Steven's P.O.V

You know, I can't believe that Pink actually thought I'd stay put. It just goes to show how much she doesn't know me. That and I have an agenda to fulfill. Especially after having a front row seat to her argument with Blue Diamond. It's clear now by the looks of things that Pink's not going to stop her actions by mere persuasion and kinds words on my part. Stopping this war will require a more straightforward and, personally, less desirable method. When there's a fire rising, combat with your own tender flame. If Pink's gonna have her rebellion, I will have my own as well.

Unbeknownst to her or Pearl, I stand on the large hunk of rock that serves as the gateway between Earth and Homeworld, the Galaxy Warp. It was little trouble getting here, the moonbase having a near-direct connection with the Pad. What does give me reason to pause and to have waited for the past thirty minutes, is if I'm entirely one hundred percent sure about doing this. What I have planned is on a magnitude that I've never conceived before and will certainly be challenging to accomplish. But, as I come to my final thoughts this very minute, I do believe that this is how it must be done.

There's no turning back now.

I move to step on the larger-than-normal Warp Pad, but then suddenly pause. Feeling this sharp and radiating pain in my whole body, I fall to one knee and grit my teeth while clenching my fists. I've felt pain before, but this rivals anything I've experienced previously. I'm fortunate enough though because it disappears almost as soon as it first appeared. Taking some much needed breaths, I run a hand along my forehead but then notice something strange going with the other. For a brief couple of seconds, while turning my hand over and around, it becomes see through and seems to fade in and out of reality.

Fear seizes me like a damp undershirt. The timeline's getting altered so much that I'm beginning to disappear from existence. I guess I've gotta hurry before I run out of time and fade out completely before I'm able to stop this mass genocide. I get up from my kneeling position and hurry onto the Galaxy Warp, envisioning the tall spires of Homeworld. The Warp Stream then whisks me up, up, and away. Off to Homeworld I go! Because out of everything, one thing is for certain. If you have to fight against someone who's gathering allies, find some allies of your own.

Mine will be in the form of one Peridot and one Lapis Lazuli.

~~ Three Days Later... ~~

Rose/Pink's P.O.V

"Are you sure about this, Pearl?" I ask.

"Yes, I am my Di- Rose" She replies, almost slipping up.

My breath hitches and I look to see if Garnet caught on. The fusion walks as casual as always, so I guess not. I sigh in relief, shaking my head slightly at how close that was.

"I just hope that these Gems are trustworthy" I continue, looking ahead at the dark gray mountains we're coming closer to.

After talking with some Amethyst allies, they gave us information about a grouping of Bismuths that were tucked away in these caverns. Supposedly, the Bismuths are excellent sword smiths, and seeing as though the war is approaching, I'll need a weapon to use in a fight. I surprisingly found out that I'm able to summon a shield from my Gem, but that would only last me for so long in battle and I can't have Pearl or Garnet shattered trying to protect me.

Letting my gaze wander over to the fusion once more, I reminisce about the time we've spent together since she first agreed to join us. Pearl and I helped her come up with the name Garnet, the inspiration coming from the logic of a Ruby gem mixed with a Sapphire gem. Pretty easy really, but after we gave her the name, Garnet was much more open with us. From her, I found out that both the Ruby and Sapphire were both members of Blue Diamonds court and that they had to run away, for they risked getting shattered if they had stayed. I felt completely sympathetic for her when she said that, for I know the feeling of not being able to feel safe around those you were previously close to.

What I'm doing now is not just fighting for the planet anymore. Now that I've seen Garnet and all that she stands for, I know now that I've gotta fight for Gems as well as the humans. Innocent and pure beings like humans and Garnet do not deserve to be treated like the Diamonds would have them be. That's why this weapon will be an important next step in liberating these two peoples. Once I have something to fight this war with, a gathering of forces from all sectors of the Kindergartens is the only thing left to do. Then, the war begins. Then, those that served 'Pink Diamond' will be eliminated. Then, all will work out accordingly.

"Looks like we're here, Rose" Garnet speaks up, ripping me away from my thoughts.

I blink my eyes a few times and notice that the fusion is indeed correct. Before us three lies a circular door with what appears to be the shape of a Bismuth gem in the center. Surrounding said door was tall, jagged peaks of rock that bear similar resemblance to that of the Prime Kindergarten, though the rock from this spot has more of a cooled magma to it. It especially makes sense because of all the rising steam and heat from below us.

