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Chapter Text

Diamond Standard is the top fashion boutique in all of Homeworld City, but since the death of its founder, White Diamond, it also runs a side venture as a money lending business, thanks to the current owner and manager, Yellow Diamond, eldest daughter of White Diamond, and her educational background in high finance.

As one would expect, the items in this boutique were highly priced. Even a simple pair of socks would set you back several hundred. 

Her clerk, Bismuth, was looking out the window whilst washing them "You know, a lot of other stores seem to have Christmas sales going on...maybe we should do the same?"

She suddenly froze when she could feel the icy glare of her boss "Heh...J-just kidding Ma'am!"

"Oh! Ha ha ha! Yes, good one, Bismuth! As if I'd lower my prices, I mean, this dress here is made from the highest quality foreign silks, produced by several critically endangered species of spider, some of which are practically extinct already!" Yellow Diamond said in a more jovial tone.

Yellow Diamond then looked out the freshly cleaned window in disgust "I can't stand this season. Christmas, it's all a bunch of humbug! All these gaudy decorations! Gives ungrateful workers an excuse to frolic and fraternize about at the expense of their employers!"

"Heh heh, yeah..." Bismuth nervously agreed "Oh! Customers!" A young man and several woman entered the store, though from the way they were dressed, it was clear they would not be able to afford the boutique's wares.

"Hello" said The Young Man "My name is Lars Barriga, these are my associates, Padparadcha, Rutile & Rutile, Fluorite, and Rhodonite. Do we have the honor of addressing Madam White Diamond?"

"Mother's been dead this past year, you are speaking to her daughter, Madam Yellow Diamond" Yellow begrudgingly answered "If you are not here to buy something, what business have you with me? A loan?"

"Not at all! We're not here on Business, we're here on charity" said Fluorite, an elderly looking woman. "Yes, this time of year is especially harsh on those who lack what many take for granted" said Rhodonite, a younger woman with an afro "So we go around to many business owners to help create a fund to help provide those less fortunate than us with some hot food and drink." 

"So, can we count on your support? How much can we put you down for?" asked Lars. "Nothing" said Yellow. "You wish to remain anonymous?" asked Rhodonite.

"No, nothing is the amount I am willing to give you" said Yellow "I do not simply give money, I prefer to use money for its intended purpose, to exchange for something of equal value."

"But, you don't understand" said Fluorite "the poor, it's around this time of year they suffer the most. They don't have anywhere to go or any means to find food for themselves!"

"Oh dear, aren't there any prisons?" asked Yellow. "Well, there's lots of prisons" said Lars. "Have the union workhouses been shut down?" asked Yellow.

"I'm afraid they're still quite operational and still taking in more workers" Fluorite shuddered. "Oh thank goodness, I thought the institutions my taxes have been supporting had disappeared" said Yellow.

"But...you can't possibly think this way. Don't you wish to make a difference in the lives of the less fortunate!?" asked Lars.

"I have already given you my answer, I only support the institutions I have listed. Keeps the riff-raff off the street, and keeps up my property values" said Yellow "If the poor need shelter and food, they should go to the prisons or the workhouses."

"Some would rather die than go to either of those!" Rhodonite pleaded. "If they'd rather die, than they should hurry up and do it! Decrease the parasite population" Yellow Diamond said in a dismissive tone.

"Come on, this is Christmas!" Rhodonite pleaded. "Christmas is a humbug! Doesn't do anything but prevent honest citizens from doing business.Ste You've waisted my time long enough, now away with you! Go!" Yellow opened the door and pointed the way out.

Lars and his friends all left Yellow Diamond's store. "I don't think she's going to make a donation" said Padparadcha.

Just then, Yellow Diamond noticed a young man with dark curly hair approaching the shop. "My Nephew! Tell him I'm not here!" Yellow scurried into her office. 

The cheerful young man burst into the store "Heya, Bismuth! How're ya doing Ol' girl!?" he asked.

"Oh! Steven! Hi, if you're looking for Ms. Diamond, she's gone out...debt collection, you know how it is" said Bismuth. "Nonsense, she's just avoiding me as per usual" said Steven "she's in her office!"

Steven burst in through the door to Yellow's office "Auntie! Good to see you again!" "Hello Steven..." Yellow begrudgingly greeted.

"Hey now, is that any way to greet your favorite nephew?" asked Steven. "You're my only nephew" said Yellow. "And that's why I'm your favorite!" Steven joked. 

"What do you want?" Yellow asked. "Come now, I haven't come to ask you for any money or favors! I just wanted to invite you to my Christmas party tonight!" Steven offered.

"I don't do parties" said Yellow. "Well, you haven't tried them! Come on, Auntie Blue will be there!" said Steven. "Blue will be there...? Erm, I mean Oh, is that so?" said Yellow pretending to not be interested.

"Come on, I don't need anything of you. Your family, I just want to connect with you. You've been a benefactor for me as I was growing up" said Steven.

"Your father is an oaf, I didn't think I could trust him to raise a child on his own" Yellow answered dismissively. "Ah forget about it! Come on, you'll have a good time and meet my wife" said Steven.

"Which reminds me, why did you marry against my wishes?" asked Yellow. "Hey, can't blame a guy for falling in love!" Steven chuckled.

"Now you're sounding like your father..." she moaned in disgust. "Well, please, my invitation remains open, give it some thought. Merry Christmas" said Steven.

"Good afternoon" Yellow Diamond dismissed. "And a happy new year!" Steven continued. "GOOD AFTERNOON!" Yellow Diamond grumbled "Christmas is nothing more than humbug!"

Steven shrugged and headed out. "Bismuth! Bring out the strongest Vodka from my liquor cabinet!" Yellow ordered. Bismuth nodded and opened up the liquor cabinet and began to pour into a small glass.

"No! Just hand me the bottle" Yellow Diamond growled before noticing the snowy footprints Steven had tracked onto her floor "and clean the floors! I can't stand a mess in my store!" 

