Chapter Text
The worst of winter had finally passed through Beach City, the blistering torrents of freezing cold snow now having finally died down. What remained were mounds upon mounds of snow piled almost high enough to stand as tall as a one story building. With this brief respite of winter’s wrath, the people had eventually left the warm safety of their homes to dig their businesses along the boardwalk out of the snow. Though now the winds had finally died down, the cold still lingered in the air.
The Temple, in contrast, hummed with life as Steven prepared for the day ahead. Rose watching as Steven buzzed with anticipation, “You look excited.” Rose said cheerfully.
Steven grinned from ear to ear as he reach under his bed for a notepad, “Yeah, I had something special for us planned! I was hoping we could spend the day with an old friend!” He tried not to spoil the surprise, hoping to keep his intent a secret.
“Oh, that sounds lovely! You know I always love spending time with you!” Rose said cheerfully. Honestly, what Steven was more excited for than anything was a break from all of the serious gem stuff that seemed to be dominating his life as of late. It had seemed as if the moment Rose had stepped in to be a part of his life that the affairs of the Diamonds, gems that had a history with his mother, and even disgruntlement from the other Crystal Gems had overwhelmed him. The thought of just having a normal, stress-free day from it all seemed very relieving.
“So, who is it?” Rose asked.
Steven’s smile persisted, “Oh, it’s someone you know.”
He checked the alarm clock by his bed, ‘she should have arrived by now’ he thought before a blinding flash of light erupted from the Temple warp pad, in moments Bismuth emerged as she greeted Steven, Peridot following her close behind, “Mornin’, little man!”
“Hey Bismuth! Hey Peridot!”
“Oh… hello Bismuth.” Rose said, trying to sound polite while still struggling maintain eye contact with her.
“Rose.” Bismuth said plainly, her tone becoming much more jovial as she turned to address Steven, “You said you wanted to see me yesterday?”
“Yeah!” Steven said, trying to remain optimistic, “I was hoping you two could spend the day with me!”
Peridot cleared her throat as she glared at Steven, “Sorry, you three.” He corrected himself.
The two larger gems look at each other awkwardly, “Steven, that’s very sweet that you want to spend time with Bismuth, but she and I have a… sorted history…”
“Look, I know you two are upset at one another, but I feel this may be something you guys can work out.” Steven reasoned, “You both mean so much to me, and you may not know it, but you both have a lot in common!”
“Like what?” the two said in unison.
“Like how you two have a lot of the same friends, and you two used to be friends, and-”
“Until she decided to bubble me.” Bismuth said abruptly, “For thousands of years.”
“Lapis herself went through having to adjust to life on Earth after own imprisonment. But in time was able to forgive the others, with my help of course.” Peridot interjected as Steven nodded in agreement.
“Please Bismuth, I’m not asking you to act like it never happened, but with how much you two want to help me be a better Diamond when I’m older, I want you two to be able to at least get along!” Steven pleaded.
Rose sighed, “Steven, I understand what you’re trying to do, but I’m afraid it’s just not going to happen.”
Before Steven could form a retort, the snow outside began to billow out in all directions. A loud, rumbling noise reverberated throughout the Temple, rattling everything within. Steven rushed outside to locate the source, spotting an airplane parked along the shore.
“Uncle Andy!”
“This human again?” Peridot groaned.
The half-gem boy dashed outside, eager to greet his visitor, “Hey, how’s my nephew!” Andy said, ruffling Steven’s hair as he stepped out the cockpit to his plane. The cold air nipped at his ears and nose as he felt a chill crawl up his back, having now realized he had ran out without any winter gear. Hoping to avoid another long-winded lecture from Pearl later, he escorted Andy inside where Rose greeted him with open arms.
“Mom, Bismuth, this is Andy. He’s one of my Dad’s relatives!”
“Hello! I’m Rose, Steven’s mother!”
“Well, hi there-*hurk*!” Andy’s words were cut short as Rose wrapped him in a warm, tight hug, finally letting go after hearing his back pop from the strain, “Yeesh, okay then… You’re a hugger… good to know. Say, don’t wanna sound rude, but I thought Greg told me you were-”
“It’s a long story, right now, I’m just so glad to finally meet more of Greg’s family. I mean, I had seen you, but through my son’s gem. Now I can see you in person!” Rose’s giddiness clashed with Andy’s awkward silence. Steven could hardly blame him.
“…I see…” Andy said in response, “This is a pretty nice place you all have, hopefully you won’t try to smash it… like you did my barn!” his tone harshened upon his last words, wincing in response as he realized what he was talking about. He hadn’t even considered telling Andy what happened after the barn was destroyed in their battle against Blue Diamond.
“That barn had been with the Demayo family for ages and you went and smashed it! I thought I could trust you!”
“Hey, back off!” Bismuth snapped, her tone catching Andy off guard, “Ain’t his fault Water Wings tossed it at Blue Diamond!”
