Steven's P.O.V

"Huh. When you guys said that you wanted to visit someplace bigger than Beach City for our date, I didn't think you'd pick this place" I remark, looking down at the sprawling streets of Empire City. 

White, Blue, and Yellow Diamond stand beside me, the four of us on the roof of the tallest skyscraper in the metropolis. I had honestly forgotten about this place since it's been so long, the last time I was here being that time when Dad and Pearl were with me and both of them worked out their differences with each other. It's all coming back to me now, though, along with my desire to explore more of the city, which is something I felt when I was here the first time.

"Yes, but your father did suggest this place as a nice location for a 'getaway', as he called it, when I asked him"  White chimes in,"Though when he heard I was looking for a somewhat 'romantic setting', he looked ready to fall unconscious. I'm not quite sure why. It's one of the many things I have yet to understand about humans."

"Dad's probably just having trouble accepting my new relationship with you guys. I mean, humans typically only have one romantic partner at a time, yet I have three romantic partners and they're incredibly powerful space goddesses that aren't even close to human" I surmise.

"You flatter us, Steven" Blue blushes, pecking my cheek softly.

"Well, what are we waiting for?" Yellow asks, standing to my left with a nervous/excited smile on her face, "Let's go down to ground level and acquaint ourselves with the local festivities."

"I don't know if flying down with your bubble is the best idea, Yellow" I speak up, "Compared to Beach City, Empire City is a whole new playing field. It's much, much larger and the people who live here have never seen a Gem, let alone a Diamond, before."

"Well, I don't want to take the stairs"  White huffs, crossing her arms and pouting rather cutely,"It'd take too long and would expend too much energy trying. Besides, I can't walk down all these steps in heels."

"I could always carry you in my arms" I suggest, glancing at her with a clear grin, "How would you like that?".

"Oh...well....um"  White hesitates, blushing and turning her head to the side,"I....wouldn't mind that."

"Steven" Yellow says, bringing my attention away from White and back to her, "Seeing as we flew here in our bubble and it was fairly large enough for many to see, I'm more than positive that the populace already knows we're here. Simply using the same method to reach the ground shouldn't be too off-putting for them, I'd think."

"....................You got me there, Yellow" I admit, having not thought of that.

Grinning with a small sense of victory, Yellow holds out her hand to me and after I take it, she guides me into her bubble that just now formed on the edge of the rooftop. She keeps a tender, but firm grip on my hand as if she's afraid that I'll disappear if she lets go but doesn't want to ultimately convey that thought through the gesture itself and make me question it. Either way, it feels nice, especially since Yellow is showing more of her affectionate side. Blue and White are quick to step on after me, White grabbing my other hand while Blue hugs me from behind and rests her head on top of mine. Not even two hours since we've officially started dating and Blue's already proven herself to be the most needy, in terms of warm, physical affection, of the three. I'm not complaining though. It's exceptionally cute of her and it's one of the many reasons why I love her to begin with. Now I just need to make sure to not make her cry under any circumstances because after seeing how her powers work, I'd feel terrible if I was the cause of another episode.

Sealing the bubble closed, Yellow does her thing and sends us down through the air and towards the ground below. In an almost elevator-like fashion, the four of us touch down at a nice slow pace and the front half of the bubble opens, allowing Yellow and I to step out first and the other two Diamonds to follow before the bubble completely vanishes. One thing I know right off the bat is just how many people there are here compared to Beach City. There's hundreds and hundreds of people out and about, a constant stream of them always walking in some direction or other, an example passing right in front of the spot where the Diamonds and I landed. The Diamonds themselves take note, but are seemingly more entranced by how tall the surrounding buildings are and how many of them there are. After living their entire lives on Homeworld, another sort of big city-type setting that isn't in the same style as what they're used to must be quite fascinating, especially since it's on a former colony that was all but forgotten about for thousands of years on end. As pedestrians are walking past our little group, I happen to notice some of them glancing at the Diamonds with rather judgemental looks on their faces. I deter them, however, with a narrow-eyed expression that basically means "mind your own business and keep your judgements to yourself". That seemed to do the trick. I probably wouldn't have fought them, mainly because the situation didn't require such an escalation and I'm not one to instigate violence as a first response, but now that White has trained me in regards to my powers, I will take it there if I have to.