But, back on the door, I wonder if we have to announce ourselves in someway. Otherwise, it appears that the entrance will only open from the inside. I send a questioningly glance Pearl's way and she holds up a finger as a way of saying 'wait'. I bit my lip in anticipation and a minute or so later, the gem shape glows and the two sections of the circular-shaped door split away from each other, opening the way completely. However, as the small amount of dust cleared, I see that a single Bismuth stands in our way, no doubt the one that let us in.

"Ah, the Amethysts from Facet 3 said you were coming, Rose Quartz" The builder gem remarks, stepping back and waving our little trio forward, "Come on, we're not gonna stop Homeworld by standing around, are we?".

I nod and follow the Bismuth as she walks away down a narrow, sloping tunnel, Pearl and Garnet sticking close behind me. The way is very short compared to the distance it took to reach this place itself and soon enough, sounds of hammer clanging and metal being cooled are heard. The Bismuth then leads us into a bit bigger cavern, one that takes on a sphere shape and has multiple other Bismuths working at different points. Some of them pause and stare at me as I pass by their stations. I'm flattered to say the least. Our guide then stops at the far end of the room, right where another Bismuth stands at the ready by a lava waterfall. Both our guide and the second Bismuth look exactly the same, minus the small fact that first has less markings on their work apron, signifying their role amongst the rest of the Bismuths. Pearl, Garnet, and I stop and wait patiently for what's to come next.

"Hello there, Rose Quartz. It's an honor" The second Bismuth greets us.

"Please, the pleasure is mine" I reply, "So, what do have for us?".

"Well..." The Bismuth trails off, grabbing a set of parchment from her apron pocket and unfolding it, "It's a more basic design than anything you'll find on Homeworld, but it's thick blade and sturdy handle will serve you decently".

At this point, I was happy that they had anything for me at all. This felt like an exciting new experience, one that I'm able to explore all on my own. Yellow forbade me from visiting the Bismuths on Homeworld, claiming that I wouldn't ever need a weapon because 'my authority would be as sharp as any sword forged by the builders'. As I stand now though, I feel like I'm getting a gift and even that in of itself is cause for joy.

"Go for it" I say.

The Bismuth then looks to its counterpart, the one who lead us in here, and after receiving approval, puts away the design and begins collecting metal scraps from different jars along the walls. She then gathers some in one fist and the rest in the other, dunking both hands simultaneously into the lava. The Bismuth then trudges over to a workbench located a little ways behind us and releases her grip, letting two glowing bars. The gem's hands then shapeshift into hammers and began pounding away at the bits of hot metal. What follows after I can't quite keep up with, but the gist of it is a collection of molding the hand guard, making out the length of the blade, securing the blade to the hand guard, crafting a handle from another mineral amalgamation, fusing said handle to the inside of the hand guard and blade, and lastly sealing the other end of the hand guard with the handle and putting a circular pommel on the end.

The sword's then dipped in some kind of solving liquid and then handed off to another Bismuth that saunters over. My group follows the new Bismuth over to a spot adjacent to the crafting station and together, we watch as a thorn pattern is carefully etched onto the handle of the sword. Some markings are then made along the pommel, outer hand guard, and on the part of the blade that touches the hand guard. The Bismuth then clears away the shavings off the sword, then holds it out to me like they were presenting it to a Diamond. I thank her and take the handle, holding the sword up. I find out after taking a few practice swings that it's perfectly balanced for me and has the right amount of weight on each individual slice and jab.

I feel immensely satisfied now that I have the perfect weapon to fight with. Thanking the Bismuth once more, I place the sword in my Gem and turn to leave. Pearl and Garnet were looking around a bit, so I had to get their attention after a bit. Once I got them following me again, I began to leave out the same tunnel we first entered through. As I go to exit out the entrance though, I'm stopped by a Bismuth different than any others I've encountered thus far. She runs behind us, asking me to stop, which makes me pause and spin around.

"Rose Quartz! I've heard about you for a while now. I felt so inspired by hearing about how you stood up against Pink Diamond that I couldn't wait to talk to you in person! I really wish to join your cause" The unique Bismuth exclaims.

I quickly glance at Garnet and Pearl, then bend down to claps the Bismuth's hands together.

