Emma slowly walked her bike up and down several streets to scout out her new-found piece of civilization. One thing she noticed every street had in common: No people. Beach City was a ghost town.
Where is everyone? Emma's stomach growled painfully as she continued to stumble down the small, residential neighborhood. Please! There has to be someone here! I need help! Her vision began to blur as the world around her dipped and twisted in impossible ways.
"Hello?! Anybody here?" Emma rasped in a final attempt to ward off the fatigue as she tripped and fell over her bike pedal. Scraping her hands and knees on the asphalt of the road, Emma's lip began to quiver as she mentally broke.
Dragging herself to the nearest tree by the sidewalk, Emma propped her bike up against the trunk and unceremoniously sprawled on the ground.
Am going to die here? Emma's limbs felt full of lead as she felt every cut, bruise, blooded-over scab, and sore spot from having lived out in the forest. Her lips were covered in blisters from thirst and she had a searing headache behind her eyes from hunger. The sun blinded her as she slowly closed her eyes, giving into her ailments and letting fatigue lull her into darkness.
I guess I'm ready to die. Sinking into the grass beneath her, she felt a peace come over here that she hadn't felt in years. There was a lot more I wanted to do with my life, but at least I'll get to see my family again…
As Emma felt her consciousness slipping away, her last thoughts drifted to Mrs. Elms.
I'm sorry, I didn't make it. I'll see you soon. Her eyes began to water behind her closed lids as tears streaked down dirty cheeks.
Forcing her left arm to move so her hand clasped onto the necklace around her neck, everything around her went black.
Bleary eyes slowly cracked open to what she hoped would be Mrs. Elm's smiling face in heaven, only to be filled with the interior of a van as Emma's consciousness came seeping back. A gentle shake to the arm and a shifting of weight beside her had Emma instantly spring upright.
"Easy there kiddo." A balding man who looked to be in his forties gently said. He had the strangest sunburn lines she'd ever seen as he held up his hands in a defensive manner when she flinched away from him. "I'm not going to hurt you. Are you alright?"
Gasping for air as she huddled into the farthest corner of the van available to her. Emma realized what had happened and, shockingly, that she was still alive.
"No," she frowned. "I'm not alright, do I look alright to you?!" She began to shriek as her voice cracked through her chapped lips and parched throat. "I've been stranded and alone for over a week, following a bus that abandoned me in the middle of the desert! I'm starving, filthy, and have nowhere to go-" her voice broke, thick with loss and fear.
"Alright, alright take it easy. Here." The man said softly, handing her a bottle of water Emma proceeded to snatch and drink in loud, quick gulps.
"There you go." Giving her a beat to hydrate, he hesitantly tried talking to her again. "So hey... what is your name? Mine is Greg."
"Mine is Emma." She gasped out as soon as the bottle was empty.
Still, in her defensive position against the van wall, Emma warred with herself whether or not to trust this "Greg."
Curiosity won, as usual.
Analytics buzzing through her mind, it was clear she had to get her bearings and figure out what was going on with this town and why it was so empty if she hoped to survive. And her current best bet to gaining that information was Greg.
Slowly easing herself out of her defensive position, she reciprocated his hesitant tone. "So Greg, where is everyone in this town? When I came down here from the forest I couldn't find anyone."
"Oh, that's because we were evacuated," replied Greg as he rummaged through a plastic bag.
"Evacuated?" Inquired Emma, donning a perplexed and slightly suspicious look. "Why? I didn't see anything going on that would be evacuation-worthy."
"You wouldn't, the threat came and left very quickly." He glanced up at her mid-rummaging and gave her a hard look, silently answering any further questions she may ask. Whoever the threat was Emma could tell there was bad blood between them and Greg.
"Here, I got you some new clothes. You look pretty small, so I figured a small would fit you." Greg handed her a small thrift store bag containing a cyan blue sleeveless summer dress, a pair of cyan blue tights covered in little yellow star print, and some yellow flip-flops. "I hope you like them. I looked through your bag and noticed you only brought winter clothes, it doesn't get cold here much so I thought you could use these."
"Thank you," Emma murmured, not liking that her things were touched and still not trusting Greg. Fighting with herself to not seem on edge, Emma forced herself to show gratitude for the clothes. "They're great. Is there anywhere I can clean off first before putting them on?"
