The Fourth Summoning (Believe in Steven)
(A Note to the Readers: This chapter was thought up long before the announcement of the Steven Universe Movie. While there may be some references to scenes from the trailer here, the events within this chapter are not affiliated with the film in any way. Thank you for understanding and enjoy reading.)
As we leave the high seas and the Straw Hat Pirates behind, for now; our tale takes us to a small town by the sea. This town, known by many as Beach City, may appear calm and serene. But when you look deep enough, you may find a few surprises hidden within the streets and shops.
I daresay that if they keep their eyes open, one might find a few hidden "gems" within this city. Be assured, I do not say this as a form of a jest. Unlike most of the Earthly realms we've visited; this town does indeed hold many gems that make it stand out from any other, both in a figurative and literal sense.
For you see; within this plain, the humans of the earth coexist with another race of beings known as Gemfolk. Though they may appear feminine in appearance; in truth, these beings are actually sexless creatures made from stone. How is this possible, you might ask?
Well, to properly understand; we must turn back the clock, thousands of years ago.
(Flashback)
Centuries ago, before sentient life began on Earth; beings known as Gems traveled from their home world and began to colonize planets all across the cosmos. The reason; the Gemfolk's leaders, known as the Great Diamond Authority, sought to expand their empire from planet to planet. To achieve this, they used their machinery to help spawn new Gem beings deep within the surfaces of each world.
These "Gem Injectors," as the people of Homeworld called them, would infuse an odd substance within the surface of the planet. Throughout this process, the planet's mineral resources would be slowly drained; until a new Gem being would burst out from the surface. These folk came in a wide variety of breeds; there were Jades, Emeralds, Rubies, Sapphires, Turquoises, Pearls and scores of others.
But while other realms would view these sort of stones as beautiful or unique. Within the Gemfolk's hierarchy, one stone stood above all others; the Diamonds. The Authority; led by White, Yellow, Blue and Pink believed themselves to be faultless and felt that all other Gems were meant only to serve them.
By their commands, other Gemfolk would be sent off-world to claim other planets in the name of the empire. Upon conquering each world, they would later utilize the Injectors to help create more soldiers and servants for the army. Alas; through these actions, each world would be left hollow and devoid of all organic life...but the Diamonds were undeterred.
Much like how they felt about other Gems, the Diamonds saw organic life forms as useless filth to be disposed of. But then, one day; something happened that would change everything for Gemkind.
(Line Break)
For hundreds of years, Pink Diamond sorely desired her own colony to rule over; just like her fellow Diamonds did. But each one of them disregarded her wishes, believing that she was simply acting spoiled or needy. Eventually, they caved in to her demands and gave Pink her own world to rule over; the Earth.
She was also given her own Pearl to act as her assistant/servant...but Pink never treated her as such. In time, Pink Diamond became incredibly eager to see her colony and decided to see it for herself...up close. You see; after conquering a world, Gemfolk place many odd structures upon it.
Among these structures were things known as Warp Pads, which are objects that allow Gems to travel from planet to planet with a relative ease. Upon using one of these pads, Pink Diamond and her Pearl arrived at a location on earth known as the Prime Kindergarten. It is here within this place where new Gems spring up from the surface, ready to serve their purpose...but I digress.
Before continuing on, Pink Diamond knew she could not commingle with the many Amethyst and Quartz Gems that appeared here. So, at the suggestion of Pearl; she used her mystical abilities to shapeshift into a new form...a Rose Quartz. While in this disguise, Pink/Rose saw many things.
She saw what the planet Earth looked like up close, she saw the "birth" of other Gemfolk but above all else, she got to see the life forms that ruled over the Earth; the animals and the humans. Upon seeing these creatures and seeing what Homeworld's work would later do to the planet, a great sense of woe flowed through Pink Diamond/Rose Quartz. "All this life that's been growing wild here on Earth...none of it will survive my invasion" she said with sorrow in her voice, "we're not creating life from nothing...we're taking life, and leaving nothing behind."
Realizing that her people's actions were doing more harm than good for the Earth, Pink Diamond returned home and sought an audience with her fellow Diamonds. When she told them she didn't wish to go through with colonizing the planet, the Diamonds only demanded that she finished the work she started. When she came again to urge them to preserve the life forms on Earth, they simply created a zoo of sorts to store humans inside; only viewing them as "pets."
Again and again, Pink tried her best to persuade them to cease their actions against the Earth. But to Yellow and Blue Diamond; both the planet and their "sister's" status meant little next to nothing and thus, dismissed her pleas. With this display, Pink Diamond decided to cast aside her connection with Homeworld and make a stand as someone they could not ignore...Rose Quartz.
With Pearl by her side, she was poised to drive every Homeworld Gem off the planet; including her fellow diamond, Blue. But everything changed, after a most astonishing circumstance occurred. During hers and Pearl's surprise attack on Blue Diamond's Cloud Arena, two Gems suddenly fused into an entirely new being.
On Homeworld, fusion was a method for Gems to become stronger and larger in size. But more than that, it helped establish a strong or loving connection between the two Gems involved. Alas, despite this practice being so widely used; it was meant for Gems within the same breed only (meaning that Rubies could only fuse with other Rubies, Pearls could only fuse with other Pearls and so on.)
Yet during the attack; a Sapphire under Blue Diamond's command, a rare one of aristocratic status, almost found herself within reach of Pearl's blade. But a wily Ruby did not wish to see her be struck down so senselessly and chose to save her. Through this rash yet valiant act, the two different Gems suddenly fused into a being no one had seen before; Garnet.
After seeing this, Rose became overwhelmed with amazement and chose to withdraw from the arena. Once they were away from the site in question, Rose and Pearl began to revel in what they saw. Eventually, they would come to meet this "Garnet" up close for themselves and they welcomed her as a friend.
From what she saw on Earth, how she had been treated on Homeworld as Pink Diamond and after seeing Ruby and Sapphire's sudden fusion; Rose became inspired to do something that would change everything. From that point on; she vowed to protect the earth, defend its inhabitants and make the planet a safe place for wayward Gems to come and be who and whatever they wished. She went to other oppressed Gems on the planet and offered them to join her in her cause...and they did.
In time, more Gemfolk joined with Rose; each of them wishing to experience the promise of a better life. Among these forces were Pearl, Garnet, a Bismuth who (after being forced into building structures for the Diamonds and Elite Gems for ages) chose to craft weapons for the Rebellion's forces and scores of others. Soon, they were an army of their own; one that would be known as the Crystal Gems.