Bismuth nodded and took out a mop and bucket and frantically cleaned up the mess. Bismuth was terrified of making Yellow Diamond mad, sure, Yellow Diamond is mostly grouchy, but she's even worse when she is truly mad.

And soon, it was closing time Bismuth was putting on her coat. "So, uh...Ms. Diamond?" "Let me guess, you wish to show up later so you can spend time with your family" Yellow Diamond rolled her eyes.

"If that's alright" Bismuth responded nervously. "No, it's not alright, why must I allow you to show up late for work just because a damned holiday demands it" Yellow grumbled.

"I understand...it's more for the family than anything, really" said Bismuth. "Well, we're not like to get any business tomorrow anyway so you might as well take the whole day off" Yellow scoffed.

"Really? Would that be okay?" asked Bismuth. "Yes, fine! But be here two hours earlier the following day or your fired!" Yellow Threatened. "Can do, ma'am!" said Bismuth.

As soon as Bismuth was out of the store, and she was out of her boss's sight, she grinned and ran all the way home in excitement. 

Chapter Text

Yellow Diamond locked up her boutique, eager to get home. She hated all the jolliness and merriment of the fools all around her, wanting to get home to get away from it all. 

Just then, a disheveled looking man approached her "Oh, Ms. Vidalia, it's you. If you're here to pay off your loan, you can stop by when I open tomorrow, no later"

"No, I've...I've come to ask for a little more time, I'm a bit short, my paintings haven't been selling much" said Vadalia. "Did I ask you for a little more time when I gave the money?" Yellow responded.

"Well, no..." Ronaldo admitted "but...they're threatening to take my oldest son, Sour Cream to a debtors prison if I can't pay it!"

"Why should he go to a debtors prison? You're the one who can't pay" Yellow dismissively criticized "perhaps if your paintings were worth the art supplies used to make them, you wouldn't be in debt."

"But, it's Christmas!" Vidalia pleaded.

"Christmas is just a day on the calendar that someone decided was special. Just because it's around that time is no excuse for not settling debts, perhaps spend your money more wisely next time, if there is a next time." said Yellow "now, away with you!"

"Please! You don't understand! My husband hasn't been pulling in enough fish as of late! We're scraping up as much as we can just to stay in our home! Please!" Vidalia grabbed Yellow Diamond's fur coat.

She pulled her coat away from Vidalia's grasp "GET YOUR GRUBBY MITS OFF MY COAT!!! It's worth more than your house!" Yellow growled "If the debt collectors come and take your son, it should be the younger one, the one who breaks everything he sees! He's likely the reason you had to come to me for a loan in the first place!"

"He's...he's only a little boy, you can't!" Vidalia pleaded. "That's what all the irresponsible parents say" Yellow Diamond stormed off as Vidalia started sobbing. 

Yellow Diamond continued her way home, storming past a group of merry carolers "Out of my way! And stop that Caterwauling!"

One of the sadder looking carolers looked to his partner "I told you my singing was horrible, Smiley."

"Aw, don't let her get you down, that's just mean ol' Yellow Diamond, she hates everything and everyone, Frowny" Smiley assured him "I pity her to be honest, all that money, and one big empty mansion, doesn't even have any quarters for her maids. Even the ones who can't afford a home of their own. If she were to die tomorrow, nobody would miss her sorry behind."

Yellow finally made it home, relieved to be away from all the gaudy, tacky revelry and merriment. As she was about to put her key in the lock for her home, the door knob had a reflection upon it, but not that of her hand, it was of a face, not her face.

"Yellow..." she heard a voice say. She looked behind her, but nobody was there. "Must be my imagination, it had been a stressful day" said Yellow. 

She continued to unlock all the locks to her home with each and every key on her key ring. She locked all the locks once inside and then looked to the platinum chandelier in the front foyer.

The shape of the chandelier suddenly distorted to the same face she saw reflected in the doorknob, that of her mother. 

She momentarily panicked, until the chandelier had returned to normal and she breathed a sigh of relief "Perhaps I should have just had a mere shot of that vodka, rather than the full bottle." 

She went into her bedroom and went behind her Japanese changing screen and changed into her bathrobe. She lit a fire in the fireplace and made herself some warm pea soup eat by the hearth.

When suddenly, she felt a chill, an unnatural chill. The doors and windows were all shut tight, so where could this chill be coming from "Yellow...Yellow..." The same eerie voice moaned.

"Who's there!? I warn you! If you are intruding in my home, I am armed!" said Yellow as she reached into the side table drawer and pulled out a revolver. 

The rattling of chains carrying a heavy object could be heard down the hall. "Begone! I will warn you no longer! Leave, or I will fire!" Yellow warned.

A sudden gust of cold heavy wind blew the door to the lounge open, blowing away the fire. Yellow screamed in horror at the sudden gust.

A hovering white feminine specter floated in, dragging a heavy metal box tethered to heavy chains which were all wrapped around her. Yellow fired a few rounds from her revolver, but they all went through the glowing white specter as if she wasn't there at all.

"Who are you!? What do you want with me!?" Yellow Diamond asked. "You knew who I was, Yellow..." said The Ghost "And I desire much from you..."

It finally clicked in Yellow's mind, she knew the ghost that now haunts her house. "M-mother...?" Yellow muttered "No! It can't be! You....you're...!

"Dead, Indeed, I am, but now I am doomed to be a wandering spirit..." White Diamond moaned.

"No! This can't be! You...you must be a hallucination! The can my pea soup was stored in, it was probably dented! Or perhaps it was the vodka from earlier!" Yellow said in complete denial "there's no ghost here, it's all humbug!

White let out a horrible, banshee like wail! It caused the windows to burst open letting in an ominous wind, the entire room shook violently.

"Well!? Do you believe in me now!?" asked The ghost of White Diamond.

