Weeks went by, quite stressful weeks, to be honest. During that time, I was with Leon most days, and with Connie too. She was happy, of course—who wouldn't be happy riding a pink lion that travels through dimensions? Not everyone can say they've done something like that in their life.
Recently, Leon took me unannounced to the area where Mom kept her weapons. It was... intense. It still gives me chills to think about how many dangerous things were in there. Thank the universe, I didn't accidentally press anything, because I'm sure that, with my luck, I would have summoned Satan or something worse. I don't want to imagine what would happen if one of those things activated.
But that was a few days ago. Right now, I was walking with the gems through a fruit orchard. The sun filtered through the branches, the air smelled sweet, and insects buzzed lazily. We walked leisurely, although... honestly, I'd forgotten why we were there.
What did we come for, girls? I asked, scratching my head, a bead of sweat running down my forehead.
Pearl, completely focused, was at the front of the group, talking excitedly about the ancient Gem War. Her tone was so passionate it seemed she was giving us a lecture, not walking through an orchard.
Amethyst, on the other hand, walked behind her, chewing on something metallic.
"We're in a war zone, and we're here for weapons," she replied without looking up, her mouth full.
I didn't want to ask where she got that car engine she was eating. In fact, I preferred not to.
"You like that?" I asked curiously, watching her take another bite.
"It has a unique flavor," she replied simply, as if she were talking about an apple.
I sighed and turned my gaze to Garnet, who was walking silently as always.
"And you? Well, more like... all of you? Why do you need weapons? You already have yours, right?" I asked, raising my shield instinctively.
Garnet simply adjusted her glasses and said calmly,
Who knows when we'll need them.
I remained silent, processing that. Images of all the incidents we'd had flashed through my mind, from stone slugs to collapsing temples. I swore on my gem that, in all those instances, I never saw them use the weapons they collected.
So I just sighed and muttered,
Well... if you say so.
And we continued walking, among the fruit trees, while Pearl continued to narrate stories of ancient wars and Amethyst searched for something else to chew on.
The day was just beginning, and as always, I felt something strange was about to happen.
Garnet grabbed a battle axe as calmly as one might choose a kitchen tool. Steven looked at it and, with a drop of sweat, thought it seemed a bit big for anyone. Garnet shook her head and assured her it was perfect for her.
Amethyst, bored, simply grabbed the first thing she found and continued chewing as if it were an appetizer. Pearl, on the other hand, didn't know what to choose; her face showed absolute concentration, as if each weapon were a riddle to be solved.
In the distance, I spotted a pink mace that seemed strangely familiar. With a mixture of disbelief and hope, I commented that it seemed Leon was somewhere around there. Without waiting for a reply, I went straight to where he was digging. As I drew closer, I saw with amazement a sword scabbard I knew well: it was my mother's sword. I felt a thump in my chest; how lucky, I thought as I watched Leon with shining eyes. He stared back at me, calm as ever.
Before I could do or say anything, Pearl spotted the scabbard. Her eyes lit up with fanatical excitement, and in a fit of rage, she ran toward me and snatched the scabbard from my hands. I took three steps back, surprised, and told her that if she wanted it, she would have just asked me for it.
The scene froze for a few seconds: Pearl clutching the sheath to her chest, Amethyst still holding something metallic in her mouth, Garnet examining her axe as if evaluating her next move, and me trying to compose my expression between a smile and annoyance. The morning continued, and the feeling that something else was about to happen clung to the air like moisture.
"It's your mother's sword!" Pearl exclaimed, with such pure emotion that she almost seemed to tremble.
"The sword?" I asked, confused, staring at what was clearly just a sheath.
"I mean," Pearl quickly corrected, composed but still excited, "the sheath for Rose's sword. It had been lost in the war... but you found it."
She looked at me with admiration, with that mixture of nostalgia and devotion she always displayed when talking about my mother.
"Don't look at me, you know?" I replied somewhat uncomfortably, pointing at Leon. "Look at him, he was the one who found it."
Pearl turned her head toward Lion with the intention of thanking him, but the pink lion let out a low, stern growl, almost contemptuously.
"Huh?" I thought aloud. When did they become enemies?
Pearl looked away, pretending not to care, and returned to me to begin one of her long, enthusiastic explanations. She spoke of history, battles, and honor with such passion that she didn't notice I was becoming increasingly distracted.
Amethyst and Garnet exchanged a silent glance, one of those looks that said more than any words: poor Steven.
I just sighed, letting Pearl speak without interrupting her. Meanwhile, Lion approached and walked beside me with firm steps.
"Will you take me?" I asked, gently scratching his mane.
The lion crouched down without making a sound. I smiled, climbed onto his back, and leaned against his soft, warm hair, feeling the calm that being with him always gave me.
Pearl's voice continued in the background, solemnly narrating:
Well, Steven... your mother was a great support during the war. Someone who gave her life or her gem for what she believed in. She was the one who led the rebel gems against the home planet. The gems who lived there did so under constant oppression, following orders without question. Well... that's what the gossip says. No gem was truly happy under the Diamonds' command.
I looked up when I heard that name. It was the first time anyone had mentioned it in front of me.
Pearl noticed it immediately. She tensed, swallowed, and, with a drop of sweat running down her cheek, tried to continue speaking quickly, as if that would help her avoid questions.