"Oh sure, you can use the shower in the back of my business. I rigged one of the bathrooms to be a shower. I'll go unlock the building for you."
Emma's eyes never left Greg as she watched him leave the van and slowly enter the "It's a Wash" building across the parking lot.
Stuffing her new items into her bag, Emma took in the claustrophobic van Greg appeared to live out of. It was quite decorated for a van, lining the wall to her right from her perch on the mattress were several guitars and a ukulele, a makeshift clothes rack that hug a few shirts and pairs of pants, a LOT of Mr. Universe memorabilia, some picture frames holding pictures of a younger-looking Greg with a giant pink woman, and a single picture of a small infant boy with dark curly hair.
"You look a lot like him, you know," came a soft voice from behind her.
Startled, Emma turned to see a misty-eyed Greg offering shampoo and a clean towel. "The shower is ready."
"Is this your son?" Emma hesitantly asked, reaching to touch the glass that held the image of the happy little boy.
"Yes, he would be about your age now." Came Greg's harsh reply as he snatched the frame before her fingertips could make contact with the glass.
Reading between the lines, Emma's voice filled with empathy. "What happened to him?"
"He died," Greg said stiffly, the hardness returning once more to his eyes. "Long ago when Steven was just an infant, he was killed."
Emma shrank back from him, afraid if made upset Greg might cast her out for asking too many questions. However, again, curiosity got the better of her. "Killed? Who would kill a little baby?" Emma tentatively asked.
"No one you need to worry about." The joyless look Greg gave her signified he would not be questioned further on the subject.
"You better get in there before all of the hot water is used up." He handed her the towel and shampoo, and when Emma stepped out he quickly closed the van door behind himself.
Once Emma was clean and in her new clothes she made her way back to the van and noticed Greg was playing 'Comet' on one of his guitars.
"Hey! You like that song too huh?" Emma bounded over to him, drawn to the music. "I've followed Mr. Universe and listened to his music for years now. Is this one your favorite too?"
An odd mixture of disbelief and amazement painted itself across Greg's features. "Yes, this is one of my favorite songs. I play it often to myself when I miss the old days." Positioning himself on the edge of his van's bumper to face Emma better, he gave her an awkward smile. She could tell he wasn't used to smiling.
"Yeah, I noticed you have a lot of Mr. Universe's merchandise. I figured you were a fan, that's pretty cool!" Emma beamed and went to sit beside him. "Could you play it again?" she eagerly asked.
The next few hours passed by in a fit of giggles and silly songs as Greg played and Emma sang along to any song they could think. Both feeling much better by the time Emma was out of breath from singing and her stomach grumbled.
"When was the last time you ate?" Greg looked over at her, concerned.
Resting her chin into the crook of her thumb and forefinger, Emma found she couldn't remember, which was not good. "You know, I honestly don't know. I'm going to say around three days ago? I've been eating leaves and bark in the forest."
Looking at Emma in dismay, it took him a minute to formulate a reply. Recovering, he slapped his knee and went to help her down from the van. "Hoo boy! Well, I say we both go get some pizza. You need some real food."
Hunger coming back with a vengeance at the mention of food, she eagerly followed behind him.
Emma quickly learned that the "Everything" Pizza from Fish Stew Pizza was coined that for a reason. The pizza had literally everything on it, from several types of cheese, anchovies, spinach, pepperoni, shrimp, to a whole red snapper fish! It was delicious and definitely hit the spot.
Greg sat back with a charmed look on his face as he watched Emma practically inhale the large pizza. "Feeling better?" he chuckled.
"It's really good, I've never had anything like it," she garbled through chipmunk cheeks. Making sure to have a whole slice in one hand as she gobbled down the slice in the other.
While it was charming to watch Emma eat, it hurt Greg's heart to see a child have gone through so much to need to eat this way. He could tell she didn't trust him, which was more than understandable, but he had to know what caused her to be in this condition. He needed to know what she was running from so he could help her. She reminded him so much of Steven… he couldn't just leave her like this by herself.
"Emma," he strained to get her attention off of her feast, "I need you to tell me what you are running away from. Is there someone I can call to come and get you?" At this Emma froze mid-bite and swallowed loudly.
