Steven took a deep breath as Yellow Pearl prepared the broadcast. He stood before the throne of Pink Diamond, the throne of White Diamond empty as the other two Diamonds assured Steven he could handle the situation at hand.

"Steven you can do this," Yellow Diamond assured him, "You fought White Diamond and defeated what was basically a false God. What's one little speech?"

Steven smiled nervously, "Yeah you're right."

Steven took a deep breath as Yellow Diamond exclaimed, "We're live!"

Steven looked into the screen as he adjusted his pink jacket, which has the Era 3 insignia on the back of it. The symbol of Pink, Yellow, and Blue Diamonds, but with White Diamond missing. Steven spoke, "Hello Gem kind! It's me! Steven Beta Universe! Many of you may know me as that half breed from Earth. I know things have changed quite drastically in the last year for all of you..."

Several Gems across the cosmos are shown as Steven gave his speech to various alien worlds, where Gems watch the broadcast intently. A glimpse of what appears to be a tall orange Gem is shown among them as Steven proceeded, "With White Diamond finally removed many new freedoms have been granted you. Now I do understand my genetic mother may be why many of you chose to listen to me at first but by now I'm sure you all see my mothers are Lapis and Jasper. Independently of one another to be clear. Anyways, now that the empire has been dismantled and you're all free to find families of your own I have to return to my family on Earth. Don't forget about Little Homeschool though! We're always taking new students who wish to live on Earth! Bye!"

The feed cut as Steven dusted his hands and began to walk towards the warp, "Well a job well done! I'll see you guys later! Spinel has a tendency to worry if I'm gone for to long."

"Now now hold on," Blue Diamond protested as she blocked Steven's way with her hand, "Can't you stay a bit longer?"

"I really do have to get back," Steven explained, "You guys are always welcome to visit you know."

"Yeah but then I would have to see Sea and that's..." Blue Diamond sighed awkwardly, almost in shame in a way, "A bit of a mess to say the least."

"Blue's right," Yellow Diamond added, "I'm sure you can stay at least another hour. Isn't it daytime on Earth?"

Steven sighed, slightly annoyed, "Techinally yes as it's always daytime somewhere but it's 9pm in Beach City. You know Earth has time zones."

"Oh right right," Yellow replied with a sigh, "You organics and your need for sleep, but it's only nine. That isn't that late is it?"

"Guys I really have to go," Steven protested as he approached the Warp Pad, going around Blue Diamond's hand once more.

Song: Let Us Protect You (I Couldn't Protect You Reprise)

Based On: Let Us Adore You (Steven Universe)

This song is much closer to "Let Us Adore You" than "I Couldn't Protect You" was. However it still has a darker, lower tone than "Let Us Adore You" to reflect a slightly darker undertone.

Blue and Yellow sang, pleading with Steven, "Just live with us in the palace.
You can bring Spinel with you.
Come ooooon."

Blue Diamond sung the next line alone with a tinge of sadness in her voice, "This time I'll protect you."

Steven protested as the instrumentals continued under his dialouge and he went around Blue Diamond's hand and onto the warp pad, "Guys I really do have to go. Lapis, Greg, and Jasper wanted me to be home by eight. I'm already running behind. Besides we all I'm not Pink Diamond."

Blue and Yellow sang in protest as they leaned in to plead with Steven, "Yes we know that you're,
Not Pink that's not why,
We want you stay here.
It's because we love you as our nephew."

Steven smiled wearily as he explained, "And you guys are great aunt and a part of my family but I really do have to go."

"Steven I understand if you hold a grudge," Yellow Diamond pleaded, "But I'm trying to be a better Gem."

"In her defense it was only from self preservation and fear of White she did those things," Blue Diamond added.

"I know I'm not holding a grudge," Steven explained, "I genuinely have to go. Again you guys are free to visit."

Steven muttered to himself, "OK so am I forgetting anything? Broadcast... Musical number... oh wait."

"I almost forget imma go talk to White before I go," Steven explained getting off the Warp Pad.

"No!" Blue Diamond yelled sending out a blue aura that made Steven cry as she blocked the way with deep worry in her eyes, "Steven you know that's a bad idea!"

"I'm sure she can be reasoned with!" Steven protested, "I mean sure she-"

Yellow sternly lifted Steven by his jacket mid stride, like mother cat lifting her kitten off the ground, "Blue's right. She blatantly killed you. Not beat you up like I did. Not kidnap you like Blue. Not hate your mom like Jasper or lie to you like Pearl. She killed you. Even if you forgive everyone else, that, that's a whole other level."

