Slowly, Steven put his arms around her shoulders. "Remember when we had a make-up picnic? And we played music all day? You taught yourself to play violin, laying down so we could lie in the grass and play. It gave you a cramp. Then I said we were jam buds because on New Homeworld to play music together is called jamming, and we were eating jam and biscuits and you said,"
"Only on Pink's World," they said together.
"I thought it could be like that all the time," Steven said. "That we could be jam buds. I didn't think we'd have to be a gem and their pearl, like everyone else."
"Steven. I'm so sorry. I just wanted to be a good pearl because you're such a good friend."
"You can be a good pearl just by being a good friend, by just being you. You don't have to Pearl first and Connie second. That's the beauty of being a natural gem. Your gem type doesn't define you. I wish I had that."
#
The inside of Greg's tiny apartment brought Connie back to that day on Yellow Diamond's Moon Base. The day she and Steven had almost fused for the first time was the day that he had said something that she understood more and more as she became a part of his life. He had told her she didn't have to be Pearl first and Connie second. Now she knew that Pink Rose Diamond had given herself, and everyone else, a name to help them escape the burden of their existence as gems.
Once Connie had called New Homeworld "Pink's World," but that wasn't the truth. New Homeworld wasn't the only place that was Pink's world. Everything Connie had ever known was Pink Diamond's. The Kindergarten Wing of the Hospital she'd been born in was Pink Diamond's. Her house, her neighborhood, her home-planet was Pink Diamond's. The space between her planet and New Homeworld was Pink Diamond's. Even Connie's existence was Pink Diamond's. Pink Diamond had seen her through her Garnet's future vision and pressed her being together out of a Rose Quartz and a Ruby who were going to fall in love. Everything Connie was or had been, or had ever seen or experienced, was part of Pink's World and therefore belonged to Steven in a real way.
But Steven was organic, like her, and didn't have to Pink Lotus Diamond, heir to Pink Rose Diamond, first and himself as individual gem second, no matter what he said. Because here, out of all the places Connie had been in her life, Connie finally saw Steven instead of Pink Diamond.
Steven said he lived in the tower to be close to the Stars, but considering he'd also said the people in this neighborhood knew him, and state of the apartment, he must have lived here at one point. The place was a mess in way Connie had never dreamed of leaving her own room. Her mother and Rayne would have never allowed it. There were clothes everywhere, much of them pink and black, some white, and rest shades that an ametrine would wear. Sandals were in a pile near the door, along with boots and shoes. There were jackets piled over-high on hooks by the door and blankets and pillows on the sofa.
The end tables of the sofa spilled over with old drinks and plates. There was music paraphernalia everywhere, most noticeably a little ukulele, with a familiar little diamond carved into it, on a stand next to an empty guitar stand. It was the only area of the living room that was perfectly clean, a parent's tribute their child.
Connie smiled warmly. "This place is wonderful," she breathed.
"Yea, it's okay," Greg said. He was walking from pile to pile, picking up clothes. "But maybe we should clean up a little if we're going to have company."
Steven looked at Connie and blushed. "Sorry about the mess," he muttered. He let the bubbled gem float up towards the ceiling and started clearing the plates and cups from the side tables of the sofa.
"Should I help?" Connie asked.
"Sure," Steven said without looking at her. "Gather the blankets and the pillows on the couch and we'll take them to the bedroom together."
The urge to salute rose within Connie, but she stamped it down and obeyed without a word.
The pillows and blanket had blankets had seen better days, and smelled of something that Connie couldn't identify, not an unpleasant smell, just a distinct one. Idly she wondered if she should suggest the lot of bedding go in the wash when they finished with the bubbled gem, when something pink caught her eye.
The room was set up so it had just out of her sight before, but on the wall of the apartment was something incredible: a portrait of Pink Diamond - not Steven who was everywhere else in the apartment, but Rose.
Connie had never seen Pink Rose Diamond before, only murals from Era 1 and Era 2. But murals were done in silhouette and this painting was full of detail. Rose was standing or - maybe leaning against a tall chair - in a fluffy, indescribable background of pink clouds. She stared out from the painting, her pink irises and diamond shaped pupils as soft and kind as Steven's. Rose's blush colored curls were the same shaped around her head as Stevonnie's, and shared a long, strong body shape too. Despite being alone in the painting, Rose was unimaginably a fusion. Her hands, which rested on her stomach, had a pearl in each of them, both of pale pink of different shades and easily identifiable as Lacey's and Rayne's. In her left wrist was an amethyst for Axelle. A matching sapphire and ruby were in her right wrist at the base of a purple glove, in which Rayne's pearl was set. This obviously wrapped Garnet around Rayne. Set in her chest was a single heart-shaped stone of deep pink for Ellie. However, that wasn't all. Rose's pose not only showed her gem but showed her to be pregnant and her pale pink dress had a wide sash around her stomach that was the distinct purple and gold of an ametrine: Greg.
Pink Diamond, her Pink Stars, her Pearl, her Spinel, her Chosen, and her Child.