"Such an expansive and busy place this is,"  White comments,"We're sure to find something here that will serve as the basis for our date".

"But what does a typical 'date' usually entail, Steven?" Blue asks me.

"Well, I've never been on an actual date before" I admit, scratching the back of my neck, "But Connie has told me that a movie and fancy dinner are what her parents did when they started going out".

"A movie and fancy dinner it is, then!" Yellow proclaims, still appearing to be happy.

"You wanna do both? I mean, ok, I guess" I say, a little bit nervous.

"If it means we'll be doing more fun stuff together, then yes, definitely both"  White agrees, lightly clapping her hands.

"I know I've been to a movie before, so I can walk you guys through that, but as far as a fancy dinner, I'm not as confident in myself" I confess.

"Don't fret, my little raindrop" Blue speaks soothingly, "Almost nothing bad can happen when you have all of us with you. Besides, if it's anything like the meals we've done together in the gathering area back on Homeworld, this should be fairly simple".

"Yeah, you're right. Let's go" I sigh, trying to exude some confidence so that I don't disappoint them.

"Great, but go where exactly?" Yellow says, indirectly hinting that the movie theater isn't within our present field of view.

"I'm really not sure. Let's take a walk around and see if we can spot it" I suggest, "Oh, and stick close to me, ok? I don't want to lose you guys in the massive crowds here or have any of you potentially get hurt when crossing the street. Lots more cars here, by the looks of things, and they don't stop as quickly as you might want them to".

"Of course" Blue replies, "I could never stray too far away from you anyway~".

And so, our little quartet heads down the sidewalk to the right and we begin our journey across Empire City. The Diamonds and I keep our eyes open for anything that has 'theater' spelled out, but even after a bit of cross walking and pausing at intersections, the most we find are billboards advertising a new movie coming out relatively soon. But that's not to say that our time spent in search thus far has been in vain by any means, though, either. There have been plenty of sights to see along the way and the Diamonds have certainly been taking them all in. White and Blue especially, the two of them stopping more than a couple times to gaze in store windows at either jewelry, dresses, or even regular people just simply eating with each other. Yellow has stuck to me like glue for the duration of our walk, giving discouraging glances towards anyone that walks by who might look at me or her oddly. It was certainly helpful after we passed by an alleyway that had some sketchy figures lingering inside, those same figures having their eyes locked onto us until Yellow glared at them threateningly and even showed off a bit of her electricity powers. That sent them running almost immediately.

About an hour and a half had passed by until we literally stumbled across the very thing we'd been looking for. Like, no joke, we walked right past the theater and paused before turning around and realizing that we almost just missed it. No one said a word, since I'm sure we were all embarrassed by the fact, and the Diamonds merely continued to stay by me as I trudged up to the ticket booth at the entrance. There was a new 3hr 30min long action-adventure movie currently playing that I was pretty sure the Diamonds might enjoy, so I requested four tickets and paid for them using money that Dad had given me. I knew I had to be careful with my spending, which was the main reason why I didn't offer to buy White or Blue any of the jewelry or dresses they looked at. My money would be gone like *that*. But, anyway, with the tickets handled, I open the door like any gentleman would and let Blue, Yellow, and White head inside the theater first. They each thanked me, Blue giving hers with a kiss on the top of my head, and I brought up the rear behind them once the door was closed. I then retook the lead and led them over to the concession's stand, giving them a minute to look over the options of what to get and even answering their questions about what each snack was if they asked. Once the choices were settled, I went right ahead and ordered for everyone. I then waited near the counter as the popcorn was being made fresh and the drinks were being poured, getting caught by surprise when I turn and see a little kid probably no older than 5 or 6 walking up to the Diamonds.

