EPILOGUE - Hopefully Good Enough

The Artificial Blue Moon of Homeworld.

'Nora' Colony, two years later.

"I don't believe we have the necessary resources to avoid a crisis, My Diamond." Light-Tourmaline said, scrolling through reports.

The House of Brilliant Assembly was packed that day. All the Blue Moon's representatives were brimming with their requests and reports. The faint glow of Light-Tourmaline's body clashes with some of the artificial light illuminating the large room. Diamond watched the absorbed Gem relay to others what they had discussed at length in the last few days.

The round table had space for the 10 most influential Gems on the colony. There were a couple interest groups waiting for their turn to talk, but the first general meeting of the day was about the inherent problems of living in an artificial satellite, and their relationship to the Gem metropolises of Homeworld and Earth.

His uniform had no sleeves, but he kept the boots and the mostly white color scheme. His shoulders had blue and yellow streaks that went down his sides, and his collar had a pink outline that connected to a star symbol on the middle of his chest. His hair was tied behind his back, tamed like a well-behaved mane. The pink tips were less prominent nowadays, but he still had a couple of blotches of color here and there.

Although the mood was tense, he was still smiling.

"That's assuming negotiations with Earth fall apart, though." One of the Gems asked, looking at her own holographic files. It was Fire Agate, ever the pragmatist. "I thought things were going well on that front."

"Yes, but they haven't agreed to our terms yet. If we don't find a way to support our population soon, we might have to find a different source for crucial revenue. Maybe a new moon, or maybe older colonies…"

"Tourmaline, we're not attacking anybody." Diamond interjected. He knew how the woman was. This behavior had to be culled now. "Can you contact Peridot at the Beach? She was asked to be kept informed of proceedings, and said she was willing to talk to Bismuth about Little Homeworld's role in this."

"Yes, My Diamond." Light-Tourmaline said, returning to his Gemstone.

Tsavorite, on the other end of the desk, wrote down some notes on her pad.

"I will check Tourmaline's data again, and my laboratories will be available for anything we need. Put it down on the records— I don't agree with her, I think we're much better off than she makes it sound like. I'll make a detailed report about it soon."

Diamond turned to Fire Opal, who had been waiting for her turn to talk.

"Well, I'm pleased to announce that the Quartz Family has decided to open their communication channels to us."

She couldn't stop smiling, and Diamond didn't blame her. The negotiations for cessation of hostilities had been going on for several months now. She continued:

"They've informed me that they're in the process of choosing three diplomats, one for each kind of Quartz in their respective armies. I believe the Rose Quartz and Jasper in question have already been chosen, but the Amethyst representative is taking a while longer."

"I have a pretty good idea of who they're gonna go with." Diamond replied. "This was the last item on the list for today, correct? Is there anything else that you need me for?"

The scuttling sound of Hessonite trying her hardest to find the right screen increased in volume as Diamond's sentence died out.

"Oh, um, hold on—" Hessonite scrambled her many holographic pads, bringing out snickers from her peers. Eventually, she turned the hologram around. "Here! The second city is finally ready to be occupied!"

"Really!" Diamond exclaimed, genuinely pleased. "I thought your progress was halted because of the environment."

"Oh, yes, it was, but we got some help from Little Homeworld." She said, excited. "It took some doing, but so many Gems volunteered when we told them about it!"

Diamond just nodded. This was a pleasant surprise.

"How long until we can send people to live there?"

"The first couple hundred Gems will relocate in two weeks, after we give everything a once-over."

"Well, I hope you enjoy being Mayor, Hessonite. You've been looking forward to this." She gleamed at the words like a child. "We're lucky to have you."

"W-why, Diamond, that's far too much."

The bug-like Gem tried physically dodging the playful gazes coming from the rest of the Assembly. It had taken some doing for people to learn how to work with her, but once you got to know Hessonite she was actually pretty cute.

"What are you going to call the settlement?" Diamond asked, moving on.

"Um," Hessonite immediately changed her demeanor, becoming uncomfortable in a whole different way. "The, uh… Little Homeworld Gems actually had something to request. They said they would only help if they could name it…"

"Oh? And what did they want?"

