Chapter 13

"There you go." Connie's mom tightened the bandages over her daughter's bruised knuckles, sighing. "I don't know what you were thinking, punching solid glass. You're lucky that thing didn't break, or you might've cut yourself and bled out right there."

Connie picked her cardigan off of the bar and shouldered it on, cringing as the sleeve brushed her hand. Her mom had come all the way to Steven's house to fix her up, and after this week, it was just nice to see another human again.

"Thanks, mom. I don't know what came over me, but I'll be more careful from now on."

Worry clouded the eyes of the older woman, but she held her tongue. She could understand that her daughter was distraught, given everything that had happened, but she had never been violent before. Something was changing in her, and she was concerned.

"Are you sure you don't want to come home, Connie? Just for a little while? I know you're very busy, but being here and dealing with this situation all alone isn't healthy. You need a break, honey." She brushed a lock of hair from her daughter's face with a frown.

Connie didn't budge. Her face and tone hardened as she looked up, pressing her hand into her mom's.

"I'll have a break when Steven is back. You don't understand, you didn't see him. If I give up on him, he'll die; I won't let that happen. Trust me, mom. I'll be fine." She let go of her mom's hand and stood.

She knew that she didn't believe her, but that she would still respect her decision. Connie could not, and would not leave until Steven was home. She needed to be here in case the pink gem came back again, like she did yesterday. Rage boiled in her veins at the thought, and she took a deep breath to calm down. That gem wouldn't get away again.

Resigned, her mom began to pack up her medical equipment. She stood, and placed a kiss on her daughter's forehead warmly.

"Just promise me you'll get some sleep? You look exhausted. And please, no more hitting stuff."

Connie chuckled nervously as she said goodbye, promising not to harm herself any further.

"I'll call you if anything else happens!" Connie called after her mom as she got into her car on the beach.

She nodded back, waving goodbye as she drove back in the direction of their home.

Alone, Connie wandered back up the stairs into the beach house. Her feet led her up to Steven's empty room, where the bed was still made up from two nights ago. She had spent the night staring numbly at the stars, not bothering to get up until the sun peeked over the horizon.

She picked up her bags, digging around for a change of clothes. Haphazardly, she threw something together and stepped into the bathroom.

A mantra played in her mind as she dressed; now, now, now.

The urgency she felt made her hands clammy, and she splashed her flushed face with cool water. She locked her gaze on the mirror, seeing herself shine with firm determination. Today was the day they'd make real progress, for Steven. He was counting on them, and no matter what she had to do, he'd make it back home.

With a nod to her reflection, she turned on her heel and marched out of the house.

…

"Wow. That's… a lot. All of that, then she just left? Why?" Spinel lounged comfortably against the wall, staring at the ceiling as she directed her questions to the air.

Steven glanced down at the pile of empty food wrappers scattered in front of him as he thought. The boxes of snacks had suffered great losses as Steven had given up on his reluctance to eat straight sugar, and he had absentmindedly grazed on the sweets as he talked.

This was officially the longest conversation he'd ever had with Spinel, and it felt good. Not necessarily the conversational partner, but the topic. For the past few hours, he'd gone over Pink Diamond's twisted history, not having to shy away from any of the darker details; it was cathartic.

"Well, she gave up her form to make me. She had this obsession with humans, and she wanted me to be able to experience human life. That hasn't exactly worked out though…" He left the sentence there, the truth of the matter hanging heavily in the air.

Across from him, Spinel shifted uncomfortably and looked down at her lap.

"But anyways," he continued, "it's just been that, basically all the time. I don't think I've had a moment of true peace, it's just one thing after another. I just…can't seem to get away from her. I just wish that, I don't know…" he trailed off, frowning at the ground as he tried to form the right words.

Spinel watched on silently, patiently waiting for him to continue. She shot him a small, reassuring smile and nodded when his troubled gaze flashed up to meet hers.

"I just wish that my life was my own. I know you won't understand, but I'm really not her... The only thing is, I'm not really sure who I am without her, as much as I hate it." He internally cringed at himself for being so honest about something so private, especially to Spinel, of all people.

Spinel nodded again, her eyes alighting with understanding. She awkwardly cleared her throat before she spoke.