"There's good in everyone," Steven explained, "Human beings, and by extension Gems, hold an inherit good at birth. Do they not?"

"But that doesn't mean they cultivate it," Blue protested, "Just because everything has inherit good doesn't mean they allow it to guide them."

"I mean what harm can she really cause me now?" Steven inquired, "I mean she's-"

"Steven you don't have to fix everyone and everything you know that right?" Yellow inquired.

"Yeah cause letting things sort themselves out went great for Jasper didn't it?" Steven retorted, "Look she's not dangerous anymore. I can handle it."

"I can't stop you," Blue sighed, "But again please reconsider."

"I promise I'll be OK," Steven replied, offering a reassuring smile, "Bye!"

With that Steven warped to a massive structure that towered over the small moon upon which it state. The structure was perfectly square and glowed with a white light from within. Two Amethysts summoned a spear and a knife as the warp activated only to reveal Steven.

The taller Amethyst, one with her Gem on her left shoulder, ecstaticly greeted Steven as her weapon disappeared and she rushed over, "Yo Steven my dude!"

"Hey guys!" Steven exclaimed as the Quartz lifted the young man onto her shoulder, "It's been to long!"

"Good to see you too!" Steven exclaimed, "Hey you ever find out what happened to the Zoo?"

"Nope," The Quartz solider replied, "Man how's Spinel? You come to visit but I haven't seen her since the Rebellion!"

"Oh is this the kid?" The other soldier asked.

"Yeah I was one of the Quartz soldiers at the Zoo!" The first explained setting Steven down, "Was recruited into the Rebellion when Chrysoprase attacked! Steven and I are buddies since then!"

"Wait is that true?" The second solider asked.

"Yeah I was at least buddies with all the soldiers from the Human Zoo who joined me and Spinel," Steven explained, "Anyways I'm just here to speak to White Diamond."

"Steven that's a bad idea," the first soldier protested.

"Yeah dude that's-" The second interjected.

However Steven retorted before he could finish as he jumped down and dashed down the way, "I'll just be a second! One sec!"

"Steven please don't-" The first pleaded as Steven dashed through the massive white doors.

The door slammed shut leaving the two to discuss.

The second asked, "That bad huh?"

The first sighed and nodded, "Yeah. He's a good kid but he's damaged and someone like White will only make those wounds worse..."

Steven entered the room where the titan of a Gem sat on her knees, each hand wrapped in chains to the floor on one side of her and her legs tied to the floor with cuffs at the ankles. She looked up at Steven, her form changed now that she had reformed, her dress torn and what was more or less hair far more frazzled into mismatched strands.

"You know," Steven explained, "I could let you out."

White said nothing.

"I know there's good in you," Steven pleaded, "I'm willing to work this out."

"Good in me?" White Diamond chuckled, "Like you?"

The chains rattled in the room that glowed with light only from White Diamond's body as the false God struggled against her chains to lean into Steven's face, "We are alike. We are Gods. I cannot be bubbled and thus I am chained."

"And if you weren't such a jerk and tried to be better you could be free," Steven glared.

"And you cannot be bubbled by death," White added, "See Steven, we are Gods. We are the same. You save everyone because you think your above them. But you tell yourself it's because of an inherit good in life. You're above them but just won't admit you know it. I know I'm above them. I know I'm God."

"That's..." Steven turned away, hyperventilating as he contemplated the statement, "No..."

"You can free me when you see we are above the rest of this universe," White chuckled, "You don't love them. They're pawns. A spider in the hand of an angry God. You're above them and you know it. Love? Family? Notions used to lie to yourself. Your blood is your family. I am your family, and we are Gods."

Steven walked back towards the door, "No... You're wrong. You're wrong! Rot in this cell you narcaccistic prick!"

Steven dashed out of the room.

White Diamond sneered, "Just wait White. The seeds are planted and soon that will grow until he kneels before me. I know I can break him and he will break these chains..."

Steven dashed to the warp passed the soldiers who reached out to Steven but we're unable to intervene before he warped away. He warped to the Strawberry Field and cried. After a few minutes he collected himself and took a deep breath, "No. She's... She's lying... blood is a lie. I have my family... right?"

Steven took a deep breath, "I have to keep going. Just don't think about it. There's gotta be more to fix. Keep fixing. No thinking..."

Steven warped back home and the scene faded to black.

Steven Universe Momswap: Future

Coming Now but Slowly.