Steven Universe: The Diamond Legacy

Turquoise's Staff

Even though I knew she was gone, I sometimes felt my grandmother's presence in places that were significant to her. Often at the Temple late at night I would sense it, a warm comforting presence though nobody was around. I've never met my maternal grandmother, she gave up her life for my father and her death eventually allowed me to be born, but I knew it was her.

Just as I knew it was her when I was looking through weapons in the Secret Armory. I saw something my gut told me was not supposed to be there. A large wooden staff striped with gold and marked with the Era 1 Diamond insignia on the end. I instantly knew it wasn't a Crystal Gem weapon.

Now why would Grandma keep a Homeworld weapon in her secret armory?

"That is pretty strange." Chalcedony rubbed her chin when I showed her. "Maybe Rose Quartz took battle loot after defeating her enemies."

"That doesn't sound like something she would've done." I tried to hold the staff up, but it was taller than me. "Then again, there's a lot I don't know about my grandmother." Then it hit me, a memory of not so long ago when my friends and I journeyed to the Skye Isle. "Could it be..."

I put the staff in Bear's pocket dimension after letting him sniff it. "Chalcedony. Tell everyone I went to return this to someone. I'll be back soon. "

Bear's paws tore through the high grass as he loped across the moorlands of Skye, wriggling his nose as he kept onto the scent. I gripped the fur on his shoulder and dug my knees into his sides, hair tied in a thick ponytail to keep from whipping in my face. We passed by the remnants of old Gem settlements , tall imposing structures rising like jagged teeth from the Earth. Thousands of years ago these sparked the humans' imaginations and became part of legend.

Bear slowed down to a walk, raising his snout and sniffing the air. I smelled it too, and saw a line of smoke rise over the hill. We were far from the only inhabited village on the island. "Follow the smoke, Bear." I nudge my foot into his side. Bear grunted loped in the direction of the smoke and firewood, swiping open portals to gain distance. He slowed to a walk when we neared a place close to the old Gem fortress, stopping at a wide fence.

"I hope she doesn't mind our company." I dismounted and unlocked the fence, locking it up again as we entered through. I heard a sharp caw and saw two ravens sitting on the fence posts, watching me with black beady eyes. "Hello. Who's a pretty bird?" I whistled at them friendly. The bigger raven cocked his head at me and the smaller one ruffled his feathers. The bigger one hopped closer before flying off, his companion taking wind behind him. "Okay then." I murmured. "Was worth a try." Bear crouched letting me mount up and we continued on through the field."

Turquoise had another herd of Highland cattle, shorter and stockier than the herd beneath the fortress with black coats instead of the traditional russet and brown. They perked their heads, cautiously watching us before returning to graze, beehives marked the field, each surrounded by a forcefield that let the bees travel freely and kept the cattle away. "Don't even think about it." I warned Bear who veered toward the nearest hive. Bear licked his lips and grunted in protest, but otherwise listened.

We came up upon a large brick-made cottage  that looked straight out of a fairy tale next to an immense barn that could hold the two herds plus an extra more. Smoke lingered out from the chimney, the crisp scent of firewood prickling my nose, and was that soup I also smelled?

"Nice to know I can get straight here." I said, noticing the warp pad in front of the house. I dismounted Bear, telling him to stay put, and politely knocked on the door.

"I'm out behind the barn Nora!" Turquoise's accented voice bellowed out. "Make sure to lock the gate behind you!" I walked behind the barn and saw a large pen inhabited by plump happy goats and strutting chickens. The moment I opened the gates the nearest goats came trotting up to me, bleating and rubbing their horns against my legs.