And now we have a very necessary part of the story: addressing the real-world consequences of an alien invasion! Hooray!

With Pearl back in town, and several astonished reactions to Fluorite's new look, the Crystal Gems put all of their efforts towards fixing any of the damage around Beach City as well as scavenging parts for an upgraded Sun Incinerator. Several ships were knocked out of the sky thanks to the team and thus made the perfect scrap metal. Once they had enough material, they would begin plans for a new starship and have Turquoise melt everything down and bring it together.

Meanwhile, there was one major element to take care of locally. There was only one casualty of the attack in Beach City, but in a town this small even one absence was felt. Doug Maheswaran's funeral was held five days after the attack. All of the Crystal Gems stopped their job for a day to attend the ceremony. Steven was particularly shocked to see not only several townspeople turn up, but also a great deal of men and women in uniform.

"Dad was pretty popular at work," Connie explained, "He's made friends all over the country."

"How many times did you move before coming here?" Amethyst asked.

"Uh… Seven-ish? Some of them were when I was a baby."

"Nine," Priyanka corrected, now dressed in all black, "At least during your life. It was an interesting time going so many places but thank goodness for online med school."

While she was trying to put on a brave face, it was plain as day she was exhausted. Connie knew sleep was hard to come by since one day she discovered her mother half-passed out on the couch in the living room. According to her, the first night she slept in her bed and then woke up assuming her other half was still right next to her. Connie has since seen Priyanka dart in, do whatever she needed and then left that bedroom as quickly as possible.

It then came as no surprise during the funeral proper that Priyanka was clearly struggling to hold her emotions in check as she spoke about Doug to her family and in-laws, the many coworkers and clients who considered him a friend, almost half of Beach City who knew him either through his work or just trips around town and of course the Crystal Gems.

"Doug Mahesweran… What can even say about him anymore?" she said to the crowd, "You've all seen what a kind, charismatic man he was. In even the smallest ways, he tried to lighten people's spirits and make their day that much better. And only now… I realize how much I needed him… And I'm sure you all need him in some way…"

Priyanka then hastily stepped down and moved to her seat as the others all began sharing their feelings while she kept her weeping to a minimum. Soon the eulogies started rolling in with everyone wishing their best to Priyanka and Connie now that they were one family member short.

Hours later, the ceremony was over and the family and friends of Doug left for the wake outside of town while the Crystal Gems decided to get back to work. The group all stopped, though, when they noticed Connie trailing behind them.

"Where do you think you're going?" asked Lapis.

"Um, back with you guys? There's a ton of stuff to do!" Connie answered. She tried to sound assured, but her eyes were puffy and her shoulders were sagging. She tried to keep going still but Pearl stopped her.

"Connie, we appreciate that you want to help but you shouldn't bottle this up. You need time to move on."

"I said I'm fine!" Connie insisted, "I'm not some baby!"

"No, you're a teenager who just lost one of the most important people in your life. Please, trust me when I say you need time to get over it."

"But-"

"Connie, please go," Steven asked, "You can help out first thing tomorrow if you want. I'd feel better knowing you get this out of your system, okay?"

The girl tried to muster up some kind of retort, but the gentle pleading look in her friend's eyes made her clam up until she finally walked away after swearing she would be back tomorrow. AS she left, the group all noticed several green crystals popping up in her wake.

"Uh oh," Cinnabar said, "I hope she's okay…"

"She just needs time to grieve," Garnet assured, "But I do agree we need to treat her carefully. We don't need another problem with her powers."

"I'm quite surprised to see you so sentimental," Adamite said to Cinnabar, "You're far from what I'd call the emotional type unless you're incinerating something."

"Well, she needed someone to lean on before and it wasn't so bad. It just kinda feels right somehow…"

"I'm sure she'll appreciate the thought," Lapis said, "But the others are right. I wouldn't be the same the day after losing one of you."

"Aw, Lapis!" gushed Amethyst, "To think we met you trying to steal the whole ocean! We love you too, you softie!"

"Yeah, yeah…" the flier sighed but she could not hide how genuine her sentiment was especially when Adamite walked up to her and held her hand. The two elementals enjoyed the moment as they walked along with the rest of the team back to repairing the town to the best of their ability. The rest of the day continued without much incident but the same could not be said for the next. Steven was in the middle of cleaning up some debris along with some Pearl clones and his dad when a familiar looking car drove up.

"Isn't that Agent Van?" asked Greg before launching his grappling hooks at another piece of spaceship rubble and lugging it out of the street.

"Yeah, that's definitely him," confirmed Steven as the man himself walked out of his car towards them.

