POOF

Rayne Pearl's form had dissipated, leaving behind nothing but a misty cloud of shimmering smoke and a single pale gem. A gem that was falling towards the floor.

Stevonnie dove forward for Rayne's pearl, but a pair of gloved hands beat her to it. Skidding to a stop and landing on one knee, they looked over to find Ellie's arm stretched out from her place on the couch, all the way across the room so that her hands were under Rayne's pearl. Ellie looked devastated, though her arms were steady. Stevonnie breathed a sigh of relief, their entire body slumping.

"Good catch, El!" Axelle groaned, getting up from the sofa.

"Yea," Stevonnie muttered. "Good catch…"

Stevonnie rose to their feet as Garnet grabbed them around the waist and hauled them up, despite being shorter than them. They nodded their thanks and watched Lacey take Rayne's pearl from Ellie's hands and bring it to her cheek. Then instead of retracting her hands Ellie drooped, climbed off the sofa and walked with Axelle over to them. All of them gathered around Lacey and watched her.

"Rayne…" Lacey mumbled. Leaning her face down to Rayne's pearl. "Garnet, what happened?"

Stevonnie looked over at Garnet, lost.

It wasn't like Rayne to dissipate her form for no reason. She was hard to defeat in battle; neither Steven nor Connie had ever seen it. If she was more fragile than she seemed, even Steven had never seen her fall apart like this. Stevonnie was about to unfuse with worry.

Garnet shifted her visor, frowning, then addressed them. "Stars, don't worry. Rayne was just shocked, is all. Stevonnie was quite a surprise."

"But why?" Stevonnie said. "Steven can fuse,. Wasn't she proud?"

"Of course she was proud," Garnet said, looking up at Stevonnie. "But–"

"Rayne was so close to Pink," Lacey cut in. "They were even closer than I was with her. They shared things that I still don't know about. Seeing you Stevonnie, when you look so much like her… it must have brought her back to last time she saw Pink."

"When… Steven's Mom died…" Stevonnie whispered in shock. They saw Axelle and Ellie wince.

"Rayne was close to Pink," Garnet said, "but that doesn't mean you shouldn't be around her."

Gasping, Stevonnie stared. "How did you know?"

Smiling, Garnet tilted her head, and just behind her hair was one purplish eye that blinked at them. Or maybe winked at them.

Stevonnie grinned despite themself. "Future vision!"

"And besides," Garnet continued as she reached out and pulled Lacey's hands, with Rayne's pearl in them, away from her face. "Rayne Pearl will be back right about now."

There was an almost musical note as Rayne's pearl lit up and lifted out of Lacey's hands. Stevonnie took a deep breath as Rayne's pearl floated in mid-air, then bright opaque light blossomed out of it and formed her outline. After a second, the light subsided and there was Pearl, good as new, looking no different from before. She seemed refreshed if nothing else. When her gem stopped glowing, she dropped from the air, landed lightly on her feet.

"Oh. Oh!" Rayne looked around and blushed. "How embarrassing! Please excuse me, everyone." Rayne turned to Stevonnie and stared. "Oh my… Myyyyy Diiiiiamooooond!" She closed the distance between herself and Stevonnie and threw her arms around their neck, jumping to do so.

Stevonnie gasped and caught her around the waist with the laugh.

"My Diamond, you can fuse! Oh, my stars! And Connie! I can't believe this!" Rayne hopped down and looked Stevonnie up and down. "This is amazing! An organic gem fusing with a natural gem! That is amazing! Garnet did you see this."

"Not at all," Garnet said with a smile.

"What's your name again?" Rayne asked.

"They're Stevonnie," Lacey said, wrapping her arms around Rayne and Stevonnie. "Raspberry Quartz."

"Ah! Raspberry Quartz!" Rayne hugged Stevonnie again. "I am so proud of you!"

"Thanks," Stevonnie said. "Oh! And there's one more thing!"

Stepping back, Stevonnie unfused with a flash of light, leaving behind Steven and Connie, who were clasping hands. Steven's gem turned back on its side, his long curls more black than pink, and his eyes passed for normal. Steven grinned and squeezed Connie's hand.

"Guys!" Steven said. "I'm going to tell the other Diamonds I'm ready to take the throne!"

A gasp filled the room.

"You are?" Axelle asked.

