As they came to a stop, panting slightly from their sprint, they were surprised to find themselves in a city.
"Umm... Where are we?" Steven asked.
Pearl looked around nervously. "California..."
Amethyst looked up at Pearl and touched her arm lightly. "Hey, what's wrong?" she asked lowly.
Pearl glanced down at her. "Nothing. I'm just worried we've been dumped here in time for the 1906 earthquake..." She took the blanket back, shaking it out and refolding it as she spoke.
"That'd be pretty bad..." Amethyst agreed, now looking nervous as well. Pearl stored the neatly folded blanket away.
In the distance, they heard sirens, and as they looked around a bit more, they noticed two things. Firstly, they were in a very graffitied alleyway, with extremely smelly dumpsters a short distance away. Secondly...
"Guys... Where's the warp pad?" Connie asked.
Turning, they looked behind them.
"And that's worse." Amethyst groaned.
Pearl sighed. "Well, that's... actually good news." At their stunned faces, she shrugged. "Firstly, we're not going to experience that earthquake. Which we did-" she indicated herself and Amethyst. "-and trust me, we don't want to do again. This must be Los Angeles. There was a warp pad there once, but it went inactive sometimes during the... 1950's, I believe. Which means we must be fairly close to our own time." she smiled.
Pulling out her phone, Connie turned it on to check for a signal. "Hmm... still nothing..."
Pearl leaned over to see. "Oh. Maybe your provider doesn't exist yet? I... don't really know how these things work..." she admitted with a blush. Taking her phone out, she quickly checked it. "Nothing here either..." she huffed as she stored it away.
"So, what now?" Steven asked as Connie turned her phone off and put it away.
"We need to find out when we are. A disgusting alleyway sometime after the 1950's isn't going to cut it. I suppose we just, look around, see if we can find anything familiar. Brand names, a recent song or advertising jingle... A newspaper with today's date would also be excellent." Pearl added dryly.
"What if we still need to warp?" Connie asked as the group left the alley, walking beside a street with large potholes and faded signage. Storefronts with broken and boarded up windows were all around them, and it was clear that this part of the city had seen better days.
Pearl shrugged. "If we're not close enough to our own time to avoid entropic cascade failure, then we'll have to make our way to the next nearest warp pad. Which is..." she paused to think. "... about two states over to the east. Hmm..." Taking the detector from her sash, she flicked a switch on it before storing it in her gem. "No point having that on if we have no way of reaching them. I'll turn it back on once we determine what year this is, and if needed, made it to the warp pad. We'll have to get our hands on a car, or possibly take a train to the nearest station to the warp and walk from there. Either that, or I steal a small plane and fly us there." she paused with a mischievous grin. "Which I am completely okay with. It's been a while since I flew, sure, but it's just like summoning a weapon: once you learn, you never forget."
Amethyst sighed. "Pearl, you are such a klepto." she mused with a smirk. "She steals everything that isn't nailed down."
Pearl chuckled lowly. "Please, Ame... Honestly, I would take the nails too." she added with a wink as the group giggled.
"This place is kinda creepy..." Steven glanced around nervously.
Connie nodded, and quietly reached out to hold his hand. "I've never seen a city this... empty, before."
Pearl glanced around at the buildings surrounding them. "I have to agree. The last time I was in a human settlement this quiet, the plague had wiped everyone out."
"I reckon we've missed the zombie apocalypse..." Amethyst muttered, jumping slightly as a rat scurried past an old soda can.
Pearl glanced at the rat with disgust. "Honestly, Amethyst... There would likely be far more damage, like bullet holes, and fire damage. It's probably just a run-of-the-mill plague. As usual. Steven, Connie, stay close."
They reached an intersection and paused, Pearl looking down each road trying to determine the best route to take. "Uh, perhaps..."
She paused as a voice drifted to them.
"Is that... singing?" Amethyst asked, head turning this way and that trying to find the source.
Connie and Steven both stuck a hand behind each ear and listened.
"I think it's coming from... over there." Connie pointed down the road to their right.
Amethyst and Pearl glanced at each other and shrugged. "Whacha reckon, P? Check it out?"
Pearl shrugged. "I suppose. We haven't seen anyone else around here. At the very least, we might find someone who can tell us the year." she added as she turned towards the voice.
"That tune is... oddly familiar..." Pearl muttered.
