#RFADW

[jbhenwiler]

SU Fanfic: Redemption from a Dark World Day 1

REDEMPTION FROM A DARK WORLD

A STEVEN UNIVERSE FANFICTION TOLD AS A SCREENPLAY-PROSE HYBRID

This story is set about 6 months after the events of "Steven Universe: The Movie"  My Original Character for this fanfiction, just as Spinel was designed to emulate self-harm and abandonment-related mental disorders, is made to be a "poster child" for PTSD.  (Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder)  I hope you enjoy my "Fusion" of the prose and script styles of writing!  (Yes, I know I have problems switching between past and present tense... it's something I couldn't muster the effort to fix.) ====================================

---------------------------------DAY I

   A skinny body lay on the sandy beach in the afternoon.  It was a 21-year-old man dressed in tattered jeans and a ripped T-shirt.  He has short brown hair and pale skin.  Despite appearing to have been washed up from the ocean, his skin and clothing were perfectly dry.  A teenager and a group of mysterious beings approached the man who was still as if dead.  A darkish pink greatsword lay at the man's side.

Steven: (Checks the man to see if he is breathing) Oh thank goodness, he's alive.

Pearl: How did a human wash up here anyway?  The tides should have carried him further west.

Garnet: And for that manner, look at his clothes.  They're dry.

Steven: You're right.  That's kinda weird.

Pearl: (Notices the sword) Wait a minute... That sword...

Steven: What is it Pearl?

Pearl: That design style is Bismuth's signature look.  Only she would make a sword like that.  But I don't remember Bismuth ever making a sword for a human other than Connie...

Steven: In any case, he's out cold.  We should move him to a safer place.  Let's take him back to the house.

   At that point Amethyst arrived, having come from the fry stand, holding a paper bowl of fries covered in Fire Salt.

Amethyst: Yo, check out the dead body!

Steven: Amethyst, that's not funny.  And besides, he's alive.

   Garnet picked up the human effortlessly and began carrying him back to the beach house.  Steven, Amethyst, and Pearl followed her.

   At the beach house, Garnet laid down the still-unconscious man on the couch in the living room.  The man let out a sigh and his left arm jerked a little bit.  Pearl brought in the sword and set it down on a nearby table.

Steven: Even moving him didn't wake him up.  What exactly happened to him?

Amethyst: Just look at his shredded clothes, man.  Whatever he went through, it wasn't good.

Just then, the man stirred.  His eyes tightened up, then shot open.

???: ROSE!!

   Everyone jumped back at the man's sudden outburst, then everyone's face lit up with shock when they realized just what he had yelled out.

Pearl: Rose... who?

???: (Looks around the room) What happened?  Where am I?  Where's Rose Quartz?  (Looks at Pearl) And why did you change forms?

   Everyone is confused.

Steven: You're in Beach City.  Pearl's looked like this for a while, and how do you know my mom?

???: Beach City?  No, that's impossible.  Beach City's gone.  It was destroyed during the first day of the Second Gem War.

   Everyone is shocked and confused.

Steven: What are you talking about?

Garnet: (Appears to be thinking [Using her Future Vision])  Hmm...

Pearl: What is it Garnet?

Garnet: From what he's saying, and what my Future Vision's ability to read timelines is telling me... This man may be from a parallel universe.

???: Parallel... Universe?

Steven: What's the last thing you remember?

???: (Appears to be straining himself with thought) I...  Can't remember much... I think my name is... David?

Steven: It's OK, David.  You don't have to try too hard to remember.

David: Actually, something's coming back to me...  I fell off a cliff... I remember Rose trying to grab my hand but I slipped.  I fell into a river, my head hit a rock, and then I blacked out.  I guess that's how I got here somehow.

Amethyst:  So you were carried by a river into an alternate timeline?

Pearl: It's the only somewhat logical explanation we have.

Steven: Going back to the question you haven't answered yet... David, how do you know my mom?

David: Your... Mom??  You mean, in this timeline Rose had a son!?

Steven: (Lifts up his shirt) See?  That's mom's Gem.

David: (Stares at the Gem) So her Gem's in your body... That means she had to give up her form to make you... Yep.  That sounds like her alright.

Pearl: You mentioned a Second Gem War.  What exactly happened in your timeline?

David: (Straining himself again) Urrgh...

Steven:  Don't push it too hard, David.

Pearl: If I know anything about human amnesia, it's that the memories will come back with time.

Amethyst: Anyway, kid you look starving!  Here, try these fries.

Pearl: Amethyst don't you dare!  You know how humans react to high amounts of Fire Salt!  He'll end up burning down the house!

Amethyst: Aww, can't you take a joke?  Anyway, David, was it?  Let's get you some food that WON'T turn you into a fleshy flamethrower.  Come on!

   David and Amethyst begin to leave the house to go to the fry stand, but Pearl stops them.

Pearl: Amethyst wait!  David's clothing is all torn up, and come to think of it, he smells horrible.  He shouldn't be out in public like that; it would draw too much attention.  Wait here, I'll get some of Greg's old clothes.

Amethyst: Do you really think Greg's clothes will fit him?  The kid's really scrawny.

Steven: He's too tall to fit in my clothes so they'll have to do.  I think dad left some shirts and jeans in the closet from when he was living with us after his leg broke.

Pearl: David, wait here. (Goes to the closet and begins digging through it)

   David suddenly hunches over and collapses onto the couch.  Steven rushes to his side and the others follow suit.

Steven: David!  What's wrong?

David: I'm... Remembering something.  I think it's how I met Rose.

   Everyone gathered around.

David: I remember what happened to Earth in my timeline.  The Second Gem War wasn't a war.  It was a calamity for Earth and its people.  The Crystal Gems were grossly outnumbered.  The Diamonds themselves led a relentless assault on Beach City.  Rose and the others had no choice but to flee for their lives.  There were no human survivors of the attack, and Beach City was razed to the ground.  The Crystal Gems went into hiding and... Humanity was subjugated within days.  The Diamonds decided humans would make a good slave species.  This thankfully meant we weren't wiped out... But in our opinions it was a fate worse than death.  We were lower than the Pearls, assigned to Gems for forced labor, entertainment, and the unlucky ones were forced to fight to the death for the amusement of the elite Gems.

   Everyone looks horrified.

Steven: What was your job?  What did they make you do?

David: ..............................  Nothing, at first.  I was kept in a cage for about a year until Yellow Diamond herself came to requisition me for a job.  (David's face falls with sorrow as his memories slowly seep back into his mind.   His hand slowly goes to the bottom of his torn-up shirt, and with shaking hands, pulled it up.)

   Scattered all over David's torso, in a terrifying crisscross of flesh, were scars.  Crowning them all was a large, thick scar smack-dab in the middle of his chest.  Pearl's hands went to cover her mouth in an expression of horror, and even Garnet looked shaken.

David:  I was a living practice dummy for Yellow Diamond's soldiers.  That's... That's what they made me do.

Pearl: By all accounts you should be dead...  Only one thing could have saved you, and that's--

David: Rose Quartz.  She and Pearl happened to be in the area on a scouting mission.  By the time she found me... (Points to the chest scar) I was just impaled on a Quartz soldier's blade.  I remember the Quartz saying, "I love the sound they make when you skewer them."  I started going cold...

Steven: What happened after that?

David: Keep in mind... I was blinded by pain at that point...  What I do remember is Rose immediately jumping into action.  She poofed the soldier with her sword, which caused the sword inside me to poof too, and I began to bleed out rapidly.  I remember... Rose being physically restrained by Pearl so she wouldn't shatter the Quartz soldier.  My senses were failing me... But I remember Pearl telling Rose to focus on healing me rather than killing the Gem who attacked me.  Her rage immediately turned to sadness.  She crouched down and put me on her lap, then the tears started falling.  She... Wasn't just crying to heal me.  She was genuinely concerned for my life, the life of a human she just met.  It... Captivated me.  My stab wound started tingling and my ruptured heart started closing up, which was a very strange feeling.  Last thing I remember before finally fainting from blood loss was, heh... Rose flipping me over so she could cry her healing tears on the exit wound on my back.  ...I think that's all I can remember for now.

Pearl: That's... Terrible!  You're so lucky to be alive...

   David got up from the couch, and Steven, who was actually shedding his own tears a bit, rushed up and hugged David.

Steven: It's OK, you're safe now.

David: (While being hugged) Huh... That's uncanny.  That's exactly what Rose was saying as she was healing me.  You sure that's not your Gem talking?  (Steven giggles at this and he wipes his eyes)

Pearl: Anyway... Let's get you out of those rags.  Here.  Go into the bathroom to change.  You should definitely bathe too.  There's soap and shampoo in the medicine cabinet.

David: Thanks, Pearl.

   David took an oversized white t-shirt and jeans (Plus a belt to make the jeans fit) and went into the bathroom.  The sounds of water running can be heard from the bathroom.

Garnet: ...That timeline could very well have been ours.

Pearl: I know.

Amethyst: That is one broken human.  Imagine living like that.

Steven: How do you think he'd react if he knew mom's original form?

Garnet: (Checks Future Vision) Not well.  We should keep that under wraps for now.  We should also make sure the Diamonds don't show up, especially Yellow.  There's no telling how he'd react to their presence, whether the Diamonds are friendly or not.

Amethyst: Good point. He'd probably go to town with them with his sword.

Pearl: He's traumatized, not stupid, Amethyst.  I'm pretty sure he'd understand the futility of a direct physical assault on all three of them.

   A few minutes later, a fresh, clean David wearing comically large clothes walked out of the bathroom.

David: Uhh... How do I look?

Amethyst: You look--

Pearl: Amethyst, be nice.

Amethyst: You look a lot better, David.  Now let's get you those fries.

David: Ok...  (Still thinks he looks silly)

   David and Amethyst walked out of the house and started walking on the beach towards the boardwalk.

Amethyst: So... What was Rose like in your world?

David:  She did not take losing Earth well.  It was kinda like a personality disorder.  She would treat Gems, especially Homeworld Gems, like they were trash to be destroyed, while considering humans to be a sort of priceless treasure that had to be protected at all costs.  Rose was obsessed with protecting me, while Pearl decided that I needed to learn how to defend myself.

Amethyst: So she had Bismuth make you a sword.

David: Exactly.  Pearl taught me how to swordfight.  Rose wasn't too happy about it.  She didn't want me near any battles.  But Pearl insisted on it.  "You can't protect him from everything!"  She said.

Amethyst: Rose was treating you like her pet, basically.

David: ...Yeah, I guess that's right.  But it was definitely better than being sword fodder for Yellow.

Amethyst: ...That must have sucked.  Does it still... Hurt?

David: Not really.  But a lot of times I would have nightmares about getting attacked.  Rose would usually wake me up in the middle of them.  She was so focused on protecting me she would get all concerned even if I was being hurt in my dreams.  Now that I think about it, her constant worrying about me was really stifling.  Poor lady was doing her best to defend humanity when the whole planet fell out from under her.  It's the one thing she would never let me ask her.

Amethyst: What was exactly?

David: Why she was doing it.  No other Gem treated us humans that way.  Everyone else was perfectly happy with having us as slaves and didn't care what happened to us.  Rose cared so much that it hurt.  Sometimes Pearl would take me on walks away from the base just so she could sneak me away from her.  Speaking of which... (David's face becomes crestfallen) Rose must be worried sick about me...  Pearl probably thinks I'm dead, and Rose won't be having anything of it.  She's probably turning the world upside down looking for me.

Amethyst: What about me?  I mean, the other me.  You haven't mentioned her at all.

David: (Looks like he's thinking)  Rose mentioned an Amethyst... A couple times.  Unfortunately that's another thing she would never open up about.  She would always look sad when saying her name, though.  I hate to break it to you, but I don't think my Amethyst survived the Beach City Massacre.  Not even Pearl would talk about it.  It must have really hurt them to lose her.

Amethyst: Dang...  I hope I went out fighting.  I bet I was holding the last line of defense or something, buying Rose and the others time to get out alive.

David: ...Something like that.  Rose did also mention a human she was trying to escape Beach City with.  His vehicle was part of the escape plan.  Whatever happened to him wasn't pretty.  Rose keeps a picture of him and her together in a sort of shrine inside the base.  That and a broken guitar.  Some sort of musician I guess...

Amethyst: (If Gems could go pale she would be like a ghost right now) Hey, David?  Maybe you shouldn't talk about that with Steven or his dad around.  Just warning you.

David: You don't mean?

Amethyst: Let's just say that if that man hadn't met his fate... Rose might not have been around to save you.

David: (Grimaces) Yikes.

   They arrive at the fry stand.

Peedee: Welcome to Beach Citywalk Fries: Home of The Bits!

Amethyst: You know Steven doesn't eat fry bits as much as he used to right?  And he was basically the only guy eating them.

Peedee:  Not really.  Ever since the Off-Colors came to Little Homeworld nearby (David visibly tenses up) they've been interested in human foods.  And a lot of them learned that they were one of Steven's favorites so you bet they've become a hot item.  Anyway, what can I get for you?

David: (Whispers to Amethyst) What should I get?

Amethyst: (Whispers back) Fries and a Boardwalk Burger.

David: I'll have a fries and a Boardwalk Burger, please.

Peedee: What size fries?

David: Uhhh... Medium, please.

Peedee: That'll be $6.25.

David: (To Amethyst) Uhhh... Amethyst, I don't have any money.

Amethyst: Oh, right!  Hey, Peedee, just put it on the Universe tab!

Peedee: OK... But Greg better be coming by to pay up soon!  Dad's starting to get impatient and if this keeps up he won't let you keep doing this. (He goes into back to make the food)

Amethyst: So, David.  What's the food like over in Apocalypseland?  Cause the food here will blow your mind!

David: (Looks embarassed and somewhat sad)

Amethyst: Sorry, was that the wrong thing to say?

David: (Tearing up a bit) I miss my mom's cooking...

Amethyst: (Pats David on the back) Sorry, man.  Didn't mean to bring on the feels like that.  Look, here's your food.

   Peedee hands David his food and he and Amethyst find a bench to sit on.  David bites into the burger and looks delighted, the tears vanishing from his eyes.

David: I haven't eaten like this in forever!

Amethyst: You deserve it, bud.  By the time we're done with you, you'll be looking chunky in no time!

   By the time David was finished eating, the sun was beginning to set.

Amethyst: We should probably get back to the house.

   David and Amethyst walk across the beach towards the beach house.

Amethyst: Hey, kid, there's where we found you.

David: (Stops and stares intently at the body-shaped indentation in the sand, then walks over and begins searching the area)

Amethyst: Kid, I don't think anything else washed up with you.  We need to get home or Pearl's going to get all scoldy!

David: (Continues searching, now digging in the sand)

Amethyst: (Walks over) What exactly are you looking for?

David: (Looks at Amethyst, his eyes are tearful again) My picture of mom...  I always have it with me...  It wasn't in my old jeans pockets.  Wh-Where did it go? (Starts digging more frantically)

Amethyst: (Starts helping him look, but to no avail)  David, maybe we can pick up the search tomorrow.  It's starting to get dark.

David: (Wipes his eyes) ...OK.

   David and Amethyst arrive at home.

Amethyst: Yo, guys.  What's up?

Pearl: What took you guys so long?

Amethyst: Apparently Mr. Down in the Dumps here lost a picture of his mommy.

   Pearl and David both glare at Amethyst.

Amethyst: Sorry, went a little too far there.  Anyway, David is really worked up over it.  Maybe tomorrow we could form a search party and comb the beach for it?

Pearl: That's a wonderful idea.  Also, Greg stopped by, and we filled him in on what was going on with our new addition.  He's in the Galaxy Warp room with Steven and Garnet if you want to take David up to meet Greg.

David: Did you say Galaxy Warp?  (A mixture of fear and anger cross his face)  No, I won't go anywhere near that thing!

Pearl: Excuse me?

David: ...Sorry, I... Just have bad memories of those things.

Amethyst: Let me guess, Gems invaded Earth using them?

David: (Nods)  Any moment a Gem could pop out of one.  I... Can't stand being near them.

Amethyst: Well if you won't go to that party then we'll just have to bring the party to you!  I'll go get Greg and the others!  (She runs upstairs)

   Amethyst returns with Greg, Steven, and Garnet.

Greg: (Looks at his clothing on David)  Gee, am I really that big?

David: (Blushes) No, it's that I'm really small.

Greg: It's OK, you don't need to be humble around me.  Although I should probably take you out shopping for more fitting clothes.  Pearl told me all about you.  You've been through a lot haven't you?  (He sits down on the couch)

   Going through David's head are thoughts of this man.  He was certain of it.  This was the man Rose had been in love with when the Gems invaded.  He had come from a universe with Rose and without Greg and gone into one with Greg and no Rose.  Uncannily, it was as if the two of them were fated to be apart no matter what world they occupied.  This saddened David.

Amethyst: Whatcha brooding about, big boy?  Come sit down with Greggy here and talk.

   David sat down next to Greg on the couch.

Greg: So... What was your life like on your world?

David: ....... (Blushes and also looks sad)

Greg: ... That bad, huh?  What was Rose like?

Amethyst: She sussed over him constantly and treated him like a pet.

Pearl: Amethyst!

David: ...No, that's basically it.

Amethyst: Anyway, from the chat me and the kid had on the way to the boardwalk, his Rose was a little different from our Rose.

David: ...From what Pearl... My Pearl told me, Rose changed after the invasion.  She became extra-clingy and possessive.  I only knew that side of her, and the hyper-aggressive persona she took on in battle.  Pearl was her only tether to reason... Honestly, without her, Rose Quartz would probably have gotten herself shattered from running headlong into an impossible battle.  It would have been nice to see the side of her before the war... Before our world turned bloody... Before my family... (He suddenly sobs and tears up, burying his face in his hands)

Greg: Woah, woah, easy there.  It's OK.  We can't change the past, and we can't dwell on it for too long.  Anyway, where did you live before all this?

David: (Calms down as quickly as he broke up) ...I lived in a suburb outside of Empire City.  Henleaf Town, it was called.  It's all gone now... Replaced with one of... THEIR creations. (His face suddenly turns red with rage)  They put up a stadium where humans are forced to fight each other and... And... Sometimes they have to go up against actual MONSTERS!  (Suddenly stops and just sits there panting angrily)

Pearl: Corrupted Gems... They actually had humans fight them for... Entertainment?

Greg: (Is sweating nervously a bit) I'm really in over my head here, aren't I?  This guy needs help.

David: ...The Diamonds' cruelty knew no bounds...

Greg: Have you told him about the--

Everyone but Greg and David: SHHHHH!!!

Pearl: We should probably get to bed.  Greg, David's sleeping on the couch, so--

Greg: Yeah, I know.  Back to the van for me.  Hey, David?  I'll come by tomorrow afternoon and take you to get some better clothes.  See you later!  (Exit Greg)

Pearl: David... You should probably get to sleep.  I'll get some blankets and a pillow from the closet for you.  Steven, get changed for bed.  (Exit Steven and Pearl)

   David sits on the couch, still reeling a bit from his emotional outburst.

David: (To himself)  I shouldn't be so harsh.

Garnet: (Walks up to David and sits down next to him, and puts her hand on his shoulder)  You have every right to be the way you are.  Under your circumstances you could only do so much.  I won't pretend to have been through what you experienced.  You're human.  You have lower limits than a Gem would.  The fact that you're able to express your feelings instead of bottling them up is a great strength.  What's important is that here you have a group of people who will genuinely listen to what you have to say. Good night, David.  (Exit Garnet)

Pearl: (Brought in blankets and a pillow)  Sweet dreams, David.  (David shudders)

   David lay down on the couch and closes his eyes...

   TO BE CONTINUED...

[jbhenwiler]

David & the Crystal Gems in... Hands off, Blue Diamond!

David and the Crystal Gems in... Hands Off, Blue Diamond!

A heartbeat can be heard.  David is fast asleep in a black void.  The camera zooms out a little.  David wakes up and looks around, confused and slightly annoyed at the loud heartbeat permeating the environment.

David: OK... This isn't one of my usual nightmares.  Where's all the destruction and Gems trying to kill me?  The heartbeat kinda creeps me out though.

David stands and walks around.  The environment, or lack thereof, begins to remind him of the dream-world he met his mother in a month ago.

David: Mom?  Is this one of your attempts to communicate with me??  'Cause honestly, this isn't really making me feel good.

No one responds, but the heartbeat remains.

David: Ugh.  I hate uncertainty.  At least my normal nightmares were entertaining, and I knew what was going on.  What exactly am I supposed to do here!?  Maybe I should try waking up.

David pinches his arm.  Nothing happens.

David: Right.  That doesn't usually work in my other dreams either.  Come to think of it, where did I fall asleep anyway?  I don't remember what happened before I got here...

Suddenly, a loud rumbling and shaking shocks the area.  David's heart skips a beat and he goes into fight-or-flight, and chooses flight.  He takes off at top speed in a random direction.  He can't tell where the sounds are coming from.  A light pierces the blackness in front of him.

David: That had better be an exit.

The scene abruptly changes to show Blue Diamond cradling a sleeping David to her chest.  A heartbeat can be heard coming from her body.  David is stirring.  Then he wakes up with a start.  Immediately he sees that he is not on the ground, that he had been sleeping in a Diamond's hands, causing his heart to stop.  He looks up and sees Blue Diamond staring straight down at him, a curious look on her face, turning to confusion when she sees David's face, which displayed abject terror towards her.  David begins violently trembling with fear, but also a rage within him caused him to lash out and yell:

David: Blue &#*$& Diamond, put me down this instant!!!!

Blue Diamond, startled at the human's outburst, obliges and sets David down on the floor next to a dumbstruck Steven sitting on his bed.  The camera quickly zooms out to show that they were in Steven's room on Homeworld.

Blue Diamond: I thought you told me that making a blood-pump inside my form would help keep him calm?

Steven: I really thought it would help.  (David turns to Steven with a very confused face, then his rage came back.)

David: *#*#($#) Steven!  When I asked for a pick-me-up, this isn't what I meant!!

Steven: Sorry, David.  Blue wanted to have some human interaction, and well, you're the only human we could get.

David: So you had fifty feet of human KILLING machine pretend to be my bed!?

Blue Diamond: I have never killed humans.

David: (Cold expression) Where I come from you do.

Steven: ...OK guys, let's all calm down a bit.  David, I really should have thought this through a bit more.  That being said, when are you going to stop blaming these Diamonds for what a parallel version of them did in another universe?

David: I don't blame them.  I acknowledge these Diamonds aren't actively enslaving us, but still, they look exactly like themselves; can you blame me for wanting to keep my distance from them?

Blue Diamond: Your fear of us is so strong...  And I can see where you get that fear.

David: (Yawns) Why am I still tired?

Steven: You were only asleep for about ten minutes.

David: Steven?  Can I borrow your bed?

Steven: Sure.

David got onto the Pebble-made facismimile of Steven's old bed and instantly went back to slumbering...

Just as instantly as he fell asleep, he fell into another nightmare, this time a more familiar one.  He was in the ashen ruins of Henleaf Town, in front of where his house used to stand.

David: Ugh... This place again...

Suddenly, Blue Diamond appeared.  Though instead of an angry and hostile expression like she usually had in his nightmares, her face showed concern.  Then, she did something that really shocked David.  She shape-shifted down to human size, and began to directly approach David.

David: Why did you just do that!?  You're supposed to be stomping on me right now!

Blue Diamond: I'm not that Diamond.

David quickly gets what she means.  Steven's Blue Diamond had followed him into his dreams.

David: (His face freezing into a dark and ice-cold expression) What right do you POSSIBLY have to be here?

Blue Diamond: What is this place?  Is this Earth?  Earth doesn't usually look like this... What happened here?

David: (His rage ever building) You wanna know what happened here?  Your SISTER happened here.  Her armies burned my home and every other human in this town TO THE GROUND.

Blue Diamond: That must have been terrible...

