Chapter Text
Camp Pining Hearts was NOT as exciting or life-changing as Peridot and Lapis had sworn. Well, nevermind - exciting was definitely a word for this experience. The blue and green gems had started out content and comfortable in their chairs, and the ever-changing colors was a nice, if vaguely eye-hurting, contrast to the blanketing darkness drawn in by shuttered curtains. All around a good time, until…
“No! I’m telling you it went down like this-!” Peridot insisted, gesturing wildly at a particular stack of crumpled and intrinsically organized papers spanning from the ceiling to the floor. Each one was connected by variously colored strings and little pins holding them in place. To Spinel, it just looked like a big mess.
“But it DIDN’T!” Lapis insisted. Spinel crept closer to the door. She had yet to see an angry terraformer on a planet composed mostly of water, and at this point, the pink gem did not want to.
“Yes it DID!” Peridot spat, stomping near the taller gem. Lapis towered over her, but Peridot did not cower. Spinel was growing ever closer to the door.
“No, it did NOT, because in episode four, the scene was already set up by-”
“Ugh! Things have changed since episode four. Are you really going to ignore all that character development for a ship ?” Lapis hissed, drawing further into Peridot’s space.
Now, Spinel decided, was the time to make a break for it. They were using strange words like ship, and episode, in the context of fictional characters; and it looked like things were about to get physical. The door yielded easily beneath her touch, and Spinel was on the run.
She looked around expectantly for her guardian gem, Garnet, only to find she...wasn’t here. That was strange, it seemed like Garnet was always there when Spinel was...doing things like this. Running from confrontation. Part of her wondered if Garnet was finally getting sick of her, like everyone else. A larger part argued that no one had slighted her on Earth since her return.
“Maybe I shouldn’t have…” Spinel wondered, peering back over her shoulder as she came to a halt. The roof flew off of the building she had vacated, both Lapis and Peridot taking to the sky on water wings and metal disc, respectively.
“Nevermind.” She quickly turned on her heel with a rubbery squeak, and began to walk once more; whistling quietly.
The Little Homeworld gems ignored her, for the most part, if not for a few wayward glances. Nothing like the witch hunt (that was the phrase the Camp Pining whatever characters had used, right?) Spinel had expected upon her initial return.
That was, until a small...something, Spinel hesitated to call it human, interrupted her path.
“...” He...it? Onion beconned her with his fingers, but she was even more drawn in by the small boy’s eyes. They were so devoid of emotion, but at the same time so full. She leaned in closer crouching with bent knees. Onion stared her down, and she stared back.
There was a pause. A crash, presumably from Lapis and Peridot’s fight, in the background. Onion took off.
“Hey, wait!” Spinel lurched forwards, taken by surprise. She caught herself with a hand, then stood hurriedly. Onion was almost out of sight already, and she found herself giving chase as he disappeared behind a corner. The boy was headed towards the woods, but Spinel felt so viscerally that he had something important to show her that, after a moment’s pause at the treeline’s edge, she pushed past the discomfort in order to follow.
A moment after passing into the brush, the shoreline and cleansing waves upon the beach Spinel had come to associate with Earth and its experiences was out of sight, and out of mind. Branches stung at her form, gloved hands shielding her eyes from the wayward stems.
“Come on, you’re going too fast!” She protested, and the only response the pink gem received was an irritated glance from Onion. At least she gained a moment to catch up, though.
The moment of proximity was soon lost, however, as they broke into a clearing. Human trinkets and vague outlines of stick-comprised structures littered its edges, and Spinel could swear another set of eyes had peered momentarily through the bushes.
“What...is this?” She asked, taking a step forwards. The moment her foot crossed the invisible boundary, however, Onion was gone - never once having spoken a word.
The clearing suddenly felt much wider. “Hello? Hellooo..?”
Tension lined her shoulders, a knot tied in her throat. This would not be a good place to lose herself - no beach, no Steven, no Garnet. Nothing to- nothing to reground her.
Spinel whirled around in search for an exit, but all of the trees looked identical to her. A moment was spent stretching out her legs to get a look over the treetops, but the nearest landmark was more trees.
Spinel fell flat forwards. Intentionally or otherwise, she was not sure - limbs splayed out awkwardly. The ground was hard and rough on her face beneath the grass, and her back felt horribly exposed; but sometimes you just need to embrace the ground, become a woodland creature.