Looking dejected, she refused to make eye contact as she relented, "No, I have no one you can call. My parents are dead." She peeked at him to see his eyes soften, and sighed, she always hated seeing the inevitable look of pity people gave her when she told this story. "The folks I was staying with were a foster family, and after the missus died my foster dad was going to get me moved to another home. I have no one."
As he watched her wilt, he decided this was a subject best left for another time. She needed to eat. "Alright, well you're free to stay with me for a little while-" she immediately gave him a quizzical look, "if that's ok with you, of course," he nervously finished.
Quietly finishing the last bit of pizza, Emma took her time deliberating on his offer before giving her reply. "Alright, I'll stay with you. Thanks. But where will I sleep? We both can't sleep in your van… right?"
Widening his eyes, he quickly replied, "Oh good heavens no! It's far too cramped! I have a house you can stay in on the other side of that hill." He said, pointing towards the stand-out hill marking the beginning of the beach, "behind the lighthouse."
"Why do you live out of your van then if you have a house to live in?" she asked in confusion.
Tension flooded his body as he stilled immediately, making Emma almost run into his back as they walked out of the restaurant. "Because they built the place" he replied with his back to her, still as a stone in the middle of the bustling boardwalk, "and they were supposed to raise Steven there when he came of age and inevitably gained his powers." Greg looked like his jaw was about to break with how tightly he had his teeth clenched, abruptly continuing on in long strides Emma struggled to keep up with.
"So," Emma began after a few silent minutes of walking beside a very stiff Greg, "are these the same people who harmed Steven as a baby?" She almost wanted to brace her hands in front of herself at how Greg whipped around at her question.
"Yes," clenching his fists, "they're the same people. And now they are gone. It's a house that is fully functional and free. Might as well use it right? Make them having been here good for something." Greg finished darkly as he stormed off towards the house.
Emma paused as Greg's darkening mood filled her with the same tension she used to feel when Mr. Elms would take on that same tone of voice. Quickly shaking off the memory, she chastised herself for even comparing the two men. Greg had done nothing but help her since the moment they met, the least she could do is give him a chance.
What kind of situation am I getting myself into? Emma worried to herself. Well, it can't be worse than what I was dealing with out in the wilderness on my own, right? Nothing could be worse than that.
A few days was all it took for Emma to settle into her new life in Beach City. She woke up every morning in an amazingly comfortable bed to a beautiful view of the beach down beyond her second story window. The house was built to be several feet above sea level and her room was situated on the only part of the second story, a hand-built loft which she adored. As a natural climber, it was a comfort to Emma to be in small, high-up places.
Down below on the first story of the house was a quaint little living room and kitchen where Greg taught her how to cook and make some basic meals for herself. Besides that, there was a single bathroom and a small porch outside the front door that made up the entire rest of the house. Very small quarters for what Greg claimed was originally built to be a house for multiple people, a detail not lost on Emma.
Several times during Greg's visits Emma thought to ask about the suspiciously newer-looking wall that closed off the living room and kitchen area but thought better of it. Greg was a closed-off man and was easily triggered when anything relating to "them" (whoever "they" were) or Steven came up. So she left well enough alone. Everyone had their past and things they kept tucked away, who was she to pester Greg about his? She knew all too well some things were best left unsaid.
After morning preparations for the day, she would walk over to The Big Donut where she routinely indulged in a coffee and cream-filled glazed donut, occasionally exchanging some pleasant small talk with Lars and Sadie while on her way to work. Sadie was always a joy to talk to, but Lars sometimes was in a mood that caused Emma to feel on-edge, those days she never stayed for long.
The walk down the single street that stretched between The Big Donut and her job was one of Emma's favorite times of the day. A lot of the patrons of Beach City would walk the opposite way down the same street on their way to the Boardwalk, giving Emma the chance to start her day off greeting all of her new friends with a cheery "Good morning!"
It reminded her of simulation games she used to play on her old portable game system. In those games the more you interacted with the folks who lived in your character's environment, the more prosperous your character was. Strange how much video games can teach you about life depending on how you look at it.
In exchange for his hospitality, Emma worked for Greg at the car wash, which she was more than willing to do. Having always been naturally handy, she was thankful for the chance to earn some money doing something she loved while repaying Greg for saving her life.
