Chapter 1

"Alright, Steven." Blue Diamond sat down in front of Steven, needing to tilt her head straight down in order to see him. "What are your ideas?" White and Yellow Diamond mimicked their fellow Diamond.

"Music and dancing, but not like the previous balls, Steven answered. "It should be more fun. Oh!" He unzipped his backpack, revealing its colourful contents. "And I brought some decorations we could put up. Balloons, streamers, and confetti," He took out each item accordingly. "Oh and food in case me and Connie get hungry."

"How does it all fit in that small, enclosed space?" White Diamond asked.

"It's the earth's greatest storing technology: the multi-pocket backpack."

The Diamonds' eyes lit up. "Oooh."

Yellow reverted to her typical scowl. "Well these ideas all sound nice, but if you want it to happen, we should start decorating now so it's ready by tonight."

"Let's get to it then!" Steven leaped up, lingering mid-air for a moment before landing. Grabbing the decorations, Steven bounced toward the ballroom. The diamonds trailed after him.

"So what do we do with those… decorations?" Blue Diamond asked.

"Well...streamers are usually hung on the ceiling. The balloons need to be blown up." The diamond's eyes went wide. "But then they can be tied anywhere."

"Blown up?!" White gasped.

"Yeah, they need to be filled with air." The three diamonds all let out sighs of relief. Grabbing one of the balloons, Steven blew into it. Steadily, the balloon began to increase in size before Steven tied a knot in the bottom and tied the string to a pole. "Just like that."

"So what do we do with the confetti then?" Blue asked.

"We could store it in canons and fire it all over the place."

"Absolutely not!" Yellow Diamond exclaimed.

"What? Why?"

"Canons are forbidden within palace walls," she explained. "They can be dangerous."

"Well...I guess that makes sense." Steven placed a finger to his chin. "Hm...what else can we do with confetti….?" He found himself walking in circles until one thought came to him. "Oh! Maybe it could sprinkle down from the ceiling."

Blue and Yellow exchanged glances. "We could manage that," They replied nodding.

"I can set it up," Steven offered. "Can you two put up the streamers?" Nodding, Blue and Yellow took the tiny streamers in their hands. "Hey, White," Steven called. "Could you give me a lift?" White turned around, eyes wide.

"Oh…um…" White scratched at her own hands. "I can't!" She exclaimed. "Not right now. Go ask Blue or Yellow."

"But they're busy with the streamers."

"Ssssso am I! With balloons I mean!" Grabbing a heart-shaped balloon, White blew into it, popping it with one blow. Her eyes darted away.

"Okay...I'll just..." Steven leaped toward the ceiling, floating just beside the rafters. He lined the rafters with confetti, hovering in the air like a bird. White turned to him with a gasp.

"You have Pink's floating powers?"

"Yeah," Steven replied, not taking his eyes off the confetti. "I have most of her powers actually."

"How does that work?" White asked, stepping closer. "You have her gem and her powers but...you're not her? You're just a gem permanently fused with a human?"

"Sort of." Steven sat down in one of the rafters to meet White's gaze. "My dad was a human. He and Mom kind of...created me?"

"Oh…" Her cheeks grew pink. At that same moment, Blue and Yellow met her gaze. White let out a gasp and leaped away, making the ground shake. "I...have to go."

"Wait, White." Steven leaped to the ground, stumbling a bit upon landing.

White turned for a moment. "I'll be back in time for the ball, don't worry." She immediately turned back and bolted out of the ballroom. Steven let out a sigh. With one bounce, he approached Yellow and Blue.

"Was she always like this?" Steven asked.

The two diamonds turned to him. "Off colour? We're not really sure-"

"No, not that," Steven interrupted. "I mean...she seems really distressed. Like all the time."

"Well...she was always a little uneasy outside her own head," Blue explained. "She's just not used to being outside for such long periods of time."

"Not to mention the off colour blush," Yellow replied, rolling her eyes.

"Ugh, why does that even matter?!" The diamonds' eyes widened at his exclamation. "I blush pink too, you don't judge me for it."

"That's different."

"It's not like we hate her for it it's just…" Yellow let out a sigh. "We had all this pressure to be perfect like her...all while she wasn't even perfect."