For countless years, the Rebellion and the Diamond Forces battled one another; both sides losing many Gems in the slaughter. Over the course of this war, humans of that time would join the cause as well; either by offering assistance to the Crystal Gems or refuge whenever they needed to be hidden. Rose could not bear to see so many lives be thrown away so senselessly.
So, one day; she and Pearl created a scheme, one that involved herself assuming her original Diamond form. Through means of trickery and promises of secrecy, Pink staged an incident where it would appear she herself had been shattered by Rose Quartz (with Pearl assuming the role of the latter Gem.) In the end, this alleged "shattering" did indeed rock the people of Homeworld to their core.
But much to the Rebellion's dismay, the end result was something they did not foresee; even with Garnet using Sapphire's "Future Vision." Rather than just outright retreat, the remaining three Diamonds (White, Yellow and Blue) combined their powers and unleashed dealt a devastating blow to the earth. A flash of light suddenly filled the skies, the air echoed with a distorted cacophony and all around, Gems were suddenly "poofing" by the billions.
In time; it would be discovered that instead of being destroyed, the Gems who were caught in this attack found themselves physically corrupted. You see, young ones; the physical forms of Gemfolk are nothing more than manifestations of the light created from their gemstones. Should a Gem be physically injured in battle, they shall simply be "poofed;" which means they have retreated within their gem to recover strength.
Once replenished, a Gem's physical form is then restored; complete with a new change in attire and other minor changes in their appearance. A Gem is not in any true risk unless their stone has suffered some form of damage. Should it earn even the smallest of hairline cracks, a Gem is left unable to maintain its physical form.
But if a Gem's stone is broken, it can never be restored ever again; though...Homeworld, ages ago once performed a most heinous experiment. After collecting any and all of the broken shards of defeated Gemfolk, the Diamonds commanded their scientists to perform their own idea of "cross-gem fusion;" one that involved forcing together many broken gem shards into bundles. Once these shards had been "fused," they would take on the forms of hideous mutants.
This would not be the last time they would commit such atrocities. After much searching and gathering, the Gems of Homeworld blended together millions of shards and placed them together into one immense bundle. This creation would later become something known simply as "The Cluster" and was placed deep within the center of the earth.
Once this creation's incubation processes was completed; it would shatter the entire planet, the moment it would assume its form. Thankfully, it would take centuries for this to occur and it wouldn't be to the degree the Diamond Authority so desired. But that is a story for another day, I'm afraid.
For now; it is important to understand that after the blast had occurred, Rose managed to save a handful of her friends with her magic shield. Just before the blast went off, everyone took cover beneath it and were spared from the light's effects. With that, the Diamonds believed their forces were victorious and chose to return to Homeworld; leaving the Crystal Gems behind to pick up the pieces (figuratively and literally speaking.
Ages passed since that horrid war occurred and the Crystal Gems were left to live their lives unopposed for quite some time. Then, a new Gem joined their ranks; a rather small yet still quite feisty Amethyst. For those unaware, her stature was the unfortunate result of her having to incubate within the earth for too long.
Though she saw herself as "defective," Rose and her team agreed that she was wonderful as she was. Touched by this show of kindness, the Amethyst chose to remain with the Crystal Gems; thus becoming the newest part of their team/family. Through countless seasons, this band of four lived in seclusion within their temple; choosing to remain as guardians of the planet against any threat.
Yet, despite this pledge; some like Pearl chose to keep to themselves and not get too involved with the affairs of humans. But Rose, on the other hand was even more fascinated in them than when she first arrived on the planet centuries ago. As such, she found herself often mingling with humans; laughing, playing and even loving them.
But at the time, Rose considered them to be little more than playmates. As such; she was often oblivious to the feelings of others, at times. However, as the earth entered the time period of the late 1980's; Rose would have a meeting that would change her life from that point on.
While exploring, she saw a young man playing a music show on the beach. Though no one else from town was in attendance, she chose to listen to every melody he played...and thoroughly enjoyed them. The lad's name was Gregory DeMayo (or Mr. Universe to his "fans") and he would help further inspire Rose to help watch over humanity.
After that chance meeting, the both of them would grow quite fond of one another (much to the dismay of Pearl.) At first, Rose saw hers and Greg's relationship as something friendly yet rather sweet; she did not fully take his feelings for her into consideration. But overtime, Rose truly began to love him and the two tried to start a life together.
The two of them lived very happily together and then, Rose came to Greg with a most surprising request...to have a child with him. After being on Earth for thousands of years; she had seen the lives of humans rise, prosper and grow in numbers. She became particularly interested in the idea of raising a child.
This was something Greg was hesitant to consider, at first; due to having a near traumatic experience helping babysit a friend's child. But after he helped Rose understand what it took to raise a child, she desired to have one of her own even more. You would think that this would bring much joy to the remaining Crystal Gems, yes?
Alas, I'm afraid this was not to be; least of all, not at first. For you see, Gemfolk do not physically possess the female anatomy necessary to help create and birth a child. Such a thing would only be made possible if a Gem were to form such parts themselves (through means of shapeshifting.)
There is more, birthing a child would involve a Gem utilizing every ounce of energy they possessed in creating. This would in turn, cause the Gem to immediately lose their physical form and thus cease to exist. Yet in spite of this knowledge, Rose still wished to bring her little one into the world.
Before the day of his birth; Rose, with the assistance of Greg, recorded a video message for her little one to view. It included instances of them making merry and extending greetings unto the potential little one; typical things one would include for such a piece, yes? But the most important thing left on the video was a message Rose recorded for her child to hear.
(Rose on the VHS recording:) " Isn't it remarkable, Steven? This world is full of so many possibilities. Each living thing has an entirely unique experience. The sights they see, the sounds they hear. The lives they live are so complicated... a-and so simple. I can't wait for you to join them. *turns the video camera around at her* Steven, we can't both exist. I'm going to become half of you. And I need you to know that every moment you love being yourself, that's me, loving you and loving being you...Because you're going to be something extraordinary. You're going to be a human being.
Take care of them, Steven."
In the weeks following this recording, Rose succumbed to the practice of childbirth and delivered her child; Steven Quartz Universe. Alas, upon doing just that; her own physical form faded and was reborn inside of the babe. Now; Steven possessed her gemstone but he had yet to come and understand his past, the histories of the Crystal Gems and the nature of his powers.
Naturally; one might think Garnet, Amethyst and Pearl would be the ones to help teach him. Over the course of Steven's life, they have striven to do just that. Yet, at the same time; the road ahead proved to be a most arduous one to travel...in many ways.
