The moon takes its place amongst the starry sky, and Twoie does his best to commit the sight to memory. It's the little things he's going to miss the most. Nights like these with the lively chatter of his loved ones surrounding him, their laughter tinkling like bells.

Amethyst gives him a playful punch as greeting, and he does his best not to wince. Everything hurts nowadays. "Man, you can see the stars so clearly out here," she says, taking a moment to soak in the view. She looks at him, and he can see the concern flashing across the surface of her eyes. He hasn't spoken much tonight, his mind elsewhere. "It's pretty, huh?"

"Yeah," he agrees after a pause. He can tell she wants him to say more, break him out of his melancholic silence, but his mind blanks and his throat closes up. He shuffles back into the barn, ignoring the worried pair of eyes that seem to bore into the back of his head.

It's a little later when Pearl, Garnet, and Amethyst approach him. Hesitant glances are exchanged, a silent conversation, as they decide who will be the one to talk to him.

"It's late," Garnet eventually says, her voice as collected and steady as always. It's comforting in a way, makes it easier for him to pretend it's just an ordinary night. "You should take a break, try to sleep."

He can almost feel Pearl's eyes on him as her gaze flits to the dark circles under his eyes, ones that only seem to be getting worse with time. He can see the way that Amethyst's body tenses as she waits for his response, ready to refute whatever excuses he comes up with to work on the drill for just a little bit longer.

For once, he doesn't fight them, smiles, and nods in agreement. Even Garnet struggles to hide the surprise on her face at his compliance, they had been expecting him to put up a fight, but he's far too tired for that.

He struggles to keep his voice from cracking, as he goes around the barn giving out goodbyes and heartfelt hugs to anyone who would let him. If they notice the tears in his eyes, or the small tremble of his hands, they don't mention it, too relieved at finally getting him to take a break.

"I'll be making pancakes tomorrow," Pearl tells him, smiling. "I know they're your favorite."

He doesn't have the heart to tell her that he doesn't like pancakes anymore (he hasn't for a while now). Instead, he envelops her in another hug and mutters a few words of gratitude. He wants to say more, so much more, but he forces himself to stay quiet. He knows if he starts talking now, words will spill out of him, an unending stream of teary confessions and fears, and he will be unable to stop.

He doesn't glance back as he leaves the barn, afraid of losing his resolve if he catches a glimpse of the love shining in his family's eyes.


Save for the quiet snores of Steven, the beach house is silent when Twoie arrives. He stares at Steven's sleeping form for a moment, cracking a small smile at the way his mop of curly hair seems to defy gravity by sticking up in every which direction.

I'm doing this for him, he reminds himself.

He places a letter with the name 'STEVEN' scrawled in large black letters on the coffee table before heading out to the sandy shores of the beach. The letter won't be read until morning, and by then it will be too late. A part of him wonders if they'll hate him for what he's doing, resent him for doing what has to be done. He doesn't dwell on it for long, the time for second thoughts has long since passed.

Getting a ride to Homeworld proves as easy as flashing his gemstone to an incredulous Yellow Diamond. After that it's simply a matter of waiting for the patrolling ship to come get him.

The squad of Ruby's who come to greet him trip over themselves to make him comfortable, praising his every action and fighting for his attention. He winces every time they refer to him as Pink Diamond, but doesn't bother to correct them.


The room is a blinding white, and he finds himself having to cover his eyes while he adjusts to the all encompassing light. He can hear the way his heart pounds against his chest, the way blood rushes in his ears, and the way his breath hitches when the cold eyes of White Diamond finally land on him.

He pleads with her, falls to his knees and begs her to understand. Pink Diamond is gone, he's not her. If any of his words are getting through to her, it's impossible to tell. Her face is a stone wall, completely impassive as she peers down at him.

When she finally does speak, it's to chide him about his 'improper behavior' and 'ridiculous delusions'. She doesn't believe him, and even though he had been expecting it, his heart still drops like a stone to the pit of his stomach—because he knows, knows that there is only one way to convince someone like White Diamond.

He pushes himself off the floor, his legs wobbling under the weight of his fear, and with shaky hands lifts the hem of his shirt up, the pink gemstone embedded in his navel shimmering with life.

"I can prove it," he says, his voice sounding more confident than how he feels. He traces the skin that borders his gemstone with his fingers, ignoring the way his stomach churns in protest, and tries his best not to cry out as he tugs.

For a moment, there is nothing but a blinding hot pain, the rest of the world vanishing as his gemstone desperately clings onto his body. He wants to stop, but with his gemstone already halfway out, it's far too late.

White Diamond watches on, making no move to stop him, and with no trace of concern on her face. She doesn't care what happens to his human half, her gaze firmly glued to his gemstone.

Tendrils of black appear at the edges of his vision, and he knows he's about to lose consciousness, but he continues to pull. The last thing he wants is for White Diamond to finish the job for him. It's the memory of her cruel eyes and black nails that gives him the strength he needs for one final tug. With a sickening pop his gemstone finally comes free.