Connie stared at the painting in quiet awe and understanding. If Connie had grown up with this image to aspire to, she'd crack under the pressure.
"Connie?" Steven's soft voice called her back from her thoughts.
Suddenly self-conscious, Connie looked back at the blankets. "Mmm? Yea?"
"Mom was pretty," Steven said almost off-handedly.
"She was, My Diamond." Connie's head rose to look at Steven.
He was looking down at the cups and plates that he was failing to gather. Either he didn't notice her slip or didn't care.
"Everybody says I look like her. Just sometimes, at certain moments," he muttered.
"I think… you look like her a little. But she's your Mom. You should look like her. I look like my Mom."
"We should visit your Mom sometime," Steven said. "She'd be so proud of you."
"I bet your Mom would be proud of you." Connie shifted. "I mean–"
"Hey kids," Greg called. "Do you think we're going to be taking this gem into the kitchen, becau… am I interrupting something?"
Connie smiled and noted that Steven did the same.
"No, Dad," Steven said. "We're going to haul this stuff into the bedroom!"
"Okay," Greg muttered with a frown.
Connie and Steven grabbed all the bedding on the sofa and Steven half pushed, half directed Connie out of the living room, down the hall and into the first bedroom. Once there, Steven simply dumped the bedding on the floor and closed the door.
The room itself was small, a little messy, but not as messy as the living room. It looked like a child lived in the room, or that one had until recently. Everything was too small for an adult, bright colors, and cheerful.
"Was this your room?" Connie asked picking up a bear dressed a DJ.
"Yea," Steven said. "I moved out when I was still a kid because we finished building the Tower."
Connie frowned and thought of his room in the Palace. In was basically a nursery aged up for an adult, more a room for the child of Pink Diamond, then for a grown man. Hopefully, Steven's room in the Tower was more suited to him. He did presumably live there most of the time.
"Are you going to make your Mom's old room yours?" Connie asked.
"Hmm? Yea. I guess," Steven answered. "Connie. Listen. I wanted to thank you for today."
Connie turned and looked at Steven again. He was looking down at the floor. He looked as out of place as she was in his old room. Everything here was too small for him, too bright, too cheerful in a strange way. Everything was wrong. This place belonged to a person Connie didn't know and would probably never know if Steven had his way and kept his secrets.
"There's no need to thank me, My Diamond," Connie said almost sadly.
"Stop," Steven said. "This isn't about me being a Diamond. You… gave something today. I've never been able to fuse before today. I couldn't get the hang of it. I think something was holding me back. You've always been such a good friend to me. Something about us just works."
Guilt welled up in Connie. It wasn't Steven's fault that he was so closed off; who would've he had to talk to? For that matter, who had Connie wanted to trust as much as she wanted to trust Steven? Maybe that was why it hurt her so much to think he was cutting her off.
Smiling, she closed the distance between them and took his hand.
"It's late," Connie said. "Let's unbubble that gem in the morning."
"Gives us time to clean the apartment," Steven conceded. "Wanna crash on the couch together?"
Connie turned pink but kept her face neutral. "Sure. But let's throw the bedding in the wash."
"What?! Why?!" Steven pouted. "It's clean."
Connie didn't press, but smiled and touched her forehead to Steven's shoulder. She felt his free hand come up and rest in her hair. Somehow Connie knew she'd have to be the one to pull away. Steven's body relaxed too much; his fingers tangled into her hair down to her scalp. It was comfortable, but they had work do to. They could rest soon enough. Pushing away with her free hand, Connie put some distance between them. Steven allowed it.
They split up. Steven helped Greg tidy up, while Connie sorted through the bedding and made the sofa into a bed for two for the night. When the apartment was clean, Greg retired to his room and Connie and Steven took the sofa.
It occurred to Steven at the last minute to contact to the Stars and tell them something concerning their absence. However, when they reached out to them, they got Amethyst who was hiding behind a rock.
"Uhh, kinda busy, My Diamond! There's two corrupted gems out here and we've got our hands full!"
"Oh!" Steven said. "Well, be careful. Call if you need me."
"Right-o, Pink Stev."
The line disconnected.
Connie shifted against Steven. They were already lying down, and she had moved up during the call to get a better look at what was going on. Now she settled back into place.
"What is a corrupted gem?" she asked.
Steven sighed. "When Mom went missing and the other Diamonds thought she was dead, they launched an attack on this planet. They meant to destroy every gem on the planet, but it takes all four Diamond to do that. Without Mom, the attack only partially destroyed the gems; it corrupted them, turned them into those monsters you sometimes see roaming around. Mom has been collecting and bubbling them since her return to power."
"Why not get the other Diamonds to help?"
"I don't know," Steven admitted. "The only ones she trusted with the task are the Pink Stars. She's the been trying to cure them on her own too."
"That doesn't make sense, though," Connie protested. "If it took three Diamond's in a partial attack to corrupt them, then it should take all four to restore them."
