Archive of Our Own

When Steven envisioned Amethyst’s room, what would always come to mind would be a place that was buried in a seemingly endless amount of assorted knick knacks and miscellaneous garbage. A treasure trove of goods accumulated over the course of thousands of years that had been haphazardly piled into mounding heaps that towered above any that would see them.

That was how he had always seen it, at least. But now as he looked around, he felt the need to rub his eyes and look over it all once more to assure himself he wasn’t, in fact, just seeing things. The gargantuan heaps of random oddities that filled her room, or more accurately, what was left of them now barely came up passed his own height. The labyrinthine layout of pathways and shortcuts created by her possessions now spaced out, allowing him to traverse unabated. With most of the clutter gone, Steven could see more of her room than he had ever had before, revealing the beautiful geode structures and sparkling streams that surrounded him.

The runoff from Pearl’s fountains above had carved out the pathway for a small pond, the gentle trickling of the water traveling downward mixed with the ambient glow of light glistening off of the numerous crystalline structures bringing a calming aura that illuminated the space around him.

“Whoa, Amethyst. Your room looks so nice now!” Steven exclaimed with excitement, stars dancing in his eyes.

“Heh, yeah.” Amethyst muttered, “When the Fam got here I kinda wanted to give a little of what I had. They didn’t have any stuff. So I’ve been trying to help each of them the best I can. I just showed ‘em around and told them ‘go nuts’.” Although Steven knew Amethyst was close to the other Quartz gems, even he couldn’t help but feel shocked by what she was saying, “Aww, Amethyst, that was super sweet of you!”

Behind her chuckle, Steven could make out her half-hearted attempt to hide an obvious blush, “Well, you know, it’s just stuff.” She mumbled, “And don’t worry, I made sure they didn’t take any of your Dad’s stuff that he still wanted to keep…”

“That’s good.” Steven said, “Because that’s sort of why I’m here. Mom and I have been just using the same old pair of cloths when we go the rescue shelter every week. Mom got a few big tears in her old shirt, and it can be hard to find old cloths in her size.”

“Yeah, I read ya.” Amethyst responded while still scanning over a few head-high stacks of labeled boxes, “Hey, how’s that old cat that Rose likes? Ya know, the black one with like brown splotches all over?”
Steven scoured his memories to try and recall who she could have been referring to, “Oh, you mean Cookie?” He answered, “Oh, she’s doing okay, she’s getting better at being around me too, but she really likes Mom.”

Amethyst smirked at his remark, “Well yeah, it’s a cat, they tend to be like that when you give them lots of treats.”

“There’s more to it than that. Mom was super excited when she opened up to her…” Steven rebutted, his mind recalled the image of a poor scared old cat crouching at the sight of another person, her ear’s pointed back and her hair standing up straight while she started unblinking through the bars of her tiny kennel. Steven himself struggled to get her to open up, but soon learned that his mother had a way around animals that surprised even him.

“She cried when it did, didn’t she?” Amethyst questioned. Steven felt his cheeks warm, “Yeah…” Amethyst seemed to snicker and roll her eyes, “Steven, I hate to tell you this, but your Mom is a total marshmallow.”

“A what?” Steven asked, confused over her choice of words. “You heard me.” She responded, “A big, pink marshmallow. How Pearl managed to fool me into thinking she was some kinda badass warrior is beyond me.”

A small chuckle escaped Steven’s lips, but in his mind, he knew why it meant so much to Rose. When that cat first arrived at the shelter, the staff explained that she had come from a home whose owner had passed away. Their son was deathly allergic and couldn’t keep her for more than a week before leaving her for the shelter to take in. He was not at all surprised to see that Rose was completely heartbroken with her story, and had made it her personal goal from then on to encourage her to open up to others and show her plenty of love and attention.

Indeed, it had started with endless treats that the timid creature would quickly snatch out of her hands before scuttling away to the safety of her little room. But over time, Rose had used her coercion tactic to lead the cat out of her comfy corner within the kennel and, eventually, take a spot right beside her. Last week was the major breakthrough, Rose wasn’t sure how their friend would behave when they had run out of treats to give her, but the moment they opened her kennel she ran straight to her and took a spot right on her lap. It was a big moment for her, indeed enough to move Rose to tears.

“Heh, yeah, I guess she is.” Steven joked. With a huge grin, Amethyst grabbed Steven into a headlock, “Hey, so are you, dude. And I still put up with ya!” she reassured before ruffling his hair. Steven struggled to free himself, fighting to refrain from laughing in the process.