Greg found himself more happy to help, and as the months went by he began to feel an attachment growing inside of himself. No one would ever replace Steven or fully heal the heartache he suffered at losing the opportunity to be a father to his and Rose's son. But slowly, like a vine entwining itself around pieces of his heart, he began to see Emma as a father would an unexpected child. A gift he never thought to want, but now that she was here couldn't see himself living without. He could see traits in her that reminded him of Rose and could imagine Steven having if he had lived, which stung, but he welcomed the sting. Better to feel a slight pain than to continue to feel nothing at all.
Emma was hard-working and Greg noticed was extremely curious to learn about anything and everything. Containing a thirst for knowledge that was formidable for someone so young and who had gone through so much hardship. It was like watching a budding blossom bloom right before his very eyes, and he was honored to be a part of that growth. As her wounds from living in the forest healed, both internal and external, it was a joy to watch her defensive walls come down and find her place among his small piece of the world.
Emma managed to quickly befriend the entirety of Beach City's population. On days when the car wash was slow, they would often close up shop early and spend their time getting fries at Beach Citywalk Fries and exploring the beach. Going to the Funland Arcade where Emma would proceed to break the records on most of the machines or run a muck all over the Funland Amusement Park.
Days she had to herself she spent helping the people of Beach City. She often was seen helping at Fish Stew Pizza by doing any pizza deliveries Kiki was too swamped to deliver by herself. Or in Vidalia's garage posing as a model for her paintings, even helping Mayor Dewey with his political campaign by handing out flyers. No longer was she a lost child with nowhere to go. She quickly became an integral part of their little town. She belonged.
Something Emma herself noticed. Her entire demeanor changed, from cringing whenever someone got to close to touching her, to walking with a pep in her step and making sure to greet everyone she saw with a smile. Those days were his favorite, getting to see Emma smile and hear her laugh when she let go and got to be a happy kid. It was a real treat Greg tucked away in his heart, and slowly, was helping him heal his own wounds.
It was a development to their relationship Greg fought with himself on constantly. Deep down Greg sensed that his time with Emma was limited, and everything inside of his screamed not to get attached to her. It was like sand in an hourglass he felt slipping through his fingers, and he was drowning in it.
The gems would be back, he knew, and they would not stop searching until they found what they were looking for: Pink Diamond's Gem and Rose Quartz. The ones that got away from Homeworld and escaped their wrath.
Their attacks would only get worse, and with each search party, more gems would come. Next time a mere evacuation wouldn't be enough to hold them at bay from taking human life. Next time, they would start killing the inhabitants of Earth. That is what they did, Greg knew all too well, they murdered what they didn't understand. What wasn't "perfect", what didn't fit their mantra of flawless.
Before Emma, he didn't care if the gems destroyed Earth or not. Not anymore, he had nothing left to lose once they took Steven and Rose, and he didn't have the spirit to stand up against them again. He was afraid. But now he had something to protect, something worth fighting for again.
He hoped and prayed Emma wouldn't find the gem cave past the drywall he had put up in the house to seal off that chapter of his life. He hoped like Emma, having her presence in Beach City would be a fresh start for him too. He hoped he didn't have to relive how his heart was crushed and trampled into dust when he discovered that Rose, the love of his life and mother of his child, had not only been lying to him the entirety of their relationship but that what she was responsible for causing this living nightmare that had no end in sight.
She was Pink Diamond. One of the four rulers of the alien empire known as the Diamond Authority. A race based off of different gemstones whose people colonized and destroyed any planet they came in contact with. So, of course, they took her disappearance here on Earth as a direct attack and retaliated by coming to Beach City every couple months, scouring the lands from the focal point of where she was last traced, Beach City.
He resented her for the lies, for the suffering and pain she had caused him for the last fifteen years of his life, and for causing the death of their son and potentially all of Earth.
Perhaps he was selfish for not telling Emma what secrets were lurking in this city. Maybe he was an ignorant, hopeful old man for thinking he could maintain the life he was rebuilding since those dreadful days of Rose and the Crystal Gems. He knew he needed to tell Emma the circumstances surrounding himself and his past if he was to have any hope of keeping her in his life long-term, but couldn't he just hold on to this happiness a little longer? He would tell her soon.
