(2. Snake People)… Steven didn't know how exhausted he truly is until he climbed into bed hours later. The gentle pressure of his blankets around him brings a comfort he didn't know existed, and his bedroom with all its familiar sights and smells and sounds nearly brings him to tears of joy. His father told him he'd been on Homeworld almost a week, which is news to him; time had just been so different there. The planet did have some sort of day-and-night cycle, but it wasn't like Earth's at all. Still, despite his tiredness, his mind is running about a mile a minute. He isn't his mother. He never was. He had to almost die to realize it, but he found out regardless. Because he'd worried and obsessed about it for so long, the absence of it left a weird hole in his chest, like when he felt for his gem and touched only the soft squishiness of his stomach. Perhaps this is a good thing in more ways than one. Perhaps that hole is left for a reason, to be filled with better things than the constant pressure to live up to what his mother had been. He can make his own choices, live his own life. Because for once, he surely doesn't want hers.

Thinking of this, he smiled gently, finally letting his exhaustion take full control.

It was all black for a while. Then Steven realized he was floating through that void of black. Most people would've found this a strange or frightening experience, but Steven was so used to things like this happening that he was relatively unfazed. He had no idea how long he had been here. It could've been minutes or hours, there was no way to tell time. He was wearing a watch but its face was blank. No little numbers, no black hands. It was only him, and the darkness, no sound except his own steady breathing. Except…perhaps there was something else. It was only a pinprick in the distance, but he was flying towards it rather quickly. In fact, he felt as if he were moving faster than he was moments before. Then there was wind, howling in his ears, flattening his black curls of hair. The speck was growing rapidly. Flashes of white light, making his eyes sting since they were adjusted to the dark. His heart was pounding so hard he could hear his blood rushing. Now he was afraid. He was heading towards the light at an incredible speed, he couldn't stop himself even if he tried. This rollercoaster had no breaks. Faster, faster, straight to the blinding glow, until it engulfed his whole vision. Didn't people on the verge of death see a bright light? He clenched his eyes shut, anticipating the inevitable.

His body shaking with terror, it swallowed him.

A gentle warmth like a blast from the hairdryer brushed his face. It hadn't felt like passing through light. Some invisible force had been with him, wanting to push him out, and he thought briefly that it might not want him there. This was silly, of course. He knew that. Yet he floated onward. The light shoved at him, but he shoved harder, locked in a struggle that lasted mere seconds. He emerged with sparkles in his head, which spun with the odd feeling of trying to be rejected. Soaked with sweat, he opened his eyes. He was sure he wasn't dead. Unless the afterlife was the same black space he'd just been in. He could feel solid ground beneath his feet now, which meant he was no longer floating. Mist was rising up before him, swirling ghost-like in the air, and the light, while dimmer, filtered through it. Swallowing shakily, he took in his eerie surroundings, until he saw someone very familiar. His mouth went bone-dry.

The new glow was coming from White Diamond. Her arms were bound to her sides with huge metal cuffs, along with her legs, there was even one around her forehead, all connected to a huge bar behind her. It looked like it was forcing her to stand rigidly straight. Other random wires and tiny machines were also connected to her, and Steven was vaguely reminded of some of the science fiction movies he'd watched. "White…?" he whispered.

With this, White noticed him. Her head couldn't move, but her eyes could. Silvery ones met his dark ones. "Who are you?" she choked out, very brittle, as if she were using all the strength she had to speak and the effort was extremely painful. "What are you doing here?"

Steven's brow furrowed in confusion. He didn't think he would be able to speak either, so he surprised himself when he did. Or attempted to. "You don't remember me? We've met before. I'm…" He decided to choose his next words carefully. "I'm Pink Diamond's son. We fought, but then I made you blush and you agreed to come to Earth, along with the other Diamonds."

White was looking at him like he'd grown an extra head. "There are no Diamonds except for me."