“So, you still on to join me tonight to see what the wrestln’ scene been doing lately?”

“You bet! It feels like forever since the last time we’ve seen any wrestling!” Steven exclaimed.

“I hear ya, it’s gonna be weird to watch someone else bring on the pain. But I hear they’re bringing some real showstoppers tonight, make sure to have your tickets. I ain’t paying for yours twice. I need to get plenty of snacks to enjoy the show.”

Steven nodded in agreement, “Right, I better go get them, I guess we could look for spare cloths for me and Mom tomorrow.”

As he had left to depart Amethyst’s room, he was soon greeted by the sight of his mother, her back turned to him as her unmistakable mane of pink curls blocked a mysterious otherworldly glow. Steven held back his first instinct to greet her as he immediately was gripped by a sense of curiosity.

Quietly, he scuttled to some corner of the room to hide as peaked over her shoulder. With a new angle, he could see the shifting angular form of a floating holographic screen take shape before her. In an instant, the screen displayed the face of someone all too familiar to Steven. “White.” Rose growled, almost spitting the word.

Steven watched from afar as Rose stood there in stoic silence. He could only begin to imagine what she would want from his mother, especially given their history. The moment she saw her face fill the room with her glow, Steven could see her hand shake and close into a tightly clenched fist as if filled with an urge to drive it straight through the screen. The fact that White seemed to be making some half-hearted attempt at a sincerely friendly, non-threatening smile seemed to only arouse her ire all the more.

“Oh, well hello Starlight!” White said cheerfully. “Rose.” His mother bluntly responded through clenched teeth. White paused, confused by Rose’s response, “Come again?” she asked.

“My name is Rose. Rose Quartz Universe. I am not your Starlight.” Rose stated coldly, crossing her arms. Even from behind, Steven swore he could almost feel his mother’s glare as she stared down White. And if White’s expression was anything to go by, she seemed equally ill at ease.

Steven had never liked to see his mother like this. From the short time he had known her, he came to see her as a gentle person. She was soft and approachable around not just him, but the whole of his family. Even among those who did still continue to hold old grudges. But the way she spoke to White was different. The gentleness of her voice, the care-free attitude she shared with his father seemed to vanish altogether. In it’s place was bitterness and boiling resentment.

All the same, White was clearly trying to regain her bearings, “Now dear, I understand that you must be very upset with me.” She said in as genial a tone as she could muster. But before she could continue, Rose interjected, “And why’s that I wonder?”

White began to flounder once more, still reeling from Rose’s chilly demeanor, “I… well…” she stammered. “No, no, take your time. There are plenty of adequate answers to choose from.” Rose stated in a mock polite tone, each word tripping with sarcasm.

White paused, clearly uncomfortable with Rose’s hostility as her features revealed her mounting anxiety. “Still having trouble, are you? How about we start with the time you violated my son by ripping his gem from his body!” Rose snapped, the sharpness of her tone causing White to flinch before responding, “But I turned out to be right in the end, didn’t I? You really were inside of your gem, just not in the way I had initially thought!” she said, hoping her reasoning would somehow calm Rose’s nerves.

From Rose’s stiff posture and harsh tone, it did not seem to work, “So you’re saying you were justified in harming my son, is that it?” she spat back in indignation.

“Darling, please. Don’t twist my words like that…” White pleaded, still desperate to salvage some sense of civility among them. Rose seemed to almost chuckle. “You know, it’s funny. As I recall, you had told me back then that you didn’t need me. But from what Steven has told me, it seemed you were quite desperate to have me back. What? Was Blue’s weeping not as sweet as mine for you?” she jabbed, White’s face shifting to a look of utter dejection.

White gave a heavy sigh and looked away before breathing deep in what must have been a taxing effort to muster the will to share what she had to say with Rose. “Pink…Rose. I’m sorry. I am truly sorry for having hurt you so deeply for so long. You were right to leave me. I’ll even go so far as to admit that I was wrong. You are better than me.”

Steven waited to hear Rose’s response. For a while, there was only silence, the tension between the two of them so clear it seemed almost tangible, like two ends of a magnet pushing each other away. “I acknowledge you’re apology, White, but I don’t accept it.” Rose finally answered.

Steven could already see White’s eyes begin to glisten with tears, “Please dear, I’m trying to be better.” She begged.

“Steven may have forgiven you, but I won’t. Not now. Not ever. Your little apology doesn’t make up for everything you said and did to me.” Rose spat back, “You may look down on humans, White, but do you know what they would do if you had done what you did on Earth? You would have been reprimanded, or worse, detained! Because they know how despicable and vile people like you are!”

