With the gems moving towards the moon base, what will they find that made the location so important to visit?
...
It didn't take long for the gems to mobilize towards the barren rock in Earth's orbit. Before moving towards their destination, the Gems had come to the conclusion that the three main protagonists should head up the journey while the others stay behind. With this being the only information available to them, the group didn't want to risk missing any else that could give more solid evidence towards any progress. The group also had to consider the human factor of the group. Although Greg and Connie would want to go with, the lot of them decided it best for them to stay behind as they didn't want to chance a repeat of having to track down a human in space, as they had to do with Steven a few years ago, especially since neither of the two had gem powers to buy them time in the vacuum. With this decided, the group used the warp pad to reach their destination. After Spinel's attack on the planet, the group had decided it best to reopen the moon base and use it as an observatory for any incoming threats to the planet. Once Homeworld had heard of these plans, a group of Peridots had volunteered to run the base. Though they were informed and aware of the main purpose of reopening the base, they were also curious on studying the effects of 'climate change' on the planet as rumors of the phenomenon intrigued the group of gems. Alongside making the base operational once more, the gems had installed a warp pad as well to allow for a more convenient means of transportation from the Earth. After using the newly installed tech, the Gems found themselves inside the moon base.
Now outside of the Earth and on the smaller cratered rock, the group began to notice something was wrong almost immediately upon their arrival into the base. Since moving into the base, the Peridots had made several improvements, such as adding lights and repairing the console that Garnet had smashed during the whole Cluster dilemma. With these upgrades, the base was usually buzzing with energy and commotion, as the technicians could barely contain themselves with each finding they discovered. However, the only energy the base was giving off was that from the lights as the base seemed empty.
"What happened here? This place is a ghost town", Pearl noted.
"Eh, I'd say more like a ghost base P", Amethyst corrected, to which she earned an annoyed glare from the taller gem, something she hadn't received from her teammate in sometime. 'Fair enough, probably not the best time or place'.
"Spread out, see if we can locate any of the Peridots", Garnet ordered. "At least one of them has to be around here". Having to pick up as team leader once more seemed...odd for the fusion. Although she knew how to successfully lead the team as she had been the former leader until Steven had stepped up, she felt a pressure she hadn't felt since Rose's disappearance. She had to be the bigger gem and pick up the pieces then, and now, she had to do the same all over again. Since Steven had become the team leader though, both officially and unofficially since his presence and instinct alone had led the team into victory so many times, the fusion had taken up an advisor role for the Crystal Gems as she was still a wealth of knowledge and her future vision usually allowed the gems to stay ahead of the game, though this wasn't always the case. Garnet still couldn't get pasted the point of how unreliable her power could be. She used to believe that her power would allow the gems to stay one step ahead of everything, but Steven had shown her time and time again, both consciously and unconsciously, that her power could be misguided or even just flat out wrong. It was something she was reminded of too often, especially recently, what with Steven's kidnapping and his...transformation. Although she was usually able to at least see bits and pieces of Steven's future, these two events, among the many others, were ones that she couldn't see in her visions until they happened. Garnet still couldn't forgive herself for letting either of them happen, even if they were unforeseeable. She especially kicked herself with Steven's breakdown as even someone without future vision could have seen his fall to rock bottom coming from a mile away. The writing was on the wall that something was wrong with Steven, and yet when he had come to her, all she had managed to do was make things worse. Since then and even still now, she swore to be better, so she can protect the boy she had come to know and love. Finding herself becoming lost in her thoughts, the silent gem began her search.
After sometime, the Gems were unable to locate anything out of the ordinary on the first floor, aside from the missing Peridots. Seeing that this floor had nothing to give them, the group moved to the second floor. The stairs leading up to next level had already been present, allowing them to begin their advance upwards. Upon reaching the second floor, the trio noted that this room hadn't changed much either from how the knew it, aside from whatever changes the Peridots made with device additions to the floor. After doing a quick look around, the gems regrouped once they had confirmed their suspicions that this floor was a bust as well.
"I don't get it, that group of Peridots were some of the more experienced ones from Homeworld. It isn't like them all to just disappear like", Pearl pondered aloud. "No signs of a disaster, no message, nothing."
"Maybe they'd le-" whatever Amethyst was going to say was interrupted by a scream.
"That came from the top floor. Let's move", Garnet ordered.
Moving up the stairs at a quicker pace than before, the group arrived to find one of the Peridots running from the main platform on the other side of the room. This Peridot was one of the technicians stationed at the base, which was confirmed by the appearance of her hair being shaped like a diamond tip, to which she had earned the nickname Diam-dot. Looking towards the main console, the gems noticed a small poof of green dust still present. This gave them the trio some insight to the Peridots disappearance. Someone was on the base poofing them. Before Diam-dot got far from the main console, she had tripped in her distressed excitement. From the main platform, both Diam-dot and the Gems saw a figure moving towards the green gem, though who the figure was couldn't be figured out immediately by the Gems as they were too far from the stairs to identify. Now nearing the small gem, Diam-dot attempted to plead for her very gem, though her words had struck the trio as odd.
"N-no p-lease my diamond, forgi-" she was cut off as the figure had struck the technician and poofed her. The figure then moved to bubble the gem. Having seen enough, the trio moved to intercept.
"You there, don't move", shouted Garnet. "Hands where we can see them, and back away from the gem".
Pausing only for a moment, the figure chuckled and ignored the order. Once the Peridot gem had been bubbled, the figure turned towards the group, who had moved closer so that they could identify their foe. Once the figure was turned toward the Gems however, time seemed to freeze. The trio couldn't believe what they were seeing. After five months of searching with very little to show for it, the group had located their missing person. Standing in front of them, with the still bubbled gem and a grin on his face, was Steven Universe.
...
So, yeah more on that bit of plot and story later. Ill admit, I hadn't wanted to get to this twist so soon, but I couldn't really find much for filler in between that would contribute to the story, so here we are. Don't worry though, I do have much more planned out. Not going to make this a simple few chapters and call it a day, y'all gonna get a full out story with plot and backgrounds and the whole sha-bam.
Also, if any one hasn't noticed, the chapters have been named after songs. I dare you all to guess who its from each time. I'll reveal the song with the end notes each chapter from now on for anyone who cares to play along. And no, the actual song doesn't have any relevance to the chapter, just the title of it does, even if only a little. Thanks all, see you guys in the next one.
Chapter 1: A Little Bit Off by Five Finger Death Punch
2: Code Red by ACDC
3: Space Bound by Eminem