"I know. I just… I'm only just now taking Mom's place. I can't go changing things yet."
"No," Connie agreed. "You can't go changing things yet."
They settled in. Steven had an arm wrapped around Connie so they would fit. As she fell asleep Connie, realized what the smell on the blankets had been. It was same one on her borrowed clothes. It was Steven's body. She breathed it in, memorized it.
#
"What if it's corrupted?" Connie asked.
Breakfast was over; the dishes cleaned and put away. The apartment looked tidy enough now, but still lived in with bedding on the sofa and the smell of cooking in the air. But the comfort of the apartment couldn't dispel the unease in the air.
"Yea," Greg agreed. "You're Mom's been collecting corrupted gems for ages. Maybe this is another one."
Steven took a long sip of his orange juice, then put down the glass and frowned. "If she's corrupted, we wasted the evening cleaning the apartment."
"Steven!" Connie snapped, without being able to help herself. "Really. What will we do?"
"We'll handle it," Steven shrugged. "We've taken on corrupted gems before. This one couldn't be any more dangerous than any of the others." Steven pushed away from the table and stretched. "We might as well get started."
"Should I stay?" Greg asked.
"Yea," Steven said. "If anything happens, you can go call the Stars for backup. Connie. Come on."
"Yes, My Diamond." Connie pushed away from the table, ignored the look that Steven gave her for her misstep, and took her place by his side.
"Okay." Steven said. "Let's do this." He smoothly rushed forward and hopped up into the air and caught the bubbled gem. As he came back down to the ground, he popped the bubble, and held the gem in his hands.
Connie tensed and felt for her sword in her pearl as she gazed at the gem. It was florescent and metallic, with an angular shape and a concave configuration. It could only be a bismuth. But whether it was a bismuth that was sound of mind, or corrupted, they would only know when the body formed.
The bismuth gem glowed in the Steven's hands and rose out of his grip. Steven let it go and stepped around it to come back to Connie. A solid form sprouted from the glow of the gem, and more noticeably wild, thick hair, the trademark feature of a bismuth. The figure was there, heavy a solid, like all bismuths, in an apron with a star on it and her eyes gently closed. She looked peaceful, floating in midair, until the glow wore off and she dropped like a rock to the floor and crumbled to all floors.
Connie and Steven gasped.
"Is she okay?" Greg asked from by the door.
"I don't know?" Steven said. "Maybe she's been bubbled too long." He walked up to the gem, Connie on his heels. "Hello," he said. "Are you okay? Can you hear me?"
"Uhhg," the bismuth said as she struggled to her feet. "What? Where am I?" She looked at them, wide-eyed. "Hey. Hi there." The gem gave them a little smiled. "You're humans, aren't you?"
Connie glanced at Steven and met his eyes. He was frowning.
"We're organic gems," Steven said, looking back at the bismuth. "I'm Rose Quartz," he lied. "And this my Pearl."
"Hello, Bismuth," Connie with a small curtsy.
Bismuth stared at them for a moment before laughing. "You two are gems? What even is an organic gem?"
"How long have you been in that bubble?" Steven asked, worried.
"The bubble? I was… I don't know." Bismuth looked around. "Where am I, anyway?"
"I think you better sit down," Greg called from by the door.
Bismuth finally took notice of him, but Connie noticed that Bismuth also noticed the painting he was standing next to.
"Yea," Steven said. "Sit down. Here. Okay. Comfy? Now, you're on New Homeworld."
"And where is that?" Bismuth grumbled.
"It used to be called Earth," Connie said. "It was Pink Diamond's first colony. Now it serves as her home base."
"It does?" Bismuth said. "What about the other Diamonds. What about humans?"
"I told you," Steven said. "There are no humans. We're organic gems."
"I'm Amertine," Greg said. He moved his hair away from his forehead and showed his gem.
"I'm Pearl," Connie said. Her pearl was clearly visible, so she didn't feel the need to point to it.
"And I'm… Rose Quartz."
Steven, apparently, was going to keep up the lie for the moment. He even raised his shirt and showed his gem.
At this, Bismuth sat up straighter. "You! You have a gem in your body!"
"I'm a hybrid," Steven said. "The first, but not the last."
Connie glanced at Steven discretely. This was a new lie. Or maybe a new truth. It was so hard to tell the different between the two.
Lowering his shirt, Steven smiled. "My mom was Rose Quartz, and she had a baby with my Dad over there and made me. I got her gem, but she… disappeared in the process. Now I'm Rose Quartz. Get it?"
"I think so," Bismuth muttered.
"It's a work in progress. Pink Diamond changed this world," Steven said. "When she put down the rebellion and stopped the Rebel Rose Quartz and Renegade Pearl, she brought Peace back to Crystal System and with it a new era to the Diamond Authority. She established New Homeworld on what was supposed to be just another colony and completely changed the way the Homeworld functions. You've been out of the loop for a while, but I'm sure we can find a place for you here, Bismuth."
"Is that her back there," Bismuth mumbled. "Pink Diamond?"
