He Did It For Me: Steven's Legacy

Chapter 03: Other Friends

Lion reached the top of the hill, and Connie hopped off and petted him as she said, "Thanks, buddy." Lion laid on the grass and purred. Connie took a deep breath in, then out, and repeated the process for a little while longer. Once she was ready, the young woman walked away from the giant feline and stopped at a memorial stone near the edge. It was garlanded with gifts from everyone in Beach City and Little Homeworld.

A bag of chaaaaps. Plastic bags of fry bits, pizza slices, an ube roll, and two doughnuts. A vial of fire salt. A blue, hand-held mirror. A Camp Pining Hearts DVD. Rose Quartz's scabbard, battle flag, and videotape. Steven's ukulele. Sour Cream's headphones. One of Onion's toys. A copy of Golf Quest Mini Remastered. A copy of the Unfamiliar Familiar. And Connie's glow bracelet, which she gave before she left town, among all the other gifts. As well as bouquets of roses.

Connie sat down in front of it and removed and set aside her cap. "Hey, Steven. I know that I haven't come to see you since... since then. I thought that I'd know what I want to say when I got here, but I don't. I left Beach City and the Crystal Gems to try and find a way to move on. It's been tough, but... well, I've been doing well for myself. So, that must be a sign of progress. Little Homeworld is looking great, I believe you would love it." A moment of silence followed by as Connie looked down at the pink diamond gemstone. "I think you already know this, but everyone really misses you. I miss you. I miss you more than anything. I became the best version of myself because of you, and I'll never forget it... But I do wish that you were here to see that version in person. I wish that you were here with all of us."

"We all do." Connie looked behind her and saw Garnet, Amethyst, and Pearl.

The young woman stood up. "How long where you guys standing there."

"Not long," Garnet replied.

"We just wanted to check on you again," Amethyst explained.

"We know that it's been a long time since you were last here," Pearl added in as she walked up to Connie. "If you need any one of us to talk to, or a shoulder to cry on, we're here for you."

Connie hugged Pearl and told her, "Thank you." Garnet and Amethyst decided to join in as well.

But the Fusion suddenly jumped back, and shouted, "No!" as she looked up to the sky.

"What's going on, G?" Amethyst asked as she, Pearl and Connie broke from the embrace.

"No! No! No! No! Not now! Not today!"

A strong wind suddenly blew in with enough force that threated to knock all four of them down. Lion hopped onto his feet and snarled as he stood ready for battle. A massive shadow proceeded to cover the entire hill. The clouded sky opened like an ominous gate as a black-accented, hourglass-shaped ship with a magenta liquid inside descended.

"What. Is. That?" Connie asked as she and the others stepped back.

The ship tilted itself and pointed directly at the hill. On the top of the vessel, a silhouette of a figure with spiky pigtails, pointy shoulders, and a noodle-like body could be seen. The individual transformed their hand into a giant horn and blew into it. The sound was deep and boomed like thunder. Loud enough to cause Connie and the Gems to cover their ears. Then, a pop-out drill with three foldout spider-like legs emerged from its base.

"Move!" Garnet ordered as she picked up Amethyst and ran with the others as the ship's legs attached to the sides of the hill, and the drill stabbed itself into the surface, which caused the liquid within the vessel to gurgle.

The figure on top of the ship jumped down to its bottom, while she cackled all the way. The Gems all got a better look at the invader. She was a Gem with a pink complexion, magenta eyes, and hair. Three black lines ran underneath both of her eyes, reminiscent of running mascara. The Gem's attire consisted of a dark magenta top, puffy shorts, hot pink wrist-length gloves, white stockings and a pair of knee-high boots. Her gemstone was hot pink, shaped like an upside-down heart, and located in the center of her chest.

She looked at Connie, Lion and the Crystal Gems with a maniacal smile as she repeated the phrase, "Pink Diamond, come out to pla-aaay!" And grew louder each time. "Pink Diamond, come out to pla-aaay‼ Pink Diamond, come out to pla-aaay‼! Pink Diamond, come out to pla-aaay‼‼ Pink Diamond, come out to pla-aaay‼‼!"

