Original Idea by: Scraps and Cleverun

Collaboration work with: Shortsista

Characters Created by Rebecca Sugar

Chapter 12: The Girl with the Rose-Colored Gem

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Rose's Hill Topside

9 days later

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It was a crisp morning; the sound of the waves crashing against the rock side below was quite the sensation, especially for the young Gem who was hearing them. As the Gem took a deep breath, she turned away from the Cliffside and walked over to a large stone marker, as she sat down in front of it, her eyes studied the marker, and the words carved into it that read:

STEVEN UNIVERSE: World's Greatest Hero

Below that was another inscription that read:

GREG UNIVERSE: World's Greatest Dad

On the top of the marker was a large Gem, this Gem glowed a bright Rose light as the sun shined its rays into it. As Connie smiled at the beautiful display, she looked at the final inscription below the two names.

"If every pork chop were perfect, we wouldn't have hotdogs!"

It had been a rough several days for the entirety of Beach City. The news of what happened swept the entire city in a wave of grief. It was already bad that the Smileys were both found to have been murdered, Quentin was found dead in his house from a fire poker through the back and Harold was found floating under the boardwalk with a broken neck. But now there was the murder of Steven and Greg Universe to deal with.

Everyone, from Beach City, from Homeworld, from everywhere in between, everyone who knew Steven and Greg, who knew them for their kind spirits and compassion for doing what was right, attended the funeral. The Gems decided to cremate the remains before the ceremony to prevent people from finding out the exact truth. But the people knew what had happened: Pearl had killed Steven and Greg. It didn't take long for the people of Beach City to tie the Universe's deaths with the Smiley's, but despite the horror of everything that happened, not a single Gem or person blamed or cursed the Gems, or vice versa. Even the Diamonds, who attended the funeral as well, had no real idea what had happened to Steven and thought that their "Pink Diamond" was simply mourning a departed friend of hers.

Upon the request of Greg's Cousin, the ashes of Greg were scattered via plane across the beachside where Greg had met Rose, where life truly started for the old Rockstar and single father. As for Steven, his ashes were scattered across the large tree that grew at the top of Rose's hill. There was a long moment of silence as the ashes were scattered, then a marker was placed at the base of the hill, a memorial for the boy who gave his all for his home and the people who he loved, and his father, who reached for the stars and took hold of a bright shining sun.

Connie made a waving sigh as tears began to pour down her face; it seemed like yesterday that she went to his house to go on a nice date with him. Neither she nor Steven knew that it would've turned out like this. As she tried to stand up, she felt her knees give out before the marker, unable to find the strength to stand up as the grieve pushed her back down. She then placed her hand over Steven's name and took a deep breath.

"I'm so sorry. I failed you. We're supposed to be a team, and I failed you." Connie whispered, looking down to the ground and watching her falling tears soak into the grassy soil "You're as precious to me as you were to the Crystal Gems. I swore that I would be there for you, as you would for me, and I was not…"

Connie closed her eyes tight as she clenched her fists and lightly beat them on the marker.

"If I…if I was more careful, if I just stayed away, then maybe then you would be…be…"

Connie then screamed as she began to punch the ground before her. After what felt like ages, she stopped punching to lift her fist from the earth and look down at the small indention she left in the ground before her. She then looked to her hands, bloody and covered in dust, as she sat back and cupped her hands over her face and sobbed. It wasn't supposed to be like this, not with the death of Steven, anyone but him.

Just then, Connie heard footsteps and metal thumping and turned to the source of the noise. There, moving up the stairs, was Amethyst, with a shrouded wheelchair, as she moved the chair to the Cliffside, she locked the wheelchair in place and then walked over to Connie, who stood up at attention. Before Connie could say anything, Amethyst grabbed the young Gem in a large hug.

"It's gonna be okay Connie…" Amethyst said to Connie with a comforting tone, "I know you blame yourself for Steven's death, but it's not your fault. None of us knew what was happening to Steven…or Pearl."

Connie looked up at the Purple Gem before her, understanding that, like her, the impact of Steven's death was painful to her as it was to the new Gem, especially given that involved a Gem close to all of them.

"I know, but I still want to do something" Connie said coldly as she looked at the marker and then out towards Beach City. "But now Amethyst wants me to train me to learn how to use my powers. She would probably talk me out of going Gem hunting right now. "

"Yeah, she would." Amethyst replied with crossed arms with as she wiped tears from her eyes. As they spoke, Garnet was helping the citizens of Beach City help with the reception of Steven's funeral. Something she, nor the other Gems did not want to do since they were still recovering from the loss of the Smiley's.

"So, what's the plan?" Connie said with a recomposed tone, "What do we do about this "Master Diamond"? We have to stop him; we have to avenge Steven and Greg and everyone who's lives he ruined."

Amethyst then pulled out the Book she and Garnet acquired at the Tribunal Temple and showed it to Connie. It was obvious that Gem Grandmaster Diamond was planning to acquire the powers of both Imperial Topaz and Rose Quartz. This meant that was there was a possibility that Topaz was alive, but none of the Gems had a clue where to find them.

