Author's Note:
Yes, I'm going completely insane right now. I spent an entire day analyzing the next twenty chapters, and honestly, if I ever take more than two weeks to release a new one, it's because I've lost it. Thanks for the support, really. With nothing more to add, see you in the next one.
Let's continue.
Steven was immersed in a training regimen that could only be described as diabolical, a routine that seemed endless and drained his mind more than his body. And no wonder. Every day he woke up with that sharp feeling in his stomach, a panic that didn't disappear even when he took a deep breath. He lived with the constant thought that at any moment Jasper or Peridot could descend upon them like an unpredictable storm, a heavy shadow that forced him to stay alert even when he closed his eyes.
Sometimes he thought the worst. What if they attacked him while he slept? What if a single lapse in concentration was enough to make everything he had achieved crumble? That thought haunted him like a relentless echo, one he couldn't ignore no matter how hard he tried to focus on the breathing exercises Pearl had taught him. It was a burden he carried, one that no one else could take for him.
He had even made difficult decisions, like keeping Connie away from those areas. He didn't want her near danger, didn't want to drag her into the uncertainty he faced every day. She had been a little angry, of course, but she still understood that his intention was never to keep her away out of selfishness, but to protect her from something he couldn't fully define. That mixture of guilt and relief followed him like a shadow, reminding him that sometimes loving meant creating distance.
He would leave his mother's room with absolute focus, as if each step could trigger an invisible alarm. He observed every corner, every detail, every glimmer of light that struck the walls, because anything could signify danger. His gaze softened only slightly when he saw Lapis, who was practicing her waterbending with perfect precision, so perfect that she seemed to disconnect from the world as she did so. But even that unsettled him. He knew Lapis could get lost in her own thoughts, in her turbulent emotions, and that made her vulnerable.
He would have preferred to leave her in the barn, that place his father had taken him to years ago, a quiet space far from all the chaos. But as long as Jasper was free, he couldn't afford to leave Lapis alone. He could imagine it all too clearly: Jasper resorting to psychological tricks, manipulating, provoking, searching for an emotional crack to pressure Lapis into merging with her again. And he wouldn't allow that. Not this time. Not after everything Lapis had endured. Not while he could prevent it.
Steven took a deep breath, feeling the weight in his chest not disappear but shift enough to allow him to move. He knew that every day was a new battle, even without enemies present. He knew his own fear was part of the battlefield. But he carried on nonetheless, because stopping wasn't an option, and because protecting others had always been more important than protecting himself.
Steven walked outside, his mind still lost in his own thoughts. Lapis glanced at him and greeted him calmly, as always, without moving much from her spot. She wouldn't go with him because watching his training bored her, although deep down there were moments when she found it fascinating, but only when Steven was actually fighting, not when he was just repeating drills. The fusion between Garnet and him hadn't happened in a long time, not because Garnet didn't want it to, but because there wasn't the time for it. The future vision was completely out of control, an imprecise chaos that kept Garnet nervous, alert, scanning every corner as if something might leap from the shadows.
Steven was about to leave and already had his hand outstretched toward the door when a familiar, deep, and vibrant sound echoed from the room. It was the portal. Her blood ran cold for an instant. She spun around with lightning reflexes and raised her shield without thinking, bright and steady as a heartbeat.
Lapis, who had already sensed the noise, reacted even faster. Her water wings unfurled with a fluid whisper, and she flew to his side, landing just inches away, her gaze fixed on the portal that emitted a pulsating light. They both waited, motionless and barely breathing, attentive to the smallest detail.
When the light finally went out, they remained there...
The girls.
Pearl, Garnet, and Amethyst stood, breathing heavily, visibly exhausted. It seemed as if each of them had run an emotional marathon. An awkward silence fell over the entire house, heavy, almost palpable.
Lapis broke it with a simple greeting, soft but firm. "Hello. Anything new?"
The three gems exchanged glances and slowly shook their heads, exhaling a collective sigh that revealed more tension than relief.
Pearl, Garnet, and Amethyst walked toward the main area and plopped down in the seats, as if the previous hours had been an endless search. Steven and Lapis approached cautiously, keeping their guard up until the others' posture finally showed there was no immediate threat.
They spoke briefly, almost in whispers, exchanging information without much structure. They had searched several locations without finding any clear trace of Jasper or Peridot. The first place they had checked was the communications center, a place they remembered as an absolute disaster. And it still looked that way... or so they assumed. What they didn't know was that Peridot had left the site so perfectly rebuilt, so meticulously arranged, that any difference was hidden at first glance. If you didn't look very closely, it seemed exactly as destroyed as before, an accidental camouflage, a job too well done.
They all concluded there were no new signs. Nothing to indicate an imminent attack, no solid trail to follow. Only more uncertainty.
But the atmosphere remained heavy, charged with the feeling that something was about to happen.
And Steven knew it.
He felt it in his chest like a constant echo.