"I know exactly how you feel. I was, you know, made for her. Everything in my entire existence has revolved around her, around you. I'm more her than myself, sometimes."

Her face contorted in confusion, and she chewed her lip in deliberation for some time. Steven decided not to interrupt her thought process, being too wrapped up in his own emotions himself. Her cracked voice eventually broke him from his musings.

"It's just…something about all of this doesn't make sense to me. I knew Pink better than I ever knew myself. Sure, she had some secrets and darker moments that I didn't know about, but I knew her." She paused for a moment, holding her breath.

"No offense, Steven, but …I don't think she intended for you to exist." At Steven's bewildered stare, she clarified herself.

"I don't think she intended for you to exist alone, as your own person. Come on, think about it. I loved her, and she loved me, but I knew, deep down, that she was her first priority. Not that that's a bad thing!" She ardently corrected herself, raising her hands in front of her chest defensively, "I accept that about her, that's just how she was. She was royalty, a Diamond, and she knew her value was above everyone else's.

"That's why she wouldn't have given up her existence for someone else to live and have experiences. I think, Steven, she intended to be born as a human, and grow up and change, like how you explained."

Steven's already pounding head reeled at the idea, numerous objections rising in his mind the longer he pondered it. "You're saying…you think she was too selfish, and she thought she'd be human…not me? That can't be true, she left a tape for me! She knew that we both couldn't exist, she said that!"

Spinel ran a hand over her frazzled hair again and asked, "What exactly did she say to you? In the…tape?" She frowned at the unfamiliar word.

"She said that we both couldn't exist, and that she'd become half of me. She said that when I love myself, that's her loving being me, and something about how I'd be something entirely unique..." Dread filled his chest as he realized Spinel's theory didn't sound wrong. He had never considered his existence this way before. One unanswered question still lingered, his last ray of hope.

"Why would Rose have made the tape in the first place, if she thought she would be herself?" He practically begged Spinel, fighting off the panic rising in his throat.

Spinel bit her lip, hesitating, as if she was afraid her answer might cause him to break. She wasn't sure herself, but it made the most sense. "I think…maybe, she knew that she wouldn't remember. You…" She held her breath for a moment, gauging Steven's reaction before she continued, "You are her, mentally, I think you just don't remember. She is experiencing human life, she just doesn't- I mean, you don't remember your life before."

Dead silence met her as she stared across at the stunned expression on Steven's face.

Her explanation made perfect sense, according to her knowledge of Pink Diamond. In creating Steven, she had tossed out her previous life, which had been full of torment and hardships that she would've been more than happy to forget.

Spinel just had to wonder, what was Pink's plan for when her human body aged and died? Of all of the forms she could've chosen, why did she go with such a fragile one? She had witnessed firsthand just how easily his body could be broken, so it was hard to believe that Pink would risk herself that way. Guilt tugged at her mind as she remembered the horrible tortures she had put him through, and she hugged her chest uneasily, looking over to the tear-streaked, pale face of her captive.

Inside Steven's mind was a battlefield. All his life, he had thought of himself and Rose as two completely separate beings, two minds and two bodies. In every confrontation that arose from her past actions, he had always defended himself with the mantra 'I am not my mom'.

Was that a lie?

He and Rose weren't separate at all, she had just changed her form and erased her own memories. The implications of this were too great, he felt like his head would explode from sheer stress. The fears of his childhood crashed down on him as the tiny shred of self identity he had gained since the beginning of Era Three began to slip through his fingers, trickling back into the suffocating mold of Rose Quartz. What was he supposed to do with this information, how was he supposed to act?

Spinel's worried eyes were trained on his face as he stared blankly into space, freezing up.

"Steven? Hey, Steven!" She waved her hand in front of his unseeing, mismatched eyes, "A-are you okay? Look, I know it's a lot, but this doesn't really change anything!"

Finally, his gaze wandered to her as she continued, "You're still a different person, Steven. Like I said, I knew her very well, and you're totally different! You aren't selfish or greedy like she tended to be; I know that because I've seen it. When those two people came looking for you a while back, you let yourself stay hidden so that I wouldn't hurt them. Pink, the Pink I knew, wouldn't have done that, not for anybody. You cared more about those people than yourself, and that means something!"

