As Steven made his way back home, the night had fully settled over Beach City. The distant lights of the boardwalk seemed calmer than usual, as if even the world knew it was time to slow down. There was only one day left until Connie returned, and that had kept him restless since morning. It wasn't bad nervousness, but rather a constant surge of energy that wouldn't let him sit still.
He had spent most of the day collecting fruit, food, and little gifts he knew Connie would like. Simple, but thoughtful things. He had even acquired a rather old gold coin, heavy in the palm of his hand, with a luster that didn't seem to belong to this time. His dad hadn't wanted it when Steven showed it to him, for some reason he didn't quite explain, but Steven thought Connie might like it. Or at least find it curious.
But that would be tomorrow's Steven's problem.
Right now, he was tired.
Once in his room, he collapsed onto the bed with a long sigh. Lapis was fast asleep beside him, taking up more space than necessary, with her phone still on and so hot it was practically radiating heat. Steven looked at her for a few seconds before shaking his head.
Carefully, he took the phone and set it aside before it ended up exploding or, worse, burning his foot in the middle of the night. He left it charging somewhere else and lay back down, staring at the ceiling as the silence returned.
His mind, on the other hand, wouldn't shut up.
He had dealt with the Cluster. That was no small feat. He didn't destroy it, nor did he ignore it. He listened to it. Thinking about it still made something tighten in his chest. He was also helping Peridot, who had decided to stay at the barn because, according to her, that place was closer to her natural habitat. Steven wasn't entirely convinced, but seeing her peaceful there gave him a sense of calm.
Amethyst was with her almost all the time. The two got along surprisingly well, to the point of becoming inseparable. Steven smiled softly, remembering them criticizing Pearl with such absurd exaggeration that it was impossible to take them seriously.
He shook his head.
Then, inevitably, he remembered the fusion. Rainbow Quartz. The feeling of relief, of deep calm, as if something he had been holding tight inside for a long time had finally let go. He also remembered his mother's secrets—things he hadn't expected to affect him so much. He thought he was already used to carrying that legacy, but the fusion had proven otherwise.
It had done him good.
For a moment, he considered the idea of fusing again. Not because he needed to escape, but because he knew how relaxing it could be. But he immediately dismissed the thought. He didn't want to use Pearl like that. She wasn't a sanctuary or a tool, and he knew it. If they fused again, it would be because Pearl brought it up first, in a different way, at a different time.
With that final thought, Steven closed his eyes. His breathing gradually slowed down as actual exhaustion, not the emotional kind, began to win the battle.
The night pressed on.
And with it, unbeknownst to Steven, something else began to move in the silence of his dreams.
Steven felt the familiar tug in his chest—that soft yet inevitable pull that always appeared when he slept deeply. It didn't hurt, but it wasn't pleasant either. It felt as if someone were taking hold of his gem and pulling it gently, without asking for permission.
"Who's it going to be this time... Lars? Connie? Peedee? Onion? Connie again? Ronaldo?... I hope it's not him," he thought as darkness enveloped him completely.
The void dragged him along for a few seconds that seemed to stretch longer than usual. Then, with no clear transition, something changed.
Steven opened his eyes.
"Huh?"
The place didn't resemble any of his usual dreams. There were no stars, no open space, nor that pink tone he had grown accustomed to. Everything was covered in a deep blue light, almost liquid, as though the air itself had weight. The ground reflected the light like a sheet of frozen water, yet it wasn't wet.
"Blue?" he said without thinking.
"Huh?"
The voice echoed behind him. Deep, tired, filled with a sadness so dense Steven felt it even before turning around. He didn't do so immediately. He stood still for a few seconds, his shoulders tense.
When he finally turned, he saw her.
The giant figure of Blue Diamond was there, partially kneeling, her head bowed. He didn't need to look directly at her to feel her presence. It was impossible to ignore something so massive, so heavy with emotion.
Steven, however, said nothing.
He didn't greet her. He didn't ask why she was there. He showed neither surprise nor respect. Ever since what happened with the Cluster, he didn't want to talk to any Diamond. Least of all her. The last time they met, he still had the image burned into his mind of a Ruby shattering right before his eyes as if it were nothing.
So he did the only thing he could do.
He ignored her.
