A Rose by Any Other Name

It takes more than several weeks before the rose quartz show any sign of activity. The Crystals Gems have long defeated the enemy who had dared to sneak past their tight defense and attacked Steven. They'd stared in horror as he was pounded to the ground, coughing up dust and blood, crying muffled screams … and then poof - Steven was gone.

Pearl was inconsolable. "We were supposed to protect him! I knew it was too early for Steven!" But by now, it is no longer frantic cries but low, woeful moans of regret.

But worst of all is Greg. He raged at the Crystal Gems, because Steven may be mature and sturdy for his age, but he's still his baby boy. The rage had lasted for all of a day, because deep inside he knows Steven craved for the gem's missions and duties, and how could the gems deny Steven anything when Greg himself could never either?

Now he's sailing on melancholy, music gone from his soul.

Connie is silent too, unusually subdue, unusually still, like a doll broken and abandoned.

So when the rose quartz finally twitches, everyone is there, anxious and ready.

There's a moment of silence before a bright glow envelopes the gem. It grows and grows, and they feel relief at first, but then it doesn't stop and continues to expand well past the size of the Steven they know and love.

"Impossible," Garnet mutters because in Steven's place is Rose Quartz, looking as beautiful as the day they met her.

"Rose!" Pearl squeals, in delight, then horror, as the implication hits her. Steven is neither gem nor human, and his death is neither as well.

Rose Quartz looks down, places a hand on her belly where her gem resides and mourns for her lost son. Humans can't regenerate from the dead, and Steven is human enough that he follows that law; but he's also gem enough that his physical body poofs to non-existence.

The family is forever broken in places no one can see.