VI: Garnet, Part III
Connie Maheswaran sat in the backseat of the tiny blue Volkswagen, sitting crossed legged on the middle hump and peering up between the passenger side and the driver seat. Garnet, Connie, and the librarian had set out that morning for Empire City, a road trip for the purpose of going to visit her parents. It had been a fun trip of loud music sing alongs, rolled down windows, and a pitstop for specialty burgers only found in The City. The cheer of earlier however was rapidly dwindling as she turned the corner onto her street and parallel parked across from it. Looking at her front door, the librarian could not decide which thing sounded less appealing at the moment: a talk with her parents or a talk with Steven Universe.
Not that the latter was speaking to her.
It was strange, the radio silence between them. Their relationship thus far had been a month of a steady stream of texting, of being around each other like a whirlwind of happiness. They had really rushed into things. But since the night of Connie's party a week ago, neither had spoken. She forced herself not to glance at her phone again for the hundredth time that day.
"So this is it, huh?" Connie asked, the three of them staring out the windshield at the modest brownstone. Garnet, who was in the passenger seat, nodded once. Her anxiousness was apparent. The librarian refused to think too hard on those implications.
"Yup. This is where I grew up." The librarian confirmed, fidgeting.
She hadn't smoked a cigarette since that one semester in college but seeing her house again made the old urges come back. She loved her parents. But she hadn't spoken to them since she moved to Beach City, since the fight, almost five months ago minus the phone call announcing her visit. Thus had been the ramifications of the fight they had the night before she left. She swallowed thickly.
"So are we going to go knock or..?" Connie trailed.
"I guess I should." The librarian mumbled, opening her car door and getting out. The other two followed and the three of them crossed the street, walking up the stone steps.
On the landing, the librarian hesitated, closing her eyes and inhaling. She could do this.
She leaned in and knocked.
The black front door swung open seconds later, her Dad in the doorway, "Hi Sweet Pea."
He smiled, just as he always did. She hadn't even stepped in the door but she could smell the familiar tint of his aftershave and she felt her throat close up.
"Hi Dad." She choked out, jumping forward and hugging him. He clutched her, eyes shining as well. Her Dad was tall with wavy shoulder length dark hair and kind brown eyes. He always wore dress slacks and a turtleneck.
"Gary, she's home!" Her Dad yelled over his shoulder. Gary, her Pops, peaked around the corner from the kitchen, spectacles sliding down his nose. He was blonde, bearded and larger than life with the jovial attitude to match. He had large forearms and always wore a band tee and jeans. Today it was offset by an apron. She could smell ginger snaps drifting down the hall.
"Baby girl!" He exclaimed, running down the hall and wrapping her up into a hug. She winced, letting out a gasp, his forearms landing right on her bruise.
"Pops! My back! Please!" She gasped. Immediately he set her down, concern growing.
"What is it, what happened to you? Sweetheart, your eyes… What happened to your hands?" Her Pops asked, grabbing her forearms. The pink outline of bands around her wrists mottled with bruising had his dark brows furrowing, "David, did you see this?" He asked her Dad.
"Dad…Pops… I'm okay." She insisted. "Can we come in?" She asked, motioning to her friends behind her. Her parents froze, seeing the others with her for the first time.
"These are my friends. This is Garnet and Connie." She gestured to each of them. Connie gave a wave. Garnet looked like a statue.
"You." Her Dad exclaimed, staring at Garnet, totally stupefied.
"I never thought we'd see you again." Her Pops continued.
The librarian and Connie blanched, "Wait…What?!"
Twenty Three Years Earlier…
"No. We're not keeping it." Garnet stated emphatically.
Amethyst, Garnet, and Pearl stood on the beach front of the temple, staring at the smoldering crater in the sand.
There was a small pod and in that pod sat what appeared to be a human child.
Giggling and laughing it cooed as it stared up at the three Crystal Gems.
"Ahw come on, what's one more baby? Aren't you supposed to have more than one so they can keep each other company?" Amethyst asked, tilting her head. "Besides, Steven likes it." She pointed out.
Baby Steven, nearing his Terrible Twos and always into mischief, had crawled his way into the crater and was peering over the edge of the still sizzling spacecraft on his tip toes. His giant red star t-shirt lifted up from his plump ankles to his knees, eyes shining like stars.
"It's a baby, not a cat." Garnet intoned.
"Steven get out of there!" Pearl scolded, "Don't touch strange spacecraft. You don't know where it's been." She sniffed.
Steven only laughed, reaching a chubby arm into the cockpit.
