(Trigger warning: Mentions of suicide)
"The universe... is my plaything"
Steven woke up in a cold sweat. That dream again. He just ignored it. The diamonds were done attacking planets. The earth was safe. He didn't have anything to worry about.
He walked into the living room,
where the crystal gems were all present except for pearl and lapis [https://em.wattpad.com/9f2c3a757e99d639cfb46232646fbe9f9ee0399f/68747470733a2f2f73332e616d617a6f6e6177732e636f6d2f776174747061642d6d656469612d736572766963652f53746f7279496d6167652f383972556f696476366f533835773d3d2d3639353933323636352e313566656334393937386264656163333334303637393739353132382e6a7067?s=fit&w=1280&h=1280]
where the crystal gems were all present except for pearl and lapis.
Amethyst: Hey Steven. I bet I can eat a live turkey.
Garnet: That's a bad idea. It will tear out of your stomach, and get hurt really badly.
Bismuth: Not as badly as anyone who messes with this thing.
She held up a new sword, covered in sharp edges going towards the handle like a hook [https://em.wattpad.com/71894393fe2483809d2c3588540b29249bf7a363/68747470733a2f2f73332e616d617a6f6e6177732e636f6d2f776174747061642d6d656469612d736572766963652f53746f7279496d6167652f793652773970796f72494e6d44673d3d2d3639353933323636352e313630303861333332613734306465333739363933323330313431302e6a7067?s=fit&w=1280&h=1280]
She held up a new sword, covered in sharp edges going towards the handle like a hook.
Bismuth: Like it?
Peridot: It looks awesome!
Then pearl teleported into the house on the warp pad [https://em.wattpad.com/74bcb3eb83b61ff46e47ec5db943398e89426bbe/68747470733a2f2f73332e616d617a6f6e6177732e636f6d2f776174747061642d6d656469612d736572766963652f53746f7279496d6167652f5943754c59694f6b4c4a6c386d413d3d2d3639353933323636352e313630306131363230356536313063383632363333343633353637372e6a7067?s=fit&w=1280&h=1280]
Then pearl teleported into the house on the warp pad.
Pearl: Has anyone seen the diamonds? They didn't say they would be leaving until tomorrow, and habits like theirs don't break easily
Steven: They're not going to lapse back into conquering planets just because they spend time alone.
Garnet: They only stopped because you came into the picture. I wouldn't leave them alone either.
Steven: You have a point. Where do you think they are?
Garnet: No idea. Somethings definitely wrong, though. The diamonds are too big for us to just lose track of, and my future vision should've been able to find them.
Bismuth: I think they're tricking us. They probably only cured the corrupted gems so they can raise an army against us. People don't change this easily.
Steven: I know they're not exactly heroes, or even close to being heroes, but they're not going to betray us. They had an epiphany, just like mom did.
Bismuth: Rose? She lied to us so she could keep living her perfect life.
Steven: I don't think that's what happened. I think she decided that claiming to be a normal soldier was more inspiring to the other gems than being a diamond, making her a symbol of rebellion.
Bismuth: A diamond would already have a loyal army ready to fight.
Steven: I'm confused, then.
Bismuth: Don't be. I just told you what happened. She fought for the people, but they weren't as important to her as they should have been. As far as revolutionaries go, she was substandard. She wanted to both reject the system and be part of the system. You wanted to fix the system. You are way better than she ever was-
"SHUT UP!" Pearl screamed, banging on the wall.
Pearl: What would you know about rose quartz!? You never understood her!
Garnet: Pearl, you're overreacting.
Peridot: Garnets right.
Pearl: You're seriously going to take this? Rose saved all our lives and the entire planet!
Bismuth: Rose failed her mission! She thought she could fix everything and she made it worse! Steven was the one who had to fix it! A child undoing the work of an intergalactic war because of her mistakes!
Pearl: I don't believe this. No wonder she bubbled you.
Bismuth: Oh, yeah? How about I bubble you!?
Steven: Stop it both of you!
Garnet: Pearl. Bismuth. Can you logically justify telling the other that she should be beaten up until she retreats into her gem and be trapped in a bubble?
Pearl and Bismuth were speechless.
Garnet: That's what I thought.
Amethyst: I don't know what to make of any of this. What do you think, Steven?
Steven: I... I better go find the diamonds.
Garnet: We'll look, too.
Amethyst: I'm staying here. Someone has to call you all if they get back.
Garnet, Bismuth, Pearl, and Peridot got on the warp pad and left.
Steven left the house and looked around.
He nearly stepped on a ladybug but stopped himself [https://em.wattpad.com/36b7ce73f59d70d9b5bd2072723978245bcac2cc/68747470733a2f2f73332e616d617a6f6e6177732e636f6d2f776174747061642d6d656469612d736572766963652f53746f7279496d6167652f6a6c6e6d497874797a334c734a413d3d2d3639353933323636352e313566663130353837643531346235623734393939373334323333342e6a7067?s=fit&w=1280&h=1280]
He nearly stepped on a ladybug but stopped himself. He stooped down and let it crawl on his hand. He lifted it up and let it crawl on his hand before flying away. Focusing his energy on such small issues as a ladybug was a good way to distract from such big issues as his mothers long and convoluted history as simultaneously leader of an evil empire and rebel against said empire.
