Chapter 13: The Zoo

Summary:

In which blue visits the zoo

Blue awakens as the walls rotate, revealing the imitation sun.

"It is time to awaken, my Diamond," Pearl announces, drawing back the curtains of the canopy.

Blue yawns and sits up. In truth, she wants nothing more than to stay in bed, but as a Diamond, she knows she must fulfill her role. She must be a leader, an example for others to follow—a radiant, flawless Diamond.

"Understood," she mutters, rising from the bed and heading to the washroom to begin her morning routine.

In the mirror, her reflection betrays how she truly feels. Her tired, pained expression stares back at her. Taking a deep breath, she straightens her back and assumes a poised demeanor. She must not show how troubled she feels. She must not accidentally impose her emotions onto her subjects—such a cruelty would make her no better than her mother.

No. She refuses to let these organic emotions hinder her duties. She cannot afford to falter, not when Yellow might find out.

"My Diamond, you are in pain," Pearl observes gently as she brushes Blue's hair.

"I know, but I must persevere. I cannot wallow in sorrow for eons like Mother did. If Yellow finds out, she will question me," Blue replies.

The thought troubles her deeply. Yellow has known her all her life—she would see through any facade. And once the truth came out, Yellow might decide to gather all the humans into the zoo, or worse, personally destroy Earth.

Blue shudders at the thought. She could never forgive herself if her failure to act as a proper Diamond led to the destruction of Steven's home planet—all because she couldn't control her organic hormones.

Pearl pauses mid-brush, her expression softening as she speaks. "You're in love, my Diamond."

Blue's eyes widen, her heart skipping a beat as her body tenses. Slowly, she exhales, her shoulders easing down. Her eyes flutter closed, and a single tear escapes. So there was a word for what Connie had once made her aware of: romantic attraction—love.

"I know," she confesses quietly.

These feelings, so overwhelming yet forbidden, are for someone she'll never see again. Was this what drew her to Steven the first time they met? She was in love, and no matter how much she wished otherwise, she couldn't rid herself of it. She wanted to embrace him, hold his hands, kiss him until they were both breathless. Around him, she felt an indescribable happiness. At times, it made her role as a Diamond feel irrelevant—until the weight of her responsibilities reminded her otherwise.

Her gaze drifts to the side, landing on the floating bubble containing the corrupted gem. She had never forgotten it, though she hadn't known what to do with it. In hindsight, she should have discussed it with Steven. He might not have known how to cure it, but perhaps he would have shared some insight.

But it's too late now. She's alone in this.

Still, she has a theory: if the Diamonds caused the corruption, perhaps they could reverse it. The challenge lies in how to approach it. Blue has used her powers to regrow minerals in the ground—could a similar technique work to heal this gem? It's a theory worth testing, but not now.

For now, it's mealtime—or "breakfast," as Steven would have called it.

Mealtime comes and goes, followed by a discussion about the colonization of her planet. Sitting in a chair in front of a screen, she swipes this way and that. An Amethyst peeks in to check on her. Pearl shakes her head—a silent way of saying, She's still unhappy.

"Um, my Diamond…" Amethyst begins. Blue pauses and turns around, feeling a faint spark of happiness. Amethysts always seem to make her laugh. "Yes?" she replies with a small smile, hoping this Amethyst has a joke to distract her from her worries and aching heart, even if only for a moment.

"Instead of painting or playing music, I was wondering if perhaps you'd like to go play with your playmates in the zoo today," Amethyst offers.

Blue considers the suggestion. She has been so depressed that she's spent her time playing music in an attempt to cheer herself up, but all her paintings end up as portraits of Steven—unhelpful when trying to forget him.

"That sounds promising," Blue agrees, thinking this might be the perfect chance to lift her spirits.

=======

With Ruby pretending to keep his hands tied behind his back, Steven, Pearl, and Sapphire follow Blue Agate through the human zoo as she gives them a tour. This was part of their plan to retrieve Greg—by pretending to offer Steven to the zoo. Amethyst stayed behind to guard the front door as per Agate's instructions, leaving her unable to do much else.

Steven looks around, scanning for a familiar silvery-blue head of hair, but unfortunately, Blue Agate informs them that it would be some time before playtime.

"Our current new Blue Diamond is a true testament to her creator's kindness and giving nature," Agate says with a sweeping gesture toward the facility.

Steven glances up as she continues praising Blue Diamond and elaborating on her role. After a moment, he boldly asks, "How do you get into the zoo? When is playtime?"

