Steven stared at the fragments.
White.
Inert.
What remained of White Diamond.
He knelt down.
In silence.
And began picking them up one by one.
Carefully.
Without rushing.
Nobody said a word.
Nobody dared to.
Each piece vanished into his hand... and then into his gem.
Stored away.
Sealed.
As if the act itself carried more weight than the fight.
Steven stood up.
He looked up at the sky.
Nothing.
Unchanging.
As if the universe had no problem with what had just transpired.
He lowered his gaze.
Blue.
Yellow.
Both motionless.
Wordless.
Further off, the girls were trying to gather Bismuth's fragments.
Carefully.
Fearfully.
And even further away, thousands of Gems stood watching.
In silence.
Steven spat on his hand.
The energy reacted.
It stabilized.
He breathed in.
And started walking.
He stopped in front of a Peridot.
The closest one.
The most terrified one.
"Do you have something to broadcast to the entire Empire?" he asked.
The Peridot nodded instantly.
Hands trembling.
She handed him the tablet.
Activated the feed.
Screens lighting up.
Global connection.
Steven took it.
Looked into the camera.
The Peridot gave him the signal.
Live.
Silence.
"Hello."
A pause.
"My name is Steven."
Another pause.
"Steven Universe."
He took a breath.
"Successor to Pink Diamond."
The entire Empire reacted.
Steven pulled up his shirt.
The gem glowed.
Visible.
Undeniable.
"I have her gem."
A pause.
"I am part of Pink Diamond."
Another.
"And also... Rose Quartz."
Silence.
Heavy.
Steven pulled his shirt back down.
His gaze never flickered.
"From now on... I rule this Empire."
Direct.
Unvarnished.
"And if anyone has a problem with that..."
A pause.
"Feel free to come tell me to my face."
The transmission cut out.
Steven handed the tablet back.
And walked.
Toward them.
Blue.
Yellow.
The barrier vanished.
"Pink...?" Blue choked out.
Steven shook his head.
"She died fifteen years ago."
He tapped his gem gently.
"I'm her son."
Yellow stared straight at him. "And what gives you the right to command the entire Empire?" she demanded.
Steven tilted his head. "You want to fight about it?"
Silence.
Yellow looked away.
Blue didn't.
She walked toward him.
Slowly.
Trembling.
She looked into his eyes.
And wrapped her arms around him.
Tight.
Sobbing harder than she had in centuries.
Steven barely moved.
He just patted her back.
His eyes stayed fixed on Yellow.
Who was trying to act tough.
But not entirely pulling it off.
Not after everything.
Silence.
And amidst that silence, one truth became clear.
White Diamond had always sought perfection.
Not out of spite.
But because she believed that everything imperfect was a flaw that needed fixing.
And now, that system had died with her.
And someone else had stepped into her place.
"You want to know why I did it... don't you?" I asked, dead serious.
Yellow nodded slowly.
Blue... just cried harder.
"White Diamond wanted to fuse us. Literally."
... ...
Both of them stared at me, eyebrows raised.
I turned to Yellow. "Remember the Cluster?"
She nodded.
Slow.
Heavy.
"Then guess who was supposed to be the fragments."
The color drained from her face.
Silence.
"I don't forgive you for that, by the way," I added, completely devoid of emotion.
Then I looked at Blue.
She tensed up.
"Neither of you."
I gently pushed her off me.
"I need you two to keep this place under control for now. I've got things to handle... and I need some of White's essence. I want to try something."
I didn't wait for an answer.
I walked toward the girls, scaling back my size.
Lapis was holding Bismuth's fragments gently.
As if they might shatter even further.
The others were calmer.
They trusted him.
They knew.
Steven could fix this.
I knelt down.
Hands shaking.
And I began.
Tears fell.
Onto the gem.
The light responded.
Slow.
Steady.
Repairing.
Piecing together.
Healing.
The gem became whole again.
Intact.
Except...
She didn't reform.
I frowned.
"It's going to take a while," Blue said from behind me.
I glanced back at her.
"Because of the beam."
I nodded.
"Then keep her with you," I said. "Don't drop her."