She shuffled on her seat, darting her eyes around the room. "New Beach City."

The room went silent. The stifled laughter from before was replaced with absolutely nothing. Diamond's eyebrows went up.

Then he laughed. The rest of the Assembly looked at him, dumbfounded. His reputation had changed, but to just laugh like that at a meeting… must be a pretty great day.

"We don't even have a beach!" He said, between laughing fits. "That's phenomenal. Please let them know any of them is always welcome."

"I… y-yes, My Diamond!" Hessonite smiled again, incredibly relieved.

"Well, the floor is yours." Diamond said, standing up from his chair. "Let the claimants in, and make sure to write everything down. I won't be back today, but if Tourmaline or Peridot are needed, you just have to call me."

Many nodded, but many others were already deep into their own discussions, giving out orders and arranging for the rest of the day. He felt incredibly calm to just leave things to them.

Diamond walked over to the Warp Pad and let the lightways take him to Earth.

During the trip, he let the uniform transform itself into something more appropriate. Gone were the Gem clothes, replaced by a pink Hawaiian shirt, blue pants, black open sandals, and his hair was free to run all the way down to his back.

The main Warp Pad at the Temple was much different these days. There was always someone standing watch to make sure checks and balances were followed. Not everyone from the Blue Moon was on good terms with Earth or Homeworld, and vice-versa. Traffic was usually manageable, but Gems didn't have a great concept of off-hours, so it was constant.

The Temple's reconstruction as a Warp hub had taken a little while, but in the end, it had been for the better. No one really lived there anymore, and with so many independent colonies following Nora's example all over the galaxy, it has become a place to police the Network.

Today's shift was Eyeball, Corundite and Spinel, which threw him for a loop.

"Oh, you." Spinel said, making an ugly face. "Welcome to Earth."

"Hello Spinel." Diamond tried being friendly, but the pink Gem had no time for that. "How are you?"

"Working." She spat back, bringing out a computer screen in front of her face. "Can't really talk."

It would never not be hostile. Fortunately, Corundite and Eyeball were there.

The dark Gem looked much better now that they'd managed to revert some of the Editing done to her. Her Gemstone actually looked cut, now. She still had no eyes, but she was fairly stable nowadays. Besides, her inherent Sapphire abilities served her better than most types of vision. Eyeball was very much her eyes to the world, which he always thought was ironic, in a pretty dark way he didn't share often.

"Greetings, Diamond." She said, in a hoarser voice than most Sapphires would have. "You have a scheduled visit today, so everything is in check. You are expected to either renew your stay or leave within the next three Earth days."

"Thank you." He smiled at both. Eyeball did not smile back. "Peridot is staying here in case the Gems in Nora need her. Please contact me if anything goes wrong?"

Corundite nodded, and Light-Peridot came out of his Gemstone. She looked around to center herself, and immediately got hugged by Spinel.

"Hey, you." Light-Peridot said, smiling. "It's great seeing you too, will you stop choking me."

"Never!" Spinel didn't care Diamond was still there, which probably applied to most of their relationship. "Oh, Bismuth's gonna be so happy you're visiting!"

He decided to leave. He didn't want to see Bismuth, if she showed up. No fighting today.

The sight of the beach outside the Temple always made him nostalgic. Diamond scanned the environment with his eyes, realizing there were very few people around today. Good.

He floated up a hill, where his appointment awaited him.

Greg was fine-tuning his guitar, sitting by a tree. He had a picnic towel on the ground, a bass laying on his side, and a few hot dogs and pork chops, still warm.

"Oh, hey big guy!" Greg said when he saw Diamond coming in.

The Gem landed, giving him a hug.

"Hi, dad." The words never felt incredibly easy to say, but he always tried. "Thank you for having me. Things have been hectic at work, I haven't been able to visit."

"Sounds like running a colony isn't easy." Greg sat down, pointing at the food. "Hey, I made us lunch if you're hungry."