"Holy moly," Ellie cried. "The Diamond's are going to be so happy!"

"Steven," Rayne said, "are you sure you're ready?"

"Yes," Lacey nodded. "Being a Diamond is hard work all the time. Are you sure you don't want to wait?"

"Stars," Garnet said, commanding the room. "Steven has trained his entire life for this. He's a far cry from the child he used to be. And!" Garnet looked at Connie and smiled. "He's got his own pearl now."

Connie blushed and would have taken her hand from Steven's but he held it too tightly. In fact, he took his arms and wrapped them around her shoulders. It was both smothering and comforting, like a hot, over-sized blanket. Her first instinct was to pull away, but the warmth was so comfortable she settled into it despite her reservations. It was like melting into bed after a long day of training; she felt both physically uncomfortable and content.

"I'll do my best to support him," Connie said.

All eyes were on her, all smiling faces. Connie felt like she should run. But just as it got unbearable, Steven let her go.

"Heh, heh, heh." Steven shifted. He was still so close to Connie that she could feel him moving behind her. "Guys, you're doing the thing again."

"What thing?" Axelle asked.

"Staring," Steven said flatly.

"Come on," Garnet said. "Let's get to work."

"Work?" Ellie asked.

"If Steven is going to take the throne, we've got to get ready." Garnet turned to Rayne and Lacey. "You guys should start the preparation to leave for Homeworld. Connie can go with you."

"Actually," Steven said blushing a little, "I want to take Connie to meet my Dad. Can you guys hold down the base while we head back to the surface?"

"Fine," Garnet said, "but you have to give the other Diamonds a call first."

Steven groaned but nodded. "Okay. Hold on." He marched over to the vanity and pressed a series of diamond-shaped buttons in a musical pattern. Then he stood back and folding his arms over his chest.

"Is he really calling the Diamonds?" Connie whispered.

"Yes," Rayne said. "He is a Diamond. You'll learn to do this for him soon." Rayne put an arm around Connie's shoulders. "Don't worry, you'll be fine. The Diamond these days are very different from their image."

"How so?" Connie asked, but before she got her answer, a diamond-shape screen opened up in front of the vanity and a pearl appeared.

She wore yellow and gold clothes with a large yellow diamond on her chest, under her pearl. She must have been none other than Yellow Diamond's Pearl. "Oh!" the Pearl said. "Pink Lotus! How are you, my Lustrous One?"

Steven laughed uncomfortably. "Hi, Sun. I'm still going by my middle name."

"Oh, yes," Sun said, "Forgive me, Pink Steven."

Steven grinned tightly. "Right. Anyway, where's Daisey?"

"Yellow Diamond is in her extraction chamber at the moment. Should I get her?"

"Yes, please!" Steven chirped.

"Very good, Pink Steven." The line went black and Steven said.

"Steven," Connie whispered.

"Yea?" Steven whispered back.

"Steven is your middle name?"

A dark pink hue covered Steven's face. "Well, uh… yea. All the Diamonds have flower-based names, including me."

"The Diamonds have names?!" Connie whispered loudly. " Is Daisy–?"

"Shh," Garnet said, and just as she did the line came back on.

Sun was back. "Pink Steven? Yellow Diamond."

And then there she was in all her glory. Yellow Diamond. She looked softer than Connie imagined. She was relaxing in what looked like a sauna, reclined in a chair, smiling.

"Well, if it isn't Lotus. It's been a while."

"Daisy!" another voice said harshly. "He goes by Steven." The screen shifted and Blue Diamond appeared. "Steven! How are you?"

"I'm fine, Iris," Steven laughed. "Better than fine, actually. I have something to tell you!"

"Are you finally going to choose?" Blue Diamond asked.

Steven sputtered, and Connie could swear he glanced at her. "N-no! I mean… not right no… Maybe later."

"Soon?" Blue Diamond pushed.

"I… don't know! I'm going to be really busy soon, anyway."

"Oh?" Yellow Diamond said. "Why?"

"I'm ready to take Mom's place in the Authority! I'm ready to reveal myself!"

There was a moment of silence as Yellow and Blue Diamond looked at each other.

"Are you sure you're ready?" Blue Diamond asked. "I mean, the entire universe will know you then."

Steven blushed, more Pink than usual. Much more pink than usual. "Guys! I can do this."

