Snow helps save Connie and to aid in her recovery as the rest of the gems figure out a way to save Steven.
The Crystal Gems were distraught as they were dragged out of the room. Snow took them back to Diga's Room as they discussed the situation, but it ended up turning into one huge argument as to why to try next.
It was frantic and it was confusing as they tried to make sense of what was going on. Pearl began to panic over Connie's state, knowing that Connie was still stuck in that mental realm disturbed her and worried over if she'd wake up. Pink Steven remained void as per usual. Greg, who sat on the edge of the bed, mentioned some movement and tried to wake her up but with no avail. He took it the worst; possessed in grief in knowing that his son was stuck in this horrible situation as the gems described it. A pain struck in her chest by the look of despair on his face while the tears came down hard, as he sobbed into his hands. All Snow could really do was stand by him and rub his back for what little reassurance that gave. Lapis, Peridot and Jasper hung around Apophyllite, with Jasper leaning against one of the filing cabinets, unable to figure out what they should do.
They needed more to resolve than this in order to get Steven back to full health. All Snow could grasp on, is from what Connie had told her previously, that in truth, that this was not the first time that Steven's gem had been pulled out. Garnet was cautious as she squatted to look at Pink Steven from a safe distance. For a fusion like her, Snow pondered her truer thoughts.
"Unusual. Nothing like this has ever been seen before." Garnet commented as she rubbed her chin.
Amethyst's curiosity got the best of her as she went to go chat with Pink Steven, only to be rebuked and knocked to the other side of the room. This must have counted her as being an annoyance to trigger that kind of reaction, as Snow was forced to explain that it had none of Steven's restraint and that for what ever reason, reasons only known to half gems, that he was only ever interested in Connie. Amethyst got up with a groan.
"Hey what's the big idea?" She balked, annoyed.
They had to be extra careful around him. Pearl curled her hands and put them to her face, as her expression as she looked at Pink Steven was dire.
"How could we let this happen?" Pearl said, her eyes gone watery.
Snow imagined Pearl to privy to all the danger Steven would have been put in. This being the most unexpected of them all.
"He's still Steven." Said Garnet as she removed her visor.
"We need to treat him as such."
That much was known.
"But...his interest in Connie." Pearl repeated.
"Is that due to the Mutations we discussed a few days ago? Or the Gem that was put into her head?"
Snow sighed. It was a bit of both, if they had to be truthful.
"Connie was beginning to get a similar aura to Stevens." Snow noted, bringing back those prior observations.
"Theory being that he found Connie before he could find his real body and ended up fusing with the closest equivalent."
Garnet stood up and put her visor back on, as she stared at Snow. Part of the Quartz believed that Garnet was a tiny bit irritated about that.
"Subjected to full gem fusion exposure? Is that even possible?" Pearl continued.
With Steven's Gem at least. Who really knew?
"It'd be the same thing I told him." Said Peridot as she typed away with Apophyllite.
"Find missing pieces to make himself whole. Suffice to say, Steven, not in the same exact way, was indeed shattered."
The Gems gasped in horror to think of it.
"Are you saying Connie was in the process of becoming a gem herself?" Greg stated.
It was indeed hard to say. The very least she would have become like Steven regardless. It wasn't likely for her to gain light based mass as opposed to organic mass loss.
"She was certainly heading in that direction, yes. But now, through the procedure of fusion as well as shattered gem behaviors, his gem had no other barriers and forced part of Connie's biological structure to rapidly mutate, altering her body and her DNA to the point she had to depend on a gem to survive. Just like Steven...I'd imagine." Snow said. Human stuff confused her, but she knew enough on how their state was prone to change based on survival factors as evolution took its course as it did with most organics.
She explained on how when they found the Delta Kindergarten that they had to take Steven's Gem out and with Dori's help and powers to destabilize fusions, they removed him, but it made Connie entirely weak and left with her life slowly draining away. It wasn't painless, Snow would stress, but they did find something important within the Delta Kindergarten that of course, magically made life easier for her. Even then it made Snow ponder on the notions of what the others had explained. The Curse of Hope.