"Oh, stars, thank you so much." Diamond kneeled and grabbed a pork chop. "It's so hard getting food up in Blue Moon!"

He chewed down on the meat, letting the taste wash away a hard week's worth of stress.

"I will force this species into becoming carnivores if it's the last thing I do."

Greg laughed, eating a hot dog in one bite.

"You seem alright." He pointed out. "Happy, even."

"All the hard work is paying off." He said, grabbing a napkin and cleaning his own face. "I just have to arrange some things with Earth, but… I think Blue Moon is really going to work. The Gems that chose to live with me are really excited for it."

The human kept listening, reaching for the guitar that was on his side. As Diamond talked, Greg tried a few chords, never forgetting to chime in with questions and interest. Music was second nature to him.

"How many people are with you, now? You know, with you."

"A few dozen Gems." Diamond said, reaching for a hot dog. "I still can't believe people just want to be a part of me now. It's bizarre. I thought that the prospect would make them wary, but all of them volunteered. Everyone just wants to help, and now they get to combine their talents."

Greg smiled. "And um, is everyone good with that?"

Diamond didn't meet his gaze, with a mix of shame and embarrassment all over his face.

"Almost everyone. Peridot eventually came around when she saw she could help the colony. I think boredom got to her, but she also really missed working on things like that. And I have Tourmaline looking for a way to unfuse with the Gems if they ever change their minds, but she hasn't gotten back to me on that in a while. She… did seem hopeful, but nothing yet. Peridot says most of the other Gems don't mind the wait."

Of course, not all of them.

He took a glass of orange juice and downed it in one go. A little gloomier, he added:

"Lapis doesn't talk when she comes out."

"You said they get to come out whenever they want, and just be themselves now, right? When they're out of… what, the Void?"

"It was the Void before, but the whole place is a Beach now. Because of…" He stopped.

"Because of Steven. I think you told me that part."

Greg's gaze finally lowered, focusing on his guitar for a little bit. A few familiar chords filled the air. Melancholy and nostalgia, two things Diamond knew well.

Diamond wondered if this was a good day to do this. Maybe he should just leave.

"Well, I hope things work out with Lapis. I know you like her a lot." Greg finally said, his face a little sadder, but his smile just as genuine. "I never talked to her much, but I'm sure she'd like some of the things you're doing."

"I'd hope so." Diamond said, uncertain. Another glass down the hatch. "I don't think I really deserve to talk to her, after everything I put her through."

His dad seemed to want to say something, but gave up, taking a breath and smiling again.

"So!" Greg moved on, grabbing the bass from the ground and handing it to Diamond. "You've been practicing?"

"Ah, I try, but I've been really busy. I pick up instruments back home whenever I can." He took the instrument and put it on a comfortable playing position. "I don't understand how this is so hard. Every Gem is good at music. It's literally just math, why would it be so hard?"

"I wasn't that great at it either, at first."

Diamond stared at Greg like he had said some heresy at him. "Excuse me?"

"Yeah. Sometimes it takes a second." He played his instrument, filling the air with music. "It's just another way of communicating, like a new language. It eventually clicks, and you start seeing the world differently. Everything becomes music. But until then, you gotta try hard."

Diamond took a second to think about that. Then he tried emulating what Greg had done. The song came out graver and more guttural, but it still came out.

"It sounds odd with a bass." The Gem mentioned, not managing to hide a smile.

"Well, you said you liked the bass. Why not try to compose something for it? It's just math, right?"

Diamond kept playing. He got up to five chords until it sounded off and ruined the melody. They both laughed it off a little.

"That might be nice."

They played for hours. The day was pleasant, the clouds were white and fluffy, and the sounds of the ocean filled their ears when the music stopped. These encounters didn't happen often, but Diamond insisted on visiting whenever he could. It was part of a long list of things that were all the least he could do.

"That was a great session." Greg said, in the end. "Thanks for showing up, Diamond. I hope I didn't take you out of any important business."

"Oh, you know how it is." He said, smiling. "Everyone has their role to play. It's not just me running that place."

Greg nodded while packing up.

"Sunset is still a few hours away. Do you have anything else to do today?"