"Yes! Yes! Please! No more! Just tell me mother, what do you want? I lived how you wanted me to! I did everything you've ever asked of me!? What have I done!? What have I done to bring you from your grave!?" 

"Oh, Yellow, It is not what you have done that brings me here tonight, it is what I have done to you" said White Diamond "I have failed you, I have raised you wrong!"

"Raised me wrong? But, I've become an accomplished woman of business, just as you were!" said Yellow. White Diamond let out another horrifying, wind conjuring, room shaking, wail!

"Business!? Humanity was supposed to be my business! The welfare of those who have less than what we have was my business!" White lamented "my selfishness, my greed! My lack of Empathy! All those things have reduced me to what you see now! These chains! Look at them!"

Yellow finally noticed all the chains wrapped around her mother's ghost "Why are those chains there?"

"These are the chains I forged in life. Every act of greed and avarice added another heavy link to them, and now these heavy chains keep my bound to this world, never to move on to the next life. As a spirit bound to this earth by my own selfishness, I look upon those I ignored in life, seeing their plight, with the knowledge that I can't do anything about it anymore! It's torture, sheer torture! I lament that I could have done something when I had done nothing!" 

"I suppose that does sound awful" said Yellow "I'm...I'm terribly sorry."

"Ah, but you know not the weight of the chains you wear! You cannot see them as you yet live, but I can!" said White "but while you still live, those chains are fragile, they have yet to solidify! This is why I am here! To tell you that you still have a chance to break those chains! You can be spared my fate!"

"Mother, in life you've never been this merciful. Thank you! What is it I must do?" asked Yellow. "Tonight, you will be visited by three spirits..." White informed her.

"I...I think I may have had one too many already" Yellow commented.

"I pray you take this seriously, Yellow! You do not want to share my fate! I have been a terrible mother! Tonight, Christmas Eve, is the one chance I have to make things right! Expect the first spirit when the clock strikes seven!" 

Chapter Text

Ghosts, what rubbish, utter humbug. That's what Yellow Diamond tried to convince herself of, but the windows were open, even cracked slightly, the fire was out. 

All this caused by White's ghostly wail. But even so, Yellow found herself exhausted by the whole ordeal and went to the one comfortable place in the manor, her bedroom.

Previously belonging to her mother, but with her mothers stuff replaced with her own belongings. Her mothers warning of three other spirits frightened her.

But she still tried convince herself it was a dream as she climbed into bed as she usually did, Yellow preferred going to bed early, despite not being a superstitious person, she believed in the idea of beauty sleep.

But that was when she heard the BONG! of her grandfather clock and a faint glow suddenly appeared behind her bedcurtains of her canopy. 

Her curtains opened like magic and in front of her bed was a new female ghost, but unlike her mother's ghost, this one appeared younger. Her glow, unlike Yellow's mother's, was rather warm.

She had a rather conical nose and a pearl embedded in her forehead "Are you the first of the spirits my mother warned me about?" Yellow asked, cowering behind her blankets.

"Yes, but there is no need to fear me. My name is Pearl, and I am The Ghost of Christmas Past" The Ghost said in a calm, peaceful tone. 

"Christmas past? Please don't tell me you're going to give me a long lecture of the history of this humbug holiday..." Yellow moaned.

Pearl merely giggled "Oh heavens me, of course not! I'm the ghost of your history with this holiday! Come now! Out of bed! We're going on a little journey down memory lane!" 

"I'm sorry, but I can't go for a walk right now, I'm already in my mightclothes" Yellow tried to refuse. "Oh nonsense, you'll be fine as you are, now, grab my hand!" said Pearl.

"I don't think I want to" But Yellow was ignored as Pearl grabbed Yellow's hand and in a flash of light, she found herself outside in broad daylight! 

Yellow shrieked in humiliation "Augh! Where are we? How did we get here!? AAAH! I'm wearing my skimpiest nightclothes! I'm not wearing anything under these things! If even the slightest breeze were to blow under me, people will see...everything!"

Pearl giggled ever so innocently "Don't worry, these are merely the shadows of things that have been, not even a breeze will effect you. And even if it did, nobody will be able to see or hear us! We are merely here to observe, do you recognize where we are?"

Yellow looked around, it was a winter landscape out in the country, behind them was a rather elegant looking building "This...this was my boarding school." 

"Yes, and it appears all the students have returned for the holidays" Pearl commented. "Not all of them..." Yellow lamented as she pointed to the nearest window to a younger version of herself, all alone in a classroom.

"My mother wanted me to be a distinguished businesswoman just like her, and wanted nothing more than for me to focus on my studies...and she thought me being held over for the holidays was the right thing to do" said Yellow.

Pearl grabbed Yellow's hand again and suddenly they were in the very classroom. "But this year was different, wasn't it?" asked Pearl. Suddenly a girl with long hair entered the classroom.

"Blue!?" The Teenage Yellow exclaimed "What are you doing here?" "I'm here to bring you home! Mother says it's alright for you to come home for the holidays!" Teenage Blue Diamond answered.

"Blue, my twin sister. Mother wanted us both to be like her, but she saw more potential in me and gave up on Blue, she was practically ignored" said Yellow.

"Then how did she convince your mother to let you come home?" asked Pearl. "She didn't, it was my younger sister..." said Yellow. "Yellow!" said a young girl coming into the room all excitedly.

"Oh Yellow, you won't believe it! Pink actually convinced Mother to allow you to come home!" said Teen Blue. "Yeah! I didn't even need to beg!" said Pink. 

"Pink, Mother always had a soft spot for her" Yellow reminisced. "Was she her favorite?" asked Pearl.

"No, Pink was born with a delicate constitution, she had a frail heart, she was clinically dead five minutes after she was born, luckily the doctor hadn't left our home yet and was able to revive her" said Yellow "for the first four years of her life, she was frail and sickly...she got healthier around her fifth birthday thanks to a then new heart tonic the doctor had prescribed. I think it was just about the only time I saw mother care for anyone other than herself."