White already began to break down, covering her eyes in a vain effort to hide how deep Rose’s verbal tirade was hurting her, “You always made me feel like it didn’t matter if I was there or not, but what did you do when I finally left? You lashed out at me in spite. And you even went so far as to extend your wrath to everyone I had grown to love and care for away from your suffocating gaze. And from what Steven told me, you knew it was me down here. Because how dare I find happiness outside of the confines of the little bubble you made for me, right?” White had now raised both her hands to cover her face before eventually her weeping progressed into a full on sob.

And yet still, it seemed Rose was not done, “And as if that wasn’t enough, you went on to inflict your torment onto my son. My own child!” she growled, making special emphasis of him with her inflection, “Because that’s what you do, White. You hurt everyone else around you. And I don’t know if it’s because of something you went through before even my time, or if you really are just an empty, shallow being whose only joy is making everyone else around you feel every bit as miserable and powerless as you. And neither do I care enough anymore to find out.”

“Now you’re being completely unfair!” White cried, tears streaming down the sides of her face, her cheeks warmed to a pinkish blush. “It took a great deal of time to work up the courage to speak to you! Please, I want to make it up to you, please tell me what has to be done!”

“You know what I want from you, White? I want to never. See you. Again.” Rose said plainly. “Pink… I’m sorry… I need you… What else do you want me to say?” White asked frantically.

Steven could hear Rose begin to laugh. But once more this was different. The bombastic, goofy laugh he came to associate with her replaced with an icy snicker, “What’re those? Tears?” she scoffed, “Shape up, deary. I thought you told me Diamonds didn’t cry.”

As quickly as White’s face appeared, it vanished. The communicator falling into Rose’s hands as she stood eerily still while she let out a deep, heavy sigh as if a tremendous weight had been lifted from her shoulders.

“Mom? Are you okay?”

Rose almost seemed to flinch, the sound of his voice breaking her dream like trance. “Hmm? Oh, I’m fine, baby. Just been a busy day for me…” she said, trying to sound convincing. To her credit, she certainly looked exhausted, something Steven guessed she wanted to use to her advantage. Steven already felt a pit in his stomach, and sense of discomfort at the thought of leaving her in such a state alone while he left with Amethyst. “Maybe Amethyst and me can help you unwind?” he offered.

Rose’s mood seemed to lighten at the proposition, “I’d love that, sweetie! What did you have in mind? Maybe something nice and stress free like a walk down the beach, I know a few good spots where we can go star gazing…”

“I was thinking you’d come with me and Amethyst to a big wrestling show?” He corrected. Rose froze, “O-oh… right… wrestling… sure, sweetheart. Whatever you want.” She said with a transparent tone of unease.

Already he could tell this was a poor idea, “It’s alright if you just want to stay home, Mom…”

“No, no, it’s fine. Anytime with you, Steven, is time well spent. I’d love to join you two.” He wanted to protest, but he didn’t want to leave her here alone. And he knew she was being sincere with her sentiment. “Okay, but I guess we’re gonna have to leave a little early to buy you a ticket, hopefully, there’ll be a few left…”

As they had made their way to the outskirts of Beach City, the sky above them had already begun to transform from the fiery pallet of orange and yellow to a cool, darkened canvas of stars. The crumbling remains of a seemingly abandoned building glowed with life, acting as a beacon of light that pierced the dark. Outside it’s aged walls, scores of people crowded the entrance, awaiting their chance to step foot and partake in whatever event was being housed within.

Thankfully for Steven, he had been lucky enough to arrive early to purchase Rose’s ticket. Leaving the two of them to wait until the final member of their group arrived. In hindsight, Steven had wished he had asked Amethyst sooner, but he was sure she wouldn’t have had much reason to object.

During their wait, Rose had left to purchase snacks for them. Not long after she disappeared into the crowd was he greeted by a surprise bear hug, “Found ya, squirt!” Amethyst blurted.

“Hey Amethyst, say, I wanted to…” Before Steven could finish his statement, he quickly noticed a growing shadow eclipsing the light above. As Steven looked up, he was greeted by the sight of tall, strapping figure. Her amber colored skin streaked with burnt orange stripes, reminiscent of desert sandstone, was dotted with splotches of turquoise and dark green. Her head possessed a matted mane of tan hair that nearly obscured a set of small, asymmetrical horns. What little light shone on her glistened from the gemstone that appeared in place of her nose.

“Jasper!?” Steven exclaimed in shock.