Just as the awkward lucidity of an episode was settling in, a nearby croak interrupted Spinel’s thoughts. After a pause, she squeezed her eyes tighter, and tried to focus on staying calm, still flat, face forwards, on the ground.
“ Ribbit,” the foreign lifeform injected once more.
“Cut it out, would’ja?” She moaned, voice raspy and tired. “I’m tryna’ do somethin’ here.”
“Ribbit.”
Spinel stretched - not strained - her neck to look up at the creature without otherwise moving. It was small, and green, and apparently living in a can. “What’cha lookin’ at, bucko? Can it. Get it? Can?”
“Ribbit.” The little green thing sounded unimpressed, or maybe just impassive.
“Are you stuck in there?” Spinel asked, jaw growing uncomfortable from talking against the dirt. She shifted in response, head rested on crossed arms. “Looks like a tight fit.”
“Riiiibbit.” Its eyes were just like Onion’s, but perhaps more raw; more earthly. The pupils adorning the creature’s eyes were sideways and dark, hinting at unspoken depths. Spinel was eerily compelled by it.
“I’ll getch’a outta’ there.” She decided, shimmying forwards with her elbows (they existed when convenient). Once close enough-ish, Spinel stretched out an arm to push down on the opened lid of the can. The green thing inside of it croaked in objection, placing one, tiny, hand on her finger.
Her world imploded.
It was - it was so tiny. Just so, so very tiny. The little creature held so much compassion for its can, and expressed it so purely through one displeased croak. The orange pads of its toes had yet to leave her fingertip, which alone nearly dwarfed the creature in its entirety.
“I….” She trailed off, hot tears decorating her eyes. “...you…”
Her mind was made up.
The pink gem stood, can gently lifted in her arms. The creature inside stared appreciatively. This was hers, now, and she would protect it to the death. Spinel was overtaken by fierce protective instincts normally found only in Earthly creatures, and with this animal, she could collapse entire empires.
The tiny hand was retracted.
“Fine, no domination.” Spinel conceded, and the creature seemed to grin, throat puffing up proudly. “Y’know, I can’t keep calling you creature in my head. You’re more dignified that that, arent’cha?”
“Ribbit.”
“The can you’re in says...someth’n Sauce on it. How about that? Sauce, I like it.” Spinel decided. She had no idea what sauce was, but it seemed fitting of the ribbiting animal she had acquired. Now, armed with the fierce strength and loyalty of an emotionally damaged person and their frog (though she did not yet know that was Sauce’s more formal title), Spinel set out to conquer Beach City.
“Ribbit!”
“Hmm.”
So, picking a direction to walk in and going from there was not as solid a plan as she originally thought. So far she had passed a tree, another tree, some more trees, Onion again (though Spinel hadn’t fallen for his beckoning a second time), and lastly more trees. A second attempt at stretching her legs to stand above the treetops had only rewarded her with sticks and leaves stuck in her hair, and an unhappy creature in her can.
Spinel looked down to said can-chariot in her hands. Sauce stared out impassively. “Which way are ya thinkin?”
The earth creature had no reply for her beyond the puffing of its throat.
“Helpful.” She glowered. Sauce made no change in posture, but she had the impression it was highly offended. “What? You’re not.”
Sauce glared harder by not glaring at all.
“Fine! I’m so-orry, you’re an excellent guide. Is that better?” Spinel waved her free hand about in the air, squinting at Sauce. Her pigtails bounced with the downward motion; squeaking shoes stopped in their tracks as she waited for an answer. The pair stared each other down, and after a moment Sauce’s wrath was settled.
“So, do you know the way out? A way out would be very nice about now.” Spinel wondered aloud. Sauce croaked, leaning out of its can. Up ahead, there was a break in the trees. Spinel gasped, and took off - much to Sauce’s dismay.
“Freedom!” She howled in cheer, jumping into the tree-less, open air. “If I ever have to see another tree in my LIFE-!”
“Hey, not cool.” A human interrupted. In her moment of silence, a car whizzed past on the nearby street. She had wandered out of the woods and back into town, apparently disrupting the lives of several…’teens’.
“What?” Spinel wrinkled her nose. Sauce croaked in her defence.
“You gotta respect Mother Nature.” The human replied. His glasses and blank expression drew an eerie comparison to Garnet, now that she was looking closer. The trio Spinel had stumbled upon were sitting atop a large metal bin, blue and stinking. Adjacent was a building she quickly identified as the Big Donut.