But as the saying goes, "don't put off till tomorrow what you should get done today."
The soft glow of her laptop screen was the only light illuminating the dark house as Emma tapped away at her keyboard. The only sound piercing the darkness, aside from her typing, being the occasional ping sound from her messages inbox. Pete saw she was online and was spamming her with messages of concern.
Propping her computer on her knees, she massaged her temples as she forced herself to not read his messages. She knew she should talk to Pete, but it was just too much. It had been months since she left town, and it was obvious Pete had noticed immediately and had been searching for her. She had seen during the occasional glance she allowed herself at his profiles that all over his social media were messages and posters concerning her. Asking if anyone knew where she was, and when those leads had run dry had started a missing person report.
Guilt plagued her conscience that she hadn't told him what happened when it was so obvious her disappearance was tearing him apart. But she just couldn't bring herself to do it.
That night when Mrs. Elm's died, a part of her died too. She couldn't go back to that life, the mentality of being a foster kid with her life out of her control. A part of her had permanently grown up, a change etched into her DNA that could never be undone. Besides, she was prospering here! Finally an adult, given the reins to her future. That's all she had ever wanted, was Pete so selfish in his heartache to ruin that for her and want her to regress to being a hurting child? Just to be in his life?
No, she knew better than to see it that way. Pete didn't understand, how could he? He lived with both of his real parents, was an only child, and aside from some allergies had never had any real concerns growing up. He didn't know how his actions made her feel, he just cared.
That being said, she didn't have room for his form of caring at this point. She had to allow herself to be selfish and force him to let her go, for his own good. One day he would see this was for the best, that she was being truly selfless not responding to him and letting him think she didn't care. They were too different, he lived a life full of innocence and emotional health. She was forced to see just how hardened and cruel the world was and would only bring that negatively into his life. Now, in his ignorant youth, all he saw as a pretty girl who liked robotics just like him. He didn't see the damage their difference in life perspectives would cause him. She cared about him too much to be responsible for that emotional deflowering. It was time to sever the ties. Insides going numb, she took one final look at his social media and blocked him.
Feeling a flush creep up her neck and flood her cheeks and an anxiety attack began, she went to get a glass of water before continuing her work. She was trying to configure code for a robot to help her around the house, and the constant pinging had been very distracting.
A bright light invaded her closed lids and roused Emma from a deep sleep. She blearily realized she had fallen asleep while waiting for her code to load and the "100% Completed" flashing screen was the source of the disturbance. Grumpily shutting the lid to her computer and rolling over to return to sleep, Emma sighed when she again was kept from sleep. Her chest was beginning to burn.
Man, I probably had one too many tacos with extra spicy sauce, I hope I still have some of my reflux medicine left. Heading to the bathroom she quickly realized it wasn't an internal burn but an external one against her skin. Her necklace was the source of the burning sensation, and it was growing hotter by the second.
Running cool water over the burning pink diamond, Emma realized the stone began to emit a soft glow deep within its core. Curiosity tinged with panic came over her as she felt the stone vibrate. What?
As the stone finally cooled down and stopped it's activity, Emma turned off the bathroom light and began walking down the hall to the living room, only to be knocked off of her feet by the wall being blasted through. Fear kicking her flight instinct into high gear, she threw herself back into the bathroom and left the door open only a crack. Taking steady, calming breaths to silence herself from the possible threat, mechanical sounds and an unfamiliar voice floated to Emma from down the hall.
Through the crack of the door, Emma saw a strange, green being bring up a holographic device. Making Emma almost squeak in surprise, she began speaking to the hologram in a nasally monotone in clear English! "Log Date: 473. This is Peridot performing Earth warp-pad maintenance check. All warp pads seem to be working correctly and are ready for use."
"Warp pads?", Emma whispered to herself as Peridot continued with her log, inching closer to the cracked door to better make out what the creature was saying. I must be dreaming.
"...Observations indicate that the Earth is still populated, and Earth creatures known as humans are active around the warps." Peridot chirped, defensively pacing around the warp-pad.
Cylinder phalanges controlled telepathically from the robotic arm moved in fluid movements across the hologram as they punched in commands. "According to our records, additions have been made to the environment surrounding warp-pad 295. A wall that was not previously here has been built. I have proceeded to obliterate it. Awaiting further instruction." The creature known as Peridot concluded as it closed up the hologram and entered the living room.