David: That's cheap coming from you.  The Diamonds never cared about us, unless we're DYING for their benefit.

Blue Diamond: I care about you.  Steven very much cares about you.  Please stop shutting your pain in like this-- Nothing good can come of it!  (She notices a bone sticking out of the ashes and starts approaching it.  David abruptly runs up to her and forcefully shoves her away.)

Blue Diamond: What the-- What was that for!?

David: Stay out!  Especially you!  This place is sacred to me!

Blue Diamond: Whose body frame is that?  Was it someone important to you?

David's wall of anger quickly shatters and he falls to his knees, tears beginning to fall from his cheeks.

David: T-that... WAS my mom...  (Sobs)

Blue Diamond: (Notes to herself that she hadn't seen someone break down that quickly unless she had been using her powers, which she hadn't been here) Your mother...  You must miss her...  I know what losing a loved one feels like.  Our Pink...

David: (Sobbing between words) Don't.  Don't invoke her name like that.  Your pain can't possibly equate to mine.  You lost ONE family member... (Scream-crying the following line) TRY LOSING THE ONLY FAMILY YOU HAD LEFT!!

Blue Diamond slowly and cautiously approaches the violently sobbing human and kneels down in front of him, then embraces him in a hug.  David doesn't even try to fight her off.

Blue Diamond: Don't human caretakers usually come in gender pairs?  What happened to your male parent?

David: (Now choking back even more tears) I thought you were trying to make me feel better!?

Blue Diamond: Was that the wrong thing to ask?  Did a Gem kill him too?

David: (Now beginning to calm down a bit, as he is starting to burn out of his emotional strength)  No... A Gem didn't get him.  My dad died in a car crash when I was really young...  All I remember is my mom crying and hugging me at the hospital... She told me it was just me and her then... Now she's gone too...  (Sniffles)

Blue Diamond: Humans live such short lives... They really shouldn't be spent grieving.  Come, David, let's go someplace happier.  (Takes David by the hand and they both get up)

The environment blurs as the human and the Diamond walk through the desolate landscape, and as if they had stepped back in time, they arrived in David's hometown before it had been destroyed.  It is the height of autumn, and Henleaf Town's famous foliage was in full swing.

Blue Diamond: (Taken aback by the scenery) This place... It's so beautiful...  Is this what this area looked like before Gems destroyed it?

David: (Nods with a somber look on his face)

Blue Diamond: (Sees all the humans bustling about) And all the people...?

David: Only one living thing made it out of here, and you're looking at him.

Blue Diamond: For what it's worth, David, I apologize for what my parallel self did to your planet.  Nothing this pretty should be reduced to ashes...

David: (Looks Blue right in the eye, an almost youthful sparkle in them, and a pure, understanding expression on his face) You know what, Blue?  I'll believe you.  And I forgive you... One one condition.

Blue Diamond: And what is that, David?

David: Never do any of this to me again.  No entering my dreams, and definitely no holding me when I'm sleeping; that really creeped me out.

Blue: Very well, it's a deal.

David and Blue Diamond hug again, and they both wake up.

Steven: Sooo... How did it go?

David: Wha-- This was your idea too, kid!?

Blue Diamond: I feel we made a connection.  Didn't we, little one?

David: As Diamonds go... She's alright.  Just one thing, Steven... Where are we?  I think I got sleep amnesia or something.

Steven:  This is the Gem Homeworld!  You asked to come here!  It's kinda shocking that you forgot that, hopefully that wasn't a side effect of the long-distance warp... We should look into that.

David: Why DID I want to come to Gem City??  This warp-lag is really starting to worry me.

Steven: A tour of Homeworld, guided by none other than Blue herself!  And me of course.  But you got all woozy as soon as we landed, and Blue had to carry you to my room, where you dropped dead as a doornail.  On that note, maybe it WAS the warping that did that...  That's not good.

David: Oh, I remember now!  Blue, let's go right now!  I wanna see EVERYTHING!  I gave you that tour of my mind, so now you have to give me a tour of your place!

Blue Diamond: (Laughs) Very well, David.  Let's go.

Episode End.

[jbhenwiler]

SU Fanfic: Redemption from a Dark World Day 3+Epilogue

REDEMPTION FROM A DARK WORLD- A STEVEN UNIVERSE FANFICTION

---------------------------------Day III

   David is fast asleep.  Garnet and Pearl are talking in the kitchen.

Garnet: We're not going to be able to keep Steven's Diamond identity a secret for much longer.

Pearl: ...I know.  (Looks at David with a sad expression) He trusts us so much... Telling him out of the blue would break him.

Garnet: ...Steven, I know you're listening.  Come over here.

   Steven, who had been eavesdropping, walks over to the counter.

Steven: We have to break the news to him somehow.  And the Diamonds can't be trusted to stay away from me or Earth forever.  He's going to find out sooner or later.  We need a plan to do this safely, in a way that won't mess David up too much... How about we do it while David's doing something he likes?

Pearl: What exactly does David like?

Steven: ....He really likes eating, maybe we could have a picnic?

Pearl: That's a great idea, Steven.  We'll spend the morning making food and we can go into the forest to the west of town.  We could even bring Connie along so we can introduce her to David.

   David stirs in his sleep, tossing and turning a bit.  He mumbles lightly with a fearful tone.

Steven: If we do this right, it might break his fear of Gems too...

Pearl: It's settled then.  (Takes out a Diamond communicator from her pearl) One playdate with the Diamonds, coming up!

Steven: I better get to sleep to help in David's nightmare.  He looks like he needs me.

   Steven goes to bed while Pearl opens a channel to the Diamond Control Room.  She talks with Yellow Pearl in the background while the scene transitions.  Spinel can be seen making faces in the background of the screen while Yellow Pearl is talking.

......................

   Inside David's nightmare...

   David is kneeling in the middle of the street of his former hometown.  Everything is still and dead, and gray ashes are slowly falling from the sky.  The charred skeletons of buildings stick out haphazardly from the ground.

David: Steven... Where are you?

   Suddenly, a Jasper looms over him.

Jasper: Well, well.  What do we have here.  Are you lost, little boy?

David: N-No!

   The Jasper roughly grabs him by the arm.

Jasper: Come'ere.  I know just the place for you.

   Jasper drags David through the street.  The scene transitions and David is in a cage.  A Peridot can be seen in the background, typing a report on her limb enhancer's holographic screen.  David is crouched in a corner of his enclosure, his face buried in his knees.  His clothes and body are filthy.  Suddenly, a loud thumping like giant footsteps can be heard and David looks up.  The Peridot also notices this and closes her screen to face the door.  Through the giant sliding doorway walks Yellow Diamond.

Peridot: (Doing the Diamond salute) How can I help you, my Diamond?

Yellow Diamond: This human you have in your care; I need him for a special task.  Open the cage.

Peridot: Yes, right away, my Diamond.  (Reopens her holo-screen and presses a button on it.  Immediately the cage beeps and the door opens.)

   Yellow Diamond reaches into the cage and pulls out a shivering, panicking David.  She quickly bubbles the helpless human and turns to Peridot.

Yellow Diamond: As you were.  (Leaves with David)

   David struggles to pop the bubble as Yellow moves through a series of hallways.

Yellow Diamond: If you continue to resist I will crush you, human.

   David's eyes widen with fear and he stops moving.  Yellow passes through another door into an open arena-like area.  A medium-sized group of assorted Gem soldiers with Yellow Diamond insignias on their chests are waiting there.  Yellow sets the bubble containing David down in the middle of them.

Yellow Diamond: Listen up!  This is your new combat training regimen!  Your missions will be to quash human resistance, therefore your training will involve fighting live humans.  As a beginner level, this human will be unarmed.

   One of the Quartzes in the group gives a vile grin straight at David.  David swallows nervously.

David: It HAS to be this memory.

Yellow Diamond: You have ONE rule.  Do NOT kill the human.  You are free to injure him, but anyone who terminates his life will answer to me.  And... Begin!  (She pops David's bubble)

David: (Immediately begins to flee the soldiers, who begin to form up and surround him.)  Come on, Steven, where are you??  (Says this in a nervous sing-songy voice)

   The soldiers and Yellow seem to not be able to understand what he is saying.

Quartz 1: What's this guy spouting?

Quartz 2: Who's this "Steven" he keeps talking about?

Yellow Diamond: Ignore his ramblings and attack him!

   "Evil Quartz" gladly does so.  She rushes at David, and before he can react, slashes across his stomach with her sword.

David: GAH!  (Blood begins to seep out of the cut)

Evil Quartz: Wow, look at all the red stuff!  (Slashes again)

David: (Narrowly dodges the blade, but still sustains another small cut) Please stop!

   The Gems surround him and summon their weapons.  David falls to the ground and is beyond terrified.

David: STEVEN HEEELLLLLP!!!!

   Steven drops down from the roof of the building outside, surrounded with a spiked bubble.  He lands on the crowd of soldiers, poofing a couple of Agates and Amethysts.

Yellow Diamond: WHAT IS THIS!?

David: (Gets up) Steven!

Steven: (Notices David's injury) Quick!  Over here!

   David runs over to Steven.  Steven quickly licks his hand and before David can protest, he rubs the spit all over the gash on his stomach.  It instantly heals.

David: (Is mildly disgusted) ...Care to warn me next time?

Yellow Diamond: GET THEM!

Steven: (Bubbles himself and David)  Let's get out of here!

David: Wait!  There's something I want to do here.

Steven: (Pops the bubble) Be careful!

   David thinks to himself for a second, and when he opens his eyes, his sword appears in his hands.  His eyes gleam when he sees his blade.

David: (Slowly steps toward Evil Quartz with a determined look on his face)  I've wanted to do this for SO long...  (Assumes a fighting stance)

Evil Quartz: (Whistles)  (The other soldiers form up and surround David again)

Steven: David!

David: Don't worry kid!  I've got this!

David: (Holds his sword up) You guys have done SO well in your training!  Now for the next level:  (Grins darkly) Fighting armed humans who happen to have a bloody vengeance against you!  HAH!!  (Launches into combat)

   David goes straight for Evil Quartz, but is stopped by two other Quartzes.  David falters a little bit but quickly recovers and executes a wide slash on both of them.  They recoil, a tear appearing on their forms.  David jumps and slashes Quartz 2 right through the head.  She poofs on the spot.  Wasting no time, David spins around, giving his sword enough momentum to plow straight through Quartz 1, destroying her form instantly.  However, Evil Quartz cunningly sneaks up behind David and prepares to impale him on her sword.

Steven: DAVID!!  (Quickly jumps into the battle, jumping onto David just as Evil Quartz thrusts her blade, causing her to miss)

David: Steven!?

       Suddenly, Steven's Gem begins to glow.  David begins to glow too.  Before either of them have a chance to say anything, their bodies merge into a single brightly-shining form.  An explosion shocks the entire arena.  The dust settles, and standing where David and Steven was a tall, moderately-slim man with curly brown hair, four arms, a confused face, and wearing Steven's jacket, which inexplicably had been turned red, and Steven's shirt, which now bears a rip where David had been cut, which uncannily showed off Steven's gem.  He also wore jeans that were torn-up at the ends of the legs and were also now too short for his height.

Yellow Diamond: WHAT.

Daven: Umm...

Evil Quartz: RAAAGHH!! (Savagely attacks the fusion)

   All confusion leaves Daven's face.  He raises one of his four arms and produces a Rose Quartz shield.  The shield effortlessly blocks Evil Quartz's strike.  They stand there paused for a second, the soldier's blade seemingly stuck on the magic disc of Steven's protection.  Daven dodges out of the lock and runs around at a higher speed than a human could normally run at, leaving clouds of dust where every fast-moving footfall landed.  A confounded Evil Quartz chases after them, but is unable to keep up.  Soon, Daven has come full circle and is now behind Evil Quartz.  Daven draws his sword and jumps, his momentum carrying him on a locked course straight for the soldier's back.  The sword collided with the Quartz's back, slicing into her form and poofing her with a satisfyingly large explosion of magic dust.

David: (Hefting his sword over his shoulder and looking at the viewer) I'm really feeling it!  (Winks at camera)

Yellow Diamond: (Face contorted with rage) ENOUGH!! (Shoots her lightning attack at Daven)

   Daven takes a direct hit from the electricity.  He screams in pain, then de-fuses.  Steven and David are left in a weakened state.  They reach out to each other, but Yellow stomps in their way.  She picks up David and lifts him upward.

Steven: David... No...

   Yellow Diamond squeezes David and crushes him with a sickening crunching sound.  She drops his lifeless body to the ground and reaches for Steven.  Before Yellow can touch Steven, the nightmare glitches out like last time, whites out, and ends.

   David woke up with a gasp, then silently cursed at himself for being stupid enough to take on Yellow Diamond, prodding his rib cage even though he knew he hadn't actually broken anything.  Pearl noticed David waking up and walked over to him.

Pearl: Did Steven help you?

David: ...Yeah.  Yeah he did.  (Still reeling from the rush of fusion and the pain of being squished)

   Steven got up and walked down to the main level of the house.  He seemed to be a bit fazed too.

Pearl: What happened in there?

Steven:  ...We... fused.

   Pearl is confused.

Pearl: You fused... While sharing a dream?

David: It happened so fast...

Pearl: How did it happen?

Steven: I think he was trying to protect me at the same time I wanted to protect him.  Then it happened.

   Garnet, the expert of fusion herself, walked over.

Garnet: (Thinks for a second before speaking) It seems that your fusion was born not out of romance like mine, or friendship like Stevonnie's... But a bond like the kind that siblings share.

David: (Blushes a bit)  You got me, Garnet.  I admit it Steven, you're kinda like the little brother I never had.

   Steven and David hug, warm smiles on both their faces.  They glow again and once more, Daven forms, for real this time.  Pearl and Garnet stand there, mouths agape with shock.

Daven: (Is dumbstruck) ....Is this going to happen EVERY time we hug now!?

Pearl: You've only known each other a couple days; how do you have such a strong bond already?

Garnet: Bonds forged in battle, even dream battles like they experienced, are very powerful.  I should know.  One of the reasons why I am such a strong fusion is because of the many battles we've shared.

Daven: (Is contemplating this)

Pearl: So what exactly can you do?

Daven: Hmm... I can show you, but we'll have to do it outside.

   The three of them walked out to the beach.  The Sun hadn't risen yet, but the Moon provided sufficient illumination.  Daven took up a runner's crouch.

Daven: Ready?

   Pearl nodded.

   Daven took off, quickly building up speed until he had to be dashing close to 35 miles per hour.  Garnet and Pearl looked awestruck as the fusion moved like a blur around the beach, small explosions of sand forming with every step.  He slowed to a stop in front of Garnet and Pearl.

Pearl: Amazing, simply amazing...

Garnet: Good work, you two.  Your bonds have given rise to a beautiful fusion.

Daven: This is great and all... But what do we do when we want it to end?

Pearl: I'm sorry, what?

Daven: Is there a button we press or something?  I can't figure out how to unfuse.

Pearl: How did you unfuse in the nightmare?

Daven: Yellow shot lightning at us!

Pearl: (Is very confused) All you have to do is think of unfusing as one.  It shouldn't be that hard!

Garnet: Imagine you're making a wish that you want to be apart once more.  Steven's gem will do the rest.

   Steven and David pictured themselves unfusing in their minds, and they did.

Pearl: Steven, you've fused before, how did you forget how to unfuse!?

Steven: That was more David talking.  He was kinda panicking thinking we were stuck like that forever.

David: (Blushes and laughs nervously) Yeah... I guess I overreacted.

   On the horizon, over the ocean, the Sun began to rise.  David becomes enthralled by it, staring intently into the distance.

David: It's... Been so long since I saw the sunrise.  Between being in a cage and living in a cave... It's so beautiful...

   Amethyst pops out from inside the house.

Amethyst: Yo, dudes, what'd I miss?

Pearl: Only an important milestone in David's recovery!  Where were you?

Amethyst: Napping in my room, duh.  Gotta get up on my beauty sleep.

Pearl: Ugh.

David: Anyway, (Looks at Steven) breakfast?

Steven: Breakfast.

   The two of them walked inside.  Garnet, Pearl, and Amethyst stay outside.

Pearl: The Diamonds agreed to the meet-up.  We'll do it in the forest, away from town.

Amethyst: So we're actually doing this?  David's going to be... Not happy.

Garnet: It's for his own good.  He needs to overcome his fear of the Diamonds, and Gems in general.  He also needs to know the truth about Rose.

Amethyst: Garnet, you took that news hard enough.  Rose saved David's freaking life.  He puts an insane amount of trust in her.  This plan is going to backfire big-time.

Pearl: We have no other option.  The Diamonds will arrive at around noon.  All we have to do is keep David happy up until that point.

Amethyst: Well... It's as good a plan as any.  I'm going to feel so sorry for him...

   The three of them enter the beach house.  David and Steven are eating waffles with syrup.

Pearl: David, me and Garnet were talking, and we thought it might be a good idea to have a picnic in the forest!  We can start making the food when you're finished with your breakfast.

David: Really?  Oh, I'm not the best cook.

Amethyst: It's fine, man.  Steven here is practically a chef.  He'll help you no sweat.  (Steven nods)

David: (While having a mouth full of waffle) Oh, OK.

   David and Steven finish their food and go to the kitchen.

David: So, what are we making?

Steven: Hmm... Maybe sandwiches and salad?

David: Sounds like a plan.

   David and Steven made the food.  They made ham sandwiches and a salad with hard-boiled eggs and raisins.  (David's request) They put it all into a basket and set it in the fridge.

   Steven: Phew, we got through them all.  Let's wait for dad and Connie to arrive then we'll go.

   About an hour later Greg and Connie pulled up in the van.

Connie: Hey, Steven!

Steven: Connie!  (Runs out to meet her.  David cautiously follows him.)

Connie: So, who's this with you?

Steven: This is David... He's got a long story behind him.

Connie: Nice to meet you, David.

   David got into the van and Pearl, carrying the picnic, got in along with Steven, Amethyst, and Garnet.  The van became extremely cramped.

Greg: Gee... At this rate I'm going to need a bigger van.  Maybe a bus.

   They drove across town until they reached the forest on the western end of town.  Greg kept driving until they reached a clearing.

Greg: All right, we're here!

   David and the others got out of the van.  The time was 11:45 AM.  They unpacked the picnic basket, set out a blanket, and David, Steven, Amethyst, and Greg began to eat.

David: ...This is really nice.  What a beautiful forest.

Greg: Me and Rose would sometimes come out here at night and stare up at the stars.   (Pearl glares at him)

David: I hope my Rose is okay...  She's probably never going to give up searching for me...

Steven: I feel really bad for the humans on your world too...  I wish we could go and help them...

David: I wish that too sometimes... I really hope that--  (It suddenly goes dark)

   The Diamond Mech, minus Steven's Leg ship, appeared above them.

David: (Now paler than any ghost could ever hope to be) T-that ship... Nonononononono!!  It's happening again!!

   White's bubble ship exited out of the head of the mech.  As it began to land, David, a look of pure terror on his face, drew his sword with shaking hands.  The Crystal Gems around him wore fearful faces as well, but not fear of the Diamonds, but fear of David's reaction to them.

White Diamond: Hellooo, Steven! (She, Blue, and, much to David's horror, Yellow, now in view and on the ground)

David: Y-y-you stay away from him!!

Steven: (Stepping in front of David) It's OK, David.  In this timeline, the Diamonds are our friends.

Blue Diamond: (Steps closer and crouches down to see David better) You must be David.

David: S-s-stay back!! (Brandishes his sword while shivering)

Yellow Diamond: He's even more fearful of us than I thought he'd be.  What did our doppelgangers do to him again?

David: (His expression goes cold, his rage building) What did you do to me?  YOU WANT TO KNOW WHAT YOU DID TO ME!?  (Pulls off his shirt) THIS IS WHAT YOU DID TO ME!!!

   Yellow and White look disgusted upon seeing David's scars, while Blue looks more confused.

Blue Diamond: What is wrong with his flesh?  It is... Deformed.

David: (Dark, icy-cold tone of voice) Yeah, that tends to happen when you use a human for a PINCUSHION.

Yellow: I did what!?  ...Actually, I'm not surprised.  I've done worse.

   This angered David more.

David: So what you did to me didn't matter!?

Steven: Woah, woah.  She didn't mean that.  Besides, this Yellow is fine.  She would never hurt you.

   David is unable to comprehend a friendly Yellow Diamond.  He stands there, a mixture of fear, anger, and confusion on his pale face.

David: How could you possibly be friends with them, Steven?  Why would you be friends with them?

White Diamond: (Confused facial expression) ...Because he's one of us?  Isn't that right, Pink?

   David's face shattered into pure, unadulterated shock.  He stood there, holding his sword, completely dumbstruck from what he'd heard.

Steven: White, that did NOT help!

White Diamond: Sorry.

David: (His face now rapidly cycling between shock, terror, anger, confusion, and betrayal) S-S-Steven...  Is Pink... Pink Diamond.  (His emotional state breaks further when he realizes what that meant)  R-Rose was... Pink too!?!?

Steven: (Solemnly nods)

   David was now a shivering, tearful wreck.  He stood there for what felt like forever, then he finally broke.  Raising his sword, he suddenly rushes at Steven with a yell, who immediately understands what is going on and summons his shield, which is then hit by David's blade, David now completely out of his mind with a whirlwind of emotions.  The other Crystal Gems produce their weapons, and David looks around at them, and the now-angry Diamonds, descends even more into emotional chaos, blinks away a torrent of tears, turns around, and runs at top speed into the forest.

Steven: (Reaches out his hand to stop him)  Wait!  (David either doesn't hear him or ignores him)

Yellow Diamond: He tried to attack you... He must be punished!

Steven: Yellow... No.  I... Deserved that.  I should have told him sooner.

Pearl: These woods are easy to get lost in.  We should go after David and make sure he doesn't get himself hurt... Or worse.

Steven: Connie?  Where's Lion?

Connie: He's... Not here.

Steven: LIIIIOOOOONNNNN!!!

   ...But nobody came.

Steven: Ugh, what a time for him to be taking a catnap.  I'll go after David.  (Runs in the direction David ran off in)

   Cut to David running through the forest.  Tears are flying down his face and are falling to the ground behind him, leaving a trail of sadness.  In the distance, Steven is attempting to catch up with him.

Steven: DAVID!!  Come back!!

   David is too lost in his torment to notice his cries.  Suddenly, he trips on a root and falls face-first into the ground.  Rather than get up and continue to run, he just lay there, sobbing to himself.  30 seconds later, Steven catches up with him.

Steven: David, why did you run off like that?

David: Go away... Diamond.

Steven: ...You know, I was shocked to find out about my mom's true identity too.  Everyone was.  But that doesn't change who I am, or who Rose was.  She really did care about us... About you.  Just because she was Pink Diamond doesn't mean that she was a monster.

   David gets up and looks at Steven, tears and dirt all over his face.

David: You can't understand how I felt... Treated like an animal, a toy to be played with and discarded...

Steven: (Now thinking back to his fight with Spinel, having some serious déjà vu)  You're right, I can't.  What the Diamonds did to you on your world was not okay.  But this world's Diamonds aren't like that anymore.  They've changed for the better.  You just need to give them a chance.

David: You saw the way Yellow treated me in that dream... Do you really think I can just leave that behind?  Do you??

Steven: David... I--

   Suddenly heavy footsteps came from behind them.

David: Ahhh!!  It's the Diamonds!  They followed us!

Steven: Wait... That doesn't sound like a Diamond's footsteps.. It sounds like...

   A corrupted Gem came into view.  It took the form of a gigantic scorpion, its tail stinger dripping with poison.  It charged towards David and Steven, a screech issuing from its mouth.  Steven quickly produced an enlarged shield and blocked the scorpion from approaching any further.

David: (Is cowering with fear)

Steven: David!  I can't hold this for much longer!

   David is continuing to cower.  Suddenly, he has a flashback.