Steven averted his gaze and began observing the place carefully. If he was here, there had to be a reason beyond her. The environment wasn't just a backdrop; it felt constructed, deliberate. He took a few steps, noticing how the ground barely reacted to his presence, as though acknowledging his gem.
In the distance, he saw translucent columns that seemed made of solidified tears. Inside some of them, shadows moved slowly, like trapped memories. They weren't full Gems; they were echoes. Emotions that had found no rest.
He frowned.
Then he saw her.
A bit off to the side, almost hidden among crystalline structures, stood a Blue Pearl. Not his Pearl. This one stood completely still, her gaze lowered and her hands crossed in front of her. She didn't speak; she didn't move. Her expression was that of someone who had learned to disappear so as not to be a burden.
Steven approached slowly, feeling an unsettling discomfort he couldn't quite explain.
"..."
He said nothing. He just watched her.
The Pearl looked up for a second, as if she had sensed him, but she didn't speak. Her eyes were dull, laden with an absolute obedience that turned his stomach.
Steven clenched his fists.
This place wasn't just a dream. It was a reflection. A space made of grief, control, and forced silence. And Blue Diamond wasn't the center... she was the anchor.
Behind him, Blue's presence lingered—patient, heavy, like a waiting tide.
Steven took a deep breath.
He still wasn't going to speak to her.
First, he wanted to understand where he truly was.
As he walked with slow steps, Steven noticed the place was nearly empty. It was just them: Blue Diamond and her Pearl, who remained off to the side, motionless, her head slightly bowed. There was no other movement, no other Gem, no echo of voices to distract him. The entire space seemed contained within a cold silence, as though it breathed solely to sustain Blue Diamond's presence.
Steven looked up at her for a moment. The Diamond seemed to perceive something unknown; her head rose slowly, and her large, deep eyes searched the void, following a trail he couldn't see. It wasn't a threat, nor pure curiosity. It was more like... caution.
Steven, however, remained unfazed. He knew that if he spoke, if he made any sudden movement, she would become aware of his presence. But right now he was invisible, a silent observer. He could study everything without the massive blue presence detecting him directly.
His eyes then drifted toward a panel that seemed to rise from the floor in front of him. It wasn't an ordinary console; it was part of the very structure of the place. Crystals and blue light converged into patterns resembling constellation maps, but they weren't stars. They were systems, planets, satellites, and energy lines intertwining like the roots of an immense tree.
Steven tilted his head, stepping closer with caution, trying not to let his breathing shatter the silence. He touched the surface of the panel, and instantly the projections responded to his presence. The blue light shone a bit brighter, revealing a larger, radiant planet—clearly the Gem Homeworld. He was surprised by the details: entire continents, floating structures, and energy zones vibrating as though the planet were alive.
He walked around the panel, carefully studying each projection. The lines of power seemed to connect directly to specific locations.
A few minutes passed as he examined every detail. He touched a crystal, and a light revealed the streams of power emanating from the planet, the energy pulse of the Diamonds, and the positions of the shards that had been released. He realized he could learn a lot from this place if he remained calm and observant.
And then, the voice. Deep, solemn, slicing through the silence like restrained thunder:
"Universe... is that you?"
Steven froze. He didn't answer. Slowly, he turned his head and looked at her directly. His eyes met Blue Diamond's. He said nothing. He just stared at her, calmly evaluating every gesture, every tiny movement of her giant presence.
In that instant, the entire planet, the panel, the energy, and the silent Pearl all seemed to await his reaction. But Steven was in no rush. He wasn't going to talk. Not yet. First, he wanted to see. Observe. Understand.
Silence returned, heavy, and Steven continued exploring the panel and the planet with his eyes, while the gigantic blue figure followed him with her gaze, trying to figure out who this small being really was, walking among ancient secrets and crystalized memories.
"Are you angry?" Blue Diamond asked after a moment of heavy silence.
Steven looked up from the panel he had been studying, from the planet spreading before him like a living map, and answered in a low but firm voice.
"Maybe," he said, clearly conveying more than words could hold.
"What do you think?" she replied, her tone carrying a blend of curiosity and weariness, as if she had waited for that question for centuries.
Steven frowned slightly as his eyes swept over the surrounding scene once more. Everything was still, so quiet he could hear the echo of his own breath—or at least the feeling that the silence itself was watching him.
