Author's Note: Hey everyone! I just want to say thank you so much for all the support. We already have over 700 stars, which really caught me by surprise. It seems you guys like this story way more than I ever imagined, and that's why I brought you this chapter. Believe it or not, this one took several days of preparation and is over 5,000 words long—making it the longest chapter in the story so far. I think after this, I'll take a break for a week at most... or who knows, if we hit a goal of 50 stars, maybe a random chapter will drop out of nowhere. Yeah, yeah, I know, pretty tough, but hey, who says dreaming isn't worth it? Keep supporting the story, just as I show my appreciation with these chapters. Comment, share, and leave your suggestions. Your hobby writer, Isau, is signing off. Bye! <3
A single thought was on Steven's mind.
Did I lose? He thought it with a tone of clear frustration. So many plans, so many hours of rigorous training... they weren't worth it.
He was in his cell, having just woken up, healing his wounds with his spit. They weren't healing very well, but hey, something is better than nothing, right?
Steven stared at a specific spot; a singing voice could be heard, and he knew exactly who it belonged to.
"Sapphire," he muttered in a raspy voice that was gradually regaining its calm tone.
Steven wondered what he could do now. He said it out loud in frustration.
He spent several seconds thinking until he came to a conclusion.
I'll have to change history a bit.
He stood up, now with more composure, as he looked at the barrier and brought his hand close to it.
"I hope this doesn't hurt," he said to himself as his hand made contact with the barrier.
A strange sensation ran through Steven as he watched lines intersecting across his hand. It wasn't harmful, at least for him, but it did feel weird.
"This is perfect."
He stepped out of the cell bit by bit, keeping his senses on maximum alert as he scanned his surroundings and walked toward the sound of Sapphire's voice.
I have to keep in mind that Jasper will be around here somewhere in a blind rage... and if she happens to head straight to my cell, I'll have to hurry.
Steven ran down the corridors as Sapphire's voice grew louder and louder, but he also stopped in front of a window that looked out into the endless blackness of deep space.
"Beautiful," he said to himself as he observed many sights that looked stunning to him.
He shook his head to snap back to his self-imposed mission.
"I need to focus," he told himself as he continued running through the hallways with a newfound determination.
He rounded a corner in a corridor and skidded to a halt.
Jasper yelled, "Stop singing!"
She struck the wall hard right where Sapphire was, causing her to fall obediently.
"Do you think I care about the mission right now, Peridot?"
She looked with disdain at the green gem standing in front of her.
Drama, Steven thought to calm his nerves a bit.
Jasper now glared with fury at Peridot.
"This mission has changed. Tell Yellow Diamond that we found a rebel, and do it right. I don't want you doing it with your filthy robot hands; I want it done in the cockpit, with video and everything. And if for some reason you didn't listen to me..."
She cracked her knuckles in a clear warning.
"You're going to have a bad time."
Peridot swallowed hard and nodded obediently.
"Pathetic," Jasper said with scorn as she turned around and walked away toward an unspecified area.
"An easy mission, they said. Great rewards, they told me. But no... I get stuck with an incompetent Jasper."
She scratched her hair with her fingers and walked toward the cockpit, taking her time. She had a long way to go.
Steven stepped out of his hiding spot calmly, looking in the direction where the two gems had gone. He listened as their footsteps faded away and felt a wave of relief.
"Perfect, since they aren't here."
He looked at Sapphire, who was watching him with interest.
"Looks like you need some help, little one. Want me to get you out?"
Steven pretended not to know her to avoid any complications.
Sapphire observed him for several seconds before speaking.
"You are wise, Steven Universe. If you can get me out of here, I will owe you a great favor."
"Anything for a fellow gem friend," Steven replied as he rested his hand on the barrier, creating a gap that Sapphire was able to squeeze through.
"Thank you very much, Steven."
"Don't mention it. Is there anyone else around here you want to help? Take advantage of it, because these ships can't hold me."
Sapphire nodded.
"Give me your hand," she said, so I didn't hesitate and gave her mine.
Quickly, both of us ran toward a specific side of the ship. Steven kept pace with her easily, but in his mind, he was already about to deploy his plan C. If A and B hadn't worked, it would have to be done the hard way.