Blue rested her hand on Yellow's shoulder, adding, "We were all supposed to be like her but she wasn't even like her."

"Yeah, I get what you mean," Steven sighed. His fists unclenched, his anger fading away like dust in the wind.

"Come on." Yellow stood up again. "Let's put up the last of these so we can send out the invitations." The other two diamonds nodded. Steven leaped around the ballroom, rising and falling at the speed of a feather, as he adorned the ballroom with balloons. Some were taped to the floor, while others were tied to parts of the wall. Blue and Yellow meanwhile slung the streamers on the low hanging parts of the ceiling.

"I think that's all the streamers," Blue called out.

"Let me check it out!" In one huge leap, Steven floated into the center of the room. The rainbow streamers hung from the ceiling far above him while equally colourful balloons were confined to the ground below. The bright colours popped against the dull ballroom. "This looks awesome!" Steven cheered.

"Great, now will one of you deliver the invitations?" Blue asked, holding out the pieces of paper in her huge hand.

"I got it!" Leaping up, Steven landed in Blue's hand and took the invitations in his arms. He paused. "Hey...can one of you check on White while I'm gone?"

"Oh, she's fine." Yellow rolled her eyes with a flick of her hand. "She's probably just in her ship sulking like she always is."

"That seems like a pretty good time to check on her."

"We will, Steven," Blue replied, with a smile. Steven nodded and leaped down, landing on one foot.

Yellow whipped around. "Wait, we?!"

"Yes, Yellow, we're both going." She grabbed her hand. "Come on." Yellow let out a groan as she was half-dragged out of the ballroom. Steven ambled out the door, invitations in hand. In the distance, loomed a giant, pink figure: the leg ship. Just beside it, sat a myriad of chatting gems. They included Garnet, Amethyst, Pearl, Connie, and three Homeworld Pearls.

"Hey guys," Steven greeted. Every pair of eyes fixed on him.

"Steven!" Pearl exclaimed.

"Yo Stevo!" Amethyst spun toward Steven, stopping just in front of him with a huge smile on her face. "How's the party planning going?"

"Good...I guess…"

Amethyst groaned. "White's being a stickler again, huh?"

"Yup. She seems almost...scared of me sometimes," Steven admitted.

"But that doesn't make any sense," Connie protested. "What reason would she have to be afraid of you?"

"I don't think she's afraid of him," Pearl interjected.

"She's probably just not used to so much social interaction," Garnet added.

"Uh…" Pink Pearl's voice trembled. "Could you all maybe not gossip about the supreme leader of Gem kind?!" Her eye was wide as it scanned the area like a hunted animal. "You never know when she could be watching!"

"Hey, we've gone over this." Steven rested his hand on Pink Pearl's shoulder. "White Diamond isn't going to hurt you. None of them are."

"Honestly, I'm with Pinkie on this one," Yellow Pearl added. "They might have freed us but that doesn't mean they have...good intentions for us."

Blue Pearl didn't look up from her drawing as she replied, "Pearls have never been treated as anything more than property until now. Who's to say they won't go back to that if we aren't useful to them?"

"They won't do that!" Steven insisted. "Even if you aren't 'useful' to them, they recognize now that you're individuals, not possessions." The three Pearls exchanged glances but didn't reply. Steven bounced toward them. "Here, I just came by to give you these." Blue Pearl placed her drawing aside as all three Pearls grabbed an invitation.

"A ball, huh?" Yellow Pearl raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah!" Steven nodded. "I promise, this one will be a lot more fun."

Pink Pearl's eye flooded with horror. "Is…White Diamond going to be there?" She asked her voice barely any more than a whisper.

"She said she would be. I'm not sure though. We'll just have to wait and see."

"Not me!" Pink Pearl threw her arms around a drawing Blue Pearl. "I can't be there if there's even a chance White Diamond will be there as well!" Blue Pearl continued drawing as she wrapped an arm around her fellow Pearl.

"She's not going to mind control you again." Connie chipped in. "She really has changed."

"But if she does?!" Pink Pearl cried.

"You don't have to go if it makes you uncomfortable," Pearl added.

"But really, I can confirm there's nothing to worry about," Garnet added. "I see no possible futures where she mind controls you again."

Steven turned to Yellow and Blue Pearl. "So what about you two?" He asked. "Will you go?"

