Three Years After Homeworld's Warning,The Moon Base, Emerald's P.O.V.:

"How many people will still be ready when this Homeworld attacks? How do we even know these Diamonds are even telling the truth." Over the past few hours the leaders of Earth, Pearl, and I have been in a meeting over the upcoming war. Even though we are prepared now, there is still a lot of worry over who will be ready in thirteen years. "You Gems may be safe because you don't age, but humans do. In thirteen years some of our best soldiers may be too old to actually fight." says one of the leaders.

I look at him, "That is true. Which is why I implore you to not try to battle this war. We have a good amount of Gems. If you must we can always recruit younger humans."

"So what you're saying is that we get kids into this war? That we shouldn't fight to protect our own world and let aliens fight in our stead?" The man gives a crooked smile, thinking he has won.

"Not kids, merely younger soldiers and let us train them. It really is no different from what you humans did during the ages where the adult age was nine. Besides don't you have a drafting? Oh and that snide comment about us being aliens, you haven't been on this Earth long enough for it to be more your home than ours." Pearl says without missing a beat. I give laugh, as do other Earth leaders. The man opens and closes his mouth rapidly, like a fish out of water.

Finally he closes his eyes and sighs, "Very well, but the people won't like it."

"Oh I'm sure they will come around once I show them the recordings of the previous war." I say

The man looks confused, "There was a war before this one?"

Pearl puts her head in her hand, "You humans really don't do your research... yes there was a war against Homeworld before, and yes it did occur on Earth. Most of your old Gods and creatures were just merely gems. Hades was an Onyx, your various dragons were just corrupted Gems, your Sasquatch was an example of a corrupted Beryl."

Hours later:

After the meeting, which lasted for several hours, me and Pearl parted ways as she had to go to another meeting about supplies for such a war. "I'll see you later my love."

"You shall and I will await that meeting, my lovely treasure." I make my way to the warp pad set aside from normal citizen access. After all some humans are still objected to the new union. And the new drafting rule isn't going to go down with the crowd as easily as it was conceived. But as far as I'm are concerned, the Crystalline Earth Union's soldier count is the best chance they have for survival. As I'm walking to the warp pad I almost run into someone. I look up and see it is a little human boy, "Hello there little one. What are you doing back here?"

"I'm just looking around."

"Well you know this place is off limits to civilians right?"

"Oh I didn't know..."

"That's all right... hey where are your parents?"

"They're training right now?" he says wistfully

"Like they're training for some sort of game?"

"No... they're soldiers. Hey you're a Crystal Gem right?"

I hesitate, "Yes, why do you ask?"

He hesitates as well, "Well... I was wondering if you could ask your leader to put them in a safe place for the war. I still want to see them afterwards."

I smile and rustle his hair, "I'm sure I can. Our leader is a very caring guy."

The kid smiles and runs off, "Thank you! Thank you so, so much!"

I smile and enter the warp pad room, as the warp pad activates I suddenly realize something, "Wait! How'd he even get to the Moon Base?"

Strawberry Fields, Ocasio's P.O.V.:

"Good job Diopside, you almost got me there. Maybe a few years from now you can actually land three hits on me." I say with a laugh. Over the past few hours me and my student, Diopside, have been training. I can say with a certainty that he is coming along faster than I would have expected, I mean I am certainly no trainer.

"Aww how long is a few years? I have to get stronger so I can send Homeworld packing." Diopside crosses his arms in anger.

I walk over to him and put my hand on is shoulder, "Hey don't worry kiddo, it takes long for one to get strong. Besides... you don't want war to happen so fast when you have plenty of time."

"Why not?" He tilts his head at me

I sigh, "Trust me, war is never a good thing. It's like my Uncle Greg says, there is no such thing as a good war. People die left and right on both sides, people lose families in one single moment, lives that have so much potential are destroyed in a matter of moments because one person decides they don't belong in the world of living."

He looks down and asks in a ow voice, barely audible, "Were you once in a war."

I laugh and say, "No... but I've seen what is has done to the Gems that were, I've seen records of the Earth civil war and it scared me half to death. Trust me Diopside, war is something you don't want to come quickly."

"So what can we do then?"

"The best we can do is stay positive and train in order to protect every innocent on this planet. Hopefully we can send the message to Homeworld that this isn't what we're made to do." I say, my voice getting softer. I start to stare off into space, 'I have to protect Obsidian, what would I do without her, she and my family are the only real reason I'm going to fight against Homeworld. Is this how Dad felt for Mom during the first war? Hopefully I don't die in this one though'I give a nervous chuckle at the thought.