"Well, I wish I could've come back here on better circumstances," the suited man said, "But it's nice to see you all alive and well. How are things around here?"

"Not too bad, all things considered," answered Pearl as her clones kept working, "Only one known casualty, but it was of a close friend's father. What are you here for, Agent Van?"

"Well, it's something very urgent. I'm here to deliver an urgent message from the president. He wants to meet the Crystal Gems."

"No way!" gaped Steven, "I mean, why would he want that?"

"Because this attack is something that has the entire world on edge and he, along with many other world leaders, are curious about the six-armed fire-breathing aliens that showed up to defend several major cities. That and what can only be described as an electrical attack that makes all the world's current weapons look like bottle rockets."

"Do you mean just the three of us or everyone?" asked Pearl.

"As many of you as possible. Billions of people want to hear the truth and having all of you in one place would put the people at ease. There's already enough conspiracy theorists out there-"

"Especially when you're dealing with actual aliens?" finished Greg.

"My point exactly. Do you require any deliberation?"

"I'll talk with Garnet about it," informed Pearl, "Give me a moment please."

The slender gem soon came back with news that the de facto leader had no objections although she did ask if they could wrap this up as quickly as possible. Once he assured her that it would take a day or two at most, they all agreed and piled into the Sun Incinerator to fly off to the American capital of Lincoln District. The group would have enjoyed the sights if they were not ushered by military aircraft and escorted to a nearby airport.

As soon as their ship landed, the team met up with Agent Van along with a large number of officials in suits.

"Uh, just out of curiosity, who are all of these other people?" Bismuth asked.

"Security," Van replied, "Sorry, but everyone's a tad on edge right now. Just follow me and we'll get this over with."

"If we get experimented on," Rutile said, "We're aren't gonna be happy."

"Relax," Topaz said, "These guys just want to meet us, not hurt us… right?"

"Trust me," the liaison said, "We're all fully aware that our planet would be enslaved right now if it weren't for you. Trying to capture you would be both the stupidest and most ungrateful thing we could do. The one paranoid idiot dumb enough to suggest it was immediately fired."

"Smart decision," agreed Garnet.

The small talk continued as the team was escorted to several black vans that drove them all in a caravan. They were not sure what to do with Fluorite until she agreed to split up for the car ride with the only caveat that her components get her own car.

"I know it's strange to ask…" the fusion said to Van, "But…"

"No need, trust me. Pearl explained some of the concepts of fusion and judging from your multiple stones, I take it the problem is you don't want to separate for very long. I completely understand."

"Thank you very much, sir!"

After what felt like an eternity, the group all drove through the American capital to arrive at the White House where lines of reporters were being held back by more suits.

"Oh great," moaned Greg in the lead car with Van, Steven and Pearl, "If I was still sixteen, I'd be leaping to jump in front of the paparazzi. Now I'm glad I didn't wear my suit because I'd start whipping the first person to harass my boy. I'm suddenly feeling my age!"

"Dad, we'll be fine! I mean, part of me is happy you all are finally getting the credit you deserve!"

"Steven, that's very sweet," said Pearl, "But this isn't about us. It's about the people and how they deserve to know the truth. And besides, you shouldn't sell yourself short. The planet wouldn't be here right now without you!"

The group eventually pulled up to the main gate of the one of the world's most famous residences and were escorted in with Agent Van in the lead. Car after car soon pulled up with everyone pulling up and Fluorite immediately coming back together at the first opportunity.

"She'll be in the backyard, we have a feed set up so she'll hear everything," Van said as the rest of the team entered through the front door. They were all soon shepherded into the Oval Office where the President of the American States sat there waiting for them. The others were surprised by how pleasant he looked.

"Welcome," he said cordially, "And let me be the first to say thank you for your efforts. I, and billions of other people, cannot properly express our gratitude."

"Thank you," said Garnet, shaking his hand.

"Wow!" Amethyst said, "Finally getting some respect! Do we get any cool medals?"

"Amethyst, behave!" scolded Pearl, "I'm very sorry in advance, sir. She can be… uncouth."

"Oh trust me," the president said, "I've seen worse. Now then, I am very curious to hear a proper debriefing about the events of a few days ago. I won't name names, but the best I heard from the military was 'We're under attack, run for your life.'"

As crowded as the room was, the group all elaborated on the attack Homeworld launched a few days ago including how there was an alien superweapon buried in the Earth's crust for thousands of years and how the Crystal Gems now had one of the hostile alien leaders trapped in their house. The group had to admit the president had an amazing poker face since his expression barely changed.

"Well, first of all, thank you very much for enlightening me on the situation," he said finally, "Now the next question is, and I thought it'd be best to ask you all this personally, how would you like to address the public about this?"