"The Prophecy." Snow stated.
"The Prophecy said that this would happen. Connie would become a half-gem to help save us from the darkness. As with me, the Medusa Quartz, being able to using my power to freeze gems, to help her out."
Garnet became increasingly uncomfortable with this as she held herself, on the vestige of defusing from the stress. Pearl and Amethyst stood by her, knowing the subtle signs of their leaders distress. Her future vision had to have been working funny or not working the way she wanted it to, from the looks of it.
"What about Steven?" Pearl called out.
Snow sighed as she looked at Connie, whoms face looked strained from the struggle. A psychic battle of wills as Snow wondered if she'd be fighting off the storm within the aura realm.
"Steven's...been united with the Black Diamond gem." Said Peridot, her voice low as her head.
Greg's eyes widened.
"Wait, that was Steven? Did...I didn't know...the Black Diamond I spoke to didn't...it took Steven's form but it was saying it was someone else." He claimed.
Confusion with the gems programming most likely. Gregs earlier description of shifting through various people, made it appear that the gem itself had an identity crisis. Snow could definitely relate to that. Just not that badly.
"It could be due to the Gems formation." Peridot pointed out.
"Like with what we found with Connie's gem, there's usually a series of elements involved in the gestation. The quality of the earth for example, is an environmental factor that nurtures character, power and design. The main crux of it, is the compound 'goo' that makes up the gems data. What they are, what they're meant for etc. Black Diamond would be considerably unstable if it didn't know its true nature or what it was meant for. Its an incomplete gem."
Snow had worked with Kindergartners before, but only to give them information on a planets materia logistics, so she could definitely understand what Peridot was saying.
"The Gems I eavesdropped on talked about flash copying, what ever that is." Greg mentioned, offhandedly.
Colour drained from Peridots face.
"Fl-flash copied? I thought they outlawed that!" The green gem panicked as she dragged her hands against her cheeks.
Pearl didn't look too keen either.
"I'd heard the Diamonds talk about that before. Banned the process due to it being, as Peridot said, unstable." She commented.
Amethyst's eyes darted around the room for answers, being a youthful gem without much experience in Homeworld history.
"Flash copying? What's that?" She asked.
Snow had to dig deep on Earthican terminology and comparisons on that count.
"Our resonance is replicated through the use of scanners and can be put into artificially made gems. It was an old and forbidden technique when you used to need soldiers in an instant. A lot of these poor stones didn't last very long." Snow explained, her tone somber.
"So...like cloning?" Greg said as he rubbed his neck.
"Did they like, clone Steven's gem or something to create Black Diamond? Please tell me if I'm wrong. Actually, I'd prefer you to tell me if I'm wrong."
Sadly, he was right. Greg groaned as he wiped his forehead. The room rattled again as the lights flickered, hearing deep growls and screeches once more. Snow turned to Connie, who started breathing heavily. Her gem blinked rapidly, going from completely dark to completely bright in short bursts, complete with sparks from the above lights. Sweat rolled down her face as her breaths turned into grunts of pain. Snow noticed Pink Steven's gem doing the same under his shirt. Connie was still in that realm...and she was fighting. Her aura was chaotic, as was Pink Steven's. Even as he stood there with his vacant stare and open eyes, he must have somehow been in there with her.
"They're..." Snow muttered in disbelief.
Connie's grunts turned in agonized whines as her Aura pushed against what most likely would by the Lillim trying to infect. The intensity between the clashing forces affected the real world too. Amethyst pulled Greg off the bed, as to give Snow, Pearl and Garnet some room to figure out what they needed to do as Pearl went to her right, Garnet to the left as Snow got on the bed and hovered over Connie as she planted her hands and knees beside her body.
"They'd have to be fighting Black Diamond in there." Snow told them.
Pearl panicked as she turned to face her Snow.
"What? She's gotta be fighting Steven too? Right?" Pearl questioned.
It would be the case, as Snow thought back to seeing the large storming cloud with the three slates.