"I don't know, Lotus," Yellow muttered. "Are you sure about this?"

The pink in Steven's face rose. Or lowered, it was down to his arms and hands. "Yes! I'm sure! I have my own army. I have my own planets! I'm ready. I deserve to rule. I'm just as important as you are!"

There was a moment of silence. Rayne was squeezing Connie so tight it hurt. Everything seemed to stand still.

Then Yellow Diamond laughed, while Blue Diamond hid a smile behind her hand. The pink in Steven's skin faded as he stared at the screen.

"You… guys?" Steven muttered.

"Oh, Lotus," Yellow Diamond said. "You're so much like your mother."

Yellow Diamond smiled, and it lit up the screen like the afternoon sun lights up the oceanfront. Connie would have sworn there were rainbows and sparkles in the room. It occurred to her that Steven had called Yellow Diamond's Pearl "Sun". A fitting name for the pearl of such a shimmering gem.

But the comment made her pause. Pink Diamond had been wise and benevolent. It seemed impossible that she would yell, or rage, or make angry demands. She was a Diamond; would who she ever need to shout a demand at? The more Connie listened and watched, the more she learned and less she knew.

"Alright, Lotus," Yellow Diamond said. "You've made your case. You can reveal yourself on your next birthday."

"What?!" Steven shouted. "That long?!"

"Now, Steven," Blue Diamond mumbled. "Yellow is right. We need to prepare. And your pearl needs to be ready. Your mother picked you an organic pearl and they're notoriously difficult to customize."

Connie's mouth dropped open a little. Pink Diamond herself had picked her? But how? She hadn't been born when Pink Diamond died to give birth to Steven. How could she have known?

"Yea!" Steven blurted out. "I'm sure my pearl will be great. I gotta go now, so–"

"Steven!" Blue Diamond snapped. She looked annoyed. "Let us talk to Garnet first."

"Okay. But I'm going to go, so bye." Without another word, Steven rushed from the vanity and to Connie. "Garnet, you can take care of this," he said as he untangled Connie from Rayne's grasp.

"I sure can, My Diamond." Garnet nodded and strode over the screen, doing an almost casual salute as she reached it. "My Diamonds," she said coolly.

Connie wanted to see more, but Steven had started pulling her out of the room as soon as Garnet walked away and they reach the door as she spoke. Steven shut the door behind them and began pulling her down the hallway.

"Steven?" Connie said, keeping pace with him, "How did your mother choose me for you?"

"Uh… It's not important." Steven looked back at her.

Connie frowned. "More secrets, My Diamond?"

They stopped so suddenly that Connie ran into Steven's back and they landed in a heap on the floor.

"Sorry," they both said.

There was silence as they untangled themselves, then sat on the floor together.

"No," Steven said. "I really am sorry. I thought we wouldn't have any more secrets, but… I don't want you to hate me."

An urge rose within Connie and taking a chance, she placed her hand on Steven's cheek. "I could never hate you, Steven. You're my Diamond and my best friend."

A blush spread across Steven's face. "Really?"

Connie nodded.

"Well… okay." Steven took a breath. "Mom wanted everything to be perfect for me when I took her place. So before she died, she had Garnet look into the future. She was looking for a perfect pearl for me. An organic one, like me. Garnet said they looked for someone… who would match me and be my friend."

Steven was almost as pink as when he had yelled, but the hues were different. He hadn't been blushing with anger, after all.

"They found that a rose quartz and a ruby that would have a pearl after I was born…"

"Me. Your mother saw me."

"Well, Garnet saw you." Steven looked straight down at the floor. "I thought if you knew, you'd hate me. You'd think I was only friends with you because of… destiny."

"Steven," Connie muttered. "Destiny can't make people friends. I would have been friends with you no matter how we met. I think that's what Garnet saw. That's why we… work."

Glancing up, Steven smiled. "Yea? Still Jam Buds?"

"Always Jam Buds," Connie said firmly. "Now… uh, we're not really going back to the surface like this, are we?"

Gesturing down at their clothes, Connie laughed. She was swimming in Pink Diamond's old dress and Steven was just in his leotard.

Laughing too, Steven shook his head. "No. My room is just over there. You can use–"

"Lacey's clothes! That's where you got the pink outfit for me before!"

