Opal, Ruby, Sapphire AU | Steven Universe

That Will Be All (Zoo Arc: Part 3)

"You two are in big trouble," the Amethyst had snarled, and promptly marched them out of the paradise.

        A maze of darkened corridors later they finally found themselves in front of a squat door. She opened the panels using the interface and dropped them on the floor inside.

         "These the ones?" she said.

        Ominous laughter echoed from all points of the room and a large Amethyst with pale hair advanced on them.

        Steven squeaked, closing his eyes—

        "Gotcha!"

        The playful tone caught him off guard and he raised his head to a much smaller and friendlier Gem.

        "Amethyst?!"

        She burst out laughing. "Hey, Steve-o!"

        "Your faces!" their captor crooned.

        "You were right, that was priceless!" another cried, and soon the whole chamber was rumbling with laughter.

        "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I had to!" Amethyst apologised, and held out a hand to help him up. "Please don't tell Pearl about that! Hey, what are you wearing?"

        "What's going on?!" he cried desperately.

        "These Amethysts— they're all from Earth! They're from the Prime Kindergarten! Wait— hey, 8XL!"

        A dark-skinned Amethyst across the room smiled. "Yeah?"

        "Steven, I'm an eight!" his friend shot a pointed look at the other Gem. "Tell 'em, tell 'em!"

        She grinned. "The Amethyst under me never popped out. We were all waiting and. . . pfft, nothing."

        "I'm 8XM! Facet-5, Cut-8XM, that's me!" Amethyst said excitedly, and swung her finger at the others. "That's 8XG, that's 8XH. . ."

        "I'm J," the Gem in question corrected.

        "Aw jeez, sorry, I'm worse than Holly Blue!" Amethyst mourned.

        "Aren't we all?"

        Another ripple of laughter.

        "Prime, Prime, Prime. You Amethysts are so clique-y." Steven turned to a slender orange Gem across the room.

        "Skinny's a Jasper!" Amethyst explained excitedly. "There are Gems here from the Beta Kindergarten too! Hey, where's Carnelian?"

        "Celebrating," Skinny grinned.

        "I'm not the shortest anymore!" A tiny red Gem burst out of nowhere and snatched Amethyst up in a tackle, prompting more laughter.

        "Hey!" Steven called over the din. "Please, if you don't mind me asking, we really need your help. We came in with Sapphire, Ruby and Pearl—we've gotta find them and get out of—"

        At that moment, the door behind him slid open with a hiss, and a familiar snobby voice floated through.

        "I'll only be a moment," said Holly Blue Agate, and in a panic, Steven grabbed Greg's hand and pulled him off behind a cluster of Amethysts.

        Holly Blue strode in calmly, door sliding shut behind her, and then promptly burst. "What are you all doing in here? Get to your stations! Even you hideous off-colour Betas, get out of your cubbies and into your places!" She went about, shoving Gems aside, pulling them from their resting compartments. "It's the least you can do for the Diamond that kept your worthless sorry gems service."