Chapter 76: Steven's True Power


Everything was all black for a moment. Steven could faintly hear Connie and Revenger saying his name checking to see if he's okay.

Connie: Steven! Steven please wake up.

Revenger: Steven! Are you alright? Steven!

Steven opened his eys, but he felt so weak now. His skin was pale and had bags under his eyes. He looked down and lifted his shirt and just as he thought, his gem was gone.

Steven: Wha-What?

Gien: Ha! Yes!

Semimaru gave Gien Steven's pink diamond.

Gien: Yes, yes! Diamond, I have you back! My Pink Diamond! Hahahaha!

Gien held Pink Diamonds gem in his hand as he caressed it. Finally the gem began to glow and he lets go as it floats up to take form. Everyone watched as Gien looked excited. First it took the form of Pink Diamond, but then it took the form of Rose Quartz until finally it took the form of Steven himself, but all pink. Thats the form it chose as Pink Steven floated back down and stared at Steven with this neutral look on his face. Everyone was stunned at this, confused and not knowing what to make of this. The room was silent to take this in.

Gien just stared at Pink Steven. What was this? This wasn't supposed to happen, it was suppose to be Pink Diamond, what is this Pink Steven doing here.

Everyone was still silent until Acha spoke.

Acha: Uh...what is that?

No one answers.

Acha: No seriously what's with the Pink Steven?

They still don't answer.

Acha: I'm totally freaked out here can somebody just say something?

Kocha nudges him hard in her binds to keep him quiet.

Acha: Ow.

Kocha: What do you think? There's another Steven inside of Steven. I think.

Steven tried to go to his pink half, but the moment he took a step he fell to the ground as Connie and Revenger helped him up.

Steven: Please...I...I need...I need it...

Gien: What's going on here? Where is Pink Diamond?

Pink Steven: She's gone...

Gien: What...What did you say?

Pink Steven doesnt answer him.

Gien: Answer me! What did you just say?

Pink Steven: She's GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOONE!

Pink Steven's yell broke part of the ground, shaking the room and the shattered the glass dome above them. Revenger covered Steven and Connie with his body so the glass wouldn't cut them. Pink Steven turned back to his other half and began to walk over to him.

Gien: Where are you going? Don't you walk away from me.

Steven tried to crawl to his gem half, but Revenger picks him up and helps him to it.

Revenger: Save your strength. I got you.

Revenger carried Steven to his gem half.

Gien: Stop where you are now. I command you!

Pink Steven ignores him and keeps walking.

Gien: That's enough!

Gien's eyes began to glow and fired his eye beams at Pink Steven. However he shielded himself with his shield.

Gien: Damn you...

Gien fired his eye beams again, this time Viggo and Huntress joined in as well fireing at him, but Pink Steven continued to shield himself but this time the deflected the energy beams back at them, knocking them down.

Gien: That's it. Semimaru, get him now.

Semimaru roared and charged at Pink Steven. He had his spear and tried to cut him in half. Pink Steven blocked that, but with Semimaru's free hand he formed his gauntlet and tried punching him, but Pink Steven caught his arm. Semimaru tried to pull his arm away, but couldn't. Suddenly an electric energy formed around Pink Steven as began to electricute Semimaru, but this hurt the gems as well as they were yelling in pain.

Steven: No stop, you're hurting them.

Pink Steven continued to electricute Semimaru until finally he lets go and Semimaru fell onto the ground, but he didn't have the gems on him anymore. They were floating in the air and retreated back to their original owners.

Garnet: Our gems. They're back.

Garnet breaks free and helps everyone else down. They jumped back down to the arena and met back with Steven as Revenger gave him to Pink Steven.

Revenger: Here.

Connie: But now what?

Pink Steven held Steven as they looked at each other. Steven smiled and began to laugh as he hugged his pink self. Suddenly the neutral look on Pink Steven's face faded into a happy one as he hugged Steven back and laughed as well.

Gien: What are you doing? What is this? Why are you laughing?

Gien got back up on his knees. He watched as the two Steven's laughed and danced around unable to take in what was happening.

Gien: No...

Connie and the gems smiled as the two continued to dance and laugh, finally they began to glow and fused back together with Steven fully recovered.

Gems and Connie: Steven!

They ran up and grouped hugged him relieved he's alright.

Connie: You're back!

Garnet: Thank goodness my cutie pie is back.

Pearl: I was so worried, my sweet baby!