"Of course you may, Bismuth" I say softly, "Never forget that your life is your own. You can be whoever you choose to be, not what the Diamonds would want you to be".

Bismuth smiles and morphs her hands into axe heads.

"You got it, Rose. I'll fight beside you to the very end!" The new Crystal Gem states confidently.

I smile, loving her dedication and enthusiasm.

Standing back up, I then resume our walking. Pearl takes my left and Garnet takes my right, Bismuth following directly behind me. Still though, I can't help but feel like I'm forgetting something, or someone. I furrow my eyebrows and think. Nothing.....nothing.....hold on......uh oh.

"Oh my stars!" I realize suddenly.

"What? What is it, Rose?" Pearl asks, Bismuth and Garnet looking worried.

"I forgot about Steven!" I exclaim.

~~ Meanwhile.... ~~

Steven's P.O.V

Three days I've been on Homeworld so far and no luck has come my way. I knew the planet was massive, but I clearly must've underestimated the entire enormity. Sneaking around has been a challenge too, because being a human on a mostly gem world tends to make you stick out like a sore thumb. Yet somehow, I've managed to endure so far, so I'm apparently not that noticeable. That or my relatively small size gives me the upper hand.

Right now, I'm flattened up against a wall, but not in a 'I've been found out and am about to be tortured all seven days to Sunday' kind of way. In my case, I'm trying to be as stealthy as possible, especially in regards to room beyond this wall. In my short time here, I've managed to deduce that the Diamonds must keep a record of their created gems somewhere on the planet. The only problem I face now though is getting inside without being spotted, since you know, there's lots o' Gems scampering around this place all the time.

Fortunately, my window of opportunity comes sooner than expected in the form of some voices getting louder and louder, meaning that they're coming towards the door. I flatten myself even further against the smooth surface and hold my breath as two Zircons come out, babbling about a case or something important to them. I pay them little notice though and just when they're barely past me, I dive forward and slide past the open doorway before it closes a second later. Then, patting myself off, I ease up off the slick ground and take a look at the ceiling above.

The walls go up for miles with shelves upon shelves of holographic storage files. Like a library, each file is placed alphabetically up to down and are aligned with their adjacent neighbors perfectly. Groaning at how enormous the selections are, I run a hand through my, clench my fist in frustration, then use my floating powers to leap up to the closest file storage. As I reach the file, I press my palm against a hand-shaped scanner, causing the equivalent of a file cabinet drawer to pop out of the wall. I clench onto the sides and heave myself up as best I can, then begin swiping right through the individual logs. Hmm...these are logs for the creations of Peridots so I must be in the wrong place.

Gritting my teeth, I shut the drawer and push myself off the wall, flying over the opposite wall. I open another file drawer and quickly sift through its contents, but that has nothing I want either. I'm now getting kinda cranky, so I fly farther up the wall and check another one. Nothing. A few spaces to the right.....nothing. Four to the left.....also nothing. My impatient grows. What now? Well... I guess I have to try the other walls to see what they have, but according to the way it's been going so far, I wouldn't press my luck. So, I shoot forward and fly at the adjacent wall, a.k.a the one to my right. I hit the first scanner I can find and latch onto the side of the drawer, immediately bringing up the digital files and swiping through them. I feel my frustration begin to ease as I see that these logs are dated for Peridots! Yes, I've found them! With a more optimistic vibe beating in my heart, I then look through to try an find the very specific Peridot I need. Ugh, they're all sort by facet and cut order. What did Peridot say her numbers were?

Before I can come up with any pertinent guess though, a white sphere then phases through the wall, surprising me enough that I stupidly let go of the drawer. But, miraculously, the sphere zips down and envelops me before I hit the ground. The internal bottom of the sphere is still hard though, so maybe I'm not out of the ballpark yet when it comes to painful landings. My curiosity at the moment however is directed at what exactly this orb is and more specifically, the grey, black, and white colored Pearl standing in an odd T-pose fashion right in front of me. The Pearl has a sparkly dress, a couple Princess Leia style side buns for hair, and for some reason, one eye that looks like cracked glass. I get to my feet and am about to ask what she's doing, but it beats me to it.

"White Diamond requests your presence" The neutral-colored servant says, her voice completely monotone.

