I lost someone. . . very important to me, too."

Pink looked surprised. "You did?"

"Yeah. . . she was the love of my life." Connie felt a guilty pang in her chest. "But she gave up her life to have our child. That was twelve years ago. But I still miss her."

Unexpectedly, Pink laughed. "Twelve years? That isn't very long."

Doug looked resigned. "Maybe not to you. But to a human, twelve years can be a very long time." Pink fell silent, eyes on the water. "And she's not coming back, ever. Loss like that can be. . . traumatic. Especially when that person meant so much to you."

Pink clenched her fists, beginning to tremble. "Yeah, well, what if they didn't? What if you wanted them gone?"

Another wrack of violent shaking came over Connie, and she gasped, dripping sweat. Pink seemed to calm a little, and spoke again, quieter this time. "What if they hurt you?"

Doug thought about this for a moment, pulling his feet out of the water. "That's hard. Sometimes the expectations of others make you want to feel a certain way about loss, even if it isn't genuine."

"This planet is the last piece of happiness I have left," Pink murmured. "And soon, it'll be gone too."

Doug straightened, alarmed. "What? What do you mean?"

"Yellow planted a Gem-bomb. . . a 'geo-weapon', in the Earth's core. She says it'll only be a few years now until it ruptures." Decisively, she stood, taking Doug's hand and pulling him up. "But I can save you. You don't deserve that."

Doug recoiled, shooting her an anxious smile. "Ah, that's. . . really nice of you. But I think I'm fine here."

Pink smiled pityingly down at him. "I know it's hard to leave this place. But I promise, you'll be safe and happy in the Zoo." She turned to the Pearl and motioned beyond Connie's hiding spot to the pink palanquin. "Pearl, let's go."

The Diamond waved her hand and Connie's father was enveloped in a huge pink bubble. She tried to cry out, but though the trembling fit was subsiding, it had left her weak. She scrambled aside as Pink Diamond and her Pearl strode past, her bubbled father in tow. Inside the bubble, Doug banged against the walls and shouted, but Connie couldn't hear a sound.

Pink Diamond took a wide-legged stance, staring pointedly beyond the trees, and a leviathan pink set of legs rose from somewhere in the forest, balancing on mechanical heels. That thing's huge, Connie thought, shrinking away from it. Like the Empire State Building.

The Diamond sashayed toward her pink palanquin, the huge legs thundering forward as she moved, and ducked inside with her Pearl—and Doug, still fighting—before it shut them in with folding metal panels and rose into the air, angled legs folding beneath it, and shot off toward the legs, disappearing into them via an entry panel somewhere on top.

Connie struggled to her feet, straining and dashing toward the mechanical legs—the ship? the leg ship?—gem flickering as she utilised her enhanced speed. She could begin to see the pink metal through the trees as she grew closer, closer, until suddenly they moved, walking toward her and then breaking into a sprint, crushing trees beneath deadly heels. Connie veered off track, diving and narrowly missing being squashed. She pushed herself up and turned—just in time to see the ship take a comical hop and launch, shooting off into the sky. Mustering the last of her energy, Connie threw out a hand and summoned a comet-sized blue orb, ready to shoot—

The ship flew towards it and crashed right through it, splintering the ball into shards of bright, useless light.

In a couple of seconds, the ship was gone. All Connie could see was the clear blue sky, stretching far, far away, to the reaches of space.

Connie let herself slump, helpless, tears burning. "Dad. . ."

There was a sloshing sound, and then a thump. She couldn't be bothered to fight any more, and resigned herself to her fate.

"Connie! I'm— I'm so sorry!"

She opened her eyes with a start. ". . . Lapis?!"

Lapis sunk to her knees before her, holding her arms out. Connie pushed herself up and scrambled into them, sobbing.

"I'm so, so sorry," the Gem continued, voice strained. "I. . . I was on patrol here earlier. I saw Pink Diamond, and. . . and then you wanted to come here. . . it was too dangerous. She's too dangerous. They're too dangerous! I'm so sorry, Connie. . . please forgive me."

The girl took a deep, steadying breath, and wiped her eyes. "No, I'm. . . I'm sorry, Lapis. I should have listened to you. If I'd just stayed home like you said, none of this would have happened."

Gentle fingers stroked her hair. "But, hey. . . at least you got your answers."

A little roughly, Connie pushed her back and stood up. "Those answers cost me my Dad."

Lapis' face hardened. "They don't have to. Let's go tell the Gems."

She stood up, spreading fluid wings, and held out a hand. "We'll do whatever it takes. We'll get him back."

Connie stared at her for a long moment.

She took her hand.

DISCLAIMERS:

In Makalawa's AU, Blue and Pink Diamond switch roles in the Diamond Authority. I changed this because I love Pink too much and I'm a gremlin.

Also, I completely abandoned my usual thorough 110% research. This was more like 70%. Pls don't come me for being culturally inaccurate—

And I'm heavy on my flower symbolism. You go Google that shit.