"What's so funny?" Diopside says

His question brings me back to reality, "Oh, sorry nothing. Just thinking about things."

"That's no fair, I like jokes too!"

"My jokes aren't appropriate for you little one." I say. Just then I hear a voice voice in the distance.

"Ocasio!" When I turn around I see Obsidian running towards me.When she reaches I go in for a hug, which she does return.

"Hey my little volcanic glass. Why are you here?"

She gets a look on her face suggesting she has forgotten but then quickly remembers, "Ocasio you have to come quick! There's been an explosion at that weird upside down diamond temple."

I quickly take off towards the direction of the temple. When I reach it I can see various people and Gems dragging others out of it. My heart grows stone cold as I realize that Steven and Connie are still in it. They had been in there since Steven was one of the original to beat the puzzle contained in it and Connie was his guard. As I run through the door I fall directly down and on to a floor with the Diamond Authority symbol on it. I choose the only hallway that doesn't looked caved in. I get past the first trap, just a few ceilings that drop. After that the next two puzzles are even easier, when I reach the end I can see a column has fallen down an a pink bubble. "Steven!"

He turns to me and I can see Connie was stuck outside the bubble, "Ocasio grab her!"

I quickly run towards the column and pull her out of the way. Steven deactivates his bubble and jumps out in time to miss the column crushing him. Before I can ask him what happened the roof begins to cave in, "RUN! We've gotta get going and quick!"

"Don't have to tell me twice!" Steven picks up Connie and we start running, I take some of the stone around us and make a small dome around us. We get back to the center of the temple and see the ladder going up. I take a moment to be embarrassed about not noticing it before dropping to my face. Suddenly I hear a large cracking sound and the dome above us nearly hits our heads.

"Steven get going up that ladder, I'm going to create a platform for you."

"Ocasio we're not going up without you." Steven says with a determined voice.

"I know, that's why I'm making the platform." At first he looks confused, but then I send a pillar of stone making him hit the ladder. I then rise the stone he is on and I can tell by the voices above they have him outside of the temple.

'This stone sure is heavy, I wonder how long that this dome will last before the dome breaks. I mean I could use my sage powers, but I kind of used that in the training session. Think Ocasio, how are you going to get out of this.' I begin thinking of what I'm going to do but I'm interrupted as another loud crash makes a the ceiling of the temple crash on my dome. I can tell it was the ceiling because the intense afternoon light pouring inside. Just then I get an idea, I crash to the floor and let the dome fall on top of me. A little bit of rock falls on top of me, I can tell by the way the ceiling hasn't hit the dome by the way the dome not being shattered by the weight. I estimated that I had at least twelve seconds, I place my hands on the stone floor and focus my energy into my hands. Nothing happens, so I try again; luckily by the time the ceiling had hit the dome I had begun swimming in the Earth. But before I could fully get through the dome breaks and the ceiling catches my foot, breaking it. The pain is intense but I keep going, eventually breaking through ground in front of the temple. When I surface I see Steven and Connie standing around Obsidian. I on top of the ground and try standing up. I immediately regret as my foot sends waves of pain through my body, I yell in pain of course, catching the attention of the three. They all see me and rush over.

"Ocasio don't ever force me to leave a friend again." Steven says with a cross voice, but he quickly forgives me and smiles.

"Yeah and don't every scare me like that again Vilikon."

"What does Vilikon mean?" Connie asks

Obsidian blushes purple, "It b-basically the... t-the equivalent of the word f-f-fiance."

"W-what?" I say, my heart fluttering.

Obsidian digs in her satchel and brings out a small purple bracelet, "Ocasio Quartz Sage-Daughter... w-will you m-marry me after this war?"

Connie giggles and Steven gives a gasp, I look at Obsidian and I can't speak. Eventually I smile and say, "OF COURSE!" I spring up and grasp her, tightening my squeeze around her.

I stop once she starts squirming and turning a darker shade of purple, "UNCLE, UNCLE!" We all start to laugh as Obsidian tries to catch her breath.

At the Temple, A.K.A. Crystal Gem H.Q., Emerald's P.O.V:

"Quartz can you meet me in a few minutes?" I say over my communicator.