“The loss of the barn was indeed a tragic, but ultimately necessary sacrifice in gaining the upper hand against our foe!” Peridot added, her statement doing nothing to improve Andy’s mood.
“Yeah, so what’re you all gonna do? Build a new one?” Andy retorted. Bismuth huffed, “Who do you think fixed this place after the Diamonds trashed it!”
Steven felt a twinge of guilt over Andy’s words, “Andy, I’m really sorry about the barn. Would it make you feel better if I had someone get Bismuth to fix it?”
“I think that can wait for a while, Steven.” Bismuth said, “Right now, Peridot and I have been working on something special for ya.”
“Wait, really? Like what?” Steven asked, his curiosity peaked.
“We’ve been thinking of fitting you for a suit of armor for battle, I promise ya it’ll have the Bismuth quality guarantee!” she said cheerfully.
“Hold the phone, who said anything about my nephew going to fight anyone!?” Andy cried.
“Don’t you think he’s a little… young… to be worrying about this?” Rose protested.
“I don’t know, you didn’t seem to mind having the gems dump all your responsibilities onto him.” Bismuth snapped.
Rose said nothing, the frustration on her face clear. She rubbed her forehead as she stepped out of the Temple through the front door, grumbling under her breath.
“Bismuth, this is what I’m talking about!” Steven said, “I know you’re upset with Mom, and you have good reason to be, but just staying angry with her isn’t helping! With how much you two are going to be working together in the future, you need to work things out!”
Before another word could be said, the room once again filled with a bright light. The intensity blinding everyone in the room. Steven’s vision became fuzzy, he was barely able to see anything before he heard the sound of footsteps at his door. The front door slammed opened, and several figures entered as they grabbed hold of him.
Even as Steven’s consciousness faded in and out, he could still faintly hear the protests of the others before finally blacking out.
Rose struggled to regain her footing, her vision blurry and her ears still ringing even when her consciousness returned, but all the same, she could tell she was no longer outside and overlooking the snowy beach shore. As her senses returned, she could faintly hear the hum of machinery all around her.
When her sight had finally recovered, she could see she had been placed in a small room, a transparent barrier placed between her space and the outer area. Through the yellow-tinted ‘doorway’ of her room she could see Bismuth imprisoned as well across the empty hall.
She recognized the construction of this prison, as it bore an uncanny resemblance to similar Homeworld spacecraft, especially of the ship that had taken Steven and the other gems over two years ago. But this revelation did little to help Rose’s confusion, ‘Who took us?’ she thought, ‘How could this have been possible?’
She tried to think of likely culprits. ‘The Diamonds?’ But she had made amends with Yellow and Blue, and if this were White’s doing, she would have known right away. ‘Another gem seeking revenge on me?’ she felt a knot form on her chest. The idea of a gem from her time as Pink Diamond seeking retribution for her transgressions was not a new one. Rose still remembered how she and Steven had become trapped on a distant planet and hunted down by Fire Agate. Although they had managed to broker a sort of peace between them, Rose was always worried that others would follow suit and would prove to be more difficult.
“Oh, this is just perfect!”
Rose’s concentration was broken by the sudden noise. She turned, seeing Bismuth staring towards her as she sat with her back against the wall, “We get taken by some group of unknown gems and of all the people I have to be next to, it’s you.” She chuckled for a moment to take in the absurdity of it all.
“I suppose that is quite a terrible fate.” Rose said somberly and sighed, “I wouldn’t want to be with me either…”
“So how much you wanna bet this is another bunch of gems who have a score to settle with you?” Bismuth said, “There’s certainly no shortage of gems who feel that way.”
Rose said nothing in response, silently accepting such a possibility. She could not begin to fathom the number of gems who sought revenge against her. And could she blame them? Despite her noble intentions, she felt haunted by those who had perished in the war for Earth. Gems on either side who died pointlessly, never knowing that their leaders were one and the same. Powerless as she was to control Homeworld’s forces as Pink Diamond, they were still loyal to her. And she knew that.
“Do you have any ideas of how to get us out?” Rose asked.
“Tried.” Bismuth replied bluntly, “These barriers can’t be breached because our bodies are made of light. We’d need someone like Steven to get us out.”
“Oh, I hope he’s alright.”
Bismuth laughed once more, “Just when we think it’s over, you just keep dragging him through your messes…”
“Excuse me?” Rose responded, her voice dripping with indignation.
“Oh, don’t get all high and mighty, ‘My Diamond’. This poor kid’s been cleaning up after you for a little over three years-”
“You think I don’t know that?” Rose snapped, “You think I like the idea of my son suffering for every stupid mistake I’ve made!? You’ve been through his memories. So you know better than to think that!”
Bismuth said nothing as she turned her gaze away from Rose as she bitterly stared back at her with narrowed eyes. The two sat in silence saying nothing to one another until they both finally calmed their nerves, or at least Rose had hoped.
Before she spoke once more, she heard the sound of footsteps. Rose tried to listen more closely. It sounded like two sets, and approaching fast. ‘Did someone hear us?’ Rose thought. She braced herself, anticipating the return of her captors.