"Pink Rose Diamond," Steven said. "Her… son. Pink Lotus Diamond is going to rule in her place now."
"Her son…" Bismuth said absently. "Pink Diamond has a son? Like… you? Another… hybrid?"
"Um… Yea. She's gone now, too, and he's going to take her place soon."
"Mm. Listen." Bismuth turned back to Steven, smiling. "Can I have a minute. This is a lot to take in."
"Sure," Steven said. "We'll be downstairs if you need us."
"Steven," Connie whispered. This was a bad idea. This was a terrible idea. But Steven was already walking away, and Greg had the door open. Connie followed, but caught Steven halfway down the stairs. "We can't leave her."
"She'll be okay for a few minutes," Steven said with a smile.
"No, I mean," Connie rolled her eyes. "We don't know if we can trust her. Who knows why she was bubbled, or by whom?"
"Don't worry about it, Connie. For once, I think I've got everything under control. Mom wanted me to let her out at the right time, gave Wolf the key, he gave it to me, and I let her out. Easy. And I won't have to tell her much when she finds out I'm Pink Diamond! We're done."
"I think you're underestimating an event horizon," Connie hissed.
Steven shook his head and lifted Connie off her feet. "You worry too much. Everything is going to be fine."
#
Fifteen minutes later a crash drew them back them all back upstairs. Steven led way, empty-handed, but Connie followed close behind, sword in hand. Just because Steven was willing to trust this new gem, didn't mean Connie had to trust his judgment. Greg brought up the rear, huddling close to Connie, an over-sized Yo-Yo clutched in his hands. Connie wasn't sure what he thought he was going to do with that, but she figured they should stick together none-the-less.
At the top of the stairs, the door into the apartment was unlocked and slid open at their approach but was blocked with the body of the sofa which came tumbling towards them with the door out of the way.
"Duck!" Connie shouted. She jumped between the walls to hoist herself up, a trick Amethyst had insisted she learn, jumped over Steven, sliced the sofa in two, then grabbed the door frame kicked the two pieces back inside the apartment. After dealing with the sofa Connie dropped down, expecting to land on her feet, only to be caught by Steven, who hugged her.
"So. Cool!"
"Thanks." Connie said sheepishly, but quickly turned her attention to the apartment.
The bedding was on fire; the kitchen was trashed; the place had been looted; the living room's back window had been smashed. Presumably that was where Bismuth had gone because she was no longer in the apartment.
"My painting!" Greg shouted.
Connie looked over her shoulder toward the Pink Diamond painting and gasped. The beautiful painting had was in something foul smelling, wet, and greasy and in the gross substance a few words had been scratched. "Long live the Crystal Gems."
"The Crystal Gems?!" Connie hissed. "The Rebels!"
"Bismuth," Steven whispered. "Oh no."
"What's the matter, son?" Greg asked nervously. "You're uh… turning pink."
Connie turned around in Steven's arms and noticed at Steven was turning pink, from the cheeks outward.
"Dad, get to my Tower and stay there, but don't tell the Stars why your there."
Connie frowned. "Let me guess. We're in trouble," she said.
"Pearl!"
Steven glanced at her. For a moment their two unhappy stares met, but after a moment, Steven relented.
"Oh…! Yea, you were right."
Greg was putting out the fire in the middle of the room and spoke over his shoulder. "Steven what's going on?"
Sighing, Steven put Connie down. "That gem. She was the Bismuth, of the Crystal Gems."
"Who was Bismuth?" Connie asked.
"The Rebel Rose Quartz and her Renegade Pearl weren't only prominent figures of the New Homeworld Rebellion. The other was the Recreant Bismuth, a builder turned blacksmith who outfitted the rebellion with the weapons used against Homeworld. Mom said that during her captivity she learned that the Recreant Bismuth forged Rose Quartz's sword that was able to dissipate the form of even a Diamond like her. She also built the cell that held Mom. She and the Renegade Pearl were Rose Quartz's two most loyal followers."
Steven shuttered.
"And we just let her out to roam around New Homeworld," Connie said.
"Oh, Stars," Greg muttered. "I'm going to the Tower.
#
The town raced by under them. Steven moved quickly and gracefully over the rooftops, pushing off from one spot, landing on the next, going on and on. Connie scanned to their left and Steven took the right. There were scores of people around, in the streets, in windows, on stairs, and in doorways. Pink diamond-shaped flags were hanging everywhere alongside the Diamond Authority Insignia, flipped so that Pink's Diamond was on top. Songs wafted up from the streets, mingling with cheering and chants of "My Diamond, My Diamond, My Diamond!"
Connie had asked if they should be jumping across the rooftops so openly before they left the apartment only to have Steven dismiss her.
"It won't really matter what people see or know soon enough," he'd said. "Besides, we have to find Bismuth."
There was no arguing with arguing with that. Steven carried Connie, but not in his arms. She sat perched on his back with his arms under her butt to keep her steady. Instead of her sword she'd found a gift from her father in her pearl and used that.