Pearl waved her hand and again they were transported elsewhere in the past, this time, they were in The Basement of Diamond Manor, where the younger version of herself and her siblings were surrounding a lantern.

"This was where me and my sisters would have our secret Christmas Parties. Mother wasn't one for the holidays, just like...how I am now. I mean, it wasn't anything like a real party, just the three of us staying up past our bedtime, right after mother was asleep."

"Yellow, you've been carrying around that box ever since you got home" said Pink "what's in it?" "It's something for you. A present!" said Teen Yellow. 

"A present!? Really!? Oh thank you, Yellow!" said Pink as she excitedly opened the box and took out a makeshift doll. "I made her out of some odds and ends I found in the supply closet at school" said Teen Yellow. 

"Oh thank you Yellow!" Pink hugged the doll "I'm going to call her, Spinel!" "What a lovely name!" said Blue. "But wait, I'm the only one who got a present...what about the two of you?" asked Pink.

"We already got our gifts, mine was that Yellow got to come home" said Blue. "And mine was to be here with the two of you" said Yellow. "But...are those even real presents?" asked Pink.

"Oh Pink, a gift doesn't always have to be an object" said Teen Yellow "sometimes a gift, can merely be a moment in time. Like spending time with the people you care about."

"And to think, look at what become of that young idealistic girl you once were" said Pearl. "I was but a teenager, a young fool" Yellow stubbornly responded.

"You loved Pink...but one day, when she was all grown up, she fell in love with a man" said Pearl. "No...you wouldn't..." Yellow glared at her.

"She became with child...your mother disowned her" Pearl continued. "No! Don't you dare!" Yellow warned.

"While the heart tonic did help with most of her life, in the end, childbirth proved too much for her" Pearl continued as once again, Yellow and Her were whisked away to another time and place.

It was a room in a small house at the edge of town. Pink, now in her early 20s, was frail and worse than sickly, lying in bed at the brink of death. Blue and Greg, the father of Pink's newborn child, sat at her bedside

A 30 year old Yellow Diamond came bursting in "Pink! It's me! Sorry I'm late! You know how mother is!" "Yellow..." Pink said weakly.

"Please spirit! I, I've already witnessed this once, I can't witness it again! Please!" Present Day Yellow pleaded. But Pearl remained silent. 

"The...the doctor says...I...I am not long...for this world. Giving...birth...my heart...it couldn't take it..." Pink murmured. "Now, now, don't think like that" said Young Yellow in an assuring voice "you will get through this, and then me and Blue will find a nicer house for you and...the father of your child, to live in."

"But...if I do die...I want you to promise me..." "But you won't die! With my meager earnings as mother's apprentice, I can find a decent enough doctor that can fix you right up!" Young Yellow kept assuring her out of denial.

"Yellow...please...listen..." Pink moaned with tears streaming down her cheeks "you...and Blue...must...promise me..." but she couldn't finish her sentence, her arm going limp as she lay there in silence.

"Pink...no...please, Pink! Don't be dead! Pink..." Yellow sobbed, gritting her teeth. Her sobbing was interrupted by the crying of a baby in a crib at the other end of the room. 

Yellow got up to leave, Greg tried to console her, but Yellow shoved him aside, stopped a moment to glare at the crying infant, then left.

"Spirit, why did you show me this again?" said Present Day Yellow "It was already hard enough to..." she was interrupted by Pink's moaning "Yellow...Blue...Promise me...you'll help...Greg look after my boy...promise me...promise me..." 

This time, when Pink stopped talking, she was dead for real. Present Day Yellow began to tear up upon hearing the words she had missed "Oh...Pink...that was your last wish and I didn't listen. Forgive me, Pink! Please....forgive me!"

"It is time we head on to our last stop on memory lane, Yellow" Pearl said in a more sympathetic tone. 

This time, Pearl took Yellow Diamond to her office a year after the death of her youngest sister. "Yellow, are you sure you don't want to come?" asked Blue "It's little Steven's first birthday."

"You think I don't know that? You've been pestering me about it for the past five hours" said Younger Yellow "I'm very busy!" "Too busy for our nephew?" asked Blue "Yellow, this little boy is all that's left of her, certainly that must count for something! Don't you care at all!?" 

"I set up a trust fund for the boy" Young Yellow said dismissively "he'll be able to collect upon it once he reaches the age of manhood." 

"You honestly think giving him money is enough!? This boy is still our family and you treat him like an annoyance! Yellow, ever since we lost Pink, it's like you've become a different person. So cold, so distant, it's like you're becoming mother!" 

"Well, if that's how you feel, then you can just leave!" Young Yellow growled.

"You know what? I will. I apprenticed under mother too, you know! I've made enough to buy the kind of house you said we'd buy together as kids!" said Blue "and unlike you, I'm going to be present in our nephew's life! And with my guidance, you'll never find a better gentleman than Steven!"

"And was Blue true to her words?" asked Pearl. "Well, he's not at my level of financial success, but, he's much more well off than my clerk, Bismuth" said Yellow "Steven has a good enough house and good enough employment. And his trust fund that I set up for him seems to be helping him out as well. Thinking back on what Blue said about our childhood dream, Steven seems to be living that foolish childhood dream of ours."

"Yes, and he is throwing parties every Christmas Eve as well" said Pearl "Real parties, not just hiding out in the basement. I believe he has invited you every year since he moved into that good enough house of his, am I wrong?"

"No, you're not wrong...he even invited me to every major milestone of his life" said Yellow "Including his wedding." "You also said he's much more well off than your clerk, why is that?" asked Pearl.

"Well...I do pay her minimum wage" said Yellow. "But is that enough to meet the cost of living in Homeworld City?" asked Pearl. "Well...I..." Yellow stammered.