I created a pink surface.
Lifted everyone up.
And we moved out.
We headed back to where White Diamond's room used to be.
I set them down on the floor.
In silence.
I pulled out the white gem.
It wasn't white anymore.
It was... pink.
I looked at Pearl.
She understood immediately.
No words needed.
I handed her Pearl's gem to her.
"Take care of her."
She nodded.
Firmly.
And I walked away.
I arrived at the place White used to rule from.
Where it all started.
And I just stood there.
In silence.
Footsteps.
Amethyst.
She walked up.
Sat down beside me.
Without crowding me.
Without rushing me.
Just... being there.
"...You really screwed up big time, you know that?" she said, staring straight ahead.
Not mocking me.
Just being honest.
I didn't answer.
"But... it's not like you had many choices either," she added, scratching the back of her neck.
"This wasn't like Earth."
A pause.
"Back there, we could fix things by talking... but here..."
She sighed.
"...here, it was a whole different level of crazy."
I glanced at her out of the corner of my eye.
Amethyst crossed her arms. "You're still you, okay?"
Silence.
"Even if you did something... like that."
She turned toward me a bit.
"You're not her."
A pause.
"And you're not White, either."
She looked forward again.
"You're just... you. Doing what you can with what you've got."
She shrugged.
"And honestly... I've imagined way worse versions of you in my head."
A faint smile.
"This isn't the worst one."
Silence.
"...Don't go through this alone, Steven," she added, her voice dropping lower. "Because if you stay stuck here..."
She didn't finish the sentence.
She didn't need to.
She stood up.
"When you're ready... we'll talk."
And she walked off.
The room went quiet again.
But this time...
It didn't feel so empty.
10 Years Later — Beach City
Steven was walking through Beach City.
It was a... peaceful place.
Nice.
Normal.
Something that wouldn't have meant much years ago... but meant everything now.
He looked around while holding a pizza box.
It was for his dad.
The old man was getting up there in age... but his tastes hadn't changed a bit.
Some things never do, he thought.
He shook his head as he approached the house.
Greg's house.
It wasn't the van anymore.
He'd built an actual house.
He had even put it in Steven's name.
Steven was still amazed whenever he remembered he actually had a birth certificate.
He legally existed.
How ironic.
He stopped in front of the door.
Knocked three times.
Waited.
... ... ...
The door swung open.
An old man with a beard appeared.
Greg.
He looked at him.
And smiled.
"Oh, Stevo! What are you doing here?... Wait—"
His eyes dropped to the box.
"Is that pizza?"
He immediately stepped aside.
"Get in here, get in here."
Steven shook his head as he walked in.
He set the pizza on the table.
"How've you been, Dad?" he asked, leaning back in a chair.
"Doing great, Stevo," Greg replied, closing the door. "I went to Vegas."
A pause.
"Take my word for it... I don't recommend it."
Steven raised an eyebrow.
"Those scammers cleaned out a huge chunk of my money."
Silence.
Steven stared at him.
Deadpan.
"...I know I told you to spend the money however you wanted, but... Vegas?"
His expression was completely blank.
Greg threw his hands up.
"Hey, come on, Stevo!"
Steven set the pizza box on the table.
Greg was already pulling it open before Steven even finished sitting down.
"...It hasn't even been five seconds," Steven said, watching him.
"Hey, a man's got priorities," Greg replied, pulling out a slice. "And this is at the top of the list."
He took a bite.
He paused for a second.
"...Okay, it was totally worth having you come over."
Steven let out a soft exhale through his nose.
"I traveled to another planet, overthrew an entire empire... and this is what validates my existence."
"Yup," Greg said without missing a beat. "The pizza."
A brief silence.
Steven leaned back in his chair.
"So... Vegas?"
Greg winced.
"Yeah... not my best call."
"Clearly."
"Hey, it was going great at first!" he defended himself. "I was winning, feeling like a million bucks, thinking, 'Greg, you're a genius'..."
"And then you lost everything."
"And then I lost everything," he confirmed, pointing at him with the slice. "Spot on."
Steven shook his head.