Silently creeping across the floor to get a better view of the creature while it was inspecting the kitchen, Emma began to crawl army-style down the hallway. Only to hear the door creak in response as it swung open, creating a reverberating echo that spread throughout the entire house.
Scurrying her way back into the bathroom, Emma pleaded the sound went unheard.
It didn't.
Emma's eyes widened and her heart began to race as she heard the soft clomping of robotic feet make their way towards her. As Peridot stalked tentatively down the hall Emma peaked through the space between the shower curtain, waiting for the creature to come into view.
Pale hair styled in three sharp points that made a triangle shape filled Emma's line of sight as a pale green face set with a strange stone? Tattoo? On its forehead quickly followed. Its facial features comprised of accusatory green eyes, a pointed little nose, and a thin mouth set in grim determination. The robotic hands were out in front, poised ready to fight any threat. Its petite body was clad in a green jumpsuit with black straps crossing over its shoulders, meeting in the middle of its chest that bore a yellow diamond insignia.
The being began to relax its stance when the door once again creaked from Peridot's entry. "Gah!" it shrieked, and once more took its defensive stance. When the door made no further move Peridot slowly had one of her telekinetic appendages touch it, and it creaked. Messing with the door a bit more and seeing it was nothing more than a noise, Peridot chuckled to herself. "Humans, creating faulty devices such as this. No wonder they are still so primitive."
As Peridot went to leave the bathroom a ping went off on the other side of the house.
The laptop!
Emma mouthed a not-so-ladylike word as she watched Peridot stalk after the source of the new sound.
Following the being silently down the hall (and making sure to not move the door under any circumstances) she noticed light illuminating from her laptop across the house, still perched on her bed and cracked open.
Frowning at herself, she figured Pete was probably the source of the sound. Whenever they fought in the past and she ignored him he always found a way around her measures for space and demanded closure. Emma silently let out a sigh and wiped her sweaty palms off on her nightgown as she kept to the shadows of the hall. Pete's foolishness better not be about to cost her the laptop.
As Peridot ascended the creaking stairs, Emma let the sound mask her shifting into a better hiding position behind the kitchen counter. Peering around the counter, Emma realized with dread that Peridot had discovered the computer and was now scanning it with her hologram device.
"Scanning complete. Report sent." the hologram read back to her in a robotic monotone. Almost immediately another beeping sound went off on the hologram.
Emma shrank back as the hologram floated in mid-air and began to expand across her bedroom ceiling, revealing the face of yet another being similar to Peridot. Before the being calling from the hologram could respond Peridot immediately made a symbol across her chest and took on a submissive stance. "My Diamond, you honor me with your presence." She stammered as she looked upon the face of her caller in fear. "How can I, Peridot Faucet-3Y7B Cut-5XG, be of service to you?"
Taking a solid minute before looking up from her own assortment of numerous holographic charts and reports, the diamond raised an arched eyebrow in contempt as she addressed the lower being in a dulcet, feminine voice, "Mm, yes." She nonchalantly mused before giving Peridot her full attention. "Peridot, I recently was made aware by your captain that activity from Pink Diamond's gem has been detected in your vicinity. Report at once."
Peridot's hologram projection of the being was partially turned away from Emma's view, but from what she could see the diamond was a massive being of pure, yellow radiance. Sharp, calculating eyes that currently looked bored, yet curious, were intensely focused on Peridot and were framed by a very angular face and pointy helmet of golden hair.
Unlike Peridot, her tattoo-like stone was placed on her chest and was surrounded by not a jumpsuit, but a more regal-looking set of armor. It was obvious this being was higher up on the alien race's food chain. She exuded pure power.
A yellow-gloved hand came to rest against her powerful jawline as she awaited the obviously terrified Peridot's response.
"Well you see," the Peridot stammered and she searched for how to reply. "I came here merely to conduct our annual warp pad maintenance check. I have no news on Pink Diamond" The diamond's face scrunching in disapproval elicited an immediate response from Peridot. "However, I did find this device!" Peridot, to Emma's immense horror, showed the diamond her laptop. "I already took the liberty of scanning this device and the data reads it is an information unit for the natives here, the humans." She held up the laptop and opened it for the diamond to inspect. "If Pink Diamond is around here as you say, this device may be able to tell us more information on the whereabouts of her gem."