"What?" Steven blurted, so confused now that his thoughts were spinning everywhere. There was something about this whole situation that was making him uneasy. It was odd enough that White didn't remember him, or Pink, to be more precise, but the others as well? Something was wrong. Very, very wrong. "Of course there are more Diamonds!" he said with a nervous chuckle. "There's you, and Yellow, and Blue, and me, kind of…"

The words died on his tongue. Three figures were walking through the mist. White's gaze instantly skipped away from Steven as they emerged. They were each about seven feet tall, covered in green armor, the plates layered like scales. Their faces were hidden behind identical masks. Each of the masks were disturbingly realistic human faces, but far too smooth and shiny, like the wax figures in museums. Once again, Steven found himself paralyzed. If this really was just a dream, he'd really like to wake up in his own bed right about now.

They stopped a couple of feet in front of him. The blank stares of the glassy eyes makes a shiver go down his spine. The figure in the middle broke the silence.

"Intruder," said its whispery voice, like the strong wind of a storm howling outside a closed window. While it spoke, the rubbery pink lips of the mask didn't move.

"Shouldn't be here," said the second figure. It sounded exactly like the first. Like steam pouring from a teakettle.

"What shall we do?" breathed the third.

"Trespasser! Bring him to our Master!" The first.

Steven thought they were more talking to themselves than to him. He could smell something foul emanating from them, similar to the stale scent of manure at the zoo. He didn't like these creatures at all and suddenly wanted to get as far away from them as possible. He stared intently at White Diamond, hoping she would acknowledge him again, maybe even get these creatures to go away. When faced with these muttering, conspiring things, she actually seemed like the much more desirable option. But she didn't react like he wanted. He even thought he could hear the faint clanking of her trembling slightly in her restraints.

"Intruder! Intruder! Intruder! Go awayyyyy!" They all wailed at once.

"I'm sorry!" Steven exclaimed. "I'll leave, okay?" He took a small step backward. "I'm going. Right now."

"It was her!" the second roared, as if Steven hadn't spoken at all. "She let in the little boy! Punish her!"

"Punish her! Punish her!"

All three of them kept repeating this, over and over, until it became something like a chant. It pounded against Steven's head like a sledgehammer, making him cringe and want to cover his ears. Without warning, none at all, there was the buzz of powerful electricity, followed by White's bloodcurdling scream of agony. Steven could see the pale lightening coursing through her body and his gut curled inside of him. Although he knew this was the same Gem who'd struck hopeless terror in millions, destroyed planets, and helped cause Corruption, he still felt an aching pity for her. He couldn't think with White shrieking like that, she wasn't even writhing, just standing there, taking it.

"STOP THAT!" he cried, his hands finally flying to throbbing head. It felt like the pain were about to burst out of his skull. All three heads snapped towards him. Instead of heeding him, the things gargled out an awful hissing laughter.

"Shall we show mercy on the Diamond?" the first creature asked slyly. "I think not. I think-"

It paused. When Steven had raised his arms to clutch at his head, his old T-shirt had risen up just a little bit. Just enough for the glittery pink gem embedded in his stomach to be on full display. It twinkled gently in the light, and the creatures had noticed it. They recoiled, growling. "A Gem! It's a Gem! A Gem!"

Simultaneously, the machines stopped shocking White Diamond, finally putting an end to her torture. It left her limp and raggedly gasping for breath.

This brought Steven an inkling of relief despite everything that was going on, but he didn't have time to bask in it. The creatures were slowly advancing towards him, no longer distraught or confused, but utterly infuriated. "Bring it to our Master," they hissed together. "He will want to see. Oh yes, it will make such a delightful slave…"

"S-stay back," Steven warned, his voice wavering as the bitter tang of fear rose into his mouth. He tried to summon his shield but it was no use, his gem only sputtered faintly before sparking out. The creatures started to laugh again at his failure. "No use, Gem. No use. You cannot run from our Master." Their stink was unbearable, now more like rotting flesh than anything else.

Steven knew he was trapped. The creatures were too slippery and quick. White Diamond was unable to help him, they somehow had her completely under their thumb. She didn't even know who he was. They were closing in on him, and he whimpered, watching in horror as they began to take off their masks. They did not simply pull them off, but peeled them, coming away in long fleshy strips in their clawed hands, revealing crazed reptilian eyes. Forked tongues flicked out from between nonexistent lips.

A scream caught in Steven's papery throat.

Snake People.