Pearl pulled out an hourglass from the gem on her head "Oh! It appears our time is up! Sorry our journey ends here" said Pearl as she disappeared like a candle being blown out, and Yellow's surroundings transformed back into her own bedroom. 

She heard a clanging coming from the kitchen, followed by the sound of very loud eating. Yellow suspected it was either a burglar, a stray dog or cat wandering in or the second spirit.

Chapter Text

Yellow Diamond took out her revolver and put on her bathrobe as she went downstairs to take on the intruder in her kitchen. She rushed into the kitchen "Don't move, intruder!"

There she saw a purple imp wearing a large purple robe with a fur lining that was way too big for her. The Imp's hair was long and messy and she held in her hand one turkey leg as she raided the pantry.

"What? Being The Ghost of Christmas Present is hungry work!" The Imp said. "You're the second spirit?" asked Yellow.

"Yup! Name's Amethyst! Ghost of Christmas Present! And by present, I don't mean gifts!" The Spirit joked. "I figured that much already..." Yellow commented.

"Wasn't what were you expecting, was I? Still, bet you've never seen the likes of me before!" Amethyst said in a rather jovial tone. "I dare say I have not..." Yellow said in a more annoyed tone.

"But man, you gotta restock your food supply, all I see is a bunch of boring old health foods. You must be going hungry. Thankfully I still have this turkey leg, want a bite?" Amethyst offered. 

"No, I'm trying to preserve my figure. It takes a lot of work to look as good as I do at my age" Yellow said in a not so humble tone.

"All that work into looking as fine as you do, but you have no friends to show off your looks too, how sad" Amethyst criticized.

Yellow couldn't help but silently agree with her, as much as she hated to admit it, she had a great social standing, but no social life. But why is this bothering her now? she wondered, it hadn't before.

"Well, now that I've got your attention, I suppose I should get to work!" said Amethyst "Come on, let's get going Yellow D." "No" Yellow Diamond send in an uncharacteristically polite tone.

"What do you mean, "no"?" asked Amethyst "haven't you learned anything from Pearl?"

"I...I believe I have figured out what you're trying to do here but...I'm simply too old to change. Why don't you offer your services to one more younger and promising than me?" Yellow said in excuse.

"Nonsense! You're able bodied, able minded, you've got no excuse! You're not too old, you're too stubborn, that's what you are" Amethyst judged "now come on, we're burning daylight...well, technically it's nighttime but you get the idea. Come, touch my robe!"

"Fine..." Yellow realized it was futile to refuse this spirit, she seemed more brash and upfront than the first one. So she grabbed Amethyst's robe and all of the sudden, she found herself floating.

They were floating up and up, phasing through the ceiling of the kitchen, the ceiling of her bathroom, and eventually even through the roof of her house, before Yellow knew it, she was flying over the city. 

She had never truly seen the city at night, but the twinkling sparkles of the streetlights and the lights of houses enchanted Yellow.

"Attention all passengers, we're about to make the first stop in our tour of Christmas Present" Amethyst announced as they descended towards a house that was not as big as Yellow's but still rather large.

"Alright, let's come on in" said Amethyst. "Wouldn't it be rude for us to just barge in to someone else's home?" asked Yellow. "Relax, like with your journey with Pearl, nobody will notice nothing" said Amethyst.

Yellow wanted to point out how grammatically incorrect she was being but decided it was best not to correct her. Inside the house, there was laughter from many people coming from the main common room of the house.

There appeared be a rather lavish party going on, with plenty of guests standing around a man Yellow recognized, her nephew, Steven.

"And after refusing my invitation, get this, she called Christmas humbug!" Steven joked towards his guests as they all laughed. "The Christmas Party you refused to go to, now you're here" said Amethyst.

"Oh Steven, I wonder why you keep on inviting your crusty old aunt when she keeps refusing every year" said one of Steven's friends.

"Because, Buck, she's still family. And even though she says she wants nothing to do with me, she's been an ever silent supporter of me for most of my life. Why, I was even able to attend Homeworld University because of her."

Yellow felt a bit touched. "You always felt it was a waste of money, giving your sister's kid financial aid. But look at him, he's clearly grateful because of it, and living his best life" Amethyst commented.

"And if I hadn't gone to Homeworld University, I wouldn't have met this beauty right here" said Steven as he hoisted his arm around a young woman around his age "Isn't that right, Connie."

"Steven Universe, we've been married for five months, and you still try to charm me as if you were trying to score your first date with me" Connie joked. 

"That's only because you're still as lovely as the day I met you, my dear" said Steven before the couple shared a kiss.

"So, that's who he married. Well, she's quite the charming woman, I'll give her that" said Yellow. An old man whom Yellow recognized as Steven's father approached Steven with a piece of paper

"Hey, Steven, you got a telegram from your Aunt Blue" said Greg as he handed it to Steven. Steven read through it and looked disappointed. 

"Aw, she can't make it. Too wrapped up at the soup kitchen" said Steven. "I'm sorry, Steven, I know how much you look forward to seeing her" said Greg.

"Nah, she's needed elsewhere, nothing I can do about that" said Steven "besides, the work she does around this time of year is admirable." 

Yellow seemed sad by this news as well, she had hoped to see Blue there as Steven said she'd be there. "Well, since Aunt Blue can't make it, let's get the party started" said Steven.

Music had began to play as Steven and his wife began dancing and everyone joined in on the festivities. It was then that Greg noticed two men looking inside from the window. 

He went to the front door to speak to him unbeknownst to the rest of the party guests. Amethyst urged Yellow to follow him.

"Marty...Kevin...hey" said Greg. Marty and Kevin, Yellow recognized those two, they were people in the money lending business like she was. Although those two have a reputation of being worse than she was when it came to collecting on loans.

They were also owners of a gambling parlor, you can take out a small loan with them in their loan office, beat them in a game of chance at their parlor and your debt will be cancelled.

