Author's Note:
Hey! Here's the next chapter. It took me a while to get it out because I was just sitting there like an idiot staring at my laptop screen, waiting for inspiration to magically hit me.
Looks like we're getting close to the goal, so hurry up! On Wattpad we need 50 stars, and on Webnovel we're aiming for 170 total to unlock 2 more chapters, including this one.
With that said…
Our sexy author's Discord:https://discord.gg/VwaQwWNCb5
Let's continue.
"Bring me the materials from the barn," Peridot said, firmly pointing toward the metal beams and panels.
"We need to start now. There's no time to waste," she added, wearing a helmet way bigger than her—yes, a safety helmet, in case you didn't notice.
Lapis nodded and, using her hydrokinesis, began lifting massive blocks, moving them precisely toward Peridot.
"I get it, I get it, no need to yell, damn. Obviously this stuff weighs a ton," she said, focused—the last part dripping with sarcasm. Her eyes were locked on each floating piece, not letting them so much as scrape against each other.
Bismuth stood beside one of the old ships, examining every gear and panel.
"Girls, remember—that thing can blow up. Every bolt, every reinforcement we add has to be perfect. Otherwise? Kaboom. Steven's going to need this working the first time he powers it up," she said, carefully touching the mechanisms as if they were waking from a long sleep—like she remembered every detail as though she'd never forgotten.
And of course she did. Bismuth had practically been around these machines yesterday compared to the others. She had the freshest experience with them.
"Yeah, and I understand that perfectly. You don't have to tell me, you know?" Peridot replied while reviewing floating blueprints in front of her. It looked ridiculous—the schematics were bigger than she was.
Peridot watched closely as Lapis continued working.
"If something fails now, there's no fixing it later. This is more than repairing ships. It's preparing the difference between success and disaster."
She said it while thumping her chest proudly.
"And besides," she added, her pride unmistakable,"You're lucky to have a highly exceptional Peridot handling this sort of thing."
She wore a smug grin.
For some reason, Lapis really wanted to kick Peridot to the moon—but she kept working instead.
Lapis gently floated a metal block toward Bismuth.
"Each piece has to fit exactly where it belongs, right?" she said, one eyebrow raised.
"I don't want Steven wasting time looking for something that should be right here," she added, tension clear in her voice, though her control over the water remained flawless.
Bismuth took the block and secured it onto the ship's hull.
"That's right, kid. Steven can't mess up—and neither can we. Every move matters. Like Steven said… or they'll get taken by the X's?" she added, sounding unsure.
"The Zetas," Peridot corrected, fiddling with something neither Bismuth nor Lapis particularly wanted to ask about.
"Lapis, keep that panel steady while I place the reinforcements. Bismuth, make sure the propulsion cores are calibrated like we discussed."
"Yes, boss," both Gems replied, getting to work immediately.
Peridot sighed and began inspecting the ship's internal systems.
"If we do this right, Steven will have everything he needs to save him later—defenses, maneuverability… even extra support for himself. Like humans call it… oh right. Video games."
Lapis nodded, focused—but if you looked closely, she seemed a little excited at that last part.
Damn… Minecraft in 4K, Lapis thought with a small smile.
"I never thought I'd feel like this outside of war, but this… this matters," Bismuth said.
"Listen up, little ones. Around me, there are no second chances—and if there are, it's because it's still the first one," Bismuth added while delicately adjusting a gear.
She smiled faintly at her teammates.
"Girls, we're doing this together. We should start one of those human workshops—thirty bucks an hour, what do you say, kid? Each of us knows what to do, and we're doing it perfectly. Steven can trust us."
Lapis and Peridot stared at her blankly at that statement—especially Lapis, who definitely understood human currency better—but at the last part, both of them grew serious.
They'd repeated it many times, but they truly needed to focus on what they were doing—not on the fact that Steven was heading into space alone, without help. So they preferred to stay quiet.
Peridot crossed her arms firmly.
"We're not going to fail. This is for him… and we'll make it happen," Peridot said proudly.
Lapis smacked her lightly on the back of the head.
"Don't get carried away," she said with a blank expression.
"Ouch!" Peridot yelped, rubbing the back of her neck.
The three of them threw themselves fully into their work, each focused on her role. The hangar—yes, the hangar, since they were working near the cherry trees—vibrated with the clang of metal and the controlled force of water. Every movement carried determination. This wasn't just a ship; it was preparation for everything Steven would need to face what was coming.
Perspective Shift:
"Are you sure this is the most viable option for Steven?" Pearl asked, leaning against the wall of Garnet's room, her fists slightly clenched. The afternoon light illuminated her tense features.
"It's what I see," Garnet replied, her voice strained with contained tears.
"I don't see a feasible future unless it's this one."
"Remember that futures aren't set in stone," Pearl said, trying to find some alternative.
"Whether you believe it or not, Pearl," Garnet said seriously,"right now I'm seeing many—too many—futures, trying to find one where Steven doesn't have to go to war for us. And as you can see… I'm not doing well." She clenched her fists tighter.
"And you should know I've spent many, many days before telling you this… watching billions of futures," she added, tears finally slipping down.
Amethyst sat in a corner, her gaze lost on Jasper's gem, still trapped inside its bubble. Her fingers nervously toyed with a strand of her hair.
Even though she was worried—Garnet crying was something you could count on one hand—Amethyst pushed forward.
"We have to help him… support him. You did everything you could, Garnet. Way more than we did. More than me, especially," she muttered distractedly, though her voice carried a heavy weight.
Silence filled the room. None of them dared to break it, each trapped in her own thoughts about what was to come.