Blue Agate glares disdainfully at him. "Why our Diamond would want to have playtime with you is beyond me. Though, as a child, I suppose it can't be helped," she retorts, her tone dripping with condescension before continuing the tour.

They arrive at a pink door, and Blue Agate gestures toward it, looking down at Sapphire. "It's a one-way access door—one can enter, but no one can come out," she explains, leering at the boy in pink. Her disdain is clear as she looks down at Steven, who glares back. Wisely, he holds his tongue; his priority is reaching his dad first and foremost.

Meanwhile, Blue Diamond has just finished checking the progress of a new batch of gems—Azurites, who are set to emerge soon. It's a promising development. She stretches briefly before resuming her oversight of other projects within her colony. The spires look nearly complete, and the warp pads appear to be operational and in their proper places.

Swiping across her screen, Blue views an image of creatures from the moon of the planet she's conquering. Currently stationed at the moon base, she examines the intriguing, adorable creatures and their enticing food. One fruit catches her attention—a pink apple she remembers tasting recently. It had been sweet, almost like watermelon.

"We should bring some of these to the zoo," Blue suggests, pulling up the image of the fruit.

"Yes, my Diamond," Pearl salutes, acknowledging the command as Blue finishes her tasks.

She walks out of the room, descending the steps and exiting the moon base. Following a path flanked by her Amethysts, Blue heads toward the trees where the fruits grow. The orchard isn't far, and with the help of her guards and Pearl, she picks the fruits to give to the Zoomans.

There are many Zoomans in the zoo—some have recently given birth, while others are children a few years younger than her. Blue feels a spark of excitement at the thought of seeing everyone again. It's been a while since she last visited, her days clouded by a deep sadness. But now, things seem brighter, and Blue can't wait to reunite with them.

When she finally arrives at the zoo, there's a noticeable skip in her step. She has brought more than just fruit—green and orange flowers, along with a whole rainbow of blooms, to share with her playmates. Blue has been considering expanding the zoo, envisioning spaces for more plants and even animals. The thought makes her giggle, and her guards silently think to themselves, She's finally back to her old self.

Blue hands some of the gifts to the Amethyst guarding the door before moving further inside. Mealtime will soon arrive, giving her the chance to eat with everyone and catch up.

The pink door slides open, and she steps inside. "I have brought gifts, everyone," she announces, walking in with her Pearl and Amethyst close behind. The automatic door closes behind them as Zoomans begin running toward her. Most are younger Zoomans, though a few mated ones approach as well.

"Where is everyone?" she asks, handing a fruit to a child.

"It's the Choosing," someone replies while the Amethyst distributes flowers.

Blue perks up. "Oh, I see." She always enjoys watching the Choosing, seeing how happy the people are. But then, a shadow crosses her face as she remembers her own Choosing—when she picked someone but could never truly be with them. The thought makes her hesitate. Perhaps this time, she'll refrain from watching.

They walk further into the zoo, with Blue thinking about starting a gardening project. But she suddenly pauses, her expression shifting. "Do you hear that?" she asks, tilting her head, trying to catch the sound again.

It was… wait, that sounded like wailing.

"I think someone's crying, my Diamond," Pearl responds.

Blue quickly wipes at her face out of habit, but this time, it's not her tears. The sound grows louder, revealing multiple voices crying in unison. From the trees, a group of Zoomans emerges, all in tears. There are so many that Blue and her companions drop their gifts in shock.

"What is going on?" Blue asks, her voice laced with worry as she looks left and right at the crowd of sobbing humans. This was unprecedented—nothing like this had ever happened before, not even when she accidentally upset them as a child.

"It hurts!" someone wails as they run past her.

One of the Amethysts sprints after the fleeing Zooman, while Blue steps back, her confusion growing. She's trying to make sense of the situation when a voice calls her name.

"Blue."

She turns around, her heart sinking at the sight before her. Standing there is Steven, dressed in the loincloths of the Zooman people, alongside an unfamiliar human. Neither of them has any business being here.

"Oh stars, this is bad," she mutters aloud, running both hands through her hair and tugging gently at a few strands in nervous frustration. Why are they here?

Steven waves awkwardly. "Hey," he greets softly.

A tense silence follows before Blue's composure falters. Her hair bristles with agitation as she blurts out, "What are you doing here? How are you here? Why—I—this is—" Tears start to form in her eyes, more from frustration than anything else. "Neither of you belong here! This—"

She's cut off when Steven suddenly steps forward and hugs her. Blue freezes, stars only knew how much she had yearned for this, and after a moment, she returns the embrace.