An infuriated Amethyst broke free from Garnet's arms and shouted at the Gem, "Hey! Who the heck do you think you are?!"

"Well, well, well, well! Lemme get a look at this little menagerie!" The Gem shapeshifted her hand and eye to act as a telescope. "You must be Amethyst, right small fry? You must be the "legendary" Fusion, Garnet. The meat-bag over there must be none other than Pinky's little pet, the Connie. And last but not least, the terrifying renegade herself, Pearl. So, Pink Diamond took you with her, isn't that just... swell!" The Gem added enough venom to last part that the others could feel it.

"It can't be..." Pearl gasped.

"Oh, but it can be, Pearly. And it is!" The harlequin Gem chuckled. "I got myself a new style, and a couple new toys that are gonna put an end to Pink's "happily ever after" once and for all! Now, where is she?! Or maybe she'll prefer that I use her new name, Steven Universe."

"He's gone!" Connie shouted.

"What was that?!" The Gem replied.

"He's Gone! Dead!" Connie repeated as tears streamed down her cheek. "Steven, Rose Quartz, Pink Diamond, whatever name you have for him, is gone!"

"Are... you... kidding me‼!" The Gem used her arms as spring and bounced down to the ground. "I spent all this time preparing my little surprise for her, and this nowhere planet she chose the spend the rest of her days on with a bunch of nobodies, and she goes off and bites it before I..." The Gem paused and held up her index fingers. She turned to the Crystal Gems and said, "You know what? I'm not even mad. Well, I am mad. Furious even! But I guess I'll just have to take all those issues out on her other friends."

"This won't go any further!" Garnet said as she summoned her gauntlets, and Amethyst summoned her whip.

Pearl went to summon her spear, but suddenly stopped and fell to her knees as her hands shook. "Pearl!" Connie kneeled to her former teacher. "Pearl."

"Not now. Why now?" Pearl whispered.

"Connie, you and Lion stay back with her," Garnet ordered. "Amethyst and I will take care of this."

"Oh, you're not gonna like how this'll end." The mysterious Gem said as she leaped into battle with movements like that of a cartoon character from the 1920s - 1930s.

Garnet charged at her and threw a right hook, which was dodged with ease. The rubbery Gem wrapped her hands around Garnet's legs and flung her aside. Amethyst cracked her whip, but the Gem slithered past each strike and kicked the purple Gem in the face. Garnet ambushed her opponent from behind, but she squatted and sprung back up to headbutt the Fusion square in her jaw. She then proceeded to juggle Garnet in the air with her feet as she cackled. Amethyst spin-dashed toward the Gem, but she kicked Garnet right into her, which caused Amethyst to tumble over before she receives a hard uppercut that flung her right into the Fusion.

"Gee, you guys suck." The rubbery Gem taunted.

"She's running circles around us!" Garnet groaned.

"I'm rusty. Give me a break." Amethyst grumbled.

The mysterious Gem just yawned and told them, "Well, this is getting boring. So, I'm gonna wrap this up, okay." She materialized a magenta grip with a pink switch approximately two inches below its hilt from her Gem. "But it was swell to finally beat Pink's other friends."

"We're not done yet!" Amethyst shouted as she and Garnet charged into battle again.

"You're right." The Gem said as she jumped away from their double team. She pressed a button on her device, which caused a long, dark magenta pole to extend, and from there, a pink energy scythe manifested. "But you are now!" The Gem swung the weapon down so fast that Garnet and Amethyst couldn't react in time and were sliced in half.

"No!" Both Pearl and Connie shouted as they witnessed their friends disappear before their eyes in a cloud of smoke.

Their gemstones landed on the ground at the same time as the enemy Gem landed on her feet. "Three down." She cheered, then looked over at Pearl with a sinister gaze. "One to go."