The other baby cooed, grabbing a fist full of his curls. Steven pulled back, screaming in outrage, and the two came tumbling out of the spaceship head over heels and onto the sand.
"Uh… Garnet? Are babies supposed to do that?" Amethyst asked dryly. The baby from the spacecraft seemed to glitter when Steven touched it, something shimmering from within its chest, seeming to unwrap like furling ribbons.
"Ohhh no. No! Stop that!" Pearl stated flatly, grabbing Steven up and out of reach from the mysterious space infant. Both immediately began to well up with tears, wailing. The furling light from the baby receded and Garnet reached down, picking it up.
"What is it? A Gem?" Amethyst asked. Pearl and Garnet bounced their respective babies, the two looking at each other.
"With that light… Not exactly." Garnet began carefully.
"It's a Light Prism." Pearl said, "Although I've never seen one take the form of a human before."
"A Light Prism? What's that?" Amethyst asked, nose wrinkling.
"It's a weapon. They're given to high ranking Gems on Homeworld." Pearl answered.
"It doesn't seem dangerous to me. It seems like baby." Amethyst countered, peering up at the squirming infant in Garnet's hold.
"Maybe right now. You saw that light, Garnet. I don't want it around Steven." Pearl declared, trying to keep Steven from wriggling free of her hold. He was pointing at the space baby in Garnet's hold, chubby hands grabbing.
"It is a weapon. Greg's book on human children does say we shouldn't leave those where Steven could get them." Garnet commented musingly.
Amethyst looked annoyed. "Ahw man, I wanted to teach Steven the whip. Ranged weapons are the best."
"Hmph, I'll be teaching him the sword which has clear advantages to the whip." Pearl stated with an air of superiority.
"Guys… No weapons."
Even though it was clear to Garnet he'd be learning the gauntlet. He had an obvious affinity for smashing sand castles and food already.
"Ugh… Lame!" Amethyst groaned. "So what do we do with Not-Steven, here?"
"I might know someone." Garnet trailed.
There had been a couple at the courthouse a few days ago. She had gone at Pearl's urging that Steven needed some type of legal documents to establish him as an Earth resident. The two Gems, their fight with Homeworld still raw, wanted some assurance, something on paper they could argue to Zircons if it came down to it that Steven was the property of Earth. That venture had not gone well. But it seems it had not been a waste of time after all.
The couple had been there seeking adoption, in search of a child. The Gem could tell they were heartbroken at being rejected in their efforts. They seemed like nice people. They had mentioned they were from Empire City. That should be far enough away from Steven.
She bounced the baby, Not-Steven, in her arms, running a soothing hand along the back of its head. It already had thick, wavy hair, long for a baby. Not-Steven settled, staring up at Garnet with wide eyes. It was kind of cute, she supposed.
"I'll be back." Garnet stated, turning away from the two Gems and the baby half Gem.
Steven cried, reaching for Garnet and Not-Steven.
It hadn't taken much and with a little Future Vision, Garnet had found the brownstone in Empire City. The two humans had opened their door to find Garnet, wrapped in a mysterious travelers cape for dramatic effect on their doorstep. Not-Steven was asleep in the crook of her right arm.
"I understand you would like a baby." She said without preamble.
"Um…" the dark haired man trailed. The tall blonde with spectacles eyed her warily.
Garnet thrust her forward unceremoniously and Not-Steven woke up and began to cry. The man on the left took her immediately, eyes watering.
"David, we can't just take a random infant." Gary, the blonde, hissed, "It's illegal."
"So is us adopting, apparently." David stated bitterly.
"You'll take Not-Steven." Garnet confirmed, eyebrows raised. That was easier than anticipated.
"Uh…If Not-Steven is the baby… Yes?" Gary asked, sharing a glance with David who nodded. Not-Steven cooed, happy to be comfortable again.
"Don't you want to… I don't know… Confirm we're good people?"
"I know you are." Garnet only stated, not elaborating. "You'll take good care of her."
"We will." David confirmed, heart melting at the infant in his arms. She'd settled, beginning to doze. She let out a yawn.
"Do you.. um… want money?" Gary asked, uncomfortably.
"Gary!"
"What? I don't know how the illegal baby trade works."
Garnet shook her head, "No money. Just promise me you will never take her to Beach City."
"Hm… My brother Hershel is from there but he always comes here for Thanksgiving anyway." David mused aloud, glancing over at Gary.
Garnet made a move for Not-Steven and David quickly pulled out of her reach, "We promise! No Beach City!"