“Uh, yeah. I wanted this to be a surprise. Thought it would be nice to have a chance to smooth things over with you two.”

“Uh… hi…” Steven nervously muttered.

“Hi…” Jasper said, herself visibly uncomfortable as she sat down beside Amethyst, her amazing stature causing her to tower head and shoulders over others in the crowd.

Steven tried to stay calm, the last time the two of them had spoken, it had been years ago. Jasper had been on a path of revenge and self-destruction, seeking out corrupted gems to amass an army to destroy him, still convinced that he was his mother…

“Oh my gosh! Amethyst, I think I made a horrible mistake!” Steven panicked.

“Whoa, calm down. What’s wrong?”

“It’s me.” Jasper quietly answered, “I told you he’d be too scared of me, neither of us are ready. You shouldn’t force him to stay.”

Steven already felt a twinge of guilt from her words, “No, no. It’s just…”

“Steven?”

It was too late, there was no taking it back now.

“Is this who I think it is?”

“Rose, what the heck are you doing here!?” Amethyst cried out. Steven meekly held out his arm, an embarrassed smile trying to hide his mounting discomfort, “I thought it would have been nice to invite her…” he said timidly tapping the tips of his fingers.

Jasper turned to face the commotion, springing to her feet as she met eyes with Rose, “R-Rose? Is this really you? Are you really her?” He and Amethyst froze as they sat back and watched. Jasper’s eyes narrowed upon Rose’s nod of conformation, “Good.” She snarled. Without warning, Jasper snorted and spat. Steven looked to Rose to see a ball of spit trail down her face. Despite this, Rose seemed almost completely unfazed by Jasper’s flippant display as she only stood and quietly wiped her face without another word.

“Jasper, what the heck!?” Amethyst shrieked before being quickly shushed by the crowd surrounding her.

“It’s fine, Amethyst. I’m not going to stoop to her level…” Rose calmly stated.

“And what’s that supposed to mean!?” Jasper growled. Steven sprung out of his seat, placing himself between the two of them, “Guy, GUYS! Stop! This was an honest mistake. Mom, I’m so sorry about that. I had no idea Jasper was going to be here. If you want you and me to go home, we -”

“No. Steven, I don’t want to spoil your night with Amethyst, but I really don’t like the idea of you being around her. The last time you two spoke, she attacked you.” Steven looked to see Jasper break her gaze, “I… I’m not like that, anymore…” she replied, “I don’t want to hurt Steven.”

“Amethyst and I can fuse if she does. But I know she won’t. I trust her.”

Rose only continued to eye Jasper as she slowly took a seat beside him, placing an arm over his shoulder in a defensive manner. “Alright. But I’m still going to stay with you.” She said leaning in to whisper into his ear, “Steven, if she says or does anything to make you the slightest bit uncomfortable than you come straight to me, alright?”

“Alright…” He said, taken aback by the sternness of her tone, noting how much it was like the way she spoke to White Diamond earlier that day.

All throughout the night, Steven felt like he was caged between an angry grizzly bear and a starved lioness, the tension between Rose and Jasper so clear and tangible that one could cut into it with a knife. And that was despite the fact the two refused to so much as look in each other’s general direction let alone speak to one another. All the while, Rose kept her arm around Steven, ready and waiting at the moment she would think Jasper would strike.

And on Jasper’s end, things were hardly better. Rose’s suspicions not helped as Jasper continued to fuss and fidget in her seat while looking utterly unimpressed by the show. Every other match, she would scoff and joke about how low human standards must be for them to view these subjects as particularly strong. Each comment met with an icy glare from Rose.

“I can’t believe you and Amethyst used to indulge in this.” Rose remarked.

“Amethyst is a Quartz, and Steven THOUGHT he was one.” Jasper snarled, “We’re Quartzes, we fight. If you were a real Quartz, you’d understand.”

Steven could already see Rose begin to tense up at her remark. “Mom, relax. She’s just trying to rile you up.”

After a few awkward minutes of staring, the two of them wordlessly agreed to continue ignoring one another again, a decision that summoned a breath of relief from Steven. Even still, it was clear Jasper couldn’t have cared less about what was going on in the ring. Every now and then he would overhear her and Amethyst speak to one another in hushed tones.

“Dude, how many times am I going to keep telling you? You should go see the Fam! They’ve been worried about you.”

Steven could hear Jasper grunt in response, “Somehow I doubt that. Especially after what happened the last time I saw them.”

“Don’t be like that. From what you told me, that stuff should all be ancient history to them. They’ll love ya!” Amethyst reassured.