Diamond flinched slightly. "Yes, actually. Just… not sure if I should."

Greg's brow furrowed for a second, until he realized what they were talking about.

"Oh! Yeah, she's…"

"Yeah."

"Right, right." He closed his guitar case, as if figuring out what to say. "And you… uh, it's all good? You don't need anything from your old man?"

Diamond's eyebrow shot up inquisitively.

"What do you mean?"

Greg shook his head, laughing at himself.

"Well, if you need me, just shout and I'll be there, okay?"

"Thanks. That actually means a lot." Diamond got up. "Can I still leave the bass with you? I know you gave it to me, but I'm afraid I'll lose it with all the mess in Nora."

"Don't worry, big guy. I know a thing or two about hoarding stuff." They laughed. Greg laughed for longer, trying to ignore his own existential dread. "Good luck, Diamond!"

Diamond nodded and flew away towards town. Greg watched his weird old son fly away with the usual mixture of emotions. But the sorrow was going away faster, now. This time, he got to enjoy feeling well from the interaction.

Beach City never felt like home.

The city hadn't really changed since he left. The small buildings, the food court's smell, good people smiling and engaging in hijinks. Even after Steven truly joined him, the place never appealed to Diamond at all. The citizens were fine folk, but better appreciated from a distance.

When flying, he always saw Gems that he recognized. Far too many people he had no business approaching, at the end of the day.

He was almost at his destination when he saw two Gems he hadn't expected to see that day. After careful consideration, he decided to land.

"Hello." Diamond announced himself. Garnet and Pearl watched him land closer.

Garnet had two ice creams cones, one on each hand. No food for Pearl, as usual. Just surprise.

"It's good to see you two." He continued, hearing the creeping voice in his head saying he was being a bother.

Maybe this had been a mistake. Maybe there was still time to leave.

"Hello, Diamond." Garnet said, with her regular nonchalant tone. "Here, we got you ice cream."

She offered him the vanilla cone, as if washing away his worries.

"We did?" Pearl asked, confused. "I thought you just wanted two."

"Not everything I do is in twos, Pearl." Garnet answered, smiling. "Only most things."

Diamond grabbed onto the cone. Vanilla was his favorite; he was surprised she knew.

"Well, it's surprising seeing you around here." Pearl continued. "It's been a while since we visited Nora."

He nodded, looking around the park they were in. He recognized some people, but most were new faces, especially the fusion population. Diamond stared at a blue and yellow Pearl for far too long before realizing who that must have been, and immediately dedicating all his mental energy to not looking at her anymore.

"Anything new around here?"

"Oh, you know how humans are." Pearl said, waving her hand in playful dismissal. "Everything just kind of keeps going for them, always different but still the same."

"It's been fine." Garnet said, far less romantic. "Amethyst was here just last week, you missed her."

"I think I'll have to deal with Amethyst a lot more now." He replied. "I believe she's going to be the Quartz Family's ambassador for Amethysts."

"Oh my stars!" Pearl covered her mouth in pride. "I must talk to her about it! What a great honor! Oh, I was so worried when she decided to stay with her friends…"

"Well, from what I hear, she's been doing great." Diamond concluded, pausing for a thought. "I'm sorry, did I interrupt you two going out?"

"No, no, although I do have a daaaaa…"

As if suddenly realizing what she was about to say and to whom, Pearl stayed on the syllable, embarrassed. She looked at Garnet, and then at Diamond, and then at Garnet again, before blushing like a plum and completing her sentence.

"…aaaate. With Greg. Later tonight."

Pearl looked around as if she expected the world to end at any moment. Garnet pet her head.

"We're just walking, checking out the city. But you're not here to see us, are you?" She smiled. "You're not the only one visiting today."

"Can I really not just show up randomly?" Diamond asked, dubious.

He didn't have to see her eyes to know that Garnet was playfully raising an eyebrow. Pearl was far less subtle, smirking and crossing her arms.

"Is it that obvious?" He admitted. Now it was his time to feel embarrassed.