   David is back home with his mother, as a child.  He had just come home from school with a black eye he received from a schoolyard bully.

David: I wanna give him a shiner of his own...

David's Mom: David...  That won't make anything better.  It'll just bring you down to his level.  (Produces an ice pack for David's eye)  Here, put this on your eye.

David: (Obliges) He hurts everyone he sees.  I just want to make him go away forever.

David's Mom: Bullies have their own problems.  Just because you can't see their pain doesn't mean they aren't feeling it.  What's important isn't getting revenge... It's being the better person.  Who are you going to be, David: the bully, or the better person?

   Flashback ends.

David: ...I want to be the better person.

Steven: (Is struggling to keep his shield up)  What?

David: (Draws his sword)  I DON'T CARE THAT YOU'RE A DIAMOND YOU HELPED ME AND I'M GOING TO SAVE YOU!!  (Launches himself over Steven's shield and begins to fight the Gem.

Steven: David no!!

   David is a blur of flashing sword and flailing arms.  A claw gets cut off.  A mandible soon follows.  David narrowly dodges a flying stinger and jumps onto the scorpion's back.

David: Take this!!  (Stabs the scorpion through the back)

   The corrupted Gem lets out a pained screech and collapses to the ground.

David: Yeah!!!  I did it!! I--

   The scorpion stings David in the back.  His arms go limp and he drops his sword.

Steven: NOOOO!!!

   The scorpion then poofs and David and the scorpion's gem fall to the ground, seemingly in slow motion.  Steven rushes to David's side.

Steven: David!  Come on, wake up!

   Steven gasps when he sees that David's body is covered in black veins that are spreading.

Steven: David...

   Pearl and the Diamonds walk into the area.

Pearl: What happened to David!?

Steven: (Doesn't reply, and quickly coats David's back in spit.  It sparkles a bit before going dull.

Steven: No no no!!  Why isn’t this working!?

   David's eyes flutter a little bit before closing again.

White Diamond: That is a powerful poison.  It may take all four of us to clear him of it.  (Raises her head; the Diamond Ship appears above them.)  Thankfully, it seems that he got a limited dose.  We may have time to save him.  Come, Steven.

   Steven picks up David and Pearl bubbles the Gem.  They gather close to the Diamonds, and White bubbles the whole group and floats into the ship.  It takes off towards Rose's Fountain.

   Meanwhile, inside the ship, Steven is staring at David, a desperate look on his face.  David is now cold to the touch, sweating, and shivering profusely.

Steven: Hang in there, David.  We're going to get you some help.

Pearl: If I know anything about humans, it's that they're the hardiest organic life forms I know.  He'll make it, Steven.  Just believe that.

   The Diamonds landed their ship, and they, and Steven, carrying a limp David in his arms , and Pearl, holding the bubble containing the scorpion Gem, bubbled out of it.  As soon as the white exit vehicle landed, Steven rushed through the forest of roses straight for the fountain.  Everything is quiet as the Diamonds and Pearl followed closely behind.  Steven reaches the edge of the water and walks in, setting David onto the surface of the water.  He slowly floats away from Steven,  his body deathly still.  The Diamonds settle into the pool soon afterwards.

Steven: Come on... Come on!

White Diamond: It may take some time.  Be patient, Steven.

       Camera hovers over David, and zooms in on his head, transitioning to the next scene.  David wakes up in a black void, a deep constant humming can be heard in the background.  He stands up.

David: Hello?  Anyone here??

       No one answers.  David begins to walk forward.  Suddenly mysterious moving pictures showing moments of David’s life flicker into existence overhead.

David: My memories... Am I dead??

David’s Mom: (Appears behind him out of nowhere) You’re not dead.

David: Mom!

David’s Mom: Hello, David.  It’s been a while, hasn’t it.  (Smiles)

David: Mom, I--

David’s Mom: Shhh...  You’ve done very well.  I’m so proud of you.  (She motions to a screen showing David fighting the scorpion Gem)  You’ve overcome your fears... (Motions to another memory showing David eating with the Crystal Gems at the picnic) And made incredible new friends.

David: Mom... (Hugs his mother; she hugs back.)

       David’s mom begins to sparkle and fade, the sparkles flowing into David’s chest.

David: Mom... Please don’t go...

David’s Mom: (Voice now coming from around him instead of from mom’s body) I’ll always be with you, son...    Enjoy your new world.  Goodbye for now.  (Finishes merging into David’s body)

David: Mom... (Drops to his knees, alone)

       Everything goes white and the camera switches back to hovering over David, who then wakes up.  A light breeze is blowing and birds are singing in the background.  David sits up and is still for a second, bleary.  His hands go to his torso and he lifts his shirt to wipe his eyes with.  He pauses for a second when he feels his skin, looks down at his stomach, and his eyes widen in shock.  His skin is now pristine and smooth.

David: M-my scars... They’re... Gone! (Looks at Steven, his face aglow with joy.  He stands up, dashes through the water to him, and embraces him in a tight, enthusiastic hug)  Thank you, Steven!!  (Steven is startled for a second, then he hugs David back)

Steven: (Blushing a bit) Don’t just thank me, David.  The Diamonds helped too.

       David turns around slowly to see the Diamonds looking at him.  David’s face falls a bit.  White Diamond waves at him.  David smiles nervously and gives a sheepish wave back.

Blue Diamond: Is he going to hug us too?

Steven: I don’t think he’s THAT warmed up to you guys yet...  Sorry.

       The Scorpion Gem then reforms and is uncorrupted.  In her uncorrupted form she is a purple humanoid with black spots on her skin, and a lilac stinger-shaped hairstyle.  Her Gem is at the tip of her hair’s point.  David lets out a cry and steps back.  He feels for his sword but Pearl has it.

Scorpion Gem: Hold up, it’s OK, I’m fine now!  (Holds out her hands to placate David’s fears)  My name’s Scorpio Amethyst!  Nice to meet you!

Steven:  David, she’s not going to hurt you anymore.

Scorpio Amethyst: That’s right, I’m all better now!  No poison left in me!  ...Sorry for doing that to you.

David: (Nervously steps forward a couple steps, then sighs and walks over to her, and hesitantly hugs her)  I forgive you.

       The camera zooms out to show the entire fountain.  The Diamonds are smiling at each other and David, Steven, and Scorpio Amethyst can be seen inaudibly conversing with each other.  The screen fades out.

------------------------------------------------

EPILOGUE:

ONE YEAR LATER

Yellow Pearl: Welcome to the Gem Soldier's Trials, the rite of passage for those hoping to serve and protect Gemkind and the Diamonds!  Today is a special day: We have here our very first human competitor... Presenting... David Heatherson of Earth!!

   To the tune of thousands cheering, David steps out into the arena.  Clothed in a pair of gym shorts and a tank top, David is now bulky and rippled with muscle, a spectacular transformation from his former self.  He now carries himself with endless confidence, a determined look crowning his body.

Pearl, Steven, Garnet, and Amethyst looked at the new David from the front row of the spectator stands.

Pearl: I'm impressed with how far David's come in one year, but how did he get that muscular in such a short time?

Amethyst: ...I may have sneaked some magical growth powder into his fries on some occasions.

Pearl: (Is shocked and annoyed) Amethyst!!

Amethyst: What?  It obviously helped him.  Look how happy with himself he looks now!

Pearl: You can't just go feeding a human steroids, Amethyst!  You don't know the side effects it might have!

Amethyst: (Shrugs)

Pearl: Ugh!

   Steven says nothing to them, instead opting to cheer David on as he took his starting position in the middle of the ring.  David draws his sword, hefting it effortlessly even though it no longer has its antigravity orb.

Steven: Woo!!  Go, David!!

Amethyst: Shouldn't you be sitting on your throne with the other Diamonds?

Steven:  (Stops cheering)  ...No?

Pearl: The Diamonds aren't going to be happy about this...

   Meanwhile, at the Diamond thrones:

White Diamond: (Annoyed) Where is Steven?  He should have arrived by now.

Yellow Diamond: (Looks out into the crowd and sees Steven sitting with the Crystal Gems)  He's with his friends.  Ugh, does he EVER want to be with us??  I'll go get him.

Blue Diamond:  Yellow, wait.  He's happy where he is.  Instead, let's just watch the human prove his worth.

Yellow Diamond: Fine, but he's getting a stern talk from me when this is all finished.

Yellow Pearl: Gem Soldier Trials beginning in 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, and... Begin!

   Instantly a legion of holographic Gem soldiers appear around David.  David is unfazed, and he begins to size up his opponents.  They took the forms of a group of 4 Amethysts, 4 Agates, and 3 Quartzes.  First, the Agates rush at him, whips drawn.  David holds his position and when the first lashes arrive, he jumps over the whips as they land.

Yellow Pearl: We're starting off with high-difficulty opponents here; those whips give the Holo-Agates higher range than what David can reach with his sword.  It's going to take some impressive footwork to get close enough to strike!

   David takes the hint.  He begins to rapidly dodge whiplashes and close in on an Agate.  The Agate he targeted notices this and ups her attacks.  David kicks into overdrive and jumps high into the air, jump-slashing the agate in half.  Despite the Gem being a hologram, David carefully maneuvered around the Agate's gem so he wouldn't "shatter" her.  He repeated this process for the other Agates in the wave, changing up his strategy for a couple of them so they wouldn't wise up to his tricks.  Soon, the wave was over.

Yellow Pearl: And David clears the first wave!

   The Amethysts then form the second wave.  David recollects himself and stands his ground once more.  Some of the Amethysts wield whips while some carry swords.  They decide to surround David, and succeed in doing so.

Steven: Uh-oh.

   David's confidence breaks a little, but he remains determined and calmly calculates a plan of attack.  But before David can formulate his strategy, an Amethyst hologram takes the opportunity to strike.  David catches the move in time, but only just.  The sword slices slightly into David's forearm, spilling a few drops of blood onto the arena floor.  David counterattacks before the Amethyst could withdraw, poofing her.

   David's cut is short but deep enough that it doesn't stop bleeding immediately.  The wound is obviously non-lethal but is still noticeable and highly distracting.  Nevertheless, David continues to see only the remaining Holo-Amethysts.

Yellow Pearl: It looks like David is hit!  Doesn't look too bad but since he's human he's dripping his interior organic fluid all over the floor!  (Yellow Pearl silently wonders how easily that will clean up)

Steven: (Is wishing he'd be allowed to go down there and heal David's cut)

   David decides to take the offense and charges at a pair or Amethysts that are close together.  The Amethysts take defense and assume a guard stance.  A third Amethyst strikes David with her whip from behind, and it connects painfully with David's back.  Despite being more stoic than he was before he can't help but let out a cry of pain.

Yellow Pearl: Ooooooh... That had to have hurt!

Blue Diamond: Why are only a few of them attacking at once?

Yellow Diamond: Our simulator can only handle a few soldiers' moves at the same time.  For some trials we have a smaller number of holo-soldiers that attack as one.  For this trial we set the simulator to have many soldiers but that limits the highest possible number of moves.  Lucky for the human, that number is low.  Otherwise he would have been overwhelmed at the second the trial started.  Besides, this simulator is designed for beginning soldiers.  Too high of a difficulty would cause too many casualties with fresh Gems, or in this case, humans.

   David continues his advance on the two Amethysts, who are still guarding.  Suddenly, one of them breaks guard and launches at David.  David notices this and prepares to parry.  David's and the Amethyst's swords collide.  They begin to swordfight, clinging swords together.  David begins searching for an opening in the opponent's defense.  It isn't long before he finds one.  With a battle cry, he thrust his greatsword forward through the hologram's stomach.  The hologram dissipates.  Out of the corner of his eye, he notices the whip-bearing Amethyst wind up for another attack at the same time the remaining sword-bearer prepared to launch her own offensive.  David looks for a way out and finds it, running to a better spot to launch an attack from.  Both attacks miss, and David now has a couple seconds to think of his next move.  He decides on the whip-wielder.  He approaches the holographic soldier.  Suddenly the other soldier attempts to attack him too.  David then remembers a technique the Pearl from his world once taught him.

David: (Whispering to himself) Zen Mode activate.

   The words awakened a special training within him, a method he wouldn't have been able to use as his previous self because he didn't have the stability of mind for it.  David filters out all sound around him except for his breathing and heartbeat within him.  The cheering in the background shrinks to a dull roar.  His eyes become hyper-focused on the two Amethysts, patiently studying their every move.  The sword Amethyst rushes him.  Keeping his focus on both simulated Gems, he prepares to block and strike back.  His whip-stricken back begins to hurt, but he compartmentalizes the pain and continues his dogged focus on his opponents.  The sword-wielder reaches him, but David was ready for her.  In Zen Mode, David can practically see everything, from the nuance of his opponent's movements to the stance they are taking to their trajectory towards him.  Using this data David quickly creates a strike plan and easily blocks the soldier's attacks.

Yellow Pearl: What's this?  David seems to have shifted gears!  He's fighting like crazy now!

Pearl: Interesting... I wonder if his world's Pearl taught him to fight like that?

Amethyst: Yeah, it's hard to keep track of him; he's going so fast!

Steven: Go, David, go!!

   David immediately realizes he has an opening in his defense and closes it before the Amethyst can notice.  At this point the other fighter makes her move, lashing out her whip at David from a safe distance. David jumps backwards just before the whip hit, and jumps back into sparring with the sword user, unfazed and still focused.  At this point David finally notices an opening in the Amethyst's defense and he strikes, impaling the holo-Gem square through the chest.

Yellow Pearl: One to go!

   David wastes no time.  He mounts a similar tactic to when he was fighting the Agates, light-footedly dodging the whip strikes and advancing steadily for the fighter's position.  This time, though, the Amethyst backs up with each step David moves forward.  It becomes clear David will not be able to use this strategy.  He darts back and regroups his thoughts, still holding on to Zen Mode even though it was beginning to wear out his brain.  He decides to brute-force his way through this enemy, and angling his blade over his shoulder, he aims precisely at the holo-soldier and with a graceful stroke, throws his sword at the Amethyst.  The weapon arcs through the air while the crowd gasped; even Yellow Diamond was caught by surprise at this move.  The Amethyst wasn't prepared for this either, and takes the sword to her neck.  The hologram poofed, and the second wave was over.  The crowd went wild.  David finally let go of his focus, but it had clearly taken its toll on him.  He goes to retrieve his sword, panting heavily.

Steven: David doesn't look so hot...

Pearl: It seems that using that fighting technique drained him of most of his power.  I hope he can survive the final round...

Garnet: (Finally chiming in)  This simulator is programmed with Gems in mind.  That means the fighters are programmed for what would be lethal force for a human, with the fact that a Gem would just poof and retreat into her gem when injured.  If David loses this fight... The result won't be pretty.

Steven: (Panicking a bit now)  What have we done!?  We shouldn't have let him do this!  Stop the fight!!

Pearl: (Now very concerned) No way we can stop this now...  David's in serious trouble.

Yellow Pearl: David is looking like he can't take much more!  Let's hope he won't get shattered, or should I say "splattered?"

   For the final round, the Quartzes form into a triangle.  They begin to dance.

Steven and Pearl together: Oh no...

   With a flash of light, the Holo-Quartzes fuse into a giant, four-armed Holo-Fusion.  All determination forgotten, David now looks panic-stricken as he desperately attempts to find a weakness in his newly-combined foe.

Yellow Pearl: David sure seems like he could use some help now!

Steven: (Is genuinely considering jumping into the fight to fuse with David so he can help him defeat the fused Quartz)

David: ...This was a bad idea.

   The giant Quartz hologram produced a fittingly giant sword, causing David to swallow nervously.

David: I'm SO going to die.

Yellow Pearl: Is it all over for our human friend?

Blue Diamond: Yellow, this should stop now.  There's no way David can survive this.

Yellow Diamond: The human wanted to do this.  It's fitting he should see it through to its conclusion.

Blue Diamond: (Now slightly annoyed) This "conclusion" will mean David being smeared across the arena!

White Diamond: I will agree with Blue, this does not look good for Steven's friend.

Blue Diamond: What will Steven think of us if we let one of his friends perish?  (Now fearfully thinking of an enraged Steven loudly declaring he never wants to see her again)

Yellow Diamond: .....  (Thinking to herself)

   Meanwhile, David is being chased around the stadium by the fused hologram.  The Quartz swings her sword in a wide arc.  Unable to keep far enough away from the charging fusion, the sword bites into David's calf with a wet slicing sound.  With a scream, David falls at running speed into the ground.

Steven: Nooo!!!

   The giant Quartz winds up a swing that will surely cleave David in half.  David, moments of his life flashing before his eyes, suddenly has a flashback of his nightmare one year prior, where his fusion with Steven was separated by Yellow Diamond's electrical attack.  He then remembers a conversation he heard from a couple Peridot technicians before the match started.

Peridot 1: Did you remember to seal the wiring on the east side of the arena?

Peridot 2: .....

Peridot 1: You forgot, didn't you?

Peridot 2: ...Yes, I'm sorry.

Peridot 1: Well, it's too late now.  The battle is about to begin.  We'll just have to hope the fighters stay away from that wall.

Peridot 2: How resistant to electricity are humans anyway?

Peridot 1: Hah, they're so weak, I bet they won't survive over half an amp.  (The two Peridots laugh)

   David now has a killer strategy... If he can execute it before he himself is.  David rolls over, causing the incoming sword swing to miss hard, the simulated sword plowing through the ground and becoming stuck.  David saw his chance and attempted to stand.  The pain in his leg immediately became almost too much to bear, and blood began to seep out of the slash.  Biting his way through the agony, David limped towards the wall on the east side of the arena.  Sure enough, a panel was missing and wires hung out of the opening.  As if to add to the perfectness of the situation, sparks were periodically flying from some of the exposed cords.

Yellow Pearl: David's hurt bad!  He seems to be attempting to make his way towards the wall; not sure what he's thinking, but whatever it is, he's determined as ever!

Steven: Come on, David... Come on!

Garnet: (Chuckles to herself proudly as her Future Vision clues her into David's strategy)

David: Just... A little... Further...

   The Quartz fusion dug the sword out of the floor, and turned to face David, who began to pick up the pace.  The Quartz began to charge at David.  David then finally reached the wall with the open panel.  Hoping to himself that his sword's grip was insulated, he lifts his sword up, the blade now heavier as David had grown weaker, and swung at the wall, cutting the wires in half.  Just as the Quartz came within range, bolts of electricity flew everywhere, some narrowly missing David.  The Quartz attempted to stop, but her momentum carried her straight for the wall.  With a resounding CRASH, she hit the sparking wall at high speed, then her body lit up with power.  The hologram malfunctioned, glitching all over the place, as the crowd, including the Diamonds, gasped with shock.  The fusion defused, then the individual components, the three Quartz holograms, finally poofed.

   The spectators went silent, unable to believe what had just happened.  Even the Diamonds were stunned.  Yellow Pearl broke the silence.

Yellow Pearl: ...D-David has cleared the final wave!  With a time of... 21 minutes and 37 seconds, David Heatherson of Earth has completed the Gem Soldier's Trial!!

   The entire stadium erupted in an uproar.  Yellow Diamond stepped off of her throne into the arena and strolled towards a panting and bleeding David.

Yellow Diamond: 21 minutes... Not bad for a human.

David: ...Thanks, Yellow.

Steven: David!!  (He had jumped down from the stands and ran over to his side)  You're hurt!

David: Yeah, I know.  (Braces himself for the spit treatment)

   Steven tediously rubbed spit on David's calf, back, and arm.  Soon his skin was healed, but a scar remained on his leg.

Steven: Looks like you've got another scar... Do you want to warp back to Earth with the Diamonds and have the fountain heal it?

David: ...Nah, it's OK.  I can live with this one.  A little token to remember this fight by.  Some humans consider battle scars to be badges of honor, after all.

   Blue and White Diamonds approach the group, smiles on their faces.

White Diamond: I'll admit, I thought you were going to die there.  What a turnaround!

Blue Diamond: Who trained you to fight like that?

David: Pearl from my world taught me to use focus in battle, the rest was basic swordplay.

   The Diamonds gathered into a group, and motioned for Steven to take his place in front of them.  He did.  David had rehearsed this moment, so he knew what was about to happen.  He gets up and stands before the four of them, then kneels.

White Diamond: By the power of the Diamond Authority:

Steven and White, Blue, and Yellow Diamonds: We dub you Pink Diamond's protector!

Yellow Diamond: (Crouches down to be close to David's level) Protect him with your life, for as long as your short existence allows.

David: ...I will.

   Yellow Diamond gets up.  David does too.  Steven rushes forward and locks David in a hug, as the camera zooms out to show the cheering crowds occupying the stands.

                   THE END.

[jbhenwiler]

Development screenshots of Redemption from a Dark World, or basically I accidentially hit “Print Screen” a couple times while typing vigorously.  Anyway, this was basically my workflow while writing the story.  Yes, I wrote it in a text editor.  Some of the eagle-eyed among you may notice that the file name of the story is “Can’t Go Back.”  This was my original title for the story before I found out there’s a canon episode title with that name, so I renamed it “Redemption from a Dark World.”  If you’re wondering what operating system this is, no it’s not a custom theme for Windows, it’s a Linux operating system called Kubuntu.

[jbhenwiler]

Snippet from a Dark World 01

Meanwhile, in the Alternate Alternate Universe where Yellow Diamond (From Steven’s Universe) gets sucked into David's mind... --------------------------- Yellow Diamond saw a large painting on a wall.  It depicted a gigantic yellow being resembling herself, but with glowing yellow eyes and a mouth full of sharp teeth.  Below her is a mangled pile of human corpses, many with missing limbs and covered in a thick layer of blood. Yellow Diamond: Is that--  Is that really how he sees me!?  ...No wonder he's always terrified of me...  I must look like a monster to him.  Especially since my parallel self did just that to his species...  I should really try to connect with him more.

[jbhenwiler]

(Non-canon to RFADW Universe) SU Fanfic: David’s “Blooper Reel”

David's "Blooper Reels"

Author's Notes: So as I was writing the “Memories” series, I decided I wanted to create some comic relief for myself while I was writing some really serious or emotional stuff.  So I took the whole “screenplay” format I’ve been using for the whole series literally and wrote a mock blooper reel for various scenes from the memories, and one from the Epilogue of Redemption from a Dark World for good measure.  So you can definitely notice that David’s “actor” is really playful on-set, as all of these “bloopers” are initiated by him.  That guy can’t resist a good joke, especially when the camera’s rolling!  Oh yeah, the Gems are being played by real Gems too, and they all (Except for Yellow Diamond) love to play along with David’s on-set antics.  So yeah, have fun and enjoy!  I might make more of these if I get more ideas.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Director: Take 32, and…  Action!

Beep!

The soldiers surround David in the Diamond Base's arena set.

David: Uhhh... SWEET RAVE PARTY!

EDM starts playing out of the set speakers, the spotlights rapidly change color, and David starts dancing. The soldiers are dumbstruck, but one by one, they start dancing too.

Yellow Diamond: *Facepalm*

Director: Cut!

At the bass drop, Rose Quartz jumps into frame, head banging to the beat, and dances in duet with David.

David: Yeah, you got this, Rose!

Yellow Diamond: I give up.  (Walks off-stage)

BEEEP!

The holo fusion during the 3rd wave of the Gem Soldier's Trial creates a fittingly giant sword.

David: Aw man!  I call hacks!

Many Gems in the audience start laughing, including Steven and Blue Diamond.

David: What?

Pearl: (Walks over to David from the stands) Did you even read the script this morning?

David: Uhh… maybe…?

Director: CUT!  David, your line is "I'm SO going to die!  No ad-libbing today, this isn't that kind of production!

BEEEP!

David: (In his cage on the Diamond Base set; Yellow Diamond and Peridot are outside struggling to comprehend what's on Peridot's Gem screen) Gee, it sure is boring around here!

Yellow Diamond: Shut up, human!

David: I just wonder what Evil Quartz is up to!