"Yea. Come on." Steven lifted himself to his feet and held out his hand for Connie.

She took it and he picked her up off the floor.

#

"So your Mom's name was Rose?" Connie said. "And she named the other Diamonds?"

"Yep," Steven said.

They were walking through a part of town Connie had never been to. It was the place where the working gems lived, away from the barracks of the Pink Stars base and the boardwalk where the entertainment-manned mostly by pearls-was. The perfect lines of houses, all with a pink diamond on the front doors, reminded Connie of home. Steven dressed like a soldier, in a plain tank top of pink, darker pink pants fitted snuggly to his thick legs, and a pair of black boots.

When Connie had first seen him in the clothes, she commented that he looked like a rose quartz, to which he'd laughed and said, "Mom would crack if she knew I walked around calling myself Rose Quartz as much as I do. Rose quartzes are her babies, like my older sisters, but she was super proud of her influence as a Diamond."

Connie looked like a soldier too, for once, in a long sleeve shirt, pants, and boots all in different shades of pink. Steven had said it would be easier to walk around like this. When Connie asked why they wouldn't just hide, Steven replied it would be too hard in this part of town.

"The thing is, I didn't always live with the Pink Stars. When I was a baby I lived with Dad. I only hide my face when I'm around the Stars."

So they were walking together out in the open, dressed like rose quartzes, talking softly about the Diamonds.

"Mom loved Roses," Steven said. "She put them everywhere. She even made the rose quartz gems because of it. After she took in organic gems, she started calling herself Pink Rose."

"And then she named the other Diamond," Connie finished. "Yellow Daisey, who's pearl is Sun."

"Like sunshine!" Steven chirped.

"Blue Iris and Star."

"A blue star pearl. Very hot and powerful."

"And…" Connie trailed off. Talking about the last Diamond was a bit much even now, even as Pink Diamond's Pearl.

"And White Lily," Steven said. "Aunt Lily doesn't have a pearl, but frankly she doesn't really need one. Her role lets her go do things personally and everyone is a pearl compared to her."

"Yea…" Connie muttered. She glanced at Steven. The sun was shining down, making his black hair shine with the Pink highlights that Connie loved. "And you're Pink Lotus."

Steven laughed. "Having names makes it easier to tell me and Mom apart since were both Pink Diamond. She's Pink Rose Diamond and I'm Pink Lotus Diamond."

"Pink Lotus Steven Diamond."

"Well," Steven blushed. "Technically, I'm Pink Lotus Steven Universe-Diamond."

"Is Universe your father's facet?" Connie asked. "That must be where you got the fake facet and cut that you told me when we met."

"It's not fake," Steven laughed. "I'm Pink Diamond, Facet UN-VRS, Cut ST-VN. Mom and Dad named me before she died. Well, Mom picked out two names and Dad gave one to me when I was born."

"What was the other name?" Connie muttered.

"Cut N-RA. If I was a girl."

"You'd be such a cute girl," Connie replied without thinking. She blushed but noticerd Steven blushing as well.

"Dad's house is up ahead," Steven blurted out. "The one on the corner."

Up ahead, the rows of houses gave way to an intersection. A few cars wandered into the four-way stop and went on their way. Diagonal from the corner Connie and Steven were approaching was a huge building, not a house but a wash station, combined with a private garage. Sitting outside the garage was a van. It was cloud white with faint blue accents and splashed across the side were the letters UN-VRS.

"Your Dad owns a wash station?" Connie asked. "I thought he's an ametrine?"

"He is! Dad was… he was Mom's ametrine," Steven said in a voice just above a whisper. "When she died he got to do anything he wanted. But he didn't… want to play for the other Diamond's courts. And he had me to raise. He got the wash from a lapis lazuli."

"Is the lapis lazuli his boss?" Connie eyed the wash station.

"She used to be. She died a while back. Dad is really well off because the Diamonds, especailly Aunt Iris, give him anything he needs. He could have just lived on my base, or back on Homeworld, but he likes the wash station. He worked for Lapis before he became Mom's ametrine, while he was still looking for work suited to his gem, and I guess he finds it sort of like home."

"Oh. Does he have a pearl?"

"Nah, Dad doesn't like being waited on. And he doesn't have any stuff for them to tend to. I guess it comes with being born a musician. He's not into material stuff."

