The next day, Steven did everything he could to get his mind off the mystery that is the Pink Diamond's shattering. If it wasn't Rose Quartz, than who did it?
He then thought about Lars, and how he was holding up in the Homeworld Zoo. Then he remembered that when he resurrected him, a gateway opened up through Lars's hair, that lead to the same savannah as the one in Lion's mane. Steven got an idea.
He pulled out a sheet of paper, and began to compose a letter for Lars.

Dear Lars,
I know I can just go in through Lion and come out through you whenever I wanted to speak with you, but I figured it would be much more fun to have something to read. How is the Human Zoo treating you? Pearl told me this was where Pink Diamond kept the humans she captured back in the day, as "trophies of conquest"...whatever that means. Speaking of Pink Diamond, there's speculation going on between me and the other two Diamonds, that my mom, Rose Quartz, might not have been as guilty as the Diamonds originally thought, but we're still working on that.
Anyway, a lot of things happened since you were gone. I couldn't stay to see half of it, because yesterday, I was on the other side of the world meeting Blue Diamond. So here goes.
Ronaldo really took the news of your abduction hard. ("I'M THE ONE WHO SHOULD BE IN SPACE! WHY DOES LARS GET TO BE WHISKED AWAY INTO THE INFINITE COSMOS ON AN ADVENTURE OF A LIFETIME? IT'S SO IRONIC IT HURTS MY SOUL!") My dad bought him a giant telescope; he figured that should keep him occupied for a little while longer. But I don't think he's gonna be able to see much, because Yellow Diamond's giant ship is blocking the view in many directions. Mayor Dewey isn't mayor anymore. There was an election that I missed out on yesterday, and Nanefua won with her platform of working together; mainly in preparation in case another gem invasion hits. But don't get me wrong: Dewey would've done the same thing, and if I was there, I would've voted for him. Fortunately, he's currently running the Big Donut in your absence.
One of Yellow Diamond's Rubies crashed up on the beach earlier today. It's the one with the gem on her naval-I call her 'Navy'. She said she was sick of the Homeworld grind and wanted to join us Crystal Gems. Lapis and Yellow Diamond were the only ones who were skeptic about the idea, and later I realized that we should've listened to them. Because the next thing we knew, 'Navy' revealed that she was only here to get her Roaming Eye ship back. I should've seen the signs myself, when 'Navy' started "loving" things left and right ("I LOVE plants! I LOVE Pumpkin! I LOVE dirt! I LOVE lamp!"). She makes 'Leggy' look more harmless!
As for Yellow Diamond herself, I think she's finally starting to warm up to Earth, but we won't know for sure if it's a legitimate thing or just a passing phase until we get the whole Pink Diamond fiasco sorted out. She's currently on an afternoon nature walk with Connie.
Anyway, hope this letter finds you in good health and all. Hope they're treating you well at the Zoo. I'm sorry about everything.
RSVP,
Your pal Steven

He folded his letter into an envelope and sealed it shut, writing simply 'Lars' on the front. Steven ran outside where Lion was sleeping, and jumped into his mane. In the savannah, he ran, and kept running until the ground gave way-letting Steven know that he came to the right spot. He dropped the letter from his hand, letting it float downward into the opening, where he knew Lars would see it, catch it, open it, and read it.
When Steven returned home, he looked behind him to see that he was followed-by another gem. She was as short as Sapphire, and looked a bit like Sapphire too...only orange-and-pink. She was dressed as if she was off to a wedding, and her gem was on her right hand. In that hand was another letter, addressed to Steven. The orange Sapphire stared at Steven thoughtfully for a few good minutes, maybe longer.
Then she finally spoke, "Are you Steven?"
"Yes," he said in response.
The Sapphire paused for another awkwardly long period of time, then handed him the envelope.
"Lars sent me to give you this."
Steven took the letter from the Sapphire's hand, "Oh. Thank you!"
He ran up the stairs back into the house. The Sapphire continued to stand where she was for a little while longer, then ran back into Lion's mane.
Inside, Steven called for all the gems within his reach to gather and listen to what Lars wrote to them. Garnet, Amethyst, Pearl, Peridot and Lapis Lazuli. Not the Yellow Diamond, though: she was still with Connie.

Dear Steven and everybody else,
Thank you for writing to me. It truly meant a lot. Although I must admit I don't know who half of the gems you mentioned are; I guess I've yet to meet them when I get home.
The zoo is terrible. You'd think everybody is sane at first, but I'm guessing these humans' grandparents or something have been bred in captivity here as well, because everybody's weird, and nobody knows they're actually imprisoned. Nobody has any romantic feelings: there's a "little voice" (who I'm assuming belongs to one of your Diamonds) who decides for them as to who mates with whom. Anybody who dies in the zoo is disposed of by an Agate shooting them into space. And what the people here do on their free time is worse. I mean, listen to the kind of poetry they write! ("Oh freddled gruntbuggly/Thy micturations are to me/As plurdled gabbleblotchits/On a lurgid bee/Groop, I implore thee/My foonting turlingdromes/And hooptiously drangle me/With crinkly bindlewurdles/Or I will rend thee in the gobberwarts/With my blurglecruncheon/See if I don't!"). I had to get out of there.
Fortunately, the guards in the zoo were Amethysts, and when I said I came from Beach City and was a friend of the Crystal Gem Amethyst, they were delighted-because they came from the same Kindergarten! Anyway, we had a laugh about it, and then they said they were gonna help me break out of the zoo. I tried to invite some others to break out with me, seeing that they've never seen the Earth before, but they politely declined: they were happy with the "little voice" telling them what to do. The Amethysts chartered me a ship that would take me to the Gems' Homeworld, and after which I was told I would be on my own.
 Homeworld looked deserted. Too deserted. It made me glad (a bit) you weren't there to see how dull it was out there, saving you a trip. Then I realized I was in an undiscovered area of Homeworld that the real inhabitants don't know/care about. That's what I originally thought until...I stumbled upon an abandoned Kindergarten...like the ones down on Earth. Only three or four gems were here, and they weren't supposed to be here-check that-they weren't supposed to be anywhere. These were Off-Color gems™: gems that were formed with defects so significant that the Diamonds declared unworthy of the gift of life, the universe and everything. I found a fusion of two (like Garnet), a fusion of six (maybe more), siamese twins, and a tiny little Sapphire that looked normal, but from what I saw, she could only predict things that have already happened.
And that's where I am now. I had Padparadscha, the Sapphire, deliver you this letter. We're currently planning to rebel against Homeworld, and maybe hop another ship that will take us off this miserable planet and back to Earth. Perhaps you could say his to us sometime, keep us company, find other Off-Color gems™ to join our cause, whatever. I hope this letter finds you in good health as well, and will see you later.
-Lars

It was nightfall by the time the Yellow Diamond returned, in time to hear the second part of the letter.
"Off-Colors™? Coming here?" she queried.
"Why not?" said Steven, "It's gotta be better for them here than to remain in hiding up on Homeworld!"
The Yellow Diamond sighed, "We'll deal with the Off-Colors™ later. We have three more days before I decide on a verdict for Earth. I suggest you get back on the Pink Diamond mystery."
She stood up and left, growing in size, back to her ship to turn in for the night. Amethyst followed.
"I've been thinking about the Amethysts who helped Lars, and...You wanna go see my old Kindergarten?"