“I’m just… not ready, okay? I’m sick of talking about this.” Jasper grumbled.

“Hey, it’s alright, sis. You know you can always come see me too, right?”

“And risk being around her?” Jasper said, gesturing towards Rose, “She doesn’t trust me, Amethyst. I don’t want to just forgive her for what happened. And Steven… he’s terrified of me. Just look at him, he probably thinks I’m a monster…”

“Jasper, don’t say crap like that about yourself.”

Jasper shot a look towards Rose, “Look at her. What a bloated, stuck up poser. Can’t believe you had to put up with her nonsense for all those years. Now she thinks she has room to act all high and mighty around me? I know she’s just hiding behind the kid ‘cause she knows otherwise I’d kick her sorry-”

“Sis, keep your voice down…” Amethyst hushed.

A cold laughter from behind him sent a chill up Steven’s spine. He wasn’t the only one to overhear them, it seemed. It wasn’t as though Jasper cared to hide her resentment for Rose. He tried to turn around, beg Rose not to make this worse. Normally, he knew she’d refrain from conflict, but he could plainly see she had been on edge all night after her tirade towards White. ‘Mom, please don’t do anything insane…’

“You were always a monster, Jasper. At least you now look the part.”

‘Too late.’

What happened next only appeared as a blur to him. One moment Rose was sitting right next to him, the next moment he noticed Jasper had risen out of her seat and Rose disappeared in a cloud of dust. A new hole made in the brick wall adjacent to her. All around them, from the cheering crowds, the announcer Mr. Smiley, to even the wrestlers were stopped dead. Jasper smirked, “Heh, all talk…” she said before turning to leave.

Steven rushed to his feet to run to his mother’s aid, only to stop and duck as he saw a shape quickly surface from the darkness. Rose’s shield sliced through the air, colliding with the back of Jasper’s head with enough force to knock her off her feet before dissipating into thin air leaving only a few sparkles of light. Jasper’s head slammed against the concrete floor, leaving a divot of dust and rock.

“Mom, are you crazy!?” Steven screamed, “We need to go!” Steven tried to run, furiously putting every ounce of energy into his legs. But curiously, he noticed his surroundings had yet to change. Despite his best efforts, he was no closer to his goal. He looked down, seeing his feet dangling easily six feet above the ground.

“You heard the boy, Rose!” Jasper taunted, “Let’s go!”

The look Rose snapped to Jasper looked sharp enough to scare the stripes off of a tiger, “Don’t you dare drag my son into this!” she snarled, “I’m the one you want, deal with me!”

From behind, Steven heard a loud snap. He looked up to see Jasper’s left arm hold a firm grip of Amethyst’s whip before pulling hard. In a split second, both he and Amethyst were ensnared. Jasper raised the tangled mass to her face, “You two stay out of this.” She said to them before being tossed aside.

The two of them tumbled to the floor, fighting as hard they could to free themselves from their bindings after rising to their feet.

“Oh, uh, looks like we may have a surprise match tonight, folks! And to who do we owe the pleasure, ladies?” Steven heard through the loudspeaker. ‘Oh my gosh, please don’t tell me they’re actually-’

“I’m here to do one and one thing only. I’m going to crush this flabby, pathetic pretender of a Quartz in front of her squishy, drooling masses! Interfere, and I will give you a colonoscopy with your own mic!”

‘Oh stars, they’re doing this…’

“Er… M-message received, violent stranger! It would seem our latest grudge match will be following extreme rules; anything goes and the match ends when one or both are unable to fight any longer!”

He couldn’t let this happen. He knew he needed to stop them. He fought to free himself once more with all his vigor, his own strength proving to be not enough to loosen his bonds. With no way to out muscle his way out, he sought to think his way free. ‘Maybe if I form a bubble, it could stretch it?’ he thought. He closed his eyes concentrated on his gemstone as it began to glow with great intensity. He opened them once again… to see both he and Amethyst still tied together in the center of pink spherical container.

“Guess we’re watching Rose and Jasper kick each other’s asses tonight…” Amethyst said in defeat, “Sorry about all this, Steven. I didn’t know how you’d feel, but I knew she wanted to apologize to you so I thought…”

“It’s not your fault.” Steven responded, “At least the audience doesn’t mind.” Outside the confines of their bubble, Steven could hear the cheering of spectators as each gem stepped into the ring, one staring down the other at their opposing ends.