On paper, it seems like a reasonable system, on paper, but the games are rigged. The cards were all marked. And if one of their debtors loses the games of chance, their debt is increased to well beyond the original loan. 

Some would say, Kevin and Marty were worse than Yellow was. And that wasn't worst of it, Greg was a problem gambler, and Yellow knew that if Greg took a loan from them, he more than likely played those rigged games of chance at Marty's gambling parlor.

"Hey, Greg, how's it going?" asked Marty. "We want our money, old man!" said Kevin. "Now, now, Kevin, remember what I said always keep cool about this" said Marty.

"Alright, look...I'm short this month, but come on, I gave you the deed to my house as collateral, that's got to count for something" said Greg.

"True, your shack is worth...two payments, alright, we'll let it slide for this month" said Marty "say, wanna come over to the parlor. Who knows, this time you might get lucky!"

"Gee, he just might be, a black cat did cross our path on the way over here" said Kevin. "Yeah, sure, my luck's gotta turn around somehow" said Greg as he followed along behind them.

"No, you fool! They're swindlers! Their cards are all marked!" Yellow called out to Greg in vain. "Gee, I didn't think you cared" said Amethyst "even so, they can't see or here us, we're essentially nonexistent here. Well, our business here is done anyway, onward and upward!"

Amethyst grabbed Yellow's arm and flew all the way to a more poorer part of town. A lone woman was working in the kitchen of the next home they visited.

"Where are we now?" asked Yellow. "You'll find out" said Amethyst "In three...two...one..." The front door swung open and in came Yellow's clerk, Bismuth, with a young child riding upon her shoulders.

"Honey, we're home!" said Bismuth as she let the child down off her shoulders and handed the child a crutch. "Mama Lapis!" The crutch baring child hobbled towards The woman.

"Peridot, how was your day, darling?" Lapis asked.

"Lot's of fun, the windows in the toy store were amazing! Me and some of the kids in the neighborhood even slid down on the icy hills!" said Peridot.

"I hope they weren't playing too rough" said Lapis. "No, from what I could see, the kids were gentle enough with her" said Bismuth. "So is dinner ready?" asked Peridot.

"Not just yet, dear. A few more minutes, why don't you go read your favorite book by the fire?" Lapis suggested. "Yay!" Peridot ran over to read her favorite book, The Camp of The Pining Heart.

Peridot excitedly read her book until she started violently coughing, to which Bismuth and Lapis immediately ran to her aid, supporting her until the violent coughing subsided.

"S-sorry" Peridot apologized. "Hey, no need to be sorry. Here let me wipe that off you" said Bismuth as she wiped Peridot's face. Yellow looked on in concern at the sickly complexion of the child. 

"This child is very sick...not a cold, but worse" said Yellow "Spirit...will, will this child be alright? Will little Peridot live?" "Sorry, I can't see the future, I only live in the present..." said Amethyst, who didn't look so good herself.

"Spirit...?" asked Yellow. "But I hear her whisper of a crutch without in owner, leaning against an empty stool" said Amethyst. "You hear "her" whisper? Who are you talking about?" asked Yellow.

"The one who will replace me soon enough..." said Amethyst as her robe was now closed and appeared to be taller "her name is Garnet, she is the Ghost of Christmas Yet To Come...my time grows short, come with me...outside."

Amethyst led Yellow outside into the middle of the street "Spirit, no, Amethyst, are you alright?" Amethyst, with a more aged appearance opened her robe, revealing that she was standing on two imps.

One imp was red, the other, blue. "Are these friends of yours?" asked Yellow.

"No, they are creations of humanity's worse qualities. The Blue on is Sapphire, the personification of want. The Red one, Ruby, represents ignorance. Beware them both, but most of all, beware what Ruby represents..." Amethyst said in a more wise tone. 

"Why do they cling to you?" asked Yellow. "These parasites cling to me for protection around this time of year..." said Amethyst.

"They look like they're starving...have they nowhere else to go?" asked Yellow. But no answer came from Amethyst, she simply faded away like she was never there at all, leaving her all alone on the street with Ruby and Sapphire.

"Are there no prisons?" asked Ruby. Her question irked Yellow in disgust, she had spoken these very words. "Are there no workhouses?" asked Sapphire. 

Yellow had become terrified by the two little imps copying her words. And then, Ruby and Sapphire began to put their hands together and danced while chanting "Are their no prisons? Are there no workhouses? Are there no prisons? Are their no workhouses?"

They continued dancing and chanting until they got closer and closer together, melding together in a flash of magenta light! 

When the light dissipated, the imps were gone. And in their place was a dark red figure, her eyes obscured by some sort of visor, her hair was in a square formation.

This figure simply looked down her nose at Yellow, like a judge before an accused. "You must be Garnet...The Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come, am I correct?" Yellow asked.

Garnet simply nodded, not saying a single word. Her silence sent shivers down Yellow's spine.

"I have been hesitant with the last two spirits...but...I realize now there's no sense protesting. You are here to show me what is to come, so that it may help me become a better person...very well...lead on..." said Yellow

Chapter Text

The Ghost of Christmas Future said nothing to Yellow Diamond as she silently led her to the Headquarters of Homeworld City's Chamber of Commerce, to which Yellow Diamond was a member of.

There she saw Kevin and Marty talking. "So, she dies, you take her place. Congratulations boss!" said Kevin.

"Heh, most people are sad when someone dies, but when that broad died, practically everyone who knew her celebrated" Marty remarked "she didn't even have a will, so the government is taking all her fortune and possessions! Or at least, whatever they can get their hands on before the scalpers can!"

"Scalpers?" asked Kevin. "Yeah, there are people going to her old place and taking what they can and selling it on the black market!" said Marty.

"And before her funeral...if there is one. Nobody would come if they did, she had no friends" said Kevin. "I'd go if there's food provided. Never could say "no" to a free meal" said Marty

The men all laughed as they walked away. "Spirit? Who are they talking about?" asked Yellow, but Garnet did not answer. Frankly, she found her silence disturbing. 

