Steven's day had already been, well. Messy, to say the least. The days following his transmission had been quiet. Very quiet. And then they started arriving. Small groups of gems from nearby systems. A squad of Rubies who had grown closer than they 'should'- giving everyone a panic attack before they realized they weren't those Rubies. Then an Iolite, who was very shaken and terrified of Pearl at first for some reason. The Famethysts sent Skinny and Red to join them and let them know the Zoo was defecting from Homeworld too now that they had kicked Holly out. And they just. Kept. Coming.

"Steven. We need to talk." He nearly jumped out of his skin, whipping around to face Garnet. Or her abdomen to be more exact. He looked up and felt himself go a little clammy. He didn't need to see her eyes. Her mouth was pressed thin, her jaw tensed slightly, and she had her hands folded together rubbing her gems subtly. Little things he had gotten accustomed to looking for. He was in trouble.

She set a hand on his shoulder, gently guiding him onto the porch. Behind them in the living room he could hear the Iolite opening up finally- apparently she used to be an interior designer. It sounded interesting but he didn't catch much beyond that as the doors slid shut behind them. He stepped up to the railing and rested his chin on it, looking out over the beach. It had becoming something of a rudimentary landing zone, since so many gems were arriving on ships- stolen or otherwise. Four ships now. They had crashed and wrecked the Hand ships for security reasons. Garnet's suggestion.

She stood next to him quietly for a long moment, knowing he was in thought. Then she spoke, her crisp voice hushed slightly so it wouldn't cary so far.

"Steven. You did a good thing, telling the universe the truth like that." She paused. "Even the truth we hadn't planned on telling them."

He gulped. It was a compliment but it didn't feel like one-

"But." There it is. "You should have talked to the rest of us about it first. Homeworld hasn't tried retaliating yet, which is good. But now that you've told gem kind to rebel against them the future has grown even more uncertain." She rested a hand on the railing, then after a moment set her other hand on top of it, returning to her nervous gem stroking. "I can't see what might happen right now. There are too many possibilities. Thousands, maybe even millions of gems debating joining us on Earth. Its too much to sift through."

He nodded slowly, starting to see where she was going with this, "So if Homeworld does attack, that possibility is buried under a lot of similar looking ones where gems are just showing up in ships to join us right?"

She nodded silently.

And stayed silent for a long time.

"You have helped a lot of gems realize the truth now though."

He looked up at her again, but she was looking back through the window to the Iolite.

"She was lead designer for a bastion palace a few solar systems over. She wasn't treated right there." Garnet's fist clenched tight, squeezing her other hand harshly for a moment. "She's safe now because of your decision."

With that, she turned and walked back inside, leaving Steven alone to his thoughts.

She trembled as she stepped through the doorway. The glittering halls around her were filled with gems all talking about the same thing. 'Steven, Steven, Steven!'. It took a lot to hold it together. Especially when she caught a faint whisper of 'Pink'. She felt her physical form tremble again, threatening to dissipate on her. 'No.' she clenched her fists tightly, holding herself together. 'I have to get to Earth. I have to... I have to know if she really...' She felt her hands start to phase through one another as they glowed faintly. She stopped, taking a moment to calm herself again. Some of the gems were looking at her now, but most weren't.

She hated them all. Other members of Pink's court all of them. But they got to live their lives free, out in the galaxy. Being useful. While she? She stood on a rock for seven thousand years. She grinded her teeth, turning through a doorway quickly, trailing a little. 'Pink built this base after she-' she stopped herself. 'Not now. Need to get to Earth. Need to get to Earth. Need. To get... To. Earth...' She climbed into the pod, tears streaming down her face. Hard to focus. Her fingers ran over the controls quickly, like she had seen so many times before.

The ship was designed for Rubies but she wasn't exactly the tallest of gems. She stretched her right arm out to activate the shields at the consol next to her. Normally by now someone should be hailing the ship, asking her for clearance to leave. Everyone was so busy talking about her though.

She slammed a fist onto the terminal, and the autopilot activated, taking off for her and angling the ship on the right vectors.

Spinel ran a hand across her face, streaking tears. Her form was shaking again, more violently now. Finally she broke down- literally. She wailed, her chest shaking as tears poured harder, curling up in the seat with her arms wrapped around herself several times over hugging her legs to her chest.

"Why Pink, why?" her voice was shaky and hoarse, fading out as her form suddenly dissipated. Her heart shaped gem fell on the seat as the ship shot off for Earth.