Home World (Steven Universe AU)

Summary:

In which Steven gets a second chance and Blue learns something she didn't think was possible.

Blue arrived at the same place as before: the Kindergarten. She felt a mix of nervousness and excitement about seeing Steven again. As her palanquin descended from the ship to the ground, her mind raced. What could she say to him? What should they talk about? What excuse could she make for her return? Half-truths? She wasn't sure. She decided she'd figure it out when she saw him.

Stepping out, she leapt down the cliff into the Kindergarten. The area was littered with outdated injectors, abandoned hastily by the gems created there. It seemed connected to the war that had taken place years ago—long before she was created, and before Pink Diamond was shattered.

A sudden clatter of metal breaking the silence made Blue jump, yanking her out of her thoughts. Someone else was in this desolate place? Then came a growl. She spun around, tensing up, and froze.

A beast unlike anything she had ever seen stood before her. It was a gem—a black onyx. But that didn't make sense. Blue had always been told that after Pink Diamond was shattered, the Diamonds had blasted the planet, obliterating every gem on its surface.

The beast roared and lunged at her. Blue gasped, summoning a blue barrier just in time. The creature clawed viciously at it, but the barrier was too strong to crack. Blue retaliated, summoning sharp spikes on the barrier, forcing the creature to retreat.

She dropped the barrier and summoned a blue energy orb, projecting it at the beast. The orb pierced the gem, causing it to poof. Blue hurried to bubble the gem fragment. Her thoughts raced. What is going on? What happened to these gems?

Another sound made her whirl around, and she saw two more of the creatures. She tapped the bubble, sending it away, and prepared for another fight. One of the creatures lunged, its claws barely missing her.

Blue shot a flurry of energy projectiles, but the beasts darted around them, closing in. She quickly pointed her palms to the ground, creating sharp ice spikes. One creature was poofed, but she couldn't bubble it as the remaining one blocked her path.

Before she could summon another barrier, the beast pounced, pinning her to the ground. She struggled, using all her strength to push its feet back, but its claws were embedded firmly in the dirt near her head. These beasts had once been gems, but there was no reasoning with them. Their minds were warped, leaving them as nothing more than feral animals. Blue whimpered under the creature's weight, desperately trying to break free.

"Let her go!" someone shouted. A pink blur flew past, striking the beast directly in its face. It stumbled back, but not before one of its claws grazed Blue's shoulder. She yelped in pain, rolling to her side as her poncho darkened with a blotch of blood. There was a loud crash, and when she looked, she saw an injector had fallen on top of the beast, poofing it.

"Blue!" She turned to see Steven running toward her, a pink shield glowing at his side. Joy filled her chest at the sight of him.

"You're here," they both said in unison. As he knelt in front of her, his shield disappeared. Surprised, they chuckled together.

"I thought I'd never see you again," they repeated, laughing once more.

"I'm really happy you're—" Steven cut himself off, noticing her holding her shoulder. His expression shifted to panic. "Oh my god, you're bleeding!"

Blue smiled faintly, brushing off his concern. It wasn't the first time she'd been injured, and thanks to her Diamond half, her healing factor would handle it quickly. "I'll be fine—it's not deep," she reassured him, standing up.

"I can heal you," Steven said, his voice laced with worry as he rose too.

Blue shook her head. "I'm sure you can, but really, I'm fine. I promise." She couldn't remove her poncho without revealing her Diamond heritage, and the bleeding had already stopped. In fact, the pain had numbed completely. Blue suspected the wound was nearly gone already.

Steven still looked concerned, so she carefully lifted the edge of her poncho, revealing a scabbed-over scratch on her shoulder. His eyes widened, surprised by how minor the injury appeared. She quickly covered it again. "I'm fine," she repeated, brushing her hair over her shoulder to obscure it. Steven relaxed, smiling with visible relief.

"I'm glad. And I'm happy to see you again," he said, a faint blush coloring his cheeks.

"I'm happy to see you too," Blue replied, ducking her head slightly. "I'll be staying… longer this time."

Steven's face lit up with excitement. He took her hands in his, beaming. "That's great! I can show you Funland this time and—oh, no." His enthusiasm faltered as he glanced at his watch. He'd come to the Kindergarten briefly but had training scheduled. "I gotta go train with a friend," he said, perking up again. "Wanna come watch? It'll be so cool, I promise." His hopeful expression made her smile.

"Yes, please," Blue agreed, starting to follow him. But she paused, glancing back at the battlefield. The gems she had fought remained there. Steven noticed her hesitation and followed her gaze.