"I mean…" Steven started, "What else can we do but tell people the truth? People lost their homes, their lives… They deserve something."

"Steven, correct?" the president asked. When the boy nodded, ensuring he had the right name, he continued.

"You do realize that once this information gets out, there's no going back. There could very well be people out there that would harass and attack you for your alien origins even in light of your heroics."

"Well those people are stupid," Lapis said plainly, "And any one of us could kick their butts."

"While I don't deny that, it needs to be acknowledged. Aside from our surveillance, the rest of the world had no idea who you are."

"Um, no offense," Bismuth said, "But I'm pretty sure there's no unseeing Alexandrite smashing up spaceships in three different continents at the same time."

"True, but we could merely spin a story about how you all disappeared along with the invading force. No one saw any of the events in Beach City and it seems like your town has been keeping your existence a secret since its inception."

"You'd honestly do that for us?" Adamite said, surprised at the offer.

"You all are heroes as far as I'm concerned. And if I had carte blanche, any moron who tries to claim you're trying to take over the world would be fined a million dollars for lethal incompetence."

"Ooh, can you actually do that?!" Cinnabar squeed only for Pearl to whisper in her ear what carte blanche means and causing her blush orange. "Never mind…"

"That aside," Garnet said, "We appreciate you trying to accommodate us, but I'm with Steven on this. The world has just witnessed a great tragedy. We can't magically resurrect all the people and property lost, but we can give them the peace of mind knowing what really happened."

"Understood. I was planning a press conference later to address the crisis. If you would be willing, you can explain the situation to the public there."

"We'd be honored to if you'll introduce us," Pearl said.

"Excellent to hear. With that addressed, there is something I need to address with you in private. Do you believe there is a chance for a repeat attack in the future?"

"Unfortunately, yes," Garnet answered, "Yellow Diamond being defeated will definitely deter them, but they won't stop for long."

"I see… And what of this Cluster?"

"I wouldn't be concerned with another of those," Peridot explained, "It took thousands of years for the original to mature before it was released. Add that onto how Homeworld doesn't have the resources to readily build another one and you are completely safe."

"Very good to hear. That being said, though, I would like to avoid a repeat occurrence of this catastrophe. Do you all have any sort of plan to prevent this?"

"Actually, we do," Steven said, "We're planning on flying to Homeworld ourselves and negotiating with the Diamonds."

"Negotiating? I'm quite surprised to hear you plan that course action."

"Let's just say we have something they'll definitely want," Garnet filled in, "But we won't be departing for several days or even weeks. Our vessel needs upgrades."

"I would offer you some assistance on that front except that craft of your is millennia ahead of anything NASADA could make. Nevertheless, I wish you luck on your travels. Unless there is anything you'd like to address, I believe we can adjourn this meeting."

"Thank you, Mr. President!" Steven said as the others filed out.

"Young man, if I may ask you a final question?"

"Sure!"

"Thank you. If I heard that whole explanation right, you are the one who defeated the alien leader in combat?"

"Pretty much, yeah."

"And this leader is the one responsible for the massive reading of electric energy that would have wiped off a good chunk of the east coast?"

"Yeah, she kind of snapped and tried throwing a huge ball of lightning at me."

"And you… stopped it? By yourself?"

"Technically yes…"

"'Technically?'"

"It involves my dead mom living in my head."

"Very well then, I'll leave that matter alone. It's just that, and pardon my assumption, you don't strike me as very combative."

"That's because I'm not, Mr. President. I tried talking her down but she just wouldn't listen to me."

"And you still plan to travel to this world on a diplomacy mission?"

"Do you think we shouldn't?"

"Young man, this whole issue is far beyond me. All I can, however, is that drive of yours is admirable as can be. To see someone go so far to ensure peace… It makes me hopeful for the world that there's more people like you."

"Aw, thanks, Mr. President!"

"You're welcome. Now you go be with your family. You've all earned a moment of congratulations."

Steven did not waste another minute as he ran off towards the other Crystal Gems, leaving the leader of the country smiling as he also headed off to prepare before addressing the massive wave of press that was already waiting.


Priyanka slowly opened the door to her daughter's room to see Connie lying in bed that afternoon. The girl tried calling Pearl only to find out that all of the Crystal Gems had flown miles away to meet the president and explain to the world what happened. This made the already distraught teen angry beyond belief as they never contacted her and then spent the rest of the day helping out around town before dragging herself inside and collapsing under her covers.

While she was a doctor, Priyanka was no child psychologist. She could clearly see that Connie was trying to run away from the loss of her father by burying herself in work. She barely reacted to the funeral, she resented having to go to the wake and the one time the mother tried asking about it, Connie just brushed it off and ran away.