"If Topaz is alive, then Diamond gonna try to find him." Amethyst said as she closed the book before walking over to Connie and handing it to her.

"We will just have to find them first." Connie replied as she took the book and began to read it.

"Connie, remember that you have Rose's Gem now." Amethyst warned the new Gem. "He's gonna be coming after you, and from what we saw at the temple, he's got an army."

"That makes two of us." Connie snapped as she turned to Amethyst as she placed a hand over her stomach, "Steven's gone because of Diamond, I can't let that bastard get away with everything he's done to me…to Steven…to…"

Connie clenched her fists as she looked up into the sky above her, summoning her sword in her hand. Connie then sliced her palm with the sword and then raise the blade upward to the sky. Amethyst stepped back at what she was seeing. It was cool seeing her act all epic like this, but the energy coming off Connie was coming from a single emotion.

Anger…

"Do you hear me Diamond?! I'm coming for you!" Connie screamed as loud as she could as she clenched her bloody hand before Steven's marker and dropping blood onto the soil, hoping the fallen Gemian was hearing her decree. "If you think that I'm gonna allow you to get away with ruining my life, you're dead wrong! I swear, on the grave of Steven and his family, that when we finally meet, this time, it'll be *your* head in *my* hands!"

Connie then felt a hand on her shoulder as she turned to Amethyst, a bit frightened by the fact that such a timid human had now become so angry. Just then, the two Gems heard a timid voice from behind the two of them.

"Connie?" said the voice "Is that you?"

Amethyst and Connie turned to the figure in the wheelchair, which was now clearly awake, as they walked over; Amethyst clenched her fists and took a deep breath. As the two of them were on both sides of the figure, Connie grabbed the figure's shroud and pulled it away. There, between the Gems, was Pearl, the same as when she was in the catacombs. Her Gem cracked and tricking black ichor and the white of her eyes blackshot. Black tears trickled from her eyes and fell onto the ground, killing the grass and eroding the soil on the earth. As the former Gem turned to Connie, she gave a warm smile.

"Connie! Is you! I haven't seen you in days!" Pearl said with a smile to the Gems beside her. "And Amethyst! Where have you been? Steven's been looking for you."

Pearl tried to hug Connie, but she only lifted her arms up a few degrees before the restraints forced her to set them back down again. Pearl then began to get frustrated, grunting and screaming as she tried again, rocking the wheelchair left and right as she tried to break free. Amethyst then lowered herself down to Pearl's level placed her hand on Pearl's back, causing Pearl to turn to the Purple Gem and grin once more. The ichor had taken its toll on the long-nosed Gem, destroying her mind and leaving her in a state of delusional mania.

Connie then looked to Amethyst, who looked back to her with tears welling up in her eyes, as if she was ready to break down at any moment and gave a small nod to her. Amethyst then grabbed Pearl's hand and looked into her eyes. Amethyst knew that whatever Pearl had done in the past was not entirely her fault, that her involvement in all of this was because of Diamond, who used his powers to turn her into a tool for his own agenda.

Nevertheless, whatever happened to her did not excuse her from killing Steven and she knew what had to be done. Pearl was to be shattered, to be destroyed to not only provide justice for Steven and Greg, and all the nameless victims Pearl killed while under Diamond's orders, but to also save Pearl, who was now nothing like the Gem that Amethyst knew…and secretly loved.

"Just get it over with." Connie blurted coldly as she crossed her arms. "Remember that she killed Steven. She deserves this just as much as Diamond does."

As Amethyst kissed Pearl on the forehead, she stood up and nodded back to Connie before the Gem girl began walking away. Pearl tried to look back to see where Connie was going, unaware that Amethyst was releasing the breaks on the wheelchair.

"Where's Connie going? Is she going to get Garnet and Steven?" Pearl asked curiously as she tried to look back to Connie, "Is this one of Steven's surprises Amethyst? Is that why he's not here? I thought it was because he's still mad at me."

Connie stopped for a moment to process the question; she then gave a small smile as she stood behind the wheelchair, the two of them over the Cliffside with the waves crashing on the rocks below. From personal experience, she knew that the fall from this height would shatter any Gem, especially a Pearl.

"Yeah P, she…she is." Connie muttered, wiping tears from her eyes as she took a deep breath. "She's gonna bring Steven and Garnet and everyone for you. But you have to close your eyes first."

"Do you think Steven is mad at me Amethyst?" Pearl said with concern as she shut her eyes. "I never meant for him to be mad at me. Are you mad too? I never meant to hurt him."

Amethyst looked at her shaking hands as they grasped the wheelchair handles. Connie then took a deep breath and with fresh tears pouring down her face, she replied to Pearl.

"I know you didn't. Everyone makes mistakes…" Amethyst said softly as she felt her arms move forward. She wanted to stop, but she couldn't. "…but I think I can forgive you…cause…cause…"

"…I love you P, and I always will."

Then she pushed.