Blue knelt, gently picking up one of the gem fragments. The joy of their reunion dimmed as confusion and pity filled her. What really happened to these gems? From what she'd been told, there shouldn't have been any survivors.

"It's corrupted," Steven said, kneeling beside her. He gently took the gem from her hand and summoned a pink bubble around it. The action surprised her.

"How curious," Blue murmured. Not only could Steven create bubbles like a gem, but he also knew about the Gem War. That conflict had taken place thousands of years ago, long before she was born—or so she thought. She knew about it due to her upbringing, but how could he?

"Can you tell me more?" she asked, standing and walking toward the final gem trapped among the ice spikes. She hesitated briefly, wondering if Steven would ask about the battle or her ice abilities. More importantly, would he ask about her being only half-human? Blue wasn't sure she was ready to share that part of herself yet.

Steven shared bits of the Gem War's history as he followed Blue toward the last poofed gem. He didn't comment on the ice spikes, assuming they were a remnant of the corrupted gems' abilities. Over the years, Steven had observed that corrupted gems could sometimes retain traces of their powers, though far weaker than they would have been uncorrupted. Blue stayed silent, absorbing his words.

The story Steven told differed from the version she'd heard a thousand times. The monsters they had just faced were once gems, corrupted as a result of the Diamonds' final attack during the war. Blue found the tale fascinating but unsettling. Then, a dark realization dawned on her: Steven wouldn't like her if he discovered she was a Diamond. Even though she wasn't involved in the war or the devastation, her mere association with the Diamonds might make her an enemy in his eyes. This was a bad idea. I shouldn't have come.

"I'm part of the Crystal Gems," Steven said, bubbling the last gem fragment and sending it away. Blue's heart sank. She had grown fond of someone on the opposite side of a long-ended war. Beneath her poncho, she gripped her gown tightly. The war is over. I don't bear grudges against someone who wasn't even there. But what if he does?

"Are there more gems around?" Steven asked, snapping her from her thoughts.

"No," she replied quickly, deciding it was best to keep her true self hidden. With nothing left for them at the Kindergarten, Steven took her hand and led her to a warp pad. Moments later, they arrived at his home. The structure was wooden, warm, and inviting, a stark contrast to anything Blue had known. Her eyes widened as she took in her surroundings, marveling at the strange yet comforting environment. Before she could ask about any of it, another human entered.

"Whoa, Steven, who's this?" the human asked, a knowing smile on their face.

Steven blushed. "This is Bluebell—the girl I told you about. Blue, this is my best friend, Connie."

Connie smiled, her gaze sweeping over Blue. "She's prettier than you said," she teased, catching both of them off guard. Blue giggled, glancing at Steven, who avoided everyone's eyes, his face a deep red. Connie laughed at his reaction.

"Nice to meet you," Blue said, relieved to understand that "friend" was a platonic term and that Steven and Connie were not mates.

Before the conversation could continue, the warp pad activated, and a Pearl stepped onto it. "Steven, Connie, are you—" The Pearl froze mid-sentence, her eyes widening as they locked on Bluebell. Blue looked at her in bewilderment. They have Pearls on Earth too? she thought. So there are uncorrupted survivors after all.

"Um, Steven, who's… your new friend?" Pearl asked uneasily. How is Blue Diamond on Earth? she wondered. And why? No, that can't be possible. She'd never take a human form… right?

"This is Bluebell," Steven explained cheerfully. "Blue, this is Pearl. There are more gems who live here, but they're out on missions." He looked back at Pearl, explaining that he'd invited Blue to watch him and Connie train.

"Oh, um… lovely," Pearl said awkwardly, quickly turning back to the warp pad. "Shall we go?" she added, her voice tight. The group followed her to the pad.

Blue noted Pearl's demeanor. An ownerless Pearl? She found it intriguing but wasn't bothered. Blue herself saw her own Pearl as a close friend, even if her position as a monarch demanded decorum. Still, Earth seemed so different—peaceful and full of unfamiliar wonders. She felt captivated, especially when they arrived at the training arena.

Blue took a seat on the bleachers, watching as Steven exchanged a glance with Connie. Connie smirked knowingly before they clasped hands. In a flash of light, they fused. Blue gasped audibly. Humans can fuse? she thought, astonished. No organic lifeform can fuse—not even those at the human zoo.

When the light faded, a single being stood before her—a perfect blend of Steven and Connie. "How incredible," Blue breathed, descending the steps to approach the fusion. When she was close enough, her eyes caught the edge of the fusion's shirt, which had ridden up slightly, revealing a pink gem on their navel. Blue's breath hitched. The gem… it was Steven's.

