Chapter Text
Clang. Jasper’s helmet collides with Stevonnie’s shield. Amethyst’s gem lay on the ground, having been poofed by the taller quartz soldier. Lion scares away the corrupted gem, making it a straight fight between the gem and the fusion. They charge each other, and just as Jasper is about to land a blow that could be lethal to both components of Stevonnie, they unfuse as Steven pushes Connie away.
Thud. The sound of Steven’s body breaking as Jasper attacks with both her fist and her weapon. The pink gem seems to absorb Steven’s broken body as Connie watches on in horror. She has no idea if the young hybrid can come back like the other Crystal Gems. She hopes he can. She positions herself between Steven’s gem and the seemingly shocked Jasper.
Thump. Jasper falls to her knees in shock. She takes a moment before she stands up, angry. Amethyst reforms, concerned for Steven and Connie. “Steven, Connie, I’m back. Everything’s going to be fi-” She stops talking as she sees the situation. Jasper angrier than Amethyst has ever seen her; Connie is standing over a gem a familiar shade of pink. But the gem, instead of the quartz gem she expected, it looked more like a diamond. But Amethyst couldn’t think about that right now.
Crack. Amethyst lashed her whip towards Jasper. “What did you do to Steven?” She was angry, but also on the verge of tears. She shouldn’t have let this happen. She should’ve been better than this. If she had just been stronger… What if he doesn’t come back?
Hum. The pink gem on the ground starts to resonate as it projects a light form, flashing through its previous forms, starting with a very tall woman, to the familiar forms of Rose Quartz and Steven Universe, before the Gem reforms into a nearly 13-foot-tall pink feminine figure.
Gasp. Everyone on this beach was shocked for different reasons. The pink figure looked at their arms before running to the water to look at their reflection. Connie follows after to try to determine if this figure is her best friend or some other gem. Amethyst glances between the new figure and Jasper, who is saluting the pink gem???
“Steven, is that you?” Connie asks cautiously. Worried that this new shape might mean that Steven is gone forever.
“I-it’s me, Connie,” Steven said, more freaked out than he had ever been. “W-what happened to me?” His mind was racing. He understood that he had somehow gotten poofed, but he didn’t understand why he looked like this. He should still look like himself or maybe his mother, but Rose Quartz didn’t look like this.
“My Diamond,” Jasper said, still saluting the young boy. Steven glanced towards the two quartz gems, still panicking. They couldn’t face Jasper right now, not when they didn’t know what was going on. Steven picked up Connie and Amethyst without thinking and ran away, leaving Jasper on the beach. “What did the traitors do to you, My Diamond?”
Steven knew that running home wasn’t far enough, so he just keeps running until they ended up at the barn. “Steven, buddy, calm down,” Amethyst said, trying to comfort the boy who was now about three times her height.
Steven collapses to the ground, trying to catch a breath he no longer needs. “I don’t understand what’s going on. And I-I panicked”
“Maybe Peridot or Pearl can help,” Connie offered. “They are the smartest gems we know. “Peridot! Can you come out here? We have a bit of a problem.” Steven had stood up again at this point.
The green gem walks out of the barn with Lapis following behind her. “What’s going on-?” She looks towards the three visitors before stopping on Steven’s gem. “Ack! A diamond!”
Lapis looked like she was about to flee. Or fight. Or something. “Wait, Peridot, Lapis. It’s me, it’s Steven.” Lapis and Peridot both stopped their panicking long enough to look confused.
“Steven, but how is that possible?” Peridot asked, already about to switch to her scientific mode. “You had an organic form and a Rose Quartz Gem. You don’t look like Steven at all.”
“We were fighting Jasper and… and I died or poofed, I guess. I didn’t think I could do that, and when I woke up I was like this, and I think Jasper was saluting me. And she called me a diamond.” Steven spoke quickly, trying to process the events as he did.
Peridot walked up to Steven to inspect his gem, but realized it was too high for her. “Steven, I need to look at your gem, but it’s too high up.”
“Why don’t you just shape-shift into regular Steven?” Amethyst suggested. Steven hadn’t considered that before, but it would definitely help this situation, so he took her suggestion.
Peridot spent about an hour inspecting Steven’s gem with all the knowledge of a kindergartener. “This is absolutely the same gem as you had before, same color, same hardness. It was simply turned around before. This must mean that Rose Quartz was,”
“Mom was a Diamond.” Steven realized with shock.