"I told you that you could spend the money however you liked... not throw it down a drain."
"I didn't throw it down a drain," Greg replied. "It was a... failed emotional investment."
"Right."
"Besides," he added, "it's not like I'm gonna starve to death."
Steven looked at him.
A second longer than usual.
"...Don't do that," Greg said, lowering his tone a bit.
"Do what?"
"That look."
Steven looked away.
"Just... stay out of trouble."
Greg sighed.
"Stevo... I lived in a van for half my life. This is progress."
"Blowing money at a casino isn't progress."
"Depends on who you ask."
Steven cracked a tiny smile.
Small.
Almost unnoticeable.
Greg caught it.
"There it is," he said, pointing a finger at him. "There you are."
Steven rolled his eyes.
"Yeah, yeah."
Silence.
Comfortable this time.
Greg leaned back.
"Hey..."
Steven looked up at him.
"You look... better."
Steven didn't answer right away.
"It's been years," he finally said.
"I know."
A pause.
"Still..."
Greg looked at him with a softer smile.
"I'm really glad to see you like this."
Steven nodded.
Slowly.
"...Me too."
Greg picked up another slice.
"So, did you bring another box or is this it?"
Steven sighed.
"I knew I should've brought two."
"Hey, I'm a growing man!" Greg said.
"Growing a gut, maybe," Steven said with a smile.
And for a moment...
Everything felt normal.
"So, how are things going with Connie?" Greg asked, raising his eyebrows.
... ... ...
"You want grandkids, don't you?" I replied.
"I want to spoil them, yeah," Greg said with absolute conviction.
"If I make you immortal, you can stick around to see them, you know."
Greg immediately shook his head.
"Nope, nope, nope. I'm good like this. I don't want to be immortal."
I shook my head.
"Are you sure? Connie already said yes, you know."
Greg blinked.
"For real?"
"Yeah. I gave her two options."
"Two?"
"Yeah. One is staying as Stevonnie forever," I said casually.
Greg winced.
"...Okay, that sounds weird."
"And the other is using age-reversal tech. I looked into it thanks to the Peridots."
Greg nodded slowly.
"Hey, wait... then why did you play that prank on me saying I had to die to become immortal?"
I shook my head.
"It was for the bait, Dad. That was the news I was bringing you."
Greg let out a soft chuckle.
"Oh... now that is impressive. When I'm on my deathbed, I'll consider it."
"You talk about your death pretty casually, Dad," I said.
Greg lowered his gaze slightly.
"I know, son..."
... ... ...
"I miss her," he finally said.
Silence.
"I know you got to know her through all of that... but I really miss her. Feels like I can't live without her sometimes."
I nodded.
"I get it," I replied.
Greg nodded too.
A pause.
"I still want grandkids, though."
I let out a laugh.
"Of course you do."
We kept talking.
About a million things.
About nothing important.
About everything all at once.
Until eventually, Greg turned in for the night.
And as for me...
I stepped out of the house.
Steven walked along the street.
Waving to people.
The ones he watched grow up.
The ones who grew up alongside him.
Grandma Yoyo... was gone now.
But he waved to her granddaughters.
And to her son, who was getting up there in age himself.
Time didn't stand still.
It never does.
He waved to the fry guy.
Just like old times.
And to gems of every color.
Some greeted him casually.
Others gave the Diamond salute.
Steven just nodded and kept walking.
He didn't really care for that.
He walked down to the beach.
Strolled along the shoreline.
At peace.
He looked at the house.
The upgraded house.
It was still made of wood.
But now it was bigger.
More alive.
More of a home.
Steven smiled.
And walked toward it.
When he stepped inside, the first thing he saw was Lapis.
Sitting in front of the computer.
Deep in concentration.
"You're weak... going to sleep at this hour?" she was saying with a deadpan face. "I don't give a damn if you have kids... uh-huh... yeah... cool, bye."
She hung up.
Sat in silence for a second.
A single sweatdrop running down her temple.
Slowly, she turned her head.
And saw Steven.
She smiled.
"Steven," she said.
And without a second thought, she lunged toward him.