"A cross bow?!" Steven shouted. "Where did you get that?"
"It's my Dad's weapon. He had one made for me, in case I never got one of my own."
"A ruby with a crossbow?!" Steven had slowly turned to let her on his back. "Stars, you're made of more amazing stuff than me."
Connie would have been flattered at any other time, but she was frustrated with her Diamond at that moment, so she made a wordless noise and climbed on his back.
But despite being just a moment behind Bismuth, there was no sign of her.
"You'd think she be easy to find!" Connie said. "She should be tearing a hole through this place."
"You'd think," Steven responded. "Everywhere she turns there's a celebration of the person she betrayed. You'd think it'd drive her crazy. Maybe she more cunning than we thought."
Steven landed in the town square where a statue of Pink Diamond was carefully being moved off its pedestal by some bismuths. Connie slid down off his back and looked at him with a wince.
"What if she just slipped in with the other bismuths?" Connie asked.
Steven was silently for a moment. Then very softly he said, "Hell."
Connie gave a soft gasp. She'd never heard Steven curse before.
"Steven!" one of Bismuths shouted. "Hi! Shouldn't you be preparing? Didn't you hear the message?"
"Hi, Bess," Steven said, shifting from foot to foot. "What message?"
Bess grinned and signaled for her team, two other bismuths, to stop moving the statue. Hopping off the pedestal, she strode over Steven and pulled out her communicator. After a few taps, an old message started playing.
White Diamond appeared, not in silhouette or a copy of her mural, but in person. She was beautiful, almost beyond comprehension. Bright white, with beautiful black accents, she had huge painted eyes and black painted lips curved into a warm hypnotizing smile. Her dress was made of stars, as were her shoes. The image of her was as big as Pink Diamond's statue.
"Our loyal subjects," she said in a sing-song voice. "I have wonderful new for you. We are finally ready to reveal the whereabouts of our wondrous, Lustrous Pink Diamond. On the anniversary of her seclusion this New Homeworld year, we will not mourn her leaving us, but celebrate Pink Diamond's return to us! Join us in celebration of our Lustrous Pink Diamond!"
The message ended first with a closeup on White Diamond's delighted face, then with the Diamond Authority's Insignia, flipped so that Pink was on top.
"Can you believe it?" Bess said. "She's coming back!"
Steven smiled, but he didn't look comfortable. "Yea," he said. "Hey, have you seen another bismuth come through here? Purple apron with a star on it?"
"Umm?" Bess frowned. "No. It's just me and my girls. There's going to be new statues going up, so we've got to move the old ones. I'll keep a look out though. Is she extra help? We could us it."
"Something like that," Steven said.
"Hey!" Bess shouted, finally focusing on Connie. "You must be Pearl. I've heard about you. I can't believe Steven has a pearl. I'm Bismuth-Bess. That's Bismuth-Babs and Bismuth-Bao. We're all from the Zeta Kindergarten HD-40307-g in Yellow Diamond's System."
Connie gave a little gasp. "I learn about that plant in school. You guys have a great naming convention. I'm Pearl-Connie."
"Nice to meet you." Bess held out her hand, which Connie took gratefully.
"Listen, Bess," Steven said anxiously. "We have to go. Sorry."
"I'll bet you do!" Bess laughed and let go of Connie's hand. "And we've gotta move this statue. Come on, girls! Back to work!"
As Bess got back to work Connie sighed in relief. "Well, the Recreant Bismuth isn't hiding out with other bismuths."
"I think she'd stick out too much," Steven said. "Let try walking around and seeing what we can find."
What they found were celebrations. Everyone everywhere was celebrating the return of Pink Diamond. Steven looked more and more comfortable. Asking questions with less and less tact as they moved from street to street. Finally, Connie had to step in.
"Maybe I should ask people if they've seen anything," she said. "You're about a particle's width from exploding."
"I just wish people would forget about Pink Diamond for a second."
"You are Pink Diamond, My Diamond. They're celebrating you."
"Well they shouldn't!" A rush of a pink appeared across Steven's face. "I need them to listen to me. Not celebrate me. I need to be in command, not to be adored."
Drawing close to Steven, Connie slipped her hand into Steven's. "Shh. Calm down, My Diamond. It's okay. We're going to get through this."
"I should have listened to you. I should have never let Bismuth out. I should have been watching her."
"It's okay!" We're going figure this out."
"How did she just disappear!?" Steven finally looked at Connie. "It's been 5,000 years. Nothing is the same. Where could see go? What could see latch on to? Would see go to the tower because it's pink? Would she find a warp pad?"
Gasping Connie squeezed Steven's hand. "The Temple. She'd go to the Temple. It's the only thing that was here during the War and at the time it was the base of –"
"The Crystal Gems!" Steven finished. The pink faded from his face and he swept Connie up in his arms, before jumping to the nearest rooftop and heading for the ocean.