Firstly, there were rare instances where the Crystal Gems either mildly resented Steven's existence (to the point where some...like Pearl, were wishing for Rose's return instead.) Secondly, they'd would often focus very little on his human needs and instead place it on the development of Steven's Gem powers. But perhaps, the greatest trial came during moments where they would place tremendous responsibilities upon his shoulders.
Whether it was protecting the people of Beach City, stopping the attacks caused by corrupted Gems or expecting him to be the voice their team needed; these responsibilities would prove difficult for the lad to bear, on occasion. Thankfully; whenever he did indulge in his human needs, he would relish every moment and try to help the Gems experience them as well. Of course, this form of kindness proved easier said than done.
While Amethyst relished in every activity humans did; such as watching television, pranking, gaming and of course, eating. Garnet and Pearl meanwhile, were not quite so drawn to it. True, the former would indulge in sampling some foods; for Steven's sake. But the later, Pearl loathed the idea of eating; mostly due to the digestion process and avoided it at any cost.
Speaking of Pearl; at first glance, one might describe her personality as often snobbish, "salty" (in the common tongue of modern humans,) extremely devoted to perfection and often uncaring towards the livelihoods of humans. With such titles, one would choose to think ill of this being. In truth, Pearl merely uses these forms of behavior to simply hide a deep pain inside of her.
You see, on the Gemfolk's home world; all Pearls are viewed as servants to higher classes of Gems. They were "designed" to simply "fetch things, look pretty and obey every command." But under the service of Rose Quartz, Pearl became inspired to do more.
She desired to be more than just a servant, she wished to do more with her existence. So, when the rebellion was formed; she developed the desire to become a swordfighter...and in time, her skills would shape her into exactly that. Like most beings, Pearl had her own faults upon her shoulders.
Aside from her feelings of inferiority; she possessed a great love for her friend and leader, Rose. She wanted nothing more than to be by her side for all eternity. But after Rose met Greg, centuries later; she felt as though her "prize" had been "stolen" from her and she would come to resent Greg for many a year for it; especially after Rose gave birth to Steven.
So desperate was she to have her back again that not only did she coerce the other Crystal Gems into stealing Steven away from home while his father was away. There was a moment where she nearly attempted to remove Rose's gem from Steven's body. Had she done it, the end result would put the lad's life at risk...so, she relented.
As Steven grew older, Pearl's failings would often place the lad at risk on many occasions. Yet, in spite of them all; he still loved her. As for Garnet and Amethyst, they did their best to balance his human needs with wanting to develop his powers as best as they were able. But like Pearl, they too had their own crosses to bear.
With Amethyst, Pearl moderately resented her because she was the last to emerge from the Prime Kindergarten. Though it was not intentional; after seeing so many others of her kind act so reckless and brutish on the battlefield, Pearl often viewed OUR Amethyst in the same light...and she would, indeed act crude (on occasion.) This behavior caused Amethyst to feel her own brand of insecurities.
Yet, the day would come where (thanks to others like Steven and even Pearl) she would finally start loving herself. This helped her become stronger in her own unique way. Finally, we come to Garnet; a fusion of two Gems through the power of love.
Due to Sapphire's "Future Vision" abilities, she looked into the future very often in life; in times of battle and peace. Though this would be a boon to her comrades in dire situations, it also came as a sort of curse as well. I say curse because due to having to look into the future so often; Garnet believed all issues would be solved, in time (regardless if the end result was good or ill.)
As such, she often appeared stoic and "unfeeling;" believing that it didn't matter how one felt in the present. But thanks to the time she spent with Steven; even when suffering defeat in battle, she later learned to be more expressive and think more in the here and now. True, there were still many trials Garnet and her friends would face.
But the love that she had for her friends and the love felt betwixt the two Gems that gave her form would help her overcome them. The second trial Steven would often face came in the form of being the mediator between both his Gem colleagues and the people of Beach City. More often than naught; the Crystal Gems actions, though initially heroic, would cause unintentional damage to the town.
Should this happen, the people who've witnessed this damage would often place the blame on Steven; due to the Gems being viewed as his "family" in their eyes. Time and again, he would face these encounters and though some would appear heated; Steven would, somehow manage to establish momentary/permanent peace between both sides. On one such occasion, he tried to have the Gems and his father appear as "normal parents;" in order to earn the approval of his friend, Connie's parents (Doug and Priyanka Maheswaran.
To help this plan progress, the Crystal Gems fused together as one into a being known as Alexandrite and posed as Steven's "mother;" when the parents arrived. Needless to say, it did not go as smoothly as Steven would've hoped and the Gems were exposed as "not normal" before Connie's parents. Terrified at the idea of being separated, they attempted to flee the city...only for Alexandrite to catch up to them and stop the bus (by plucking it off the street in her hands.)
It wasn't until the Gems punished Steven with "no television for 1,000 years" that the Maheswarans suddenly viewed the Gems as "responsible caregivers" (and I use the term responsible rather loosely) and thus allowed the children to remain friends. Steven went along with this punishment, however ridiculous it sounded, because he valued Connie's friendship and would do anything to keep it. But perhaps, the greatest hurtle in Steven's life came when the Gems of Homeworld put Earth back into its crosshairs, after countless centuries.
Not only would these Gems often confuse him for his mother, Rose Quartz. But Steven would be tasked with helping keep morale high during their attacks, both for his team/family and friends as well as the people of Beach City. In the end, the Crystal Gems would repel the forces of Homeworld...but it would not last forever.
But as taxing as the invasions were, the most emotionally strenuous moments came when Steven was told the truth about his mother. In the beginning, he was led to believe that Rose Quartz committed a most heinous act; that being the shattering of Pink Diamond. This troubled him greatly due to how much it stood in contrast with all the stories of mercy and kindness he was told about her from others.
So distraught was he by these accusations that Steven later came to think that they must be true, due to so many others failing to tell him the truth. Then, when two new Homeworld Gems invaded and attempted to take many of his loved ones captive; Steven chose to surrender himself, in order to save them. This was made possible after he managed to convince the invaders that he was "Rose."
His claims convinced them, surprisingly and Steven was then taken to the Gem Homeworld; afterwards. It was here that he desired to atone for his mother's crimes himself, during a trial that would take place upon his arrival. During this trial, Steven learned just how impossible it was for Rose to have committed the crime of shattering Pink Diamond.