Amethyst nodded. "Yeah... Where have we heard that before?"
They picked up the pace, and as they got closer, they began to make out some words. "Oh, I know it will be great, and I just can't wait..."
As they turned a corner, the voice sounded close, and they started to look around furiously for the singer. "We might even like being together, and if I don't, it won't be forever."
Steven gasped. "I know that song!"
"But if it were me, I'd really like to be, a giant woman."
Connie gasped and pointed. "Up there!"
Amethyst and Pearl stared up at the edge of the building in shock.
"All you wanna do, is see me turn into, a giant woman." Opal sang, opening her eyes and smiling down at them.
The group stared in stunned silence as the tall fusion hopped down from the edge of the three-story building, landing gracefully.
Steven stared back and forth between Amethyst and Pearl and then back to Opal. "This. Is... AMAZING!" he exclaimed.
"How... how is this even..." Pearl stammered.
Opal chuckled. "Believe me, it's pretty darn weird for me, too."
Connie quickly turned on her phone and snapped a picture of Opal, making sure it was clear before turning the phone off. "Okay, I guess we've gone past our time, huh?"
Opal nodded. "Ha, yeah. You always were a smart one, Connie."
Connie blushed.
"You've overshot by a couple of hundred years." Opal paused. "Uh... I think..." she shrugs. "Honestly, it could be 2018 for all I'd remember... Oh! Hang on." Reaching up, she pulled a clear plastic sheet out of Pearl's gem. Looking at it, she smiled. "No, I was right the first time. Hey, I remembered something. Neato!" she grinned. With a flick of a wrist, she tossed the sheet to their feet.
Pearl quickly picked it up and checked it, finding it to be a newspaper. "Oh my stars, it's 2205!"
Steven and Connie quickly reached out to check the date themselves. "Whoa... That's..." Connie trailed off, stunned.
"We're in the future!" Steven gasped.
Amethyst looked around. "And yet, not a hoverboard in sight. Huh. TV lied to me."
Opal laughed. "No, those were invented ages ago. But, too many kids' broke bones trying to use them. They were banned in most places after a few decades. You actually have, like... eleven of them in your room right now."
Amethyst grinned. "Dude, sweet. I'mma strap them together and float around like a cloud." she rubbed her hands together gleefully.
Opal shook her head. "You did. Well..." she pointed at the gem on her own chest. "She did. It didn't... go so well. She argued that it was still fun, though. The hover-butler was a much better idea."
Pearl stared at her. "This is probably the strangest part of this trip..."
"Yeah, I can confirm." Opal nodded. "But, think of it this way. I'm proof that you all make it back, safe and sound. Granted, we were officially missing for two months, and Garnet was pretty clingy for a while, the poor thing was scared she'd lost us all..." Opal sighed. "...But we got home."
Pearl and Amethyst glanced at each other, eyes wide with concern.
"Garnet must be freaking out..." Amethyst whispered hoarsely.
Pearl nodded. "Bismuth too. She's only just gotten used to being around us again."
"Mum and dad..." Connie sniffed. "They're probably panicking..."
Steven hugged himself. "Dad... He's all alone..."
Opal knelt down. "Hey, it's okay. We get home. We have a party to celebrate. Sure, you kids were both grounded from missions for a couple of months, and Garnet threatened to bubble us both if we ever scare her like that again." she glanced at her two counterparts. "But we all were fine with that. We were perfectly happy just... staying at home, reading or watching TV together. And they all eventually calmed down enough to realise that we couldn't help getting ourselves stranded in time." she stood up again. "Now, come on. There's a couple of places we need to go before you can leave."
Opal lead the way down the street, turning to the left to go down a wider street. The group following her was relieved to start seeing traffic, and the occasional light in a building.
"I was starting to think that this was a ghost town..." Pearl sighed with relief.
Opal glanced back. "Nah, just a part of the city that's gone to the dogs. Bit of a dump, to be honest. But, it's where that ripple dumped us, so we knew we had to wait for ya here." She paused and muttered. "Oy, time travel is such a confusing mess of past, present and future tense." she shook her head and continued walking.
Finally, Opal paused. "Okay, here we are. Or were. And will be. Ugh." Turning, she smiled. "Well, I'll let you take it from here. Bye." With a smooth bow, she started to glow and shift, and suddenly, another Amethyst and Pearl were standing before them.