Numbly, Steven realized that she had a point. He was still Rose, or Pink, or whatever; but he was still himself too. Simply the fact that he detested his mom and her actions proved that. It was a small comfort, but a comfort nonetheless.

But it didn't change that he was Pink's second chance, and that was all. Her chance to escape from the consequences of her actions, and push it off to someone else. To live a different life, a free life.

Look how badly she had messed that up. Here she was, facing her consequences; trapped underground, beaten and lost.

All he could think was, 'She's finally getting what she deserves."

"Uh, Steven? What's funny?"

He finally snapped out of his mind, and realized he was shaking with laughter. A mirthful smile stretched on his face, and tears leaked from his crinkled eyes. He clutched weakly at his sides as he looked up at the absolutely terrified face of Spinel, who had pushed herself up against the wall across from him.

Through peals of uncontrolled laughter, he gasped out, "You…you wouldn't get it." He broke off again, before letting out a huge sigh, wiping his face.

Spinel took a tentative step forward, concern written in her features as she asked, "Are you…okay?"

His twisted smile dropped from his face in an instant as he felt a dizzying shift in his mind. His vision went black as he dropped his head into his hands, clutching his temples.

"Are you…okay?"

The sorrow-clouded eyes of Pink Diamond regarded him. She decided not to answer his question. She took a step off of the warp onto the bright stone path of their garden, where Spinel had been waiting for her return.

He held his breath as she approached, unsure of what to expect. A warm, gloved hand came to rest on his cheek, stroking away bits of dirt that had stuck there. Her diamond pupils leveled with his as she knelt, sighing.

"Spinel…you're a mess!"

It wasn't much for an explanation or apology, but his heart nearly burst with joy from hearing her voice again.

"Steven?!"

Steven gasped as the images flickered away, flashing briefly like a film running out. The bright image of the pristine garden above was replaced with the dim reality of the underground chamber, where he was being closely inspected. Spinel was on her hands and knees a foot away from him, peering under his lank hair anxiously.

What on earth had just happened?! Steven locked startled eyes with Spinel, his mind running a hundred miles per hour. He was awake, he wasn't supposed to be having visions like that; why had such a simple phrase from her affected him that way? His thoughts were interrupted as Spinel crept closer, the panic evident in her voice.

"What just happened to you? You looked like you were hurting, and then you just… turned off! I've been trying to wake you up, but you weren't responding!"

Steven looked down to his lap, trying to steady his breathing. He shook his head slowly, frowning.

"I think I'm just…tired." He looked up to the pink gem, who didn't seem convinced in the slightest. "Really, I'm okay. That's, um, normal. For humans. I just need some sleep."

Spinel sat back on the ground, her face showing her disbelief as she listened to him stumbling over his words.

Steven paid her no mind as he turned away, towards the wall, careful to keep the blood on the floor and on his pants still concealed as he laid himself down, effectively ending the conversation there.

As he heard Spinel reluctantly moving back towards her corner, he let himself become wrapped up in what had just happened. In the absence of his other powers, it seemed as if his empathic abilities had become so much stronger. He'd never had visions like that before, while he was still awake.

He tried to reason with himself, that it was only because he was in such an emotional state at the time, and then Spinel had just said the right string of words in the right tone.

That had to be it, right?

…

Ruby padded across the floor of the darkened office towards the door, reaching upwards to grasp the handle. A thin slice of sunlight dashed through the room as she peeked through the crack, watching the bustle of activity that had caught her attention, loud enough to disturb her and Sapphire's peace and calm.

Gems of all cuts and colors flooded past the door in all directions, carrying haphazard piles of materials and stacks of papers. The pounding of their footsteps was lost beneath the babble of dozens of conversations, as well as the distant sound of construction.

After a week spent in the dark, secluded office, the commotion was almost a bit overwhelming for her. Swallowing her anxiety, she closed the door with a click, and turned back to Sapphire's still form on the low couch.

"They're upgrading their radio and satellite systems; you were about to ask."