Sapphire arrived at a cell containing a red gem, who happened to be curled up into a little ball.
"How cute," I said without thinking, causing the red gem to quickly spot me.
"Huh?" Ruby said, completely confused, but she ignored Steven the moment she saw her beloved by her side.
"Sapphire!" she said with a joy that even made Steven smile, though that smile vanished instantly when Ruby clumsily dashed toward the barrier, causing both Sapphire and me to break into a sweat.
"Ouch!" she cried out as her hand pixelated. "How do I get out?" she asked in a panic, looking all over the place. Steven simply extended his hand and opened a gap in the barrier.
Ruby wasted no time, and with a burst of momentum, she lunged straight out toward Sapphire, who welcomed her with open arms.
"Did they hurt you? Are you okay?" Ruby asked.
"I am fine, who would care?" Sapphire replied.
"I care!" Ruby said, forcing Sapphire to look her in the eyes. Then, with a kiss, the two began to dance so harmoniously that Steven was mesmerized by such pure love.
That fusion dance was different; it didn't represent what he had been taught before. It was practically poetic, something that words couldn't describe, but you could feel the raw emotion it conveyed as a bright light enveloped them both and a loud laugh echoed throughout the ship.
"Steven, thank you!"
Steven stared with three veins of annoyance pulsing on his forehead at Garnet, who noticed that he had suddenly become irritated.
"What's wrong?" she asked, genuinely confused, but a noise suddenly froze her in her tracks.
"Where are they?!" roared a furious voice that echoed across the entire ship.
"That's him," Steven said dryly. "I want you to go find the others, and I won't take no for an answer."
"Steven, you can't face her. If you couldn't beat her before, why do you think you can win now?" Garnet said worriedly.
Steven looked at her in silence, which made the fusion break into a cold sweat.
"Get all the gems out of here, including Lapis Lazuli. If you don't, I'm going to get mad at you," he said with a mischievous smirk.
Garnet looked at him seriously.
"I have faith in you, my little one, but I wouldn't forgive myself if something happened to you."
Steven raised his hand to stop her.
"Don't worry, Garnet. Don't you remember? Healing spit. As long as I get the chance to use even a single drop, I can recover. So go, before she gets here and we can't escape later."
Garnet remained silent as she adjusted her visor to scan the future timelines. After a few seconds, she sighed. "I hope I don't regret this. Stay safe, Steven."
"I will," Steven said with a confident smile.
With that, Garnet quickly ran off toward the cells of the other gems.
Steven looked up and immediately sprinted toward where Jasper's crashing noises were coming from.
He arrived at a chamber that looked like the place where the original Garnet had fought, and with a deep breath, he kept his emotions under strict control, letting rage dominate the rest to gain raw strength and speed. It was something he had discovered a year ago, though it had a side effect: it took a massive physical toll on Steven.
Out of nowhere, a heavy crash echoed—it was Jasper, who glared at him with barely contained fury.
"Rose Quartz, you actually dare to step out of your prison? Pathetic," she scoffed, staring him down.
"You have a serious problem regarding my mother," Steven said, touching his neck. "You know, you should take a vacation to forget about her. It's starting to look like you have a crush."
Jasper ground her teeth with increasing rage and pulled out a gem destabilizer, flashing a sadistic grin.
"Do you know what this device does? It's the exact same one I used to split your friend apart. HAHA! You are weak, Rose. Prepare to stand trial before the Diamonds."
Steven smiled as he watched her.
"Oh, come on, do you think I don't have new tricks up my sleeve? A destabilizer won't do a thing to me—not even tickle. So bring it on, Jasper, let's see which gem is top dog."
Face to face, a battle for the fate of the gems and quite possibly the Earth.
The first, a gem who fought with an iron fist in the war and continued conquering planets in the name of her late Diamond. A gem created by perfection itself, the strongest of her kind.
Against the half-human, half-gem child, the first of his species, and therefore, the most powerful. The battle that would decide if the fruits of his training were actually worth it.
The strongest gem in history vs. the most powerful hybrid of today.