She then spins around too smoothly to be real and the sphere begins to soar upwards. I feel it phase through the wall once more, but what I'm wondering is where exactly is this White Pearl taking me. And more so...

Who is White Diamond?

I get my answer soon enough as the sphere lands as quickly as it took off, it's outer shell collapsing in and fading entirely within a matter of seconds. The Pearl then hovers over to these two large sparkling white pillars, holding the same creepy pose the whole time. It doesn't speak again and I'm left standing there awkwardly wondering where this White Diamond is. That's when I see the two sparkling pillars move. Huh? Pillars don't move. Wait....hold on a second...........those aren't pillars.

They're legs.

My fear rising, I slowly crane my neck and look up. The massive white legs go up and up until they stop at a triangular shaped torso, which in of itself leads up to an elongated trapezoid shaped chest with two arms as long as three football fields sticking out. At the very, very top though is a head with points poking out the top like that of a porcupine. The face that dons said head has two arching eyebrows, lips as black as space, a triangle nose, and rhombus-shaped pupils with grey irises and black pointy eyelashes. So this is White Diamond, huh? She's taller than Blue and Yellow combined! But what could she want with me, cause why else would I have been brought here?

"Greetings, little one" A soft, sickly sweet voice says, coming from White Diamond herself, "I'm White Diamond. Now would you care to explain why you've been sneaking around my planet for the last three rotations?".

I'm a bit scared to answer, wondering what she could do to me if I offend her in any way. With a big a diamond as she is, White could probably extinguish my life with the snap of her fingers or something, definitely quicker than I'm fading in and out of existence. I don't want to make her wait though, so I clear my throat and state my purpose.

"I'm looking for a specific Peridot and Lapis Lazuli. I need their help in putting a stop to the conflict brewing down on the planet Earth" I tell her honestly.

White studies me with analytical eyes, looking for any reason to doubt me, I suspect.

"Earth, you say? I remember that planet. My little Starlight's colony. But yet you mention conflict? Of what sort do you mean?" White asks, keeping her voice the same.

"Rebellion, your Radiance" I add, trying to include some manners, "Rose Quartz has been preparing for a complete takeover of the planet. But....between you and me...Rose Quartz isn't who she claims to be. It's just Pink Diamond with her Gem rotated to look like a Quartz".

White pauses for a minute before speaking back up.

"Ah, I see. Pink's up to her games again, isn't she?" White Diamond smiles eerily, "Rebellion is indeed a very serious manner, young one. But say I help you and grant you your wish of these gems. What will you choose to do with them?".

"I'll stop Rose/Pink, end this little selfish act of hers, and bring her to stand trial before the other Diamonds" I state firmly.

White grins then lets out a tiny laugh.

"My, my, my, what an interesting specimen you are! Such dedication. Such commitment. Tell me, what is your title, little human?".

"Steven" I reply.

"Well, Steven..." White begins, bending down and resting on her sparkly knees, "If you are entirely confident you can do what you claim, I shall grant your request. I too wish for my Starlight's games to end. I'm glad you will be able to help the Diamond Authority in ways much of your species could not".

"I won't let you down, White Diamond" I assert confidently.

"Oh, I know" She chuckles, turning to her Pearl, "Pearl, call in...what is the facet and cut, Steven?"

"Oh, um... Peridot Facet-2F5L Cut-5XG" I recite from memory.

White Pearl nods and brings up a holoscreen, tapping a few places and placing the order. A minute or so later, a white bubble similar to the one I was 'escorted' in phases through the wall and unfold to reveal the very Peridot. I almost don't recognize her because she has her limb enhancers attached. Nevertheless, Peridot trots in a very formal manner over and salutes White Diamond in the way other gems do with their superiors.

"You asked for me, my Diamond?" Her scratchy voice asks.

"Yes, Peridot Facet-2F5L" White confirms, then looking over at me, "You are ordered to aid this human in his efforts to bring down Rose Quartz' rebellion".

Peridot looks confused, probably with the fact that she was asked instead of a Jasper or Amethyst to aid someone like me. Peridot still can't disobey a direct order from a Diamond, especially White, so she nods and holds the salute".

"It will be done, my Diamond" Peridot replies firmly.

White smiles, looking from Peridot back over to me.

"It looks like you're on your own now, little one" White Diamond says, a bubble beginning to form around me and Peridot.