In the end, it was speculated that Rose might've not been at fault. Rather, the true culprit might've been one of the Diamonds themselves. In time, Steven would come to learn the truth; that there truly was no shattering and that Rose and Pink Diamond was the same being.
Then, Homeworld invaded earth again; this time however...Yellow and Blue Diamond were at the head of it. They intended to release the Cluster and have the earth be destroyed, in the process. But instead, through a previous chapter of Steven's earlier exploits; the Cluster gained control of itself and chose to help Steven fight off the Diamonds.
By the end of the battle, Steven managed to help Yellow and Blue understand who he was; thus bringing their attack to an end. Upon "reuniting" with the other Diamonds, "Pink" (or Steven) and his comrades were escorted back to Homeworld; where they hoped to seek an audience with the true head of Homeworld...White Diamond. Through many trials and tribulations, Steven and his friends managed to stand up to White and help her realize how she commanded her world was incorrect.
In the end; after centuries of hardship and hostility, the war between Earth and Homeworld was over and Steven gained allies in all three of the other Diamonds. With their help, they came to earth and helped cure the Gems who became corrupted in their attack from ages past. Afterwards, Steven helped inspire all Gemkind to do away with the empire's ideas of flawlessness and perfection and focus more on being themselves; which promised good things for Homeworld.
Before such events would occur; Steven would face great hardships, his bonds with others would be tested, he would come close to losing a dear friend (only for him to come back in a new form) and would help sway adversaries into becoming his most dearest of friends. Yet through it all, Steven did his best to act as his mother would; with kindness and acceptance.
This would prove stressful, on more than one occasion but he always managed to find his way back.
(Flash Forward: Present Day)
As we return to the present point of our tale, it had thus been two years since Steven's adventure to Homeworld and much had changed within Beach City. Firstly, with the aid of both Mayor Nanefua Pizza (Gunka to her granddaughters) and the Gemfolk residing in Beach City (Steven and Family chief among them;) they set out to build an entirely new community neighboring Beach City for the Gems. Within this place, Gems and Humans could coexist without either side putting the other at any risk.
This coexistence seemed to be working rather well, due to the magnificent new structures being built. From new shelters/houses for wayward Gemfolk to call home, updates to already existing businesses to entirely new ones that have been built up (such as a bakery owned by one of Steven's friends, Lars Barriga.) As Steven (now sixteen years of age) oversaw these new developments from the temple's head, he couldn't help but smile.
Not only had Beach City and Homeworld changed for the better but he did as well. While much of his attire still remained slightly the same; namely his sandals, jeans and his love of wearing a shirt bearing a shining star. His aforementioned shirt was now blue instead of pink, he wore a light-pink jacket (one that Connie gave to him on his fourteenth birthday) and his neck grew longer (something Amethyst confessed that she was surprised to see.)
For him, the past two years have been utter bliss; he was able to relax more, his Gem pals were safe and happy and he was able to spend some much needed quality time with Connie. He was especially happy about the third boon, much to his surprise. But just as he prepared to slip into a welcomed state of euphoria, a shrill scream from inside his house suddenly snapped Steven out of it.
"Oh, no; was that Amethyst screaming" he pondered worriedly, "I better hurry before something bad happens." With the aid of his floating powers, Steven hurried back to his house and burst through the door. There, he was shocked to discover that...everything was still in one piece.
"Wait...something doesn't feel right here" Steven murmured warily, "if everything's okay, then...what was all that screaming about?" Suddenly, the screaming rang out again and Steven sensed that it was coming from the living room area. There, he spotted Amethyst playing video games with 8XL; one of the other Amethysts from the Prime Kindergarten.
Upon taking a closer look, Steven saw that 8XL was facing Amethyst in a combat game...and she appeared to be losing. After her character lost, 8XL threw her controller in frustration (which was swiftly caught by Garnet.) "Stupid wireless was broken" the larger Amethyst grumbled, "I tapped kick, jump...but it went kick, jump and uppercut instead!"
From the couch, Amethyst softly murmured "oh, sure...it's always the controller's fault" to herself; making sure that her "sister" didn't hear her. After calming down, a small red Gem named Carnelian pounced at the controller and said she was next to play winner. Upon seeing that everyone was safe, Steven let out a sigh of relief.
But at the same time, he wondered if it was safe to introduce certain Gems to certain parts about human culture. Among other examples was teaching Holly Blue Agate about roller skating, Blue Zircon about human history and law, teaching "Doc" from the Ruby Squad about sports and others. Some of these moments proved easy to handle, like when his dad taught Centi/Nephrite (Facet-413 Cabochon-12) and her crew about model building.
Others, on the other hand required a great deal of patience and time to help certain Gems to comprehend things (such as introducing Jasper to things like wrestling or boxing.) But what truly took a while to achieve was helping show Blue, Yellow and especially White Diamond the beauty of Earth; the same beauty that brought Pink Diamond to leave her people. At first, Yellow didn't wish to be involved; proclaiming that there was nothing Earth had that could be of any value to her.
"That is where you're wrong, guys" Steven said with a giggle, "there are some things about earth you might find surprising." With that said, Steven decided to take them on a tour of the town. The first place they visited was the hospital, where Steven showed the Diamonds how humans "fix" other humans.
"I do not understand, can they not just heal them instantly" inquired White, looking at the scene from outside the window; "the technology those humans are using over there looks like it's capable of it." Steven chuckled softly and said that while things may look advanced here, the tech wasn't quite as capable as that of Homeworld. "Why not simply bring these humans to your...I-I mean, your mother's fountain" questioned Blue, "its waters could heal all these humans instantly."
Upon hearing about a fountain with healing water, several patients began shouting as loudly as they were able; demanding to drink from it. This caused Steven and the Diamonds to be calmly shooed away from the room, so that the patients wouldn't get excited. "That is a good idea, Yellow; really, it is" Steven sighed, "but that would mean I'd be putting all these doctors out of work...and I don't want that."
Before the Diamonds could protest, Steven decided to show them all something very special. After a short walk (and him asking the Diamonds to shrink down slightly; so as to fit in the hall,) Steven showed the two diamonds a family within one of the hospital rooms. In the arms of the mother, they could see a little bundle being cradled in the mother's arms.
"Steven, what is that little creature there" Blue asked curiously, "is it some form of human...or something else?" Steven chuckled as softly as he could and said that the being was in fact, human. But then, he revealed that it was something known as a "baby."
"When Gems are created, they spring up out of the ground" Steven stated, "but for us humans, we come into the world differently." He then leaned in and began to whisper into their ears indistinctly. Throughout the time he did so, the Diamond's expressions rapidly shifted within seconds.