"Let's get this shit started," Steven said with a manic smile, his emotions cranked to the absolute maximum to draw out his full potential.
Jasper smiled with the same madness and charged right at him.
A clash of fists resonated through the whole ship as two beasts gave everything they had for their respective worldviews.
Steven felt a tremendous jolt of pain in his hand, but he quickly devised a strategy. He summoned bubbles around his hands like gauntlets and, with even greater fury, lunged back at Jasper.
"Pathetic!" Jasper said as she summoned her helmet, unleashing a barrage of punches and headbutts.
Right, left, duck, jump, left, duck, right, uppercut... those were Steven's thoughts as he gradually adapted to Jasper's fighting style.
Is he adapting? Jasper thought, right when Steven parried a punch and delivered a heavy blow to her stomach, launching her against the wall.
What's happening? Why is he hitting harder now than before?
Am I getting weak? No! Rose is adapting to the fight, and her strength is rising along with it.
Is she like me? A perfect gem, but one who wasn't viewed the same way by my Diamond?
Thoughts like those swirled in Jasper's head as she stood back up and looked seriously at Steven, who was healing himself with his spit to prolong his endurance.
"What's wrong?" Steven said as he noticed Jasper staring at him curiously. "Why are you looking at me with that face?"
Jasper kept quiet for a few seconds and then asked:
"Rose, are you like me?"
Steven looked at her, confused.
Jasper noticed his bewilderment and, with a grimace of annoyance, continued.
"Are you perfect? Just like me, a gem who had no defects at birth. Were you envious of me, since you were born perfect too? And is that why...?"
She clenched her fists.
"Is that why you shattered our Diamond?!"
Steven looked at her in silence while Jasper glared at him with pure hatred after that last comment.
"You know, Jasper," Steven said, staring her down.
"I didn't shatter our Diamond. Someone took my form. That's the only detail I can give you."
Jasper was struck with shock as she stared at him.
"You lie!" she screamed in a rage, charging blindly at Steven.
He quickly summoned his bubble shield, and with the force of Jasper's impact, both of them crashed through several floors all the way down to the core.
They traded heavy blows. In a sudden opening, Jasper landed a punch that impacted Steven's stomach, making him spit up blood. But using the very blood he spat out, he smeared it across his hand to trigger his healing. With that same hand, he grabbed Jasper by the face—catching her completely by surprise—and slammed her repeatedly into the floor with a heavy punch.
Jasper grabbed Steven's hand and, with superhuman strength, hurled him against a wall. Steven's shield fell to the ground, but it didn't disappear.
I only have one shot.
Jasper sprinted toward Steven, who used the wall to build up a burst of speed that allowed him to run right up its surface.
"Don't run, Rose!"
Both of them were now running along the walls.
Steven recalled his shield with a rapid snap, striking the back of Jasper's neck and throwing her off balance. Capitalizing on the momentum, Steven delivered a knee strike as hard as he possibly could, making her cough up a massive amount of spit.
Both pushed back, staring at each other with sweat dripping down their foreheads.
POV Shift
Garnet, Pearl, and Amethyst stood before their leader.
Garnet: "There's no time to lose."
She shattered the cells and said, "Steven isn't just buying us time."
Pearl: "What do you mean, Garnet?"
Amethyst: "Don't tell me he's fighting that gem."
Garnet nodded.
Pearl panicked, looking at Garnet with a mix of fury and terror.
Pearl: "Why did you leave him?! Do you honestly think a human who has barely lived for a little over fourteen years can fight a gem who has lived for millennia and is perfect in every way?!"
Garnet glared at her with an intensity never seen before, forcing Pearl into silence.
"It's the best future, isn't it?" Pearl said, her voice dropping with sadness.
Garnet: "Regrettably, yes. And if we want Steven to reach that future, we have to bring this ship down before they send the transmission to Homeworld. So, gems, get Lapis out and run to the cockpit."
"Understood," both said at the same time, splitting up in different directions. One went for Lapis. Garnet gave clear orders: it was going to happen the easy way or the hard way.
Garnet quickly ran after Pearl, who was heading to the cockpit.