At the ding of the bell Jasper was the first to strike, clenching her right hand into a tight fist aimed straight for Rose’s head. In the split second before it landed, Rose raised her arm in defense. The room erupted with the sound of a heavy, thunderous clap that rang in Steven’s ears. Loose empty candy wrappers and soda cups went flying into the air. When the dust settled, though, not only had she not moved an inch, she appeared almost completely unharmed.

Jasper froze, confused as to how Rose could still be standing, before she had noticed her fist planted firmly onto the surface of an all too familiar shield. Before she could react, Rose lurched forward, sending Jasper back with a swift uppercut to the jaw with enough force to send her tumbling backward. She scrambled to her feet, leaning against the tightrope to support herself.

“That was for all the terrible things you said to Amethyst!” Rose shouted. The blow to Jasper seemed to have taken more out of her than Steven had expected. She struggled to rise to her feet, almost stumbling as she tried to secure her footing. “Are you even listening to me?” Rose berated, reaching to grab Jasper’s shoulder.

Without pause, Jasper grabbed hold of Rose’s hand, lifting her overhead and spun around, slamming her face first onto the mat below. With no time to react, Jasper tossed her once more into the air, striking her in the face and forcing Rose to crash back down once more with an audible thud.

“You couldn’t run your own colony. You couldn’t protect those loyal to you on either side.” Jasper gloated, kicking Rose back down as she tried to stand up, “And now it seems you can’t even die right. Thankfully, I just might be able to fix that last part!”

“What’s your strategy, Jasper? Talking me to death?” Rose mocked.

Jasper’s initial annoyance soon warped as her lips curled into a wolfish grin, “Such a shame I have to mess up that pretty face of yours…” Jasper hoisted Rose to her feet once more by the collar of her shirt, backhanding her across her face.

Still with one good arm, Jasper charged in, unleashing a flurry of blows with all the fury of a wild beast. Just as it seemed each swipe was sure to hit its mark it would be bashed aside with the brunt of a shield. But despite her resilience, Steven knew each hit would only threaten to tear Rose’s defense apart that much sooner. It quickly became a war of attrition, each one waiting to see when the other would give out first.

Just as soon as Jasper began to show signs of fatigue, Rose made her move. She crouched down to the ground, her body disappearing in a spinning wheel in the likeness of her mane of pink ringlets before charging towards Jasper’s center of mass. The impact forced Rose to ricochet up into the air before crashing back down, smashing the remains of her shield over Jasper’s head, the impact forcing her to hit the ground hard. All around them, the crowd erupted in applause at the sheer spectacle of it all.

“Wait a sec. Amethyst, isn’t that one of your moves?” Steven asked.

“Yeah, all Quartzes can do that.” Amethyst said, “I guess that means Rose can, too.”

Jasper rose to her feet, her teeth clenched in frustration as Rose prepared for her next attack. They charged for one another headlong, their hands locked together in a contest of strength to see who would be the first to give out. “Look at them, Rose!” Jasper hollered, gesturing towards the crowd of onlookers, “They’re weak, scrawny little things! What is it that made you think they deserved your sympathy more than us? More than the gems that were made for you!?”

“I don’t love them more than you!” Rose pleaded, “I cared about all of you! It wasn’t fair to them that they had to die just because of my selfish desire to be like the other Diamonds. That maybe with a colony of my own, they’d listen to me!”

It wasn’t long before Jasper had forced Rose down to one knee, her resolve finally crumbling under Jasper’s “What about us!? Was what you did fair to us!?” She screamed, “WAS IT FAIR TO ME!?” Steven knew his mother was strong, but whether she was equal to Jasper was never something he ever imagined he would need to know. And if the strain she showed on her face was any sign, it seemed to not be the case.

Rose began to cry out in pain as Jasper crushed her hands. Exhausted, she was rendered utterly helpless before her opponent. “You may have a Quartz gem. But that doesn’t make you a Quartz. You’re soft and spoiled.”

A light erupted from Jasper’s gemstone. In an instant, a hammer like helmet adorned her head as she took hold of Rose’s own head. Steven couldn’t help but look away. He couldn’t bear to watch another moment of this. But all the same, his could easily piece together what was unfolding with each dull clang. He had noticed now that the entire building had gone quiet. The deafening wails of the excited crowd growing eerily silent, each showing looks of horror, disgust, and terror. The dings of the bell piercing the dead silence.

“And, uh… that’s the match, ladies and gentlemen…” Mr. Smiley said grimly.