"We might as well," Yellow Pearl replied. Blue Pearl nodded beside her.

"Great!" Steven drifted into the air and toward the ground like a feather. "I'll see you guys there!" He called back, waving. The gems waved back as Steven made his way into town. The roads were filled with gems bustling about. Steven handed invitations to each tightly knit group he passed. He could feel butterflies in his stomach as he approached a trio of Rose Quartzes. Each of them had his mother's long, pink hair and pasty skin. The only way to tell them apart were their different hairstyles.

"Hey." Steven's voice shook. The trio turned to him with warm gazes.

"Hi, Steven Diamond," One of them greeted.

"Actually, it's Steven Universe," Steven replied.

The Rose Quartzes all looked at each other, their gazes riddled with confusion. "Steven Universe Diamond?"

"Nevermind," Steven grunted. His previous excitement came back like a boomerang as he presented an invitation. "There's going to be a ball tonight if any of you want to come."

The straight-haired Rose Quartz took the invitation. "A ball? I've never actually been to one of those."

"None of us have," The curly haired one replied, rolling her eyes. "Our Diamond didn't really throw balls during the Gem War."

"If there aren't too many gems to heal, we'll gladly come," The wavy-haired one informed.

"Awesome! See you guys there." Steven leaped away once again. His powers levitated him just above the street for a few moments before landing on the pavement. As he continued down the street, Steven caught something orange in the corner of his eyes. He turned with a gasp. Sitting alone on the side of the road was none of then Jasper herself.

"Jasper?!" Steven gasped.

Jasper met his gaze with wide eyes. "My diamond!" She exclaimed, kneeling in front of him.

Steven backed away awkwardly. "You don't have to do that you know."

"It is a form of respect, my diamond!" Jasper protested. "Don't you want to be respected by your subjects?" Her voice lacked the hostile tone Steven had become accustomed to all that time ago.

"I feel respected when people call me by name," Steven informed.

Jasper's eyes widened. "Of course… Stevon. So what brings you here?" Jasper asked.

"There's gonna be a ball tonight," Steven answered, holding out the invitation. Jasper took the tiny slip of paper, staring at it in silence for what felt like an eternity. "So…you gonna come?"

"I would if I knew what any of these things are. Games…? Fun…? Balloons…?" Jasper met Steven's gaze. "The other Diamonds really approved of all this?" Steven nodded. "Well if the Diamonds like it, maybe I will too." Jasper turned and walked away, still gazing at the invitation.

"Bye Jasper!" Steven called.

"Pink Diamond?!" A new voice gasped. Steven turned around with a grunt. A tall pink gem stood on the side of the road. She was at least as tall as Jasper, if not more so. "So the rumours are true! You really have taken on the look of a human." Her eyes were wide with awe but Steven could see a flicker of disgust in the gem's eyes.

"Uh yeah...so what's your name?" Steven asked, trying to change the topic.

"Don't you know?!" The gem scoffed. "I'm Morganite Cut 3XM."

"Hi, Morganite!" Steven greeted, holding out the invitation with a beam. "There's gonna be a ball tonight in the palace if you wanna come."

Morganite took the invitation in her gloved hands, staring at it blankly. "Oh…right, balls are your thing. Well it might be interesting to see how laughable it is." Steven's expression molded into one of confusion. "I doubt I'll have time though since I have to do all the work my former Pearl should have been doing." Without another word, Morganite marched away, her gem shining from the back of her head.

"Well...that was weird." Steven went about delivering invitations. The entire time, however, his exchange with Morganite lingered in his mind like a bad smell. The sun had almost set by the time he headed back to the ballroom. Gems were already crowding around the front door. Steven leaped over them, pushing the door open barely enough for him to squeeze through.

"Steven!" Blue Diamond exclaimed, rushing toward him. "There you are!" Yellow and Blue sat down in front of him.

"By the looks of it, I assumed you delivered all the invitations?" Yellow asked.

Steven nodded as he scanned the room. "How is White?"

"She's fine," Yellow replied. "She said she needed some time to herself before the ball...which is about to start soon…"

"She did promise to come," Steven reminded them. "She might just be running a little late."

"Should I go get her?" Blue asked.

"Don't worry about it," Yellow replied. "She'll come when, or if, she's ready."