Wrapped her arms around him.
Plastered kisses all over his cheeks.
"Okay, okay..." Steven said, fidgeting nervously. "Connie's gonna get jealous."
"Jealous of what?" Lapis snapped, deadpan.
Steven shook his head.
"Put me down, please."
She gently set him down.
He looked over to the side.
Spinel.
Sitting there.
Watching Looney Tunes.
Chilling.
Steven walked over and knelt beside her.
"How are you doing?" he asked.
"I'm doing good," Spinel replied without taking her eyes off the screen.
Steven watched the cartoon for a moment too.
Then he ruffled her hair.
Gently.
"Thanks, Steven," she said with a genuine smile.
"You don't have to thank me," he answered.
Silence.
Peaceful.
Comfortable.
Just the way it should be.
Steven strolled through the house at a leisurely pace.
The atmosphere was... calm.
Normal.
Something that used to feel light-years away.
Lapis was still sitting there, arms crossed, staring at the turned-off screen.
Spinel kept watching cartoons, though she clearly wasn't paying much attention anymore.
Steven crouched down in front of them.
"You two feeling okay... right?" he asked.
A brief silence.
Lapis spoke first.
"Yeah," she said, though it didn't sound very convincing. "I mean... yeah."
Steven looked at her.
"That didn't sound super convincing."
Lapis made a face.
"It's just... everything feels weird."
Spinel lowered her head a bit. "A whole lot of weird," she added.
Steven let out a soft sigh.
"I know."
He sat down on the floor beside them.
"I didn't have another choice."
"We're not saying you did," Lapis shot back quickly. "It's just..."
She trailed off.
Searching for the right words.
"...it was just a lot."
Spinel nodded.
"It was like... boom. Everything changed."
Steven rested his arms on his knees.
"Yeah."
A pause.
Lapis glanced at him sideways.
"What about you?"
Steven didn't answer immediately.
Spinel looked over at him too.
Waiting.
"...I'm fine," he finally said.
Both of them fell silent.
"I don't buy it," Lapis said.
Blunt as ever.
Steven let out a quiet chuckle.
"Yeah, that's exacty what I'd say."
Spinel scooted a little closer.
"Does it hurt?" she asked.
Steven tilted his head.
"Does what hurt?"
"Everything."
Silence.
Steven stared at the floor.
One second.
Two seconds.
"...Sometimes," he admitted.
Lapis crossed her arms.
"That's better than lying."
Spinel rested her head on Steven's shoulder.
"But you're still here."
Steven offered a tiny smile.
"Yeah."
Lapis sighed.
"Well... as long as you don't go full-blown crazy on us."
"Full-blown?" Steven repeated.
"Yeah, you know... like destroying another planet or something."
Steven raised an eyebrow.
"I'm making no promises."
Spinel let out a little giggle.
"That was a joke... right?"
Steven looked at her.
...
"Yeah."
A pause.
"...I think."
Lapis rolled her eyes.
"Great."
But she didn't move away.
Neither of them did.
And even though nobody said it out loud...
It felt better like this.
Just being together.
"I'm gonna go check on the girls," I said as I stood up.
"Got it," they both replied.
Spinel was already clinging to Lapis like a koala.
Lapis didn't even react... she was completely used to it by now.
I walked toward the warp pad.
But right before stepping on, I stopped.
"Hey."
They both looked at me.
"If Connie comes over, tell her to wait for me in the bedroom."
They nodded.
I stepped onto the warp pad.
And the last thing I heard was—
"I bet they're gonna make little Stevens," Lapis said.
...
Three black sweatdrop lines practically appeared on my head.
Ever since I saved Spinel, the two of them had been joined at the hip.
Spinel barely believed me at first... mostly because of the broadcast.
The good thing was I went straight for her.
Kept her from losing her mind.
Again.
I emerged at the Galaxy Warp.
Walked over to the center pad.
Activated the next one.
Homeworld.
When I arrived...
Everything was different.
More alive.
More... peaceful.
"My Pink Diamond," an Aquamarine said, bowing low.
"Come with me," I replied.
She followed.