"We saw Steven in our minds." Garnet told her.
"He is resisting until we can rescue him. He doesn't want us in the way."
Pearl started to whimper again, as another Earthquake struck, with the lights continuing to flicker and spark over them, as Connie growled as her face twisted to match the literal internal struggle. Forces of light and darkness, mixed into this obscurity. It was a whirlwind in there; the tempest was a noisy shroud that would mess anyone else up if they saw it too. Steven had to be strong enough to not enforce Liliths will, no matter how much she would swing at him and channel his being to hurt the people he adored. Bringing the other gems out wasn't easy, but seeing them here and ready to take control of the situation as well as the pure love they had for him, made Snow envision that their light would be able to endure and be able to bring him back from the brink when the time came. For now, Connie was their priority.
"You're right. I just...no...you're definitely right. He'd want us to help Connie first...he made me promise to protect her." Pearl iterated.
"Snow, if you would be so kind."
The Quartz nodded, as her gem lit up, Pearl did the same with hers as well as Garnet who spread her hands to share her light with the others. It shot out from their gems in a light rainbow of colours, combined that gave off a slight chime. Snow closed her eyes, seeing Connie spliced in between the goings on, seeing her lost and afraid in the chaos she found herself in. The forces were strong, but she had Garnet and Pearls lights to back her up. Within the shine as bright as the sun, she held hands with Garnet and Pearl, sensing their auras in their mental phases, sharing their energy with Snow as she pushed forward. The layers of darkness was incredibly potent. They were breaching the Auras of at least Diamonds to their knowledge, of course it would be difficult. Purple lightning struck her however and caused the light reflect back a bit, before Snow channeled it a little harder. She urged the other two to hold on.
'We're not giving up." Garnet assured her.
"We're still here." Pearl said with determination.
Their combined light was incredibly strong, however the dark magical interference made it increasingly difficult to deep their influence. A surge of magical light did connect to them which helped them breach it further. Snow sensed another had decided to help them and in their psychic conduit, she could see Jaspers aura join in.
"You idiots... try harder!" The larger Quartz roared.
Snow was impressed, surprised and warm from Jaspers sudden bout of generosity.
"Yeah yeah I'm here." Amethyst said, her aura formed into place as well, increasing their ferocity. Snow was greatly indebted to their efforts to work together like this.
A flash indicated seeing Connie lying there in a pool of black water, her eyes distant as she huddled into a fetal position. Snow lowered her hand to her and reached for her body.
"Connie it's Snow! Come on! Wake up!"
Everyone pulled back as Connie gasped for air. Snow watched cautiously as she inhaled deeply. Pearl hugged her and cried, while the others stood back, as Jasper and Amethyst exchanged glances, as the latter smiled and gave off a knowing look, as Jasper blushed and turned her head away.
The white Quartz let them tend to Connie as necessary, standing right besides Greg as she put her hands to her chest. It was important for Connie to be with people she knew and could relax around, as the others ensured that she was taken care of, asking her about her gem and wondering if she needed anything to eat or drink. Amethyst pulled out her bottle of water and a protein bar out her back pack to where Connie nearly guzzled the whole bottle down. Glimpses of her worn and tired face indicated she must have seen some terrible sights while in that foreboding realm.
She'd been in that place before. The point of no return. It was like a bad dream. A dream that curtailed all reason and logic and all sense of self. If Snow could admit it, she could say she still felt Liliths stench on her, even if she was purified and remade. None of that mattered anymore. Her light was her own.
"You did good." Greg assured her, his voice soft.
Snow's cheeks went a darker hue, then her face fell on other related issues.
"Not good enough. We still need to find your son." She said.
Greg frowned as he turned to her and crossed his arms.
"I know. Steven's in a bad place and...I've cried enough tears for now to allow my own head to clear for the moment." He said. "I know one things for sure."