Pearl looked at Garnet with frustration, a burning question on her mind.
Pearl: "Do you think Steven will be okay?"
Garnet remained silent and simply nodded.
Pearl grew serious. "Then let's go handle this Peridot gem."
The mentioned gem was currently on her tablet, sitting peacefully in the cockpit, but she heard a noise and assumed it was just Jasper pacing around the ship again.
Peridot: "Next time I'm requesting Rubies, they're much more obedient, unlike this Jasper," she growled under her breath while reviewing her Cluster mission data.
Peridot hadn't left the planet's orbit for one reason: she didn't want to go back. She knew that if she returned without completing her mission she would face punishment, though seeing that they were carrying the Rose Quartz gem, maybe that punishment would turn into a reward.
Those hesitations sealed the gem's fate; she didn't even have time to react before a gauntlet twice her size smashed into her face, knocking her out cold.
Pearl: "Remorseless," she said, looking toward Garnet. "No time, get to the ship's controls and try to head back to Earth."
"Right away," but a violent shudder nearly knocked them off their feet.
Pearl: "What's happening?!" she screamed in panic.
"It's Steven," Garnet said grimly, staring toward a specific coordinate. Pearl, realizing they were out of time, rushed to the ship's controls. Slamming her hands into the console, her mind flooded with technical data, successfully forcing the ship into a hard banking turn back toward Earth.
POV Shift
Amethyst sprinted down the hallways looking for a specific someone.
Amethyst: "Why did I have to be the one to look for her?!"
She recalled how she had messed up during that previous mission, and with a sigh, pushed forward until she found the gem.
Amethyst: "Lapis Lazuli!"
The gem simply glanced at her out of the corner of her eye and went back to staring at her knees, curled up tightly in a corner.
Amethyst: "Come on, girl, we don't have time, we need to—"
She couldn't finish, because Lapis cut her off.
Lapis Lazuli: "Why do you keep fighting? There's nothing left of value on that planet. You have no one. If I remember correctly, the Diamonds' light caused many, if not all of the gems, to be broken, didn't it?"
Lapis looked up at Amethyst.
Lapis: "You're an Amethyst. Why do you fight? Why do you defend yourselves? They have a Jasper and a Peridot, plus all of Homeworld aiming directly at this stupid planet."
Lapis tried to push forward with her tirade, but Amethyst cut her off.
Amethyst: "Oh, come on, girl, don't fall into that depression pit," she waved her hand dismissively. "You know, maybe you don't have a reason to fight, but I definitely do... the food, mostly. You've never tasted a good slice of pizza."
Lapis Lazuli: "Pizza?"
Amethyst: "Doesn't matter," she gestured. "I'll keep it brief: you wouldn't want your savior to make a sacrifice for nothing, right?"
Lapis snapped her head up so fast Amethyst thought her neck was going to crack.
Lapis Lazuli: "Is Steven okay? Is he still alive? Please, tell me he's okay."
Amethyst noticed how the gem panicked at the mere mention of Steven's name and quickly formulated a plan.
Forgive me for this, Steven, she thought.
Amethyst: "Well, he's currently laying down his life to get you out of here. If you don't want his sacrifice to be for nothing, you better follow me."
Lapis Lazuli stared at Amethyst in absolute panic.
Lapis Lazuli: "He's fighting Jasper?!"
Before Amethyst could answer, a tremendous shudder rattled the entire ship.
"Looks like they're already heading down," Amethyst said as the tremors grew more violent by the second.
Amethyst: "If you don't want the person who, before going into battle, specifically told us to come save you to sacrifice himself in vain, follow me."
She smashed one side of the cell, causing the light mesh to dissolve.
Amethyst: "Come on, girl, we're out of time. Do it for Steven. Make him proud."
Lapis hesitated for a few seconds but ultimately reached out and grabbed her hand.
"Come on, girl, right behind me," Amethyst said as both ran toward the cockpit.
I hope you're okay, Steven, both thought with deep anxiety.
POV Shift
Steven was down at the core with Jasper. Both were heavily battered, but Steven even more so. However, he was rapidly healing himself with his spit.
Jasper spat a glob of saliva onto the floor and cracked her neck.