First, they appeared indifferent/stoic; as if not wishing to listen. But as Steven continued; the looks upon their faces soon became confused, shocked and finally horrified. Before Steven could react; Yellow pulled away from him and shouted "OH, MY STARS...THAT'S HORRIFYING!" Blue Diamond meanwhile stood in utter silence, her mouth hanging agape with shock.
Mere seconds later; several doctors appeared and shushed at the group, while also being careful not to do so too loudly. Among these doctors was Priyanka Maheswaran; the mother of his best friend, Connie. "Steven, I must ask that your...family (or whatever affiliation they are to you) keeps their voices down" she said in a firm yet hushed voice, "my patient is exhausted from delivering her baby and must relax."
Steven nodded in understanding and apologized for Yellow Diamond's outburst. "She was just shocked by how human babies were born" he said with a slight chuckle, "I'm sure you've heard some kids act the same way." While still trying to appear professional, Dr. Maheswaran couldn't help but smile and chuckle slightly at his statement.
"True, I guess human childbirth can be surprising to beings of stone like them" she stated, "even so, do what you can to help them be quieter; while you're here." Steven nodded, gave the woman a salute and led the Diamonds away from the room. While they walked away, the three alien women cast glances at Priyanka and glared slightly at her.
"Steven, might I ask why you choose to let that woman speak to you that way" questioned White Diamond, "you are half-gem and with your abilities, you are her physical superior." While he didn't quite enjoy her choice of words; Steven instead, chose to smile at her slightly and shake his head. "That may be true...but I'm a lover first and a fighter last" he said proudly, "I don't fight anyone unless they endanger me, my friends or my home."
The Diamonds couldn't help but admire this sort of thinking in the boy. But even so, Yellow wasn't quite so easily swayed and said the woman deserved to be "disciplined" for speaking to him so harshly. "Don't take it too personally" Steven urged softly, "Dr. Maheswaran is just really dedicated to her job and doesn't want anyone putting her patients at risk."
Again, the three Diamonds still felt bothered by the doctor's earlier tones and almost felt poised to "discipline" her themselves. But Steven decided to divert the situation slightly by introducing them to another area of the hospital. In time he led the three of them to the hospital's daycare ward.
There, he showed them all the smallest members of the human species; babies and toddlers. "Yellow...it's just like the other little one we saw earlier" gasped Blue Diamond, "yet some of these humans appear...bigger than the others." Curious, Yellow Diamond began to stare intently at the children; which caught the attention of some of them.
"Tell us, Steven; these 'toddlers and babies' as you call them, are they...defective in some way" she asked suddenly, "what I mean is they all look so...small." Steven chuckled lightly at her comment and assured the diamond that all humans started out this way, even himself. "But if they're given the right care, they'll end up growing big and strong" he assured, "which means they'll need plenty of good food, exercise and love to help that happen."
Just as the Diamonds were prepared to question Steven's ideas, they were suddenly approached by a small group of children. Two of these little ones appeared to be one year olds, one looked about five and the final two were three-year old toddlers. These little ones seemed to be gazing up at the trio in both confusion and amazement.
"Well, now; look who came to say hello" chuckled Steven, "want to say hi to my family, kids?" As if on cue, one of the one year olds simply babbled incoherently and waved its tiny hand high in the air in "greeting." Afterwards, the three year old girls mumbled "hi" in shy voices and the five year old waved her arm waved her hand frantically over her head.
"Your friends are real pretty, Mister" the five year old said warmly, "I 'specially like the blue one." Upon hearing this, stars formed in Steven's eyes in; which meant that he had an idea coming. "Why don't you guys come and say hi" he offered, "this is their first time meeting little kids, so...try and go easy on them."
With that said, the children cheered and began to crowd around the Diamonds slightly. The last to arrive was one of the one-year old babies, who came crawling over to Yellow on his hands and knees. When it got close enough, the baby then lifted its arms up and began squeezing his fingers in and out.
Confused by this gesture, Yellow turned towards Steven and asked what the baby wanted from her. "That's just his way of saying 'pick me up'" the half-gem replied, "it means he wants you to hold him." While still moderately confused, Yellow obliged to the infant's wishes and carefully lifted it up off the floor.
Before that, Steven made certain to instruct her on the safest way to hold the baby; keep his head up, don't shake him and most importantly, do not drop him. Thankful for the instructions, Yellow Diamond took the infant in her long arms and took a seat in a nearby open chair. After that, nothing else seemed to happen; save for the other little ones playing around her.
"So...what am I to do now" questioned Yellow Diamond, "am I supposed to say or do something with this...baby?" Steven took a moment to think up an idea and then, he got one. "Why not try to make him laugh" he suggested, "make a silly face, smile or talk baby-talk to him."
While still unsure of the purpose behind such actions, Yellow sighed reluctantly and decided to give it a try. After clearing her throat softly for a few seconds, she gazed down at the baby...and stuck out her tongue; while also putting on a snooty expression. Seconds later, the baby did the same thing with his tongue but added a little raspberry to it as well.
After that, the baby suddenly burst out into a small fit of laughter; squirming slightly in Yellow's embrace. Now, you might think that the baby blowing its tongue in this way would offend the three Gems. But much to Steven's surprise...the moment this happened; Yellow's irises formed into stars, she let out a shaky gasp and her bottom jaw started quivering.
"Yellow, whatever is the matter" Blue Diamond asked worriedly, "is there something wrong?" When she managed to come to her senses enough, Yellow shook her head slightly and began rocking the baby in her arms. While she did this, tears began flowing freely down her cheeks and a broad smile slowly crept onto her face.
"I don't know how to explain this, Blue" murmured Yellow Diamond, "but holding this little one just makes me feel so...happy." Surprised by this declaration, Blue and White Diamond decided to try and see if they could feel something similar with the children. "You hear that, guys; my friends all wanna meet you" Steven said with joy, "go and show them some love!"
After that, the toddlers and babies quickly began to swarm the three Diamonds within seconds.
(Line Break)
Moments later; the Crystal Gems, Greg and Connie arrived at the hospital to pick up the gang. "I hope everyone's okay in there" the middle-aged rocker murmured worriedly, "if anything happened, I don't know what would be worse; paying for the damages or getting yelled at by Dr. M." Connie couldn't help but worry as well.