Ruby paused in her step, taken aback. She had been about to ask, but Sapphire's uncanny ability to foresee her every word had beaten her to it. For some people, having their questions answered before they actually asked them might be annoying, but it never failed to fascinate Ruby; Sapphire seemed like such an enigma. She would go for hours, even days without uttering a single word, then she'd just make a prediction out of the blue. Ruby loved it when that happened, because she would always jump at the opportunity to start up a conversation.

Seeing her chance, she cleared her throat and asked, "Why do they need new radio and satellite thingies? There's already a huge system on top of the observatory."

Sapphire gave a small, cool smile as she replied. "The gem they're looking for was able to come to this planet and escape yesterday. They're trying to catch the satellite signals faster, in case she comes back again."

Ruby nodded in response, humming. The way the blue gem spoke seemed so final, but she was getting better and better at keeping the conversation flowing, although it was a daunting task. Questions were the key.

"So, um, do you think it will work? Like, do you see it working, My Sapphire?"

The corner of Sapphire's mouth pulled up in a smirk as she tilted her head down, folding her hands gracefully in her lap. She knew exactly what Ruby was doing, and in truth, she enjoyed the idle conversation just as much as her partner. Something about the way Ruby looked at her, with such curiosity and interest, was strangely charming to her. As she thought up a response, searching for future outcomes of the construction project at hand, she made sure to leave enough unsaid that Ruby could ask a blunt question, and keep their interaction going.

"Yes, they'll be able to pick up the signals faster than before. The gem they're looking for won't come back, though. That will make today's…mishap, a rather frustrating waste."

Ruby crossed her arms, frowning. "What do you mean, mishap? Is something going to go wrong during the construction?"

Sapphire's voice turned cold and foreboding as she spoke, "Yes. One of the new satellite dishes they're hanging isn't going to be properly mounted onto its bracket, and it will fall. No one will be at fault; the bracket itself was defective from the factory. Nevertheless, it will fall; two gems will be caught underneath. One will be lucky, and only suffer the temporary loss of her physical form, but the other will not be so fortunate. She will be shattered."

Ruby gasped and blurted out, "What?! We have to save them! Come on, you know when it's supposed to happen, do we have time?" She grabbed Sapphire's limp hand, tugging her down from her seat.

Sapphire blinked several times beneath her bangs, shocked by Ruby's fervor. Her red, searing hand was firmly wrapped around her cool knuckles, and as she parted her hair, she found the same heat and intensity matched in Ruby's deep, brown eyes. Ruby stopped their march towards the door, rounding back on her; she had misinterpreted Sapphire's silence for reluctance, when in truth, she was merely focused on the effect Ruby's hand was having on her heartbeat.

"Come on, Saph, we can save them! Remember, I was supposed to be shattered, and Connie saved me. We can save those gems today!"

Sapphire's heart leapt to her throat at the name Ruby had just called her. She was in no way opposed to saving the two unfortunate gems who could be harmed today, but Ruby's hand over her own was seriously clouding her vision. Her eye flashed from Ruby's impassioned gaze to her steadily heating hand, a deep blush crawling up her neck. With warm cheeks, she stuttered out, "You-your hand…"

Looking down, Ruby's eyes widened and she dropped Sapphire's hand.

Sapphire's arms twisted in front of her skirt, and she let out a long, cool breath, allowing her hair to fall back over her eye. With her composure regained, she shot a conspiratorial smile at Ruby, and motioned to the door.

"Let's go save some lives."

…

Connie parked the Dondai just outside of Little Homeworld, and instantly noticed some commotion in the courtyard. Towering above the three tallest buildings, huge metallic contraptions were being lugged by groups of agates pushing them towards the edge of their roofs.

Stepping out, she wandered closer to the base of the buildings amidst the flowing crowds of gems, all talking loudly as they bustled around to their various destinations. The courtyard itself was nearly vacant as she reached it, as seemingly all of the workers were headed up to the roofs above. A few small groupings of gems were littered about, talking between themselves and idly watching the construction effort.

A great shadow washed over Connie as the building nearest to her was fitted with what appeared to be an overly large satellite dish, blocking out the early afternoon sun. The machine fell into its metal bracket, which had been affixed to the inner side of the building, with a loud click.