Amethyst: Great to have you back buddy.

Bismuth: Don't scare me like that young leader. I get more scared than Pearl does.

Lapis: So glad your okay Steven! You're not hurt still?

Peridot: Are you back to normal? Are you you?

Steven: Guys, guys relax. I'm okay really. In fact I'm glad to know that I am me. I've always been me.

Revenger placed his hand on his head. Steven looked up to him and could tell through his mask that he is also relieved.

Revenger: Good to have you back old friend.

Gien: Pink Diamond...Pink Diamond...

Steven could hear Gien's mumbling. He turned and saw him on his knees looking down, really upset and defeated. Huntress kneeled down to him to calm him while Viggo stood and watched.

Connie: Steven what is it?

Steven: I need to talk to him.

Pearl: What?

Amethyst: Come on, this again dude?

Peridot: He's a lunatic, he's not going to learn.

Steven: Guys look at him.

They saw how Gien was just on his knees shaking.

Revenger: With him down, now is our chance to finish him.

Garnet: Wait Revenger. We'll ge ready Steven.

Steven walks up to Gien.

Steven: Gien.

Gien: What do you want boy?

Steven: Do you get it now?

Gien: You know what, I have. Pink Diamond is truly gone, isn't she?

Steven: She is.

Gien: I don't believe it. All this time, I've been trying so hard to get her back. But it was all for nothing. I sent so many of my troops to their deaths, I came back in hopes to get to her. But what did it lead me to? Nothing!

Gien held his head as he was shaking.

Steven: Gien, that's what I've been trying to tell you. I didn't want you to learn it the hard way. But now you know and I want you to stop what you're doing.

Gien: St-Stop?

Steven: Yes. This entire war we've been at is leading you to nothing. You don't have do this anymore. Stop and just think about making the right choice. Let go of the past and focus on the present. Choose what you want to be now, like everyone here. I'm asking you one last time.

Gien: You're...you're right. I have been blind.

Steven looks surprised. He might have finally gotten through to him now.

Gien: I've been doing it wrong this whole time. And you know what Steven? I choose... THIS!

Gien shoots lightning from his hands at Steven, but luckily shields himself. The gems meet up with him ready to fight.

Gien: I was a fool. I can't believe I went soft and wasted my time on bringing my Diamond back when really I could have just blown up the whole planet if I wanted to. But now that I know you aren't her, I don't have to hold back anymore. To relieve my stress, I'm going to enjoy killing you.

Viggo presses the button on the wall which sets off the alarm. All the Gara Soldiers, Areodroids and Black Knight droids enter the room and Semimaru gets back up and joins Gien

Gien: Attack them! Finish them!

The Gara Droids and Crystal Gems clashed into battle. Despite the large numbers the gems still held off against them. At one point Steven is cornered by Gien and Semimaru.

Gien: Semimaru, absorb his gem again, but keep for you. I want him to die slowly without it.

Semimaru growled and attacked Steven. Connie stepped in and slashed him across the back. Semimaru roared and turned to Connie as he grabbed her by her throat and flew her up the arena.

Steven: Connie!

Semimaru strangled her as she dropped her sword.

Steven: Stop, put her down!

Gien: Do it Semimaru. Snap her neck.

Semimaru continued to crush her neck. The nightmares of her dying were starting to come true as Steven watched. But he has had it with them hurting his loved ones.

Steven: I said...put...her...DOWN!

Steven turned pink and jumped up at high speed that no one can see. He formed his hand into a fist which also formed a bubble around it and punched Semimaru across the face, making him let go of her and falling to the ground. Steven lowered his speed so everything would go back to normal and caught Connie from falling as he floated down.

Steven: Connie are you alright?

Connie: I'm fine but Steven, you're pink.

Steven: What?

Steven looked at his hands as he was pink. Except this time it didn't fade away. Gien saw this and couldn't believe his eyes.

Gien: Don't stand there, get him!

Gien, Viggo and Huntress charged at Steven and Connie. Steven ran up at high speed again slowing everything down. He puched Gien in the stomach, Viggo across the head and Huntress in the face. The three of them fell to the ground after just one blow as he went back to normal speed.

Connie: Wow. You just beat them like they were nothing.

Steven looked back at the others.

Steven: Hang on, I got friends to save.