Peridot: (Looks at the script displayed on her screen, and decides to play along) My Diamond, rouge Quartz soldiers have taken over the island of Kuradai.

Yellow Diamond: (Gives up on resisting and reads her lines off of Peridot’s holo-screen)  Hmm... How can we stop them?

Peridot: (Shows Yellow her display) It is written... Only Human 12-3A can defeat the Quartz soldiers.

Yellow Diamond and David in unison: WHAT!?

David: Uhhh... I guess I'll grab my stuff...?

Peridot: There's no time! Your sword is enough.

Peridot and David enter a Gem ship and take off.

David: Wow, who are all those Gems?

Peridot: These are the Evil Quartzes.  You must conquer each.

David: I guess I better get going!

Peridot: Here is the Map!  (Hands David a Gem holo-projector, which opens into a GPS map of the filming location)

BEEEP!

David is on the ruined Henleaf Town set with a voice-changer microphone in his hand. He over-dramatically drops to his knees in front of his mom's skeleton.

David: (With a low-pitch voice filter) NOOOOOOOOOO!!!

People off-camera start laughing.

Director: And, cut!

David: And the Oscar goes to...!

David's Mom: (Off-camera) David Wesley Heatherson!

David: Mom! You're alive!

Yellow Diamond: (Steps into frame) She most certainly is not!

Evil Quartz: (Also enters the frame) Before you get any fun ideas, fleshie, none of this is canon. But this is! (Pulls out her sword)

David: Augh! (Starts running away) You're not supposed to kill me till the next episode!

Evil Quartz: I don't care! I'm having human tonight!

David: But you don't even eat!!

Amethyst: (From off screen) Sorry, kid! I taught her how to make a digestive system last night!

David: You did WHAT!? THIS CRAZY BITCH IS GONNA EAT ME!!

Evil Quartz: (Scottish accent) GET IN MAH BELLEH!!

David: ROSE!!! HELP ME!!!!  (Lots of laughter can be heard behind the camera as David sprints past the camera, nearly knocking it over)

Evil Quartz: Rose can't save you! She's filming on the north lot!

David: Shit!

Yellow Diamond: Hey! No eating humans, soldier, and that is an order from your Diamond!

Evil Quartz: (Comes to a stop, and snaps her fingers) Aww, man!

David: (Also stops running) Thanks for the save, Yellow!

Yellow Diamond: (Smug) She's still going to kill you tomorrow.

David: Drat!

BEEEP!

David gets "stabbed" through the chest from behind by Evil Quartz, and "blood" spurts from the packets hidden inside his bandages.  He makes choking noises, as per the script, but soon his face puffs up and he bursts out laughing.

Director: Cut!

David: EXCUSE me, I'm "DYING" over here!

Evil Quartz: (Laughing)  You humans are so funny!  That's it!  I don't want to be the villain anymore!  (Shouts off-stage)  Steven!  Take me to Little Homeschool!

David: (Still "impaled" by the sword) Conflict resolved, the series is over!

Rose Quartz: (From her bush in the background)  Yay!

BEEEP!

David: (Addressing the reader) Well, that’s all for today, folks!  David and the Crystal Gems is filmed in front of a live studio audience!  (Author’s note: No, it’s not)  And always remember, NEVER try any of this at home!  No, seriously, I came close to dying SO many times.  Oh, and like my friend Evil Quartz said, none of this is canon!  See ya!

End of reel.

[jbhenwiler]

SU Fanfic: David’s Memories: Blood and Tears (Graphic Content Warning)

David’s Memory 02: Blood and Tears

Author’s note: So, guys, this is where things get dark.  Yes, even darker than David’s entire world ending.  Following is a chronicle of the worst moments of David’s life; his time as a living practice dummy for Yellow Diamond’s army.  I think this goes without saying, but this is an extremely graphic story and David gets badly injured A LOT, so skip this one if you don’t want to read about lotsa blood and stuff.  You have been warned.

——————————————————————————————————————–

David wakes up in his cage.  He takes assessment of his body.  His clothes are in tatters and his shirt has worn to the point where his navel is visible, and his jeans are worn up to his knees.  Every inch of his skin is caked in dirt.  His ribs are visible through his skin.  He wrestles with the collar around his neck, chaining him to the wall of his enclosure.  He remembers the painful shocks that Peridot had given him through the collar whenever he disobeyed her, or sometimes she electrocuted him just because she felt like it.

He thinks of his mother for the umpteenth time, how she is now just another pile of charred bones in the ashes of his hometown.  He felt like crying, but he knew better than that; Peridot didn’t like it when he started with his “infernal howling” and had been all too trigger-happy with the electric collar lately.  So he just sits there in silence, his head buried in his knees.

Suddenly, heavy footsteps sounded from outside.  David looks up.  He didn’t know what was going on, but Peridot certainly did.  She stows her holo-display and turns to face the door.  It opens, and Peridot makes the Diamond salute.  Yellow Diamond enters the room, looks at Peridot, then looks with mild disgust at David.

Peridot: How may I help you, my Diamond?

Yellow Diamond: This human you have in your care; I need it for a special task, open the cage.

Peridot: Yes, right away, your radiance.  (Reopens her display and taps a few times.  First the cage beeps and opens, then the collar beeps and drops off David’s neck)

Despite his newfound freedom, David knows better than to attempt to escape with the giant Gem nearby.  Yellow crouches down and grabs David in her hand, then quickly bubbles him.  Thinking the bubble is airtight, David holds his breath.  Yellow notices this.

Yellow Diamond: You can breathe in there, human.  Don’t seal your air-sacs, you’ll only run out of oxygen before you arrive where I want you.

David lets go of his breath, exhaling heavily.  Yellow turns to the door, then looks back at the saluting Peridot.

Yellow Diamond: As you were.  (Leaves)

Yellow carries the bubbled David through a huge, Diamond-sized hallway.  David wonders to himself where exactly he is.  He can’t be far from Henleaf Town, but then again, the Jasper that had captured him knocked him unconscious soon after she caught him, so he could be anywhere.  Soon, they reach a door.  Yellow puts her hand on a diamond-shaped panel and the door opens.  On the other side was a large arena set outdoors.  Trees surround the open space.  David quickly attempts to formulate a plan to escape into the forest as soon as he’s unbubbled.  However, he soon realizes they’re not alone: On the edges of the arena are a variety of soldier-class Gems, mostly Quartzes and Agates, milling about as if they’re waiting for someone.  Seeing Yellow, they quickly organize themselves in front of the Diamond and all salute their leader.

Yellow Diamond: (Sets down David in his bubble in front of the Gems) Listen up!  This is your new combat training regimen!  Your missions will be to quash human resistance, therefore your training will involve fighting live humans.  As a beginner level, this human will be unarmed.

A dark-pink Quartz soldier gives a look at David and she smiles with a grin that instantly tells David that this Gem wants very much to hurt him.  He swallows nervously, which the Quartz notices, causing her murderous smile to grow even wider.

Yellow Diamond: You have ONE rule.  Do NOT kill the human.  You are free to injure him, but anyone who terminates his life will answer to me.  And… Begin!  (She pops David’s bubble)

David instantly takes off.  His overwhelming instinct to survive kicks in, and he searches for any possible way to escape.  The Gems all summon their weapons as Yellow Diamond steps back to the sidelines.  That one Quartz, whom David not-so-affectionately nicknamed Evil Quartz at that point, took the lead.  David, malnourished as he is, can’t reach a sufficient speed to stay away from the pack of soldiers, and Evil Quartz easily catches up to him.

Evil Quartz: Where you going ‘lil guy?  We’re not gonna hurt you!

David: W-What’s with all the swords then?

Evil Quartz: Oh, these?  They’re our welcome present for you.

Before David can react, she slashes at him, slicing a wide cut into his exposed gut.  David screams, Evil Quartz laughs, and an uninterested Yellow Diamond watched from afar as the mix of Agates and Quartzes surrounded the helpless human.

Evil Quartz: Hey, comrades!  We don’t need our fancy Gem weapons to hurt this puny thing.  We’d just end up killing it and we all know how our Diamond feels about that!

The gang nods and they all de-summon their swords, whips, etc.  David starts up running again, dodging through the Gems, blind terror carrying his body into a wall, where he stopped and turned to face the oncoming group of Gems, his heart dropping into his stomach.  Now effectively cornered, the Quartz Brigade surrounds him again, fists locked and loaded.   Evil Quartz reaches him first, and she holds David by his neck against the wall, goading the other Gems to begin assaulting him.  David is lost in a storm of pummeling fists, his pained cries growing more desperate and pitiful with each blow as his body is attacked from all sides.

Yellow Diamond: That’s ENOUGH!  (Gets up)

The team stops attacking, and Evil Quartz lets go of David, who falls onto his hands and knees, blood dripping out of his cut onto the pavement below, the crimson droplets making small smacking sounds as they hit the ground, and tears dropping from his eyes.  David can’t think of anything but the pain he’s in.  Through his hazy vision, he sees Yellow Diamond approaching him, and she puts him in another bubble.

Several hours later…

Peridot, holding a tray of food including bread and carrots, approaches David’s cage.  Looking up from her screen, she sees that the young man is backed up against the far wall of the cage, a distant and fearful look in his eyes and his whole body is shivering wildly.  His cut has been bandaged, but his body is also covered from his face to his hip in bruises.

Peridot: Eat, human.  (Hands the tray through the cage’s food port)

David is too lost in his trauma to even notice the food.  He sits there trembling for ten minutes before Peridot notices that he hasn’t touched it.  She opens the notepad on her holo-screen and types out: HUMAN 12-3A IS NOT TAKING IN NUTRIENTS.  SUBJECT IS DISPLAYING CONSTANT AVERSION TO SURROUNDINGS AND MAY HAVE SUFFERED MENTAL DAMAGE FROM YELLOW DIAMOND’S TRAINING REGIMEN.

The next day…

David is suffering through another training session.  He receives at least twelve new cuts on his chest, belly, legs, and arms, as well as a black eye from where Evil Quartz had decked him in the face.  Back in his cage, Peridot notes how much further the human had sunk into his pain and officially recommends to her Diamond that Human 12-3A be pulled from training exercises.  Yellow chooses to ignore the memo but also cancels the next day’s training session.

Two days later…

David doesn’t even try to run from the spot where Yellow Diamond puts him.  He just sits there, patiently awaiting today’s beating.

Agate 1: Uhh, is it going to flee from us, or…?

Agate 2: This is awkward.

Quartz: Did we finally break it?

Evil Quartz: Well, it’s no fun if it isn’t trying to evade us.  Hey human!  Do something!  Run!  Hide!  Don’t just sit there!

David: What’s the point?  You’re just going to catch me anyway.  Do your worst.  I’m waiting.  (Crosses his arms)

Evil Quartz gets angry.  She runs up to the human and draws her sword from her gem, and begins slicing into him.  Despite the damage he’s taking, David shows no reaction to being attacked.  After all the trauma David had been through, he had become numb to the pain these Gems were dishing out to him.  After receiving another 14 gashes on his body, Evil Quartz finally gives up, and she steps back, lets out an exasperated cry, and yells to Yellow Diamond:

Evil Quartz: My Diamond!  Give us a new human!  This one’s not working anymore!

Yellow Diamond: (Gets up) You are in no position to demand anything from me, soldier.  However, I acknowledge that this human is exhibiting very unusual behavior for its species.  You are all dismissed!

The soldiers salute Yellow and leave.  Yellow crouches down to pick up the profusely bleeding David.

Yellow Diamond: What kind of display was that, creature?  I have never seen an organic take that many hits without flinching.  Have these exercises truly hardened you that much?  (She has a sudden idea that David would make a good soldier, but quickly banishes the thought)  I’ll… Take you back to your cage.  (Bubbles him)

The next few days are uneventful.  David’s already-ragged shirt is now slashed away to nothing, and in the absence of his old tee, most of his torso is now clad in blood-stained bandages.  Now completely numb to his surroundings, even Peridot is somewhat unsettled at David’s aura of cold, empty nonchalance.

The last day…

A sudden knocking at the door startles Peridot.

Peridot: You may enter.

Through the door comes Evil Quartz.  Her face shows a calmness David had never seen out of her.

Evil Quartz: Yellow says that I’m to… Bring this human to the arena.

Peridot: Then why didn’t she come here herself?  She usually retrieves Human 12-3A in person.

Evil Quartz: (Looking a little scared, showing David that something wasn’t right here) She, uhh… Had more important things to attend to.

Peridot: (Gives Evil Quartz a sideways look, then shrugs)  Very well.  (Opens the cage and disengages the electric collar)

Evil Quartz grabs David by the arm and pulls him down the hall to the arena.  David quickly notices that there is no one else in the stadium.

David: This isn’t an official training exercise, is it?

Evil Quartz: Shut up, human!  You embarrassed me when you put up that stupid facade of yours!  You just had to act all tough!  Now you’re going to pay!

David then realizes something that actually does scare him.  He’s alone with a deranged Gem soldier who has a sadistic obsession with hurting humans, whom he happened to anger by not showing fear or pain back at her.  A cold dread begins to seep into him when he makes the connection in his head: Evil Quartz is going to kill him.  And with Yellow Diamond unaware of this “special one-on-one training,” she can do whatever she wants to him.  With that, David begins to show the fear that Evil Quartz wants out of him.

Evil Quartz: Oh, now you wanna be scared!  It’s a little too late for that, little boy!  (Draws her sword)

David takes off, making a straight beeline for the woods.  He thinks it’s his fear-charged vision playing with him, but he swears he sees movement in the bushes in front of him, a swish of a shadowy dress among the brush.  David knows that this isn’t some game anymore; he is now genuinely fighting for his life.  He begins to frantically pant, and, deciding that the figures in the forest are real, he begins to cry out.

David: Somebody, help!!  Help me!!

Evil Quartz:  (Stalking patiently forward)  No one’s coming to save you, little fleshie!  (Takes off towards him)

Evil Quartz quickly catches up to David.  She locks him in a stranglehold, then relishes David’s terror as she slides her blade across David’s cheek, causing a droplet of blood to seep out.

Evil Quartz: I’ll make this quick.  (Draws back her blade and impales David through his back, the blood-soaked tip jutting out of David’s exposed chest)

David lets out a choked cry, and a trickle of blood streams out of his mouth.  His vision fades in and out, but then he sees the movement in the bushes become more definite.

Evil Quartz: Hahaha, look at all that red stuff!  This feels so good!  I love the sound they make when you skewer them–

A Gem jumps with extreme speed straight out of the bushes, clad in a pink floor-length dress resembling a flower.  With a large pink sword in her hand, she charges the bewildered Quartz and with a deft stroke, beheads her, causing her and her sword to poof.  David collapses onto the ground, making pained gurgling noises, his attempts at screaming with a throat full of blood.  The Gem makes a move to plunge her sword into Evil Quartz’s Gem, but she is suddenly restrained by a Pearl from behind.

Pearl: Don’t shatter her, focus on the human!

The Gem turns to David, takes one look at the mortally wounded young man, and her face changes from rage to sorrow in an instant.  She gracefully walks over to David, and kneels down, placing him on her lap.  She begins to sob, tears freely flowing from her eyes onto David’s chest.  David, having absolutely no idea what the strange Gem was doing, suddenly notices a strong tingling sensation coming from his pierced heart, and is awestruck when he sees the wound on his chest closing up.

???: It’s okay… You’re safe now…

David is struggling to hold onto consciousness.  He coughs up the blood that had been trapped in his throat and some of it splatters onto the Gem’s face.  She giggles a little, as if she was happy that the human had done that, and she flips David onto his back, crying more magic tears onto the wound on his back.  At that point, David goes limp, succumbing to blood loss.

End memory.

[jbhenwiler]

David Heatherson is now live!

At long last, the official blog for Redemption from a Dark World, David and the Crystal Gems, and all things David-related are ready for your reading pleasure!  Every official story I’ve written so far is posted there in ideal chronological order, though because of the way Tumblr’s organized, you’ll have to scroll all the way to the bottom to start from the beginning.  For those who want to read individual stories out of order or for people who son’t like scrolling for long periods of time, I’ve posted the series to Archive of our Own and DeviantArt as well, under the username jbhughes54enwiler.  (See the David Heatherson blog for the URLs)  

I’m really happy with the way David’s blog ended up looking, and the blog’s ask box is open, so you guys can ask the characters stuff (within reason) and they’ll likely respond, or you can ask me stuff if you have any questions about behind-the-scenes content.  And yes, the sword in the avatar box is indeed my sketch of David’s sword.  (The only RFADW drawing I tried that turned out halfway decent, I’m no Rebecca Sugar)  I’m proud to stand by my work, and I dearly hope you continue to enjoy my story.  Thank you all.

[jbhenwiler]

David’s Memories: The Day the Gems Invaded

David Memories 01: The Day the Gems Invaded

Author’s Note: This is going to be a bit of a departure from my other stories involving David.  These are basically flashback episodes, a window into life on David’s world before he got transported into Steven’s universe.  These are called “memories” but they’re not being told in first-person like real memories are.  Any of you guys ever played “The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild?”  Having to go around Hyrule to specific locations where you could play a cutscene showing Link’s past life before the Calamity?  Those scenes weren’t being told exclusively from Link’s perspective, and in one case the scene kept playing even after Link was unconscious, plus the Zelda and the Master Sword memory in which Link wasn’t even present!  Anyway, this is the memory of the starting point of David’s adventure; the day Gems destroyed his hometown along with every other human settlement and enslaved humanity.  You may notice some differences in the events here and the ones that transpired in David’s nightmares in Redemption from a Dark World.  Those were nightmares, not David’s exact recollection of the time.  Therefore, these flashback episodes can be considered officially canon to the RFADW universe, or at least more exactly canon compared to the nightmares.  Enjoy.  Oh, one last thing!  Since this is David’s world we’re talking about, these stories are going to be much darker than the rest of the series.  This is basically an apocalypse world, after all, so expect lots of death and destruction, and a few very emotionally gripping scenes.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Waitress: Here’s your meatloaf, David.  (Sets a plate down on the table)

David: Thanks, Emily.  (Begins to eat)

In the background, the sky begins to darken, but nobody seems to notice.  David’s phone lights up and vibrates.  He looks at the text message from his mother.

SMS>> Mom: How did you do at your new job, David?

SMS>> Me: Fine.  Clocked out.  Having dinner at Maxwell’s now.

` ……………………

SMS>> Mom: OK then.  Come home soon, it looks like there’s a storm kicking up.

SMS>> Me: Got it.

David puts his phone to sleep and slips it into his pocket.  He continues to eat.  A faint rumbling can be heard outside.  Some people out the window in the front of the restaurant are running past.

Random Citizen: What is that thing!?

David looks up from his meal.  Seeing people running past, David begins to suspect something’s wrong.  At that moment, a colossal explosion shakes the entire building.  Everyone screams and David, his food forgotten, stands up, and runs for the exit.  Outside, the sky is dark red, and David looks up.  The camera dramatically zooms out behind David to show the sky.  Hanging in midair are two gigantic metal hands, green in color.  Suddenly, the hands begin to shoot things at the town.

David: Oh, shi--  (Runs for his house)

Panicking citizens are running away from the invading forces, the entire town’s population creating a tide that David must swim upstream through to reach his mother.  A laser blast hits a house nearby, causing it to explode into a cloud of smoke and splinters. David begins to search for his mother in the crowd.

David: MOOMMM!!!

He can’t find his mom.  More buildings explode, and fires can be seen raging all around; the famed Henleaf Woods are now engulfed in an inferno.  As David runs, he sees that some people are lying on the ground, bloody stab wounds visible on their backs and necks, awash in pools of their own blood.

David reaches his home street, and he continues to run until he sees something that makes his heart stop for a second.  A gigantic, red-bodied being with five red gems set into its body, is cloaked in flame and is setting homes on fire.

David: (Panicked voice) What the hell is that thing!?

Then he sees his house.  It is completely engulfed in flames.

David: Oh no!  Mom!!  (Takes off for the house)

Thankfully the creature doesn’t notice him as he races for the front door of his house, and throws it open.  Inside, the burning home is showing signs of beginning to collapse.

David: MOM!!

David’s Mom: David!!  Over here!!

David grabs a fire extinguisher from the kitchen and makes his way through the flames, shooting as he goes to the living room, where his mother is pinned underneath a bookcase.

David: Mom!!  (Puts down the extinguisher and struggles to lift the heavy shelves)

The bookshelf is too heavy.

David’s Mom: David… It’s okay.  Save yourself, get out of here!

David: No, mom!  I’m not leaving you behind!  (Pushes himself past his limits, but to no avail)

David’s Mom: David, this house has gas appliances; it’s going to blow any second!  Go, David, NOW!

David: (Soot and tears staining his face) Mom…

David’s Mom: It’s okay, David.  You’ll be just fine.  I’ll always watch over you, but you need to go now!

David: (Gives up on lifting the bookcase, gets up, and turns to his mother one last time) Goodbye, mom… (Tears are freely flowing down his face)

David races through the flames for the door.  He makes it near the sidewalk when the house he grew up in explodes violently.  David is knocked off his feet, and he flies straight into his mom’s car parked on the curb, cracking the side window where he crashed into it.  On impact, David blacks out.

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………..

The camera vision fades in and out, flickering a bit.  A heartbeat and the sound of ears ringing is audible.  The view focuses in to show David laying on his back, buried in a coating of ash.  His eyes flutter and he slowly wakes up, raising himself into a sitting position.  He checks his surroundings.  Everything is gray.  Ashes are slowly falling from the sky.  Nothing is left, Henleaf Town had been replaced with an endless and bleak landscape, completely devoid of life, punctuated with the charred skeletons of buildings and the jagged tips of tree trunks.

David: Everything’s… Gone…   …………………. ...Mom!  (Scrambles to his feet)

David runs down the ashen sidewalk to where his house used to stand.

David: Mom!  Mom!!  Mo--

He sees a bone jutting out of the ashes and rubble, in the middle of what must have been the living room.  David immediately has a flashback.

Child David: Mommy, where’s daddy?

They’re in a hospital.  Doctors and nurses are bustling about.  David’s mother, visibly distressed and on the verge of tears, looks at the young David, around the age of three, and runs over to him, her face awash with tears and sadness.  She picks up David and locks him in a tight, sobbing hug, her whole body shaking.

Child David: Where’s daddy?

David’s Mom: Daddy’s not with us anymore, David.  I-It’s just us now…  (Sobs)

Child David: Where’s daddy!?  (Begins to panic and cry) WHERE’S DADDY!?!?

The camera zooms out to show mother and son locked in grief and mourning, and the flashback ends, bringing us back to the ruins of Henleaf Town, showing a closeup of the bones in the rubble, which are being pelted with teardrops from above.  David falls to his knees, tears beginning to fall from his eyes in droves, his body shaking with sorrow.

David: No… Nononono…  MOM!!!!!  (His anguished cry echoes around the area)

David sits there sobbing his eyes out for what felt like forever, and when he has run out of tears to cry, he gets up.  With an empty look in his eyes, he strolls down what used to be the street.  With no clear destination in mind, he wanders the wasteland, his limping, ash-covered body making him look like a ghost.  He passes what’s left of Maxwell’s, the restaurant he had ate at just hours ago.  Nothing is left of it, except for the skeletons of the cooks and waiters littered around the foundation.

David: That’s it then, everyone’s gone…  Everyone I know is dead…

He continues walking…

David: T-This has to be a dream, no, a nightmare!  (Stops) That’s it!  I’ll just pinch myself, I’ll wake up, and everything will be OK again!

David pinches himself multiple times.  Nothing happens.

David: W-Why isn’t this working!?

