Wide and terrified eyes stared back at Steven, each containing a diamond-shaped pupil that shook him to his core. He leapt away from the screen as if he'd been burned, his pounding heart and buzzing head causing him to tumble onto the harsh wooden floor. Fear clawed at him like a wild animal as he scrambled to get away from the terrible sight.

"N-no! No! This isn't happening!" he shook his head in denial even as his pink skin buzzed with barely contained energy. His frantic gaze flitted across the room in search of something, anything that would change his situation. "I didn't think about shattering White. I didn't shatter Jasper, I didn't fight with Dad. I…" he paused as something caught his gaze. "I'm Steven Universe!"

There, hanging on the wall above his bedroom was a vibrant and beautiful painting. In it, he was depicted as an angel, complete with fluffy white wings and a serene smile that adorned his chubby face.

The mesmerizing sight caused him to still, a sudden wave of calm washing over him.

He rose from the floor and approached the painting as memories of his childhood played themselves in the theater of his mind. When had everything become so complicated? Back then his biggest concerns were not having enough Cookie Cats and trying to impress the gems. And now…

He shook his head to clear himself of such thoughts. He was still Steven Universe, savior of the galaxy. Nothing had changed. He was fine, everything was just fine.

"I'm fine," he said, a large smile stretching across his face. "I'm fine!"

The floor rumbled and the walls shook as the glass from the sliding door shattered into a hundred pieces. He ignored it and focused on blinking away the dark spots that now dotted his blurry vision. Wobbling legs guided him to his bed where he collapsed as a searing pain coursed through his body. Even as he lost consciousness, he was sure that everything was absolutely fine.

Bolting up the stairs at an inhuman speed was a worried group of gems consisting of Garnet, Amethyst and Pearl. They pushed past each other in a frantic fashion as they raced toward the sound of Steven's booming voice.

Aside from the shards of glass that littered the floor, everything else in Steven's bedroom was pristine and undamaged.

"Steven?" Pearl called, her wide eyes darting around the room. "Is that you?"

"You guys heard him too, right?" Amethyst scanned every nook and cranny, stopping at the sight of a lone red flip-flop that lay abandoned near the foot of the bed. With a frown, she picked it up and presented it to the other two gems. "Steven was definitely here."

"There, on the bed," Garnet said, pointing towards a small squirming lump hidden under the safety of the white covers.

Amethyst and Pearl snapped their gazes to the bed, identical looks of confusion crossing their faces. Something groaned and shifted under the blankets, wriggling and squirming for a moment before going completely still.

"What the heck is that?!" Amethyst exclaimed, shuffling backwards and summoning her whip.

"Maybe it's Cat Steven?" Pearl suggested, her gaze glued to the lump. Her hand hovered over her gemstone as she readied herself to summon her spear.

"It sure didn't sound like a cat to me," Amethyst said, taking uncertain steps towards the bed only stopping when she was right next to it. One hand was tightly gripped around her whip while the over hovered hesitantly over the white blanket. With one swift motion, she yanked and threw it onto the floor. "What the…"

Pearl's mouth fell open, "Is that…"

"Steven," Garnet finished.

A black poof of curly hair and a large pair of brown eyes greeted them. Hung around the toddler's small frame was a baggy black shirt that engulfed his whole body. Despite being much smaller and younger than usual, Steven's twinkling eyes and button nose were unmistakable.

At his name, the small child blinked up at them. "Dad?"

The three gems froze and exchanged uncertain looks.

Steven frowned at their silence and began to scan the room for his father. He became increasingly more distressed the longer he went without seeing him. His lashes brimmed heavy with unshed tears as he began to sniffle.

Sensing a wave of cries incoming, Amethyst sprung into action. She pushed through her shock and mustered up a friendly smile.

"Hey there, Ste-vo…"

Steven rubbed at his eyes and peered up at her. "I want my dad," he said.

Amethyst nodded before turning to the other gems, "I'm gonna go look for Greg," she told them. "You guys stay here and watch Steven."

She dashed out of the room in a blur of purple before they could respond, leaving the two dumbfounded gems in a stunned silence. Thankfully, the knowledge that his dad was on the way was enough to calm Steven who now watched them with a curious expression.

"You're very young," Garnet said after recovering from her surprise.

"I'm six!" Steven said, puffing out his chest and flashing them a satisfied smile. "My dad says I'm a big boy now."

"Six?" Pearl said, her voice rising in panic. "Garnet, what happened to him? You don't think the Diamonds have anything to do with this?"

"I know lots about Diamonds," Steven said.

"You do?"

Without warning he began to sing. "Twinkle, twinkle little star, how I wonder what you are! Up above the world so high, like a diamond in the sky—"

"That's a lovely song Steven," Garnet said. "But we were hoping you could tell us more about what happened to you on Homeworld."

"Homeworld?" Steven said, a blank look on his face. "Sounds pretty."

"He doesn't remember," Pearl said. "Maybe this has something to do with his new powers."

"Powers?" Steven asked, eyes twinkling with excitement. "Like mom? Dad says mom was magic. She had a big shield—" he made a circular gesture with his hands. "—and it was pink and super cool. When I grow up I wanna have a shield."

Garnet and Pearl both grimaced at the mention of Rose.

"That's… nice, Steven," Pearl finally said.

Steven continued to excitedly chatter about powers he wish he had, occasionally pausing to get their input. Pearl and Garnet politely nodded along to the cheerful rambling all the while one questioned echoes in their minds—what happened to Steven?