The diamond gave a curt nod of approval, "Very good Peridot, proceed to the Earth's moonbase. A ship will come for you shortly, and upon your return I expect this information unit to be delivered to me personally."
Upon giving that command the diamond swiftly hung up.
Breathing a shaky exhale of relief as the call ended, Peridot wasted no time in grabbing the laptop and hastening to the warp pad. Emma watched in distress as her laptop was stolen right from under her nose. As she watched Peridot retreat back through the now-exposed wall, she went slack-jawed at the sight of the warp pad. There are only so many layers of shock she could take, and she had more than met her quota for today.
As she watched Peridot zip away in a blink of light, Emma was finally able to unfold herself from behind the counter and investigate. Beyond the singed drywall rested an entire cave. There was a single door on the far end of the cave with a star insignia etched into its surface, and in the middle of the cave floor was the warp pad. A decently sized circular structure that looked to be made of sculpted foreign mineral, and was surrounded by pillars of foreign crystal. Emma could see why Greg had sealed this place off.
Feeling the gem around her neck begin to heat as she inched closer to the entrance of the cave, she turned right around and marched straight out the front door. It was time to have a talk with the owner of this crazy house.
Three loud bangs on the side of his van jolted Greg from a sound sleep. "Yeah, yeah I'm coming. Give me a minute," he grumbled as he clumsily climbed out of his van.
Rubbing his eyes and yawning loudly, he immediately snapped awake when he noticed the look on Emma's face. His heart sank, she knew.
"Greg. Do you have any idea why an alien warp pad is located in your house?" Crossing her arms, she silently fumed as her eyes blazed with accusations.
"Why would you ask me a crazy question like that?" He tried to play coy, but Emma wasn't having it.
"Oh I don't know, maybe because an alien came from a warp pad and blasted through the wall about twenty minutes ago!" She shrieked.
Shushing her quietly he ushered her into the van. "Emma please, you don't need to wake up the entire town."
"Maybe I do!" She swatted him away. "What is going on here Greg! I know you're hiding something," her eyes betraying her hurt as they filled with unbidden tears. "Maybe I do need to wake everyone up and tell them all aliens are coming to attack us looking for this Pink Diamond person." At the mention of her name, Greg's face fell, giving away his secret.
"You know where she is," Emma accused.
"I don't." He quickly replied. "Come inside, I'll tell you everything I know."
Taking a beat to cool her emotions, she stepped into the van.
Grabbing the single photo of Steven, Greg sat crisscrossed in front of her, keeping his eyes downcast. "Do you remember how I told you that Steven was murdered?" Emma solemnly nodded.
Hunching over the picture protectively, he continued. "He was murdered by a group of the beings you saw tonight, they called themselves the 'Crystal Gems'. Individually known as Garnet, Amethyst, and Pearl. Garnet being a fusion of two gems, Sapphire and Ruby." He uttered gravely.
Keeping his eyes downcast, his voice began to pick up strength. "Pink Diamond was their leader, and the four of them came here to escape from their home. A distant planet called Homeworld."
"But what does that have to do with you and why YOU have one of their warp pads?" Emma impatiently interjected, being on the edge of emotional overload all night making her far more coarse to Greg's tale than she usually would be.
"Because Rose, Steven's mother, was Pink Diamond in disguise." Greg snapped, taking a few shaky breaths as he glared at Emma. "She was one of their four diamond rulers, and they want her back. That is why when you first came here we were evacuated. Every couple of months or so since her disappearance they come here to look for her, and with every visit, they become more forceful."
Running his fingers over the photo, he continued. "When Steven was born, Rose had to give up her life so that Steven could have his. Having shared a body during the pregnancy, they both became a form attached to her gem, her diamond." Looking up to make sure Emma followed, unspeakable pain etched its way across his features. "She died, in human terms. Sacrificing herself for the sake of our son. Her diamond wasn't able to maintain both forms, so one could not exist while the other was still present. That is how their people work, their bodies are mere projections of the form they choose to take on through their gem, so, Rose chose Steven's form. That is, until the Crystal Gems came."