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Amethyst: Are you going to get off the porch sometime today?
Steven: I didn't stop for that long.
As he left, he thought hard about what he just heard. Could Rose quartz have done better? What did she even fight for? The war was a farce, but why? He wished he could just ask her. He saw Lapis Lazuli flying way up in the air.
He jumped as high as he could and floated over to her [https://em.wattpad.com/ef69ff8907f91e2afe98cb075b4de56b665285ba/68747470733a2f2f73332e616d617a6f6e6177732e636f6d2f776174747061642d6d656469612d736572766963652f53746f7279496d6167652f2d644e69746c59724557786e78773d3d2d3639353933323636352e313566663130316136363632613236363332383035303030303430322e6a7067?s=fit&w=1280&h=1280]
He jumped as high as he could and floated over to her.
Steven: Have you seen the diamonds?
Lapis: Nope. That's why I'm up here. I didn't think they'd leave so soon.
Steven: It doesn't make sense to me either.
Steven went out into town. His first stop was its a wash, his dad's car wash.
His first stop was its a wash, his dad's car wash [https://em.wattpad.com/b8064f9c3b367e43026da92112dfcfd05e0d409a/68747470733a2f2f73332e616d617a6f6e6177732e636f6d2f776174747061642d6d656469612d736572766963652f53746f7279496d6167652f675f2d6c56415378494b486974673d3d2d3639353933323636352e313631353861376264306436656139633733373937303633343736322e706e67?s=fit&w=1280&h=1280]
Greg: What's up, Shtewball?
Steven: Do you know where the diamonds are? [https://em.wattpad.com/0060cb865acd746a8eed1edc067ca29b7e882419/68747470733a2f2f73332e616d617a6f6e6177732e636f6d2f776174747061642d6d656469612d736572766963652f53746f7279496d6167652f567639587030306b704b626c49673d3d2d3639353933323636352e313631353862303765333964306536343234333230373238313836382e706e67?s=fit&w=1280&h=1280]
Steven: Do you know where the diamonds are?
Greg: I saw them last night. It was the weirdest thing. White went to space for some reason, and blue and yellow walked into the ocean, and they didn't stop walking.
Steven: I'm not going into space, but I know someone who will. If the diamonds get back them call me. Bye, Dad
Greg: Sure will. Bye, Steven.
Stevens next stop was the big donut, where everyone was talking about the diamonds.
Stevens next stop was the big donut, where everyone was talking about the diamonds [https://em.wattpad.com/10b03b87396ee00ce9aea2eb5716b3d2d9403f56/68747470733a2f2f73332e616d617a6f6e6177732e636f6d2f776174747061642d6d656469612d736572766963652f53746f7279496d6167652f387379685f2d534a5953634a72513d3d2d3639353933323636352e313631353862373262643536646237303631393034343835363134372e6a7067?s=fit&w=1280&h=1280]
Ronaldo: Their leader is betraying us to a cloaked teleportation mage.
Ronaldo: Their leader is betraying us to a cloaked teleportation mage [https://em.wattpad.com/182ab1d264045020cf61cb975630e71b965a173c/68747470733a2f2f73332e616d617a6f6e6177732e636f6d2f776174747061642d6d656469612d736572766963652f53746f7279496d6167652f4b45563532396b786d42424842673d3d2d3639353933323636352e313631353863343436373833626133643432323132383935393038302e706e67?s=fit&w=1280&h=1280]
Lars: What the fuck are you blabbering about?
Ronaldo: You can't handle the truth! Steven will probably verify all of it [https://em.wattpad.com/06e6c5b7b2cac6016c99ce2dbfe87be66032840c/68747470733a2f2f73332e616d617a6f6e6177732e636f6d2f776174747061642d6d656469612d736572766963652f53746f7279496d6167652f46386f64544b376f706c58764b773d3d2d3639353933323636352e313631356166343433643161613332333436393135353334383136362e706e67?s=fit&w=1280&h=1280]
Ronaldo: You can't handle the truth! Steven will probably verify all of it.
Steven: I've never met a cloaked teleportation mage.
Ronaldo: Mark my words, Steven. The next time you see her she'll float down in a giant bubble.
Lars: (bursts out laughing for a long time) A giant bubble? You can't make this shit up!
Sadie: Swearing doesn't make you cool Lars. Stop it.
Lars: Hmm? [https://em.wattpad.com/e8a8c9655aab3d170dec4e2823770377be3d31fa/68747470733a2f2f73332e616d617a6f6e6177732e636f6d2f776174747061642d6d656469612d736572766963652f53746f7279496d6167652f552d68586a395f486e4d337466413d3d2d3639353933323636352e313631356231333731643936306434303132353536323636363137382e706e67?s=fit&w=1280&h=1280]
Lars: Hmm?
Sadie: I've literally never heard you curse at work before, or in public at all for that matter.