"I knew you didn't have anything to do with this," Steven says, his voice filled with relief.

Blue's thoughts swirl with questions about how they got here in the zoo. But Steven's words confirm something important: she wasn't responsible for their presence, and this whole ordeal with his dad's kidnapping wasn't her doing.

Blue remains silent, not fully understanding what Steven meant but simply trying to enjoy the moment while it lasted. Then, a realization struck her, and she quickly pushed him away. Around them, more Amethysts had arrived, attempting to calm the distraught Zoomans.

"Why are you here?" she demanded.

Steven looked like he was about to respond but stopped, his gaze dropping. Following his line of sight, Blue's eyes widened in horror. She instinctively covered her gem with her hands, her complexion paling.

"I never meant to deceive you. I—I'm not like my mother. I—I…" She trailed off, but Steven gently took her hands, pulling them away from her gem.

His eyes held a tender, understanding look. "I know," he said softly, cupping her hands between his larger ones. "You're you."

The serene gleam in his brown eyes and the gentle sincerity of his words made her belly flutter all over again.

"You're… not mad… that I've kept my Diamond half from you?" she asked hesitantly.

Steven shook his head before pulling her into another hug. "I've had my suspicions for a while—everyone has, actually—but no, I'm not mad," he said, his voice carrying a smile.

That handsome smile of his. Blue felt a bubble of joy swell inside her, only to burst into overwhelming happiness. She hugged him tightly, tears streaming down her cheeks.

"I missed you, Blue," Steven murmured against her hair, his voice soft and full of emotion.

This confession caused even more tears to flow. "Sorry," she said, pulling back and briskly wiping her cheeks. "I know my organic hormones are acting up, but I'm just so happy, and I can't stop my tears," she explained, sniffling as she tried to stem the flow.

Steven, realizing that his own tears were likely a result of her powers, chuckled and cupped her face. "Organic hormones?" he teased, leaning forward to kiss her nose. Blue wished it had been her lips instead.

"That's just being human," he pointed out, using his thumbs to gently wipe away her tears.

She laughed softly. Although she didn't fully understand what it meant to be human, she felt that Steven would gladly teach her.

"I see," she said, her breathing steadying as her tears finally dried.

"But… why are you here?" she repeated, her voice calmer now, though still filled with concern.

Steven blinked, then gave an uneven smile. "Well, funny story. Um, but first—this is my dad."

The unfamiliar human, who had stepped back to give them privacy, waved at her. Blue glanced at him, realizing this was the male creator who had helped in Steven's conception.

Steven explained how his dad had been abducted and how a gem had said Blue was feeling lonely. "Oh, stars," she whispered, horrified. Blue quickly clarified that she had simply been venting about missing Steven and wondering whether Greg would approve of her if he knew she was half-Gem. She speculated that one of her gems must have misinterpreted her venting as a request.

Greg stepped forward, his demeanor kind but earnest. "I do approve of you and Steven," he said, offering a small smile.

"I'm so sorry about all this. I—I would never have—"

"It's okay, Blue. Really," Steven interrupted gently, taking her hands in his to ground her.

She looked at him, still visibly upset by the ordeal. "I had faith you wouldn't do this," Steven added softly.

Around them, the Amethysts had successfully calmed the crying Zoomans, who now chatted among themselves, venting about what had just happened.

Steven squeezed her hands gently, looking at her with quiet determination. "Blue, I want to see you again and… be your mate. But, um, on Earth, we call it being lovers or boyfriend and girlfriend."

Her eyes widened in shock. So, she had been right—he had been courting her the entire time he was on Earth.

"I want to be your mate, too," she admitted before her gaze dropped. "But I have duties, Steven." Her voice was heavy with responsibility. "We're from opposite sides of a long-ended war. What if Yellow finds out and tries to unbubble the Cluster? You and the entire Earth would be destroyed."

She had a point, and Steven knew it. Forcing her away from her responsibilities would be selfish. But he couldn't let go just yet.

"The war's over, like you said," he countered gently. "And you're not a shatterer like your mom."

She grimaced. "I know, but I was born and raised on Homeworld. I'm not even sure how a relationship between us would work, given our different homes and backgrounds."

Steven felt like he was grasping at straws, but Blue couldn't help feeling she was doing the same.