Deciding that her child needed the rest, the elder Mahesweran went downstairs and noticed that the program she had on before was being interrupted by a national broadcast from the capital. Remembering what Steven's family were doing that made her daughter so upset, Priyanka sat down and tuned in just as the image of the president standing at a podium was displayed.

"Ladies and gentlemen of the American States and the world over, it has been six days since the massive alien attack that shook the entire human race to its core. The numbers are still coming in, but the sentiment cannot be ignored. Tens of thousands of people lost their lives, countless more displaced and confused and physical damage to dozens of cities worldwide. Many of you are no doubt curious about the motivations of this alien attack. I am here today to finally deliver a politician's worst nightmare: honest answers."

The crowd gave a small chuckle before the speech continued. "This issue, however, is that I am just as uninformed as you. That is why I now turn over the microphone to an expert on these hostile alien forces."

The wave of reporters murmured in shock and amazement as the human leader stepped down and a slender white female with a large stone embedded in her forehead took his place. The photographers immediately snapped shots of this new figure while the journalists began yammering questions over top of one another until they settled down. While Priyanka easily recognized Pearl, she could imagine how many people were baffled at who they were looking at.

"Hello there," she said, half-waving for the cameras all aimed at her, "I'm sure you're all wondering who or even what I am. In simplest terms, I am a gem – a 9,000-year old living hologram and an alien like the ones who attacked Earth."

A cacophony erupted at the news, but Pearl simply waited for the noise to die down before one of the reporters nervously asked her a question.

"Are you… Affiliated with the large alien who protected the planet?"

"Technically, I am part of that gem, but that's a long story. The short version is that I am a member of a team called the Crystal Gems who has been protecting the Earth for thousands of years. We used to think it was best we assist humanity, but remain unseen so that you can live your own lives… But now that has changed."

"What caused the sudden hostility from these other aliens of your kind?" asked one of the more daring ink slingers.

"This is actually the second major conflict between these Homeworld gems and us Crystal Gems. The first was a one thousand year-long scuffle that ended when our leader… terminated one of the Diamonds – the matriarchs of Homeworld."

"Do you predict any sort of rebuttal for your defense against this latest attack?"

"Actually, yes. We plan to fly to Homeworld itself on our spacecraft and negotiate a peaceful surrender with the Diamonds."

A new uproar resounded and, if Pearl had to guess, an even larger one broke out in front of the televisions she was being displayed on across the globe in dozens of languages. She could make out cries of outrage and shock. Why would they ever want to negotiate with them?!

Pearl figured there was one way to get their attention. She stood on the podium and leapt dozens of feet into the air with a single jump, astonishing the crowd watching her in person and those viewing her miles away. Their amazement only grew when she floated back down to the ground rather than fall, holding her arms aloft like a graceful dancer to heighten the effect.

A few of the other Crystal Gems scoffed at her showing off, but they had to admit it shut the crowd up. All of them were too busy snapping pictures or filming her to be angry and they chuckled imagining the gobsmacked reactions people were having in private.

"As I was saying…" Pearl said once she was back behind the podium, "We have a plan and I myself was critical of the idea at first. But when you live as long as I have, a hundred human lifespans and counting, this world barely recognizes the one I arrived at. And that is only partially thanks to us."

"You human beings are the reason that our leader defended this world. A world of beings capable of deciding their own fates. A world that has evolved so much in so little time that it puts us gems to shame. We might be ageless, powerful and have technologies far ahead of yours, but you possess one quality no gem on Homeworld will ever have: freedom."

"The Diamonds has their entire planet, along with hundreds of colonies, set so that every gem created is made for one purpose only. Once a gem outlives their purpose, they're components are literally recycled so the process never changes. But you humans… It amazes me just how much you can change in even a single day let alone over the course of your life! I used to think the Diamonds were beyond help… but our founder could have said the same about you. Now I and all of us want to help both worlds so that neither side will never have to experience that chaos ever again. Thank you."

A moment of silence passed over the crowd as Pearl walked away only to turn back when the sound of applause. She and the other Crystal Gems smiled as they saw the entire crowd give a standing ovation, cheering for them and could only guess the reactions of the people watching. And while none of them could make out any exact words they said, many of them swore they could hear the word "hero" thrown out. It made them all the more inspired to return home, get to work on their mission and truly bring peace to the planet like Rose Quartz imagined eons ago.

It was a bit shorter than usual, but next time the team gets to work and prepares for their greatest voyage! See you then!

Thank you all so much for reading! Please leave any questions or comments you have below!