"Good." Garnet nodded.
"No Gems, either."
"Gems?" They both asked, confused.
"Alien race from space." Garnet deadpanned. David and Gary shared a look.
"Oh. Is she a…?" David asked cautiously.
"No. But they're dangerous for her. Keep her safe."
"We will."
Present Day...
The living room was just as she remembered it, a cozy thing made up of leather and navy. Her Dad's work as a linguist meant art and calligraphy prints the world round. Her Pop's social work and love of bands contributed to the textbooks and vinyl. The mantle held three different replica swords from renaissance fairs past.
The librarian sat on her parents couch, Connie and Garnet next to her across from her parents.
"I'm going to assume I am the Not-Steven in that story."
"Safe bet." Connie muttered dryly.
"No wonder you two freaked out when I moved to Beach City." She sighed.
"It was one of the two things she said not to do! We thought she was just some crazy lady at first. But then the next thing you know Gems are on the news and aliens are real. Beach City was national news, what with the giant hand attack and then with the Gem colony settling there…"
"Not that we have anything against Gems!" Her Dad cut in hastily.
"Garnet's a Gem, by the way." Connie clarified helpfully. Garnet gave a thumbs up.
"Checks out." Pops trailed, eying up the incredibly tall fusion.
"Why didn't you tell me sooner?" The librarian asked Garnet.
"I didn't consider the possibility that you were Not-Steven until I saw your light. I thought you were just a human."
"Yeah… Me too."
Connie seemed concerned and shared a concerned glance with her Pops.
The librarian stood up suddenly. "I'll um… be right back. Bathroom." She said weakly around the lump in her throat.
"So just so we're clear… You're … not her mom?"
"Moms are a human construct."
The librarian made her way up the stairs, past the family portraits and her school pictures. Upstairs she headed for the second door on the left and slipped inside. She flipped on the light, staring into her childhood bedroom.
It was exactly how she remembered it. There was a twin bed in the corner, science fiction posters slapped on powder blue walls. The comforter was fluffy, covered in cartoon clouds. She sat at her desk. Empty of her books, it didn't feel the same. There was a picture of her with her musical theater friends shoved in her mirror. Trophies from her piano competitions in elementary grades lined the top shelves. These were all the markers of a normal human childhood.
She swallowed thickly. She was human. She felt human.
Then again, what did being a Light Prism even feel like? Absently she touched her chest, hand hovering where the others had said the light had emerged.
She fished her cell phone out of her pocket and the screen lit up.
No new notifications.
She wanted to text Steven. To call him and talk through what it meant to be raised a human and not be human. He'd probably have good advice. He wasn't answering her calls though.
Three unanswered and unreturned phone calls had been all her dignity had allowed before it became painfully obvious he wasn't speaking to her. He didn't want to be around after she woke up, after all. She swallowed thickly.
She sighed, looking around her room. It was the same as always but now it felt poisoned, like she didn't deserve it.
She was torn from further thought when an explosion knocked her to her feet, shattering the glass and knocking trophies off shelves. Her glasses went askew and she adjusted them from her new spot face first on her shag rug, startled.
"…Dad! Pops!" Her voice trailed out, panic rising.
Silence.
"Connie? Garnet?" She called out.
She took the stairs down two at a time, nearly tripping in her fumbling to get to the main level. The front door and the living room were blasted open to the street, bricks crumbling and furniture overturned in a cloud of drywall dust and blaring car alarms.
"Where is it? Pink Diamond's Light Prism? I know it's here." There was a haughty, manic voice coming from the street.
She nearly made it to the remnants of the living room when her Dad grabbed her by the shoulder, hand covering her mouth. He urged her to stay put so she did. From the crumbling half wall she was able to see her Pops, Garnet, and Connie in the middle of the street.
Across from them, projected in a hologram was what looked like a male Gem. He had dark tousled hair, a brown leather jacket with black lapels. He wore underneath it a brown suit with buttons. In his forehead sat a disk that shined like a new penny.
"Light Prisms went extinct over eight thousand years ago. The last recorded use of one was Hessonite during the colonization of Earth." Garnet stated. Glasses and stance combined to form a cool air of defiance.
Connie saddled up next to her, an imposing five foot five and added, "Not that it's any of your business."
"Such impudence from the natural fauna here on Earth. A shame really, that the Great Diamond Authority's forces didn't wipe you off the star map." The hologram man stated dryly.
"Who's the rude floaty guy?" Pops grumbled, crossing his arms.
