"The Rubies are back!?" Steven yelled.
Lapis kept the tiny red Gems in the water bubbles, "They showed up on their little ship acting very angry. So I put them in time-out."
As if things couldn't possibly get any worse, but to Spinel, it did. The five Rubies they tricked into leaving to Neptune for Jasper have all come back, in all their annoying glory.
Spinel groaned and walked over to the bubbles containing them, keeping Steven in her arm, "Why did you all come back?" She snarled.
"Here," said Garnet, "Let's just release one by one and just ask what they're doing."
Steven raised his hand, "Oh oh! Can I pick?"
Spinel gently placed him down, "Alright."
Steven stepped closer to the bubbles, examining the Rubies, "Hmm... Oh! Let's talk to Leggy!"
"Leggy?" asked Garnet.
"I named them based on the placement of their gems," Steven told her, "There's Leggy, Army, Navy, Eyeball, and, uh... Doc. Leggy seems like the easiest to talk to."
One by one, Lapis released each Ruby so Steven could try to talk to them, but they either were too shy, had no idea, or was too aggressive or stubborn to tell them anything, until they released Doc.
"Where's Jasper?!" Doc snapped, "Last time we came, you tricked us into playing that stupid game! Then, you said 'She's on Neptune', so we looked, and she wasn't there. She wasn't on Neptune! Or any other planet in this whole dang solar system!"
As the Gems tried to come up with another excuse, even Spinel wanting to tell the truth about Jasper, Amethyst wandered away.
"Tell us where she is right now. No games, no tricks, and no slick disguises…" Doc threatened, her fellow Rubies gathering around her, assembled and cheering their agreement.
"Hey!"
Everyone turned to see what… appeared to be Jasper, but to the Crystal Gems' eyes, it was Amethyst.
She blew her bangs away from her right eye, "I'm right here."
Pearl stared in disbelief, "Is she serious? There's no way this is gonna-"
Much to their shock, the Rubies began to cheer and mumbled excitedly upon Amethyst's arrival, Eyeball pushing her way over to the shape-shifted Gem.
"Jasper!" Eyeball introduced herself, "I'm Ruby 1F4 Cut 4ND. I fought in the war for Earth." She then did the Diamond salute.
"Uh…" Amethyst tried to find something Jasper would say, "At ease…"
"I was on the ground in Facet 6 when I heard the tale of the Facet 9 Kindergarten Quartz that could," The red Gem divulged, "They said you popped out of the ground with your helmet on, and took out 80 Crystal Gems before the sun went down. When I found out this mission was to look for you, I nearly dissipated my form! It is... an honor to finally meet you."
Amethyst chuckled a bit nervously, "Yep! That's me! Always huge, never small, all the- all the time since I was made!"
"Wait a minute!" Eyeball narrowed her eyes in suspicion, "You look different than I thought you would..."
Spinel shut her eyes and face-palmed as Pearl sighed, "Oh, here it is."
"Oh!" Amethyst quickly said, "You must mean my tan! You know, from the sun!" She pointed to the sun.
Eyeball continued to glare… but then she smiled, "Stupid Earth sun!" She kicked up a chunk of dirt, "I hate this planet!"
"Curse this planet!" Amethyst joined in kicking the dirt, striking a pose as the Rubies cheered around her, kicking dirt.
This seriously can't be happening right now, can it? Spinel thought in annoyance.
Doc nodded, "Well, it's a good thing we finally found you. Yellow Diamond is awaiting your return. We'll take you back to Homeworld right away-"
"NO! I-I mean-!" Amethyst nearly slipped up before deepening her voice again, "I, Jasper, have decided to stay on Earth."
Doc became confused, "What?"
"Why?" asked Leggy.
"Yeah, why, Jasper?" Navy curiously joined in.
"Because…" Amethyst awkwardly glanced at the Gems and Steven, "I gotta stay here! With these guys!" She walked over to her friends, "Yup, gotta keep 'em prisoner."
Lapis flinched.
"For the Diamonds." Amethyst finished.
The Rubies stared… and began to clap solemnly and Navy even wiped a tear from her eye, the rest starting to cry as well.
"Jasper…" Leggy whispered.
"Such devotion," said Navy.
Doc approached Amethyst, wiping a tear away, "Well, Yellow will definitely wanna know about this. You'll have to file a report at the nearest Diamond base."
The other Rubies chatted among themselves, wondering where the base was.
"You dummies!" Doc scolded, "It's uh… it's… hm…"
"Argh! It's right there!" Eyeball angrily pointed at the faint moon in the sky, the Moon Base.
The moment she realized that, Spinel began internally spouting words and curses that would've sent Steven or Pearl into a faint, but kept it all in.
If it's to get rid of these stupid Rubies, then I guess I have no choice… Again.
At The Moon Base
In the Roaming Eye, they landed safely inside. When the hatch opened, Doc used her gemstone like a flashlight and stepped out, "All clear!"
"Right this way, Jasper," said Eyeball, walking out with Amethyst.
Pearl made a dramatic pose as Spinel hid right behind her, "Oh Jasper! Won't you even let us go?"
Steven stepped out and began to float, but Spinel quickly coiled an arm around him and kept him at her side as Garnet also walked out of the Roaming Eye.
"Look at this place, frozen in time…" Eyeball spoke, "An Era-1 base. Her Era-1 base." She shone a light on Pink Diamond's mural, "It was a tragedy, what happened to her."
Spinel swallowed, shutting her eyes. Pearl noticed, and wrapped an arm around her companion.
Leggy didn't recognize it, "Who is that anyway?"
"Were you made yesterday?!" Eyeball shouted, "That, is Pink Diamond. Jasper, maybe it's best if you explain."
