Shimmering Blood

Chapter 21- Leaders plee

AN: STEVEN UNIVERSE DOESN'T BELONG TO ME ONLY TO REBECCA SUGAR AND CARTOON NETWORK.

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Moonstone was pleased, his satisfaction growing as he surveyed the canyon below. The rebuilding efforts after Rose’s sudden attack had gone smoothly, with injectors working nonstop and drills carving new formations into the cliffside. Soldiers moved with disciplined focus, training tirelessly to be prepared for the next assault by Rose and her Crystal Gems. For now, a sense of calm blanketed Prime Kindergarten. But who knew how long it would last? Rose Quartz was unpredictable, and her rebellion lurked in every shadow.

The pink Gem haunted his mind like an unsolvable riddle. How had a simple soldier turned into a force so powerful that she’d gathered an army willing to defy everything Homeworld stood for? What could drive someone like her to put her life on the line for a planet as worthless as this one?

Frowning, Moonstone looked down at the canyon, his thoughts spiraling. Rose Quartz was a mystery, a Gem who defied Homeworld's every rule. She had single-handedly sparked this mess.

The communicator in his ear crackled to life, yanking him from his thoughts. "My General, we’re picking up a signal—three unknown entities en route to your location. Orders?"

Moonstone responded coolly. "Stand by, and record the encounter for later.” He turned to look at the approaching figures. As they grew closer, his brow furrowed. They weren’t Gems… nor humans. Their sleek, muscular forms glinted faintly pink, and he recognized the shape—a mother tiger and her cubs.

"General, orders?" Emerald’s voice cut in again. Moonstone instructed her to pull back any soldiers nearby.

The trio of tigers drew closer, stopping a few paces away and staring at him with an eerie, calculating gaze. Moonstone felt a pang of unease. These weren’t mindless animals; there was something unsettlingly intelligent in their eyes.

“Tigers?” he murmured, barely audible. “A mother and her cubs… but pink?” He narrowed his eyes at them, studying every detail.

The mother tiger’s presence was commanding, and her cubs mirrored her stance, watching him with eyes that seemed far older than their youth. One cub took a bold step forward, nuzzling against his ankle, and a strange warmth crept up his leg. “How?” he muttered under his breath. “How the hell could Rose sway even creatures like this?”

The mother tiger let out a low growl, snapping the cub back to her side. They lingered a moment longer before turning as one and vanishing into the shadows of the canyon.

Moonstone’s fists clenched as he watched them disappear. A cold anger bubbled within him. If Rose could command Earth’s creatures, how much further did her reach extend?

“How the fuck does she do it? Animals with free will, not Gems!” Moonstone bellowed at the shadows, his voice raw with frustration.

He spun around and began pacing, rage simmering within him. Rose’s influence has spread even here. If she can control creatures with minds of their own… then how many Gems can she sway too?

He gritted his teeth, his voice rising to the night sky. “Why? Why, Rose? Things were stable, things were fine—and then you had to bring your insurrection here!” His voice echoed around the canyon, drowning out the distant hum of injectors and drills. Gems on the canyon’s edge glanced down, their eyes wide at their general’s outburst.

In one fierce motion, Moonstone unsheathed his sword and swung it, striking a nearby boulder and leaving a deep gash in its surface. He dragged his hand over his face, voice muffled. “Why can’t you just die already? I want this to be over.”