The others behind her glared with envy.
The usual routine.
"How's everything going?" I asked.
"We're on the right track, my Diamond. Thanks to the four essences, colonization is proceeding smoothly. As per your orders, we're only selecting uninhabited planets with no intelligent life... avoiding any conflicts."
I nodded.
"Good."
A pause.
"What about the other two?"
... ... ...
The Aquamarine went quiet.
"Blue Diamond is requesting your presence. Yellow Diamond as well."
"Understood."
I walked into the hall.
The first thing I noticed was two Pearls.
One pink.
The other more Earth-like.
They were laying out the changes for Era 3.
I gave them a quick wave.
They saw me.
Nodded happily.
And wrapped up their explanation real quick.
After a few minutes, the other gems dismissed themselves.
The room cleared out.
Both Pearls walked over.
"How are you guys holding up?" I asked.
"Everything's great, Steven," Pink Pearl said.
"Honestly, fantastic," Pearl added with genuine warmth.
I raised an eyebrow.
"Any issues?"
"Nothing major," Pink Pearl said. "Just... I was wondering when I might be able to get this fixed."
She pointed to her eye.
"Still under investigation," I replied. "You're not the only one."
She nodded.
Reassured.
I looked at Pearl.
"Where are the others?"
"Amethyst is with the Amethysts. Garnet's with the Rubies. And Peridot's hanging out with the Peridots."
I nodded.
"Just came by to say hi."
I turned to leave.
They did the same.
Then I stopped.
Looked back over my shoulder.
"And give Bismuth my best."
Both Pearls flushed bright pink.
I just burst out laughing...
And kept walking.
When I reached the Ruby sector, I spotted Garnet.
She was helping coordinate fusions.
Calm.
Precise.
She tossed me a low-key wave without missing a beat, all while giving a stern look to a Ruby with her gem over her eye.
I just shook my head.
I gave a few pats on the back to a group of overly hyped Rubies.
A few others hit me with the Diamond salute.
I brushed them off with a hand wave.
Kept moving.
Peridot sector.
They were all crowded around one in particular.
Peridot.
"And that is how we beat Jasper. Any questions?" she declared with a proud smirk.
"Did you suffer a lot?" another Peridot asked.
"Of course I did," she answered. "That kind of stuff doesn't just disappear overnight... but thanks to the gem therapists, I've been managing a lot better."
The Peridots broke into applause.
I just raised a hand in a brief greeting.
And walked on.
Amethyst sector.
Much more laid-back.
More... lively.
Amethyst was chilling with a bunch of others, taking a dip on what was clearly their day off.
"It's so great that everything's so chill now with my Pink Diamond around," one said.
"Right?" another agreed.
"Plus they set that whole squad of Quartzes free," added another, pointing to several playing around with humans.
I looked over.
One in particular caught my eye.
I paused for a second.
Then shook my head.
Kept moving.
Waved at Amethyst.
She waved back with a grin.
A few minutes later...
The tower.
White Diamond's old tower.
Mine now.
Thanks to the Pebbles.
Who, by the way, were being treated way better these days.
"My Diamond," a Red Pearl said, bowing.
"You know you can leave if you don't want to be here, right?" I replied.
"Of course, my Diamond. But it's an honor to serve you."
I nodded.
"Any news?"
"None, my Diamond."
"Good."
I walked on.
Right up to the connection hub.
Stepped inside.
Yellow Diamond's sector.
When I got there, I found her locked in.
Working hard.
Piecing gems back together.
Reviewing.
Fixing.
Non-stop.
I raised a hand.
"How's it coming?" I asked.
Yellow Diamond flinched when she noticed me.
She scrambled to give the salute.
"Pink Diamond."
"Relax," I said, gesturing for her to sit back down.
She obeyed.
"How are things going?" I asked again.
"I am currently working on restoring every single fragment of the Cluster... as well as those who are still corrupted."
I nodded.
I looked at a few low-rank gems nearby.
Still distorted.
But Yellow's aura was gradually putting them back together piece by piece.
"Need anything from me?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.
... ... ...
"Do you think... I could take a bit of time off?"