About half an hour later, David reaches the site of the Forest Guardian’s Shrine.  With all the trees now gone, the charred but still standing monument now sits atop a hill overlooking the ruined landscape.  A gem of some sort, resembling a Pearl, lay in pieces at the foot of the statue.  Suddenly, David has flashes of vision, seemingly from another being’s viewpoint.  For a few brief moments, David is a wolf, running for his (Or her?) life through the burning forest, pursued by a group of mysterious humanoids with crystals on various parts of their bodies, all carrying weapons like swords and spears.  The vision abruptly cuts out.

David: (Holding his head) What… was that?  I better get out of here.

As David walks down the trail, he begins to have a feeling he’s being watched.

David: H-Hello?  Anyone there?

A shadow appears above him.  He turns around, to face a large, muscular gem-being wearing a crash helmet looming over him.

???: You lost, little boy?

David: W-Who are you!?  What did you do to my town!?

???: (Chuckles) The name’s Jasper.  And you’re coming with me.  I know just the place for you.

Jasper strikes David in the head with her helmet, barely avoiding cracking David’s skull but still instantly knocking him out.  She chuckles again and hefts the limp human over her shoulder as she made her way to the landed hand-ship.

End memory.

Author’s note: In the Gem invasion of Earth in David’s timeline, hundreds of millions of human lives were cut short.  And yes, the Jasper who captures David is indeed the same Jasper we all know from Steven’s Universe.  In David’s world, Jasper is one of the lead generals leading the invasion of Earth.  Her forces were responsible for the total destruction of Empire City and all the surrounding area, including Henleaf Town.

[jbhenwiler]

David and the Crystal Gems in... Return to Henleaf Town

David and the Crystal Gems in... Return to Henleaf Town

 Autumn in Beach City… David is watching the news while Steven is making dinner for himself, David, and Amethyst.

TV Announcer: In other news, an artist who was missing for the past day has been found.  However, he has a very strange story to tell.  According to the man, who goes by the name Daniel Rost, he was attacked by what could only have been described as a monster.

 David immediately perks up upon hearing this.

David: Hey, guys!  You should probably come see this!  (Everyone comes over to the TV)

TV Announcer: What I’m about to show is Daniel’s depiction of the monster.  Take a look.

 The “monster” walked on four legs, appeared to resemble a wolf, and the drawing even showed a clearly defined gem on its head.

David: You thinking what I’m thinking?

Pearl: A corrupted Gem… How many of these people did we miss?

TV Announcer: The sighting was reported to have happened in the forests west of a small town outside Empire City, Henleaf Town, and-- (Camera pans to David; David is dumbstruck)

David: Wait a minute--WHAT!?

Steven: Isn’t that the name of your hometown back in your own dimension, David?

David: Darn right it is!  I always wondered if this world had a copy of my home, but it’s actually there!?

Pearl: And on top of that, there’s a dangerous-looking corrupted Gem in its vicinity.  We should head out and neutralize it before it does any harm to the humans there.

David: I thought we got all the corrupted Gems?

Pearl: I have a theory.... (Pulls up a holographic map of Earth from her pearl, dots it with the locations of all the warp pads, and puts the rotating globe in front of David)  Where on the globe is Henleaf Town, David?

David: (Points to its location southwest of Empire City)  There.  Hmm… There aren’t any warp pads anywhere near it!

Pearl: My thoughts exactly.  It’s likely we couldn’t find this Gem because we couldn’t easily get to its location.

Steven: So that means there’s only one way for us to get there.

David and Steven in unison: Road trip.

David: It’ll be a tight squeeze fitting us all into Greg’s van.

Amethyst: Ehh… We’ve done it before. 

Pearl: It’s a little too late to be going out, especially that far from home.  We should make preparations and head out tomorrow.

Steven: I’ll call dad and ask him if he’s OK with us doing this with him.  (The food in the oven starts sizzling loudly)  Oh man, our dinner’s overcooked!  (Rushes to the kitchen)

 After saving the dinner, Steven got on the phone and informed his father that he was needed for a mission.  Then they got together and began to plan.

Pearl: Henleaf Town is far enough away that we will likely have to spend the night there.

David: If this is indeed an exact copy of Henleaf Town from my world, then there’s going to be a chain hotel right outside of the town limits.  It’ll be perfect for us.

Amethyst: Look at you, our little inside man!

David: (Kinda blushing) Well I did live there, after all.

Pearl: We should also pack supplies for the trip.  Steven, Greg, and David will need extra pairs of clothes, as well as comfortable shoes for the long hike through the forest--

David: I’ve been through that forest before, Pearl.  We don’t need to get that carried away with preparations.  It's not that inhospitable of an environment, and there's trails running everywhere so it's not quite as easy to get lost in as the Beach City woods.

Steven: Wait, are we bringing dad along for the ride in the forest? You know, where the monster lives?

Pearl: Absolutely not.  Greg is too vulnerable.  He’s human.

David: Excuse me, I’M human, and I can hold my own in battle just fine!

Pearl: I didn’t mean you, David.  You’re not like most humans.  That being said, don’t forget to pack your sword.

David: I haven’t had the chance to use that thing since I fought the scorpion.  I should probably refresh myself with a training exercise before we go.

Pearl: Good idea, David.

 David goes out onto the beach and draws his sword, feeling a little giddy at using it again. In his mind he imagines a Quartz soldier in front of him.  David takes a deep breath, counts to three, and begins practicing.  A few minutes later, Pearl comes down from the porch and observes his moves.

Pearl: Your technique is spot-on.  Your world's version of me must have been just as good a teacher as I am.

David: (Training stops) I don't know how you train your students, but my Pearl was a maniac.  Her idea of "training" was throwing me into a forest clearing with a whole army of Holo-Pearls.  Those things hunted me down like a pack of wolves!  Then again, I guess that really helped me learn how to fight.  Nothing like mortal danger to get someone to learn.

Pearl: (Somewhat distraught) Well, there's training, and then there's putting your student's life in jeopardy.  I'm not sure if I'd approve of her methods, even if it was effective.  What happened when you lost to the holograms?

David: Oh, Pearl'd shut them down if they got too close to killing me.  She knows that Rose would never forgive her if I died in her care.  She took her time doing it though.  By the time the Pearls would fizzle out, their swords would be inches from my neck.

Pearl: Anyway, you don't seem to be too rusty.  Why don't you come in for dinner?

David: Sure.  What does Chef Steven have in store for us tonight?

Pearl: From what I've seen, it appears to be vegetarian lasagna. 

David: Ugh.  I respect Steven's decision to become vegan, but I wish he didn't impose that stuff on me and Amethyst.

Pearl: It feels like seconds ago the boy was obsessed with hot dogs and fry bits.  But I guess that was the point of Rose having a son.  She adored you humans' ability to change and grow.

David: You're talking to a person who knew her.  I've heard that spiel from her so many times.

Pearl: (Laughs) I guess it's nice you had a bond with her as well.  I've learned to move on from Rose Quartz, but sometimes I still miss her...  Living with humans did something to Pink Diamond that the other Diamonds never could.  Humanity matured her.  She became such a strong Gem.

David: I only knew her as Rose anyway.  And at that, the Rose I knew was a psychopath.  She pretty much locked me in a cave all day.  If it wasn't for Pearl, I'd have been dead weight with no weapon or fighting experience.

Pearl: Your world was such a dangerous place that I suppose it would harden any being's heart.

David: It's still Earth though.  It has its beauty.

Pearl: Yes indeed.  Let's go inside.

 David and Pearl go up the stairs to the porch. David drops off his sword in his hut, hanging the scabbard on a set of hooks on the wall above his television, and then walks to the main house.  The living room is permeated with the smell of fresh pasta and marinara sauce.

David: (To himself) Ok, I'll admit, this does smell good.

Steven: Hey, David!  How'd your brush-up training go?

David: Let's just say I'm ready to take on anything.

Steven: Cool.  We could really use some extra muscle on our team.

David: Don't flatter me, kid.  I'm not that strong yet.  (Looks at his arms, which are still stringy)

Garnet: True, but as a human, you can always get stronger.

David: Yep.  Yes I can!  Anyway, let's eat!

Steven: Help yourself.

 David takes a serving of plant-based Italian food and walks to the couch, and begins to dig in.  Despite not containing meat, the food was delicious.

David: You've really outdone yourself, Steven.  This is good!

Amethyst: Eh.  It really needs beef though.  I miss your hot dog diet.

David: It's his choice, Amethyst.  If you want to chow down on animals, get your own food.

Amethyst: Aw, man!  You're no fun!

Pearl: We should start planning for tomorrow.  Steven, did you let you father know about our mission?

Steven: Yep.  He's okay with it.  He'll drive his van over here at 9 AM tomorrow morning.

David: (Now finished with his food) I'll go pack my bags.

 David goes back to his hut and turns on the lights.  He takes a duffel bag Greg had given him for trips and sets it on his bed, and then opens his dresser and takes out an assortment of clothing, including jeans and a hoodie.  He also packs a charger for his phone and hygiene supplies like shampoo and deodorant.

David: That should be enough.  We're probably only going to be there for one night.

 The next morning, David made himself breakfast and met up with the other Crystal Gems.

Pearl: David, you know the area better than any of us, so you're going to be our guide in this mission.

David: Very well.  Hopefully this universe's Henleaf Town isn't any different from mine.

 Steven comes downstairs.

Steven: Everyone ready?  (All nod)

David: I'll go bring my bag and my sword out.  (Leaves)

Steven: Oh, right, I need my duffel too!  (Leaves)

 A few minutes later, both David and Steven return with their luggage.

David: Hey, there's something that's kinda nagging me.  Henleaf Town isn't as familiar with Gems as Beach City is.  We might attract unneeded attention if a bunch of oddly colored humanoids show up.

Pearl: Hmm, you're right.  Any ideas how to blend in?

David: Come to think of it, around this time of year Empire City has a Comic-Con event.  We could just say that you guys are cosplayers.

Steven: Great idea!  We'll be the Crystal Gems from the epic fantasy television show, Steven Universe!  (Instrumental theme song plays in the background)

David: (Having a strange feeling) A little on-the-nose, don't you think?

Steven: What, want me to be any more creative?

David: No, it's just that there's something familiar about this.

Steven: It's the best I can come up with right now.  Anyway, dad's almost here.  He says he's booked a room for us in that chain hotel you mentioned, David.

 A horn honks outside.

Steven: Never mind, he's here!

 Everyone leaves the house.  Greg's signature panel van is outside.  David, with his scabbard in one hand and the duffel in the other, approaches the vehicle.

Steven: Your first official Crystal Gem mission, David!  How do you feel?

David: I'm not feeling so much of the mission part as the fact that I'm going home.  (Gets into the van)

 Everyone else gets in.

Greg: Hey, David?  I'm not entirely sure how to get to this Henleaf Town of yours.  Could you help me with directions?

David: If you can get to Empire City, I can direct you from there.

 The van takes off across the beach.  It drives through Beach City towards the local northbound highway.  Miles and miles later, they stopped for lunch at a fast-food restaurant.

Greg: We'll eat here.

Pearl: Us Gems will stay in the van.

Steven: Does this place offer salads?

David: I've been to one of these places before.  They've got everything: burgers, sandwiches, and yes, salads.

Steven: Cool.

 David orders a burger combo, Steven gets a strawberry salad, and Greg decides on a ham sandwich.  They quickly eat their meals and go back to the van.

Pearl: Everybody ready? (Everyone nods)

Greg: Let's go.  (Turns over the engine on his van)

 Several miles later...

Amethyst: Hey, guys, does anybody think that there might be another David in our world's Henleaf Town?

David: (Eyes widen with shock) Oh my gosh, you're right.  I can't imagine what would happen if there were two of me in one spot.  What would happen to the space-time continuum?

Steven: Well, there was that time a bunch of mes from different timelines met up in an underwater temple.  Nothing bad seemed to happen to the universe then, other than the fact that we started fighting.

David: (Is struggling to come up with a response to this)  H-how did you even do that!?

Steven: With a Gem time machine.

David: You people are crazy.

Amethyst: Don't deny you love us!

David: Well, you're definitely not the most normal family around, but to be honest, I'm honored to be a part of it.

Amethyst: Haha, you do love us!

David: I never said I didn't!

 Everyone laughs.  Soon they reach the Empire City limits.

Greg: Okay, David, where do I go from here?

David: (Looks out the window) Uhh... There should be an exit onto Route 11 a mile ahead, take the left ramp.

 Greg took the ramp, and soon he saw a sign reading: "Exit 31, Henleaf Town, 5 miles."

Greg: Okay, I see where I'm going now.

 Four miles down the road, a shift in the environment occurred.  The highway was soon surrounded by trees enveloped in pure shades of orange, brown, and yellow.  Everyone is transfixed.

Greg: Look at this gorgeous fall foliage!  Did you really grow up here, David?  In your world, I mean.

David: Just wait until we're in town; the trees alone were something I missed the most when I lived with Rose.

 Soon, they were there.  Greg drove through the center of town, where a sign read;

*Henleaf Town: The suburb nestled in amongst the majestic trees of an ancient forest.*

 Surrounding the town were massive, tall trees crowned with fall colors so vibrant they almost could hurt a person's eyes. 

Steven: You weren't kidding, these forests look amazing!

David: Mom would always take me on long hikes through the woods here...

 They drove to the edge of town where a 3-story chain hotel by the name of RestInn awaited them.

Greg: We're right on time.  Let's get ourselves checked in.

 The interior of RestInn's Henleaf Town location was plain and simple in design, without looking too generic.  Dominating the lobby was a large painting above the reception desk of Henleaf Town's famous trees, in all their splendor.  At the center of the painting was a stone monument.  Greg walked up to the counter and began to talk to the receptionist, who gave him two card keys, while looking with a somewhat bewildered face at the odd assortment of guests that the middle-aged man had been accompanied by.  Greg then walked back to the team.

Greg: We're on the second floor.  Follow me.

 David, Greg, Steven, and the Gems all crammed into the hotel's single elevator, and ascended one floor.  Out of the elevator, they walked down the hall to their room.  Inside the room were two queen-sized beds, a large flat-panel television, a desk, a window overlooking the parking lot, and a small, basic bathroom.

Greg: Well, there's not enough beds for all of us, but that doesn't matter anyway 'cause most of us don't need to sleep.  Let's get settled in and then you guys can plan your Gem stuff.

 The group sat down in various locations.  Greg, David, Pearl, Steven, and Amethyst sat down on the beds, while Garnet sat down on a small wheeled office chair in front of the desk, looking comically too big for the seat.

David: Sooo... Where do we start?  I'm still not familiar with how these Crystal Gem missions work.

Pearl: I suppose we should start by locating the corrupted Gem.  Garnet, just like before, your Future Vision should give us an idea for where the Gem is.

Garnet: Hmm... I see that the wolf Gem is constantly moving.  That will make it difficult to find.  It does seem to be following a pattern though.  Give me a few hours, I may be able to figure out its movements.

Steven: Aw, man... I don't want to be crammed in this room for that long!

Amethyst: Then let's not!  We can go out on the town!

David: Are you sure that's a good idea?  You saw the look the receptionist gave us; we're not exactly the people this town's used to.  But, I guess there's also our little cover story.  You know what, let's do it!

Steven: David, lead the way!

Pearl: I'll come with you!  Someone has to keep the group together.

Amethyst: You mean keep us from having fun?

David: (Grabs one of the card keys) Greg, you coming?

Greg: Sure, why not?

 David, Amethyst, Pearl, Steven, and Greg all left the hotel room, went down the elevator, and left through a side entrance out into the parking lot.

Pearl: David, we're going to have to rely on you to get around.

Amethyst: Yeah, this is your home turf after all!

 The group walked for a few minutes until they reached the town square they had passed through on the way to the hotel.  At this point, David finally succumbed to nostalgia.

David: (Head swiveling, looking mystified) This is freaking surreal... I-it's like it was never destroyed...

Steven: This is a parallel universe, after all.  The Gems never invaded, so the town was never burned down in the first place.

David: Doesn't make it any less weird.  Last time I saw this place, it was a pile of ash...

Pearl: I'm more concerned with running into this world's version of you, David.  Or anybody who could recognize you, for that matter, like your mother.

David: Even if such a thing wouldn't cause the universe to explode, it would certainly confuse everyone and cause a ruckus.

Amethyst: So let's just find that Gem and get outta here then!

David: Let's not hurry too much, though...  (Head still swiveling, a distant look in his eyes)

Steven: This place holds so many memories for you...  You must be overwhelmed right now.  Am I right?

David: There's so many places I could show you guys.  The restaurants I ate at.  My old school.  You guys were so good at showing me around Beach City, it's only fair I give you a tour of my town too.

Amethyst: I guess we have SOME time… Why don't we go get something to eat?

Steven: Yes, let's!  What do you recommend, David?

David: Well, my favorite restaurant is down the street from here.  I'm not sure if they have any veggie dishes though.  I hope you don't mind, Steven.

Steven: I can always go somewhere else later.  Like Amethyst said, this is your home turf, David.  We'll go wherever you want.

 David led the team to a homey-looking eatery.

David: This is Maxwell's.  It's kinda like a diner.  Man, this place never fails to get me salivating.  Let's go in.

 Everyone goes in.  David looks around, both taking in the sights and making sure no one who knew him was there.  After finding no people who could recognize him, he approached the check-in counter.

David: Table for five, please.

Waitress: Right this way.

 The waitress led them to a large circular table in the back of the restaurant.  They all sat down.

Waitress: So, you guys on your way to Empire City Comic-Con?

David: (Surprised that she had already guessed their cover) Yeah, we are.  We're cosplaying characters from our favorite TV show.

Waitress: I heard this year's Con has a great lineup of special guests.  The place is going to be packed.  Anyway, what can I get you?

David: I'll have the house special.

Waitress: Meatloaf OK with you?

David: (Trying not to act like he knows that the meatloaf is the best dish Maxwell's offers) Sure, that's fine.

Steven: (Sees a veggie burger on the menu)  I'll have the Amazing Meatless Burger.

Greg: I'd like the fried chicken.

Pearl: Nothing for me, thanks.

Amethyst: I'll take the chicken quesadilla.

Waitress: Okay, that'll be right out for you.  (Leaves)

Amethyst: So... This place isn't bad.

David: ...This is the restaurant I was eating at when the Gems attacked.  (Sighs) My last few seconds of innocence were spent here.  

Pearl: You probably shouldn't dwell on those memories too much.

Amethyst: Yeah, everything's okay here.  We're going to go catch that corrupted Gem and everyone in this town will be safe again.

 An elderly man, appearing to be in his 60s, approached their table.

???: (British accent) Excuse me, may I speak with you?

 Everyone startles and looks at the man who just spoke to them.

???: My name is Daniel.  Daniel Rost.  I'm an artist based here in Henleaf Town.

David: You're that guy on the news who got attacked by that corr-- By that monster in the woods!

Daniel: Indeed I am.  I notice your companions have a feature that resembles the creature who stalks the forest.  (Everyone looks uneasy)  May I ask; are you related to it?

Steven: Guys, should we trust him?

Pearl: It's not like he's a threat.  He's just an artist.

David: Daniel, we'd love to talk, but maybe we shouldn't do this in public.

Daniel: Very well.  (Reaches into his pocket and pulls out a notepad and a pen, and writes onto it, then tears off the page and hands it to David) This is my address.  Come visit me, if you desire.  (Leaves)

Amethyst: ...That was weird.

David: That guy must really have a sharp eye.  He was able to make the connection between the "monster" that attacked him and you guys just at first glance.

 Just then, their food arrived.  David takes one look at his food and is immediately overcome with a mix of nostalgia and happiness.  David, Steven, Greg, and Amethyst chow down.

Amethyst: Mmm, this is soo good!  No wonder you love this place, David!

David: The house special meatloaf is their signature menu item.  I'm so glad we were able to come here on a day they have it on.

Amethyst: You hear that guys?  David's food is special!  (Swipes a forkload of meatloaf from David's plate)

David: Hey!

Amethyst: (Goes star-eyed) You weren't kidding.  This is the best meatloaf I've ever tasted!

 They eat their food, and Greg pays the bill.  They then leave the restaurant.

Steven: So, what should we do about that artist?

David: Well, Daniel has a first-hand account of the corrupted Gem.  He could have vital intel about the wolf's behavior.

Pearl: That is a great idea, David!  Where is the address he gave you?

David: (Takes the slip of paper out of his pocket) 18 West Market Street... Wait a minute... That's literally two doors down from my mom's house!

Pearl: That could be a bad thing.  We shouldn't be getting too close to places where you're commonly found around here.

David: Well if we want to meet this guy we don't have a choice.  In any case, it's the middle of the afternoon right now.  Other Me should be at his/my job right now, and my mother is probably in Empire City doing her job.

Steven: Then we're good.  All agree?

Everyone: Yes.

David: Let's move out.

 The group went down the street through the square, down several roads into a residential area lined with autumn-laced trees.  Soon they passed a one-story house that David's heart practically burst with emotions for.

Amethyst: (Sees David staring intently) That's it, isn't it.  Your place?

David: ...I just wish I could talk to mom...  I know that in this universe, she isn't MY mom, but still...  I'd give anything to see her again...

Pearl: I suppose that's Mr. Rost's house over there?  (Points to a Tudor-style bungalow down the road)

Amethyst: Sheesh, that place screams "I'm more cultured than you."

David: Interesting... In my world, that house wasn't there.  Where I come from, that property was home to a more modern-looking building.

 They approach the house.  David rings the doorbell, and it is answered by Daniel himself.

Daniel: Ah, you came.  Please come in.

 Inside the home...

Daniel: Come to think of it, one of you bears an uncanny resemblance to one of my neighbors.  I don't suppose your name is David Heatherson?

David: (Realizes his cover's blown, and struggles to formulate a response)  Well, it's a really long story, and one that's kinda hard to believe.  Long story short, yes, I'm David Heatherson, but not the one you're familiar with.

Daniel: After what I recently experienced in the forest, I am ready to believe anything.  Please tell me your story.

 Everyone sits down in the living room.

David: First things first, the creature who attacked you in the forest is indeed related to the beings who are with me here.  They're called Gems, and they come from another galaxy.  I personally am a parallel version of David from another Earth.  You following me so far?

Daniel: Yes I am.

Steven: We're attempting to capture the wolf Gem so we can restore it to its real form.

Pearl: And any details on how the Gem you encountered behaves would be greatly helpful to us.

Daniel: Well, I noticed that it appeared to be looking for something.  What it was searching for is beyond my knowledge.  Perhaps you could find out for yourselves.

David: Not to insult your age, but judging on appearances, you definitely wouldn't have been able to fight off that Gem.  How did you survive the attack?

Daniel: That is another thing that fascinated me about the "Gem" you speak of.  It made motions to attack me, but none of its moves hit me.  I ran as fast as I could, and eventually I lost the creature.

David: It almost sounds like a territorial display rather than an actual attempt at hurting people.

Pearl: Good observation, David.

Amethyst: Is there anything else you can tell us, like where exactly you found the Gem?

Daniel: You're aware of the Forest Guardian's Shrine deep in the forest, correct?

David: Of course!  I've been there so many times.

Daniel: It is said that in times of old, festivals were held there to worship a being believed to have guarded the Henleaf Woods.   I often make trips to the shrine for artistic inspiration. The painting in the lobby of our town's hotel is my work.

David: "Those who dare to permeate the glades of Henleaf with violence, beware, for Our Guardian will hunt you to the end of time."  It's a legend handed down among some of the older families here.

Greg: Wow, we're not even that far from Beach City, and it's like this place has its own culture.

Daniel: When my family immigrated here from England, we heard many stories from locals regarding the being said to be the Guardian.  Most agree that the Guardian takes the form of a huntress, a lady of boundless grace and poise, ever ready to jump into action to defend Henleaf and all who inhabit it.  Her bow was said to fire arrows of pure light that could pierce the thickest of armor. 

Pearl: I wonder if the wolf Gem is tied to the shrine?

Daniel: The wolf did appear to be guarding something there.  Who knows, perhaps the wolf is an incarnation of the Guardian herself.

David: It's pretty well-established that the wolf is a Gem.  Maybe...