Daughter of the Mandarin, Steven thought, looking at Pearl with an annoyed expression. You've left me with a completely insane amount of doubt, and now you're acting like nothing happened... great.
She sighed, exhaling through her nose. "Well, getting off topic, I didn't even realize when we got to the house."
"Steven," Pearl said in a soft, almost solemn tone, "I think it's time I took you somewhere."
"...Somewhere?" Steven asked, raising an eyebrow.
"It's your mom's thing, but it's yours now," Pearl replied, grinning from ear to ear.
Steven looked at her flatly. "You're such a big fan," he said without thinking.
"Huh?" Pearl blinked, snapping out of her reverie. A drop of sweat rolled down her cheek. "I'm gone... well, what does it matter? Come, follow me."
Without waiting for a reply, she walked toward the portal with the excitement of someone about to open a sacred chest.
Come, Steven, I'll take you to your mother's legacy."
Steven didn't respond. He just looked at her silently, with that mixture of resignation and curiosity that was now customary. He took a step forward and let the portal envelop him, while behind them, Leon remained calm... until he began to smash the household furniture without any remorse.
The portal led them to a wide, rocky, and barren area. The wind blew strongly, stirring up dust and small fragments of stone.
Steven looked around with a bored expression. "So what's here?" "What's the big secret?" Because, honestly, just looking at this makes me want to go back," he thought sarcastically.
Pearl, if she noticed, decided to ignore it completely.
Oh, Steven, my little boy, this isn't the way. This is just a shortcut. In short, what we have to do is climb to the top of that mountain, run about ten kilometers, descend three cliffs, and then cross three waterfalls while walking over a body of water. "Do you think so?" she said, smiling, her eyes gleaming almost unnervingly.
Steven remained silent for a few seconds, staring at her.
"Why do I feel like you're more excited about this long journey than I am?" he finally murmured, as Pearl began to walk with a firm step, as if it were a sacred pilgrimage.
He just sighed and followed her with his hands in his pockets, thinking that with Pearl, the adventure always ended up being stranger than he expected.
Pearl, filled with excitement, ran toward the mountain wall and began climbing with almost obsessive skill, as if every rock she touched were part of a sacred ritual. Her movements were quick and precise, but her expression was that of someone living a dream.
Steven, barely raising his eyebrows, looked at her with a mixture of resignation and confusion.
"Huh? Why don't you just jump?" he thought as he watched her climb as if she were scaling the temple of her idol. Without much emotion, she began to take short, steady jumps, gradually climbing until she reached the top with little effort.
Peering down, he looked at Pearl, who was still climbing, her face glowing like a fanatic. "My God... what did my mother do to make Pearl feel like this?" Steven thought, seeing that expression of almost overwhelming devotion.
The gem in her navel gleamed faintly, like a flash of regret. Steven looked at her, tilting his head.
"What?" Are you getting sentimental now too? he murmured softly. Look at her, you've made her look silly, he added in an almost conspiratorial tone, as if speaking to someone invisible. The gem began to glow softly again.
Steven continued talking to her, even though he knew it was his imagination, his way of filling in the gaps of a past he barely understood. But in that moment, as Pearl climbed, fascinated, the gem's glow following him, he felt that this "imagination" was the only way he could truly let loose.
Thus, Pearl would arrive with a runny nose, overcome by emotion and exhaustion, but without losing an ounce of energy. As soon as she reached the top, she grabbed Steven's hand and began to run tirelessly. They crossed rocks, jumped over crevasses, and dodged branches, while Steven sweated profusely, panting and cursing halfway up. Between slips, stumbles, and grunts, he thought his Diamond mother was laughing from some corner of the universe for putting him through all that.
After a long journey filled with obstacles and effort, the two finally reached the area Pearl had so enthusiastically promised. Steven, covered in dust and with his hair plastered to his forehead with sweat, barely looked up when Pearl, her voice trembling with excitement, exclaimed between stutters and labored breaths, "Look, Steven, this is your mother's weapons area. This... this... this area is... it's yours."
Steven raised an eyebrow, looking around. The "weapons area" turned out to be the same cave they had arrived at days ago with Leon. Same heavy air, same walls covered in inlaid gems, and the same damp, echoing feeling. Nothing new, nothing impressive. Just a place he already knew.
His gaze met Pearl's, who was still observing the place with devotion, as if it were a sacred temple. Steven let out a deep sigh, somewhere between frustrated and exhausted, and thought that this whole epic journey could have been avoided if they had simply come with Leon from the beginning.
I've been here before, Steven would say tersely, crossing his arms as he looked around the cave with obvious disinterest.
Pearl looked at him, blinking several times, not understanding what she had just heard. Uh... how? That's impossible, she stammered, confused. Only your mother and I know this place.
"My mother, you... and Leon," Steven replied calmly, but with a half-smile that only increased Pearl's confusion.
"Leon?" she repeated, tilting her head as if she'd just heard something crazy. "You must be confused, Steven. Only your mother and I have been here. What would a totally random lion know about this place?"
Steven remained silent for a few seconds, staring at her with a mixture of irony and patience. Then, with a mischievous smile, he took a step forward and pointed toward the stone platform.
"So, if Leon didn't bring me here, come, follow me," he said in a challenging tone, as he began walking confidently toward the center of the room.
Pearl, unsure and still trying to process what she heard, followed him without further question, although a slight doubt began to form inside her.
End of Chapter 15.