With his new powers he formed multiple hexagon shaped shields with spikes and threw them at the soldiers. He can move so fast that everything around him slows down and this helped him against soldiers that snuck up on him or were ganging up on him. With his help the others managed to defeat all of the soldiers in the base as Gien and the others got back up.

Garnet: Its just you four now.

Gien: No! Semimaru, get them, take their gems again!

Semimaru roared and charged at them. Semimaru tried grabbing onto the gems to absorb their powers again. But they weren't going to let that happen. Knowing his patterns now, they managed to overpower him. He focused on Garnet, but she grabbed both his arms as Amethyst wrapped him around her whip. Pearl cuts the whip and Bismuth grabs it and swings him around and throws him up. Garnet jumps up with enlarged gauntlets and punches him to the ground. Semimaru gets loose and attacks again. He fires his horn beams at them, but with Steven's shield it can't cut through. Connie got behind him again and cuts off Semimaru's horns with her sword. Steven forms multiple hexagon shied which pushes him to the wall.

Steven: He's getting weak.

Bismuth: Finish him off you four, do it now.

Garnet, Pearl, Steven and Amethyst formed their weapons together into the Crystal Cannon and aims it at Semimaru.

Four of them: Crystal Cannon...Fire!

The Crystal Cannon fires at Semimaru, piercing through his body. Semimaru gives out a dying growl as he falls to the ground and explodes.

Garnet: That finally got him.

Pearl: Wait where's Gien?

They looked around the area and saw Gien, Huntress and Viggo were gone.

Peridot: Ha, those clods were probably so scared they ran away to hide.

Revenger: No...he's trying to escape.

Meanwhile in the lab.

Gien, Huntress and Viggo made it the lab as Viggo activated the space bridge.

Gien: Hurry Viggo! We must retreat.

Viggo: I'm sending corrodinates back to Homworld.

Huntress: Send in more soldiers to stall them.

Gien: We can't they killed them all.

The walls explode and the Crystal Gems entered the room.

Steven: It's over Gien. You have no where else to go.

Revenger: Take your hands off the control panel and surrender.

Viggo takes his hands off the panel and raises his hands.

Garnet: Just give up. You have lost.

Gien: No. No, no, no you will die!

Viggo: Do it Huntress!

Huntress: Stay away!

Huntress took out a dagger and threw it at Garnet. She dodged, but it wasn't her she was aiming for. It was a large glass encased button labled self destruct. The entire lair was turning red as sirens went on and the whole place began to shake.

( Cue Super Metroid escape theme)

Gien: This isn't over! I will return with a new plan! One you cannot win!

Viggo opened the space bridge opened and the three of them entered the portal and escape.

Bismuth: They got away.

Peridot: Never mind that. We gotta get out here before this place blows.

Garnet: Everybody run for it.

With three minutes in the counter, everyone ran out of the Kindergarden and headed to the warp pad. With 5 seconds left to spare they got onto the warp pad warped back home as the entire Kindergarden blew up.

Back at the Temple.

Greg, Volleyball and Lion were there trying to clean up the mess. But then they saw the warp pad activate and everyone was there and fine.

Greg: Steven!

Volleyball: Guys your back.

The two of them ran up to them.

Greg: Oh uh...Steven you okay, your all uh...pink.

Steven: Oh yeah how do you turn this mode off I haven't...

But then the pink powers wear off and he turns back to normal.

Steven: Oh there it is.

Garnet: Steven that was...unexpected.

Amethyst: Yeah how did you go all super saiyan?

Steven: I don't know I just saw Connie being threatened and I got mad so all of the sudden this came.

Acha: Can you do it again?

Steven: I think for now it only comes when absolutly necassary.

Pearl: Well, some of us have seen you like this before.

Lapis: I remember it against King Poseidon. But it was only for a second.

Pearl: But Pink Diamond never had anything like this. I mean well I don't recall, what about you Volleyball?

Volleyball: Well she's mostly a healer, but I do know she had her outburst with strong energy and one of them got me.

Acha: I never seen her mad. But I can't imagine that.

Kocha: Me neither.

Garnet: It seems Steven didn't just get the same powers from his mother but also got his own.

Bismuth: Yeah, from now on, I'm calling that form, " Powermaster Steven Universe!"

Steven: Bismuth I'm not calling myself that.

Bismuth: Okay fine. At least Gien is off the planet.

Revenger: But he's still alive. I know he will be back.

Steven: Than we have to prepare ourselves. I need to know more on my powers.

Revenger: Yes, but Steven I'm...

