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Greg Diamond

The Velvet Throne of the Void

The warp stream was a blur of violet and white, a dizzying tunnel of light that felt far more intense than any trip Steven had ever taken. Beside him, Greg was vibrating—literally. A low, hummed frequency was emanating from the purple diamond on his forearm, a sound like a bass guitar plugged into the heart of a star.

"Dad, hang on!" Steven shouted over the roar of the dimensional shift.

Greg looked like he was trying to remember how to breathe. "Steven! I think I’m having a mid-life crisis and a cosmic awakening at the same time! My arm feels like it’s full of carbonated soda!"

The Lavender Pearl stood between them, her posture perfect, her eyes fixed forward with a terrifyingly singular focus. "Do not fight the resonance, my Diamond. It is merely your physical form adjusting to the atmospheric expectations of your station. You have been diminished by the oxygen and nitrogen of that primitive sphere for far too long."

"Hey! That primitive sphere has great cheeseburgers!" Greg yelled back, though his voice lacked its usual conviction.

With a sudden, jarring thud, the light vanished. They weren't in the Grand Diamond Palace or the bustling plazas of Homeworld Steven knew. They were in a place that looked like it had been carved out of a single, massive amethyst geode. The walls were jagged, deep purple crystals that pulsed with a rhythmic, bioluminescent glow. The air was thin and smelled of ozone and ancient dust.

"Where are we?" Pearl asked, her spear already drawn as she stepped off the warp pad. Garnet and Amethyst flanked her, their weapons shimmering into existence.

"The Abyssal Spire," the Lavender Pearl announced, stepping onto the crystalline floor. She didn't look back at the Gems. She was focused entirely on Greg, who was currently staring at a towering statue of a figure that looked remarkably like him, if he had been ten feet tall and wore a cape made of woven shadows. "This was the seat of the Purple Authority. It has been sealed since the Great Transition. Only the presence of the true lineage could have unlocked the warp coordinates."

"Listen, Miss... Lavender," Greg said, rubbing the back of his neck. "I appreciate the hospitality, really. But I’ve got a car wash to run. And a van. My van is still on Earth! You can't just beam a guy up without his ride."

The Pearl turned, her expression softening into something that looked like pity. "The van was a cocoon, my Diamond. But the butterfly has emerged. Now, come. The tailoring drones have been dormant for eons, and we must not keep the court waiting."

"What court?" Amethyst asked, poking a floating purple orb that hissed at her. "I thought you guys were extinct."

"The Purple Diamond’s subjects are not merely gems," the Lavender Pearl said cryptically. "We are the keepers of the Deep Void. We exist in the spaces between the light."

As she led them deeper into the spire, Steven felt a strange, cold pressure behind his eyes. It wasn't his own feeling. It was a prickly, sharp sensation, like a needle pressing against a balloon. Every time the Lavender Pearl touched Greg’s shoulder to guide him, or leaned in to whisper about 'regal protocols,' Steven’s gem would throb with a dull, angry heat.

"You okay, Steven?" Garnet asked, her hand resting on his shoulder. Her shades reflected the purple glow of the cavern, but her expression was unreadable.

"I... I don't know," Steven whispered. "I feel really agitated. Like I’m watching something I’m not supposed to see."

"It’s a lot to take in," Pearl added, her voice trembling. "To think... all this time, Greg was... it explains so much about his resilience, his ability to harmonize with Rose’s energy. But this? This is a level of Gem history we thought was lost forever."

They reached a massive circular chamber. In the center stood a pedestal surrounded by hovering, multi-armed drones that looked like robotic spiders made of glass.

"Wait, wait, wait!" Greg held up his hands as the drones began to descend. "I’m not a 'get dressed by robots' kind of guy! I’m a 'find the cleanest shirt in the laundry basket' kind of guy!"

"Please, my Diamond," the Lavender Pearl pleaded, her hands clasped to her chest. "The transition is necessary. Your current form is an affront to the spectrum you represent. Just a moment of your time, and you shall truly see yourself."