"You is all yellow, you is all blew, and you is all white" The little boy says, pointing at each of the Diamonds, "You three are supaheroes!".

The Diamonds and I smile at the display, not because we're looking to laugh at how he can't speak all that clearly, but at how cute his assumption was just by glancing at what the Diamonds looked like. White has the biggest smile out of all of us, though it's probably more due to the fact that she thinks that kids are the cutest out of all humans. I'm fully expecting one of them to say something back to the boy and I'm surprised yet again when it's none other than Yellow who kneels down in front of the kid. In the past, Yellow has been the one who disliked humans the most, so this is some great development for her character.

"Well, aren't you a smart one, huh?" Yellow smiles, her voice lowered as she lets loose a bit of electricity between her fingers, "We are indeed 'superheroes', as you so put it, but how about we keep this a secret? Just between you and us?"

"Yes, absalutely" The young boy smiles, hugging Yellow.

The hug is very, very brief, but both Yellow and the boy looked happy. The kid then ran back to his mother, who was standing by in the center of the room watching the exchange. The mother doesn't look mad at all and she even smiles and waves at us as she and her son walk away out the front door. It's at this point that our snacks are ready, so I pick up as many as I can carry and walk back over to the Diamonds.

"That was very sweet of you, Yellow,"  White comments.

"Yes, it was" Yellow smiles, "The little one also called me a 'hero'. Nobody has ever referred to me as that before".

"Well, call me sappy, but you're a hero to me, Yellow" I say, handing her drink over to her. Yellow blushes and plants a kiss on the side of my face, meanwhile I hand over the popcorn to Blue and give White her packet of M&M's.

I then look up at the nearby clock and back down at the time on our tickets, realizing that the movie is starting soon. I mention this to the Diamonds and they agree that we should head in. I hand over our tickets to the guy who tears them and then lead the Diamonds around the dimly-lit hallways, movie posters lining the walls. We very quickly find the number corresponding to the one on our tickets and head inside, the room even darker than the hallways outside. With the many rows of seats laid out, and nobody in a single one yet, there's a little bit of a pause and debate on where we should sit before we eventually settle on the row near the middle with a small wall behind it. Then came even more debate, though this was much closer to just plain arguing, about who would sit next to me. While I can't say that things got particularly heated, it was probably going to reach that point if White hadn't grabbed me and sat me down in her lap with her arms holding me down rather comfortably. This left Yellow and Blue no choice but to each take a seat on either side of White, both Diamonds looking like they wanted to argue, but neither ultimately did since the show was starting.

Throughout its run, the movie was pretty interesting, but I couldn't focus as much on it as others might when they normally come to these things because the Diamonds were a constant distraction. However, it wasn't in a bad way. White kept feeding me her M&M's, Blue's hand would touch mine every time I went to grab some popcorn, and Yellow continually offered me her drink even though there was only one straw and I knew she had been drinking it. And then there was that point where White made her size a bit bigger and set me down between her legs, which I secretly enjoyed quite a lot since her legs felt really soft rubbing up against me and I could rest my head back against her stomach. I honestly got a little excited there, but I hid it as best I could since I didn't want to spoil the mood. Nevertheless, their caring and affectionate behavior lasted throughout the entire runtime. Once the movie was over, I didn't even want to get up since I was in a very comfortable spot between White's legs. When the lights came on, Blue and Yellow finally caught on to the change in seating and they weren't happy about it.

Yellow was the one who ended up pulling me up and away from White, walking me out of the theater as White and Blue trailed behind with Blue sending some glares at White. Yellow and I walk all the way through the halls and out the front door before stopping, the two of us waiting for the others while Yellow asked me if I enjoyed the movie. I said yes, but that I enjoyed my time with them a lot more, which Yellow couldn't help but smile warmly at. About a minute or two later, Blue and White catch up, which leaves us contemplating part two of our date: where to go for a 'fancy dinner'.

"Oooh, how about we go there!"  White says, pointing towards the tallest skyscraper in the city.