Steven let out a sigh. "She might not even come."

Blue and Yellow glanced down at him. "Steven?"

"Every time I try to bring us all together, White doesn't come, and when she does, she just wants to leave. I don't understand. What am I doing wrong?"

"Oh Steven, you're not doing anything wrong," Blue insisted. "Whatever this is, it's White's problem, not yours." Everyone stood in thoughtful silence for a few moments.

"Well." Yellow stood up and broke the silence. "If everything is ready, we should let everyone in and begin."

"Wait! What about the music?" Yellow pressed a button on some rectangular device. Music began echoing through the ballroom: the Rickroll. Steven forced a smile. "Thanks, Yellow," Yellow revealed the device in her hand. It was a remote: a huge one with a display panel.

"You can be in charge of the music." Steven grabbed the remote and nodded.

"Well, time to let everyone in." Blue walked toward the front door, twisting it open. Gems immediately barged in. The colourful swath dispersed into the wide ballroom, spreading out to chat or dance in smaller groups. Steven leaped onto the pink throne, watching like a bird from above.

"What is this awful music?!" A voice exclaimed. Steven perked up. It was the Morganite from earlier!

"Hey, this is an earth favourite!" Steven protested. The beat of the song weaved its way into Steven's mind. He tapped along to the words he didn't know until the chorus came. "Never gonna give you up. Never gonna let you down." Morganite let out a groan, yanking her own hair. "Never gonna run around and desert you!"

"Steven!" A voice called. Steven whipped around. A human hand had gripped the edge of the throne.

"Connie!" Steven cheered. She leaped up at the sound of her name, teetering just on the edge before gaining her balance. The two friends exchanged a quick hug.

"How did you get Earth music to play here?" Connie asked.

"I don't know. Yellow is the one who gave me this remote," Steven informed, presenting the remote from his arms. Connie's eyes became stars.

"Can it play any songs?" Connie asked.

"I don't know, let's see." The two sat down, squinting their eyes at the small screen at the top of the remote. On the screen, was clearly a tracklist. The two of them recognized some songs but not others. Some were clearly not even from Earth, as the titles were written in unfamiliar print.

"This thing is interplanetary!" Connie gasped. "Maybe even intergalactic! What do you say? Wanna listen to the tunes of another world?"

"I'd rather just stick to Earth music for the ball," Steven replied. "But later, we should totally listen to other stuff!" Yellow cleared her throat from her throne. Steven looked up at her. "...With Yellow's permission that is." She smiled and went back to chatting with Blue.

"Well...in the meantime we can go find the Crystal Gems," Connie suggested. "I saw them come in just before I did."

"Just a second, Connie." Steven was staring at the door. It was constantly opening and closing from countless gems going in and out. However, none of them were the gem Steven was expecting each time. He let out a sigh.

"Waiting for White, huh?" Connie asked.

"Yeah," Steven admitted. "I threw this ball to cheer everyone up, including White." Suddenly, all the chatter in the room died, leaving only the sound of music. Steven looked up with a gasp.

"White!" The Diamond stood at the open door, eyes wide. Everyone in the room stared at her, some even whispering among themselves.

"Is that really her?!"

"I've never seen her before!"

"White Diamond came out of her ship?"

"Is someone in trouble?!"

White Diamond walked through the hushed whispers, her arms at her chest and gaze fixed on the floor.

"I assure you, my gems, I am here for the same reason as all of you: to enjoy Steven's party." Steven's eyes became stars. The wary silence remained. "Please don't mind me," White replied as she sat down on her throne, eyes still fixed on the floor. After a few moments of tense silence, the gems went back to conversing with each other. Steven and Connie both sighed in relief. The latter returned to scrolling through songs while Steven glanced up at White, a flicker of concern shining in his eyes as he noticed the diamond's tense stance. She was always tense but now she was practically scratching herself.

"I'm...gonna go talk to her." Steven glanced back at his friend. "Connie, can you be in charge of the music for a little while?" His friend gave a brisk nod. Steven nodded back before leaping on top of the pink throne. With another jump, Steven was floating at eye level with White, whose gaze was still focused on her hyperactive hands.