Yellow was beginning to miss the past two spirits, at least their methods of travel were much more convenient and fast. 

With Garnet, it was a simple walk. As Yellow looked around, she felt uncomfortable in this part of town, this was the underbelly of the city. 

You'd never find a more retched hive of scumbags, thugs, swindlers and vultures. Garnet led Yellow a rather decrepit old building, The Black Market.

Officially, the building is considered legally abandoned, which is why the black market moved into the building.

And because like with Amethyst, The Ghost of Christmas Present, she couldn't be seen or heard as if she didn't exist, they were able to enter the building without having to give out a password she didn't know.

Yellow felt even more uncomfortable in the black market than she did out of it, but she saw a booth that caught her interest, Ronaldo, owner of pawn shop was running the booth and he appeared to be doing business with someone.

Two woman, one of which she recognized as her cleaning lady, Aquamarine, and a friend of hers wearing an eyepatch. "So, here we have her bed curtains, rungs and all!" said Aquamarine.

"And her frilly, skimpy nightclothes!" said Her friend with the eyepatch, presenting nightclothes similar to Yellow's. Ronaldo inspected the curtains and nodded and then inspected the nightclothes and sniffed them rather sensually.

"Eew, you're a freak, Mr. Ronaldo!" said Aquamarine. "What did you expect? I sell stuff that once belonged to dead people!" said Ronaldo as he and the two woman laughed.

Yellow was disturbed but thankful that she was being led out of the building and right to the district where Bismuth lived. Looking into Bismuth's house, she saw Lapis, looking all miserable.

Bismuth came back "Hey..." "Bismuth, you're home late..." said Lapis. "Yeah, guess I don't have the same pep in my step as I used to" Bismuth lamented.

"Well, dinner's ready" said Lapis. "Thanks...oh, uh, Lapis, are we having company?" asked Bismuth. Lapis looked at the third plate at the table.

"Oh dear...I did it again didn't I?" asked Lapis. "It's okay, you've been setting the table for three for so long, it's an easy mistake" said Bismuth. 

Lapis finally broke down and hugged her partner "Oh Bismuth, I miss her so much!" "I know, so do I..." said Bismuth "I remember when we bought her home the day we adopted her, how happy she was."

"We didn't have much to offer her, but she was happy enough to have a family" Lapis reminisced. "Little Peridot...she died?" asked Yellow "Spirit! Tell me, is this really THE future or just a possible one?"

Garnet simply stared and pointed onward down the road. She heard a woman screaming down the road, out of concern, Yellow ran down to catch it.

Debt Officers were capturing a person as collateral for a debt payment, and this woman being captured she recognized from moments ago, Steven's wife!

"What are you guys doing!? We're not in any debt!" said Steven being held back by other officers. "You didn't, but your old man was! And since your his next of kin, you inherit it!" said Kevin.

"But, that's not fair!" said Connie "you can't do this!" "Life ain't fair, lady" Kevin mocked. "But...she's with child!" said Steven.

"Then you can visit her, and your kid will learn that their father's a loser who couldn't pay his debt, which is why they've been born a loser" Kevin said with a malicious smirk.

Connie was placed in the horse drawn prison coach which then carried her off to the debtor's prison. Steven was now all alone on the street, falling to his knees in disbelief.

"I'll get you back, Connie...I swear it" Steven declared "I don't care what I have to do, I don't care who I have to step on!" Yellow noticed a small chain forming around Steven...he was going to become like her.

"No! Steven! Please, I...I can fix this!" Yellow cried out in vain "This can't be happening! Steven, please, don't become like me!"

She suddenly felt herself draped by Garnet's dark robe as she suddenly found herself transported into a graveyard. 

"Spirit! Why can't you speak to me! Are these the shadows of what will be or what might be!? And why are we in a graveyard?" Yellow asked.

But Garnet did not answer, remaining ever stoic. She merely pointed at the grave behind Yellow. Yellow looked to the grave and saw her own name marked on it.

Yellow let out a cry of horror and dread "Nooooo! I can't be dead! No! I was supposed to fix these problems, wasn't I? How can I fix this if I'm dead!?"

The ground opened up beneath her and she fell into the open grave "Spirit! Please! Send me back! Take me back! I can't be dead! I have to fix this! I have to stop all of this from happening! I understand! I understand why I went through everything I have been through tonight! It was to help me become better, to be better! I will cherish and honor Christmas! I will be more generous to those around me! Everything you have shown me! I will stop this all from happening! I know what I must do! Please! Take me back! I beg of you! Take me back!"

"Wake up..." she heard an ominous voice say. "Wh-what?" asked Yellow. Suddenly, she found the spirit gazing down to her at eye level "Wake. Up." 

Chapter Text

Yellow Diamond was tossing and turning in her bed "I will do better! Take back! Take me back!" she then suddenly rolled out of her bed, the sudden fall woke her up.

"Huh?" Yellow looked around. She was back in her bedroom, it was morning. "I'm...I'm back!" Yellow said in relief "but what day is it?" she scrambled to her bedroom window and looked at the neighborhood around her.

"You there! What day is it today!?" She asked a child below her. "It's Christmas Day!" said The Kid.

"Christmas Day! The Spirits! They did all in one night! That means I still have time to fix everything!" Yellow said with childish glee "Hey! Do you know that big turkey at the Bucher Shop's Window? Is it still for sale?"

"Why yes it is!" said The Child. "Oh! Then if you'd like to earn some extra spending money, I'd like to have special order that turkey as a gift to a friend of mine!" said Yellow "Hold on! I'll send you all you'll need!"

Yellow than scrambled downstairs, remembering to put on her robe and came out and told the boy all he needed to do, and wrote a cheque to pay for the turkey and instructions as to where to send it.