#
The Gem Temple loomed large and foreboding in the midmorning sun, with stark shadows across its face causing it to look more menacing than Connie had ever seen it. Steven jumped from the nearest building high into the sky and landed on the Temple Gem's outstretched hand. Before he could let Connie off his back, a gust of wind cut across the palm the hand and nearly them both off-balance.
"This would be a great place to hang the laundry," Connie muttered with a frown. "Not a great place to start a battle." She stepped down from Steven's back gingerly.
"Wind swept battle grounds are overrated," Steven agreed. "Do you see her?"
The ground below them seemed empty, but Bismuth was a rebel gem who had fought in the War. She wouldn't be standing out in the open. A sudden pressure began to build in Connie's chest. She swallowed against a lump in her throat and tightened her jaw.
"My Diamond?" Connie said softly, only just above the sound of the wind.
"Yes?" Steven replied. His voice was hard and distant. He wasn't thinking about her. He was thinking about this mess.
"Should we gather the other Pink Stars?"
"No," Steven almost growled. Then he sighed. "This couldn't have come at a worst time. If anyone finds out about this before we get it cleaned up, Lily, Daisy and Iris will never let me hear the end of it. It looked better if we're able to deal with this alone."
"But the Stars–"
"Garnet will tell Lily," Steven huffed. "I love Garnet. But she makes sure Lily knows how I'm doing, that I'm okay, that I'm ready to take Mom's place. And since I can't trust Garnet will see this as… well anything but a screw up, I can't let her know until it's over."
"She won't just predict it?" Connie said and at the same a shadow on the ground caught her eye.
"This is so out of the realm of normal, even Garnet couldn't see it coming. We just have to–" Steven stepped closer to the edge of the palm in time with Connie.
"You see that?" Connie asked.
"Yea."
Connie wrapped an arm around Steven's shoulders as one of his arms snaked around her waist and he jumped from the stone palm into a slow fall. They landed on the soft sand below where the dark shadow from before took shape into Bismuth. There was a weapon shaped to her right hand, something that struck Connie as looking eerily like an arm-mounted pile driver. When Steven went to step forward, she put out her hand and shook her head.
"Careful," she whispered eying the weapon.
"Oh this? The Breaking Point?" Bismuth said lightly, looking her arm. "Yea, I went and got it. I knew you'd come here looking for me, looking to get to it before I could." Bismuth looked directly at Steven and frowned. "Did you think I would forget? Did you think I would assume you didn't remember? Oh, you can wrap yourself somehow in that… human… that organic gem, whatever you wanna call it. But I know it's you! I know that gem. I'd know it anywhere."
Bismuth walked forward.
"I rebelled because of that gem. I fought because of it. Gems got shattered because of it! I built this," she raised her arm to the rock face of the temple and the back the weapon pulled back, paused and shot forward, "because of that gem!"
The power of the weapon punched a hole into the rock, cleanly and efficiently, then the rest of the rock around it crack and crumbled away, shattered. Connie gasped despite herself. She caught Steven beginning to turn pink in her side vision.
"But it wasn't enough," Bismuth went on. "I showed this to you. It should have been the end of the War. But I ended up in a bubble for Stars knows how long and here you are, offering me a second chance. Oh, you've got a new pearl and a new name, but the gem is the same."
"Yes," Steven said. He was a glowing pink. "The gem is the same as all those thousands of years ago. I don't know what happened back then, but I am my Mom. I am Pink Diamond!"
Steven shrugged Connie away, and she saw his body glow as his gem rotated and he took his full pride of form as Pink Diamond. But during this, Connie's eyes were trained on Bismuth who watched with confusion, then horror, then, strangely, a smile, as Steven changed. When he done, she laughed. And held her side with her left hand as if she was in pain.
"I should have shattered you when I had the chance," Bismuth said, barely heard above the waves.
"Bismuth," Steven growled. "Surrender. You're a traitor and a rebel, but I don't want to hurt you."
Bismuth laughed again and pointed her weapon at Connie. "And if a shatter your shiny new pearl? She hasn't said much lately."
Steven's head moved, but Connie doubted he took his eyes off Bismuth. Neither didn't she take her eyes of the weapon, because since she'd seen it, she been frozen to spot with dread. A shattered gem was as lethal to organic gems as natural gems. There was little that would shatter a gem that wouldn't kill the organic gem wearing it. A gem shattering hit from Bismuth weapon would crack open Connie's sternum like a egg and have her drown in own blood as her lungs collapsed. That was if her heart didn't stop from the shock of the blow. There was little her sword and crossbow could do against such a weapon. And Connie wanted to scream.
"Connie?!" she heard, but she still couldn't move. Then Steven must have taken his eyes off Bismuth to check on her because Bismuth was rushing forward. But she didn't aim for Steven; she aimed for Connie.
Steven swept them out of the way of blow, but Bismuth caught Connie's ankle and swung them back onto the beach. They landed into the bubble with Connie stunned.
"Connie! Connie you have to get up!" Steven's voice was far away from Connie's body as she lay on sand.