Jasper: "You didn't show this kind of power before, Rose. Why?"
Steven flashed a mischievous smirk that hid a surge of pain, though he held it in.
Steven: "You didn't give me time to think. You're a coward for attacking at the absolute worst moment."
Jasper flew into such a rage that she attempted to spin into a dash, but Steven wasn't about to let her.
Steven: "Hey, Jasper, quick question," he said as he stepped closer to her.
The mentioned gem looked at him with a mix of curiosity and anger.
"Can you shapeshift?"
Jasper: "...?"
Jasper was utterly confused, but she heard words she didn't understand, yet felt a massive wave of danger.
"Domain Expansion: Royal Pack."
A massive bubble expanded to enclose both gems, trapping them on opposite sides.
Jasper: "What is this pathetic attempt?" she said with disdain. "Do you think a bubble can contain me?"
Steven only offered a grin of pure agony.
"This is going to hurt tomorrow," he said as his extended arms snapped together, causing the bubble to shrink at an incredible speed until it was barely large enough to fit a tennis ball inside.
"Shit!" echoed Jasper's voice, which rapidly shrank in size to withstand the highly compressed space. Steven did the exact same thing, rapidly shrinking down to endure the pressure, turning the situation into a contest of who could hold out longer in their smallest form.
"You bastard!" Jasper roared as she delivered a weak punch—but that was enough to shatter the bubble.
Both went flying in opposite directions. Jasper went straight into the ship's power core, and Steven crashed hard against a structural column.
"The plan failed successfully," Steven said with a bloody smile.
Explanation
You might wonder how Steven could do that if it was never seen in the original show. Well, here is my answer and a theory.
First reason: Ever since the "Cat Fingers" episode, it was clear that Steven has a superior aptitude for shapeshifting, but unfortunately, due to the trauma of turning into a cat monster, he couldn't bring himself to do it again.
Second reason: Steven could always shapeshift, making himself smaller or larger. These were the core principles I based this attack on: Domain Expansion. Why did I call it that? Because it sounds way cooler. Obviously, it doesn't possess the guaranteed-hit attribute that a true Domain should have, as you could see, plus it was very fragile.
In the series, Steven always showed terrifying physical exhaustion whenever he shapeshifted, and well, compressing into such a tiny form forces his gem to work at maximum capacity, especially considering that his body is organic and not made of light like normal gems. What do I mean by this? That Steven can only perform this attack once or twice a day unless he wants to drop dead onto the floor, completely paralyzed.
And the question many will ask: how could the gems of both characters handle reaching that compressed point? Whenever you have that doubt, just remember: a wizard did it. Or look at it as if in this universe, gems can scale up or shrink down based on convenience. Those were my details to share. If you have more questions, feel free to drop them in the comments.
End of Explanation
Steven watched as Jasper screamed in agony inside the ship's core, when suddenly a deafening sound thundered through the vessel.
"Kachow, I mean..."
KABOOM!
Everyone on board felt the ship begin a rapid, uncontrolled descent straight down toward Earth.
"Damn it," Steven muttered as he struggled to stand up, looking at Jasper, who was also dragging herself to her feet with great effort.
They locked eyes, but Jasper began to laugh maniacally.
Steven: "Huh? Did that blow knock a screw loose or what?" he said as he spat blood into his hand, mixing it with spit, and began rubbing it over his skin to recover a bit physically.
Jasper: "Not at all," she said as she planted a trembling foot on the deck. "This fight was one of the best I've had in my thousands of years of existence. I could thank you, but you know I won't, Rose Quartz. You're the first to push me to these absolute limits, but..."
Jasper struck the floor rapidly, causing a green escape pod bubble to wrap around her.
Steven's eyes widened in panic, because according to his knowledge, those types of escape pods were only supposed to be accessible from the cockpit.
Steven: "SHIT!"
He summoned his shield instantly, and before the escape pod could plummet to the planet, he bashed it with immense force, deflecting its trajectory toward an uncertain destination.
Steven: "Damn it!" he gasped as he scrambled toward the cockpit with difficulty.