"W-What?" Amethyst panicked, "Me? No, uh ..."
"My apologies," Eyeball bowed her head, "It must be too hard for you. Perhaps this Spinel would tell us."
Spinel fought back the urge to punch the Ruby in the face right then and there. How on Earth could she be so insensitive?! She shook her head.
"N-NO!" She shrieked before lowering her voice to a mumble, "I can't, it's… it's a bit too much…"
Her fear faded as Eyeball nodded sympathetically, "I understand, both for you and Jasper. She was your original Diamond, after all."
As they walked up the stairs with Eyeball explaining the death of Pink Diamond, Spinel could just feel Steven's confused stare from behind her. She despised the fact that during this past month, she had been reminded by Bismuth, Jasper, and now Eyeball that she used to be Pink Diamond's Spinel.
Especially when she heard Steven's protest that Rose wouldn't shatter a Diamond, she kept holding it down. Not just her anger, but something else that was held down, like a barrier…
"Though," Eyeball finished, "Some of the Gems that survived the war have been wondering about you, Spinel. How you didn't get shattered by Rose Quartz, or why you would join her after she-"
"SHUT UP!" Spinel snapped, her pigtails bristling, "JUST SHUT UP!"
The room fell silent, with nothing but Spinel's panting being heard. Pearl cupped her hand over her mouth, violently shivering as the others continued to stare in shock.
Eyeball gulped, "... Alright then... We'll just head up to the Moon Base and won't say anything else..."
Spinel relaxed herself, not wanting to look behind her. She already knew what expression Steven had.
"Hey!" Doc shouted from atop the stairs, 'We got a problem!"
"The panel is broken," Doc explained, not noticing Spinel's anxious look, "The communicator is gone! There's no way to contact Yellow Diamond from this hub."
Amethyst stepped in, sweating profusely, struggling to keep up her formation of Jasper.
"CRYSTAL GEMS!" Eyeball bellowed angrily, the other Rubies yelling their distaste for the group. Amethyst, as quick as lightning, formed back to normal for a breather, but formed Jasper again.
"We'll have to take you to Homeworld to file a report in person," said Doc.
Amethyst strained to speak, "I can't! I can't go!"
The Rubies voiced their confusion.
"You know what?" Amethyst patted Eyeball's head, "You know me. Do me a favor and go back home and file the report for me. I'm trusting you, soldier."
"... Wow," Eyeball became giddy, "Of course!"
Doc nodded, "That settles it. All right, Rubies, back to the ship!"
As they left, Amethyst gave Pearl and Spinel a smug smirk. She was a little turned off by the concerned Pearl and still glaring Spinel.
The Rubies got into the Roaming Eye, Eyeball giving one last wave to Amethyst before she got in. As the hatch closed and the engines started, Amethyst let out a breath and shifted back to normal.
"All right, Amethyst!" Steven cheered.
Spinel patted her back, "Thank goodness that's over with. I didn't know how long I could keep it up."
"You really held it together," said Garnet.
"You did it!" Pearl joined, "I told you you could."
Amethyst high-fived Steven and Pearl and chuckled, "Aww..."
But Steven became serious when he turned to Spinel, "Spinel?"
"Hm?"
"... What did Eyeball mean by-"
Suddenly, Doc opened the hatch, "Hey, you need a ride back to Earth? I could sit on your lap if you want-" But there was no sign of Jasper anywhere and she suddenly realized something, "WHAT?!"
Amethyst wasn't given a chance to shift back as Doc yelled, "We've been tricked?! Again?!"
The other Rubies appeared, "NO WAY!"
"Rubies, assemble!" Doc ordered, and they all combined into a giant version of a Ruby.
"YEAH!" Giant Ruby roared, "We won't let you trick us again!"
Steven thought fast, "Hey Rubies! If you're gonna fight, take it outside!" He pressed the door switch, opening the door way which sucked the Rubies half-way through.
"You can't get rid of us that easy!" Giant Ruby yelled.
"NO!" Spinel screeched, Amethyst holding her arm and then fusing into Charoite. Pearl and Garnet got the same idea and fused into Sardonyx.
"I bet they can!" Steven screamed, holding onto the door's edge as Sardonyx got her mallet out and smashed it into the Ruby fusion. They unfused from the impact and were flung out, screaming for their lives. However, Eyeball grabbed onto Steven's leg, dragging him with her.
Charoite's eyes widened in horror, "MY BABY!" Using her whip, she flung it and tied it around Steven's waist. Eyeball clung on as Charoite dragged Steven back. When they got close, Sardonyx flicked the Ruby off of Steven's leg and was sent off into the starry abyss.
Charoite, using her other arm, stretched it and pressed the switch, closing the door and the Gems all fell to the ground, panting from exhaustion, the fusions unfusing into Spinel, Amethyst, Pearl, and Garnet.
Spinel kept her arms around her boy, heaving for breath. "O-Oh my stars... S-Steven! Are you alright?!"
Steven weakly lifted his head up, "W-Wha?" He gasped, "T-The Rubies!"
"We don't have time for that!" Spinel yelled, running into the Roaming Eye, trying to ignore Steven's protests to help the Rubies.
Garnet, Amethyst, and Pearl followed suit. They were able to activate the Eye and flew back towards Earth.
Steven, clinging to Spinel, sniffled and started crying, "B-But the Rubies... they..."
"They'll find their own way home," Spinel told him. "All that matters is that you're safe. And that's that."
You all really think Spinel would let Steven get flown into space, whether she was herself or Charoite?
Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha NO.
Well, Season 3 was another fun ride. Let's get ready for Season 4!