"They were her loyal followers, or so we all thought. But they didn't care about what Rose wanted, or about what their actions would cause here on Earth." Emma leaned back against the van wall, numb, trying her hardest to absorb what Greg was telling her.
Raking his fingers through the back of his hair, he groaned as flashbacks from that fateful day came flooding back to the forefront of his mind. "When Steven was just a few days old, they came to visit him for the first time. We had been friends for a while by that point so I thought nothing of it. I even let them hold him." He mockingly laughed.
"These beings can contain their gems anywhere on their chosen form. Steven contained the diamond gem where a normal baby's belly button would be, and would always fuss and cry whenever clothes I tried to dress him in covered the gem up. So, letting Steven teach me what his gem needs were, I allowed his gem to be exposed. That is when it happened." Greg looked to age about ten years before Emma's eyes as he cried.
"The one known as Pearl ripped the gem out when she realized who Steven was, and it killed him." He wheezed, his voice taking on an inhuman pitch. "Body and gem cannot live long while being separated, and Steven's human side was vastly overpowered by his gem side. As the first human-gem hybrid known to either species, none of us knew what to do as he quickly perished."
Sitting in stunned silence as Greg's sobs slowly diminished, Emma attempted to muddle through her shock to assess the situation. So an intergalactic alien species had invaded her room just a half an hour ago, stole her laptop that contained all of her personal information, and were on the hunt for something she was pretty sure she had.
Clutching at her necklace as she worriedly chewed on her bottom lip, she fingered the diamond and felt a slight heat emanate from it once more.
As Greg collected himself, Emma prepared to unveil her necklace from under her dress when she stopped herself. Watching Greg regain his poise and collect his shattered heart, she couldn't do it. Her hesitation made no logical sense, sure, anyone else would be jumping at the chance to help heal the person breaking apart in front of their eyes if they could. But instinct was screaming at her to not unveil the diamond, and instinct had never led her astray before. Intuition told her that destiny was at play here at this moment and decided to listen to the silent feelings that washed over her. She made her choice.
"So," she awkwardly began as she shifted her dress to better hide the necklace. "What happened to the Crystal Gems and the diamond gem once.. It was over?"
Flinching, Greg replied, "The Crystal Gems were apprehended on the next search party the authority sent out. Once they had her gem and she didn't reform, they fought over what to do with it, their team began to form cracks, and as they repeatedly lied and stole the gem from each other, Pink Diamond's gem was eventually lost here on earth. No one knows what happened to it for sure."
Squeezing her eyes shut as her internal conflict over the diamond against her sternum blazed within her. She pressed on with her decision to stay silent and changed the subject.
"What should I do then?" Emma proceeded to explain how the call between Peridot and Yellow Diamond went as Greg looked at her in horror.
"They took your laptop, and mentioned wanting to come back to track down the owner?" He inquired in a broken voice.
"Yes," replied Emma as realization hit. This means that she would be their number one target for their next search, and, unbeknownst to Greg, she had a GPS to her very location wrapped around her neck. She was screwed.
"You need to leave, right now then. Hurry and gather your things, and then meet me back here before they return." He ushered as he started up the van. "I'll drive you to the beach border, and we'll go from there."
Ripping through the house Emma grabbed clothes and her things as fast as her brain could think of what to pack. Throwing her half-closed bag over her shoulder, she was halfway down the loft stairs when the warp pad activated.
Peridot, and a huge, lumbering gem that looked like a bodyguard with headphones on for gems came forth from the warp. "There she is! Grab her Topaz!" Peridot screeched. Before Emma could properly drop down the stairs Topaz had her in its grasp. She fought and she screamed but it was no use. As soon as Topaz had gotten ahold of her she was fused with the being and was frozen inside of her body, unable to move or speak.
Eyes barely above fusion level, the last thing Emma saw before being warped away was Greg holding onto the door frame for dear life, as if it was the only thing keeping him from collapsing, his attempt to save her was too late.
Emma was on her way to Homeworld.
The simulation games referred to is a reference to Harvest Moon and Stardew Valley for anyone wondering. Love those games! As always, thank you for reading and for your continued support of this story! All comments/likes/follows are a huge source of inspiration and a joy to see.