"We're going full circle, huh?" I speak, remembering that we started from there to begin with, "I mean, as long as their dinner service is anything close to fancy, I'll call it a win-win".

Blue and Yellow are easily in agreement, both looking excited for our shared dinner even though we already ate snacks. But, to be honest, I'm not really full either, though on the other hand I'm also not particularly hungry. Still, it's as good an idea as ever, so we start walking that direction. It ends up being a considerable distance away and as we're getting close, the Sun has lowered in the sky and is nearing the horizon line. While there's still plenty of people out milling about, there's less of an amount compared to earlier in the day. The movie was three and a half hours long, which would make the time about 5 PM or so.

When the Diamonds and I enter the lobby, I look around for a sign or something that talks about a dining area. And, luckily, I happen to find one near the reception desk. The lady working there was kind enough to answer my questions about it and even told me which floor to get off at. I made sure to thank her and wish her a good rest of her day before I went back to the Diamonds, who were standing off to the side, and filled them in on what I had found out. After my little impromptu debriefing, we hear an elevator announce its arrival and go over right as someone is leaving, slipping inside before the doors close. I hit the button corresponding to the floor number and the elevator rises. I then see something flash in my peripheral vision, which makes me turn and get surprised at Blue, Yellow, and White's new outfits. They must've just phased them on because I do not remember them walking in here wearing what they're wearing now. Yellow is wearing a sleek black dress that hugs her curves and shows off a bit of her chest as well as her gem, accompanied with some black high heel shoes. Blue is also wearing a dress that shows off a bit of her chest, though the design is pretty similar to her usual attire aside from some variations of light and dark blue across the hem and trail. She also has some teardrop earrings in too, which is a nice little touch. White has a dress on that isn't as revealing as the other Diamonds, but does have more black and more sparkles within the design. Aside from that, she wears the same high heel shoes as she usually does.

"So," Blue says, twirling around, "What do you think, Steven~?"

"I think you guys look absolutely stunning" I truthfully answer, which makes all three of them blush, "But where did you guys get those?"

"Oh, well, let's just say that we might've stopped in a few stores and acquired them while you weren't paying attention"  White hints, smiling. I smile back, shaking my head.

"I probably should've guessed" I sigh, "And I wish I could do the same, but the last suit I owned is now too small for me".

"We took care of that too"  White says, summoning an outfit from her gem that is precisely what I was thinking of and handing it over to me.

"Huh, these measurements are indeed mine" I remark before glancing up at White, "Is there something I should know about how you found this out?".

"Nope"  White replies, still smiling.

Shaking my head again, I motion for them to turn around and as they do, I quickly change into the suit. By the time the elevator stops and the door opens, I'm all dressed and ready to go. The Diamonds turn back around and together we walk into the restaurant. The Sun has gone down even more and the overall lighting in the dining area has reflected this as well, the only light being from lanterns hanging over the tables from the ceiling and the bit of lighting from the bar over to our right. We were greeted by a waiter and I told him that we'd like a table for four. He then leads us over to a circular table next to one of the massive windows on the far end of the dining area. After the waiter sets menus down and leaves, I pull out the chairs for each of the Diamonds and let them sit down. They each thank me in turn and wait for me to sit down as well.

The water came back after a bit and asked if we wanted drinks. I'm still under 21, so I just asked for a water. The Diamonds, however, requested some wine and the waiter brought the bottle with him when he returned once more and poured their glasses for them. As for the main meal, since none of us were in the mood for any sort of appetizer, the four of us ordered something light that wouldn't fill us up too much. After the waiter took our individual orders, he went off and gave us some time to talk. Of course, talking was a bit hard for me when White kept nudging me with the side of her leg in a very flirty-type manner, but I wouldn't have had much to actually talk about anyway, so I didn't mind.