A memory struck his mind like a silent, almost unsettling flash of lightning, one of those thoughts that return unbidden. Peridot. The signal. That transmission in the series that never went anywhere. That detail, buried somewhere in his fan's memory, forced its way through with such force, so unexpectedly that Steven felt a small shiver run down his spine. His gaze slowly fell upon the television, an appliance that hadn't been turned on in ages, and yet, something inside him told him he should check it.
He walked toward her with complete calm, though his chest trembled. The girls watched him, confused, waiting for an explanation that never came. Steven simply turned on the television and stood motionless in front of the static-filled screen.
A few seconds passed, dense, silent, almost eerie.
"Dude, what are you doing?" Amethyst slumped down beside him, scratching her head, glancing down at the screen. "Are we going to watch TV? I haven't watched it in ages, to be honest..."
Lapis floated down and sat next to Steven, staring at the static as if waiting for something to appear. Garnet and Pearl, more at ease, assumed Steven was just trying to break the routine, and without giving it much thought, they settled down near him. But Steven wasn't simply watching the static: he was waiting for something.
"Why aren't you putting anything on?" Pearl asked, frowning when she noticed Steven wasn't pressing any more buttons.
"I already did it," he replied, showing the remote with channel 3 selected.
"Is it damaged?" Garnet stood up with the precision of someone checking a technical detail and approached the antenna to adjust it.
"No," Steven said in a low tone, without taking his eyes off the screen. "Move the antennas, but the signal is fine."
Garnet didn't argue; she simply nodded and began to move the antennas with slow, methodical movements. For a few seconds, nothing happened... until the screen flickered.
First, there were smudges. Intertwined fragments of green light, as if a shape were trying to form between layers of interference. Then a crossed line, then another, and finally... a voice.
"Here, lost... I need to reinforce... my... diamond..."
The messages sounded broken, incomplete, as if the transmission were coming from a very distant place, too deteriorated to sustain. The voice sounded urgent, almost desperate, but each sentence trailed off before it could be finished:
...rebels...
...power depleted...
...communication failed...
And then, finally, the signal cut out.
The screen returned to static.
An awkward silence filled the house, so heavy it seemed even the air hesitated to move. Lapis still held Steven's arm, squeezing tightly, as if she still hadn't fully processed that Peridot had just "called the Diamonds" from who-knows-where. Steven swallowed, feeling the pressure of the blue grip, a bead of sweat trickling down his temple.
"Good," he said finally, clapping once to break the silence. They all jumped slightly in surprise.
"Damn Peridot," Amethyst growled, lunging at the television with the clear intention of hitting it if that would help. Luckily, Garnet was still close enough to grab her by the collar before she destroyed the device.
Pearl, meanwhile, was already analyzing everything. Her eyes darted around, her mind piecing together the logic. The communications center... she herself, along with Garnet, had destroyed it. It shouldn't be able to transmit anything. Nothing.
"Hey... didn't we destroy it?" Pearl finally asked, with a mixture of doubt and concern.
Garnet crossed her arms. Her posture suggested that something didn't add up for her too. "It should have," she replied seriously. "Although... the memories are blurry."
She adjusted her glasses, and her expression grew more serious. "We should check. Gems, let's go."
The three of them stood up almost simultaneously, tension coursing through their bodies like electricity.
Steven watched them, still seated, until Pearl turned to face him.
"Are you coming?" she asked gently.
"Yes," he replied almost immediately. Then he looked at Lapis. "Are you coming too?"
Lapis nodded without hesitation. She didn't want to be left alone. Not when Peridot, Jasper, and who knows what else were running around. And so, without another word, the five of them walked toward the portal.
Steven took a deep breath. Lapis squeezed his arm once more before letting go.
And with a bright sound, the portal swallowed them all.
Upon arriving, the world seemed to take a strange turn. They didn't land where they wanted, not even close. They were simply flung into a random spot, as if the portal had sneezed and spat out their bodies without any precision. The light dissipated, and they all stood in the middle of an unfamiliar space.
Silence fell upon them like a heavy blanket. No one spoke. No one breathed more heavily than necessary. They were simply... there, trying to process what had just happened.
"You broke it, didn't you?" Pearl finally murmured, with that expression of disappointment only she could manage. She clearly remembered the uncontrolled fusion they'd had days before and how, amidst the shoving and pushing, they had probably damaged the mechanism connecting the portal to the communications hub.
"I think so..." Amethyst admitted, scratching her head guiltily.
Before anyone could say anything else, the portal abruptly activated again, enveloping them in light and returning them directly to the house, as if the universe were telling them, "No, not there."
Steven sighed, releasing the breath he'd been holding without realizing it.
"I'll bring Lion," he said, turning toward the room where the pink lion was fast asleep, lying so peacefully he looked like a large, fluffy plush toy. Luckily, neither the portals nor the worries seemed to affect him.
He walked toward him, and the big cat lifted his head as soon as he sensed his presence.
"Hey, Lion," Steven said, affectionately stroking his forehead. "I need a favor from you. I want you to take us to... One Piece."
Lion snorted softly, as if he perfectly understood the boy's mix of joke, urgency, and habit. Then he slowly sat up, stretched his paws, arched his back, and tossed his mane. The Gems watched without saying a word. Not because they didn't want to, but because they already knew this process and deep down knew that arguing with Lion was pointless.