They were at the corner where Steven pressed the button to cross and the intersection slowly crossed down by flashing a warning for several seconds, then putting up barriers so that pedestrians could cross. The barriers were waist high and translucent pink. Connie trailed her fingers along them as they crossed straight along the longest path, from one corner to the other.

Music floated from the wash station, a baritone voice, similar to Steven's voice.

And it's a full-time job admiring all the ways that you're inspiring. If I had my way I'd do it all-day–

"The only problem is it doesn't pay!" Steven picked up where was song was. "I think I need a little cha-a-ange. I think a need a little cha-a-ange. I think I need a little cha-a-a-a-a-a-ange."

"Stchu-ball?" a voice said over the music as its volume suddenly fell. "Is that you kid?"

"Hey, Dad! I brought a friend!"

An older gem walked out of the wash. He was tanned with shorts and a tank top. He had the same terrible sandals that Steven usually wore. Ametrine also had the same round, solid shape that Steven shared with quartz soldiers. The facet resemblance stopped at the hair texture. While Steven and his father shared a long mane of hair in common, where Steven's was curly and black, Ametrine's was straight as an arrow, and a dark brown like wet sand. Even their bangs were different. Ametrine's hair being lighter than Steven's. While Steven's hair held its shape like a ruby's thick hair, Ametrine's got caught up in the wind coming from the tunnel of the wash station.

"Hey!" Ametrine said. "You must be Pearl!"

"Yes," Connie said. "And you're Ametrine. You can call me Connie."

Ametrine laughed. "Thank you. You can call me Greg."

"Oh!" Connie blushed. "Thank you."

"Dad guess what!" Steven said excitedly. "I'm going to…" Steven dropped his voice. "… take Mom's place. For real now."

Greg stared, mouth open. "For… for real?! Oh my stars, that's great Stchu-ball!"

Steven and Greg went to each other and hugged. They rocked back the forth before parting and walking over the van in the driveway. Greg opened the back, and Steven climbed in.

"Come on over, Connie," Steven said, waving her over.

Connie did as he said and climbed into the back of the van next to Steven. Greg perched on the edge of the back, next to the doors, smiling.

"So what did the other Diamonds say when you told them?" Greg asked.

Steven chuckled and titled his head to one side. "Well, Daisey and Iris were pretty much fine with it. Worried about me, but fine. I haven't talked to Lily yet."

"Oh, geez," Greg said, wincing. He turned to Connie and said, "Have you met Lily yet?"

Connie couldn't bring herself to call White Diamond by her name. It made her blush to even think about it. She shook her head. "Not yet."

"Oh, well, Lily can be a little overbearing. She loves her subjects and loves Steven, but she can be… intense."

"But it's fine!" Steven cut in, loudly and cheerfully. "I've got a handle on Lily. And don't worry, she's going to love you!"

Steven took her hand and squeezed it. Connie smiled weakly, and it was more because she knew Steven wanted her to and because she wanted to make him happy, than for any other reason.

"Isn't this going to be great?" Steven said, staring at her and gripping her hand. "We're going to be Diamond and Pearl! Together all the time."

That thought made Connie a little giddy. It was a life she never imagined for herself. Not only being the pearl of one of the Diamonds but being his… well, something to him.

"You kids are too cute," Greg said with a laugh. "You remind me of Rose and me."

Steven gasped and squeezed Connie's hand so hard it hurt. "Mom?" he said. "Wow. Why?"

"Well, Rose might have been a Diamond, but she was… impulsive? Excitable. She loved life and was so excited about everything the future held." Greg smiled and seemed to not even see them anymore. He laughed. "I remember the day she introduced me to the other Diamonds."

"Oh, my stars!" Steven shouted. "I've never heard that story!"

Greg laughed again, this time more loudly. "Is there really a story I haven't told you?"

Steven didn't answer Greg. Instead, he turned to Connie and put his other hand around the one of hers he was holding. "Dad tells the best stories," he said excitedly. "Half of what I learned about Mom, I learned from Dad's random stories about her."

Connie smiled and thought, what about the other half?

Steven finally let go of Connie's hand, only to link their arms. She found that was more comfortable and settled into next to him. When Steven looked at Greg expectantly, she did too.

Greg looked back at them, smiling. "I guess I have to tell it, don't I? Steven, are you ever going to get too big for my stories?"