Future Pearl grinned and waved at herself. "Hi there." she said, adjusting the pink belt around her waist.
Beside her, Amethyst laughed. "Yo, kiddies."
"This is so bizarre..." Connie shook her head with a smile.
"Tell me about it..." Pearl muttered.
Steven was starry-eyed. "Oh. My. Stars. This is the best day of my life. There's two Amethyst! And two Pearls! Ahh!" he grinned madly with his hands on his cheeks.
Future Pearl chuckled. "Stars, I'd almost forgotten what a little goof he was."
"I know right?" Future Amethyst laughed. "Oh, hey! I'd almost forgotten how tiny they used to be." Walking over, she grabbed Steven and Connie into a hug. "Man, enjoy this while ya can, dude." She added to herself. "They won't be this tiny much longer."
With a nod, Future Pearl smiled at them. "Oh yeah. Pretty soon, these two will shoot up like the world's ending." she sighed. "They grew up much too fast."
Pearl looked herself over. "Well, at least I have an idea for a future regeneration... Did the belt have to be so... lopsided?"
Future Pearl glanced down at herself. "Admittingly, that did take a bit of getting used to..." she hiked the belt up a little on one side.
"I like it." Amethyst nodded. "It makes ya look more... relaxed, for a change."
Future Amethyst grinned. "I know, right? She actually has learned to relax. Go figure."
Pearl glanced at the other Amethyst. "I can relax! Ugh. Anyway... the even edge to your top... I like that. Seems someone's learned to take some pride in her appearance."
"Hey, I have pride." Amethyst huffed, crossing her arms.
Future Pearl snickered. "She's finally learned that her hair doesn't need to be a rats' nest... And the ponytail was a nice touch."
Future Amethyst shook it out slightly. "Plus, I think it adds a bit more... oomph, to my spin attack. Which is always a bonus."
Amethyst gave a thumbs up. "Nice one."
"Anyway..." Future Pearl cleared her throat. "Back to business. Now, I can give you the information you need to get home. Basically, I can tell you where each ripple we used to get back will appear, and when, so you can get there well in advance and simply wait for it. You can still use the detector to warn you when it's starting to open, and jump through with plenty of time to spare."
Pearl sighed. "That would be incredibly helpful."
The other Pearl nodded. "I know." she smiled. "But first, there are other matters to attend to. For starters... I'm sorry, but you kids stink."
Steven and Connie both blushed deeply. Steven gave his left armpit a quick sniff and blanched. "That was a mistake..." he groaned.
Future Pearl nodded at her younger self. "You need to take out two pairs of Steven's spare emergency clothes."
Turning, she walked towards a nearby motel, it's broken neon sign saying 'VACANCY in faded flickering orange. As Pearl summoned a pile of neatly folded clothes, Future Pearl stopped in front of a door. It easily swung open, the lock long since broken. "Okay, Steven, you use the shower in the back here. Connie, you'll be in the next room. Go heavy on the shampoo and soap, please. Pass your old clothes out through the door; I can take them over to that laundromat and get them cleaned up while we wait for you. Maybe do some repairs too." she mused, fingers drifting over a tear on Connie's shoulder from her rough landing after the first ripple, gone unnoticed by everyone during the shock of seeing Rose. "Once you're both clean, we can go over to that diner and get some food into you."
Pearl handed Steven a set of clothes as he walked past into the room, before stepping over to hand the other set to Connie.
Connie dashed into the other room. "God, I hope the water's nice and hot..." she muttered as she closed the bathroom door.
One Hour Later...
Steven grinned at the large plate of fish and chips the waitress set in front of him. "Thank you, miss!"
"Thank you, ma'am." Connie smiled as a similar plate was place in front of her.
"That's quite alright. You kids enjoy your meals." she smiled as she walked away, returning quickly with two more plates for both Amethysts. The sight of two sets of identical people, two of which were vividly purple, apparently didn't faze her in the slightest, as she merely smiled at them and after delivering their sodas she returned to the room behind the counter, the sound of a day-time soap opera reaching them.
Steven groaned with happiness as he sunk his teeth into a piece of battered fish. "This is sooo good!" he exclaimed around the mouthful.