This being the Diamonds' first visit to a human hospital; she feared that someone might upset them, which would then lead to massive amounts of collateral damage. "Sure don't look like anything happened, guys" Amethyst stated, "I mean...the building's still in one piece." Upon seeing the outer state of the hospital, everyone was prepared to agree with their friend.
But while there was no damage left on the outside, it was the state of the inside that Greg was worried about. "Well, we mustn't keep everyone waiting" murmured Garnet while she adjusted her glasses, "let's go inside." Slowly but surely, the small groups of humans and gems made their way towards the door and went inside.
Afterwards, Connie approached the front desk and began to ask where she might find Steven. "Oh, you will find him and his...family down at the daycare" said the receptionist, "they've been in there almost all day." Feeling curious, the Crystal Gems wondered what the Diamonds would be doing with human children.
Greg, on the other hand was worried that the three near gargantuan beings would accidentally harm the little ones inside; which would put him in hot water with any parents that came to pick them up. "We better get a move on, everybody" urged Greg, "who knows what could be happening at the nursery ward!" While not feeling quite as "concerned" as he was, everyone agreed with him and made a reasonably fast beeline for the nursery.
(Line Break)
Soon, they arrived at the hallway where the nursery was stationed. But there were people moving about ahead of them and none of them wished to accidentally harm anyone. "Darn it, it'll take us a while to get there" Greg sighed dejectedly, "but maybe...maybe we can at least, get an idea of what we'll find there." Before anyone could question Greg's idea, it finally clicked in their heads what he wanted to do; ask for Garnet to use her "Future Vision."
Naturally, the Gem in question knew what they wanted and immediately began to focus her mind. Within seconds, the images became clear and her eyes suddenly shot open. "I see...Steven and the Diamonds" she exclaimed softly, "they are surrounded by little ones and they appear to be crying."
Feeling terrified by the last statement, Greg did his best to make his way through the crowd ahead of him; the Crystal Gems attempted to do the same from the rear. Eventually, when they did arrive at the nursery, they were in for a most astonishing surprise. Steven and the Diamonds were indeed surrounded by little ones, just as Garnet described in her vision.
But while Greg expected to see the children crying, what he found was the exact opposite. Not only where they happily playing along with Steven and the Diamonds. But it wasn't the toddlers or the babies that were crying, it was the Diamonds themselves.
Even more shocking was the fact that none of the tears were a result of Blue Diamond's powers. In truth, they were genuine tears of joy; which was something the Diamonds have never experienced before. Feeling curious, everyone approached the window and watched over how each Diamond behaved towards the little ones.
Yellow Diamond was in the midst of a game of peek-a-boo with several infants, a game she learned from Steven moments earlier. A four year old was seen busily braiding Blue Diamond's hair (which she happily welcomed.) White held her arms out to the sides, allowing a pair of two-year old girls to swing slightly from them and Steven was singing "We Are the Crystal Gems" to the rest of them while playing his ukulele.
We Are the Crystal Gems
We'll always save the day
And if you think we can't
We'll always find a way
That's why the people of this world believe in
Garnet, Amethyst, and Pearl and -
If you're staring with your giant eyes
You can see that there's more of us than four of us
And each one of our new friends completes us
We'll get together and go out for pizzas
Cause we believe in peace and love
We are here for fun
If you're not then let's not fight cause
We already won!
(Steven goes into a solo, causing the kids to laugh/clap along and the Diamonds to do the same)
If you're evil and you're on the rise
You can count on the four of us taking you down
'Cause we're good and evil never beats us
We'll win the fight and then go out for pizzas
We are the Crystal Gems
We'll always save the day
And if you think we can't
We'll always find a way
That's why the people of this world believe in
Garnet, Amethyst, and Pearl, and Steven!
With that final word, the song came to an end and everyone began to cheer with joy; even the group outside the window. But then, said group's cheering came to a sudden end, when a nurse soon approached them. "Excuse me, Sir" the woman said professionally, "is that your family in the nursery there?"
This question suddenly caused an uneasy feeling to rush through both Greg and the Crystal Gems. "Uh...yes, the boy is my son" he murmured, "the others however...they're more my wife's family." After that, Pearl was prepared to apologize for anything wrong their friends might've done.
In an instant, the nurse's stoic demeanor faded and she suddenly let out a small yet joyous laugh. "No, Ma'am; they've done nothing wrong" she said reassuringly, "far from it, they've been keeping the children happy the whole time they were there." Naturally, the Gems and Greg were quite shocked by this news and decided to see for themselves how things were going.
The nurse thought for a moment and soon, she agreed to let at least one member of the group in. With that said, Greg decided to volunteer; perhaps help give the Diamonds some more insight on what babies are. "Very well, Sir; you may enter" the nurse stated, "but please, inform your family that visiting hours are almost over for the day."
Greg gave the woman a nod, waved her goodbye and entered the nursery. Once inside, three kids suddenly raced up to him and hugged Greg in greeting. "Lookit, guys; we've got another friend" said a little red-haired girl, "betcha he's as fun as Stevie!"
As if on cue, they young lad in question spotted the kids crowding his dad and chuckled. "Hey, guys; we didn't know you got here" he said warmly, "is it time to leave already?" The moment Steven mentioned the idea of leaving, not only did the children (even the babies) show their disapproval but the Diamonds as well.
"Oh, must we leave now" grumbled Blue Diamond sadly, "my little friend Katie here has yet to finish with my hair." When everyone got a look at her, Connie was surprised to see that Blue Diamond's long hair was woven halfway into a hairstyle that was near similar to that of Princess Rapunzel's. "I would like for Katie to finish with my hair, before we depart" Blue Diamond requested, "if that is alright with all of you.
There was a soft yet loving laugh from the group and Greg happily granted the Diamond her wish. "Steven, was it your idea to bring the Diamonds to this nursery" inquired Pearl, "if so...good work." The lad blushed a little and humbly thanked his friend for her kind words, boasting about how much fun they had there.
"The little ones certainly enjoyed your visit" chuckled the nurse, "it's nice that they got it, considering how lonely it can get for them here." Upon hearing this reveal, White Diamond questioned why the little ones were so lonely. "Many of these children are either relations of the medical staff or they're the patients themselves" Greg explained, "either way; they might need to remain here for long periods to receive care and are thus placed in nurseries like this."
He then went on to say that because of such circumstances, the children only have each other for company. "It can get boring, seeing the same faces all the time" Greg sighed, "not to mention that volunteers rarely come without desiring to be paid for their 'service.'" Shocked by this, the Diamonds came to a unanimous decision.