The girls were in a panic, completely unaware of what was happening. Suddenly, the ship entered a nose dive.
Amethyst: "What do we do?! If we crash in this thing, we're dead!" she screamed, completely panicked.
Pearl: "I don't know, there are supposed to be escape pods, but I can't find them!"
Garnet: "Find them quickly, we don't know if Steven needs one."
Lapis was huddled in a corner against the wall, praying that Steven was okay.
Peridot, who had just regained consciousness, realized she was tied up with a purple whip, courtesy of Amethyst. She muttered a quick "dammit" and observed how distracted the gems were with the cockpit console.
I have to take advantage of this. If I stay here, I'll die and won't be able to complete my mission, she told herself as she moved cautiously to avoid drawing the gems' attention.
Managing to reposition herself at a key node, she bashed it with her head, causing the girls to snap around in alarm.
Pearl: "What is she doing?!"
Amethyst: "Is she crazy?!"
Garnet: "She's doing something critical, stop her!"
Lapis looked up and watched in terror as Peridot was encased in a green bubble, rocketing down toward Earth alongside another green sphere that was falling at terminal velocity toward the ocean.
Lapis Lazuli: "What?" she said, completely bewildered as she saw one pod heading toward a specific landmark while the other plummeted into the sea.
But a furious shout snapped her out of her thoughts.
Garnet: "They escaped!" she yelled in panic as she sprinted toward where Steven was located.
The others followed close behind. Amethyst hoisted Lapis over her shoulder like a sack of potatoes, and she didn't offer any resistance.
Garnet: "Steven! Where are you?!"
Pearl: "My baby! Are you okay?!"
Amethyst: "Come on, man, this isn't funny, step out already!"
The girls screamed at the top of their lungs until they spotted a silhouette.
"Steven!" they said excitedly, but as they drew closer, they froze solid. Lapis, who had been facing away, turned around at the sudden silence and froze as well.
Steven was completely covered in blood. His clothes were a shredded mess, and even a section of his hair was scorched. But what worried the girls the most was the smile he was wearing.
Steven: "Gues, you're okay! That's good."
He took a few staggered steps toward them, while they could only stare in horror at the mangled state of the boy who was practically their son.
Steven glanced out the viewport, and with absolute panic, lunged toward the gems, who were still processing his blood-soaked appearance.
"Bubble, damn it!" he screamed so loudly that it snapped them right out of their shock.
"Steven, you're o—!"
They couldn't finish the sentence, because at the exact moment a bubble enveloped the five of them, the ship hit the ground. With a shockwave that resonated for miles around Beach City, the warship detonated into a thousand pieces.
POV Shift
Greg was in his van, already far outside Beach City. But something made him break out into a cold sweat: the ship, which had gone up barely an hour ago at most, was now coming down in a fiery tailspin.
A roar snapped him out of his thoughts. It was Lion, who leaped on top of the van, staring intently at the ship plummeting straight toward the beach.
ROOOAAAR! Lion's roar echoed across the entire landscape.
Greg, pushing past his worry, understood exactly what Lion was trying to tell him.
"Got it," he said as he slammed on the gas, racing at full speed back toward Beach City.
POV Shift
"How strange," Connie said. She didn't have her phone on her, but on that particular day, she felt an overwhelming gut feeling that something terrible was happening. That suspicion was confirmed when she checked and saw a missed call from Steven.
Connie: "What's going on with Steven?" she said as she brought the phone to her ear.
With every passing second, her expression grew more bewildered. Dangerous mission? More dangerous than a robot from another planet? What could possibly be more dangerous than a robot from another... planet...?
"Holy shit!" she blurted out, startling her mother who was sitting right next to her.
"What's wrong?" she inquired suspiciously.
Connie: "Nothing, nothing. Sorry, it was just some news that caught me completely off guard. That's all. Sorry for my language."
Her mother simply glanced at her sideways and returned to her notes.
Connie let out a sigh of relief.
Connie: "I hope Steven is okay... Steven..."
She dialed his number, but there was no answer. She left a voicemail:
"Steven, if you hear this, tell me what's going on. I'm worried about you. Call me, okay?"
She hung up.