"It's for Earth," Garnet finally said, wiping her three eyes, letting the gravity of the situation settle in the air. Her gaze reflected concern—exhaustion from all the visions she had seen.
"If it's not this…" she continued, fists tightening as if she could physically hold back the disaster ahead.
In her thoughts, Steven stood alone, facing White Diamond—the most dangerous of the three remaining Diamonds.
"I don't see where he wins," Garnet said quietly."I don't see a future where he walks away unharmed."
The three fell silent again. The room felt smaller, heavier, as if the weight of the future had condensed within its walls.
"What is White Diamond like?" Amethyst asked at last, breaking the tension. Her voice sounded more afraid than curious. Her eyes shifted between Pearl and Garnet, searching for answers words could barely capture.
"Massive. And just like her name says—white. The color of perfection, according to her," Pearl answered without hesitation. Her voice was steady, though her hands trembled slightly.
"She's… imposing. Entirely devoted to colonization and her idea of perfection. She leaves no room for mistakes. Like Steven says… she's practically a species supremacist."
Garnet nodded slowly, her fists still clenched.
"And that's where Steven comes in… someone capable of changing everything. But not without our help. We can't fail."
It sounded as though she were trying to convince herself of this reckless plan they were putting into motion.
Amethyst sighed and glanced again at Jasper's bubble.
"If this is what has to be done… then there's no other choice. We have to be ready to back him up, no matter the cost." She looked at the others."Garnet, can't you at least tell us how Steven is supposed to approach her?" she asked, confused.
Garnet quickly shook her head.
"You can't know. Especially you, Pearl."
Pearl closed her eyes for a moment, taking a deep breath, her nose trembling as she tried to steady herself.
"It won't be easy. Every decision we make now… it could change everyone's fate, right? But if Garnet sees this as the only way… then we have to trust her. I have to trust her. If we lose Steven, it would be like…"
"Losing Rose," Amethyst finished gently, saying what Pearl couldn't.
Silence settled in the room once more—but this time it was heavy with determination. Each of them processed the magnitude of what lay ahead: Steven would face something they could barely comprehend, and their role was to prepare him and protect him.
Finally, Garnet spoke with a calm that seemed to impose order over the tension.
"We're going to do this together. For Steven. For Earth. For what we can still save."
Amethyst stood up, rolling her shoulders as if to shake off her anxiety.
"For Steven," she repeated, louder, as though convincing herself.
Pearl nodded, her breathing still uneven.
"For Earth."
For Rose, Pearl thought to herself.
And with that, the three of them remained in silence a moment longer—aware of the weight on their shoulders, but determined to face it together.
Perspective Shift:
Steven stood beside his dad, staring off into the distance as if something invisible were calling to him… or maybe it was just his imagination—one of the two.
Greg stayed quiet for a moment, wearing that familiar mix of concern and curiosity that always followed anything Gem-related.
"So… you're going to be with some kind of colonizer or something?" he finally asked, trying to break the silence.
"It's the master plan. What do you think, Dad?" Steven replied calmly, his gaze still fixed somewhere far away.
Greg frowned, his brow creasing as he placed a hand on Steven's shoulder.
"Are you sure, son? I'll always support you. I just want to make sure it's really what you want."
Steven raised an eyebrow and sighed.
"I'm never completely sure when Garnet's future vision is involved… but this seems like the most viable option. What do you think?"
Greg slowly shook his head, as if the weight of it all was just too much.
"I'm really too old for this," he muttered to himself.
Steven stepped out of the van and looked at Lion, who watched him with that calm expression that always seemed to say, It's all good. Trust me, bro.
Then Steven got an idea.
"Come here and wait for me," he said as his dad walked closer.
"Wait—where are you going?" Greg started to ask, but before he could finish, Steven had already dived into Lion's mane as if it were the most normal thing in the world.
Greg stared, completely bewildered, while Lion looked back at him without a single trace of concern.
Suddenly, a chest flew out of the mane, spinning through the air and nearly smacking Greg in the face.
"What the hell?!" Greg yelped, ducking out of the way.
Steven popped his head out of Lion's mane with a mischievous grin.
"Hey, do you want Mom's shirt? The one you gave her at your first concert?"
Greg blinked. "It's in there?"
"Yep," Steven said, pointing at the chest.
Greg shook his head.
"No… leave it. It's probably safer in there."
Steven looked at him in disbelief and slowly opened the chest anyway.
"Check this out… I was going to give it to you for your hundredth birthday—which is in a few months."
Greg visibly sweated at that comment.
"But…" Steven continued,"I don't think I'll make it in time. So here."
Greg carefully opened the chest, and his eyes widened at what he saw.
"Is that…?" he whispered.
"Gold," Steven said with a sly smile, the kind that clearly meant, Yeah. It's real.
Greg couldn't help but smile as he pulled Steven into a tight hug.
"Thank you… thank you. I didn't even know this was with your mom," he repeated, squeezing him, gratitude and relief written all over his face.
Steven laughed softly and hugged him back.
He definitely wasn't going to admit that he had never opened the chest before because he thought some weird Gem worm might pop out—and only just now found the courage to check.
"It's nothing, Dad. Just… don't spend it all on something dumb," Steven teased, though deep down he knew the gesture meant far more than the gold itself.
Greg pulled back slightly, still smiling, his eyes full of pride and worry all at once.
"Son… you always surprise me. I don't know how you manage all this, but… thank you. For thinking about me."
Steven gently rested a hand on his father's shoulder.
"Always, Dad. Always."
For a brief moment, everything felt lighter. The tension of what was coming faded into the background. They both knew it wouldn't last—but right then, they shared something simple.
A moment of normalcy. Of family.
Before facing whatever awaited them.
End of Chapter 71.