It then lurches backward, phasing part-way through the walls of this sparkly cavern. Before we're all the way through though, White says one last thing.

"I hope to see you again soon, Steven" The Diamond concludes.

The bubble then fully forms and phases completely through the wall. The orb then zips down and away to the Homeworld Warp, the very way I arrived mere days ago. The sphere deposits Peridot and I then zips back into what appears to be a larger-than-life version of White Diamond's head. Weird.

"So, what are your orders, human?" Peridot asks, keeping her tone calm and formal.

Feeling nostalgic about missing her back in my present, I smile and walk closer to her.

"If you wouldn't mind, Peridot, I'd like to get a few things straight right from the get-go. I asked for you specifically because you are the only one with the qualifications to help me" I explain, getting a surprising blush from her.

"Oh...uh...um...thank you, human" Peridot fumbles.

"Also, my name is Steven, but between you and me..." I continue, lifting up the hem of my shirt to reveal my Diamond Gem, "I'd prefer if you didn't call me by 'my Diamond'''.

Peridot freezes, her mouth agape.

"Another Diamond!!" She then exclaims, "Oh my stars! This is truly a momentous day!".

I chuckle at her expression.

"Ehh, not really another Diamond, but believe what you'd like to. Bottom line though, I need your help, Peridot. I can't stop this war by myself" I press.

"Of course I'll aid you. It would be an honor, Steven Diamond" Peridot replies, forming the Diamond salute once more.

I roll my eyes and move to get on the Warp Pad, but then multiple streams touch down with gems running past us like a herd of buffalo. Me and Peridot are forced apart by the brutal wave of fleeing gems, but we're each able to push are way up to the front near the Warp Pad. We then reach for each other and grip fingers, hers being artificial of course, our grips strong as we Warp away to Earth. While Peridot and I are zipping towards Earth, we notice the continual waves of Gems flying past on their own separate Streams. I look at Peridot, confused, but she just shrugs, meaning she doesn't know why it's like this either. The two of us then touch down on the Galaxy and when our Warp Stream clears, I see why everyone's fleeing.

A big fight has broken out between some Amethysts, some Bismuths, and a particular ocean gem. All are engaged in some form of hand-to-hand combat, though why they're fighting is still unknown to me. Gems that don't want to be caught up in the brawl storm up to the Galaxy Warp, pushing past Peridot and I and Warping away. Lapis looks to be in trouble though, so I tug on Peridot's artificial arm and motion for her to follow me. We run down the slope and get closer to Lapis, but I then see a Bismuth rearing up to hit her while her back is turned.

"Lapis, look out!" I shout, creating a shield directly between her and the Bismuth.

Lapis spins toward us, shock in her expression, and then sees the threat behind her that was previously unknown to her. My shield deflects the Bismuth's attack and Lapis is able to summon a water fist and knock it skyward, leaving room for the other attackers to move in. By that time though, Peridot and I are in the middle of the fray, throwing punches of our own and fighting alongside Lapis with my shields and Peridot's gem destabilizer. Lapis is quick to figure out that we're here to help her and gets in the groove just as quick, the three of us forming a tight semicircle. The rest of the Bismuths and Amethysts are poofed in no time, their gems scattered all over the floor of the Galaxy Warp. Lapis then falls to her knees, making me bend down to see if she's hurt.

"Are you ok?" I ask, inadvertently clasping her hands.

"Yeah, I'm.......I'm fine" Lapis replies, visibly blushing a shade of medium blue while slowly looking up at me, "Who are you exactly and why did you decide to help me?".

"My name is Steven" I say, introducing myself before motioning to Peridot behind me, "That is Peridot. We're here because we need your help, Lapis".

"My help?" The ocean gem asks in confusion, rising to her feet.

"Yes, your help. You are more special than you realize, Lapis. A rarity amongst other Lazulis. Out of all your kind on Homeworld, I need you. So, will you help me?" I ask.

Lapis pauses for a second and I begin to think that I scared her off, but then she rushes at me and squeezes me in a hug. I gasp in surprise but then hug her back, glad to have her on my side.

"Thank the Diamonds for you, Steven. You saved me from being poofed and potentially shattered, so I will indeed help you" Lapis replies, sounding immensely grateful, "But what exactly are we going to do?".

I smile and look at the Sun coming just over the horizon.

"We're gonna save this planet" I tell her.