"You're a hybrid," she whispered to herself, the pieces falling into place. That explained his ability to bubble gems and use the warp pad. "What gem is this?" she asked aloud, her gaze fixed on the gem.

"A Rose Quartz," the fusion said proudly.

Blue felt a jolt of recognition. The Rose Quartz? Her mind reeled. Steven's mother was the leader of the Crystal Gems—and the one who had shattered Pink Diamond. This was an unfortunate revelation, yet something about the gem seemed… off. Its cut wasn't quite right.

"How strange," she murmured but quickly masked her thoughts. "What is your name?" she asked, her voice steady. She decided to stay silent about her own origins. If Steven learned her true identity, his reaction might not be favorable. For now, it was better to keep her secrets close.

"Stevonnie," the fusion announced proudly, a grin lighting their face.

"How lovely," Blue said, smiling warmly as she examined them.

Pearl glanced warily at Bluebell, her thoughts swirling. How does this human look so much like Blue Diamond? she wondered. Could it actually be her in disguise? But that seemed far-fetched. Blue Diamond was unlikely to associate with humans, let alone disguise herself as one. And this girl—whoever she was—seemed unbothered by Stevonnie revealing their gem. She had looked overjoyed, even. Blue Diamond would never react like that.

Pearl shivered at the thought of telling Garnet. The very idea sent chills down her non-existent spine. No. That's definitely not an option.

Clearing her throat, Pearl summoned her Holo-Pearl, signaling it was time to begin training.

"Oh yes, of course," Blue said hurriedly, retreating to the bleachers to watch.

The training commenced. Blue observed the efficiency of their movements with fascination. Back on Homeworld, Amethysts would spar on occasion, but mostly out of boredom, and rarely with weapons. This was entirely different—and very entertaining.

Stevonnie fought with vigor, occasionally glancing toward Blue to see if she looked impressed. To their delight, her wide-eyed amusement and occasional clapping confirmed she was. "Ask her out," they thought, dodging a sword.

"You think she'll…?" they murmured, sneaking another peek at Blue's shining eyes.

"I'm pretty sure she likes you too," they muttered with a smirk, finishing off the last Holo-Pearl. Hearing Blue's applause spurred them on further.

When training ended, Pearl commended Stevonnie on their excellent performance, but their attention was already fixed on Blue. "You can do this, Steven," they whispered before unfusing.

Steven took a deep breath, gathering his courage as he approached Blue, who stood up to meet him.

"Blue, um…" He hesitated, his cheeks flushed, but he braved on. "Do you want to go on a date with me?"

Pearl paled visibly, panic flickering across her face. The uncanny resemblance between Bluebell and Blue Diamond gnawed at her, though she clung to the faint hope that Blue's humanity disproved the connection.

Blue tilted her head in confusion. "What's a date?"

Steven flushed deeper, but Connie stepped in with a smile. "It's when two people who like each other want to spend time together."

"Oh!" Blue perked up, her cheeks tinged with a pink hue. "Yes, I accept, then."

Steven beamed. "Awesome! How about, for our first date, I show you Funland?"

Blue giggled and agreed.

Behind them, Pearl stiffened. "What?" she uttered, disbelief clear in her voice.

Connie gently hooked her arm through Pearl's, steering her a few paces away. "I know, isn't this great?" she squealed.

Pearl glanced back at Steven and Blue, still uneasy. But as Blue moved her hair, the sight of the bloodstain on her poncho brought her a strange sense of relief. She's human, Pearl reassured herself. Gems don't bleed, and Diamonds certainly wouldn't.

"But I thought you and Steven were… together," Pearl muttered to Connie.

Connie sighed. "We were never romantically involved. Steven's my best friend," she said firmly, her tone leaving no room for debate.

Pearl looked down at Connie, ready to protest. But you and Steven are perfect for each other! You fuse so well, you fight so well together! Yet she bit back the words, silenced by Connie's resolute expression.

Meanwhile, Connie's attention shifted back to Blue. "Oh my God, Blue, are you okay?" she exclaimed, letting go of Pearl and rushing back toward her.

Blue blinked in confusion at Connie's sudden concern. Following her gaze, she realized it was the stain on her poncho.

"Oh, yes, I'm fine. It's from a wound that healed already," Blue reassured her.

Steven quickly backed her up. "It's true. She healed fast."

With that explanation, Blue gently urged Steven to take her on their "date," eager to leave before more questions arose about the bloodstain.