Time then passed until our orders were ready and served to us. While we ate, none of us really said anything, though I did take the chance to fully admire how beautiful White, Yellow, and Blue looked. It wouldn't be fair for me to say that one was more lovely than the other because I don't want any of them to feel bad about themselves, especially during a time like this. Our time eating together wasn't fast by any means, but it was at a pace leisurely enough as to where all of us could really just enjoy and live in the moment we were sharing with each other. When we did finish, I could tell that they felt just as satisfied as I was. And what a good time it was too, the sky now black with the night setting in.

We did sit around for a short while to let the food settle, more so for me than them, but once Yellow, White, and Blue pronounced that they were ready to leave, I offered a hand up to each of them, kissing the back of their hands as I helped them up. If their flustered expressions were any indication, I'd say that my skills at being charming aren't half bad. I make sure to leave enough money on the table to pay for dinner and then we walk out the front entrance. The Diamonds and I go back inside the elevator, but Yellow presses the button for the floor two levels above our current one. I decide to wait on asking until we get there. Once the elevator stops and the four of us step out, I see that it's a relatively spacious room with a stage on the opposite end. Though it seems to me like the Diamonds have something planned that they're not telling me about, I won't be against what they're doing if the intentions are decent. Blue then gets in front of me and kneels down slightly.

"I think you've treated us to a very good time today, Steven, so how's about I return the favor?" She says, covering my hands with hers, "I'd like to sing to you and I'd love it if you listened".

"And I'd love to hear it, Blue" I reply.

Blue nods and stands back up, walking over to the stage while Yellow and White lead me over to the closest table next to the stage. I take a seat facing Blue, as do Yellow and White, and wait for her to begin. She looks a bit nervous standing by herself, but after a smile and an encouraging nod from me, she sighs and goes for it.

[Verse 1:]

Too many nights I stayed up thinking

Whether I deserved a second chance at all

But after all you said, I have an inkling

That with you around, I would never fall

By my side now, my joy is everlasting

And into your arms, I will always be collapsing

[Pre-Chorus:]

Cause now, I know (Now I know)

These feelings flow (These feelings flow)

Where my love lies (Where my love lies)

It's only on the rise (Only on the rise)

[Chorus:]

Because I want your love and not war

Because I want your love and not war

The past is past and now is now

And I'll never ever let you down

Because I want your love and not war

Because I want your love and not war

[Verse 2:]

I may not have a heart like you humans do

But deep down, I know that what I feel is true

You've confessed the same that I've confessed to you

And now we're both together, through and through

[Pre-Chorus:]

Cause now, I know (Now I know)

These feelings flow (These feelings flow)

Where my love lies (Where my love lies)

It's only on the rise (Only on the rise)

[Chorus:]

Because I want your love and not war

Because I want your love and not war

The past is past and now is now

And I'll never ever let you down

Because I want your love and not war

Because I want your love and not war

[Verse 3:]

Living as a Diamond always felt so grand

Yet after a while, it became so bland

Yellow, White, and I set to conquer all

But then you came and all of that was null

I promise to care for you forever

And the day I stop will always be never

[Chorus:]

Because I want your love and not war

Because I want your love and not war

The past is past and now is now

And I'll never ever let you down

Because I want your love and not war

Because I want your love and not war

I was blown away by how amazing and lovely her voice was. I instantly began clapping as soon as Blue was done, Yellow and White following suit by clapping as well. Blue herself appeared to be embarrassed by all the praise she was receiving, but still was able to come down from the stage and rejoin the rest of us.

"So, what did you think?" Blue asks me, though she already knows what I'll say.

"That was incredible, Blue! Your singing voice is just unreal! I loved it" I tell her.

"I love you too, Steven" She grins.

White and Yellow also expressed how impressed they were, especially since they've never heard Blue do something like that off the top of her head. But things were not over yet as White then took my hand and led me through a side door and out onto this balcony overlooking the city. Empire City is a spectacular light show once the Sun goes down, the many, many lights all around the city creating a wonderful view. Leaning against the railing, I gaze and marvel at it all, not noticing Blue and Yellow joining us. They too take a second to enjoy the view, but their attention then shifts to me as Blue hugs me from the right as Yellow hugs me from the left, White hugging me from behind. Their embrace makes this moment even more special and I wouldn't trade it for anything else.

