Jasper had to carry Connie to the nearest warp in North Korea to get back home, and when they were there, she laid Connie on the couch. The girl's body was finally starting to stop shaking.
"My baby!" Peridot screeched, practically pouncing on top of the girl. "Y-You weren't in your room and I was so worried-!"
"My dad's gone!" Connie choked out, struggling to stand. "H-He came with me to see her, a-and she took him! We gotta get him back!"
Lapis flew down just in time to catch Connie. "Slow down! Who took Doug?"
"It was Pink Diamond." Jasper grunted.
Peridot gasped in shock and Lapis looked frightened.
"W-what?! She was here, on Earth?!" Lapis cried.
Peridot started to hyperventilate. "She took Doug with her…! Who knows what she'll do with him! She's bound to be driven crazy by Yellow and Blue Diamond's absence!"
"She said… she said he was a substitute for me." Connie whispered, hugging herself. "She was calling out for mother too, saying she'd be back for what's left of the rebellion, all of us."
An uncomfortable silence hit the room.
"She knows we're on Earth, and she believes Yellow is too." Peridot muttered. "She's holding off searching because she must be making something, something to shatter a Diamond."
"What if she tortures him, or tries to locks him up in some museum," Connie gasped in horror. "What if she falls in love with him and forces him to marry her?! Are human rockers the Diamonds' type?!"
"That's it!" Peridot cried.
"Pink Diamond's going to be my step-mom and my aunt at the same time?! That's awful!" Connie sobbed.
"Oh, no! Goodness, no." Peridot cried, sitting down beside her. "The thing you said before, a museum."
Lapis glanced up in surprise. "What do you mean?"
"Blue Diamond used to have a museum where she often would store collected plants, animals, and minerals from every planet she visited and claimed when she first emerged. Yellow Diamond, after a few thousand years, convinced her keeping life and other trinkets from planets they were going to destroy was a worthless endeavor, so she stopped it… But, if Pink Diamond would put Doug anywhere, it would be there."
"But, what if she already hurt him!?" Lapis gasped in worry. "Humans are what convinced Yellow to rebel."
"She wouldn't, she said dad was funny and adorable, that she'd… play with him." Connie shivered slightly, worried about what Pink Diamond could possibly mean by that.
"Ugh, that's scary to think about." Lapis cringed
"Then let's not think and do something about it!" Jasper growled. "Let's move out!"
"The ships were originally made for Rubies, yes," Pearl answered Lapis' question on why the Jaspers had come on on a Ruby ship while waiting for Peridot to set it all up. "However, ever since the absence of two Diamonds, Homeworld is slower and the production rates of ships and gems alike went down dramatically. So, they use whatever ships are available."
"Okay, the ship should be safe for Connie now, in theory." Peridot muttered, walking out of the Roaming Eye ship. "Are you ready to go, Connie?"
"In just a moment!" Connie cried. She then went back to talking to Steven on her phone. "No, no, you can't come with, I'm sorry! We have to go, now, before Pink Diamond does something horrible to my dad! Protect the town while I'm gone, please! Be safe!" Her eyes saddened. "Yeah… Yeah, I'll try my best." She then hung up and turned to the Temps.
"Let me just finish customizing the ship-"
"There's no time!" Connie growled, trying to run past Peridot.
"Connie, if I don't make these settings, it could bend reality, putting you at a very high risk of danger!" Peridot cried.
"I'm always at a high risk of danger, if this flies, I'm taking it!" Connie yelled. "Now get in!"
The Temps worriedly followed her into the small ship, but Jasper turned to Amethyst and Pearl. "Listen, we've never left this town unprotected, so just keep it safe for us, that's all I'm asking."
"Will do!" Pearl smiled.
Amethyst gave a nod.
Connie stared back at the Earth as it grew smaller and smaller. She held herself and gave a sigh. "Oh dad, I hope you're okay…" She stared out at the stars and sadly smiled. "It is beautiful up here though. Mother may not have thought so when you first said it, but I still do…"
The other Temps were at the front, and Lapis gasped. "Asteroids incoming!"
Connie turned in time to see Peridot suddenly go into action, clicking away at buttons and swerved the ship up and through the field, weaving in and out of the dangerous rocks with ease, not meaning to perform all the cool stunts she was. She did a loop over one, and thrusted right through another, not getting a scratch on the hull with her amazing calculations. The others watched in awe.
Peridot wiped a single drop of sweat off her brow and gave a sigh in relief. "Okay, hopefully it's smooth shipping from here on out. Clody asteroids, trying to keep us from Doug!"