“Come on, Buck. She’s probably one of the new ones, give her a break.” Another human smacked Buck on the arm. She had lips like Amethyst’s, and large, golden earrings. “Look, she’s got a frog.”
“Wait, Jenny, isn’t that-” The third human started, eyes wide. His skybound, white hair reminded Spinel of Pearl - or maybe a crescent moon. Buck and Jenny apparently recognized her at the same time as the third, identical gasps like smacks to the face. Spinel winced, pulling Sauce closer to her gem. What was it they had called her companion, a frog?
“Yeah,” Spinel growled, glaring off to the side. “I’m the one who wrecked your town.”
A pause.
“Cool.” The third blinked appreciatively. The other two were too busy staring at her to make a comment. “I’ve always wanted to do something like that. Spray paint, make a mark. I can respect self expression. Name’s Sour Cream.”
Finally, a name!
“Sour...Cream. I’m..” Spinel trailed off as the door leading inside opened. Out stepped a familiar face, at last! The singer from Steven’s show! When she was...y’know. Different. The Sadie hadn’t changed much, though, except for her outfit.
“Back! I’m back, sorry that took so lo...is that?!” Sadie started, the keys spinning idly on a ring around her finger slowing to a stop. Despite boardwalk traffic, the momentary silence was pen-drop.
Just as Spinel was getting defensive again, Sadie began to beam. “You! It’s you! I had such a great idea for a song about you, but Steven sent you off right after- well, you know. You know me, right? You remember, from the concert?”
Spinel was shocked speechless for a moment. “You’re not…mad? Why aren’t any of you- wait, a song?”
“Yeah! I want to write something about you, but I’ve got this weird thing-“
“It’s not weird,” Sour cream interrupted, with Jenny nodding sagely.
“Consent is important.” Buck agreed.
“Oh- thanks,“ Sadie blushed, “-but, I’ve got this thing about making..music, art, that stuff, about someone without them knowing. I dunno..”
“That’s, um, fine.” Spinel was blushing now too - and she was quite certain her hair and face were now matching colors.
“Sweet!” Sadie cheered. “Let’s get out of here, I hate this place.”
“Whoo!” Her entourage cheered, leading Spinel and her frog to a bright yellow vehicle. Not exactly what she’d been expecting, but what ever was?
—
“So...how are thiiings?” Steven asked smoothly, if standing rigidly across the room from someone was smooth.
“What things?” Garnet replied, smoothing (haha) cat Steven’s fur from her place on the couch. Amethyst and Pear arguing over what did and did not belong in the dink’s garbage disposal made for lovely background noise.
“...With Spinel…” Steven pushed, giving his guardian a Look. An egg flew over his head, cracking on the wall. Pearl could be heard shrieking from a mile away. Steven paid no mind.
“Things are good. Why do you ask?” Garnet continued to stroke the cat. It was beginning to become intimidating- or maybe just irritating; like one of those movie villains with their pet cat, waiting in the dark for the hero’s fated arrival
“I just haven’t seen her in a bit. Since...when was that, yesterday? When Pearl and Sheena left. The sun is starting to go down…” He looked off through the window, gaze tracing the glittering waves bedazzled by fading sunlight. They were orangish in this light, which only made him more nervous.
“Hm. I guess she has been gone for a bit.” Garnet muttered, adjusting her star-shaped lenses. “I left her with Lapis and Peridot, she should be-“
Garnet stopped. It never stopped being unnerving to Steven when the gems forgot to breath, or simply neglected to manifest a heartbeat - and now was one of those times. She was still.
“Garnet?” Steven approached, laying a hand on her shoulder. “What is it? Is she okay? Has she- did she hurt somebody?”
“No..” Garnet hummed. “I simply didn’t foresee this. We’re in a different timeline than expected - I’m not quite sure where she’s at, or going to be.”
“You LOST her?!” Steven balked, yanking his hand away. “I know that I brought her back and that she’s like, promised to change and all, but it’s barely been three days! She can’t just- wander around- not after-“
“Steven.” Garnet stood, hands on his shoulders. “We will find her. I’m sure she, and Beach City, are fine.”
Pearl and Amethyst had fallen silent. When Steven looked over his shoulder he found Pearl’s expression worried, a hand drawn to her neck; but Amethyst seemed...unsurprised. Angered, but quietly - like a broiling storm in the distance.
“She’s just…gone? You can’t see her with your future vision?” Pearl asked, to confirm. Steven took the moment to breathe slowly, in and out.