Despite his better judgement, Steven opened his eyes once more. Rose had completely collapsed onto the mat while Jasper had fallen to her knees, both completely still as attendees began to silently shuffle out. As luck would have it, it was now he and Amethyst had finally managed to break free from their bonds. Wasting no time, they sprinted to Rose’s aid.

Steven leaped into the ring, pausing as he ran past Jasper. From her stare, he could tell she paid no mind to his presence as she seemed to look out into nothing. Part of him told him to run, but out of determination, he swallowed his fear. When he had made his way to Rose, he was shocked the damage she had suffered hadn’t forced her form to dissipate. Her body was littered in cuts and bruises all throughout, her face now sporting a large bruise atop of her forehead, a blackened left eye, and a busted lip for good measure. The sight of her was almost enough to make him erupt into outright panic.

“Mom!” Steven tearfully cried out as he tried to nudge her awake. Although dazed, she was indeed still conscious, “Steven?” she mumbled, “I’m… alright, Steven…”

From behind, Steven could hear a low rumbling noise that morphed into a cold chuckle, “I did it… I win… I beat you, Rose. You fought me on even ground. And after everything, I proved to be the superior fighter in the end…”

Rose winced in pain as she sat up straight, “Tell me Jasper. Now that you’ve won, how do you feel?”

Slowly, Jasper’s wicked grin began to melt away. Her expression shifting to one of contemplation and finally disappointment, “…Empty…” she said in utter shock and bewilderment.
Rose nodded, “Yeah, I found that out the hard way, too.”

“Wait, so you goaded me into fighting you just to prove a point?” Jasper asked, more curious than angry.

Rose shrugged, “It seemed like the only way to get it through your thick exterior.”

Jasper snickered, “Heh, then you really are a Quartz…”

Steven instinctively clung to Rose’s side, hoping his presence would deter her from inflicting any more harm. But yet, Jasper did nothing to suggest any further violence, only calmly standing up and brushing herself off before turning to leave and almost bumping into Amethyst.

“What the f-” she started to say before peeking around Jasper to see if Steven was still there before clearing her throat, “What the heck was that all for!? You acted like a total psycho!”

“Rose and I fought, I won.” Jasper said plainly, lacking the smug sense of satisfaction she possessed when declaring so earlier.

Amethyst sighed, “Look sis, I know you have issues with her, but don’t you think I’m gonna let you beat up my family like that!”

“Amethyst, dear, it’s fine.” Rose reassured, wincing in pain as she tried in vain to stand up.

“I agreed not to hurt you and Steven anymore.” Jasper said, “Not my fault that you two surround yourselves with fodder. I guess I’ll see you later…”

Without another word, Jasper left. To say their last exchange left Steven flummoxed was an understatement, but his confusion soon became drowned in worry as his attention returned to Rose, “Why did you do that!?” he cried in frustration, his flustered state moving him to tears without his notice. “She completely thrashed you, and now you’re hurt and tired and-”

With one last effort of strength, she lifted her hand to wipe away a few stray tears that had begun to trickle down his cheek. As some came to contact with her thumb it immediately began to glow. Soon enough, the damage to her body quickly faded away until finally she could stand unaided. “Steven, sweetie, I’m okay, see?” Rose reassured, cradling him in her arms.

“You shouldn’t have fought her to begin with.” Steven mumbled.

“She just needed to let off some steam.”

“I don’t like seeing the people I love get hurt…”

Rose smiled, “I know you don’t, baby. I promise I won’t do anything like this again.”

“Ya sure about that, Rose?” Amethyst said, “’Cause after tonight, I am totally willing to take back everything I may have said about ya.”

“Yeah, didn’t you call her a big marshmallow earlier?” Steven added, from the corner of his eye he could see Rose’s cheeks begin to blush as she fought to suppress a giggle.

“Well now I know she’s a pink marshmallow that could kick our asses.”

“No…” Rose whimpered, “I would never do anything to hurt my baby bear. Never ever…” Amethyst rolled her eyes as she watched Rose’s grip on Steven tighten enough to steal his breath, “C’mon, you dorks. Let’s go home…”

Before the first few glimmers of morning light began to clear away the night, the Temple beach house was already abuzz with life. The room filled with the aroma of warmed maple and fresh brewed coffee. The sound of sizzling bacon and eggs stirring its final occupant within from her slumber. With her minds still in a haze, she lumbered out of the futon mattress to crawl out of the sheets she had cocooned herself under.

“Uh… Steven?” Rose muttered, her words slightly slurred, “You’re certainly up early.”

“Sorry to wake ya up, Mom. I kinda felt bad for you last night, so Dad and I wanted to do something special for you.”