Connie stared at her phone for several seconds, but a voice yanked her back to reality.
"Are you finished?" it was her mother, looking at her with a questioning gaze.
"Sorry," Connie said, returning to her homework assignments, which were highly excessive for a girl her age.
Stay safe, Steven, was her final thought.
POV Shift
Debris littered the entire beach. Shards of metal and green fragments were scattered across the sand. Amidst the wreckage, something began to move slowly. It was the gems, who looked toward the epicenter of the crash. There, in the dead center of it all, lay Steven, bleeding from his eyes and ears.
Pearl, upon seeing him, rushed forward and cradled him gently, resting his head on her lap as tears pooled in her eyes.
Amethyst screamed desperately that he couldn't have survived the entire explosion of a massive warship. Garnet leaned over him, trying to maintain her composure while speaking to him with a firm tone. She asked him to hang in there, to tell her how many fingers she was holding up in front of his face, but Steven could barely track her movement.
Lapis Lazuli watched the scene with her hands over her mouth, terrified by the state of the boy who had risked everything to save them. A single phrase repeated like a mantra in her mind: if only I had helped, if only I had done something more.
Suddenly, a faint sound was heard. Steven was coughing with great difficulty.
With a near-superhuman effort, he turned his head and locked eyes with Lapis. She approached quickly, expecting to hear some final, crucial words.
Steven could barely utter her name, and when Lapis responded with deep worry, he only weakly asked, "How did the motorcycle hold up?"
Everyone fell dead silent. Lapis stared at him completely blankly, while the others understood perfectly that this was just his way of defusing the severity of the situation.
Pearl smiled through her tears, planted a kiss on his forehead, and whispered that he had worried her far too much. She wasn't the only one crying; Amethyst and Garnet were too, even if they tried to hide it. Only Lapis didn't shed a tear, simply because she still didn't get the motorcycle joke.
Steven let out a exhausted sigh, muttered that he was going to take a little nap, and requested that they please not kill anyone. Immediately after, he drifted into unconsciousness.
Pearl held him close in her arms, tenderly stroking his hair. Amethyst collapsed beside him, trying to process everything that had just occurred. Garnet, meanwhile, kept her eyes fixed on a specific horizon line on the beach, as if expecting something.
Then, the roar of an engine approaching at high speed cut through the air. A vehicle screeched to a halt, and Greg and Lion leapt out.
Greg barely managed to ask what had happened, but the moment he saw Steven, he fainted dead away, crashing to the sand.
Lapis, who was standing nearby, gave him a light nudge with her foot to check if he was still breathing, asking with genuine curiosity if he was alright. Amethyst gently pushed her aside and assured her she'd take care of him, hoisting Greg over her shoulder like a sack of potatoes.
Lion padded over and approached Steven. The gems stepped aside; they knew he was a being deeply tied to Rose and that, in a way, he cared for Steven too. However, what he did next left them speechless: he scooped Steven up onto his back, then looked back at them, making a clear gesture with his snout for them to climb on as well.
Amethyst hesitated for a few seconds, but Pearl remembered that Lion belonged to Rose and concluded that he must have a specific destination in mind. Garnet nodded, stating that it wouldn't surprise her.
They climbed aboard one by one: Garnet first, then Amethyst still carrying a unconscious Greg. Garnet looked back at Lapis and asked if she was coming. She, looking rather insecure, asked hesitantly if she was actually allowed to. Garnet offered a reassuring smile and assured her that yes, if Steven had specifically asked to save her, it was because he trusted her.
Lapis climbed up timidly and gripped Pearl's waist, who tensed up at the contact but said nothing. Garnet asked if Lion could carry everyone, and the majestic feline nodded his head before unleashing a mighty roar.
A pink portal tore open before them, and in a bright flash, all six disappeared inside.
Where would Lion take them? What destiny awaited them on the other side of the portal? That remains to be discovered in the next chapter.
END OF CHAPTER 32.
Incredible chapter, right? Well, at least on my end, I absolutely loved writing it. I hope you guys enjoyed it as much as I did. God bless you... and for the atheists out there, well, good afternoon.
An illustration I made about the fight (I'm no artist):