"I didn't want to shatter her," Blue Diamond continued, her voice trembling slightly as she explained. "I just wanted her gone. I was going to tell Pearl to take her somewhere else."
Steven glanced out of the corner of his eye at the Blue Pearl off to the side, still, almost invisible, as though part of the air itself. The Pearl made a tiny movement, a gesture so subtle that only Blue could have noticed. The Gem remained silent, but her posture spoke louder than any words: obedience, waiting, and a subtle, contained anxiety.
Steven took a deep breath and fixed his gaze back on Blue Diamond. The blue figure was gigantic, immobile, but carried a presence so heavy it could be felt at the tips of his fingers, in his heart, deep within his chest.
"If I were a Gem and I talked to you the way I'm talking to you now..." Steven began, his voice barely a whisper, "would you shatter me?"
Silence stretched like a shroud. Even the planet seemed to hold its breath. Blue Diamond slowly opened her eyes, large and deep, directing them toward where she felt Steven's presence. Her gaze wasn't searching for him as before; it was curious, evaluating, and weighed down by centuries of experience and accumulated grief.
After a few seconds that felt like an eternity, she answered.
"If you had asked me during Era One, I would tell you without hesitation... I would," she said, with a cold honesty that chilled the blood.
Steven blinked, letting the statement settle in his mind. It was a simple, direct assertion, without hesitation, and terrifying all at once. He looked up toward the ceiling, trying to process the sheer weight of that truth.
"But now..." Blue continued, her tone softer, more introspective, "now I am not so sure. Since Pink's passing, I haven't been very active, and I've... I've had time to think."
Steven noticed his breathing slowing down. The deep blue of the giant Gem felt less threatening, though still laden with weight, with history, with choices made and unmade.
"I remain in my colonies, but for centuries I've wondered... are we doing anything right?" she murmured.
"I questioned it with the only other Diamond I could speak to often... she gave me some doubts too, you know? But well, she is far more devoted to White's ideals, which is why she didn't hesitate to shatter that Gem."
Silence fell again. Steven swallowed hard, feeling a small thread of pink begin to surface within his form—a memory of Pink trying to seep through, an emotional weight that nearly brought him down. But he suppressed it quickly, aware that he couldn't let Pink's presence interfere in this encounter, even if it was just in a dream.
"That doesn't answer my question," Steven said, a bit stronger, letting his voice resonate in the blue space. "Would you or wouldn't you?"
Blue Diamond looked at him, and for a brief moment, her expression softened. She didn't answer right away. Her eyes reflected the eternity of decisions, the doubt of centuries. In that moment, Steven understood something: even someone with the power to decide life and death over others could hesitate. She could feel trapped between what she ought to do and what she wished to do, between ideals and conscience.
Then, a familiar gleam flashed through his mind. It was a spark of Pink—quick, ethereal, barely perceptible, like a whisper in the Gem's memory. Blue raised her eyes for a split second, sensing the presence, but before she could move, the spark vanished.
Steven stood still, feeling Blue Diamond's doubt floating between them like a slow, endless river. There were no clear answers, no certainties. Only the feeling that, if he were truly a Gem, this Diamond still wouldn't know what to do with someone like him.
The silence weighed heavily over the place once more, deeper than any sound, darker than any shadow. Steven said nothing. He watched, breathed, and let the uncertainty linger, understanding that her doubt was far more honest than any absolute answer.
And then... he woke up.
The change was abrupt. From the calm, quiet blue of the dream, he returned to the familiar warmth and light of his room. He felt something soft and moist pressing against his face. With a sudden jerk, he sat up and realized Lapis's foot was resting on his cheek, leaving smudges of dirt and warmth.
"Ugh!" he said, rubbing his face while the still-asleep Lapis shifted beside him, completely unaware of his awakening. His bed was a mess, his phone was still charging, and the night breeze drifted in through the window.
Steven sighed, his heart still beating fast from the encounter in his dream. Even with Lapis's foot on him and the heat of the bed, he couldn't get Blue Diamond's gaze out of his head—her doubts, her uncertainty. For the first time, Steven understood that even someone so powerful could be trapped in her own fear and guilt.
He stretched, letting the pink sensation in his chest subside a little, though he knew what he had heard in his dream wouldn't fade easily. For a moment, he simply lay there with Lapis's foot on his face, breathing, trying to process it all as the night continued quietly around him.
End of Chapter 62