T-That was amazing!" Lapis squealed, grabbing Peridot by the shoulders, making the other blush. "Where on Earth did you learn to do that?!"
"Where on Homeworld, is what you mean." Peridot groaned, shrugging her off. "Peridots were made to be technicians and pilots for ships, though I'm used to something bigger. I know the system and blueprints for all Homeworld ships! You all have never seen me use a ship though, so it would be surprising that my wit also correlates to them."
Connie ran up and hugged Peridot. "I'm actually not that surprised! You're so smart in everything!"
"Yeah, so smart!" Jasper smirked with a sarcastic tone meant to tease.
"Don't ruin this for me, Jasper." Peridot grumbled.
Suddenly, they collided with a Jasper they had met so long ago and then abandoned in space, the one with a gem on her head.
Peridot shrieked in horror and Connie drew her sword on instinct, worried the Jasper may crack the glass.
The gem luckily flipped right off once the shock had left them.
"Whew, that was-"
Two more Jaspers collided with them, making Lapis wince.
When they rolled off, the team was finally at peace again.
"I still feel bad for stranding them in space…" Connie muttered, remembering that when the Jaspers had no idea she was a rebel, they had been so kind and gentle with her, like her own Jasper.
"I do too. We should probably pick them up at some point, Jaspers come back with a vengeance." Jasper muttered.
"Welp, they're still waiting in line to get their revenge on me, Pink Diamond's pushed her way to the front for kidnapping my dad." Connie growled. She stared out at space and sighed. "Okay, what's our eta to the lab?"
Peridot made a few calculations in her head and then frowned. "I'd say about… 70 years, if we want to stay safe."
"70 years?!" Connie cried.
"If we want to stay safe." Peridot repeated. "Your human half could completely flatten like a pancake if we used the gravity engine, we'll have to experiment with the strain on the engine to test if-."
"... My dad will still love me when we're safe at home, even if I'm a pancake!" Connie yelled, slamming her hand down on the control to the gravity engine and a warp with it. Connie was flung back into her chair, screaming in fear as the speed affected everything around her. She couldn't see the Temps, only colors upon colors, her body felt like mush and that she may puke all at the same time. Her body felt like it was about to stretch off her very bones and her head started to wonder if the bright lights were going to be the last thing she ever saw…
"Connie, wake up!"
"Kid, you ok? Come on, get up! You okay?"
Connie gave a moan, waking up with her head ringing and realizing she had collapsed onto the floor. She opened her eyes. "I just- Oh my gosh!"
The Temps had been flattened like pancakes and were very short, their original forms had seemed to lose their shape.
"Did the gravity warp… do that?" Connie asked, wincing.
"I don't know, but I want it to undo it." Jasper growled. "No wonder Ruby and Sapphire are always fused, being tiny is infuriating!"
"It did it for us to shape. Since the rules of physics no longer apply, our bodies of light has to be told what form to be in, the ship has put us in a Ruby form. We'll have to wait this out until we get to where physics apply!" Peridot grumbled.
"Kid, I hate this, please, change us back!" Jasper begged.
"Jasper, that's useless-!"
"I'm on it!" Connie nodded, flicking her finger on the rubies. It then selected the large build of a quartz.
"Oh yes!" Jasper sighed, kissing her biceps. "I've missed you guys so much."
"Um, Connie, try again!" Lapis moaned
The girl did so, it then selecting a very tiny form. Connie twirled around to see the gems turn to the size of pebbles. "AW! You're so cute!"
"Young lady, this is no time for cute!" Peridot squeaked. "Try and change us back to Ruby size!"
"I'll try!" Connie muttered. She flicked again and the dial randomly. It landed on three diamond shapes. "Oh no!"
The Temps grew huge, their backs going to the wall.
"Oh… yeah. I can see why Yellow liked to shape shift down now." Lapis gasped. "Try adjusting it manually!"
Connie hurriedly pressed a button and turned to see the Temps' heads turn to the size of giant beach balls. She gasped in fear, and tried again.
This time, the Temps hands grew to the size of doll hands.
"Ghaa!" Connie gasped. She started rapidly pushing, not understanding the language it was written in at all.
Peridot's entire body suddenly turned long and lose, her legs and arms everywhere while Jasper bloated like a ball and Lapis turned a thin as a sheet of paper.
"These are going to be in my nightmares for weeks! I need to stop it!" Connie yelled. She pressed a few more buttons and then a giant X appeared in front of her. Giving a sigh in relief, she slammed her hand on it.
