After a month's time in Beach City, the group had grown accustomed to the city and its inhabitants. Chief among them, Steven's father, Greg Universe. One night, several members of the group were watching a movie with the two Universes' in Greg's van…
"So, let me get this straight." Eddy said. "These aliens are abducting cows so they can get milk to make an ocean on their planet, which happens to be made out of cereal?"
"It sounds so crazy when you say it out loud…and even crazier on screen." Issei added.
"I'll never understand the culture of other worlds…" Frosta sighed. "Steven, why do you watch this?" she looked to Steven, who was sleeping, and also crying. "Er… Steven?"
"Hey, Steven." Mark said, gently shaking his teammate. "Wake up."
Steven then opened his eyes and sat up. "H-Huh?" he said drozily.
"You okay, bud?" Greg asked in concern. "You fell asleep during the movie. I was gonna let you sleep, you looked so cute. But, then you started crying, and that was less cute."
"No, I'm fine." Steven chuckled, wiping the tear from his eye. "I don't know why I was crying. My dream wasn't really sad."
"Dreams can have different emotions to them. It all depends on what you were seeing." Leanne said.
"I better get Steven home. Thanks for hanging out, guys." Greg said.
"No problem." Frosta said.
The very next day, the group got a call about Steven having another dream where he was crying. Only this time, he saw a strange object in it. As soon as the call ended, the group headed over to the beach house to discuss the dream.
Connie also came along, and she had something that might come in handy. She knocked a stack of papers aside.
"Sorry, i'll clean that up later!" Connie said. "When you told me about your dream, I thought it sounded familiar."
Connie then took out an old book and turned to a certain page.
"That's it! The…palanquinn." Steven said.
"It's actually pronounced Palankeen." Connie corrected.
"And you're sure this is the thing you saw?" Moltar asked.
"Definitely! It's got the point and everything!" Steven replied, pointing to the top of the Palanquin.
"Okay...so what?" Eddy asked. "Even if you saw this in a dream, we still have no idea where to find it."
Everyone then heard the Warp Pad activate.
"No, but maybe they know. Hang on a sec." Adora said taking the journal and walking to the arriving Gems.
"Wassup, Dora? Need somethin?" Amethyst asked.
"First off, don't call me "Dora", and second, do any of you know what this is supposed to be?" Adora asked, showing them the picture of the Palanquin.
"You guys deserve to know the truth, and the truth is…" Amethyst said looking at it. "I've no idea what that is, I've never seen it before in my life."
"Excuse me, Amethyst, allow me…" pearl said, bending to look over it, her expression changing. "Er, that is, um….An illustration!"
"I know WHAT it is, but what is this thing?" Adora asked.
"It looks like some kinda broken down transport unit." Kazuichi said looking over it. "If we get a closer look and find it, I'm sure we can find some answers-"
"You can't go there!" Garnet suddenly interjected.
"Huh?" Adora asked.
"Why not?" Steven asked.
"Yeah, why not?" Amethyst added.
"Is there something you guys aren't telling us?" Hope asked.
Pearl sighed. "Everyone, you must understand. There are things about us that you can't get involved in."
"Yeha, I'm gonna call BS on that. When it involves our teammates, it BECOMES our business." Akane said.
"I thought you were going to tell me everything from now on." Steven said.
"Oh, Steven, everyone, we…" Pearl started.
"Does this have something to do with Pink Diamond?!" Steven askd. "I already know Mom shattered her, so what is it about this that you can't tell me?!"
"Steven, you're making Pearl very upset." Garnet insisted.
"No, I'M very upset!" Steven yelled.
"Uh…. we should probably leave this scene. Like right now, before things get ugly." Hope said to Mark.
"...Garnet, why shouldn't we go?" Mark asked. "Just gives us a good reason not to go."
"...I can't. If I tell you why, you'll only want to go more." Garnet replied. "I know what you and the alliance are like. It's admirable that you want to help others as much as you can… but there are things about us that you cannot be too deep in."
Hope then decided to interject. "Sanji said the same thing. He put on the face of his family and cut himself off from us because he felt he had to tackle this problem alone. And yeah, we almost died trying to escape from Big Mom, she chased us all over the world. But we made it out. What is it about what you're facing that we can't be involved with, Garnet?"
"T-This isn't the same thing!" Garnet said.
"It's totally the same thing, Garnet!" ZS argued. "You're scared that we'll get hurt, but you don't have to be!"
"Garnet." a voice said as Archer walked up. "You have a way to see the future, yes? Is there any future where Steven doesn't go?"
Garnet said nothing for a bit, only removing her visor. "Steven, please, just stay here."
"I won't." Steven replied.
Garnet then sighed. "I know."
Steven then left the house as the group watched him go.
"He's gonna get himself killed." Fuyuhiko said.