Garnet shook her head. “She’s with someone, a group of people. Too many makes the future hard to narrow down.”
“I guess we’ll have to split up and find her?” Steven suggested. “I could call Connie…”
“I’m not sure it’s that serious, Steven.” Pearl put off with a strained laugh, walking out from behind the counter. “Lost! Not even a week in.”
“Yeah, good one, G-Squad.” Amethyst grinned, hopping over the countertop instead of walking. “Maybe we should check in with P-dot and Lapis?”
“Hm, perhaps.” Garnet focused for a moment. “It’s unclear.”
“Let’s just- just go out, and look around.” Steven assessed, “It’s better than just standing around.”
“Lost!” Pearl repeated, too preoccupied with her phone to listen. Steven watched her rapidly tap the screen, then bring it up to her ear. Probably Sheena, then.
“Okay, Amethyst, you ask around town if anyone has seen her. Garnet, uh...maybe check the boardwalk, and wherever you took her when you showed her around. I’ll check Little Homeworld, and Pearl can bike around with Sheena if she shows up.”
“Man, I don’t want to bother everybody. Let me check in with Little Homeworld instead.” Amethyst refuted, “She’s probably still there, where Garnet left her.”
“That’s fine. I’ll- okay. Garnet, you said she was with a group?”
“That’s correct.”
“Then watch out for groups. Shouldn’t be too hard, right?” Steven finished, looking around. Pearl was still on the phone, but Garnet and Amethyst nodded their agreements.
He was a little worried about Amethyst - she was usually more...Amethyst-y - but right now they had a gem to catch.
—
“So this is Greg,” Sadie introduced, “Steven’s dad.”
“Nice ta’ meetcha?” Spinel stretched out a hand to wave, the other still holding her frog in a can. “You- you were on stage too, that one time.”
“Oh- you must be Spinel!” Greg exclaimed. “I didn’t know you were back!”
“Yeah, Mr. Greg. She’s like, totally cool now.” Jenny affirmed, hitting Spinel’s back playfully. The pink gem couldn’t completely suppress her shudder of nerves. Where on Earth was Garnet?
“Hey, it’s okay. You don’t have to get flighty - what’re you all here for?” Greg assured, hands raised placatingly.
Sauce ribbited his approval, and her nerves dulled.
“I wanted to show her your music stuff, if that’s okay. That song I was talking about- we’re going to try to flesh it out!” Sadie informed, gesturing to the van. Supposedly there was ‘music stuff’ inside - though Spinel wasn’t sure what all could fit in the metal box on wheels.
“For sure.” Greg nodded decidedly. “I’m actually glad you all came around - I got roped into buying these instruments I’ll never use by this really convincing salesperson when I was looking into a new guitar - you don’t want to hear the full story. The short version is, come see if you’ll use them.”
She was getting sort of overwhelmed, and it was reflecting on her tear-marked face. The group was so large- and they were just dumping so much information- it was enough to make her wish she was back in the woods.
Sauce shook the can, and Spinel mentally corrected herself. No, the woods were not desirable - especially with the sun almost gone over the horizon. Maybe just...somewhere...less. Less, everything.
From afar, the gleam of an activating warp pad from the temple’s warp-room caught her eye. There maybe.
Greg noticed the direction of her gaze. “Oh, good idea! The acoustics are better in there, anyway, and the gems might be looking for you.”
“Well, I’ve got to go. It’s getting late.” Buck announced.
“Yeah, me too. My dad is going to flip if I’m home late again. He’s always going on about this and that, like mah mah, ma…”
“Same here. Can we come back tomorrow, or some other day, Mr. G?” Jenny finished for them, fishing the car keys from her pocket.
“Fine by me. Sadie, are you coming?” Greg asked, looking to the green-haired girl.
“Sure thing. It’d be weird if I dragged you all the way over here and then left, right?” Sadie laughed. Oh! Oh, they were talking to her.
“I dunno. Pink used to run off all the time.” Spinel shrugged. Greg winced. Riight...maybe Pink- Rose , wasn’t a good topic for anyone.
“Well, I won’t do that. Not tonight, at least.” Sadie shrugged back, then waved off her friends. “See you guys later!”
She received a chorus of “See ya!”s in reply.
And with that, they were off. Paths splitting like the rivers of time, unpredictable, and often leading back to the same place.
For now, that place was the temple.