"Hey." White flinched, letting out a yelp that once again brought the ballroom to silence. Every gem stared at them. The silence couldn't have been more than a few seconds but to Steven and White, it felt like an eternity. Finally, the chatter returned, along with a wave of relief for the two diamonds. White and Steven's gazes met again.

"Um...hi White," Steven greeted, as he landed in White's lap. White's arms were against her chest and her shaking was like an earthquake to Steven.

"Ssssssteven. What….are you doing?!" Even White's voice shook.

"I wanted to sit with you," Steven explained.

"Well um...could you maybe...sit on the armrest instead?"

"Okay." Steven leaped back onto the edge of the chair. White Diamond scooted over, as far away from that armrest as possible. "So, how are you?" Steven asked.

"F-fine!!" White exclaimed. "Perfectly fine."

"You don't seem fi-"

"You know," White interrupted, her hands going in several directions as she spoke. "You could sit on your throne. Well...your mom's throne...that you inherited but...still technically yours."

"White-"

"Is it not big enough? Or...it's probably too big actually-"

"White!" Steven snapped. "I came up here to talk to you." White froze. "I would have talked to you on the dance floor but...that would have been a little awkward."

"Oh…" Her anxiety melted away. "Well...I don't really have anything to say. Why don't you go mingle with your friends on the dance floor?"

"You are my friend."

White hesitated. "Your...other friends, then. Don't worry about me, I'll be fine." White forced a smile. It was somehow less creepy than her expressions when Steven first met her.

"Okay," Steven sighed. He drifted back down into his seat, beside Connie.

"White's still acting strange, huh?" Connie questioned.

Steven nodded. "I don't know why I bother talking to her. It just makes things worse."

"She'll come around eventually," Connie insisted. "For now, let's enjoy the ball." Steven smiled. Returning to the song list, Connie let out a gasp. "Ooh! This is one of my favourites." She tapped the screen, and a new song echoed through the room.

"Oh yeah! I like it too!" Steven exclaimed. The two of them tapped along to the beat. "You can dance

You can jive

Having the time of your life." The tapping eventually evolved into full-on bouncing and spinning. The crowd began bobbing their heads along to the beat, some even swaying a bit. It eventually escalated into full-on dancing. Steven and Connie clasped hands, twirling around on the huge throne. He even noticed the three diamonds tapping and swaying ever so slightly.

"That looks fun," Blue commented, pointing at the crowd of dancers. She glanced at Yellow and White. "Would...either of you want to give it a try?" Blue and White glanced at Yellow expectantly.

"Ugh," Yellow groaned. "Fine." She took Blue's hand as the two of them stood up.

"White?" Blue looked back at her fellow diamond. "Aren't you coming?"

"No...I'm good." White casually crossed one leg over the one. Blue and Yellow exchanged glances before shrugging and walking further onto the dance floor. They loomed over the other gems like trees as they awkwardly stepped around to the music. Steven and Connie paused, their gazes fixed on Blue and Yellow. Their steps gradually became more intentional. Yellow let go of one of Blue's hands, twirling her in a circle. Their eyes lit up like candles. By either some miracle or unconscious restraint, none of the dancers in the ballroom ended up fusing. Steven gazed expectantly at White's throne, only to find it empty. He sighed but immediately got back to dancing and mingling. The ball went on like this for hours.

A myriad of gems ambled out of the ballroom, chatting amongst each other. Steven was crowded among them with Yellow Pearl, Blue Pearl, and Morganite.

"Did you guys have fun?" Steven asked.

"Yes!" Yellow Pearl exclaimed. "I think I'm starting to understand the meaning of this 'fun.'"

Blue Pearl nodded, a smile forming just below her hair. "It was enjoyable. Especially dancing with you." Yellow Pearl's cheeks darkened.

"Yeah, the new ball was great!" Steven agreed.

"The balls in the old days were better," Morganite replied, crossing her arms.

"The old days were awful," a new voice cut in. The four gems turned to see a bright figure looming over them. Yellow Pearl's eyes were the size of diamonds as she Steven, and Blue Pearl backed away, not averting their gazes from White Diamond as they ducked behind a wall. "Countless gems were suffering in silence simply for being themselves." Blue and Yellow Pearl exchanged glances, nodding in agreement.