As the next satellite came into view overhead, two small gems came flying in from behind her, one practically gliding, and the other sprinting hard on her short legs.

What on earth were Ruby and Sapphire doing out of Nephrite's office? Connie had only a few seconds to wonder as she watched them integrate themselves in the middle of a group of gems. Sapphire's gloved hands were clasped in front of her chest in a begging motion, and Ruby seemed to be barking orders at the motionless gems, keeping a firm grasp on Sapphire's slim shoulder with her free hand. The tall gems around them seemed very confused as they listened to the small couple ranting up at them desperately.

Connie made a move to step nearer to the confrontation, but she halted as Sapphire's head snapped upwards, her mouth pulling down in an anxious grimace. She fell to her knees and placed both of her small hands flat on the ground, and then suddenly, the gems were sliding across the courtyard on their bottoms, flying away from the building at a high velocity. They tumbled off of the slick ice that had formed on the ground, landing haphazardly against stones and in bushes.

Ruby landed a few feet away from Connie, though she recovered quickly, jumping up and yelling across the open space.

"Sapphire, hurry!"

Above them, the satellite dish teetered on the edge of falling into its bracket. It leaned over a bit, casting Sapphire in a cool shadow, then fell forward with a click, locking into place.

With a gasp, Sapphire turned and threw herself against the ice, sliding on her stomach, with her arms outstretched, just as the courtyard filled with a terrible grinding noise.

Connnie's hands flew up to cover her gasp of horror as the metallic dish twisted, tearing the bracket straight out of the wall, raining chunks of rock and dust down to smash against the thin layer of ice, shattering it like glass.

Sapphire landed in Ruby's waiting arms, and they both flew backwards, landing in a tangled heap. From atop Ruby's lap, Sapphire turned in time to see the satellite fall forward, smacking against the side of the building before it slipped down, landing upside down and crumpling with a deafening crunch.

Silence filled the now decimated courtyard; everyone's eyes were on the mangled, torn bracket hanging onto the building by one twisted corner, and the dented satellite which stood, sticking up from the ground. Heads peeked over the edge of the roof, scanning to see what damage had been done.

Connie was the first to regain her voice, shouting up to the figures on the roof, "Everyone's okay, nobody's hurt!" She flashed two thumbs-up, just in case her voice didn't carry.

Sapphire looked up into Ruby's windswept face, smiling shakily. Ruby whispered something unintelligible, and then they both laughed.

The crowd of gems, witnesses and those they had saved, converged on them, clapping and thanking the two profusely. Sapphire seemed flustered as she hastily climbed off of Ruby, her face a deep shade of navy. The pair received countless hugs and claps on their shoulders, which they accepted bashfully.

A flash of green in the corner of her eye signaled the arrival of Peridot, soaring down from the roof on her tin trash can lid. She landed right next to Connie, deftly hopping off of her ride, and she surveyed the damage with a long, drawn out whistle. She stepped forwards, nearly slipping on a patch of slick ice that had already begun to melt in the summer heat.

"What on earth happened?"

Connie shook her head in response, watching as Ruby and Sapphire shared a secret, warm look. Turning back to Peridot, she explained, "Ruby and Sapphire saved the gems who would have been standing under that…" she gestured to the wreckage, then continued with a pointed look, "They seem to be getting pretty close."

Peridot nodded in agreement, then hummed, "Good. Lapis and I have a theory that Garnet will come back on her own, so long as those two stay together. Apparently we were right." Her calculating gaze flashed down to Connie's bandaged hand, and she frowned.

Not wanting to draw attention to herself, Connie shoved her fist into her pocket, and turned her attention back to her mission.

"Let's go up and see everyone else, we need to make a new battle plan."

…..

Author's note: So sorry I took so long with this one! I've been incredibly ill these past few weeks, and it's given me the worst writer's block. I'm doing better now, so we're back in business!

On a positive note, I've linked my Deviantart in my bio, and I've got a drawing of Pink Tourmaline up if you'd like to check it out :) I may or may not be posting more art in the future, so keep an eye out ;)

Thank you so much for reviewing! Hearing your thoughts really helps keep me motivated, so tell me what you think :D and thanks for reading!