"Nice of you to check in, Diamond." Garnet said, finally. "Go meet your friend, she's waiting for you."

He smiled, thankful for the good welcome. Last time there had still been a lot of awkwardness, but they seemed genuinely okay talking to him now.

"Thank you. I mean it."

He took flight again. It was getting late. He had a schedule to keep.

Garnet and Pearl watched him leave in silence. Pearl felt tears coming. Garnet put her hand over the other's shoulder. It helped as much as it could.

"Please tell me he's coming next time." Pearl asked, softly. "It's… still not easy."

"I'm sorry." She replied, her voice tired. "But we need to go through these moments, too."

"He didn't look as bad as last time. Must be a good day."

They watched him land and disappear from their vision. A weight left their shoulders, as if somehow he was still nearby until he completely vanished.

"He's doing his best." Garnet said, her voice cracking a bit. "That's all we can really ask for."

"I just miss Steven." Pearl replied. The tears still came, but it was okay. Somehow. "I can see so much of Steven in him, now."

"Yeah." Garnet knew this moment would happen a week in advance. It didn't mean she didn't want to cry. "Our boy might even be proud."

Diamond took a deep breath and pressed the doorbell. Maybe it was late, she wasn't home anymore, he should have probably called—

"Coming!" He heard her say, from inside the house. He was so nervous.

Connie opened the door, and he always had to blink twice to get used to looking at her. She was growing into a beautiful adult. Her hair was shoulder length, she was wearing a white blouse, blue shorts, and had a star necklace around her neck.

"Oh, Diamond!" She said, pleasantly surprised. "It was getting late; I didn't think you'd make it."

"I apologize for the delay." He said, trying not to fidget. "I met some people along the way, lost track of time. But if it's too late we can meet later; I think we have a meeting scheduled with the Assembly in two weeks, and…"

"Hey, it's okay." She said, grabbing his hand. "Come, oh Diamond Authority, I'll make us some tea."

She laugh at her own pompous emphasis. He was playfully dragged indoors by the incredibly thin, tiny woman in front of him.

"Very well, esteemed Earth Ambassador." He repeated the gag, calmer. "But I refuse to talk business tonight."

The Maheswaran household hadn't changed much. A few new pictures were up, a few old pictures had been taken down. They had acquired a newer television, and the couch was a slightly larger blue model. Still had the awful flower stamps.

"Where are your parents?" He asked, as Connie went to the kitchen.

"Oh, they're on this sabbatical trip, actually." She poured water on the electric kettle, turning it on. "I'm visiting for two weeks, but they're only back in a couple days."

"I see." Diamond said, unable to not smile.

They were alone. They rarely met alone for long.

"How is college?"

"It's going great! Political science is fascinating, and being an intergalactic ambassador counts as extra credit. I might graduate early, but I'm thinking I'll use the last year to pursue another Major."

He heard the kettle's click noise, and in a few seconds, Connie was back with two mugs of warm tea. The night was getting colder, so he appreciated it.

"It's nice seeing you." She said, in a wispy tone of voice that he liked.

"It's nice seeing you, too." He said, sipping on his peppermint tea. "I'm glad I could take a small break."

"Look at you, resting instead of working." She laughed, drinking. "How's that working out?"

"A strict schedule of 36-hour days." He said, looking at the bottom of his cup. "If I don't stop and rest for at least 6 hours every cycle, all members of the Assembly have the right to tell me to shut up and go to sleep. Whenever my mandate is done, the rule will probably follow the next Authority, too."

He drank more, looking at Connie. The warm fumes coming from her mug touched her features and made her almost shiny. Diamond thought it was fascinating.

"The lack of food is harder to deal with. Even if I don't need it, I still miss it. But that's just another reason to visit Earth, at the end of the day."

"Wouldn't it be bad if all Gems started eating? Resources-wise?"

"Probably, but I miss sugar so much." He said, getting a laugh out of her.

Connie was a master at changing subjects while making you believe it was still the same conversation. It was a skill Diamond wish he had, himself. He was about to see it in action.

"And… how are you?" She asked, a notch tenser than before. He almost didn't notice it in her voice. "Like, really?"