"Who am I?" He asked, genuinely affronted. "I am Copper, Electric Grade, C101. And you… You are in possession of a weapon that belongs to my most Precious Metal!"
Garnet raised an eyebrow, gauntlets already appeared but still at her side.
"We don't have any weapon." She stated flatly.
"You… liar! My scans sense its power source emanating inside that primitive dwelling." Copper was practically frothing at the mouth now. Two clamp arms extended from the sides from the hovering spacecraft. "Hand it over!"
It dove for the brownstone and Garnet swiftly intervened, giving the spacecraft an uppercut to the craft that left the arms spinning like a top and it flying backwards.
Garnet's tone left no room for debate, "I am warning you right now. Leave Earth."
"You are violating the Era Three Intergalactic Accords. There is no Light Prism and you are invading a peaceful planet on no grounds." Connie parroted some words she heard Steven use from Diamond meetings, pointing a sword at the craft.
Her Dad shuffled anxiously, "Did she steal that from our living room?"
The librarian hushed him, straining to hear.
"No grounds? No grounds?! You… arrogant… Gems." He spat out, hatred apparent, "Pink Diamond has a Light Prism that rightfully belongs to My Metal… That's stealing! You think just because you set up the Accords everyone has to play by your rules? No!" There was a twist and the center of the spacecraft was replaced with what ominously looked like a cannon.
"Give me the Light Prism!" The librarian made a move to get up from her hiding spot but her Dad tightened his clasp on her shoulder and shook his head.
"No." Garnet only stated flatly, gauntlets smashing together. The hologram disappeared with the frustrated yell of Copper and the spacecraft unleashed a deafening laser of light that forced Garnet, Connie and Pops to dive out of the way.
"I wish I had my sword." Connie grumbled, flicking the fireplace sword out to second position.
"Let's do this." Garnet stated. The two shared a nod and Garnet dodged another light beam, feigning left, then right she charged the spacecraft head on.
She dodged, avoiding metal arms that pierced the ground in an explosion of rubble like spears. She hit the center cannon with a one-two punch combo that caved the barrel in.
Connie meanwhile slid underneath the floating spacecraft on her knees, sword dragging along the undercarriage. Had it been her sword, it would have pierced. Unfortunately the blade snapped free from the hilt. She was grabbed by a robot arm by the ankle and jerked up into the air.
"Connie!" The librarian was moving before she had a chance to think, brushing off her Dad's grip and scrambling through the rubble.
She grabbed bricks as she went, hurling them in the direction of the spacecraft.
"Hey! Put her down! Don't you dare hurt her you hunk of junk!"
A stray brick hit and it turned, a complete one eighty. The lights whirled and she swallowed the lump in her throat. You got its attention. Now what?
Garnet barked out her name, "Go back inside!"
Aloft, the hologram of Copper reappeared, eyes peering through his display in confusion.
"Another human? This planet is absolutely infested with.." He trailed, scans whirring and lights blinking around him. He eagerly tapped at his displays. "Oh. Not human…"
A pause and then a bark of laughter sounded from him.
"You're the Light Prism? What a ridiculous form you've taken."
The librarian glared up at him, "Pops was right. You are rude. Put Connie down, right now."
He stared at her blankly. "What's a Connie?"
"The human in the claw! Ground. Right now." She spat. The hand kept its grip and the spaceship zoomed closer, the hologram large and intimidating as it stared down at her. She had to tip her head back to stare straight up at him.
"As if I'd take orders from a Light Prism." He crowed in laughter. "You get told what to do. You don't get to tell me, a superior life form-"
"Garnet?" The librarian called out, deeply annoyed.
"All over it." Garnets gauntlets came down on the top of the spacecraft in a double fisted dunk, caving in the metal dome in a shower of sparks. There was a deactivation hiss and the bot collapsed. Pops helped Connie to her feet, free from the claw.
"Thanks. Nice one." The librarian smiled at Garnet, fist bumping her as the gauntlets dissolved.
The hologram of Copper flickered, laughing, "You think this over? Oh no. We know where you are now, Light Prism. We're coming for you." He spat. "If you think you can hide behind a fusion…"
"I'm not hiding. I live in Beach City. And I have a name." She pronounced it syllable by syllable, slowly. "See you around, Copper." She stated flatly, staring directly into the lens.
If there was one thing video games were good for it was fine tuning the ability to talk large quantities of smack. She arched an eyebrow and the lens flickered and went dark.
Villain gone, she deflated, running a hand through her hair. She fought to keep from full on shaking, swallowing thickly. Nausea swelled.
