Hello all you Steven Universe fanatics! Welcome to the beginning of "How It Will End", a story currently about ten months in the making and still going. I've been posting to AO3 for years and decided to bring this story over along with all my other works. Hope you all enjoy the ride as we turn away from canon into what was mostly a hodgepodge of my ideas brought together into one tale. Enjoy!

One minute he was running for his life from mechanized spheres trying to murder him. He met a group of defective Gems called the Off-Colors that were persecuted just like him. He had to watch a longtime friend of his die trying to protect him, only to somehow revive him with his tears. It was a miracle that just kept giving as Steven Universe suddenly had the perfect escape back to Earth.

Now he was home. As he fell through Lion's mane onto the floor of his bedroom, Steven's mind was still reeling. "I'm alive! I'm on Earth! The other are-"

His bewilderment was interrupted when a bright column of light sprung up from the warp pad revealing Garnet, Amethyst, Pearl, Connie and his father Greg all with dire looks.

The jubilant half-gem ran down the stairs and stopped just as Pearl began pacing back and forth in a huff.

"This is hopeless," she muttered, "We'll never get that dropship to fly and we're losing time! Who knows what they're doing to Steven? Hi, Steven. What are we going to d-." was all she got out before the five saw him.

Their expressions all became elated with Pearl and Greg getting misty-eyed just seeing their pride and joy alive and well again. They all rushed him with open arms and Steven just laughed as the nightmare seemed to finally be over. He knew he had to retrieve Lars and the Off-Colors from the terrors of Homeworld someday, but for now he soaked up the love his family and best friend were sharing at his return.


However, unbeknownst to any of them, there were two souls furious at Steven.

Millions of lightyears away, on the bustling gem Homeworld there was a frantic search growing going through the planet wide city. Robotic patrols scoured the top of every skyscraper and the darkest corners between buildings for any sign of the dreaded "Rose Quartz." Gems were disgruntled by the intrusions of some of the robonoids as they broke the daily flow.

The chaos was all coming from a single black spire where the two primary matriarchs of the galaxy-spanning Gem Empire were still in a frenzy over the past few minutes. Both of them were fifty-feet tall and shared a sense of disbelief at how a common execution had turned into such a fiasco.

The more vocal of the two was various shades of yellow with a normally reticent demeanor that was pushed to its limits. She was heatedly commanding dozens of orders from her personal screen as she found absolutely no trace of their prisoner. She would never resort to piloting robonoids herself, but this was a matter she refused to let her subjects know about if she could avoid it.

The other was several hues of blue with a constantly mournful expression that was reigning more than ever as tears of confusion and bitterness dropped several stories to the illuminated floor beneath her. She was finally going to have justice for her fallen sister, the very gem responsible for all this pain was right in front of her, and now nothing!

Yellow Diamond was growing ever more restless with the fruitlessness of her efforts until she finally snapped her screen shut and screamed in anger. "HOW?! How could that accursed Rose Quartz escape?! I have thousands of robonoids scanning every fiber of the capital and everything is coming up is negative!"

"Is there any warp activity?" Blue Diamond peeped.

"Negative. And, unless she defused every radar on the planet simultaneously, she has not stolen any aircraft. There isn't even any gem witness who can vouch for it, although that may be for the best. We do not need this going public, but now that we know she is still whole we cannot let that remain. Pearl?"

"Yes, my Diamond?" asked Yellow Pearl, still standing beside her massive throne.

"You are to not let any gem know about the events that just transpired here. Report to every gem under my command on Homeworld and the nearest colonies to increase monitoring all aircraft and warp activity until further notice. You have permission to declare this as a direct order from me and, if necessary, have any gem who questions your authority shattered."

Her Pearl's face lit up at being handed such a monumental task. "With pleasure, my Diamond! I swear we will capture that traitor at once!" She dashed off to the nearest warp pad to reach the first communication tower in the vicinity with an even more arrogant skip in her step.

With that addressed, Yellow Diamond turned to her blue counterpart who was still racking with silent sobs. In a rare moment of comfort, she placed a hand on Blue Diamond's shoulder. "Blue, you need to have your pearl do the same," she quietly demanded, "We are not going to track down that Rose Quartz by standing here wallowing in guilt."

Suddenly the crying ceased. The normally docile Diamond grew silent as cracks began appearing in the floor beneath her feet. Her mind was suddenly filled with images of Rose Quartz facing the most painful fates imaginable. When she spoke, it sounded as if ice itself found a voice. "I understand, Yellow. We will find her, and she will pay for her crimes. I will not rest until I have her in pieces."

And now we have started! How will the Diamonds act? What will Steven do with his freedom? Tune in next time to find out!

Thank you all so much for reading! Please feel free to leave a review!