"And if you can do it and get back here in five minutes, I'll give you double what I said I'd pay you!" Yellow promised. "Alright!" said The Child as he ran off to the butcher's direction. 

"That actually felt nice...heh heh, I wonder if Bismuth will figure out it's from me!" Yellow said in a rather giddy tone "This...this actually feels nice."

Much later, at Bismuth's home, she was surprised by a sudden turkey delievery "But, I didn't order a turkey" "Well, somebody did and it's all been paid for" The Deliveryman said.

Bismuth looked at the card that came with the turkey, the delivery address matched her own address. When she turned it over, she found a message written on the back.

"A little gift for the holidays! Merry Christmas! See you tomorrow" The message read. "Huh? I wonder who could have sent it" said Lapis. 

"And "See me tomorrow" but I have work tomorrow...it couldn't be from Ms. Diamond, could it?" asked Bismuth. The couple looked at each other and both said "Nah!"

"Could you imagine if it was?" Lapis laughed. "Yeah, I'd eat my shoe for dinner tomorrow if it was" Bismuth remarked.

At Steven's home, he heard a knocking at the door. Answering the door, Steven was surprised to see "Auntie Yellow!" Steven immediately hugged her, and to his surprise, she hugged him back.

"Steven, I've come to apologize for not coming to your party last night, and all other parties you've invited me to" said Yellow "and...well, I know this is sudden, but I was wondering if could join you and your wife this evening for dinner?"

"Auntie Yellow...Of course you can!" Steven said in a tone of disbelief. Connie came down the hall to see what was going on "Connie, you won't believe this, Auntie Yellow wants to come over for dinner?"

"Hi! Steven has told me so much about you. I'm Connie" Steven's wife introduced herself. "I'm surprised he did, I wasn't as present in his life as much as I should have. But I've had some time to reflect and now I wish to change all that, if I am welcome."

"Of course! All our families are coming over" said Connie. "Yellow? Is that you?" asked a familiar voice. "Blue!" said Yellow "Blue, it's been ages! I...I'm sorry for, well, a lot of things..."

"Oh, Yellow, forget all of that, you're back! The real you!" Blue said as she hugged her sister.

It was then that Yellow noticed Greg coming down the stair "Oh, Gregory, I need a word with you" said Yellow. "Ah! Yellow, what do you want!?" asked Greg.

"I spoke with that Marty and Kevin you owe money to, and long story short, a new creditor owns your debt, me" said Yellow, holding up a contract. "Oh no...Look, please, I...I don't have the money yet and..." Greg pleaded.

"You won't need the money, except to use it more wisely next time and hold back on the gambling" said Yellow as she ripped up the contract "you can consider your debt cancelled. Just no more dealings with those two con artists, got it?"

"Y-yes ma'am!" said Greg "Thanks! You really got my out of a dilly of a pickle. No more gambling for me!"

The next morning, Bismuth was scrambling into work. When she got inside she noticed the store was empty until she heard a shout of "BISMUTH!"

Bismuth winced and came into her boss's office, shuddering in anticipation. Yellow sat there at her desk with a stern glare at Bismuth "S-sorry Ms. Diamond! I was...I was making rather merry yesterday, I guess I got to bed a little late! It...it won't happen again!"

"Indeed it won't. And I will make sure of that! Bismuth, the way things are cannot continue" said Yellow in a much angrier tone "I'm sorry Bismuth...but I'm afraid I'm going to have to raise your salary."

"No, Ms. Diamond, please don't! I've got a family to support and...did you just say you're going to raise my salary?" asked Bismuth.

Yellow's facade broke as she began to laugh "You should have seen the look on your face! You thought I was going to fire you! Ha ha ha!" 

"Wh-what's going on?" asked Bismuth. "I was serious about raising your salary, though" said Yellow "look, I haven't exactly been the best of employers, don't deny it. But I hope to change that starting today."

"Are you for real? Or is this another joke?" asked Bismuth.

"No, I'm being very serious about this. Bismuth, I've had a few epiphanies this last Christmas, among those epiphanies I realized how much I've undermined your value in this store, and not just because you've been my only employee" said Yellow "you work hard to make sure your family has a roof over their heads and food in their bellies...and I wish to make the task easier for you, if you'll let me."

"Ms. Diamond, I...I don't know what to say" said Bismuth "this generosity of yours...it's so sudden, It's almost hard to believe!"

"Well, want me to pinch you to prove that you're not dreaming?" asked Yellow. "No, that...that will be fine! If what you're saying is true...than, I might be able to take Peridot to a doctor!" said Bismuth.

"Oh? Is your child sick? I must not have noticed" said Yellow, pretending she hadn't seen what she'd been shown by Amethyst.

"In any case, I happen to know a particularly good doctor" said Yellow "I'll give you the address, tell him to send the bill to me." "No, sorry, Ms. Diamond but I can't afford a loan from you!" said Bismuth.

"Oh, it won't be a loan, it will be a grant" said Yellow. "A grant, you mean like a loan I don't have to pay back?" asked Bismuth. 

"Yes, now, go on, that will be your only duty for today, take your Little Peridot to a doctor at once!" said Yellow. "Yes ma'am!" Bismuth happily ran out the window. 

Yellow looked in the mirror and smiled "Oh, I feel like I have no right to be so happy...I just am!" 

And so, Yellow Diamond was better than her word. Her reputation had turned into a positive one amongst the people of Homeworld City.

The kindness and generosity that was synonymous with the holiday season remained in her heart, not just for the Christmas season, but for all seasons. 

Peridot, with several repeated visits to the doctor, eventually became fully healthy. Steven was happy to have his full family reunited, and eventually welcomed a new edition to it in the form of a beautiful baby girl. 

Bismuth, Lapis and Peridot were finally able to live comfortably. And Yellow Diamond eventually took Bismuth on as an apprentice and adapted some of her ideas into the store.

And Yellow Diamond had become as good a person as one could hope to be.