"What the heck just happened?-" Lars said immediately after Steven resurrected him. Steven hugs Lars tightly.
"Lars! You saved us! You stopped the Robonoids, but- but one of them exploded, and- and you weren't moving, and I started crying." Steven cried and gasped. "I brought you back to life! It was an accident. I mean, I probably would've done that on purpose if I had known I could do that, but I didn't really ask your permission, so I'm sorry."
Lars *confused* "Back to life? So I was... away from life? Aah!" Lars said confused and looked at his body. "I'm pink!"
"Ah I know! Do you feel okay?" Steven asked.
"I don't… really know." Lars muttered.
"But your body, are you sore?" Steven asked.
"No."
"Are you tired?"
"No."
"Do you feel good?"
"No?"
"Do you feel bad?"
"No?! I guess I just feel really freaked out?" Lars yelled anxiously.
"Well, I am, too, so at least we're on the same page here." Steven said and there was a noise in the distance.
"They're back. Those Shattering Robonoids are back!" Rhodonite screamed.
"Quickly... Block the entrance…" Fluorite said as slow as usual. I run over with the rest and block the entrance.
"I predict, Lars will change in hue. What a mystery!" Padparadscha said happily.
"Is this gonna be enough?" Rhodonite asked and the red beams shine from the gap in the entrance and the noise fades in the distance.
"They..seem...to have...overlooked us...for...the time...being…" Fluorite said.
"Quickly, block the entrance!" Padparadscha yells.
"I was going to say… Steven doesn't Lars look a lot like Lion?" I asked him and Steven paused and looked at Lars. "Pink skin, light pink hair…"
"But that would mean that Lion…" Steven trailed off sadly and then pauses. "Lars… can I try something? If you're anything like Lion, then you might be able to… no. You don't want me going in your head."
"You're going to... possess me again?" Lars asked with an uncomfortable expression on is face.
"No. It would be more literal." Steven said.
"Then what is it?" Lars asked.
"Forget it." Steven said quickly.
"Look, Steven, I'm not gonna get mad, okay? I trust you, just... Help me out here. If I've got magic hair now, I want to know." Lars said kindly and Steven smiles.
"Everyone stand back." Steven said with a smile and all of us take a step back and after a minute Steven disappeared. I spent the two minutes that Steven was gone trying to reassure everyone that Steven was fine and would come back. It took only minutes for him to return with a paper bag full with food and drinks. I grab both Steven and Lars before they collapse on the ground.
"Sorry, Lars." Steven apologized.
"So what happened? What's in my head?" Lars asked.
"Home." Steven said simply.
"Wha?" Lars asked confused and I face palmed, Steven was never the best at explaining things.
"Everyone, I've made an amazing discovery! I just traveled back to planet Earth by going through Lars' head!" Steven announced.
"You went back to Earth? What the heck? Is my head like a wormhole?" Lars said in shock.
"No, it's way simpler than that. You see, I have a pink pet lion who belonged to my mom when she was still here, and it turns out I can go into his mane, and it transports me to a magical dimension where my mom kept a bunch of artifacts on a hill with a tree, and for some reason, I can't breathe in there. But anyway, when I went into Lars' head, I got transported to the same magical dimension, but it was a new part of it, but since the two are connected, I could reach the portal that leads out of Lion's mane, which is back on Earth!"
"Steven that wasn't simply at all." I told him and he rubbed his head embarrassed. Steven offers Lars and I food and drinks. I immediately take them, though I wasn't hungry, but Lars didn't budge not feeling the need for hunger or thirst.
"What is this box?" Rhodonite asked as she picked up a juice box.
"It's juice. We drink it back on Earth." Steven explained.
"What?" Rhodonite said confused.
"That's impossible." Rutiles said together.
"Earth?" Rhodonite said.
"There's no way." Rutiles said together and Rhodonite agreed with their statement.
"Steven's back." Padparadscha said.
"That can't be. I'm incredulous." The Twins split up their sentence.