She tried to get up, but nothing worked. She just wanted to lie there. Then someone picked her up. Someone too big to be Steven.
"Get your hands off my Connie!" Steven's voice screamed.
Connie opened her eyes in time to see a pink blade coming down on her. She needed to scream. But she didn't. Bismuth's Breaking Point went up in midair without her arm in it and met the blade first, throwing off its arc as it got sliced clean in half. Steven's blade missed Bismuth's head. Finally, able to focus, it became apparent that Steven gained a new weapon, a scythe.
Connie froze again. She knew that scythe. They had once been massed produced for Pink Diamond's agates in Era 1. They were rejuvenators and they reset a gem back to the way they had woken up with a single swipe of their blades.
So like Pink Diamond, to heal someone of their issues before the other Diamonds could destroy them for it.
But it dwelt in Connie's nightmares to be reset. She'd been weak when she'd arrive, and now, supposedly, she wasn't. They couldn't turn her back into a child, but they could take everything away from her. Her powers, her weapons, her fusion.
"Bismuth," Steven said. "I don't want to hurt you, but I will. Let Connie go."
"Come and get her, Diamond," Bismuth growled.
Steven swung the scythe again, somewhat clumsily, and as Bismuth went to maneuver out of the way, Connie took a breath, rolled, twisted and flipped so she went from being cradled in Bismuth's arms to sitting on her shoulders, summoned her sword and plunged it in Bismuth's chest.
Bismuth gave a little gasp, before dissipating and Connie fell from midair, to find herself in the dead-center of the arc of Steven's blade. Connie looked out past weapon at Steven, horror on her face. But as the blade was about to meet her, a pink shield rose and the blade met it harmlessly.
Finishing his swing and stumbling to a stop, Steven panted and looked at Connie.
"Are you okay?" he asked.
For a few seconds, Connie said nothing. She looked at Bismuth's gem, bubbled it - her first bubble - and looked at past Steven, back to the temple where the hole from the now destroyed Breaking Point was. Then Connie put her head down and started screaming.
#
After some time, the screaming died down into simple sobbing into Steven's shoulder. Connie could even talk.
"I can't do this!" Connie sobbed. "I… can't. I'm not… strong enough. I'm just a pearl."
Steven shushed her, rubbing her back and muttering into her hair. She couldn't hear what he was saying, but it was soothing either way. It made her sleepy and eventually she was lulled into a quiet a stupor, barely breathing.
"Connie," Steven said. It was the first clear thing he's said. "You are strong enough." Steven scooped her up and began walking away from the beach. "You defeated Bismuth. This was your first battle with an enemy. It was understandable that you froze."
"I can't do this," Connie muttered again. "I'm not strong enough. I'm… just a pearl."
"You're not just a pearl," Steven said soothingly. "You're amazing. Being a pearl makes you amzing."
Saying nothing, Connie closed her eyes. She hurt too much to do anything. The world went black.
#
When she woke up, Connie was in a bedroom she'd never been in before, but that she recognized, even waking from heavy stress-induced sleep. It had dark blue walls, the color of the night sky, with silvery streaks of stars running across it. The stars weren't just decorative, they were star maps of Authority's planets. Connie could see Pink's in front of her where the bed was pushed up against the wall, and Yellow's down past the foot of the bed. She guessed White's must be at her back and Blue's and the bed's head. The bed was huge and fitted with dark pink sheets and blankets with lighter pink trim. Music bars and notes made of the pattern on them.
Smiling despite herself, Connie rolled over face the room. Steven's room was messy, but Connie had expected that. It was filled with notebooks and music sheets, and star charts, weapons, with clothes on the floor and pieces of paper on the desk. She got the impression that things had been hurriedly cleaned; the mess wasn't even. Instead there were piles of things, clothes in place, papers in another, the guitar and case over there, a sword and shield over here. The entire room smelled of Steven.
"Connie." Steven appeared out of nowhere with another armful of clothes. The act was familiar and intimate.
Connie smiled. "Hey. Sorry about earlier."
"It's okay. Rayne got some of your clothes from the base." He shifted awkwardly. "Lacey wanted to take you to the Reef, but Rayne talked her out of it."
Sitting up, a smile made its way to Connie's face. "I don't need to go the Reef."
Most organic pearls lived to be taken to the Reef. Natural pearls were made and customized there, and organic pearls were taken there to get cracked gems fixed, stay in the hospital there, stay in the Kindergarten Ward there, and stay at the Reef's special Organic Pearl Pool. The Organic Pearl Pool was like a hospital but more for the mind, a place where an organic pearl could distress from their jobs. It was officially called being Polished, but it was the highlight and one real perk of being an organic pearl, so unique and sought after, that even some beloved natural pearls were treated to on occasion just for the sheer bragging rights of their owner being able to get them in. Entry to the Pool was by invention by a member only and there were very few members, all high-ranking gems in Pink Diamond's court.