Amethyst: The Guardian of Henleaf Forest was a Gem!

Pearl: It does make sense.  After all, Opal does wield a bow with light arrows.

David:  You've given us a great lead, Mr. Rost.  Thank you.

Daniel: I am glad I was able to be of assistance.

David: If I can ask a favor, Daniel: Please don't let anyone else know who we are, especially the other me or my mom.  I don't want the David of this Earth to know that there's a parallel version of him running around with aliens.

Daniel: Your secret is safe with me.

Pearl: I think we have all the information we need.  We should go.

Steven: Okay.  Thank you, Daniel.  (Everyone gets up)

 Daniel walks the team to the door.

Daniel: Farewell.  And good luck on your mission.

David:  Goodbye!  If I ever come back here I'll make a point of visiting you.

 Back at the hotel room...

David: Garnet, we're back!

Garnet: And I already know you've come back with knowledge of the Gem we're looking for.  Great job, everyone.

Steven: Did you find any information on the Gem's movement patterns?

Garnet: It seems that the corrupted Gem is following a trail surrounding a local landmark deep in the forest.

David: That's the same thing we found out from Daniel.  The Gem is guarding the Forest Guardian's Shrine.

Garnet: We have our Gem in our sights.  We depart tomorrow.

 The next morning...

 Following David, Greg, and Steven's breakfast in the lobby of RestInn, the entire team set out for Greg's van, taking the side entrance so the people in the lobby wouldn't be unsettled by the fact that David was wearing a huge sword on his back.  Inside the van, Steven took the wheel, as Greg was staying behind at the hotel.  They drove through town, and beyond, until they reached a gravel parking lot at the mouth of the forest.  A sign read: HENLEAF WOODS STATE PARK.  Steven parked the van, and everyone got out.

Steven: This is it, David.  Be ready to fight.

Pearl: And whatever you do, DON'T shatter the Gem.  Be careful where you slice.

David: I understand.

Garnet: Crystal Gems, let's go.

  -Henleaf Woods-

 The Crystal Gems were completely surrounded by blazing oranges and yellows.  It was everywhere, on trees and on the ground.  Birds were tweeting.  Bushes were rustling.  The forest was teeming with life.

Amethyst: I'm honestly jealous you had a place like this to hang out in as a kid, David!  Why can't Beach City have some super-awesome forest like this?

David: ......... (Reminiscing) 

Garnet: In his world, this forest is no more.

Amethyst: Oh, right.  The Gem invasion in David's universe.  Man, it's so sad to even think of a place like this burning down.

Steven: How much longer until we hit the shrine, David?

David: If we follow the yellow trail, it'll lead us straight to it in about a mile.

 The group reached the shrine fifteen minutes later.  The Forest Guardian's Shrine was a medium-sized stone structure with wooden benches surrounding it, dominated by a statue of a woman clad in a loose-fitting gown, the lady looking skyward, her bow stretched taut in her hands as she aimed her weapon towards the sky.  The hood on her cloak covered most of her face.

Amethyst: She certainly looks like a Gem.  Only I can't see any gem on the statue.  I wonder what type she is?

Pearl: If the Forest Guardian is a Gem, than she had to have been a Crystal Gem.  Why else would she be protecting life here?

David: The Forest Guardian earned enough of the humans' respect in this area that they worshiped her as a deity.   

Amethyst: If she was such a big fighter in our movement, how weren't we aware of her?

Pearl: The Crystal Gems were a planet-wide organization comprised of hundreds of thousands of Gems.  We weren't in contact with everyone at all times, and certain sectors were cut off from the central movement.  This Guardian may have been a lone fighter comprising her own zone of protection.

 The animal noises abruptly stop.  David notices this, and a chill runs down his spine.

David: G-guys??  I think we're being watched.

Garnet: Crystal Gems, battle formation!  (The Gems summon their weapons; David draws his sword)

 The camera flies a wide field around the Crystal Gems.  All is silent.

Pearl: Get ready, everyone.

 Out of the forest jumped a large gray wolf, adorned with a shining opalescent gem on its forehead.  The corrupted Gem moved with a frightening agility, running circles around the team.  David tries to stay calm, but his arms holding his sword are shaking.

Steven: Stay cool, David!  You can do this!

 Garnet, with a battle cry, launches after the wolf.  However, to her surprise, her gauntlets went straight through the "Gem's" body.  The wolf flickered and disappeared.

Garnet: Drat!  It's an illusion!

 Three more wolves jumped out of the bushes.  Steeling himself, David swings his blade at one, only for the sword to cleave through air, and that wolf flickered out as well.

David: Oh my gosh, this is just like my training!

Pearl: (Holding a wolf hologram at bay with her spear) Is this really a good time to be talking about that!?

David: Just hear me out!  Imagine that these wolves we're fighting are Holo-Pearls, and the real Pearl, the real corrupted Gem, is hiding somewhere on the sidelines!

Steven: Wait a minute, that's it!  The real wolf Gem is hiding somewhere at the edge of the battlefield!  Garnet, any clues?

Garnet: (Holding off several wolves) I can't focus!  There's too many of them!

 David fought his way to the edge of the clearing, his sword mowing through the fake Gem-wolves, who now covered the area like a gray carpet.  Then a wolf got through his defense, slashing claws slicing through his t-shirt into his stomach, leaving shallow but painful cuts, causing David to cry out and lose some of his resolve.

Steven: David!

 David regained his focus and continued pushing to the edge.  The other Gems got his strategy and also started fighting towards the edge of the clearing.  The number of wolves in the fight totaled around twenty.  David looked around the canopy, and soon he saw it: a solitary wolf, whose form was noticeably more detailed than the other wolves.

David: Guys!  Up there!!  (Rapidly points to the wolf)

Pearl: Garnet!  Throw me up there!

 Garnet throws Pearl straight up thirty feet into the canopy.  Pearl collides with the Gem before it can react and they both fall from the tops of the trees.  The Gem's focus lost, the other wolves instantly dissipate.  Now the fight is just between the real wolf and the Crystal Gems.  Garnet throws her gauntleted fists at the Gem, but it easily dodged her attacks.  David ran over from where he had been standing, bleeding from the cuts on his belly, and joined the final clash.

 Steven threw his shield at the wolf, but it misses.  Amethyst also fails to get a hit with her whip.  Garnet continues to attempt to land a blow on the wolf and eventually succeeds.  Her fist collides with the wolf-Gem's mouth.  This stuns the wolf long enough that an opening occurs.  Pearl stabs the wolf through the chest, causing it to snarl in pain.  Everything then goes silent, and the Gem finally poofs.  Everyone breathes a collective sigh of relief.

Garnet: Good job, everyone.  We got her.

Steven: (Sees David's injury) David, you're hurt!

David: Yeah, I know!  I wasn't any help in this battle at all!

Pearl: That is absolutely not true!  If you hadn't made that connection between the wolves' fighting patterns and your old training regimen, we would have been fighting those holograms indefinitely!

Amethyst: Yeah, kid!  You totally rocked it!

 Steven heals David's cuts.

David: Yeah, you're right!  I guess I did help!  Yay for us!

 Steven walks up and bubbles the Gem.

Steven: Let's head back.  I'd like to uncorrupt this Gem as soon as we can.

 Back at the hotel room...

 In the bathroom, Steven takes the three bottles of Diamond essence out of his duffel bag, and goes through the process of turning the bathtub into a de-corruption pool.  He drops the bubbled Gem into the tub and in moments, the Gem reforms.

 Out of the bathroom came Steven and the newly recovered Crystal Gem.  David perks up when he instantly recognizes the form the Gem had taken.  The cloak, the pure pearly sheen of her Gem, the graceful manner in which she carried herself: David was in the presence of the very being who defended his hometown thousands of years ago.  The only signs of corruption left over were patches of gray fur on her body.

David: F-Forest Guardian!  It's you!

Guardian: (She has a chirpy Scottish accent) Please, human, call me Moonstone.  Thank you all for freeing me from the Diamonds' curse.  You have my heartfelt gratitude.

Steven: So, where are you going to go from here?

Moonstone: What has happened in the time since I was struck?

Pearl: The Gem War is over.  We have made peace with the Diamonds and Earth is now a free planet.  Before you is Pink Diamond's half-human son, Steven, who was responsible for un-corrupting you.

 Moonstone turns to Steven.

Moonstone: Pink Diamond's... Half-human son?  I'm not sure I follow.

 One story later...

Moonstone: So... Rose Quartz was Pink Diamond all along...

David: How do you feel, Moonstone?

Moonstone: To be honest, I feel somewhat relieved.  To know that all this time my Diamond really cared for Earth just as I do is a weight off my gem.

David: You're certainly taking the news better than I did.

Moonstone: How do you know Rose Quartz, human?  I saw through my corrupted eyes that you took damage while fighting my holograms.  Why do you fight alongside these Gems?

David: That's kind of a tough question for me to answer.

 Another story later...

Moonstone: I see, so our fight could have ended a lot worse...  I would presume that in your plane of existence, I went down with my forest.  Such a shame...  And it could only have been destiny that brought you here to our world.

David: Do you plan on staying here in Henleaf?

Steven: We have a community of Gems living near Beach City.  You could join them, if you want.

Moonstone: I appreciate your offer, but my place is among the trees here.  Someone needs to ensure these stands stay vibrant for millennia to come.

Steven: Oh, okay.  If you ever change your mind, our doors will always be open to you.  We'll drive you back to the woods.

 With Moonstone delivered back to her home, the Crystal Gems checked out of the hotel and drove home to Beach City, with David vowing to visit again someday.

 A few days later...

 Daniel Rost was on a stroll.  He arrived at the shrine, surrounded by fall leaves.  Out of a bag strapped to his shoulder he pulled a sketchbook and a pencil.  Sitting on the ground in front of the shrine, he began to draw the monument.  Suddenly, out of the corner of his eye, he saw a blur of silver dart through the treetops.  Instantly recognizing the blur, his heart filled with gratitude.

Daniel: Thank you, Crystal Gems, for returning our Guardian to us.  Thank you dearly.

Episode end.

[jbhenwiler]

David and the Crystal Gems in... David’s Room

This episode takes place between Day 3 and the Epilogue of the original Redemption from a Dark World story.

David and the Crystal Gems in… David’s Room

Amethyst: So are we going to keep David on the couch forever, or what?

Pearl: (Folding Steven’s laundry)  Huh… I completely forgot about that.  How long have we been having him sleep on it?  He is an adult, perhaps we should find him his own place to live in.

David walks in.

David: Hey Pearl, Amethyst.  What’s up?

Pearl: Were were talking about arranging proper living quarters for you.

David: Of course!  I was wondering when I’d be getting my own place, but Beach City is still a little unfamiliar to me.  I was worried I wouldn't be able to find a good apartment or house.

Pearl: Well, we’re kinda in the same boat.  We’ve never been house shopping before.  Greg should be able to help us, though.

Almost by magic, Greg, walked into the house.

Greg: Hey, Pearl, I need some help with my van.

Pearl: Oh, Greg, your timing is perfect.  We need your help as well.

Greg: What kind of help?  You know I’m not good with your Gem stuff.

Pearl: Nothing of the sort.  We need you to assist David in finding a house.

Greg: A house… As in you want me to help David find a place to live?

Pearl: Exactly.

Greg: Well, I suppose there is the classifieds; let me go get a newspaper from the Big Donut.

Greg leaves for his van.  About 15 minutes later, he returns.

Greg: Here.  (hands David the newspaper)  Have you ever read the classified ads before, David?

David: I had a lesson on it in high school.  My 12th grade year had a required course on independent living.

Greg: Perfect.  This here’s the Beach City Gazette.  Try finding a place you can easily afford.

David leafs through the paper and finds an apartment on the other side of town.

David: Let’s try this one.

Greg: OK then, let’s go take a look at it.

Greg and David hop in the van and drive to a small apartment unit.  They get out and look around.  The property is clearly not in good condition.  

Greg: Sheesh, this place looks really run down.

David: This was the only place I could find in the paper that I could afford.

Greg: Actually, this won’t work anyway.  (Points to a sign on the window)  Look, the place’s already rented.

David: (Sighs) We’ll have to keep looking then.

They get back into the van and drive back to the beach house, and David enters alone.  Steven is now home from helping Gems in Little Homeworld.  No one else is present.

Steven: So I heard you’re moving out.  Any luck in finding a good place to live?

David: I found one place, but it’s in bad shape and it’s already rented.

Steven: Bummer.  Beach City is a pretty good place to live, so a lot of places are full.  Hmmm… (Thinks to himself)  Wait, there’s one place in this area that always has openings.

David: And that would be…

Steven: Little Homeworld!  It’ll be awesome!

David: Steven, I’m not a Gem!

Steven: That’s fine, we can make it work.  Just spend one night there and see if you like it!

David: I really don’t know about this but… I trust you, Steven.  Let’s do it tonight.

Steven: It’s a deal!

Steven drives David to Little Homeworld…

Steven: Hey guys!  We’ve got a new resident!

Calcite: Ooh, what kind of Gem is she?

Steven: (His face kinda wilts as he realizes what he’s doing) He’s… Not a Gem at all.  David?  Come out of the car.  (David nervously steps out of Steven’s vehicle)

Calcite: A human!?  Steven, are you sure this is the right place for him?  I mean, they have a whole city to themselves!

Steven: Don’t be like that, Calcite!  He has nowhere else to go, and Little Homeworld welcomes everyone!

Moss Agate: Yeah!  This’ll be so much fun!  Our own little human to play with!  (David immediately has very uncomfortable flashbacks of his world’s Rose Quartz, causing him to grimace with discomfort)

Steven: (Sees David’s face, and whispers to him) Just one night, OK?  (David nods)

Cherry Quartz: So… Where we putting him?

Steven: Well, who wants David to live with them?

The Gems look amongst themselves, until Larimar raises her hand.

Steven: Little Larimar!  You sure you can handle him?

Larimar: Of course!  I will take good care of the human.

Steven: (To David) Go with her.

David: Steven, this really isn’t sounding right.

Steven: Just give her a chance.  She might seem odd, but she really likes humans.

David nervously follows Larimar through the streets of Little Homeworld to a squat hut painted the same blue as Larimar’s gemstone.

Larimar: Here is my wonderful little home.  I hope you like it, brown-haired pale human.

David: (Taken aback by Larimar’s “name” for him) Please call me David.

Larimar: Of course, you humans go by personalized names instead of your type.  I am still learning how to interact with your species.  Forgive me.

David: (Now feeling a little sorry for her) No need to apologize.  This is new for me too.

Larimar: But you already live with Gems.

David: True, but Pearl, Garnet, Steven, and the others are more experienced with humans.  Anyway, let’s go inside.

Larimar: Agreed.

The inside of Larimar’s home is filled with ice sculptures and not much else.

David: Umm… Where do I sleep?

Larimar: Where do you what…?  Oh, right.  That thing humans do when they rest at night.  You can sleep… Over there.  (Points to the floor in the corner of the house’s single room)

David: The floor?  Well, I guess I should have expected that.

Larimar: What do you mean?

David: Well, normally humans sleep on soft structures called “beds,” but since this place is designed for Gems, I guess there wouldn’t be one here.

Larimar: You are correct, this is a home for Gems.

David: (Sighs)

Larimar: (Looks at David, and also sighs)

David: (Looks questioningly at Larimar)

Larimar: (Sees David’s look) To live with humans, I must understand humans.

David: That’s good thinking, but you don’t need to imitate everything I’m doing.  Anyway… I’m going to go get something to eat.

Larimar: I have plenty of snow cones in storage!

David: That’s a nice thought, but us humans can’t survive on just ice.  (Takes a warp whistle out of his pocket) And I can go practically anywhere on the planet for food.

Larimar: A whistle… For warp pads!  I haven’t seen one of those in ages.  The Crystal Gems must really trust you.

David: (Smugly grinning) Indeed they do.

15 minutes later, in Mexico…

David: ¿Me gustaría un burrito?

Taco Stand Owner: Sí.  Cinco pesos por favor.

David: (Hands over 5 pesos he just had converted in a Mexican bank)

Taco Stand Owner: Gracias.  (Goes to his kitchen to prepare the food)

Minutes later...

David: (Eating the burrito)  Sorry Mira Aquí, these burritos are mucho mejores.

Ten minutes later…

David arrives by warp pad back in Little Homeworld, still holding part of the burrito.  A gathering of Gems had assembled around the warp, waiting for him to return.  David is caught off guard by all the Gems surrounding him.

David: Uhhh…. Can I help you guys?

Moss Agate:  Where’d you go?

Calcite: What’s that thing in your hand?

Cherry Quartz: How did you use the warp pad?

David: (Decides to take things in stride) I went to Mexico, this is a burrito, a classic Mexican food product, and thanks to the power of warp whistles, I can use pretty much any warp pad.

Everyone: Wow!

Moss Agate: So, we have so many questions we’d like to ask.  Here’s mine: what’s it like being a human?

David: (Bewildered)  That’s a REALLY difficult question to answer.  (Sits down on the edge of the warp)  It’s nice.  I’ve always felt at home with myself.  Steven told me the Crystal Gems, especially Rose Quartz, wanted to protect us because unlike most Gems at the time, we had the power to change.  Change our roles, our jobs, our outlook on life.  Even our bodies are constantly evolving.  So I guess being human feels kinda… Comfortable.

Everyone is enthralled.

Bixbite: So that’s why Rose turned into Steven!  She wanted to be more comfortable!

David: Uhh, I’m sure her reasoning was MUCH more complex than that…

Bixbite: What’s eating feel like?

David: Well, I’m told Gems can shape-shift the necessary organs for eating, so all of you can definitely experience that for yourselves.  Don’t ask me the specifics though.  Amethyst would be much better explaining how to make yourself a stomach and stuff.

Before David can react, Bixbite swipes the leftover burrito out of David’s hands.

David: Hey!

Bixbite takes a huge bite out of the burrito.  She immediately goes star-eyed.

Bixbite: Oh my stars, this.  Is.  AMAZING!!  (She quickly scarfs down the rest of the burrito)

David: (Both angry his food got stolen and concerned that Bixbite won’t be able to properly digest it)  Oh CRUD…  (Gets up, whips out his phone and dials Steven)

Steven: Hey, David, what’s up?  How are the Gems treating you?

David: (Voice comically high-pitched from nervousness)  Hi, little bro Steven!  Hey, I kinda made a short trip to Mexico for dinner and Bixbite here decided to eat some of my food from there?  I don’t think she knows how to make a digestive system, so is it a bad thing she ate something??  

Steven: (Thinking in his head: Uh-oh, he’s gone falsetto.  That’s never a good sign)  Uhh… I’ll bring Amethyst over.  Be right there, OK?

David: (*Still falsetto*) OK, see you soon!

Moss Agate: Woah, I didn’t know humans could raise their voices like that!

David: (Very nervous) Yeah, that’s kinda a thing we do, you know, when we--

Bixbite siezes over with sickness.  Seconds later, Steven and Amethyst warp in.

Amethyst: Hang on, Bixbite!  I got you!  (Rushes over)  Here’s what you gotta do…  (Whispers instructions on forming a digestive system to Bixbite)

Bixbite creates a digestive system within herself and her sickness subsides.

Steven: Whew, that was a close one.  David, why did you feed Bixbite?

David: I didn’t!  She swiped the food out of my hands!

Bixbite: Yes, I did.  I’m sorry, David.

Steven: That explains it.  Did you really go all the way to Mexico for food?

David: Yep.

Amethyst: Wow, that’s some dedication.  Just remember to use that warp whistle responsibly.  No joy rides across the globe, okay?

David: I know the rules.  And I won’t go offworld without you guys either.

Steven: Good.  Anyway, the Sun’s beginning to set, so I gotta go get dinner myself.  Oh, and Gems?  (Everyone listens in)  Next class in Little Homeschool is going to be how to make digestive systems for human foods.  I don’t want anything like this happening again.

All Gems: Got it!

Steven: Alright.  I’m out.  See you guys!

All Gems: Bye!  (Exit Steven and Amethyst)

Bixbite: I want to eat more.  Can you take me to Mexico, David?

David: Uhh… I don’t know about that… For one thing, they speak a different language there.

All Gems: They do!?

David: Yeah, depending on what part of Earth you’re in, humans speak all sorts of different languages.

Cherry Quartz: What languages do you know, David?

David: Well… My first, “native” language is English, but I also know Spanish and a little German.

Moss Agate: That’s so cool!  Speak a different language!  I want to hear what it sounds like!

David: Uhhh… ¡Hola!  ¡Me llamo David!

Calcite: Ooh!  What was that?

David: I said “Hi!  My name’s David,” in Spanish.

Everyone is amazed.  Just then, Larimar enters the crowd.

Larimar: Ah, David!  You’re back from your food-gathering mission!  And I see you’re interacting with your new friends!

Moss Agate: This human is amazing!  No wonder Rose Quartz wanted us to save them; they’re all so cool!

David: (Blushes) Wow, uhh, thanks?  I mean, I’m not that special.

Calcite: By the way, where’s your sword?  Don’t you always carry it around?

David: I… Don’t have it today.  And probably for good reason.  I don’t want to scare any of you guys.

Calcite: Aww, man!  But I wanted to spar with you!  (Pulls a small flail out of her Gem, causing David to become a little frightened)

Just then, Bismuth comes to the front of the crowd.

Bismuth: Absolutely not!  For one thing, we don’t fight humans, even for fun, and for another, David’s sword isn’t like any other sword.  It’s capable of slicing straight through a Gem, even shattering one.

Everyone: WHAT!?

Bixbite: David can shatter us!?

Bismuth: That’s not what I meant, people!  What I meant is that you shouldn’t take sparring with David lightly.  He’s really good with that sword of his.

David: And in any case, I would never shatter a Gem.  Only reason the sword is made that way is because…  Well…

Moss Agate: Well?  Why do you have a shattering sword?

Bismuth: David isn’t from around here.  In fact, he’s not even native to this dimension.

Everyone is shocked.

Bixbite: But he’s human!  He has to be from Earth!

David: I AM from Earth… Just not this one…  The one I come from… Well…

Bismuth: David’s version of Earth was taken over by the Diamonds.  He lived a terrible life there, and nearly died on several occasions.

Now everyone looks sorry for David.

Calcite: You poor thing!

David: My sword is made that way because in the world I come from, every fight was a fight to the death.  Thankfully, I never had to fight, so I never shattered anyone.  In any case, I never fight Gems.  If I have to, I’m very careful.  And there’s only two reasons why I’d attack you.  First, if you pose a direct threat to my life, and second, if you REALLY make me angry.

Moss Agate: I see.

Bismuth: Anyway, David, what are you doing here this late?  Don’t you have to go back to Steven’s place?

David: Well, I’m trying to move out on my own, but there’s no places I can afford in Beach City, and Steven thought it would be a good idea for me to try living here.

Bismuth: (Very confused face)  That’s a really dumb idea.  I don’t know what Steven was thinking.

Calcite: That’s OK, we love having him here!

David: Uhh, anyway, I’m going to go warp somewhere and buy a sleeping bag for Larimar’s place.  See you guys!  (Walks onto the warp pad and warps to a mall in California, which is the only warp pad he knows that’s close to a mall)

David walked through the Californian mall and eventually found a camping supply store.  He browsed the aisles until he found a comfortable-looking bag and he took it to the register.

Camping Store Employee: Going on a trip?  I know some really beautiful camping spots north of here.

David: It’s actually for a sleepover at a friend’s place.  We’re having a party for the beginning of the Summer Olympics.  But I’ll keep that suggestion in mind.

Camping Store Employee: That’s cool.  That’ll be $57.

David pays with his debit card and leaves the mall for the warp pad.  Soon he’s back in Little Homeworld.  This time, the Gems aren’t surrounding the warp, and he goes straight back to Larimar’s house.  Inside he notices it’s really cold due to all the ice inside.  Since he’s wearing summer clothes, he begins to shiver.  Larimar notices this and comes over to him.