Steven: Yeah?

Revenger: I'm sorry for the way I acted. It was uncalled for of me. I regretted my words but I was too afraid to go back.

Garnet places her hand on his shoulder.

Garnet: It's alright Revenger.

Lapis: You're forgiven.

Steven: You helped me a lot and we're glad to have you back.

Connie: Gald you're all okay, but...your house.

Bismuth: Don't worry guys, I can rebuild it. I'll make a new house, a bigger one. One with two bathrooms, a swimming pool, a wall for Steven's room so I can stop falling off and...and...

Pearl: Oh ho kay Bismuth lets take one thing at a time. But do add the wall for Steven's room.

Connie: You can stay at my place until your house is rebuilt.

Steven: Sure thanks.

Connie: Anything for my Jam bud.

Meanwhile on Homeworld, in Gien's lab.

The space bridge in Gien's lab opened up as the three Gara Droids got out.

Viggo: My lord, truly this was our biggest failure.

Huntress: Could you state anything more obvious Viggo?

Gien: Everything is going down hill.

Viggo: We must counter back with something new.

Gien: Yes. I'm done holding back. We will attack again with full force with...

Suddenly the doors in his lab explodes as they fell to the ground they looked up and saw Blue and Yellow Diamond.

Yellow Diamond: I thought I heard a commotion in here.

Gien: Yellow? Blue? What are you...

Blue Diamond: We will ask the questions Gien. What are you doing back here?

Gien: Well uh...we had to retreat for now after our last attack, but I assure you we...

Yellow Diamond: So you failed?

Gien: Well yes but...

Yellow Diamond: Shut your mouth!

Gien stayed silenced from Yellow's yell.

Yellow Diamond: You have failed on this mission. You had one job. One job to exterminate Rose Quartz and you failed miserably. You said the Gara Droids are supposed to be the strongest army in the whole galaxy and with the planets you have conquered I expected more out of you. But you can't even handle a handful of rebels. I have quartz soldiers that are more compitent than your troops.

Gien: But my Diamond, they're not anything like the quartz soldiers we have here. They're experience fighters.

Yellow Diamond: Isn't that what your robots are supposed to do?

White Diamond: Alright Yellow, settle down. I'll take it from here.

They heard White Diamond come in as she looked down at them.

Viggo: White Diamond?

Yellow and Blue: White?

Gien: White Diamond I...I haven't seen you since the end of the rebellion.

White Diamond: Let's just say I have been busy with some...other things. But after hearing of your constant failurs I had to step in . Listen Gien, I think you've had enough fun bringing your silly little toys to do your work, but I think it's time for the grown ups to handle this.

Huntress: Silly little toys?

Viggo: ( whispers) How dare she calls us that.

Gien: But My Diamond, I...

White Diamond waves her finger at him.

White Diamond: Ah-ah-ah no talk back. You know what happens to gems that talk back to me do you. Do you want to end up that way?

Gien: ( gulp) No my Diamond.

White Diamond: Good, but I think you need to be punished for your failures. Yellow if you please.

Yellow aims her hand at them and electricutes them, paralyzing them.

White Diamond: Good, good, now lock them up.

Later...

The Gien, Viggo and Huntress have been locked up in their own prison cells as the Diamonds spoke.

Yellow Diamond: Well, that will teach them for failing us.

Blue Diamond: So what now? We cannot let those traitors go still. Not after what they have done to Pink!

White Diamond: Now, now. There is no need for crying Blue. We'll just have to take matters at our own hands and pay a visit to Rose Quartz and her gems.

Gien regain concioussness as he glared at them.

Gien: ( in his mind) Don't be all high and mighty. If anyone is going to rule or kill them, it's going to be me. I will have my revenge!

To be continued...


Author's Note: That's it for this chapter. Finally it's time to move on to the final arc of the story. I finally brought Steven's powers here as I said before I thought about him having new powers before Future came. The Diamonds are coming now but Gien is not done yet. I'd like to thank Lady Shadow92 for help on this. Also check out my new midquel story " A Different Universe." It focus's on Gien's wherabouts during his absense after " Return of the Cluster." I will be focusing on that for a little while just so I can bring some closure to the two stories and of course to think through certain ideas in the finale. But don't worry it'll definitly won't be as long as this and won't even be that long. Let me know what you think. If you enjoyed this chapter, be sure to follow, favorite and review. As always thank you and until next time.