"Never," Steven said confidently.

Greg shrugged and fished a digital control out of his pocket. He opened its screen, tapped a few sections, then raised the level on one slider. From the van's speakers, Greg's disembodied voice suddenly sang.

You. Look at everything you are. Look at everything you do. It's incredible, as incredible as you.

"I came from one of the nearby colonies," Greg said. "Gliese-667-Cc. I was on New Homeworld for about a month when I ran into Rose."

#

It was a stupidly hot day in Star City. Even the more sensitive natural-gems were slowing down their work production, and orders had come down for organic gems to take the day off completely. Most gems huddled inside under the AC or eating something cool. The mains ones working were the lapis lazuli, larimars and snowflake obsidians of both types. Water and ice were in high demand.

Greg wasn't a lapis lazuli, but he worked for one. As an ametrine, he should have been relaxing, but he hadn't found a job suitable for his gem type and he still needed to earn his daily meals, not to mention some spending money. Plus, since he didn't have an owner, or any prestige to buy a place of his own he would have gotten stuck in the dorms if he didn't live at the wash station with Lapis. He owed her for giving him a private room in a private house, so he wouldn't have live five-to-a-room in the dorms. Greg loved people, but it was hard to concentrate on songwriting when he had four roommates around him.

So he was working in the wash station on the hottest day of the year. Or rather, he was lounging sleepily in a chair under an umbrella at the wash station. There hadn't been a single car all morning. Lapis was gone helping pump water into pools and Greg was alone, bored, and hot. He was just about to doze off when a shadow fell across his legs and feet, only part of him that was out in the sun. He looked up and saw her.

She was tall, taller than most quartz soldiers by a few inches and built like a tank. With short pink hair that curled around her face. The pink gem wore a halter top and a pair of shorts with sandals.

"Um," she said.

Greg watched her shift from foot to foot. She was the most beautiful gem he'd ever seen. Her face was round and cute, and she had a pair of heart-shaped sunglasses on.

"I - I like your shoes," she mumbled.

Greg looked down at his feet. They were right next to hers and in the same sandals, she was in. His was brown, and hers were pink, but they were the same. Sandals were rare.

"Oh!" he said. "Thanks. I got them for a concert I gave back on Gliese-667-Cc."

The pink gem gasped. "You're a musician?" She looked at him more closely. "Purple and yellow. You're an ametrine. "

Smiling, Greg touched his forehead. He had on a circlet of titanium and his gem sat over the middle of his forehead. His hair constantly hid it, but it was a bright purple and a yellow so deep it looked gold.

"Yep. Ametrine, Facet UN-VRS, Cut G-RG. You can call me Greg."

"What do call yourself on stage?!" the pink gem asked excitedly.

Greg hopped to his feet. "I'm … the Universe!"

The pink gem made a muffled squealing sound. "I'm Rose!" she shouted.

Greg suddenly noticed they were standing very close to each other. He wanted to back up, but with his chair behind him, there was no place to go. He laughed, instead of moving.

"Hey, Rose."

#

"I didn't even know she was who she was," Greg said to Connie and Steven. "She didn't really look like herself."

Connie glanced at Steven. Steven had black hair and deep brown eyes with round pupils. It was obvious he'd gotten his knack for hiding from his mother.

"How long until you met the other Diamonds?" Steven asked.

"Well, that was a total accident, actually," Greg sighed. "I didn't know Rose was a Diamond for months. I even met her pearls and the pink stars and I didn't know. I thought Rose was her gem type. I thought she a rose quartz for the Pink Stars."

Connie pressed her back teeth together, but relaxed when Steven squeezed her arm and said, "Well, it was a smart idea."

"It has worked for you," Greg laughed. "But she never told me she was a rose quartz. She just said her name was Rose and I assumed the rest. I never even asked any questions to confirm it, because I was sure I knew."

"But," Connie said. "Didn't the Pink Stars, Lacey, or Ellie tell you?"

"No. Rose liked to keep a low profile when she went out of her own. I said she was impulsive. And they always called her Rose in private."

Connie smiled softly and remembered she'd asked Steven once if Pink Diamond would use her name if she had one. He'd told the truth back then. Connie supposed he had always tried to tell the truth when he could.