Diamond thought about it. He absentmindedly toyed with his tea bag, making it rise and sink in the liquid. The question hadn't been that hard; he had a couple answers ready whenever people asked similar, but… it was Connie. He couldn't really hide much from her. She was most of the reason any of the people he met today didn't attack on sight, after all. She and Greg were the ones who advocated for him, helping him settle back, supported his plans for Nora…

Yet here he was, the result of all that effort, struggling to find an appropriate answer.

"I'm fine." He decided. "It's hard sometimes, but I'm okay."

"We don't really get to talk much outside of work, I've been meaning to check in for a while now…" She put her cup down, looking at him. She was wearing her worried expression with pride. "Are you still having nightmares?"

His lip twitched, tight. He drank a little more, even if it was still too hot to really enjoy.

"Occasionally." He looked at the window and wondered if it was going to rain tonight. It had been such a beautiful day, too. "It's Pearl."

Dreams of pink clouds and rough seas. Giant statues and large structures. A horrific feeling of being watched from within, judged every day, every night, every second. Panic. Remorse. Depression. The looming, unspoken understanding that this was all he had to look forward to, for all eternity.

And then he would wake up in a cold sweat, sometimes with a shield on his hand. If he was lucky, he'd get back to sleep in a couple hours. If he was luckier, his screams hadn't attracted anybody's attention.

Connie shifted her hands, as if unsure of how to position them on her lap.

"She never comes out?"

"Never. At this point, I don't think I can call her out, even."

"How's that possible?"

"She made it possible." He genuinely didn't know, and the other Gems who came out refused to explain it. Eventually, he learned to stop asking. "I still can't access the Beach, either. She found a way to keep me out permanently. But the others keep me informed. She's doing okay, I think. She takes care of all of them. It's apparently a whole… whole little town, now."

"Wow." Connie said, smiling. "That sounds like Captain Pearl. Mayor of Diamond City."

They both snickered for a second, saying in unison: "Captain of Diamond City!"

It was a fun distraction from the subject. Diamond kept looking at his reflection at the bottom of the cup. He could never truly hold anything from Connie. He didn't have it in him. Not anymore.

"Lapis is always doing what she wants." He said, not looking at Connie. "She comes and goes as she pleases. I think she's Pearl's eyes on the world. Keeps me in check, I suppose." Drink more. The tea was almost gone. Soon he would have to talk without distractions. Terrific. "Sometimes our eyes meet when she's coming in or out, but never… I haven't heard her voice in years. She looks right through me. Like I'm not there."

"I'm really sorry."

He finished the cup, gently putting it on the table.

"That was great, thank you."

Connie also finished her cup. She kept staring at the bottom of it, for a while. But finally, she sighed and asked:

"Do you like it there? Up in Blue Moon?"

The question didn't catch him by surprise, but he knew it was still a touchy subject with people who stayed on Earth. A lot of people thought he got off easy. A lot of people would rather he didn't come back when he decided to make a colony.

"We're doing better." He kind of wanted more tea, or just more to consume. It made pauses easier to justify. "Some Gems just like structure. And it's a good community. Everyone involved wants to be there. We had a rough start, and it's not perfect, but…"

"But do you like it, Diamond?"

She leaned forward. It didn't approach them in any significant way, but it did make her eyes look that much bigger.

He didn't know if that part was Steven, or himself over the years. He always wondered if it made a difference, given the circumstances.

"I mean… you left Earth and Homeworld, and I've been helping however I can for two years now, and it's still not… I mean, you never… are you happy? Do you have friends there?"

The genuine concern she felt would never make sense in his head. Despite it all, she wore her heart on her sleeve. They could do whatever they wanted with this private time, but she would rather make sure he was okay, instead of… he didn't even know.

Diamond couldn't do it. He could never have formed any sort of connection with someone like him, had their roles been reversed.

"I have people who want to make that colony a better place." He ran away from the question. "I… I never thought it was going to be easy to set up a place people like. But I do see a brighter future for them. And with so many other colonies deciding to be completely independent, maybe… maybe even a brighter future for the galaxy. One day."