As the footsteps grew louder, a second noise could be heard though. A voice that seemed familiar to her. “They have to be here…” said a shrill, nasally voice. Rose immediately recognized who this was, relaxing as Peridot appeared before them.
“Aha, I was right!” Peridot exclaimed triumphantly, “Now then…” The small green gem reached to the side of Rose’s cell, the barrier encasing her swiftly fading away. Although greatly relieved to be free, more questions now loomed over Rose’s head, “Wait, how did you free yourself?”
“They thought I’d be powerless just because I was an Era 2!” she loudly proclaimed, “They were unprepared for my mastery over metal!” As she lifted her hand, a small sharp metal tool began to hover beside her. With a flick of her wrist, it cut through the air at blinding speed at the wall beside Bismuth’s cell. Sparks sputtered as the energy wall to Bismuth’s cell dissipated.
“Peridot, sweetie, did you see Steven?” Rose asked frantically.
She shook her head, “I didn’t. Given my experience from serving for Homeworld, I was able to traverse through this vessel unabated and felt procuring some much needed muscle from you two would help in rescuing Steven.”
“Wait… Peridot, you’ve been on a ship like this?”
“Of course!” she said, not bothering to mask her pride, “These ships were the replacements to the previous drop ships used during your tenure as a Diamond. These ships come equipped with confinement areas made for when gems are tasked with studying a planet’s local fauna to determine if the planet possess life sustaining properties that make it a suitable candidate for colonizing. It would have to be within the ship’s lower levels.”
Rose felt a wave of relief wash over her as she hugged the small gem tight, “Oh, Peridot, thank you!”
Peridot struggled to speak, “Rose…. Your grip….” She squeaked, gasping for air. Rose quickly realized her mistake, quickly setting her down, “O-oh! S-sorry, sorry! It’s a habit…”
The three of them silently made their way across the ship, Peridot using her tool to distract what few guards there were as they crept through the empty halls. It reminded Rose of her time during the war. When she and her fellow Crystal Gems had would sneak aboard ships, rushing to take them down from the inside. In the early days of the rebellion, she had learned to master guerilla tactics to try and undercut Homeworld’s superior numbers.
The first time she had knocked a drop ship out of the sky with Pearl and Garnet, the gemstones of the crew safely tucked away within the Temple had always been a cherish memory. Her first victory against the Diamonds, her first real victory. And it sent shockwaves across the then-budding colony. Soon, other gems joined the fray, including Bismuth, all inspired to seek a life that was better than what Homeworld would promise. The destruction of that Drop ship spurred the rebellion into a phase of rapid expansion.
But with time, the memory had shifted. The events the same, but the perception of it radically different. It was then that Homeworld had also started taking the “rogue gem” issues far more seriously. With the new lineup of gems willing to fight by her side came the responsibility to lead them. To guide them. It was fine enough when she fought alongside close friends, but the toll the war brought to both sides would weigh heavy on her, even to this day.
“Here we are.” Peridot whispered, spurring Rose from her concentration.
Rose surveyed the circular room. Organic-like structures snakes along the ceiling like the roots of a tree. In the center of the room stood a large, octagonal case, its wall constructed of a transparent material, all manner of tools and implements dangled from wires. Rose shuttered to think of what grim purpose they served and hoped Steven did not find out himself.
“Hey, let me outa here!” A voice cried out. Rose looked to search for the source, finding Andy within one of the rooms many cages.
“This is some kinda freaky alien spacecraft, isn’t it!? Did any of you have something to do with this!?” Andy shouted.
Peridot scoffed, “Yes, human, you have finally unraveled our diabolical scheme which involved us getting captured by a group of unknown gems and stuffed into holding cells against our will. Truly, your deductive reasoning skills know no equal!”
Andy grumbled in response as Rose and Bismuth tore open the cell door, “Hey, now don’t get smart with me! Not every day you get manhandled and dragged aboard some alien warship or something!”
“Actually, from the technology I see here, this appears to be more of a research and development station.” The small green gem replied, analyzing the room around her.
“Oh? Is that all? Well forgive me, squirt, I don’t exactly get on many spaceships these days…”
“Can we focus!?” Bismuth snapped.
“Andy, was Steven with you?” Rose pleaded.
“For a bit, kid was out cold, they said they were planning on taking him somewhere.”
“Did you hear where?” Bismuth asked.
“Sorry, no. From the sound of it though, it seemed they really just needed him.”
It seemed nothing was making sense for Rose, her mind racing to find answers, only to be met with more questions in their place. ‘Who are these gems? Why did they take us? What did they want with Steven?’
“Well…” Bismuth finally said, breaking the silence, “Standing around here ain’t gonna help us get Steven back any faster, we had better move.”
Rose couldn’t agree more. Steven’s safety was more important than answers. As the four made their way out, though, one question still persisted, ‘Where had they taken Steven?’