A few seconds passed, and Lion tilted his head in a certain way, a gesture quite clear to those who knew him.
"Hurry up," Steven said with a wave of his hand. "Get in first."
Garnet, Amethyst, and Pearl climbed in without complaint. Lapis and Steven, for greater comfort, went straight to the mane. Steven lifted it slightly and helped Lapis get in first, then slipped in himself. The sensation of entering the mane was always strange, like passing through a warm cloud that vibrated with ancient energy.
"Lion... do you know where the communications hub is?" Steven asked, settling into the luminous space.
Lion nodded slowly.
"Well... that's where we need to go."
Lion didn't hesitate. He let out a deep, almost musical roar, and energy swirled in the air. A portal opened before them, bright with its usual pink and gold hues, and Lion leaped inside with absolute confidence.
Steven never ceased to be amazed. The interior of the portal was always a hypnotic tunnel filled with colors that danced like blended auroras. It was beautiful, vibrant, almost peaceful, so different from all the chaos outside. They were just about to get a better look at the luminous path when they were launched to the other side.
The portal opened right in the communications hub. The Gems took a few steps outside, observing the place. At first glance, it looked exactly the same as before: a complete junkyard. Cables everywhere, metal scraps, broken structures, scattered pieces... the same mess.
They all got out and began to move forward in silence, analyzing every corner.
"Stay here, okay? We'll need you to get back," Steven said, looking at Lion.
Lion simply nodded and sat down, calm, like a pink guardian awaiting the next order.
Steven turned his gaze back to the Gems, who waited patiently while he tried to sort through the chaos swirling in his mind. He walked toward them, taking in every detail of the place and feeling the situation grow stranger as they advanced.
After a few minutes exploring the towers and circling the communications center, the anomalies began to become apparent. If that strange message hadn't appeared on television, they would never have paid any attention to the disarray surrounding them, but now everything was different. Every shadow and every twisted cable seemed to scream that the place was rigged.
Amethyst, transformed into a small bird and perched on Garnet's shoulder, observed everything with a mixture of astonishment and mockery. She thought that, despite the absurdity, it all worked surprisingly well, so strange it was almost impressive.
Garnet observed the communications center with her usual calm, aware of what was necessary. In her mind, she had already made up her mind, so after a few seconds, she said it matter-of-factly: they had to destroy it. Amethyst immediately denied it, with no intention of bringing Sugilite back into the equation. Garnet understood and turned her gaze to Pearl.
Pearl felt that look like a celestial invitation. Her eyes lit up, and her excitement grew so much that she ended up hugging Steven from behind, just as he was still lost in his own thoughts. Steven, without much thought, blurted out a clear and direct idea. It was better to destroy everything without a trace, so no one would have to come and fix it again in the future. And it would also prevent Pearl from becoming obsessed with fusing with Sardonyx every chance she got. How clever you were, Steven.
Pearl hugged him tighter, filled with excitement, and immediately got ready alongside Garnet. The two took their positions, ready for what was to come. They began to dance in such a natural and fluid way that anyone would have noticed the joy in every glance they shared. An enormous light spread before them all, and a figure materialized with elegance.
Four stylized arms, an incredible posture, a head with certain lines reminiscent of Peridot but with an unmistakable blend of Garnet and Pearl. A fusion designed to dazzle. She was, in every sense, an elegant presence.
The newly formed Sardonyx twirled gracefully, waved to the imaginary air, and presented herself to her beloved audience. Amethyst sank to the ground with the clear intention of taking a nap, while I could barely resist imitating her. Lapis simply observed the fusion and then looked at me, with that neutrality that spoke volumes.
Sardonyx advanced toward the columns of the communications center with a broad smile, as if she were about to begin a show. Every movement was an act, every strike a well-thought-out choreography. She raised two arms and, with majestic delicacy, began to shatter the columns one by one. She fractured them as if they were part of a calculated theatrical performance, letting each piece fall with the perfect drama for the finale of a show.
The building creaked, shook, gave way, and finally collapsed in a mixture of dust, metal, and echoes of the past. And right at the final moment, Sardonyx gave an elegant bow before letting the light of the fusion begin to dissolve. Garnet and Pearl returned to their original forms smoothly, as if the stage had granted them a silent applause.
The destruction was complete. And it had been, at the very least, spectacular.
How elegant, I said as I watched what they had just done.
Lapis and Amethyst looked at me with confused expressions. I tried to clear my head as I walked toward Lion, and Lapis flew to my side almost immediately. The others simply continued with their own thoughts, without much reaction. Pearl and Garnet remained completely absorbed in their own world, happy to have fused again, and Amethyst ended up perched on my shoulder as I let the two gems celebrate in their own way.
After a few minutes, during which Pearl and Garnet continued to revel in their excitement, they finally regained their composure. Pearl ran toward us with that characteristic energy she had when something excited her greatly. She asked us to wait for them just as we were already mounted on Lion. Garnet followed her with a calm smile, as if this had all been the perfect ending to the moment.
End of Chapter 41.