Larimar: Why are you shaking like that?  There’s nothing to be afraid of here.

David: I’m not scared.  It’s just that it’s kinda chilly in here and I have a lot of thin clothing on.  I’ll be fine if I go into this sleeping bag I just bought.  (Begins to unfurl the bag from its storage pack)

Larimar: Humans start shaking like they’re scared if it’s cold…. Interesting.

David: (Still fumbling with the sleeping bag) It’s so our bodies can generate friction to stay warm.

Larimar: Fascinating.  But it would be inhospitable for me to have this room so cold that your body needs to activate a defense mechanism.  I will turn on the heating systems.

David: No need to do that, it’ll melt all your beautiful sculptures and I don’t want that to happen!

Larimar: But I don’t want my human companion to be uncomfortable in his own home.

David: It’s OK, Larimar, I’ll be fine.

Larimar: Very well.

David lays his sleeping bag on the floor in the corner, and unzips it.  He slips into the sleeping bag and zips himself in.

Larimar: What a curious contraption.  Is that what you will be slumbering inside?

David: Yep.  And please don’t bother me when I’m sleeping, we humans don’t like that.  Also, could you turn out the lights?  We usually sleep better in the dark.

Larimar: Of course.  (Flips the light switch)  Good night, David.

David: Good night, Larimar.  (Closes his eyes, and ten minutes later, he falls asleep)

David awakens and notices it’s still dark outside.  He also notices a weight on his body.  He looks down his sleeping bag and notices Larimar is on his stomach, looking straight at him.

Larimar: Your body is so warm…

David: Ahh!!  Larimar, get off of me!!

Larimar: Okay.  (Stands up)  You have a wonderful scream, by the way.

David is extremely weirded out.

David: I’m…  Going to go use the bathroom.

Larimar: Use the what?

David: (His face sinks when he realizes what that means) Larimar, this house DOES have a bathroom, right?

Larimar: What’s a bathroom?

David: Arrgh!!  (Runs out of the house)

David looks desperately for a public bathroom and finds none.  He curses to himself and runs behind a house where a large bush lies.  The camera cuts to the front of the house.

Cherry Quartz: (From behind the home) Are you okay?  Why are you leaking fluid into this bush?

David: AHHHHH!!  (Quickly zips up his cargo shorts and runs back into the square.

Bismuth is strolling through the square when David rushes straight into her.  Being as sturdy as Bismuth is, she doesn’t even flinch at being collided with by a human running at top speed.

Bismuth: Hey, watch where you’re goi-  Oh, it’s you, David.  Why are you up so early in the morning?  (Now notices that David is blushing profusely and has a somewhat panicked look in his eyes)  What happened?

David: You don’t wanna know.

Larimar walks into the square, with a confused face.

Larimar: Was this my fault?  Did I not do a good job of taking care of the human?

David’s heart breaks.

David: Larimar… No, that’s not what’s going on at all…  You did a wonderful job.  Don’t blame yourself for this.

Enter Cherry Quartz.

Cherry Quartz: Dude, something’s really wrong with David.  He was totally spewing fluid all over a bush behind my house!

David’s face turns bright cherry red.

Bismuth: ...I see what’s going on here.  You two, Larimar, Cherry, over here.

The two Gems walk over to Bismuth.

Bismuth: First off, what David was doing was completely natural.  Second, this may have been my fault.  When I designed Little Homeworld, I didn’t have human visitors in mind.  ‘Cause of that, I didn’t include facilities that a human would need to function, like kitchens and bathrooms.  I definitely was NOT anticipating Steven making a human a permanent resident.  David doesn’t deserve to be forced to live in a place that’s not built for him.  BUT, there’s a better way.  I have an idea that’ll fix this up perfectly.

Cherry Quartz: And that is…

Bismuth: I’m going to build David his own home.  There’s one problem though; Little Homeworld just isn’t a place where a human can thrive.  He needs to be closer to other humans.  Unfortunately, I can’t just put up a random house within Beach City limits.  The permits alone would take forever.  But there’s one place in just the perfect location.  I’ll just need Pearl, Garnet, and Amethyst’s approval first.

David: You don’t mean?

Bismuth: There’s enough room off to the side of Steven’s beach house for another addition.  I’ll just build a separate bedroom there.  David gets his own living quarters, made the human way, and everyone’s happy.

David: Really?  Are you sure it’s okay for me to live with the OG Gems permanently?

Bismuth: You’re just as much a Crystal Gem as any of us, kid.  Pearl, Garnet, Amethyst, and Steven each have their own magical little room, so it’s high time you got your own.  Design-wise… How about a small beach hut?  It’ll blend in with the existing house and have its own little flair.  I’ll connect it with the porch on the first level.  I’ll even build furniture for it.

David’s eyes are sparkling with joy.

David: It’ll be perfect… Thank you Bismuth!

Bismuth: Don’t thank me yet, the job hasn’t even started!  Let’s wait until morning, then we’ll warp over to Steven’s place and talk up the plan with ‘em.  In the meantime, I’ll draw up blueprints.  See ya at dawn.  (Exit Bismuth)

Moss Agate and Calcite had arrived a bit before and had been listening to Bismuth’s speech.

Moss Agate: So… You’re leaving us?

David: I guess so.  You Gems have a wonderful place here, but like Bismuth said, it’s not really a place where humans can thrive.  It just wasn’t built that way.

Calcite: Well, I kinda saw this coming anyway.  Humans are fun to be around, but to have to live with one isn’t all it’s cracked up to be.  You’ll still visit us though, right?

David: Of course.  Maybe I’ll even show up at Little Homeschool to help teach you guys how humans work.

Moss Agate: That’ll be awesome!  I mean, Amethyst, Steven, and Pearl do a good job with the school, but to have a real, live human to educate us on themselves would be amazing!

David: Uh, don’t completely count Steven out of the human party.  He may have a Gem, but he’s just like us too!

Moss Agate: Uhh, right.  Sorry about that.

David: Anyway, I guess I’ll go wait for dawn to meet up with Bismuth.  Larimar?  Would you be able to let me back into your home for just a couple more hours?

Larimar: Of course, David.  My doors will always be open to you.

David and Larimar walk back to the Larimar household.

David: You know, Larimar, one of those snow cones would sound really good about now.

Larimar: Really?  I’ll be happy to make you one.

Inside the house…

David: Wow, these are REALLY good!  Have you thought about selling them?  You could make some money off of them!

Larimar: I will take your words into consideration.

Two hours later…

David: Bye, Larimar!  Thanks for everything!

Larimar: Thank you as well, David!  You have given me valuable insights into the human lifestyle!  Oh, what about your slumbering pouch?

David: Keep it.  In case another human needs a place to stay at your place.

Larimar: Very well.  Go catch up with Bismuth.  She doesn’t like to be kept waiting!

David ran up to the warp pad and found Bismuth there, holding a roll of paper with the plans for David’s room on it.

Bismuth: It’s 7:30.  Steven should be up by now.  You ready?

David: I’m just really hoping they’re okay with me living with them.

Bismuth: I’m pretty well-trusted among the OG Gems, David.  They’ll listen to what I have to say.  Let’s go.

David and Bismuth stepped onto the warp pad and teleported to the ground-floor warp inside the Crystal Temple entrance.  Pearl noticed them warp in and walked over.

Pearl: What happened?

Bismuth: Steven’s plan to have David live with us backfired.  Little Homeworld really isn’t a place for humans to live.  I have a plan though.  Take a look at these.  (Unfurls the blueprints)  It’s a hut we can add to the side of the house here.  It’ll have electricity, air conditioning, and heating, though we will probably have to have David use the main bathroom here, since it would be too difficult to work pipes over to it.

Pearl: (Somewhat skeptical) You want David to live with us?

Bismuth: David’s kinda like Steven, Pearl.  Too attached to Gemkind to live solely among humans, and too human to live only with Gems.  David’s a Crystal Gem, and we need to treat him like one.

Garnet: (Appearing seemingly out of thin air) She’s right, Pearl.  We can’t just kick David out of our house. If David is fine with having a room at the Temple, which I already know he is, then let’s add him to the family.

Amethyst also appears.

Amethyst: Yeah, guys!  He’s got no other family than us!  Rose herself took care of this kid, even if it wasn’t OUR Rose.  That’s gotta count for something!

Pearl: Well, fine.  But let’s let Steven know what’s going on.

Steven: (Had been eavesdropping from the stairs) Way ahead of you, Pearl!  I shouldn’t have forced David to live in Little Homeworld in any case. What EXACTLY happened to trigger this anyway?

David: No bathrooms.

Steven: Really?  I could have sworn there was a porta-potty somewhere in there.  Never mind.  That was REALLY misguided of me to put you there, and I’m sorry.

David: No offense taken.  But I would like to help you and the others teach the Little Homeworlders how to deal with humans, just so this doesn’t happen again.

Pearl: That sounds like a great idea!  Having a full-blooded human on the teaching staff will really help our lessons in human-Gem relations have an extra punch!

Bismuth: So it’s a deal, then?  Should I start work on the addition?

Pearl: Go right ahead, Bismuth.  Get Greg and other Gems to help you too so it gets finished faster.  In the meantime, until the hut’s completion, I hope you don’t mind sleeping on the couch at all, David?

David: Not at all.  I honestly miss that thing.  Having to sleep on the floor in an ice-cold Gem house was NOT my cup of tea.

Pearl: Very well.  Anyway, let’s get you and Steven some breakfast.

Skip half a month, and David’s room is completed.  It is a single room with a full-size wooden bed, two nightstands on each side of it, a small flat-panel television Greg bought for David standing on a long table next to the door, and a dresser with a full-size mirror off to the side of said dresser.  David walks into the new bedroom, holding a small picture frame in his hand.  WIth a reverent smile on his face, he sets it down on the left-side nightstand, and sits down on the bed.  The camera zooms in on the frame.  Inside is the picture of his mother he had brought with him from his world.

[jbhenwiler]

If RFADW Was a Video Game: David’s World Henleaf Boss Fight Data

OK, first off, if my Steven Universe fanfiction were a video game, one of the core gameplay elements would be cycling between Steven’s and David’s universes.  If you’ve read my fanfiction (Sorry but pretty much everything in this AU ties into the original fanfic in some way, lots of continuity) then you know that in David’s universe, Henleaf Town, David’s hometown, is destroyed by the Gems during their invasion and transformed into a stadium where humans are forced to fight each other and oftentimes corrupted Gems.  

Thousands of human lives were lost here, with gallons upon gallons of human blood being spilled onto its floor.  If that many lives were cut short abruptly here, then it’s bound to be haunted.  The Gems learned the hard way that when humans die, a lot of the time, they don’t really go away.  A fusion that had been slaughtering humans on the battlefield was suddenly taken control of by hundreds of angry human ghosts.  The fusion became corrupted, and it went on a rampage, shattering dozens of Gems, and nearly claiming Yellow Diamond’s own life before she escaped and declared the arena off-limits.  THAT now lurks the arena floor, patiently waiting for its next challenger.

Entry Text:

Peridot: W-What IS that THING!?!?                                                           ~THAT~                                        ~THE HENLEAF MONSTROSITY~

Description:

A shapeless mass of hard light and flailing limbs and claws.  Varying in shades of purple, yellow, and green.  Stands roughly as tall as White Diamond.  Has at least 30 limbs of varying forms and lengths sticking out at random angles..  Scattered across the surface of its body are 5 pitch-black gems of unknown type.  It appears that the Gems who used to make up this fusion fused to fight something, but was then possessed by a multitude of human spirits, corrupting it into its current form.  It appears to show no personality or mercy whatsoever, instead shattering or killing anything that approaches it, be it a Gem or human.  Data found in the arena’s computer banks depicts Yellow Diamond herself attempting to kill THAT, but was overpowered and nearly dragged into the fusion and corrupted, forcing Yellow to retreat and order an evacuation of the arena. Flavor Text: The anguished and enraged souls of the innumerable humans killed at Henleaf Gem Arena have possessed this Gem fusion of unknown components, corrupting it more thoroughly than the Diamonds could possibly have been capable of.  There is no saving the Gems trapped inside of it.  Kill it or run for your lives. David's Reaction Text: Well I guess THAT'S why the Gems abandoned this arena.  All the humans they killed came back to haunt them!

Battle Music: 

Zame’s Remaster of Pokemon Platinum’s Giratina Battle Theme (Look it up on YouTube, Zame Giratina Battle)

[jbhenwiler]

New Blog Coming Soon for RFADW

Hey everyone, or at least the few people reading my fanfiction, Redemption from a Dark World.  I’m in the process of setting up a dedicated blog for RFADW, under David’s name.  It’s not ready yet, but it will be soon.  Maybe if I’m ever in the mood I’ll even roleplay as David in some posts (Here’s looking at all the SU roleplayers on Tumblr)  I acknowledge that my fanfic isn’t very popular, or at least not many people are noticing it since it’s not some glitzy comic (I’m a terrible artist), but I’m going to keep pushing and stand by my work.  I’ll post the URL once I’m ready to show the new home for the story.  Stay tuned.

[jbhenwiler]

SU RFADW: David’s Theme Instrument

All characters in SU have a theme instrument Steven's is chiptunes, Pearl's is a piano, Garnet uses bass, and the Diamonds use a special synth. David's theme instrument, just like Pearl's, is a piano.  However, there's one vital difference. David's theme music utilizes almost all bass notes (Left side of keyboard) Pearl's theme uses higher treble notes most of the time. This means Pearl's theme is more graceful and lighthearted, while David's piano is more serious and sometimes dark in some scenes, even reaching the realm of jarring, deep-bass chords during parts of the story where David is experiencing something scary. For instance, when David gets stabbed by Evil Quartz, a chord plays that would be fitting for a jumpscare in a horror movie, implying through music that David has been injured horribly and will die in minutes.

[jbhenwiler]

Notes on why David and Steven can fuse so soon after meeting each other

David had a girlfriend in his own world He didn't witness her death, but David presumes she died sometime during the Second Gem War. As open as he is about grieving the loss of his mother, losing his girlfriend hit him so hard that he pushed his pain about her deep enough that he doesn't even have nightmares about her as often, and he never mentions her to anybody. Because of this, David is deathly afraid of pursuing romantic relationships, even more so than his former fear of Gems.  If anybody attempts to romantically bond with David, he will immediately lock up, and probably do something rash or even downright rude to get the romantic feelings away from him.

How does this relate to Daven, you ask?  Hang on, I’m getting there.

It's not that he's trying to show loyalty to his original lover, that's part of it, but it's mostly a fear of losing a loved one again that drives David this way, although in Steven's case, his fear of losing a loved one (David sees Steven as a brother figure) causes David to defend Steven from any perceived threat, even at the expense of his own life.  In a way, David's dogged desire to protect Steven out of fear of losing him is what allowed David and Steven to be able to fuse so soon after meeting each other.  Fusions are living relationships; lovers have a relationship, friends have a relationship, parents and their children have a relationship, and... Siblings have a relationship, even people who act like they’re siblings.  Daven primarily forms out of both David and Steven either trying to protect each other at the same time, or, less often, if David and Steven are having a "brother moment."  Steven wants to protect David because-- well, he's Steven.  Protecting vulnerable humans is kind of his thing.  With David it's much deeper.  He wants to protect Steven because he lost all of his loved ones and desperately clings to Steven as a perceived little brother.  And since Steven is the son of Pink Diamond, or more relevantly, Rose Quartz, David also feels as if he owes a debt to Steven by extension of his world's Rose, who as anybody who read Day 1 of RFADW knows, healed David after he was mortally wounded by a Gem soldier.  These two things make David hyper-focused on Steven's safety, since he both loves him as a "brother" and owes him his life. (In David's eyes)  When Steven gets hurt, David will blame it on himself.  (”I should have been there to protect him.”) If Steven were to be killed, it would damage David emotionally so much that David committing suicide would be a genuine concern for the remaining Crystal Gems.

[jbhenwiler]

SU Fanfic: Redemption from a Dark World Day 2

REDEMPTION FROM A DARK WORLD

A STEVEN UNIVERSE FANFICTION

---------------------------------DAY II

   David was in a nightmare.  His hometown was under Gem seige.  He was running for his life and desperately searching for his mother.  Fires were burning all around.    Nearby a car exploded, flying glass shards narrowly missing David's face.  A Quartz soldier darted past him, a spear in her hand, a spear covered in human blood.

   Nearby, Steven's ability to enter dreams accidentally activated.  Steven awoke into a world of smoke and fear.  At first scared and confused, he quickly realized what was happening.

Steven: Oh my gosh, I'm in his nightmare!  (Dodges Gem laser blast and quickly summons his shield)  I gotta find David and wake him up!

David: MOOMM!!! (Sprinting, he vaults over a fallen light pole)  MOOOMMMMM!!!!  (Runs right past a startled Steven without noticing him)

Steven: DAVID!! (David either ignored him or was unable to hear Steven's cry)  David!  Where are you going?  (Is suddenly attacked by an Agate wielding a whip, and Steven becomes locked in combat with the Gem)  Ungh-- I don't have time to fight you!

Agate: Die, human scum!

Steven: I'm obviously NOT a human!  ...Well, not entirely anyway. (Gets hit with the whip) GAH!  (A bleeding cut appears on his arm where the lash bit into it)  Oh man, I can actually get hurt here.  (Summons shield and throws it at the Agate.  The Agate, caught off guard, gets hit in the gem on her chest with the flying shield and the gem cracks.  The Agate immediately begins to malfunction)

Agate: Y---You, You, You... (Continues You-ing on loop)

Steven: I'm so sorry!  (Runs away in the direction David took off in)

   Meanwhile, David has arrived at the burning wreck of his home.  Down the street, an apartment building becomes engulfed in a fireball as a Ruby fusion sets into it.

David: MOM!

David's Mom: David!  Help me!!  I'm trapped!

   David frantically dashes into the burning house.  Inside the kitchen is a fire extinguisher.  David quickly equips it and deftly pulls the pin, and lets loose a volley of foam at the flames surrounding him.  He pushes deeper into the living room, where he finds his mother, who has her legs pinned under a large fallen bookcase that once took up most of a wall.

David: Hold on, I'll get you out!  (Crouches down and begins lifting the shelves with all his strength.  It soon proves to be too much to handle)

David's Mom: David... It's OK... Save yourself, get as far from here as you can!

David: No!  I'm not leaving you behind!  Unnghh... ARRRRGHHH!!  (Desperately pushes himself past his limits.  He begins to cough as the smoke starts filling the room)

David's Mom: David, no!  Get out of here!  This house has gas appliances it's going to blow any second!

David: (Tears freely flowing down his soot-stained face) Mom...

David's Mom:  It's alright, David.  I love you.  I'll always be with you, even as a spirit!  Now go!  GO!!

David: (Finally gives up and gets up, turns to his mother one last time)  Goodbye, mom...  (Sprints through the flames out of the house)

   Just as David runs out of his home, it explodes.  David is knocked off his feet by the blast and he careens into a parked car, the impact cracking the side window, and David then falls onto his back, barely able to stand and crying profusely.  Steven finally catches up with him.

Steven: Oh my gosh!  Are you all right??

David: (Thoroughly traumatized) All my fault... All my fault...

Steven: We have to get out of here!  You need to wake up!!!

David: I could have saved her...

Steven: DAVID WAKE UP!!!

   The Ruby fusion eyes the two of them and begins to stomp in their direction.  Steven's blood runs cold.  He picks up David, hefting him over his shoulder, and runs for their lives in the opposite direction.  The fusion lets out a bloodcurdling roar and gives chase.

David: All my fault...

Steven: Come on, David, I need you to work with me here!

David: (Suddenly gets ahold of himself) Steven, you can put me down now.  (Steven complies)

   The two of them continue running from the Rubies.  They dart into an alleyway where the fusion couldn't fit.  The Rubies don't notice their course change and continue stomping past David and Steven.

Steven:  This isn't just a nightmare...  This is your memory of the day the Gems invaded, isn't it?

   David nods gravely.

Steven: How do we escape this?

David: Usually Rose wakes me up by now!  She-- AGGHHHHHH!!! (A spear tip abruptly pierces David's stomach from behind, stained with fresh blood.  A Jasper chuckles devilishly behind him.)

Steven: DAVID NOOO!!!

   The whole world pixelates and glitches out.  Everything goes white and the nightmare suddenly ends.  David jolts awake and immediately checks his belly to see if he's actually wounded.  Steven rushes downstairs to David's side.

David: Steven... What the heck were you doing in there!?

Steven: I have the ability to enter people's dreams but... I wasn't expecting that power to activate on its own!

   Pearl barges in.

Pearl: What's going on?  What happened?

Steven: My dream powers turned themselves on and I got sucked into David's nightmare.

Pearl: Are you two OK?

Steven: (Checks his arm where he got cut in the nightmare; the cut was only part of the dream) Yeah... We're fine, just kind of shook up.

David: What time is it?

Pearl: It's around 3 AM.  You two should go back to sleep.

David: I don't think I can.  And I don't want to keep scaring Steven with my bad memories.  Is he going to do that every time I have a dream?

Steven: Not all the time.  I can control it usually.

Pearl: Nevertheless, you humans need sleep.  David, why don't you take a walk outside to calm down?

David: That's an excellent idea.  (Gets up, and grabs his sword from the table)

Pearl: Why exactly do you need that?

David: My world's Pearl would often send me out to practice swordplay after I had a nightmare.  She said it would make me feel more powerful and in control.

Pearl: That does sound like me... OK, but don't hurt yourself.

   Cut to beach outside the house.  David is performing agile sword moves befitting his lightweight frame on the moonlit sand.  Sweat is pouring down his forehead.  He pauses for a second and wipes his brow.  Amethyst exits the house and sees David.  She walks down the porch stairs towards him.

Amethyst: Yo, I heard about your little nighttime adventure from Steven.  Was it really that bad in your world?  Fires, explosions, and stuff?

David: ...I don't really want to talk about it right now.  (Executes a parry with an imaginary opponent)

Amethyst: From what I heard from our Rose, the Gem War on our world was really, really bad.  We're more powerful than we look, but to be experiencing all that carnage from a human perspective... I could understand how you'd be having bad dreams every night.  Did Rose... Ever enter your dreams like Steven did just now?

David: (Searches his memories) I... Don't remember her ever doing it.  Then again, I have these dreams so often that they kinda blend together.  I guess it makes sense that if Steven could do it, then Rose could too.  Most of the time Rose would just gently shake me until I woke up.  I think she didn't want to enter my nightmares because she didn't want to relive her own failures in protecting us-- That is, humanity...  That's my take on it anyway.

Amethyst:  You ready to go back inside?

David: (Sheathes his sword into the scabbard strapped across his back) ...Yeah, I think I'm ready.

   David and Amethyst walked along the beach.  Suddenly, a crackling noise issued from where David stepped.

David: Hmm?  (Crouches down, and when he sees what he steps on, his eyes widen and tear up.  He falls down on his knees and stares at the paper in his hands, a tear of relief and joy tracking down his cheek)  My picture of mom... It was here all along...

Amethyst:  Huh.... It must have fallen out of your pocket as Garnet was carrying you back to the house earlier.  Good for you, man.  Try not to lose it again, OK?

David: ...OK.  Let's go home.

   David went inside and went back to sleep, this time slumbering dreamlessly and peacefully until way past sunrise, about 10:30.  He woke up and Steven was in the kitchen.  He walks over to the couch with a bowl of cereal.

Steven: Morning, David.

David: Hey, Steven.  Sorry about last night.

Steven: It's OK.  Just try to come find me and actually let me help instead of locking up next time it happens.  I got you some breakfast.  (Hands David the bowl of cereal he was holding)

David: Thanks.  (Begins eating)

   Enter Pearl.

Pearl: Good morning David.  I have an idea for something we can do today: I'm curious about the sword you arrived here with.  Did your world's Bismuth make it?