"I figured you'd say that," Steven said. "It doesn't seem like you." He put down the clothes on the bed, but before he could say anything else, the vanity in the corner light up bright pink and played a four-chime music theme. "Hold on," Steven grumbled before marching over to the vanity. He punched in a code on the Diamond Insignia and the screen expanded and lost its color.
There in the message screen, were all three of the other Diamonds. Connie gasped and shuffled into the corner of the bed, where she would be out of the sight, but could peek out and see what was going on.
"You-who! Steven!" White Diamond said. "It's us, Stardust! How are you!"
Steven cleared his throat. "Um… yea. Fine. It's late where I am. What's going on?"
"Lotus," Yellow Diamond said in the dignified voice. "We've been doing some talking about future."
"Yes," Blue Diamond's soft voice chimed in. "We think we might help you adjust to your new role, Steven."
"Adjust?" Steven muttered suspiciously.
"What we're saying is," White Diamond said, "that we want you come live with us in the palace!" She beamed bright enough to blind. "There's already a room for you here, after all We've remodeled Rose's old room. So come on."
"Come on, think about it," Blue Diamond said.
"Come on. It's an excellent idea," Yellow Diamond agreed.
"We would adore having you!" White Diamond said.
For a few seconds, there was silence. Steven was still. Connie wondered if he was considering it. She supposed it didn't make any different to her. She would never see her own home again, New Homeworld or Old Homeworld she would be by Steven's side. But then Steven sighed.
"Guys," he said. "This is… great. I've always wanted to live with you guys. You asking this is a dream come true. But remember I'm not… . Pink Diamond–"
"Yes, I know," White Diamond said with a wave of her hand. "You're not her, but you're hers. Commitments and all." She brightened. "But that's why we love you like we loved her. You remind us so much of her, Steven."
"Thanks," Steven mumbled. "And I really would love to live with you guys, but I have my own life to lead, my own planets to rule."
"Lotus!" Yellow Diamond interrupted. "You don't know how much work we've put into this. I've spread out my armies to make room for your organic gems, I've saved colonies just for them!"
"I never shatter anymore," Blue Diamond said. "I know how it upset your mother and you. And I never make anyone cry on purpose either."
"Thank stars for that," Yellow Diamond muttered.
"And I," White Diamond said proudly. "Have been gathering lesser lifeforms for you to play with! I know how you adore them."
"Lesser lifeforms?" Steven said dryly.
"Oh yes." White Diamond gleamed. "Horses. Elephants. Blords."
"Blords?" Steven quipped. "Not those round, blob, bird things, from Daisy's old moon base? We nearly fought one of those!"
"Who?" Blue Diamond asked.
"Me and… Pearl," Steven answered vaguely. "Listen, I need to sleep. Can we talk about this later?"
"Oh, fine!" White Diamond huffed. "Sleep well, Stardust."
"Sleep well," Yellow Diamond and Blue Diamond said, then the screen shut and turned pink.
Steven sighed and rubbed the back of his neck. "Do mind sleeping in here with me?" he asked without turning around.
"Of course not," Connie said.
#
The night wore on slower than the night before. Connie drifted in and out of sleep under the layers and layers of dark pink sheets and blankets. She was overly warm, and could feel sweat on her scalp, but was comfortable and couldn't move to cool herself down. Steven was huddled up against her though the bed was big enough for another person to comfortably lie between them. Though she was in Steven's clothes from the day before, he had stripped down to his singlet which had a diamond-shaped cut-out in it to allow his gem to breathe. Connie could feel the skin of his arms and chest against her hands, arms. It was velvety smooth, unlike his hands, which she'd long ago noticed were calloused slightly, like her own. The hands of someone who wielded weapons. Sleepily Connie ran her hands over Steven's chest.
"Connie?" Steven whispered in the semi-dark. Semi-dark because the stars along the walls glowed faintly.
"Yea?"
"Oh. Umm. Well, I just can't stop thinking. About today, I mean. And every day. Everything that's happened since we fused and if maybe I'm pushing you too hard."
Connie put one of her hands-on Steven's side. "So. About that. Umm. Did you mean it? That was amazing as a pearl?"
"Of course."
Steven placed his hand on Connie's hips, but not with its full weight. His hand was trembling.
"Steven. Umm, My Diamond. Have you ever before now… ?"
"Of course not," Steven whispered quickly. "How could I without my gem showing?" He put his arm around Connie's waist and pulled her closer. "I… I'm sorry if–"
"No! No, don't be. It's cute." Connie slid her hand down Steven's slid a little, taking it slow. Her first time she'd gone too fast and had regretted it.
"I figured it'd be like fusion," Steven whispered. "Because once you do it with someone, you have that experience with them forever. Do you really want to have that experience with… me?"
"What about you?"
"What about me?"
"Do you want to have that experience with me?" Connie asked.
Steven looked at her in the liquid dark then smiled and shifted under the weight of the blankets to kiss her. It was a slow, languid kiss, less intense than most of their hugs, but it was way Connie thought this should go. When Steven pulled away, he spoke.
"We should have this experience together."