Lars: I'm just trying to be less of a poser. That was just how my thoughts naturally came out, if that makes any sense.
Sadie: It doesn't. Hey Steven.
Steven: Hi Sadie. Sorry about this, but I need to borrow Lars for a while.
Lars: What is it?
Steven: You still have the spaceship, right?
Lars: Yeah. Why wouldn't I?
Steven: Could you go look for white diamond? I don't have my own way to get to space.
Lars: I'd be glad to, but I'm still basically a fugitive.
Steven: I can fix that. Bow for maximum fanciness.
Lars jumped climbed over the counter, and bowed.
Steven: As the son of pink diamond, with half an off-colored jasper and as my witness, I hereby pardon you.
He pulled a sword out of lars's hair and patted it onto his head.
Steven: I also cut your hair in half.
Lars: Please don't.
Steven: kidding, kidding.
Lars left the big donut and got on his spaceship.
Sadie: Sure I'll cover your shift lars, how polite of you to ask before leaving, really reflects how changed you are.
Steven placed his order for donuts. As he left Ronaldo stopped him.
Ronaldo: Can you say for certain that white diamond isn't bitter that your mother nearly broke the diamond empire and left the other diamonds emotionally damaged? All for people she saw as lesser than her.
Steven: Rose never saw humans as lesser!
Ronaldo: She called her own husband "entertaining" to his face. You were told about it firsthand.
Steven: What would you know about my mother?
Ronaldo: I actually looked at the footage of it while researching your people, so I know quite a bit. What do you make of all this, Steven?
Lars: Lay off, man!
Steven: I don't know what to think...
Ronaldo put his hands on Stevens shoulders and gripped tightly. Steven flinched at the touch.
Ronaldo: You're denying the truth! Admit it! Your mother is a horrible person and you know it! The diamonds are trying to kill themselves and that's why they walked into the ocean.
Lars: Leave him alone!
Ronaldo: Never!
Kiki: He already left.
Ronaldo: He did? Oh he did.
Ronaldo leaned his head out the door.
Ronaldo: You can't hide from the truth forever!
It will catch up to you!
Later...
Steven ran over to his house.
Steven: I need to use the warp pad.
Amethyst: I'm not stopping you, oh you're already gone and now you're back again.
Steven: I don't actually know where I'm going.
Amethyst: So you're taking lion? I wanna come!
They went outside and sure enough lion was on the beach eating a raw magic fish of some variety.
Lion was of course a lion. But he was also pink.
Steven and Amethyst went on top of him [https://em.wattpad.com/25751fa6ecf5731350049dc07dc41a9b75aa27b5/68747470733a2f2f73332e616d617a6f6e6177732e636f6d2f776174747061642d6d656469612d736572766963652f53746f7279496d6167652f685856644c58332d365a6f3072513d3d2d3639353933323636352e313631356234643931396439373534323533323232383634363931382e706e67?s=fit&w=1280&h=1280]
Steven and Amethyst went on top of him. He ran towards the water as fast as he could and walked right over it.
Amethyst: What now?
Steven: Maybe he'll see it. He knew how to get to the moon base that one time, maybe he has some sort of super vision.
Then lion roared a portal to an underwater temple. When they got there they were greeted by pink pearl.
When they got there they were greeted by pink pearl [https://em.wattpad.com/0e639f1b07cb8d46a748f7e8f8add9f70ca64cbe/68747470733a2f2f73332e616d617a6f6e6177732e636f6d2f776174747061642d6d656469612d736572766963652f53746f7279496d6167652f573777737652415f5653332d69773d3d2d3639353933323636352e313566313535633434303365326564383836333332323137383831302e6a7067?s=fit&w=1280&h=1280]
Amethyst: Wow. This is where the diamonds ended up? I didn't even know it was possible to walk this deep into the ocean. Most gems would poof at this depth and never reform again. It would be like-
Steven: Being dead?
Amethyst: Yeah. At least that's what the water safety pamphlet says.
Steven: Hehehe...
Amethyst: It's not a joke. The diamonds made pamphlets for everything now. I guess they have to fill their time with something other than being emotionally damaged fascists... like being emotionally damaged pamphlet makers with fascist leanings... now that was a joke.
Steven (way too loudly): Hahahahahahahahahahahah-
Amethyst: Okay, What are you hiding?
Steven: Oh. It's that obvious. (Deep breath) Do you think the diamonds wanted to die? Because of what rose did?
Pink pearl: Of course not. Pink was very good at telling just how people would react to things. She would've had to want them to die for that to happen.
That just makes it worse.
Pink Pearl: I can lead you to the place where the diamonds are staying.
They walked across a long hallway.
Pink pearl: They're in here.
Steven put his hand on the knob.
Steven: What if they did want to die here.
Amethyst: Is it better not to know?
Steven: Hmmm... I guess not.
He opened the door and walked in
There was chaos.
The two diamonds were in the center of the room. There were amethyst soldiers violently punching at nothing while a hooded figure flickered around the scene, proofing them left and right.
The door closed itself and then Steven was gone.
"The universe... is my plaything"