David: Yes, she did.  I'd like to meet your Bismuth if it's at all possible.

Pearl: I was just about to suggest that.  Finish nourishing yourself and we'll go to Little Homeworld and meet her.

   David goes stiff.

David: Little... Homeworld?

Pearl:  I understand your predisposition towards Gems you don't know, so Steven will be tagging along with us to support you.

Steven: It's OK, David.  They're all friendly there, and they love humans.  Besides, it'll be good for you to face your fears.

David: (Calms down a little bit) Just... Don't let any of them get too close to me.

   David finishes his cereal and Steven, David, and Pearl prepare to leave.

Steven: Wait... Pearl, how are we going to get to Little Homeworld with David?  He won't go near a warp pad, let alone travel by one.  (David nods in the background)

Pearl: Hmm... Good question.  We may have to borrow Greg's van.  Can you call him over?

   Steven whips out his smartphone and dials his father.

Steven: Hey, dad.  Remember David's fear of warp pads?  We need you to drive us to Little Homeworld.............  OK, we'll wait here.  (Hangs up)

   A few minutes later, Greg pulls up in his signature van.

Greg: All aboard the Universe Express!

Steven: (Slightly embarassed and annoyed) Dad, I told you to stop calling it that.

   The three of them get into the van.  Steven rides next to his father and Pearl and David ride with Greg's assorted belongings in the back.  Greg shifts into drive and moves across the beach towards the streets of Beach City.

David: Friendly Gems...  How many are there?  How do so many exist?

Pearl: This isn't like the world you came from, David.  Most of the Gems in Little Homeworld were members of the original resistance against Homeworld during the First (And only) Gem War.  Most of the rest are Off-Colors, the misfits of Gem society.  And a small minority are Homeworld Gems who simply want to experience life on Earth.  They all love this planet.  There's no need to be afraid of them.

Steven: Like I said earlier, David, these Gems love humans.  Think of them like a big group of Crystal Gems that you never got to meet.  Like a bunch of moms-- I mean, Rose Quartzes.

David: (Frowns as he thinks of the way Rose treated him)  That wasn't really the best analogy, Steven.

   They remain silent the rest of the trip.  15 or so minutes later, Little Homeworld appears before them.  Despite feeling less scared then before, David is still visibly tense.  They pull up into a parking lot near the entrance to the village.

Greg: Alright, guys.  We're here!  Do you want me to come with you guys?

Steven:  If you want to, dad.

Greg: I'll come with you then.  (Opens the driver's door)

   The four of them get out of the van and stroll into Little Homeworld.  Immediately a wide variety of Gems come into sight.  David walks behind the rest of the group and is visibly uneasy.

Steven: It's OK, David.  Just stay close to me.

Assorted Gems: Yo, what's up, Steven? Hey, Pearl!  Check out my new jacket! Steven, can you help me with something when you're not busy?

Calcite: (Walks up to David, who immediately bristles with fear)  Hey there, pal!  Haven't seen you around these parts before.

David: (Whimpers and hides behind Steven)

Steven: Hey, Calcite, this guy's not very into strangers.  Could you leave him alone for now?

Calcite: Oh, sorry.  I understand some humans can be skittish around Gems.  I'll see you around, OK?

Steven: Thanks for understanding!  See ya later!

   The group walks to a large building with a huge sword hanging over the entrance.  A sign next to the door reads in both English and Gem: "Bismuth's Forge and Construction."

Pearl: Here we are!  Go on in, David.

David: Does she know about me?

   Pearl: ...I talked to her last night while you were sleeping.  She knows you're from an alternate universe where we lost Earth, that you were a Gem slave, and that your Bismuth made you a sword.  That's pretty much all she knows.

David: ...OK.

   David, Pearl, and Steven walk into the forge.  Greg stays outside.

Greg: I'm... Going to stay out here.  I don't generally like being in spaces with giant hammers and swords hanging over my head.

   Inside the forge...

Pearl: Bismuth?  That young man we were talking about is here to see you!

   A thud can be heard from deep within the building.  Out from a door behind a flow of lava came the forge master, Bismuth.

Bismuth: (Sizes up David) Well, lookie here!  So you're the human everyone's talking about.  Come over here and let me look at you better.

David: (Nervously looks at Steven)

Steven: It's fine.  Go ahead.

Bismuth: That's right.  I don't bite.

   David walks slowly towards Bismuth.  Bismuth immediately sees the sword strapped on his back.  Her brow furrows.

Bismuth: Yep.  I can already tell that's my handiwork.  It's a darker shade of pink than I'd normally make one, but it's definitely my work.  Can I see it?

David: (Draws the sword, and hands it to Bismuth)

Bismuth: (Thoroughly examining the blade) It's really lightweight... In fact, there's an antigravity orb built into the hilt.  (Looks at David)  You'd probably need a really light sword, given the obvious abscence of muscle on your bones.  Big blade, but light enough for a malnourished human to handle.  Not the easiest task, but for me... I could do it.   I could definitely do it.

David:  It...  It took several iterations for her to develop it.  I was the first human my version of you made a weapon for... And probably the last.

Bismuth:  What do you mean?

David: .......................

Bismuth: Spit it out, boy, I can take it.

David: You-- I mean, she... Her forge was discovered by the enemy not too long after she completed my sword... Nobody knows whether she was captured, shattered, or somehow made it out of there before the heavy artillery destroyed the place.  I never saw her again... I'm sorry.

Bismuth: It's alright.  It obviously wasn't your fault.  At least I got this masterwork out before I went down.  Truly a perfect weapon for a wonderful human being.  (Smiles warmly at David, then looks back at the sword)  Come to think of it... This alloy... Something's nagging me about it.  Can I analyze this real quick?  I promise I won't mess it up.

David: Sure, go ahead.

   Bismuth takes the sword over to a machine.  She inserts the blade into a slot on the front of the device.  At once, a holographic screen pops up and displays a diagram associated with text in the Gem language.  Bismuth looks at the data and quickly her mood darkens.

Bismuth: ...Just as I thought.  This blade... It's made with a similar material to the Breaking Point.

   Steven and Pearl immediately are shocked.

Steven: You mean...!?

Bismuth: Things must really have been grim in his world... 'Cause this sword... Is made for shattering Gems.

Pearl: David did you know about this!?

David: (Is panicking a little bit) N-No!  I never had to use it.  Rose would never let me fight!

Pearl: I don't think you should be carrying that thing around, David.  Give it to me, Bismuth.

   David appears to become even more upset.

Steven: Pearl, no.  It's fine.  I don't think he would shatter a Gem.  He's not that type of person.

Pearl: You've only known him for a day, Steven!  How do you think he'll react if a Gem threatens him?

Steven: You're right, Pearl.  I don't know how he'd react.  But what I do know is that weapon is like a comfort object for him... It makes him feel safer having it near him.  Taking it away would just make him feel more vulnerable and make his behavior more erratic.

Pearl: ........ I guess you have a point, Steven.  But, (Looks at David sternly) If I see you making any advances on anyone... You're going to be in big trouble!

David: (Nods quickly)  I promise I won't hurt anyone.

Bismuth: (Hands David the sword back) Treat this carefully, kid.  A weapon like this is a big responsibility.

David: (Sheathes the sword) That's the same line my Bismuth gave me when she first gave me this thing.  I hope she's OK...

Bismuth:  Us Bismuths are practically indestructible, David.  Even if the forge collapsed on me... I'd probably just be buried in the rubble somewhere.

David: ............... (Looks concerned)

Bismuth: ...Yeah, I guess that's a problem, if nobody's around to dig me out.  Heh, sorry to give you that thought, kid.  Nothing can be done about it now.

   Just then, Peridot and Lapis Lazuli walk into the forge.

Peridot: ...And that's what I think of the final season of Camp Pining Hearts!

   David cries out and runs to the far end of the forge.

Peridot: ...What's his problem?

Steven: This is David.  He's...From another version of Earth where things didn't go as well for the Crystal Gems.  He's afraid of most Gems.

Peridot: A human, scared of me, the great and loveable Peridot!?  That's not possible!  Come here and mingle!

David: N-N-Not happening!

Peridot: ...This is beyond science.

Lapis: Peridot, being flamboyant won't help him.  Here, let me try.  I know how to deal with the emotionally damaged.  (Walks closer to him)  Your name is David, right?  It's OK, I know what it feels like to be traumatized.

Steven: Uh, Lapis?  His situation was different from yours.  In fact, not to belittle you or anything, but he's been through a lot worse than you have.

Lapis: (Skeptical) Worse than being trapped in a mirror for a few thousand years?

David: (Lifts his shirt over his head, hiding his shivering face and exposing his scarred flesh)

Lapis: ...I stand corrected.

Peridot: (Looking at the skin) What's wrong with his skin?  It's... Disfigured.

Steven: Humans get like this if they're cut up bad enough and then heal.  Could you please stop bothering him, he looks like he's going to faint.

David: (Actually does faint)

Steven: Aw, man.  Had to give him the idea.

Bismuth: Hold up, I'll go get him.  (Walks over and picks up David in one arm, sweeps clutter off a table with the other, and sets him down on the cleared stone surface)

Lapis: Is he really that afraid of us?

Peridot: What did we do?

Steven: Nothing, Peridot.

Pearl: He comes from a world where humans are constantly tormented by Gems.  This seems to have caused him to develop a unique case of Crystallophobia, or fear of Gems and crystals and in his case, most Gem-related paraphernalia and technology.

Peridot: Then why isn't he afraid of you guys?

Steven: Certain Gems he knows and trusts are OK with him, like Pearl, mom, Garnet, and he knew a little bit about Amethyst.  He probably wasn't scared of me at first because he thought I was a human when he met me.

David:  (Starts awake) NO!!

   Everyone jumps back.

Peridot: ...No what?

Steven: Another nightmare?

David: (Nods, then startles when he notices Peridot next to him)  Don't hurt me!

Steven: David, these two are Lapis and Peridot.  They're our friends.

Pearl: They're both official Crystal Gems.  Rose never met them in your timeline, so you wouldn't have known about them.

David: (Stops shivering and lets out a big sigh) ..........A Peridot was the Gem who kept me in a cage before Yellow Diamond... Took me.

Lapis: We would never hurt a human.

Peridot: At least, not anymore.  (Steven glares at her)  ...Sorry, shouldn't have said that.

Steven: We've done what we needed to do here, anyway.  We should go.

Bismuth: I've got work to do.  But David, if you need a person to talk to, I'm pretty much always here, give me a visit, you hear?

David: OK.  Goodbye.  (Gets off the table and sets out towards the door)

   Just after going outside, Jay is confronted with a Homeworld Gem, an Agate with a Yellow Diamond symbol on her chest.

Agate: Hello!  Don't think I've met you before.  I'm Moss Agate, how are you, little guy?

David: H-Hi...

Moss Agate: There's no need to be shy.  I'm quite fond of you humans.  Want to go eat something together?

Greg: (Was standing outside the door)  Hey, he's really nervous around Gems.  It's probably best if you leave him be.

Moss Agate: Oh, are you now?  That's too bad.  Come find me if you decide to, OK?  (Exit Moss Agate)

   Enter Steven and Pearl.

Steven:  You probably shouldn't rush off like that, David.

Greg: Back to the van?

Pearl: While we have you here, perhaps we should go to the clothing store.  It should be open by now.

Greg: OK, let's go!

   They all leave Little Homeworld and get back into the van.  Greg drives to an strip mall.

Steven: So, David, you feeling a little better around strange Gems?

David: .... Maybe a little bit.  I guess Moss Agate was being nice to me.

Steven: That's the spirit!

Greg: OK.  You guys want to come in with me and David?

Pearl: I don't see any need to.  David, you should probably leave your sword in the van.  Generally most human facilities do not allow weapons.

David: (Unstraps his scabbard and sets it next to him, then gets out.

Steven: I'll come with you, dad!  (Unfastens his seat belt and opens his door.

   David, Greg, and Steven circle the van and step onto the sidewalk.  Before them are stores like "Beach Mart" and "GamePlace."

David: Rose, Pearl, and Garnet would often go out and loot old human stores to get food and clothes for me... Among other things.

Greg:  Thankfully our stores are still working and I have plenty of money.  Pick whatever outfits you want, OK?

David: Got it.

   They enter a somewhat large department-style store called "Stacey's."  Inside are human employees and customers, as well as a couple Gems from Little Homeworld window-shopping.  David walks to the Men's area and looks around.  He picks a variety of clothes in his size, including shorts, jeans, and T-shirts, and new shoes, and goes to the changing room.  After trying all of them on, (They all fit perfectly) he goes back to Greg and Steven, wearing a green Beach City T-shirt and blue shorts.

Greg: Tourist outfit, eh?  That's cool.  Let's go check out and go have lunch.  I know a really good Mexican restruant around here.

Steven: You mean Mira Aquí?  Oh, man, David.  You're in for a treat!

   Greg checks out for David's new clothes.  David peeks at the price display popping out from the register.  The total came out to be over $120.

David:  Thanks for everything, Greg.  I mean it.

Greg: No problem, David.

   They return to Pearl in the van.

Pearl: You look nice, David.

David: Thanks.

   Greg gets into the driver's seat.

Greg: So I thought we'd take David to Mira Aquí.

Pearl: Ugh... That place, really?  It stinks of grease and meat.

Steven: Oh, come on, Pearl!  David'll love it!

Pearl: Fine, but I'm staying in the van.

Steven: Yay!

   Greg starts his engines and drives down the street for about 2 minutes before coming to another strip mall.  In bold red letters above one of the slots were the words "Mira Aquí."  Greg parks in front and unlocks the doors.

Greg: You sure you don't want to come in, Pearl?

Pearl: Out of all human food-consumption facilities, this place has the most disgusting and messy products.  I'll remain here and... Guard the van.

David: (Looks confused)

Steven: Don't let her fool you, David.  Mira Aquí's food is the most delicious Mexican food in the whole state of Delmarva!

Greg: He's right.  Me and Rose came here once.  (Pearl scoffs)

   Greg, David, and Jamie get out of the van, leaving a slightly fuming and very salty Pearl behind.  Inside they are seated by a waitress and the three of them look over the menu.

David: Greg, what do you recommend here?

Greg: The Aqua Burrito is one of my favorites.  It's all good, really.

David: I'll get that then.

   They order their food and wait.  David also orders a horchata.

David: ...Mom and me really liked this drink... We would always order lots of it when we went out to Mexican restruants.

Greg: No need to explain, David.

   Soon their food arrives.  David once again is overcome with happiness as he eats.

Steven: See, I told you you'd like it!

Greg: He's really tearing into it.  How long was it since you ate at a restruant, David?

David: .......2 years, 4 months, 3 days... Not counting when Amethyst took me to the fry stand yesterday.

Greg: ...That's oddly specific.

David: ...The last time I went out to eat was... The day Gems invaded.  I was eating out alone when I heard the first explosions.  That's why I was running towards my house in the nightmare, Steven.  I was away from home when they came... And when I got home.......

Steven: It's OK, David.  You don't have to tell us.

Greg:  Your mom died that night, didn't she?

Steven: Dad!?

David: (Is restraining tears)  I'll never forgive them...

Steven: Forgive who?

David: The Diamonds.  They took everything from me.  My home, my world, my mom...  If it wasn't for Rose, then they would have taken my life too.

Greg: Anyway... What was your mom like?

Steven: Is it really a good idea asking him that?

David: No, it's fine.  She was the best mom I could have asked for.  My dad died in a car accident when I was a baby, so it was just her raising me.  Thankfully dad had a lot of money saved and mom had a really well-paying job as a secretary for a large company in Empire City, so we were never strapped for cash.  We did all sorts of fun things.  We even took a vacation in Beach City once.

Steven: Did you meet any of the Crystal Gems... Or dad?

David: No, they were preoccupied with their own things.  I could see the temple in the distance sometimes, but for the most part we didn't get too close.

Greg: Did your Rose... Ever talk about me?

David: .....Amethyst told me I shouldn't be telling you this...

Greg: I died?

David: (Nods)  Rose tried to escape with you, Garnet, and Pearl while Amethyst stayed behind, I guess she was the Gem making sure the enemy didn't go after the others.  Rose and the others would never discuss it with me directly, but... There's a shrine in Rose's base... It has your picture... And your broken guitar...

Steven: I guess that explains why I don't exist in your timeline... Mom and dad never had the chance to make me.

Greg: Steven, your math is a little off... David says the Gems invaded about 2 years ago.  You're 17.

David: (Shrugs)

Greg: Let's finish our food.  I don't want to keep Pearl waiting for too long.

   David, Greg, and Steven eat the rest of their meal.  Greg pays up and they leave Mira Aquí for the van.  Pearl is still salty.

Steven: Hey Pearl, we're back!

Pearl: Rose had to be going to a place like this, didn't she.

David: My Pearl didn't seem to like humans eating either.  She would always go to another room in the base come mealtime.

Pearl: (Huffs in a superior fashion)

   Greg starts the van.

Greg: Home, then?

Steven: Sure.

   Greg drives the group back to the beach house.  Everyone (But Greg) gets out of the van and goes into the home.  A short montage scene plays where Steven and David talk and play video games.  Soon it is around 8:30 PM.

Pearl: Steven, bedtime!

David: Honestly, you're almost an adult.  Your bedtime should be later.

Steven: Eh, I'm used to it.  How late did your mom let you stay up?

David: At your age?  10:30.

Steven: Pearl reads a lot of (Air quotes) "Teenage parenting manuals."  She's convinced I need as much sleep as possible.

David: Honestly, she's not wrong.

Steven: Was your Pearl very naggy or restrictive?

David: Hmm... Not quite as much.  Rose on the other hand... Well, you already know how my Rose was.  It was hard.  She would barely ever let me leave the compound.  Garnet wouldn't do anything unless there was a battle involved.  Pearl was the more lenient one in my case.  Like I told you, she had Bismuth make me my sword, and would train me for using it.  She (Or Garnet, for that matter) must have anticipated I would eventually get into a fight where it was either me dying or a Gem getting shattered... That's the reason my sword was made the way it was, I bet.  In that world, it was no holds barred.

Steven:  But you never had to use it?  The sword, that is.

David: ...I almost did.  Me and Pearl were walking back to the base when we heard footsteps near us.  Pearl told me to hide.  I hid behind a nearby boulder.  It was a Homeworld Gem, a Quartz soldier, to be exact.  If she found me... I would have no choice but to fight.  Pearl shape-shifted herself into a Homeworld Pearl's uniform for Yellow Diamond, since her Crystal Gem outfit was on the Wanted list.  They talked for a bit... I couldn't make out what they were saying for the most part.  What I could hear were phrases that made it seem that the local Quartz Brigade was searching for "wild" humans to capture... It made me sick to be spoken of like that... Like I was nothing more than an animal.

Steven: And then?

David: Pearl somehow managed to convince the Quartz that the entire area was dangerously unstable due to rockslides, that several Gems had fallen to their deaths in this zone.  The Quartz gave in and walked off.  Then Pearl motioned for me to come out of hiding and we kept going, not stopping until we reached the compound.

Steven: You keep saying you and the other Crystal Gems lived in a "Compound."  What was that?

David: You could definitely say it was much less luxurious than this Crystal Temple.  We were officially in hiding, and we were on a captive planet.  We couldn't afford to be conspicuous.  Our "Crystal Base," or sometimes "Crystal Compound," was basically a series of caves dug into the side of a mountain cliff in a forest.  The spot was chosen because it was an area that would confound scanners and be invisible from above.  I hated it.  It was damp, cramped, and we had to be quiet because too much noise would echo outside of the cave and anyone passing by could hear us... Then again, it did an excellent job keeping us safe.  In the entire year leading up to me... Getting here, we were never discovered.

   Camera pans upwards to reveal that Pearl was listening to their conversation.  Steven starts and looks up at her.  Before Steven could protest, she started speaking.

Pearl: Living in fear like that... And no chance of fighting the Gems off the planet with your limited numbers... What a bleak life you and the Crystal Gems in that world must have led.

David: 2 Gems, a permafusion, and... Me.  We weren't a resistance in any sense of the word.  We were living in a nightmare world, hoping the monsters didn't find us.  If they did find us, a hopeless battle to the death with no chance of survival would ensue.  We didn't even have warp pads.  We had to get around on foot, since the warp system was closely monitored and a warp in our base could give the enemy direct access to our doorstep.

Steven: How did you get fed?

David: (Motions to his gaunt body) Not well.  I was obviously the only member of the team who needed to eat, and Rose, Pearl, and sometimes Garnet would take turns raiding the ruins of nearby human towns for food.  Since we lived in a forest, we also had access to a lot of fruit-bearing plants... Come to think of it, that's how I got to this world.

Steven: ...What?

David: Me and Rose were hunting for berries when a storm suddenly kicked up... It was really bad.  Lightning struck a nearby tree, and it began to fall... Rose saw that it was going to fall right onto me and she jumped at me, knocking me out of the way as the big trunk crashed into the ground.  We abandoned our harvest and legged it for the cliffs... At the bottom of the cliffs was a river.  I looked down and could see that it was a frothing raging torrent.  Rose was running faster than I could keep up.  "Slow down!"  I remember yelling at her.  She ran slower then.  Then we were running on a stone cliff... The rain made the floor really slippery.  The traction on my worn-out shoes was smooth, and I ended up slipping. I had been running too close to the edge, and I fell off.  I grabbed onto an indentation on the rock face, clinging on for dear life.  That got Rose to immediately stop... But she was too late.  My hand started to give way.  Rose was on her stomach reaching out over the cliff to grab me.  Mixed in with the raindrops falling off her hair I could see her tears beginning to fall............. But that couldn't save me this time.  Before her hand could reach mine, I finally slipped.  I screamed the whole way down.  Thankfully I hit the river instead of the shore, which would have killed me on impact from that height, but the current was much too fast for me to swim to shore.  It carried me headfirst downstream, and I could hear Rose in the distance screaming my name desperately. That's when my head hit a rock, and I was knocked unconscious.  When I woke up... I was with you guys in this very living room.

Pearl: So you were carried by the river... I guess through some kind of portal... Into our dimension...  We better search the nearby ocean for energy signatures, perhaps we could learn what exactly brought you here.  Anyway, you humans need to--

David: Sleep, I know.  That was Rose's mantra every night.

Pearl: Sorry.  I didn't mean to set off any bad memories.

Steven: Remember what I said this morning, David.  If you have another nightmare, and I'm in it, don't get hung up.  Team up with me and let me help you.

David: Sounds like a plan.

   Steven left for the bathroom to change into his bedclothes.  David went down to the couch and lay down.  Before he put the covers over himself, he lifted his shirt and began to feel his scars.  Pearl noticed him doing this and walked over.

Pearl: How long were you in Yellow Diamond's service?

David: ...A week.  Yellow made a point to her soldiers to make me last.  Non-lethal wounds only.  That Quartz Rose saved me from technically disobeyed Yellow by stabbing me through my chest.  She really liked hurting humans... And went too far in hurting me.  I knew long before she did it that she would be the one to kill me... I could tell from the fact she was obviously relishing attacking me... 27.

Pearl: What...?

David: 27.  That's how many scars I have, counting the one on my chest.  they're everywhere; on my back, front, legs, arms.  Some of them are small, some of them are long...  I used to count them every day when I was at Rose's place... Wishing they would go away...

Pearl: (Sits down next to David, and puts her hand in his) It's only going to get better from here, David.  We all want you to be happy.  Get some sleep.  (Exit Pearl)

   David takes the picture of his mom out of his pocket and stares at it.  He runs a finger over it.

David:  I bet it was you, mom.  You stayed with me as a spirit and guided me here when I was about to die...  You brought me to safety like my guardian angel...  (A tear falls down his face)

��  Amethyst overheard that.  She opened her mouth to say something, then decided against it and turned around, walking back through the magic door into her room.  David, oblivious to this, got up and turned off the light, goes back and pulls the covers over his body, and quickly falls asleep.