She wanted to return to Earth. She wanted to be with Steven, to experience more earthly things with him. And when she looked into his sad, pleading eyes, something deep within her—her organic lifeforce, she supposed—broke.

"You're not so different," Greg interjected, drawing their attention. For a moment, they had almost forgotten he was there.

"You're both half-human, half-Gem kids. Sure, Steven was raised by me and the Gems, but you were technically raised by humans and Gems too." Greg gestured to their surroundings. "The humans here—they're your family, right?"

Blue nodded. It was true; she saw the humans in the zoo, her Pearl, and the Amethysts as her family. She sighed, defeated.

"I yield," she said softly. "We can try to make this work. And while I can't promise anything, I will try to return to Earth, too."

She offered a small smile, and it seemed to satisfy her new mate. Steven immediately beamed, pulling her into a tight hug.

"You have no idea how happy this makes me," he practically squealed.

Blue smiled and returned the hug briefly before pulling back with a serious expression. "We need to get you two out of here before Yellow finds out about any of this." She took Steven's hand and began guiding him toward the exit door.

"Wait, Holly Blue said it's a one-way door," Steven pointed out.

Blue blinked, then giggled softly. "For normal humans," she teased, gesturing to the Blue Diamond insignia in the center of the pink door. She closed her eyes and hovered her hands over her glowing gem. The diamond on the door responded, lighting up before sliding open.

To their surprise, two Amethysts stood in front of the door, their expressions unexpectedly furious.

One immediately grabbed Steven and Greg, growling, "You two are coming with me."

Blue blinked, utterly flabbergasted. The Amethysts were rarely, if ever, aggressive. The other Amethyst leaned close to Blue and whispered something in her ear, prompting her to giggle. Without hesitation, she followed them to a room where more Amethysts had gathered.

"These the ones?" the Amethyst asked, dropping Steven and Greg unceremoniously to the floor.

Blue hid behind the Amethyst, trying to suppress her laughter.

"STEVEN! GREG!" came a familiar cry.

At the far end of the room, their Amethyst was dramatically held captive by a much larger one.

"They found me out!" she wailed.

Steven's eyes went wide in panic. "Amethyst!" he cried out.

"You won't believe what I've been through!" she continued before grinning widely. "These Amethysts—they're really, really… GREAT!"

Out of nowhere, everyone in the room burst into laughter, including Blue, who laughed so hard she had to lean against the wall for support.

"Your faces!" the Amethyst behind them teased.

Amethyst ran up to Steven, pulling him into a hug. "Sorry, I had to. It was too funny," she admitted with a mischievous grin.

Blue stepped closer, still chuckling. "What a wonderful prank," she said, holding up her hand for a high five, which Amethyst enthusiastically returned.

Steven looked appalled. "Wait, you knew this was a prank?"

More giggling ensued as Blue turned to him. "Of course. Amethysts aren't aggressive, so this was mostly expected," she explained before dissolving into more laughter.

"Not aggressive? We'll show you!" one of the Amethysts declared.

Blue squeaked as she was suddenly scooped up into thick, muscular arms. Fingers wiggled against her sides, tickling her mercilessly.

"Stop—HAHAHA—stop it!" she managed to gasp between laughter as the other Amethysts cheered loudly.

"Get her!" someone yelled, egging on the tickling.

It was a bizarre scene, but it showed just how human these gems could be, and how much of a beloved leader Blue truly was. Steven couldn't help but smile at the display, though the situation quickly reminded him of their mission.

"We gotta find the others and get out of here," he said firmly.

The laughter began to die down. Blue, still sitting comfortably in an Amethyst's arms, raised an eyebrow. "Others?" she asked curiously.

"The other Crystal Gems," Steven clarified.

Blue's eyes widened in realization. So that was why there was an extra Ruby ship in the facility—it all made sense now. She quickly slid down from the Amethyst's grasp.

"Alright—" Blue began but was abruptly cut off by the door opening.

Without hesitation, she grabbed Steven's hand and darted behind one of the Amethysts. Though technically, as a Diamond, she had no reason to hide, Blue didn't want to attract unnecessary attention or have to explain why she was allowing two humans to leave the containment area.

Holly Blue started yelling, her sharp words echoing through the hall and visibly upsetting Blue. The hybrid made a mental note to address this aggressive behavior—again. When the commotion settled, they were finally escorted out. Blue led Steven and Greg down a series of corridors, eventually stopping in a vast, glowing room filled with floating bubbles.