The ship suddenly went into hyperdrive, violently shoving Connie's back into the seat, nearly breaking it. The girl screamed in fear as they were going faster than she ever thought possible. The world around her was all colors and she forced her head with much pain to look back to see the Temps. They were gone, all that was left was their gemstones that shook on the wall of the ship. "OH NO! I MUST'VE POOFED THEM!"
She turned her head back to see it was going even faster as they started to warp through different areas of space. She was mesmerized by the stars, but they still hurt her eyes and she wondered if she was about to die, not even knowing what was going on.
Her body felt mush once more and her head and back were glued to the chair. She was seeing double and wondered if this was what it was like when you had taken something wrong, or maybe it was worse! She then heard a beeping and glanced down to see a blinking dot (the ship) moving very fast to its destination. "Hrgh! We'll crash right into the museum! I need it to slow…" She grunted, trying to move her arm to slam her hand down on the controls. "Argh! Down!"
She gave a cry as her arm was slammed back onto the chair, nearly snapping it in turn. "C-come… on!" She tried again, pushing herself. It was useless though as the ship pushed her back again.
"Come on!" Connie yelled to herself. "You'll die if you don't do this! The gems will too! And Dad… Dad will be trapped with Pink Diamond forever! My existence would be for NOTHING if I don't...stop... this... ship!"
She whimpered in pain when her arm once again got forced to the back of the chair. She stared up at the stars and tears started to roll down her cheeks. "I-I can't… I can't do it! I've tried so hard but I… I can't!" She started to sob, feeling alone. "Jasper, Lapis, Peridot… Dad! I'm sorry! You deserved someone better to be your daughter, someone wh-who would be strong enough to save you! Why didn't I just listen to you guys?! Why did I drag you along with me, Dad?! I'm so, so sorry! I just had to see the proof for myself, I had to see that Blue Diamond was truly gone, truly shattered! I never wanted my mother to be a murder! And now… now I'm about to kill everyone I love because of it!" Connie started to sob desperately, reaching for the panel one last time, feeling like her body could turn to dust at any moment. She longed for her father's embrace and weeped harder, tears streaming off her face behind her. She started desperately yelling like she was a little girl waking up from a horrible nightmare, even though she knew no one would answer her cries. "D-Dad! Dad! I want my dad!" She gulped back more sobs and closed her eyes, about to accept her end as her finger was so close to the button, but so far. She gave a cry in fear. "I just want my dad!"
She slammed her head down.
The ship jerked to a stop, sending Connie's head straight to the window she gave a cry in pain, grabbing her head. She whimpered, tears running down her face. It had just been so terrifying, and she thought she would've died because of it.
"Connie, are you okay?!" Peridot called.
Connie turned around to see the Temps were back. She gave a last sob, and rushed into a hug from them all. "I was so afraid I'd lost you! Where were you?!"
"In your attempt to fix our bodies, you accidentally shut off the calibration altogether. Our light-composed forms couldn't keep up with the ship moving faster than the speed of light." Peridot explained quickly.
"Y-You mean you guys were just being dragged behind the ship?!" Connie gasped.
"Yeah! It was just like flying!" Lapis smirked. "Though, we stretched a ton."
"And we were terrified about what had happened to you!" Peridot whispered, hugging the girl once more. "We thought you may have gotten hurt or worse by the jump, please warn us next time you do anything that drastic! You're the only Connie we have, you know."
Connie sniffed, and wiped the tears from her eyes. "I'm so glad you're alright, and I'm sorry I worried you all. I just wanted to get my dad back so much, it's my fault he's gone…"
"Kid, it's not your fault Pink Diamond took your dad, that was all her." Jasper grunted, kneeling down to Connie and holding the girl's cheek. "I'm pretty sure she's cracked in the head at this point."
Connie giggled, finally letting her worries go away.
Lapis suddenly gasped in shock. "Whoa! What is that?!"
The Temps all turned and then saw a shimmering blue building among the stars. It had a square-like base and a circular dome that seemed to be made of shining crystals, though Connie knew it must be another material.
"The museum…" Peridot whispered in shock. She then gave a cry in relief. "Connie, you did it! We'll get Doug at the same age he left and not near dead!"
Connie stared out at the museum and smiled. "Don't worry, dad… We're on our way."
I was thinking the other night while watching SU Future, and nearly crying because I related so much to Steven: I have no idea what to write after this series is finished! I've been writing this for years! I'd love to keep all you guys as fans of my stories, of course, so give me ideas! Maybe I'd make another swap au using a different show like Gravity Falls or maybe an alternate universe one in Su? Who knows! Pm me if you have an idea, there is no such thing as a bad one!