I raised an eyebrow.
"Go on."
"Ever since I learned about this 'day off' concept... well... I would like to try it."
Silence.
For a few seconds.
Yellow tensed up.
Waiting.
"If you finish restoring another hundred gems... you get a year off," I said calmly.
"Thank you, my Diamond," she replied respectfully.
I nodded.
And turned around.
I walked back out with the Red Pearl by my side.
"My Diamond," she said after a few seconds.
"Yeah, Pearl?"
"Thank you."
I let out a faint smile.
"You tell me that every time."
"I will always be grateful to you for saving me from Jade."
My smile faded a bit.
I shook my head.
"Don't worry about it. Zero tolerance policy now. And she broke the rules."
The Pearl nodded.
We reached Blue Diamond's room.
The doors slid open.
Inside... clouds.
Soft.
Peaceful.
Blue was tending to a gem.
"Are you feeling better, dear?" she was saying in a gentle voice. "Just relax... you're safe here."
Then she spotted me.
The gem floated down gently onto the clouds.
And Blue came running over.
Scaled herself down.
And threw her arms around me.
Tight.
Really tight.
"Pink... Pink— I mean, Steven... Steven," she sobbed, squeezing me tightly.
"How's the therapy work going?" I asked casually.
"It's going well," Blue replied. "A lot of gems are fully reformed and ready to get back to work."
She let out a soft chuckle...
Which quickly faded.
"Hey, Pi— Steven... can I really not come with you?"
... ...
"This is your punishment," I said flatly.
Blue nodded, albeit reluctantly.
"You want a vacation too, huh?"
She nodded again.
"Four hundred fully restored gems... and I'll give you a year."
Her eyes sparkled slightly.
I nodded.
And turned around.
The Pearl followed me out.
"And get your colonies organized," I added right before stepping out.
The doors shut behind us.
A pink bubble wrapped around us.
Warping.
We materialized in the tower.
Pink Diamond's old tower.
Mine... now.
I sat down on the throne.
In front of the control panels.
Data feeds.
Requests.
Orders.
I got to work.
"Large colonies... approved."
Hand swipe.
"Colony with intelligent aquatic life... denied."
Zero hesitation.
Next.
Next.
Next.
"Time machine?"
I raised an eyebrow.
A request from a Peridot.
I went quiet for a second.
Remembered.
...
"Denied."
And I kept going.
Without stopping.
Because now...
This was my job.
Pearl helped me out big time with all of this.
When I finished, I stood up and stretched.
"You staying?" I asked.
"Yes, my Diamond."
"Hold down the fort."
She nodded.
A pink bubble encased me and I vanished.
Warp pad.
Another jump.
And when I stepped off...
I couldn't help but smile.
I walked into the house.
Connie was just finishing up her food.
Relaxed.
Normal.
"Hey, babe," she said upon seeing me, standing up.
I walked over to her.
Kissed her.
"You taste like bacon," I said, licking my lips.
"Silly," she laughed, shaking her head.
"How's everything going with the locals?" I asked.
"Some of them were really sick... but thanks to your tech, they don't pass away so easily anymore," she said with a relieved smile.
I nodded.
We sat down.
And talked.
About everything.
About nothing.
Time just flew by without us noticing.
Before we knew it, night had fallen.
"You don't have work tomorrow, right?" I asked.
"Nope," Connie said.
Then she gave me a look.
That look.
I got the message loud and clear.
Without a word, I scooped her up in my arms.
"For real?" she giggled softly.
"Dead serious."
I carried her toward the bedroom.
In the hallway—
Lapis and Spinel peeked out.
Stared at us.
Silence.
"Told you they were gonna make little Stevens," Lapis said.
Spinel nodded, dead serious.
"It's the circle of life."
Lapis looked at her.
"Since when do you know about that?"
"I don't know... but it sounds right."
Both of them went silent.
Listening.
"...Yup, definitely making little Stevens," Lapis confirmed.
Spinel nodded in agreement.
Author's Note: The next chapter will be 18+. Please do not read it if you are a minor. I just wanted to put the final polish on the main story.