Snow felt a tap on her shoulder. She looked at Greg who nudged his head downwards, motioning her eyes towards his offering hand. Puzzled, she moved her right hand from her chest to her side as Greg suddenly held it, interlocking his fingers with hers, much to her surprise. While she was taller and a tad larger, his hand was a little bigger than hers.
"It seems silly for me for doing this, but when you're a young human, a young child, if you're out about with a parent, guardian or someone you know who is older than you, you put your trust into them to protect you and guide you. It's an assurance you're not going to get lost or be misguided. Some situations call for both of you to depend on each other, to make sure neither of you are alone, even if you do get lost."
A kind gesture, Snow would believe. What ever it was, Snow enjoyed holding Gregs hand. Maybe a little too much. He then turned to the gems.
"I will forever worry, but the fact is Steven has held their hand and they have held his and they've guided each other through good times and bad. Steven's definitely in good hands...or greater hands."
Snow grew concerned for Gregs mental state, however. She could grasp his words and his arch-typical parent-to-child bonds. The idea of Rose entered her mind quickly, forcing her to let go of Greg instantly, who was taken aback by Snow's disconnection.
"I appreciate the gesture. I'm here to guide as I need to as well. I am not...in the same prestige as any of you. I am a Gem, but I am not part of this family...a dysfunctional, but precious group of individuals who serve each other and themselves. I find that admirable. I find that worth protecting. White Diamond on the other hand...doesn't understand."
Greg blinked as it appeared like he was trying to understand what she meant.
"Is that why she sent you?" He queried.
Yes...and no. Her Diamonds orders were to observe them. Her reason was to find Milky. Now things had obviously changed, as Dori rubbed her head on Snow's left hand.
"I'd be lying if I said no...or yes. Destiny would have brought me here regardless. Whether or not my Diamond can see all that transpires in her Court, which she wouldn't be wrong, being proven that undermined her completely. If anything else, I did offer to find Milky; one of her best Snow Quartzes." Snow replied.
"All this? It's a preemptive mess that no one accounted for...and others prepared for. Milky brought me back. I could at least return the favor."
It was his turn to look at her with a perturbed face.
"Is it, what you want to do?" He asked.
What she wanted to do was irrelevant. It was what she needed to do was what was on her mind right now. Connie had calmed down and discussed her findings with the other gems.
"I don't get half of the stuff they do. It doesn't mean I can't help. Steven does need to be reminded of his humanity on occasion. Connie and me have been the ones to ground him in that reality."
A reality that became impossible to cope with. Being human was indeed a curse.
"Now half of her has become half of them. I'm more understanding than most, but her parents...I'm sure they won't like this one bit."
That was the part of the problem. For what humans were used to gem shenanigans, others weren't. The world was still young but not ready for an entire alien race to bunk in with them. Steven's job was to help ease people and gemkind into the new Era, like Era 3 was for gemkind. Acceptance of the new and strange...but it wouldn't be without its own set of laurels and prejudices that would come with it. Snow's study of humanity would prove the history for her. Snow took a glimpse of her hand, then saw that Greg's frown got worse. Like Snow, Greg wanted to be strong for them, especially for his son. If holding hands signified exchanging strengths, then Snow could only bring out what she could for him, taking his hand once more, putting in neutral at best.
"I'm not going to let Earth fall through the same rabbit hole." She told, using his own words.
"I'll only be here if you really need me."
Which...she really wanted. He beamed, which struck her with a burn she could scarcely describe as he squeezed her hand gently.
"Be there for them too, ya know. These guys really need it." He said.
They spoke with Connie who described what she saw with Pink Steven, talking about the fact Steven's human side had merged or at least had been fused with the Black Diamond gem and that he's trying so hard not to give in. Greg joined in, although he was a bit squeamish and anxious about the fact that he was torturing his own son, Snow cemented their trust by keeping their hands together. She was impressed however, that Connie managed to dig out more information from within his mind than anything else they had discovered. A lot of the pieces were put together with the numerous events, past and present. Pearl was, at the very least, quite dumbfounded that Connie had gotten a Diamond, of all Gem types, and was quite protective of Connie due to this. But their next move was now known. They needed to confront Steven with Black Diamond in Storage Room Twelve.
