Chapter 10

"Zircooooon?!" Steven called out from the front deck of the Temple as he was looking around for his friend.

"Up here!" Zircon called out as Steven could see Zircon sitting on one of the Temple's Statue's hands. Going up to see him, Steven plopped down right next to Zircon for something to catch his eye. He saw Zircon playing around with the little bottle he had tied around his neck as a necklace. "Whoa!" Steven shouted as he saw there were even more gem fragments inside of the bottle than before, "Zircon, you found all of those!?"

"Yeah. I still haven't given up on finding my fragment." Zircon admitted with a confident demeanor. "And I must say, I've definitely learned a lot about everything because of these fragments like the war, Homeworld, even some things about the Diamonds."

"Even the Diamonds?" Steven leaned over a bit so he could look at Zircon's face.

"You know…I really don't think the Diamonds are truly evil." Zircon started. "I mean…the war started because-" Zircon stopped himself, knowing what he was gonna say would break Steven…but…

"Because my mom destroyed Pink Diamond." Steven finished, much to Zircon's surprise since he looked over at Steven with quite a shocked expression. "You weren't the only one that's been learning new things while you were gone." Steven stated as Zircon rubbed the back of his own head. "My mom has done a lot of awful things that I didn't want to believe at first. But…"

"But you know you're not her. Is that right?" Zircon smiled, making Steven smile too, "Yeah…and I'm willing to bear the consequences of her decisions even as much as trying to fix the problems she started too."

"Haha." Zircon chuckled a bit, making Steven looked puzzled, "What's so funny, Zircon?"

"Well, I know you fixed one of the problems she did. Afterall, I ended up making friends with the son of my mother's mortal enemy." Zircon reminded.

"Truuuuue." Steven spoke out in joyous remembrance only for the two to laugh amongst themselves.

"Well, maybe it's time I told you the biggest thing I've learned since I was away." Zircon started.

"Huh? What's that?" Steven turn himself towards Zircon now who returned the same gesture as he answered, "The reason why my mother stopped fighting Rose."

Many many years ago, The Crystal Gem Rebellion;

In a powerful clash of might, Rose's sword and Bloodstone's Butcher Blade collided as a powerful clang rang out from the battlefield that they were on. "Today's the day I finally end your existence, Rose Quartz!" Bloodstone shouted out, her eyes a mighty red hue, as her raven-black, knee length hair was all messy from the fight she was in. Bloodstone was donned in her black and red, armored suit with protruded shoulder pauldrons on both sides of her shoulder line. She tried to overpower Rose in their clash, but all Rose did was merely smirk as she pushed back too, "You said that the last time we fought, Bloodstone."

"I told you I won't rest until I avenged my Diamond!" Bloodstone continued as the two broke off and jumped away from one another. What Bloodstone didn't take into account was Rose having a backup attack. Behind Rose Quartz was her special cannon, primed and ready. Throwing her arm out for the order, Rose fired the cannon at a panicking Bloodstone who all she could do was block the attack, sending herself careening off a cliff and into a rough, river torrent below her, sinking into the stream. Raising her sword in triumph, Rose shouted out, "I have defeated Bloodstone the Ravenous!"

Hours Later;

Bloodstone had no idea how long she drifted down the river. To her it felt like ages and the unbearable pain she felt didn't help the time pass along quickly. Soon enough, her head bumped against a solid, wooden object. She ran into a boat with someone, thankfully, still in it. "What the?" Looking over the edge of his boat to see Bloodstone was a young male with short, healthy green hair and concerned, emerald-green eyes. "M-M'am, are you okay?!" He cried out as he reached out to help her up, struggling because of the armor Bloodstone was wearing. Unable to move her, the human make actually jumped into the waist deep water as he unlatched the armor off of her, making it easier for him to help her into his boat, "Don't worry, I-I know first aid." He assured Bloodstone before she finally went unconscious.

Once regaining consciousness, Bloodstone's eyes slowly opened a bit only for the rest to shoot straight open as she jolted up, immediately feeling pain in her side. When she went to hold her wound though, she felt that it was already bandaged up, causing her to look around where she was at. She was in a log cabin on top of a comfy, fabric couch in front of an already burning fire. She also noticed she was in different clothes, a black sleeveless and grey pajama shorts. "Sorry, I didn't have anything else that fit your figure." The male's voice spoke out as Bloodstone's head jerked over to where he was sitting at behind the couch. He was at a wooden kitchen table, slowly sipping some coffee as there seemed to be a second glass of one in the seat across from him. Bloodstone reacted as she normally would, "Who the hell are you?!" She shouted out as she leaped up from the couch, favoring her side again as she winced in pain.

"Hey, be careful! Your wound is never gonna heal if you keep thrashing like that!" The male called her out before motioning his hand to the empty seat across from him and the second glass of coffee. Bloodstone seemed hesitant at first, but eventually she sat down, taking the glass in her hand and sniffing the coffee that was in it. She grimaced a bit since the smell was bitter, but after slowly taking a sip she quickly downed the whole thing, making the male smile. "My guess is you're not from this world." He stated as Bloodstone looked at him in surprise, "H-How did you know?"

"Lady, you three times bigger in size then most women I know, was wearing a heavy set of sci-fi armor when I found you, and your skin is an unnatural green. I'm smart enough to put those pieces together." He chuckled slightly, making Bloodstone's cheeks turn a darker green, blushing.

"My name is Mark, Mark Evans." The male introduced himself.

"…Bloodstone…Commander of the Pink Diamond corps." Bloodstone returned only to immediately realize, "My troops!" She tried to leave the house as Mark ran out in front of her, "H-Hey! I told you your wounds haven't healed yet!" In that moment, Mark was picked up by Bloodstone and was held against the wooden, "Don't you dare stop me, human! My troops mean more to me than anything!"

"And what'll you do when you get back, all beaten and broken?!" Mark shouted back, making Bloodstone go speechless. "I know you hate to admit it, but right now you're no use to anyone the way you are. Please...let me help you get back on your feet, and I promise I'll get you back to your unit."

"…Why are you helping me…?" Bloodstone looked at Mark with an almost teary-eyed expression as she lowered him down.

"Hey…you look like someone who cares about the people around her. Well…I can respect that." He answered, making Bloodstone smile lightly.

Present Time;

"When Bloodstone finally returned to her troops, with Mark helping her in exchange, I witnessed through their eyes that she changed when she met him, in more ways than one." Zircon continued, wrapping up the story, "They said she's been gone for a month and during that month, it seems she found her reason to stop fighting."

"Mark, right?" Steven smiled brightly.

"Well…yes, but something else. Steven, during that month, my mother has fallen for Mark. Because of that love, her real reason for wanting to stop fighting came into existence…me. All my life I thought I was unwanted, but she wanted me…even though she knew what would happen to herself." Zircon himself looked like he was about to cry, holding the little bottle of gem fragments as Steven held one of his hands over it as well.

"That sounds like a good reason to me." Steven stated before the two went in to hug each other.