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Rose's Hill: Cliffside Trench

Five Hours Later

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It was nighttime as the ocean waves calmly drifted into and crashed into the rocks that jutted out from the grotto. There was a feeling of tranquility, a feeling of peace, a feeling of order, as if all problems in the universe were pointless compared to the solemn sound of slow waves and sea rock.

However, this moment was disturbed but a few hours ago by a Gem crashing into the rocks below her. The disturbance was only for a few moments, and then the peace returned. For the intruder, who was once known as a crystal Gem named Pearl, who was shattered by Amethyst for the crime of killing Steven and Greg Universe. Bits of the wheelchair that once held her floated around the pile of rocks, along with a large Pearl that was cracked in half, the two halves resting around a large jutting sea rock. It was now over for the Pearl, and yet, for some strange reason, despite the pain and realization of her apparent death, she found the sound of the ocean water hitting the rocks to be peaceful and calming. It was as if the ocean was lulling her to a final sleep, telling her that after thousands of years or suffering, she could finally rest.

That was until the sound of the waves cease; replaced by the sound of hovering. Within moments, two Pyrites floating above the sea trench, one of which shot a fan shaped light across the rocks below. As the light moved across the shattered Pearl, it stopped and one of the beings shined a light over the Gem.

"[IDENTITY ACQUIRED…IDENTITY: PEARL …CLASSIFICATION: PUREM…CURRENT STATUS: SHATTERED…VIATE STATUS: TEN PERCENT AND DROPPING…ACTION: SENDING EMERGENCY SIGNAL TO INSIDIAE]"

Within moments a portal opened, and Master Diamond emerged along with Zirconium and Onyx. As he bent down to the shattered ex-Gem before him, he picked up the shards and created a silver bubble around them.

"You should be grateful that I'm even considering healing you." Diamond said as he brought the bubble closer to him, looking at the floating Gem shards inside. "But it seems you still have uses after all."

""Let this be a reminder to both of you that you exist because I've allowed it…" He then turned to both of his servants and showed them the bubble. "…and you will continue to exist until I demand it."

Diamond then tapped the top of the bubble and it vanished, having been sent away to wherever Diamond wanted it to go. Diamond turned to the temple in the distance, noticing Zirconia walking up next to him.

"Is that the temple you mentioned earlier?" The Gem asked Diamond with a tone of disappointment, "It's much smaller than I imagined."

"Again!" Diamond said with a stern tone, as he grabbed Zirconia by the back of her neck. "Forget again, and I'll break you."

"Forgive me, Master." The girl re-correcting herself, "But is that the place where Pearl killed that boy?"

"Yes, it is." Diamond said with a tone of annoyance, "But you will learn from her mistake when it is your turn."

"Master!" Onyx interjected angrily, summoned a black katar and pointing it at the Temple "Does this mean we're not going to kill them?! We should kill them now while they're vulnerable, especially the girl. If not, then what's the point of coming back to this dirt ball? "

Diamond quickly turned and struck the black-haired Gem in the face, knocking her down to the ground.

"You'll control yourself, or I'll do it for you!" Diamond barked loudly at his servant as she wiped the grey blood from her face. "You'll kill when I tell you to kill! Is that clear?!"

Onyx was about to reply, but as she felt ichor tears fall from her face, burning her cheeks as she looked to her Master, who was glaring back at her with eyes of black and molten red. The Gem then looked to the floor and nodded. Zirconia crossed her arms and scoffed smugly before noticing Diamond glaring at her too.

"That goes for you too!" Diamond hissed to the Gem, who felt the Ichor burning in her as well. "Your time to prove yourself as worthy is coming soon! Now get going back to Insidiae, the others are waiting!"

Diamond then turned his back to her and looked back to the temple, hearing his servants entering the portal behind him. Diamond then turned to the Pyrites beside him.

"What's the status of our army?" Diamond asked the Pyrite. "Is it ready to invade homeworld and the other colonies?"

"[MASTER…COLONY PRODUCTION RATE:245 PERCENT…ARMY PROGRESS RATE:82.13 PERCENT…PYRITE SOLDER COUNT: 530,471,003 PYRITE SOLDERS AWATING ORDERS…VITAE LEVELS: NOMINAL…PERIDOT INTELLIGENCE: MISSING…ESTIMATED PROBABLILIY OF VICTORY: 77.34 PERCENT…ESTIMATED TIME OF FULL ASSIMILATION: TEN MONTHS]"

"So, they still haven't found her yet…" Diamond sighed as he gestured to the Pyrites. "…so be it."

Diamond and the Gemdroids then floated up to Steven's marker on the topside of the hill. As he inspected it, he then turned to look towards Beach City, looking down on the city of humans. As the Pyrites opened a portal, Diamond then looked to the large pink tree on the hill.

"You may have been able to stop the slave Rose, but you cannot stop the Master!" Diamond hissed as he glared back to the gravestone. "This little game of yours will finally come to a bitter end."

"I am Authority…!" Diamond said as he raised his hand to the marker.

"I am the Leviathan." Diamond shouted as he then clenched his hand, causing the marker to shatter inward and then crumble before him.

"I…"

"…Am…"

"…Diamond!"

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END OF PART 1

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