"He wants us to pull out the Black Diamond gem. It's the only way." Connie told them.
Pearl then looked at Pink Steven.
"What would even happen? Would he reform into...what ever...well, into him?" Pearl asked with a half mumble at the end.
"I'd never even imagined that this type of...thing would occur."
Amethyst rolled her eyes.
"Hey remember when you tried taking out the gem when he was a baby?" She pointed out.
Greg looked astonished.
"You did what?" He said.
Pearl then appeared incredibly nervous, then glared at Amethyst, then made a half smile at Greg.
"Hey the past is the past! I was just..well, I thought...I mean..."
Greg shook his head. Now wasn't the time.
"Never mind, I don't want to know." He commented.
Connie then looked awkward as she rubbed her arm. She knew something, but didn't want to open her mouth.
"Connie whats wrong?" Pearl asked.
That's right...the gems didn't know yet.
"I...promised Steven I wouldn't say anything but..." The girl voiced.
"He's right here. I'm sure he won't say no. Literally won't say any other word." Amethyst pointed out.
That wasn't the point. Connie sighed as she stared at him, who was still standing at the end of the bed, being his usual, statuesque self. Would he mind? Would it matter? Connie shifted uncomfortably as she got up and sat on the edge of the bed.
"That isn't it Amethyst." She said as she walked over to Steven's gem. She took his hands as she stared right into his wide eyes. Something about his pure gem form that made Snow, not to mention the other gems, uneasy.
"This is Steven's Gem only. He doesn't possess his Heart, or his soul. His only one real wish is to reunite with his humanity."
A single minded but sensible desire. A shard on the hunt for the missing pieces. It was necessary to have Steven be Steven once more.
"We need to make a new plan then." Garnet announced.
With the amount of talented gems in the room, they planned the whole ordeal out. Peridot utilized Apophyllite for this situation and had gotten used to the GIS's user interface. They had created the map layout from what the GIS had so far downloaded and hacked with the tools they had with them and portrayed them against the wall for all to see. Peridot marked their location and Storage Room 12's location. In the meanwhile, it appeared that the room Connie described as the one where they had gone to remove his gem originally was right behind it, although they'd have to continue out of SR12s main doors, then take the hallway to the right and curve around to get the series of Experimenta Rooms on the other side. Apophyllite did detect the huge amount of Lillim interference within SR12, mainly due Black Diamonds presence. SR12 was huge by design, as Greg compared it to the size of a large warehouse.
Peridot then revealed Apophyllites systems contained a Frequency Comm Relay Modulator, a type of communications code that allowed it to talk to others using their gems for a connection point, like telepathy. Its special sphere forced encrypted transmissions, only communicating with registered gem frequencies. As they updated their security data earlier, they already had the frequencies to allow their exchanges to go on in private only that they just had to update Connie's and Jaspers. This GIS was far too advanced for its own good, though Snow never personally dealt with them. Thankfully, Peridot already had a grip on it as she offered to provide updates on comm and would continue to find any security cameras in SR12, but struggled due to the Lillim.
Otherwise their plan was to get into SR12, find Steven and to bring him into the Experimenta Room in question, namely EX-R 66, remove Black Diamond and get him to reunite with his only one true gem. The plan sounded simple in practice but Snow knew by default that this wasn't going to be easy. Peridot would remain at the helm with Greg to give them updates on the situation, while the rest would need to give it their all to get to Steven asap. Peridot had Connie registered to Apophyllites security listings, only to list her as Hope Diamond by default and Pink Steven as Pink Diamond.
Pearl was hesitant to bring Pink Steven with them, but Connie insisted and that she would be the one to take him to Steven directly, if not the only one. Snow was glad Connie did not decide to reveal what happened on White Diamonds ship to them, respecting Steven's choice...so she would know what to do more than anyone in this situation or at this point, be the only one who could, in the worst potential scenario, feel the same way.
They created a circle around each other and threw their hands in one more time. They could do this.