"Uh, Blue, what is this place?" Greg asked, his voice tinged with awe as he looked around at the surreal sight.

"This is the Rose Quartz bubble room," Blue explained, her tone growing somber. "When Pink was shattered by a Rose Quartz, my mother felt compelled to gather the entire cut and bubble them. She couldn't bring herself to shatter them, so she kept them here as a monument to Pink—just like this entire facility, until it became mine. Since I'm half-human, I needed a place to interact with other humans."

As Blue stepped forward, her heart sank when the door slid open. However, relief washed over her as it revealed only her Pearl, who looked slightly disheveled from the earlier debacle with the Zoomans.

"My Diamond," Pearl said, bowing slightly before straightening, "I've been looking for you."

Blue quickly briefed her on what had happened and the situation they were now facing. Pearl's usually composed demeanor faltered slightly at the news.

"Yellow is here, my Diamond," Pearl informed her, visibly unsettled.

Blue went pale, her heart pounding. She quickly turned to Steven and Greg. "Hide. Now. Don't come out until I'm sure she's gone."

Both men nodded and disappeared behind a nearby cluster of large gem bubbles just as the door slid open again, revealing Yellow Diamond herself.

"Blue?"

The young hybrid forced herself to remain calm despite the panic screaming inside her. She put on a carefully neutral expression, one that conveyed surprise without appearing suspicious.

"Oh, hello, Yellow," Blue greeted her, offering a thin but polite smile.

Yellow bent down slightly, her large, piercing eyes softening just enough to convey concern. "Feeling better?"

It took Blue a moment to piece things together. Yellow must have been the one who ordered the abduction, thinking it would cheer her up. Blue suppressed a grimace and forced a bright smile instead.

"Yes," she said cheerfully, "my new playmates have been teaching me all sorts of new games." It wasn't entirely a lie—Steven had shown her countless ways to have fun on Earth.

Yellow nodded approvingly. "Good. You can stop being so gloomy now," she said matter-of-factly.

As Yellow's gaze wandered upward to the floating bubbles, her expression hardened. "I should really shatter these," she muttered, glaring at the encapsulated Rose Quartzes.

Blue's breath hitched. Without hesitation, she leapt into the air, hovering near one of the bubbles. She gently grabbed it, cradling it as she floated down, landing gracefully in Yellow's palm.

"You can't bring yourself to do it, though," Blue said softly, her voice tinged with understanding.

Yellow didn't respond immediately. Her expression wavered, the sadness in her eyes betraying her stoic exterior. Blue knew this wasn't the first time Yellow had mused about shattering the Rose Quartzes—it had been a recurring thought for years, perhaps even before Blue had been brought into existence.

Gently, Blue patted Yellow's massive finger. "I know you miss Pink. And Mother."

Yellow's jaw tightened, her silence heavy with unspoken grief. Blue looked down at the bubbled gem in her hands, her heart aching.

Yellow wouldn't admit it, but Blue knew how deeply she missed their fellow Diamonds. She was holding it all together, but Blue was the only connection Yellow had left to a part of their family.

"So, do you want to expand the zoo?" Yellow asked, her tone brisk, clearly trying to change the subject and move on from the somberness of the past.

Blue momentarily tensed, her mind racing, until she remembered that expanding the zoo was part of her plans—though not to bring in more humans. "Well, I do need more room for plant life," she began, offering a tight smile. "And with the two humans from Earth, reproduction will be no hassle." She clenched the bubble in her hand slightly, trying to appear composed. "So we don't need more humans."

Yellow hummed in acknowledgment, her expression thoughtful. Much to Blue's relief, she nodded and didn't press the matter further. Grateful for the smooth pivot, Blue continued speaking, skillfully steering the conversation toward other topics.

Meanwhile, Steven and Greg watched quietly from their hiding spot as the two Diamonds interacted. This was a glimpse into Blue's life—a world so different from Earth yet filled with its own complexities and burdens. This was her relationship with Yellow, an odd blend of deference and mutual understanding. Blue had no mother, no human father to teach her what it meant to be half-organic. The zoo and her visits to Earth were likely the closest she'd ever come to experiencing humanity.

Steven frowned, his thoughts swirling. He remembered how hard it had been for the Crystal Gems and his dad to raise him, how they struggled to understand him but tried their best to be supportive. It had been a learning curve for all of them. For Blue, it must have been even harder. She didn't have a dad—Steven had learned from the Zoomans that a "new human" had once appeared but mysteriously vanished after a year. On top of that, Blue was a Diamond, tasked with immense responsibilities and expectations. She was the only hybrid—at least as far as they knew—born into Homeworld, growing up under constant scrutiny.