That's the true sign of love.

~~ Meanwhile..on a planet far, far away... ~~

A Ruby and a Peridot walk side by side down a wide, rocky path, large black spires sticking up from the ground all around them. Nearly everything in the area is colored black, as if some disease had swept over the region and leeched the very pigments out of the surface. But that specific region is known for that, since no other spot on the planet is like it. Compared to the dark grey mountains comprising the remainder of the planet, this region was looked at with an eye of skepticism, many wondering what was so special about it. There were others, though, that felt fear towards the area, claiming that it made them feel excessive dread whenever they ventured in. These two particular gems, though, were not afraid, and merely made their way across at a leisurely pace while the pale sky and nearby moons shone down upon them.

"You know, I can't believe that it's really happened" The Peridot says, "I never thought that it would ever come to be and I wouldn't be caught dead admitting it to anyone else, but I'm so glad our planet is now free from colonization".

"I hear ya" The Ruby nods, trudging alongside her companion, "I wasn't totally on-board with having this planet colonized either, even though I was created here. Couldn't tell anyone, no, that would get me shattered like it would anyone else speaking like a rebel. Wouldn't want to be mistaken for a Crystal Gem. But, now thanks to that hybrid named Steven Universe, the Diamonds have completely changed and our planet, like many others, is free. Should he ever decide to come here, I know I'd like to thank him in person".

"Very much agreed" The Peridot concurs, then glancing ahead, "But what are we doing here, though?".

"I'm curious" The Ruby answers, "And this region has had more than enough rumors spread around to garner some kind of exploration attempt. At least for those that aren't scared to even step foot on the black-covered land".

"Maybe we could be the ones to calm the unsettled gems and let them know that they have nothing to fear from this place" The Peridot suggests, thinking that it's a good idea.

"If that'll help them get through the days easier, then yeah, I suppose so" The Ruby shrugs, more about the adventure than any ultimate goal of helping.

The conversation between the two then tapers off, both gems just focusing on the path ahead. Though they're not constrained by any sort of valley or obstacle, a bit of uneasiness begins to form inside the Peridot. She doesn't voice this to her friend, though, and merely keeps going while trying her best to fight this growing feeling. Eventually, the two reach a point where the spires form a sort of doorway pattern in front of them, the way forward leading into the side of an enormous mountain. The Ruby goes along slowly and runs her hands over the spires as she walks, her friend keeping to herself with  both her hands clasped together. The feeling hasn't gone away yet and now the Peridot is feeling as if there is something watching them, even though no other gems announced that they'd be going this way.

The two then continue onward until they come across this huge door carved into the side of the mountain. It loomed large over the gems and would also look to loom large over a Diamond too, which sparked further excitement in the Ruby. While the Peridot stays right where she's at, the Ruby steps forward and places her hand on the door, pushing on it slightly to see if she can open it. Before the Peridot can speak and suggest that they turn back, the door actually opens, surprising her and her Ruby companion. It spreads apart slowly but ominously, black clouds seeping out from inside. Once the door is all the way open, the clouds begin swirling around near the feet of the gems. The Peridot is about to speak again, but then the ground starts shaking and lightly vibrating, as if something powerful was coming out. The Peridot begins backing away, but once two large octagon-shaped eyes appear from the darkness, she scurries behind the closest spire and hides. The Ruby hasn't moved, amazed at what she's seeing. She remains stuck in place as a massive being emerges from the darkness with more black clouds covering it, making it near impossible to discern what the being is. It then walks forward and without noticing or caring, passes right through the Ruby, leaving only gem shards visible when it passes. The Peridot watches in horror seeing her best friend die so spontaneously and is only even more frightened when the being stops at the front of the spire doorway and turns back ever so slightly. The shape of a mouth then forms on where the entity's face should be, but without the mouth ever moving, a deep, raspy, and resonating voice is heard.

"My time has finally come. The time for the universe....to be mine".