"Steven, Greg, everyone; in the short time we were here, the three of us learned many things" White said suddenly, "we've seen not only the fragility of organic life...but also what they are capable of doing and creating." The Crystal Gems were quite shocked by this reveal, to say the least but urged the Diamonds to continue. "We now see why Pink Diamond chose to live out her days here" Yellow said with a long sigh, "all this beauty, all this life and capability...and we almost destroyed it."
As Yellow prepared to slip into deep regret, Steven approached her and gave her the biggest hug possible. Touched by this, Blue and White joined in as well; causing Yellow to shed tears while smiling softly. "That is why I...I mean, we wish to make amends" she decreed, "we shall help Steven and all of you in protecting this world in any way we can."
Amethyst was so flabbergasted by this news that her eyes nearly popped from her head. Garnet and Pearl were also quite shocked by this but welcomed their desire to help, nonetheless. "Does this mean we can help look after the little ones again, Yellow" Blue asked eagerly, "because I truly want that."
After only a few seconds, Yellow smiled at Blue Diamond and nodded. Blue was so overcome with joy by this news that she suddenly squeezed Yellow tightly in her arms. "Ha-ha-ha! Looks like the hospital's got new part-time nannies" Greg chuckled, "hope you and the rest of the staff don't mind, Nurse." Without hesitation, the nurse nodded her head and shook the Diamonds' hands.
Steven gazed upon the scene with great pride, happy to see that his plan turned out so well. Then, without warning; he was suddenly hugged from behind by Connie, his dad and the Crystal Gems. "Great work, Stew-Ball" Greg said proudly, "your mom would be so proud of what you helped achieve."
Though his outward appearance showed he was appreciative of his father's compliment; inside, he felt slightly different. Of all things in his life, he wished for three things; that his home to be safely protected, his friends and family would be happy but most of all, he truly wished he could meet his mother. More than that, he wanted her to see what he helped bring for both humans and Gems.
But as she said in her video to him, they could never exist at the same time. Rose/Pink Diamond was truly gone, now and her power was officially his. Yet...he still wished he could've heard her laugh at one of his jokes, watch his dad play music again and see just how much the Gems have changed.
For now, such things would be left possible only in one's dreams.
(Line Break)
After returning from the hospital, Steven decided to go for a walk down in the countryside; back where Peridot and Lapis' Barn (formerly the DeMayo Family Barn) once stood. At first, everyone thought he was upset about something and wanted to see if he was well. "Are you feeling okay, Steven" Connie asked with concern, "did you get sick from being around the daycare kids?"
Steven smiled lightly at his bestie and assured her he was fine. "I just feel a little exhausted from all the work and stuff we did today" he stated, "I'm just going for a walk is all." His words managed to sway the others and they granted him permission to leave, on the condition that he would return by 5:30 for dinner.
"I ordered Pizza from Fish Stew's for tonight" he proclaimed, "it's a new addition to their menu...the Keystone Special!" Steven couldn't help but gasp dramatically at this; if it was a Keystone pizza recipe, that meant that it was...square! Regardless; he waved farewell to everyone and, with the aid of the Warp Pad, left for the Beach City Woods.
Once he arrived, Steven made his way into the woods for a nice quiet stroll. During that time, he began to reflect on everything that happened and how far he came. "We've done so much for this city...heck, for the world; over these past few years" he thought to himself, "I know the townspeople, the cured Gems and Homeworld appreciate it all...but have we really made that much of a difference for anyone else?"
The moment this thought came into his head; Steven realized that outside of Beach City, no one on any other part of the planet knew about what had happened. For that matter; few (if not none) knew about Gems, the War, the invasions or the many times the planet came close to destruction. In Steven's mind, everything that happened in Beach City must've been barely a blip on the grand scheme of things; in other parts of the globe.
So, he began to question if his or the Gems' efforts would mean that much; should the earth be in danger again. As Steven began to lose himself in his own thoughts, he failed to realize he was entering the oldest part of the Beach City Woods. "Whoops! Almost got myself lost there" he exclaimed, "that's okay, I'll just float upward and see how far the Warp Pad is."
As Steven prepared to make his great leap, a voice suddenly spoke out from seemingly nowhere. Though soft and almost faint, Steven swore it sounded as though it was saying something to him...something like "come to us." He tried listening for it again but after a while, the whispers didn't come back.
"Huh...must've been my imagination" Steven murmured, "I knew I was working myself too..." Just before he could finish his thoughts, Steven heard the whispers again; this time only saying one word..."come." Within moments, he began to feel quite anxious and decided it was best to leave as quickly as possible.
With that in mind, he squatted low and sent himself flying high into the air in a great jump. "Did I really hear those voices just now...or was it all just in my head" Steven pondered, "maybe I should bring the gang here tomorrow, see if they can tell what's happening." With that thought in mind; Steven began making long, floating jumps back to the warp pad.
(Line Break)
The next morning, Steven returned to the woods at the exact spot he heard the odd noises from. Joining him were the Crystal Gems, Greg, Connie, Peridot, Lapis, Bismuth and the Diamonds. Upon their arrival, they began combing every inch of the area.
But after almost twenty minutes of looking over every branch, leaf, twig and stone in the area; no one could find anything out of the ordinary. "Are you certain this is where it happened, Steven" questioned Garnet, "because everything here appears perfectly fine." Steven shook his head slightly and reiterated how it wasn't something he saw that felt off, it was something he heard.
"It was faint, like someone was whispering to me" he stated, "it sounded like they wanted me to come somewhere. At first, the Crystal Gem Trio began to doubt Steven's words; believing he was imagining things. But they realized that if they did, it would be like a repeat of what happened years ago; back when they first saw Peridot arrive on Earth.
After that, they swore to never doubt Steven until they were 100% sure everything appeared fine. That being said, everyone knew they were in need of a break and decided to take a quick breather. As Steven sat down on a nearby fallen log, all was calm and quiet again.
Then, mere seconds later; the whispers called out to him. This time however; Connie, Greg, both halves of the Crystal Gems and the Diamonds could hear it now. "It sounded like the whispers were coming from somewhere around here" Connie murmured, "but these woods are so thick, how can we hope to find whoever's calling us?"
As if on cue, Peridot took the floor and offered her assistance in tracking the sources of the sounds. "Thanks to the Homeworld upgrades I've added to my tablet, I can now trace stray energy signatures not normal to this planet" she stated, "I just need to triangulate the exact spot to begin my search." With that said, she turned on her device and purple images suddenly appeared on the screen.