"Not if we go with him." Mark replied. "Guys, get your stuff together."
"Alright, let's roll!" ZS said as the group exited the house.
Later, on the ships in the sky….
"According to the journal, that Palanquin is located somewhere in Korea." Mahiru said.
"We'll get there first before Steven, if we can locate this thing anywhere. Let's see if there are any matches between the journal's sketch and the topography of the country. I'm running a scan." Vashyron said, scanning the sketch as the map searched before beeping. "Got something!"
The group flew to the location and landed in a field on the Korean hillside.
"Hey, this is a really nice place!" Alkal said.
"No time to admire the scenery, we gotta find the Palanquin." Issei said.
"Hey, I found it!" Eddy said, pointing to a structure similar in shape. "Er...didn't Steven say it was pink?"
"And this one doesn't have a scratch laid on it… it's perfectly intact." Hope said.
Piccolo then thought for a second before he felt a strong presence.
"Piccolo, what's wrong?" Kendo asked.
"Everyone, on your guard!" Piccolo called out. "We're not alone here."
"Piccolo, take it easy!" Steven said as he and Greg approached. "It's just us."
"We found the palanquin steven, but it's different from the one you saw." Mahiru said.
"Yeah…" Steven said.
"Oh, Pink…" everyone then heard a voice as they headed to hide in the bushes there, they saw a blue coloared Pearl and what seemed to be a cloaked figure that was feminine, yet large in size. "I'm sorry… I'm so sorry...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."
"Steven, by any chance, could there have been more than ONE diamond other than the one you mentioned?" Hope whispered.
"Y-Yeah…. There were four. Pink, Yellow, white… and Blue… that must be Blue Diamond." Steven said.
"Her power level is absolutely insane." Piccolo said. "It's almost as strong as Frieza when he came to our Earth."
"So she's strong, huh?" Goku asked.
"Goku, don't you dare!" Mark said.
"Guys, quiet!" Glimmer shushed.
Steven then hunched over, crying profusely.
"Whoa, buddy!" Greg said.
"My dreams…I was seeing through her eyes! I was crying her tears!" Steven realized.
"What are you doing over there?" Blue Diamond asked her Pearl.
"I thought I heard someone…" Blue Pearl said.
"We're screwed…." Kazuichi said.
"Don't worry, I'll handle this." Greg assured.
"I think we're not alone." Blue pearl said before she was startled at Greg popping up from the bushes.
"Greg, what the hell are you doing?!" Scarlet whispered.
"Hey! Uh... nice day out, huh? Uh, I didn't see you there. What's uh, what's... up?" Greg asked awkwardly.
"Pearl?" Blue Diamond asked.
Blue Pearl turned around and saluted. "My Diamond, I've found a native."
"Oh yeah, I'm from here alright." Greg said. "Annyeonghaseyo, Your... Highness."
"Someone put a tracker on him just in case things go bad." Hope whispered.
"Got it." Bow said, slipping a tracker on him.
"Bring it here." Blue diamond said as Blue Pearl and Greg walked to her. "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 powerful as a Diamond, perish? This is where it happened, where she was... broken."
"So even Gems can be killed… I guess you just have to break their cores… their gems." Hope whispered.
"She's mourning. She's stuck in the depression stage of grief." Mark said.
"Were you close?" Greg asked.
"Very." Blue Diamond answered.
"I-Im Awfully sorry. I know how hard it is to move on when you've lost someone." Greg said, getting Blue Diamond's attention.
"You do?" Blue Diamond asked, connecting her tears to Steven's.
"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 admitted.
"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 asked.
"Geo-Weapon, huh?" Greg asked.
"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 asked before he was suddenly grabbed by Blue Diamond.
"Dad!" Steven yelled quietly.
Blue Diamond then raised her arm as she summoned a massive blue metal arm like ship.
"Thats a… big… arm!" Greg said. Everyone could only watch as Blue Diamond then took Greg aboard her Palanquin, and then to her ship as it rocketed off into space.
"Goddammit! We should've seen this coming!" Zephyr said as they came out of hiding.
"Well, now we know why Garnet didn't want us to come here." ZS said.
"Dad…" Steven said quietly, not moving as he looked up at the sky. It was then that Garnet ran up.
"Everyone! I'm… I'm sorry! I saw you come here, I saw Blue Diamond on Earth, I saw her see me and find all of us, I couldn't be here with you!" Garnet explained.
"Hey hey hey! It's okay, we're good Garnet!" Hope said. "You had your reasons for staying behind, and that's okay. Greg risked himself for us, and we should've listened to you. But we'll be dead before we let Blue Diamond get away with this."
"Hope, are you saying what I think you're saying?" Emo asked.
"Yes, he is." Mark announced. "We're going after him. We're getting him back."