"So how do you accidentally run into the other Diamonds?" Connie asked.

"I didn't so much run into them," Greg said wistfully, "as I got picked up by them."

"And me? I guess I'm content to be on the arm of someone who is as incredible as you. And it's a full-time job admiring all the ways that you're inspiring. If I had my way I'd do it all day. That's why it's really, really hard to say–"

The song he was composing caught in Greg's throat. A looming blue shadow hovered over him, darkening the sky and blocking his vision of anything but her. Blue Diamond in all her glory.

She was pretty, honestly, with long pale blue hair similar to the shadows on freshly fallen snow, and deep blue skin the color of the sky. She had bright blue eyes that were full of sad kindness, set deep into her long oval face. Greg stared at her for a moment, filled with a strange sense of beautiful, aching melancholy that he could write a whole album about, before remembering himself. He dropped his guitar and saluted.

"My Diamond," he said in a hushed voice, dreading to break the silence.

"It appears to be an ametrine," a small voice near him said.

Greg looked for the source of the voice and found it in a blue pearl, no doubt Blue Diamond's pearl.

"So it is," Blue Diamond said. Her voice was sweet and musical. "Ametrine, did you write that song?"

"Yes, My Diamond," Greg answered with pride. This could be his chance to finally have an owner. One of the Diamonds, no less. It would take him away from Rose and his other friends but wouldn't it be worth it to make it big in Court?

"Wonderful!" Blue Diamond said. She reached out, and to Greg's utter shock, grabbed him around the torso. "Pink and Yellow will just love this. Won't they Pearl?"

"Yes, My Diamond," Pearl said as she began to walk back toward where Blue Diamond had come from.

Greg held his breath and tried not to squirm as Blue Diamond studied him. He had no idea what she was going to do. She could shatter him if she wanted and maybe she would. It was already hard to breathe in her grasp. But after a few seconds that felt like an eternity, Blue Diamond turned her attention over her shoulder.

With metallic clicks Blue Diamonds palanquin marched up to them, Blue Pearl standing at her place next to the seat. The thought of kicking crossed Greg's minds but what would that do? Besides, how could he defy a Diamond? Limpness set in as he was carried to the palanquin and set on Blue Diamond's lap.

The least he could do was watch where they were going, which was into the forest and to Blue Diamond's massive arm shaped ship. The palanquin marched inside and up to the cockpit. Blue Diamond cupped a hand around Greg and lifted the other which was enclosed in a bright blue hue. A rumble tore through the ship and Greg caught himself on Blue Diamond's cupped hand. He didn't realize right away that they were rising. Not until he regained his composure, found his footing on the giant lap and looked out over the giant, soft hand. Clouds rushed by and the blue of the sky gave way to darker and darker hues until he could see the stars beyond the facade of the atmosphere.

His breath caught in his throat and Greg suddenly thought to himself that would never see New Homeworld again. Never again would he watch The Littlest Pearl with Axelle. He'd never jam with Garnet again. He and Rayne would never have a passive-aggressive argument over Rose and stars he loved doing that! And Rose. He'd never see Rose again. He'd never go from passively-aggressively arguing with Rayne about her to telling her how he felt! Greg needed to get off his ship and back to the surface before they made it all the way to Homeworld.

But they never headed past New Homeworld's orbit. The ship slid into New Homeworld's orbit and sling-shot around the planet and to the moon.

Blue Diamond landed her ship with a feather-light touch, before getting up. Greg found himself sitting in her palm this time, peeking around her softly curved fingers at Pink Diamond's base.

Suddenly, the idea occurred to him he wouldn't end up at Homeworld. It was possible Blue Diamond just wanted to take him to Pink Diamond's court. And if that was true, he'd get to see Rose all the time! And Rayne, Garnet, Axelle, and even Lacey and Ellie!

"Daisey!" Blue Diamond called in her sing-song voice. "Come look at what I found on the surface."

Footfalls rang out through the halls, then through an immense door, past a long pair of pink curtains came Yellow Diamond, shining in sun-colored armor.

"Blue," she said almost harshly. "What is that? An ametrine? Did you pick up a random gem?"

"Listen to him sing, Daisey."