Connie nodded with a mouthful of chips, some still poking out of her mouth. She quickly chewed and swallowed them, pausing for a quick sip of lemonade. "I'm clean, and having something unhealthy that my parents would be annoyed about if they ever knew. What's not to like?" she giggled as she grabbed another handful of chips.
"Connie, what a rebel." Amethyst grinned.
The other one smirked. "Yeah. Pearl was totally a bad influence on her. For shame, Pearl."
Both Pearls blushed. "You're forgetting something." Future Pearl started.
"I convinced Pink Diamond to rebel against herself and her status." Pearl added.
"I was always a bad influence." Both Pearls said simultaneously. Looking at each other, they burst out laughing.
"Bad to the core, baby." Pearl grinned.
Future Pearl winked. "You're looking at pure evil."
"In stereo." They both finished with matching smirks.
Future Pearl reached over and grab a couple of chips off of her Amethyst's plate, chewing on them happily.
The group froze in shock, disgust clear on Pearl's face.
"Whoa... You eat now?" Amethyst stared.
Future Pearl looked around at them. "Huh? Oh, yeah. Sometimes. I have a few favourite things now."
Beside her, Amethyst nodded. "Yeah. Just a heads up: she steals chocolates. If they go missing, it was her." she pointed at their Pearl with a grin, who paled in response.
Future Pearl rolled her eyes. "Please, Ame. Garnet's the one with the infamous sweet tooth. She's definitely taking at least half of them." she shook her head as she took another chip.
Her Amethyst smirked. "Yeah, maybe. But she's not the one emptying the bin, which means throwing out the wrappers and disposing of the evidence."
The thin gem took a sip of lemonade. "You'll never prove it in court." she smiled around the straw. "But, I will admit to disappearing with the ice-cream on occasion."
"I knew it! You fiend."
Pearl shuddered. "I... don't even know what to think about all this..." she moaned, dropping her head into her hands and massaging her gem.
Her older self calmly shrugged. "Hey, listen. It's not so bad. As long as you avoid anything spicy, anyway." she shuddered. "Let's just say, me and spicy are not on speaking terms..." she sighed. "But sweet things, like chocolate ice-cream, are quite delicious. Once I finally had a taste, I felt pretty silly about avoiding them for so long." she chuckled. "Just... don't worry so much about it. Live a little, you renegade." she winked as she took a small handful of chips.
Steven finished his fish and started on the pile of chips. "So, what kind of food do you like?"
She smiled over at him. "Well, chocolate is definitely at the top of the list. As is ice-cream. And pastries. And of course, I've grown quite food of potatoes." she added as she grabbed another chip, bumping Amethyst's hand in the process.
"Ya could have just ordered some for yourself ya know..." Future Amethyst sighed, picking up her piece of fish and pushing the plate towards Pearl.
She rolled her eyes. "Oh, no. It's much more fun taking them from you." she teased, poking her tongue out briefly, pushing the plate back with decidedly less chips on it. She giggled and faced Steven again. "Let's see... Well, there's a few more, but those are my main favourites. Turns out, I also have a bit of a sweet tooth."
Steven grinned. "Those are all awesome!"
The plates cleared, everyone sat back with a sigh.
Glancing out the window at the dimly lit street outside, Future Pearl nodded. "Okay, how about we go back to the motel, and you kids can get a good night's sleep." she glanced over at herself. "Don't worry: I've already checked the beds, and taken the sheets over to be cleaned."
Pearl sighed and nodded. "That's a relief."
"There's a room with two single beds. The door lock is broken, everything seems to be around here..." she muttered. "But we'll be right outside, so no-one can get close."
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As the group boarded the train, Amethyst and Pearl nervously bumped into each other at the door, both blushing madly. Avoiding eye contact, they sat down beside each other in the compartment, the kids opposite them.
Connie checked the schedule pamphlet again. "Okay, this train will take a few hours to reach our next station... From there, it's... how far to the warp pad?"
Pearl glanced over. "Another few hours walk."
Connie nodded. "Okay. At least we're rested and fed. How long do we have until the next ripple?"
Pearl summoned the list her future-self had provided and checked it. "We have until... just after midnight tonight. Assuming there's no delays, we should easily make it in time, and be able to warp to the ripple's location." she nodded as she stored it again. "And the detector will alert us when it's starting to open."
Just then, the train gave a jolt, and started to move.
"By this time tomorrow, we'll be in the past again."