Steven's expression softened. She must have felt so isolated. He realized that their struggles as hybrids might not be so different after all. Sure, he had faced hatred from Homeworld Gems and dealt with corrupted Gems, but Blue had her own challenges. He smiled faintly, looking forward to the day she could return to Earth so they could talk and share their experiences.

Their thoughts were interrupted as Yellow Pearl entered the room, saluting sharply. "You have an appointment, my Diamond," she informed Yellow.

"Already? Fine," Yellow grumbled, lifting Blue gently and placing her on the second floor of the room before leaving.

The moment the door slid shut, Blue, Steven, and Greg all let out deep sighs of relief.

"I was absolutely terrified," Blue admitted, running over to Steven and hugging him tightly.

"You did great, though," Steven reassured her, smiling. "I don't think she suspected a thing."

Blue smiled back, taking his hand in hers. "Alright, let's go."

She led them down the stairs to the first floor and toward the exit. However, they stopped abruptly upon seeing Holly Blue walking down the hallway, engrossed in a tour explanation.

"Oh, stars," Blue whispered, turning quickly to Pearl. "Take these two to the ship they came in."

Pearl saluted, ushering the two humans away. They hurried down a different corridor, with Steven glancing back just as they rounded the corner. Worry etched his face. He trusted Blue, but he couldn't shake the concern about how the Crystal Gems would react. They were all convinced that Blue had betrayed their trust and orchestrated Greg's abduction. Hopefully, the Crystal Gem Amethyst could back him up—Steven doubted that he and Greg could convince them on their own.

"Wait, how am I going to get in contact with Blue?" Steven mused aloud, running his fingers through his curly hair as the group slowed down. Pearl peered cautiously around the next corner to ensure it was clear.

She glanced back at him with a small smile. "You're my Diamond's human lover, right?"

Steven blushed but grinned bashfully. "That's me," he admitted, feeling a mix of pride and embarrassment.

Pearl hummed, summoning an object from her gem. She handed Steven a diamond-shaped device that resembled a Rubik's cube. Recognition dawned on Steven—it was the Diamond communication hub, similar to the one Peridot had used years ago to contact Yellow.

"This will let you reach her," Pearl explained. "My Diamond thinks about you all the time."

Steven smiled warmly, holding the device carefully. "I think about her all the time too," he admitted, his heart swelling with affection.

They continued toward the exit, encountering a friendly Amethyst who recognized Steven and laughed about the earlier prank. The Amethyst eagerly agreed to help them escape, guiding them to the Ruby ship.

At last, Steven and Greg boarded the ship and settled in, waiting for the others to arrive. As the ship hummed to life, Steven clutched the communication hub tightly, his mind filled with thoughts of Blue.

We'll see each other again soon, he promised silently, looking forward to the day when their paths would cross once more.

The Crystal Gems looked thoroughly petrified as the two humans stepped off the ship. However, their fear quickly melted into joyous relief.

"I thought Blue kept you!" Pearl cried, rushing forward to hug Steven tightly.

He chuckled, patting her back. "No, she didn't. Her Pearl helped sneak us off the ship and back here. Blue wasn't the reason Dad got kidnapped—it was Yellow. She did it to cheer Blue up because Blue just… missed us."

Amethyst grinned triumphantly, crossing her arms. "I told you Blue was innocent!"

Garnet formed a moment later, her expression softening as she took in the scene. She stepped forward, wrapping Steven in a hug and offering him a small, approving smile.

"I finally understand," Garnet murmured, her voice calm but warm. "Blue's cold expression wasn't cruelty. She was scolding Holly Blue, correcting her behavior toward the other Amethysts, and ensuring she wouldn't mistreat them again. Blue is… different from her mother."

Steven pulled back slightly, looking up at Garnet. Her confident demeanor brought him comfort, and he could tell she was finally at ease.

Garnet turned to face the rest of the group, her gaze steady but filled with quiet satisfaction. "Let's go home," she said simply, her words carrying a note of finality.

The group shared relieved smiles, knowing the ordeal was finally over. Steven felt a wave of excitement wash over him—this wasn't an end but a new beginning. Blue would visit Earth someday, and when she did, they'd have the chance to spend more time together.

As they prepared to leave, Steven held onto that hope tightly, already looking forward to the day they'd meet again.