Once activated; Peri began moving the tablet in the air slightly, like one does with a metal detector. At first, nothing seemed to happen...until the tablet suddenly let out soft beeping noises. "What the heck is that" Lapis murmured with a grimace, "is that another one of those 'oncoming e-mails' again?"
Peridot immediately shook her head and said that the device picked up odd energy readings deep in the forest. No sooner had this been revealed, the whispers spoke up again saying "yes...come to us." With their destination set and the tablet's scanner to guide them, Steven and Co. made their way deep into the woods.
"I dunno if this is such a good idea, everybody" Greg murmured warily, "if we stray too far from the path, we might not be able to get home." Blue Diamond smiled down at Greg and assured him that if such circumstances arose, she could simply grow to her normal height again and guide everyone from there. Peridot thanked her for the offer but assured everyone that they would be fine.
Somehow, Peridot's words didn't quite give everyone the strongest boost of confidence. But regardless, they followed her lead deeper into the forest. Moments later; everyone soon found themselves in a spot that was so thick with trees, the sun could barely peer through the leaves.
"Yo, Peridot; are we gettin' any closer" heaved Bismuth tiredly, "I'm startin' to understand why some humans hate hiking so much." Just as Peri was about to reply, the scanner on her tablet sounded off again. "That's it, I'm shutting that thing up RIGHT NOW" growled Amethyst, "give it here, Peridot!"
Thinking quickly; Peridot turned off her tablet, hid it behind her back and tried to get Amethyst to stop approaching her. "Please, Amethyst; calm yourself " she begged, "I think I may have found the odd energy source my tablet was leading us too." With that said, Peridot gestured for everyone to look behind her.
Reluctantly, everyone followed suite and spotted a most unusual sight; a lone tree standing in the middle of a small patch of green grass. The tree itself appeared to be a large, thick oak tree. It was looked ancient, misshapen and rather freakish.
"Goodness, is this tree's appearance the result of what our Gems did to this planet over the centuries" Blue Diamond cried, "how horrible." Steven shook his head slightly and assured her everything was fine. "Lots of old trees often look like this" he explained, "some can live up to hundreds of years."
Along with this information; Connie said were the result of Homeworld hollowing out the planet, the rest of the forest would've suffered as well. But as they saw, everything else still appeared rich and fertile. With this matter resolved, everyone returned to the main issue at hand; why did the tracker lead them here.
Then, Steven cautiously approached the tree; all while extending his hand ahead of him. "Steven, come back" Pearl begged, "you don't know what could be in that thing." Alas, her cries went unheard; as Steven resumed marching towards the tree.
When he got close enough, Steven placed his hand upon the bark and then...something astonishing happened. First, his gemstone began to glow slightly; which caused his friends to become anxious. Then, the voices spoke to him again; murmuring "yes...come to us" softly into everyone's ears.
Finally, everyone saw one of the tree's knotholes glowing as well. This sight, combined with everything else, was making everyone feel quite worried. "Steeeven...I really think we should go" Greg murmured fearfully, "we don't know what might happen next." As if by some form of coincidence, the glow from the tree suddenly faded; only for a large portal to suddenly appear before the tree mere seconds later.
"OH, MY STARS" cried Peridot, as she fell backwards onto Lapis in shock, "do...do any of the trees on this planet do that?" Steven and his friends said nothing, only offering a slight shake of the head in reply. He didn't know what this portal was or where it led to.
But somehow, something about it told him he had to go inside. Thus; he smoothed out his jacket, stamped his sandals into the grass, took in a deep breath and puffed out his chest. Afterwards, he proceeded to head straight through the glowing vortex.
Then, he suddenly felt Connie's hand upon his shoulder; which caused him to stop in his tracks. "You're not thinking about going in there, are you" she asked, "what if it's some sort of trap made by a Homeward Militant or some other alien force?" Steven smiled warmly at Connie and thanked her for being so concerned.
"For some reason, I can feel that there's something good on the other side of this thing" he stated, "I can't explain it...I just sense it." Then, once again; everyone heard the voices speaking to them. But this time, it sounded as though more than one person was beckoning them inside.
Though everyone still had their doubts; if they could all hear the whispers calling to them, it must mean that someone needed them somewhere. "Alright, go on through" Connie sighed, "but...the rest of us are coming with you." Curious, Steven looked over at everyone else and noticed they had the same looks of determination Connie had.
"We've lost sight of Pink a millennia ago, we cannot afford to lose sight of you as well" Blue decreed, "we stick together." Steven couldn't help but smile at everyone's loyalty and happily welcomed their company, before venturing into the unknown. With everyone in agreement (despite some, like Greg still feeling a tad nervous;) everyone entered through the portal.
Afterwards; it slowly closed shut and the forest became serene, once again.
(Line Break)
Once the portal closed on the tree within Beach City Woods, two figures cloaked in shadow watched over the scene from a large looking glass. "Good, the next champion has entered through the portal" a young voice murmured, "now, only two remain...but the may prove difficult to retrieve." Before proceeding any further, the two figures nodded to one another and the first of them suddenly clapped his hands; summoning an armored guard to his side.
"Assemble the guard, have them begin preparations immediately" a deep yet regal voice commanded, "we must make certain all is ready, before the last champion comes to our realm.
(First AN: Whuh-oh...who are these figures, what could they be planning and most importantly, how does it involve someone like Steven, his friends or any of the other figures that have passed through similar portals? Tune in next time, to find out.)
(Second AN: As I said before the chapter began, the events of this take place before those of the upcoming movie. Everything from the description of the Gem Town, the types of Gems Steven's showing Earth Culture to (Holly Blue Agate, Doc, Blue Zircon etc.) how humans are adapting to all the Gems living there and most of all, the Diamonds learning about the birth of human children are not affiliated in any way to the movie.)
(Third AN: Speaking of the Diamonds and seeing human children; that particular moment was inspired by a SU comic made by Tumblr user, crystalwitches. Since there are so few Post-Change Your Mind fics showing the Diamonds experiencing Earth society and because the comic was so adorable, I felt that I should make a scene based on that; I hoped I made it believable enough for you all.)
(Fourth AN: Sorry if it seemed like I was explaining something people already knew in the history of the history of the Crystal Gems passage I made at the beginning of this. But rest assured, doing that will have a purpose; in the future.)
(Final AN: The Crystal Gems theme Steven is singing in the nursery is a combination of lyrics from both the original version and the one from Change Your Mind. I felt that that was the perfect melody for Steven to sing for the little ones.)