"What can't it be?" Steven asked.
"Everyone...knows...that...the Earth…" Fluorite said with a surprised look on her face.
"Was decimated by the Diamond attack! Sorry." Rhodonite said hysterically.
"It's not like that. The Diamonds did attack, but there are still Gems living on Earth, and the planet's full of life." Steven said and held up the bag. "It grew the potatoes that became these chips." He held up the extra sandwich. "And grew the wheat that eventually became the flour that eventually became the bread that eventually became this sandwich!"
"Why would you live there?" Rhodonite asked. "After what happened…"
"I had to find some answers for myself." I told her. "But apparently I lost some of my memory in the process. I can't seem to remember everything yet."
"Do... you... know… Who... you… are…?" Fluorite asked.
"Vaguely. I can't control what memories come and what go. I just follow my feelings most of the time." I told her. Steven then explains that all of us can return back to Earth, but as Steven tries to pull Lars' arm into the pocket dimension, he realized that Lars would have to stay.
"Okay, so that didn't work, but I'm sure there's another way." Steven says immediately after he left Lars' head.
"No, no, look. I get it. Everyone just go, and I'll stay here. There's no other way out. I'm it. The Earth is way better than this. There's no robots flying around. Just seagulls that fly in front of the sunset and it's beautiful! Just go, you'll see. I took it for granted, so don't pass up this chance!" Lars said, sacrificing himself.
Rhodonite "Well, if you insist." Rhodonite said and began to walk forward until the Rutile Twins stopped her.
"We...won't...do it. ...Not if it means...leaving you...behind…" Fluorite explained.
"What?! I'm trying to perform a beautiful act over here."
"We...know...this...planet. ...We've...been...hiding in these tunnels...for eons. ...You'll...need us...to help you...get around. ...Besides, ...us...Off-Colors...stick...together." She said with a smile.
"We'll get to Earth another way. We'll find an alternate route." Rutiles said.
Lars points to me and Steven. "But you've got to go back."
"But it doesn't feel right to just leave you here." Steven said sadly.
"You said yourself that everyone on this planet is out to get you. You won't be safe until you're back on Earth." Lars said.
"But, Lars-" Steven argues.
"Don't argue with me! You're always trying to help me. You brought me back to life. Just... Let me be somebody who deserved it." Lars said and looked over at me. "I never really got to know you, but what you did back at that castle… building… thing.. Was really impressive, plus you helped form the Off-Colors, so I hope you'll be able to help Steven when he needs it."
I smile at him. "You got it Lars."
"All right, We'll tell everyone you're okay. We'll be back. I can bring whatever you need. Be careful, okay?" Steven said.
"We...will…" Fluorite said.
"We can't leave without Lars!" Padparadscha added.
"We'll see you on Earth, I hope. No, no, no. We will!" Rhodonite said and I gave the Off-Colors a hug.
"I'll see you all soon, and this time I'll make sure to protect all of you and the rest of the Off-Colors we don't even know." They return the hug.
"We wouldn't be here without you my Dia- I mean." Rhodonite said and I smile at her. As Lars and Steven hug each other the Off-Colors form the Diamond Salute and bow.
"Goodbye, my Diamond." They said in a different rhythm of each other that suited the Off-Colors, a not perfect and precise goodbye was exactly what I was looking for. Steven led me through the pocket dimension.
"It's beautiful." I told him and he nodded after a second of staring at me, I could see him confirming something in his eyes. We climb out of Lion's mane just as the Gems, Connie and Greg warp on the Crystal Temple Warp Pad.
"This is hopeless." Peal said and Steven gasped in surprise. "We'll never get that dropship to fly, and we're losing time! Who knows what they're doing to Steven and Suha. Hi Steven, Hi Suha. What are we going to d-" She finally noticed us.
"I'm back!" Steven said and all of them us to embrace us and I felt myself relax. Even after being back at Homeworld, my true home, has always been here.
