Chapter 18: The Invasion Begins

"Alright, soldiers!" White Diamond addressed all of the gem soldiers on her ship. "The day has come! It's time to invade the earth!"

White Diamond's ship took off from its position on the moon and headed off towards earth, or, more specifically, towards the Crystal Gems. "We will destroy those gem rebels. They were the ones responsible for the downfall of Pink Diamond!"

...

Meanwhile, everyone at the temple were gathered around Steven's TV, watching "Lonely Blade IV". Until suddenly, the entire ground began to shake.

"What's going on?!" Connie asked.

"I think it's an earthquake!" Pearl yelled.

"It's White Diamond!" Garnet said. "She's doing a full-scale invasion!"

"What?!" Everyone except Onion said.

"We have to stop her! This is the ultimate battle!" Garnet said. She led everyone else outside, to see White Diamond's ship approaching the beach with alarming speed. It wouldn't be long before it landed.

Suddenly, Garnet started running in the opposite direction. "Garnet! Where are you going?!" Steven asked; though she didn't answer. However, before anyone could do anything, White Diamond's ship fired a beam of energy at the gems. Luckily, it didn't hit anyone, but the explosion caused sent Sadie, Connie, and Onion sailing through the air. After a few seconds, they all began to fall towards the ground nearly a quarter mile from where the explosion happened. They braced for impact, but Garnet leaped up and caught them.

"Whew. Thanks, Garnet." Connie said, understanding now why Garnet had suddenly ran off. She was running off to catch them from the explosion her future vision had revealed to her.

"Let's go back to the beach. We need to stop White Diamond at all costs!" Garnet swiftly carried the others back to the beach where the others were dodging beams of energy left and right. Until suddenly, the ship stopped firing at them, much to their confusion.

"Okay, what's going on?" Bismuth said. "They're up to something, but I'm not quite sure what."

The others also were suspicious of the sudden cease-firing. However, none of them were aware that inside the ship, White Diamond was preparing to use her experimental weapon.

"Carnelian!" White Diamond called from inside the ship, to which the Carnelian promptly ran up.

"Yes, my Diamond?"

"Prepare to fire the… experimental weapon." White Diamond ordered.

"Yes, my Diamond." The Carnelian replied.

The others on the beach watched in confusion as a single Carnelian appeared on top of one of the fingers of White Diamond's ship. Suddenly, the Carnelian threw down a strange, colored orb at the gems, landing directly in front of Steven. At first, everyone was startled, but when the Carnelian went back into the ship and the orb hadn't done anything, they just got confused.

"What is that thing?" Steven asked, walking up to it and picking it up.

"Steven! No!" Pearl yelled.

"Wha—?" Steven began to say, before the orb started glowing suddenly. Steven dropped it and tried to get away, but the orb activated, enlarging to the size of the temple, Steven disappearing inside. The orb rose up into the air, going to the edge of the cliff by the lighthouse, before a large star emblem appeared on it and chains locked around it, preventing anyone else from getting in.

"Steven!" Everyone yelled; except for Onion, who just remained silent watching in disbelief and shock.

Finally, White Diamond's ship had landed on the beach. White Diamond then appeared on top of the ship and addressed the remaining gems. "Crystal gems! Stand down and surrender, or face my wrath!" White Diamond challenged.

"Never!" Bismuth shouted back.

"You let Steven go, you monster!" Connie yelled.

"Fine. Have it your way…" White Diamond replied.

...

"Hello…? Is anybody there?" Steven called out. He had just woken up in a strange room. After a minute, he realized he was inside of the strange bubble he had been enveloped in. "Hello?" Steven stopped short upon hearing Connie's voice. "Connie? Is that you?"

Connie walked up to Steven. "Hello, Steven." She said.

"Connie! What's going on? What is this place?" Steven asked. However, instead of answering him, Connie simply walked up to him without saying anything. "Connie…? What're you— OW!" Connie had suddenly punched him in the stomach so hard Steven almost had another look at his most recent meal. "C-Connie! W-what are you doing?!" Steven asked, fearful.

"Oh, Steven." She began in a condescending tone. "Don't you get it? You wi-i-i-ill ne-e-e-ever amount to a-a-a-anyth-th-th-thing." She said, voice glitching out like a broken computer program. "Yo-o-o-o-ou're just a-a waste of spa-a-a-ace!" The Connie continued, landing another brutal blow to the confused and distressed half-gem.

"No… no…"

...

Meanwhile, outside the bubble, the real Connie was trying to find a way in to Steven's bubble while the gems were trying to fight off White Diamond's army.

"Ugh! How do I get in this thing?" Connie said, frustrated. No matter what she tried, she couldn't break the bonds around the bubble. Suddenly, though, a Carnelian had knocked Connie down to the ground, nearly off the edge of the cliff.

"Give up! You'll never get in there!" The Carnelian taunted. "Those chains are unbreakable! Now prepare to be shattered."

However, Connie pulled out her sword and stabbed the Carnelian, making her poof, as a key fell to the ground. "That key…" Connie contemplated. "That key looks like it goes to the lock on those chains! Now I just need to go get the gems and—"

Connie stopped short, however, upon noticing that White Diamond's army had captured the others. "Oh no…" Connie decided she would have to go and rescue Steven herself.

"Okay, Connie. Steven is just inside this bubble." Connie told herself. "I just need to go in, get Steven, save the gems, and save the world. Piece of cake. But Steven's trapped inside of this prison bubble designed by White Diamond. But whatever happens, I'm doing this for Steven. For Steven." Connie then used the key and unlocked the chains surrounding the bubble, which quickly fell to the beach below. Connie then braced herself for whatever horrors awaited her inside, and walked in, her entire vision turning white.