"I wasn't suffering," Morganite grunted. "Besides, what does that matter? We got stuff done in the old days. All we ever do anymore is throw parties and talk about our feelings. Probably Pink's influence."

"We're just figuring things out," White Diamond argued.

"Just admit it," Morganite sneered. "Pink Diamond has made you weak." White Diamond's cheeks turned bright pink before she could reply. Morganite recoiled. "Ugh, you're even off-colour?! How were you even our leader for so long?"

"That's enough!" White Diamond boomed. Yellow Pearl let out a yelp before dashing the opposite direction. Blue Pearl trailed after her. "I am still your leader!"

"Not for long," Morganite growled. "You and the other diamonds are weak leaders. Mark my words your leadership is coming to an end!"

White Diamond closed her eyes. "Oh, I don't think so." Her tone was that same fake cheeriness from her ship. Her eyes opened with a white flash. Morganite was zapped and the colour was slowly drained from her body, being replaced by a greyish white hue. Falling to the ground, Morganite went limp.

"White!" Steven gasped, emerging from his hiding place.

White whipped around, eyes wide, "Steven?" She gasped. "I thought you left!"

"Why did you do that?" Steven demanded, pointing at Morganite's still limp body. "She didn't do anything!"

"She threatened to," White insisted. She was forced to stare straight down at Steven as he approached her. "If I didn't do something now, she might've hurt us."

"But did you really have to…" Steven hesitated. "Brainwash her?"

"Look…" White Diamond sat down beside Steven. "I know gems are in pain at first but once they are fully under my control," White Diamond gestured toward the now floating Morganite. "They are not suffering."

"But their consciousness is gone," Steven insisted.

White Diamond let out a sigh. "Pink Diamond thought the same."

Steven met White Diamond's gaze. "About brainwashing gems?" he asked.

"She thought it was extreme." Pain briefly flashed in White's eyes before she continued. "But I have these powers. I might as well use them for better purposes."

"It still feels wrong," Steven admitted. "If I could just...talk to her...maybe I could change her mind."

"You may have made me, Yellow, and Blue realize that we were wrong, but that doesn't mean you can convince everyone. You need to understand, some gems are just beyond reason."

"You weren't beyond reason."

White's gaze softened for a moment. "But think of what you had to go through to convince me. Besides, I wasn't letting you leave. You had no other choice but to either shatter me or change my mind. With this gem, we have more of a choice."

"Will she at least have a fair trial?" Steven asked.

White smiled. "Of course. We'll have it tomorrow at noon." She let out a sigh. "You're so much like her…my little Starlight." Her eyes watered as she gazed at Steven.

"White?"

"Hm? Oh...I'm sorry." White's head hung low. "It's just...I never properly mourned Pink Diamond. I thought she survived. I thought you were her. It never occurred to me that I was wrong…but I was. Her, you, Homeworld. I was wrong about everything. Now countless gems are suffering. That was always the case but now it's in the limelight. How is that any better?"

"Because, when you're honest about what's hurting you, you can work on moving past it." A smile formed on White's face.

"Steven!" A new voice called. The two diamonds whipped around to see Garnet, Amethyst, Pearl, and Connie approaching them. The gems' eyes widened when they noticed White, who had just grabbed Morganite. "Oh, and White Diamond!"

"I'll just…leave. Bye!" White turned and walked away, her head hung low. Steven looked back at Connie and the others.

"We should get going too," Pearl suggested. "It's getting late."

"But I have to be here for the trial tomorrow!" Steven protested.

"Trial?!"

"Yeah...Morganite's trial."

"A Morganite on trial?!" Pearl exclaimed. "She must've done something drastic for the diamonds to put such a high-ranking gem on trial!"

"She said the diamonds were weak leaders and threatened to end their leadership," Steven explained. The four gasped in unison.

"That is pretty drastic," Amethyst commented.

"We'll come with you to Homeworld for the trial," Garnet replied. "When is it?"

"Tomorrow at noon."

Connie let out a groan. "I can't come then. I have school tomorrow."

"You wouldn't be able to go in the courtroom anyway," Pearl explained. "No one other than the diamonds, court officials, and witnesses are allowed inside during court proceedings."

Garnet nodded. "The diamonds prefer to keep trials confidential."

"I guess that makes sense," Steven sighed. The five made their way back to the ship.