Connie's back touched the chair again. She didn't seem very convinced.

"I just worry about you." She explained, trying not to sound too bothered, and failing miserably. "All alone on that moon, surrounded by people who just want to work more, never interacting with the Gems who just want to live there… isn't it lonely?"

Her gaze was so hard to dodge. She knew his weaknesses like the palm of her hand. Connie was so good at politics; it boggled the mind.

"It is." He decided to drop the pretenses. What good would it do? "It's lonely. Every day when I wake up, I wonder if I made the wrong call. Some days I'm sure I did."

He felt a pause in his own thought process. Diamond pondered on whether to continue with the next thought. The question was not whether Connie was trustworthy; it was whether she cared too much, and would suffer for it. He hated being a source of discomfort.

But the deal was no more secrets. At least not between them.

"Sometimes I think I should have been shattered after all." He watched her face harden, like the phrase both brought up bad memories and generated new, unpleasant ones. "Whenever I see Lapis, I know she would do it in a heartbeat. I think Pearl told her not to. It's worse for me that way."

"Diamond…"

"I know it's what some people still want." He interrupted her, as gently as he could. His eyes looked beyond the living room. "I never blamed Bismuth for saying those things, or Spinel. I know Amethyst must think similar. I understand, I… agree, even. But I just can't let it end without doing something good. Steven didn't die for nothing. He can't have. I'll change things for the better, in a way he would like. Maybe just a colony, or maybe… maybe the universe, I don't know. I don't know if I'm allowed. But I can't not try."

He saw Connie pursing her lips a bit. Diamond didn't know how much she talked about Steven to people, but he knew it would probably never be enough.

This wasn't fair. Him being there instead of Steven wasn't fair. Steven would have been on his way to 21. An adult. Would him and Connie be married? Would they be planning their future together? Children?

Regardless, there she was, leaning towards Diamond again. Not asking for anything for her trouble. And it was trouble, he knew it was. So many people didn't talk to her anymore because of how much she associated with Diamond.

He managed to ruin things even without being there.

"Amethyst doesn't think that. I talk to her a lot." He heard Connie said, and realized he was barely paying attention. He lost himself in his thoughts a lot. "I think things might turn out fine with her."

"Hm." He didn't mean to sound dismissive. It was a bad habit. "I suppose we'll see it in the meetings."

"Diamond, I know I asked before, but… please be honest. Are you okay?"

He sighed. Maybe this is what this reunion had been about.

"I am okay sometimes." Diamond said, with a tone of finality. "And I think that's okay."

She didn't seem convinced, but also didn't know what else to say.

"Besides, I'm not alone." He said, smiling weakly. "I have you, don't I? You're not getting out of those meetings any time soon."

That did seem to cheer her up. She took a deep breath and tried coming back to what would, ostensibly, be a good night between friends.

"Well, tell me if my diplomatic skills ever bore you, then. I'm great at sword fighting." She played, getting up and grabbing their cups. "And I hope you had time to read Spirit Morph Saga this month, because I have some big feelings about the place you stopped at!"

"I can assure you Destiny's End is complete; I can finally keep up with your favorite couples, and all the reasons I disagree with them." He chuckled, watching the woman go back into the kitchen.

His heart wasn't exactly light, but it was lighter than it had been all week. He rubbed his Gemstone and wondered if Steven could still see him. If he was in there, somehow.

All Diamond could do was hope that this was good enough.

You don't have to call
But I would appreciate it anyway.
You don't have to write
But I still miss the way we played.

We're always us, I'm always us,
Are you always us as well?
It's hard to remember a time when
I wasn't me and you.

Sometimes it's nice to think about
All the trouble we got in together.
And it calms me down me when I remember
We'll always be birds of a feather.

No matter where we are,
Whenever I feel blue,
We're always on my mind, and I think
We are on your mind, too.

No matter who I am,
And no matter who you are,
It's hard to remember,
It's hard to explain,
Every attempt is always in vain,

It's hard to remember a time
When I wasn't me and you.