"Why sir? Strategy?" He responds immediately.

"Yes you could say that." I say without trying to give too much information up.

"I'm on my way sir." He says. After that a little screen on my communicator indicates that the transmission is over. I look around the temple and fully realize how it has changed, for one most of the kitchen was overrun with various documents and tablets describing various things that will be vital to the war. Steven's bed was no longer in existence and his room was taken up by a small makeshift armory for the humans that would guard here alongside certain gems.

Just then the warp pad activates indicating Quartz is here, "Now what did we learn during that training session Darren?"

Quartz's Protege maneuvered his hands in what Humans called sign language, 'Don't strike when not on the ground.'

"Still doesn't speak much I see Quartz."

"No he doesn't but he does speak more often though, anyways I assume you didn't call me out here for just any strategy meeting am I right?"

"As sharp as ever Quartz. You're right, but please sit down," when they do I resume, "As you can tell most humans are deposed to the union. They fear that we are just aliens looking to take over their world, which of course isn't true. We need someone else to lead the army, and I don't like the idea of some corrupt Politician letting in their filth just to keep tabs on the Gems."

"So who should we choose? We certainly couldn't put in another Gem, that defeats the purpose." Quartz ponders

Just then Darren starts moving his hands, 'How about Steven?'

Quartz sits up straight, "Yeah how about Steven, he is human even though his DNA is half Gem. But I'm sure no one will care as he appears Human."

"So it's decided? We're going to appoint Steven."

"Yes my Praetor, it makes the most sense too, his Mom was Rose Quartz original leader of the Crystal Gems." Quartz explains.

"True, so I guess we'll call Steven here first thing in the morning." I say.

The Next Day:

Crystal Gem H.Q. Emerald's P.O.V.:

As I'm waiting for Steven to warp to the temple I wonder what he looks like as I haven't seen him over six years. I begin to imagine a taller Steven in that shirt of his. I quickly realize the flaw in that image, for sure he is taller and probably more lean training for all of these years. Then I imagine him with short cut hair, which also looks weirder than the last image. Eventually my thoughts are cut short by the chime of the warp pad announcing Steven is here, when I look I notice Connie is next to him. "Uncle Emerald I'm here!"

"Over here Steven!" I motion for him to come and see me.

"What'd you need me for Uncle Emerald?" Steven sits down on the couch.

I take in his look, he certainly is leaner, his new shirt that looks like a sleeveless shirt version of Rose's dress and some red short. He has a ponytail in the back with pink curls resembling Rose's hair. I sigh and wonder if I should really let him become General, in the end I figure that I have no choice in the matter, "Steven... you're here because I need to talk to you about a change in leadership."

He tilts his head in confusion, "Really? Who is going to take your place?"

"You are Steven..."

"W-what? I can't take control of the army! You're clearly the only one with actual leading skills," he lowers his head and grows a frown, "Besides I'm sure the only reason you're making me general is because of my Mom being Rose Quartz..."

"Sure," he tenses up, "But Steven, I'm doing this because you're the only person in this army that is human and I can fully trust. You alone can make humans accepting of Gems in order to protect Earth from Homeworld."

"I don't know Uncle Emerald... do you really think I could lead the army?"

"Steven I definitely do, and I'm sure Connie here agrees."

He looks over to Connie who smiles and says, "I do, I mean without you I would have never had the guts to train. Steven everyone is drawn to you and you can't even see it yourself. That shows you are modest. In all of history that was not a common trait in most of the leaders of great civilizations, and those civilizations did not prosper for too long. The very fact you are who you are is what draws people to you, that is also why you are a natural leader."

Steven looks up at me and I nod my head in confirmation and back at Connie who puts her hand on his, "You really think so?"

"I know so Steven, besides I only have enough training to run a legion, not a whole army spanning an entire planet." I say.

"All right but I'll need some help." He says his face determined.

I bring out a tiny flash drive that contains some of Gemkinds most esteemed generals and strategists and toss it to Steven, "This should help you out. It contains some amazing records to help you get a basis of what you'll need to create your own leading style."

"Thanks Uncle Emerald."

"No problem, Connie I'll assume you'll stay with him," she nods her head, "That's good, now if you'll excuse me I'll send word to all of the legions and prepare for your step up to General to be told to the media and after that I'll be off to the Strawberry Fields to get the Quartizine Legion well oiled. After all we do need to be prepared, only three years left."