“Well, aren’t you two just sweet.”

“Steven told me about what happened.” Greg said, passing her a mug of coffee, “He also mentioned something about White Diamond.”

Rose froze, “Oh… I see.” She said, “How much did you hear, Steven?”

“Enough.” Steven admitted.

Rose sighed, “I’m sorry you had to hear any of that, sweetie.”

“Do you think you’ll ever be ready to talk to her again?” Greg asked.

“Not sure if I want to.” Rose said with a shrug, “For the past few years I’ve never even had to think about her… but lately, with what you told me of your time on Homeworld, my attempt to fuse with Pearl… after seeing her again it was like everything came rushing out. I still hated her. But when I finally told her off, I wasn’t happy.”

“Why do you think that?” Steven asked.

“It made everything I’ve done for nearly six thousand years seem like petty revenge. I thought maybe if Jasper could have her moment of vengeance, she would understand how hollow it really is…”

“Rose, I’m starting to worry about you.” Greg said, “It feels like something happens every time I look away from you and Steven.”

Rose smiled, “It’s alright, Greg. If there’s anything Steven and Amethyst learned, it’s that I can take care of myself.”

The quiet of the moment became drowned out by the creaking of the screen door, heavy footsteps striking the finished wooden floor. Steven saw his father almost flinch, his mug of coffee falling out of his hands. He turned, spotting Jasper ducking so as not to bump the top of her head against the doorframe.

Immediately, Steven rushed to Rose’s defense, wrapping his arm around her leg, “Jasper, please don’t hurt my Mom.” He begged.

“I’m not here for her.” She growled before taking a deep breath to maintain her composure, “Is… Amethyst here?”

“Not at the moment.” Rose calmly answered, “You’re welcome to join us if you’d like, my husband made coffee.”

“O-oh, right. In fact, why don’t I make another pot. Something tells me you’re a coffee drinker.” Greg stammered, trying to collect himself.

Steven wanted to relax, but after last night, he still wasn’t sure to trust this gem quite yet, “Mom?”

“It’s alright, Steven. She won’t hurt you.”

Jasper’s gaze shot to Steven before turning back to Rose, “Why does he insist on calling you that?” she asked.

“What?”

“That word. ‘Mom’.” Jasper said, “Is that some strange human term? What does that even mean?”

Rose paused, mulling over the best way to answer her question, “Well, I suppose it’s something of a title. When humans start their lives, they’re vulnerable and helpless. With no one else to turn to, they seek protection from those who bore them life.” She explained, “Usually, it’s their mother and their father. Steven and I have been through much in the brief time we’ve spent together. So it’s natural he feels safe around me.”

“Yeah?” Jasper scoffed, “Well if you want my opinion, you’re a pretty terrible mother.”

Steven looked to Rose, expecting her to look ready and willing to start their brawl anew. But instead, his mother seemed quiet and pensive.

“I know… And I’m sorry. There is nothing I can do to make things right for you. And you are right to feel angry with me. But please, don’t be like me. Don’t waste your life hating yourself forever. You have others out there that love you and want to be there for you. Like with me and my little Steven. It’s not too late for you.”
Suddenly, the room became bathed in a brilliant light for a but a moment. Once it had passed, Amethyst exited the warp pad.

“Amethyst?”

“Oh, hey sis!” Amethyst cheerfully responded, “Looks like ya finally decided to drop in. I was gonna get some donuts for the fam.”

Jasper tentatively looked to Rose, who smiled and gestured her to continue, “Could I… join you?” she asked.

“Wait, you mean?” stars danced in the small Quartz’s eyes as she realized her intention, “Aaahhhh! Dude, this’ll be awesome! They’ll be totally stoked to see ya!” she said, “But donuts first!”
In her excitement, Amethyst grabbed hold of Jasper hand, guiding her towards the door. As the two began to leave, Steven could hear more of their conversation.

“Do you think Rose will ever trust me?” Jasper asked.

“Relax, sis. I’ll try to talk down Mama Bear, y’know, make sure to have ya both on growling terms…”

“You gonna be okay having Jasper around, Mom?”

“I know she won’t hurt us.” Rose said, “And I’m sure you know she’ll be just fine with Amethyst looking after her. She’ll never forgive me, but so long as she’s happy and loved, I’ll be fine.” Now finally relieved, Steven hopped up to take a seat next to her, Greg handing the two of them a plate of food. “When I was talking to Amethyst, I didn’t hear her mention that she gave anything from her room to Jasper. But I guess she did her something, a family.”