Blue Diamond walked quickly to a quartet of thrones, color-coded to the diamonds: White, Yellow, Blue, and Pink. However here, the tiny pink throne, hovered above the others, the biggest white throne, sat on the floor with the two other thrones. Greg found himself set gently on the floor, then Blue Diamond hurried to sit down on her throne. Yellow Diamond sat on the other side of the white throne and looked at him expectantly.

Shifting from foot to foot, Greg considered what he was supposed to do, when he felt a presence by his side. It was Blue Pearl with his guitar.

"Here, Ametrine," she breathed, with a smile.

It was the first smile that hadn't terrified him since he'd been picked up, and he returned it gratefully as he took his guitar.

"Thanks," he said, then put his guitar strap over his head. "Any requests?" he called to the Diamonds as he tuned his precious guitar.

"Play something upbeat!" Blue Diamond said quickly. "Something happy."

"Yes, My Diamond!" Greg shouted and played.

"Some say I have no direction; that I'm a light speed distraction, but that's a knee jerk reaction."

He didn't have any lights or any backing music, and he wasn't even on a proper stage. However, Blue Pearl and Yellow Pearl picked up the beat and vocalized to the sound of his guitar and Greg gave the performance of his life. He played so hard his fingers hurt and sang so passionately he stopped hearing it but felt the notes leave his throat. When he sang the last line, he felt he would collapse.

The room was deathly quiet for a moment before a single pair of clapping hands broke the silence. Greg turned and saw her standing there in the doorway: Rose.

"Rose!" Blue Diamond said, smiling.

"Pink? Why do you look like that?" Yellow Diamond asked.

"I was checking for late amethysts," Rose said. Her form lit up and under her shirt up gem rotated. Greg's eyes grew wide as plates but he made no other move to react as Rose grew several feet and became Pink Diamond. "One late amethyst took us all enough by surprise."

"But you love 8XM," Blue Diamond said.

"Iris!" Pink Diamond sighed. "Call her Amethyst or Axelle. Names, remember?"

"Oh! Of course, Rose. Ametrine."

Greg turned around quickly. "Yes, My Diamond?"

Blue Diamond, Iris, smiled. "What's your name?"

"G-Greg."

"I'm Blue Iris Diamond. This Yellow Daisy Diamond."

Greg saluted. "My Diamonds."

"Were you terrified?" Connie asked, open-mouthed.

"Yes!" Greg said. "Imagine the Diamonds just introducing themselves to you." He laughed and looked at Steven. "Present company excluded."

Steven had somehow laid down and put his head in Connie's lap during the story. "I've never picked some up and carried them off," he said solemnly.

"You do that to me all that, Pink Lotus," Connie reminded him.

Steven blushed. "Steven's hungry now!" he said pushing himself up. "Who wants pizza?"

Connie laughed and nodded.

The three of them climbed out of the truck only to find Wolf had caught up to them.

"Hey buddy," Steven said, petting the giant pink wolf's nose. "What's up?"

Wolf rubbed his snout into Steven's hand, then sat down and dropped something into his hand.

"Um… thanks?" Steven said as he looked at it.

"What is it?" Connie asked, edging closer. If the thing was another lizard tail, she was prepared to pull back and leave it alone. But on the off chance it was something amazing, she wanted to know about it.

"It's… a key." Steven answered. "And… it matches the chest!"

"What chest?" Connie asked quickly, but Steven didn't answer.

He took a breath a dove headfirst into Wolf's side, disappearing into the wolf's pink fur. Connie stared in disbelief.

"Don't worry; he's fine," Greg said. "This was Rose's Wolf. His fur is like a pearl's pearl, all sorts of space in there. But only for her and Steven."

"Oh! So there's a chest in there?"

"There's a whole little landscape in there. Two actually. One for Wolf and one for Lars."

"Lars?"

"He's pink too," Greg shrugged.

Lars was pink, the same strange pink that Wolf was. And if there were two landscapes in Wolf's fur, one coming out of Wolf's fur and one leading out of Lars's hair that meant Wolf, at some point, had died as well. Connie stared at the animal. He looked back with an intelligence that seemed to far surpass any animal.

But as Connie tried to figure out what he could understand Steven's face popped out of his fur, grinning.

"I opened it!" he sang.

Pulling Steven out of the tangle of pink, Connie asked. "What was in it the chest?"

A laugh bubbled up out of Steven and pulled something from behind his back. "This!"

It was a bubbled gem.