"Oh god… Why did I say that? What was I doing? I feel sick."
"You did well." Garnet clasped her on the shoulder.
"Connie? Are you okay?" She asked nervously. Her friend smiled, giving her a thumbs up.
She collapsed now into a full on spiral of anxiety.
"What the heck is going on?" Her Dad asked next to her.
She ignored him and whirled an accusatory finger at Garnet, "You can't tell Steven about this!"
"Are you nuts?" Connie yelled, "The Metals were White Diamond's biggest competitor for galaxy colonization in Era Two. And you don't want to tell Steven and the Diamonds that they are after you?"
"Connie's right." Garnet clarified. She narrowed her eyes at her.
Of course she was. But she didn't have to like it.
"Well… I don't really see how it's Steven's business." She fidgeted.
"You are not that ignorant." Connie protested, exasperated.
The librarian fidgeted some more.
"You can't even defend yourself. What are you gonna do?" Connie continued her tirade.
"I don't know!" She yelled back, startling all nearby. At their stares she crumbled.
"I don't know, okay?" She repeated, voice softer this time.
"Don't tell the Diamonds yet." Garnet interrupted smoothly, "What I said about Light Prisms being rare is true. I don't know how they will react. That path is not clear."
"Great."
"But you should talk to Steven."
"Great." She repeated, but with more sarcasm.
"Uh… Who is Steven?" Her Pops interjected.
"Short answer? Steven Universe is the defender of Earth from the Diamond invasion several years ago, founder of Little Homeworld. Also known as Pink Diamond. Shorter, shorter answer? He's my uhm… My uh…"
She blanked on a noun to describe her relationship to the half Gem.
"He's her boyfriend." Connie cut in unceremoniously.
"Connie!"
"What? He is!"
"Ugh… Ex-boyfriend. Maybe? I don't know. We're not speaking right now." She huffed.
Her Dad and Pops glared at her. Both men had their hands on their hips and she cringed.
"You're dating someone and you didn't even tell us? Young lady…." Her Dad trailed, stern voice rising.
"Oh come on! Half the house caved in and you're mad I'm dating someone? I'm an adult, Dad!" She exclaimed, gesturing to the brownstone.
"I'm not mad that you're dating. I'm mad you didn't tell us! We're your parents!"
"Still?" She asked, gesturing around them to the utter chaos. She watched realization dawn, her Dad's anger deflating. She could see the warmth flood his brown eyes and her mouth suddenly felt dry.
"Oh sweetheart…" Her Pops embraced her as did her Dad.
"Yes, still. You think being a Light Prism or an alien changes that? We raised you."
"You will always be our daughter." Her Dad's muffled voice confirmed. She sniffed,`refusing to cry again today but coming dangerously close to anyway.
"As such… You are still going to catch hell for not telling us you're seeing someone." Her Pop intoned. She laughed. Her Dad fished his phone out of his slacks pocket and began to type.
"Steven Universe…. Steven Universe… Oh, honey, is this photo recent? He's very adorable but isn't he a little young?" he asked, eyebrow raised at his phone screen. He flashed it at her, the familiar press photo of Steven at seventeen outside of Little Homeworld on opening day flashing into her line of sight.
"Dad! Are you really Googling him?" She felt her face heat.
"Let me see!" Her Pops cut in, horning his face into her Dad's personal space to see his screen. He turned the screen around to show her Pops.
Garnet hovered above them, "Oh that was five years ago. I believe I have some more recent photos…" Garnet conjured a giant photo album from out of her blue gem in a beam of light.
"Oooh. Nice scrapbook. You know David has a few inside of the little lady as well if you're interested."
"Oh yes." Garnet only grinned.
"Oh no…" The librarian trailed, witnessing an alliance of proud parents.
"Come back inside. I'll set the tea kettle on. If it survived the blast." Her Pops stated, the three parents making their way back towards the crumbling brownstone.
"You okay?" Connie asked her, coming up beside her.
"Yeah." She said after a moment, "Yeah, I think so." She smiled.
The human and the human Gem weapon linked arms and followed them.
Notes: Error 404 Steven not found. He'll be back next chapter.
Not sure what your home life is like, reader, but take two wholesome dads instead.
Also - Yeah, yeah. I too played Save the Light and I know the video games do their own thing with Light Prisms. But also... Nah? Look at me. I'm the captain, now.
I had fun this chapter. Copper was a campy delight to write. And imagining Garnet making a detour just to get a cape in order to show up Very Dramatically greatly amused me. Until next time. xoxo