The drones moved with blinding speed. Before Steven could intervene, a shimmering veil of purple light enveloped Greg. There was a sound like a thousand harps being plucked at once. When the light faded, Greg Universe was gone.

Standing in his place was a man who looked like a cosmic rock star. He wore a long, flowing coat of deep violet silk that seemed to trail off into literal smoke at the hem. His chest was partially exposed, showing the purple diamond on his forearm, which was now glowing with a steady, commanding light. His hair, usually a mess of grey and brown, was shot through with streaks of glowing amethyst and pulled back with a circlet of dark metal.

Greg looked down at himself, his jaw dropping. "Whoa. I look like I’m about to headline a show at the end of the universe."

"You look... incredible, Dad," Steven said, though the words felt heavy in his mouth.

The Lavender Pearl fell to her knees, her forehead touching the cold crystal floor. "Perfection. The Void returns to its throne."

Suddenly, a massive screen flickered to life on the far wall. It showed the three other Diamonds—White, Yellow, and Blue—sitting in their respective chambers on Homeworld. They looked startled, their massive eyes widening as they stared at the transmission from the Abyssal Spire.

"What is the meaning of this?" Yellow’s voice boomed through the chamber. "The Purple frequency has been silent for—" She stopped, her gaze landing on Greg.

Blue Diamond gasped, her hands flying to her face. "Is it... can it be? The lost facet?"

White Diamond leaned forward, her expression a mask of terrifying curiosity. "A hybrid? Like the Pink one? But the Purple line was supposed to have faded into the silence. How interesting that it chose a human vessel to hide within."

"Hey, ladies," Greg said, giving a weak, two-finger wave. "Long time no see. Well, for you. For me, this is all pretty new."

"You must come to the central palace immediately," White commanded, her voice echoing with a power that made the spire shake. "A new Diamond is not a matter for a dusty spire. We must calibrate you. We must see what remains of the Void’s power."

"He isn't going anywhere until we talk about this!" Steven shouted, stepping in front of his father.

But the Lavender Pearl was already moving. "The White One is correct. The coronation must be prepared. My Diamond, if you would follow me to the transport..."

As she reached for Greg’s hand again, Steven felt a sudden, violent surge of emotion. It wasn't his. It was a searing, white-hot jealousy that didn't belong to a teenage boy. It was the feeling of a woman who had given up everything to be human, only to watch the man she loved be pulled back into the very nightmare of royalty she had fled.

*Mine,* a voice hissed in the back of Steven’s mind. *He was the only thing that was mine.*

Steven’s skin began to glow a bright, angry pink. "Dad, don't go with her," he said, his voice dropping an octave.

"Steven? You okay, Schtu-ball? You’re looking a little... vibrant," Greg said, reaching out to touch Steven’s arm.

The moment their skin met, a shockwave of energy blasted through the room. It wasn't the warm, healing energy of Steven’s usual powers. It was jagged and cold.

Deep within the gemstone at Steven’s navel, the ghost of Pink Diamond was screaming. In the mental landscape of the gem, she was no longer a gentle memory. She was a storm of pink shards, swirling in a vacuum of resentment. She saw the Lavender Pearl as a thief. She saw the other Diamonds as jailers. And she saw Greg—her Greg—as a prize they were trying to steal from her legacy.

The Lavender Pearl recoiled from the blast, her eyes wide. "The Pink Prince... his resonance is unstable!"

"Get away from him," Steven said, but it wasn't just Steven’s voice. There was an echo behind it, a melodic, haunting tone that made Pearl and Garnet flinch.

"Steven, calm down," Garnet said, stepping forward with her hands raised. "You’re letting your emotions spike. We’re all confused, but we need to stay level-headed."

"I am level-headed!" Steven snapped, and as he spoke, a pink shield manifested, but it was covered in sharp, crystalline thorns. "She’s trying to take him! She’s acting like he’s just a... a decoration! He’s my dad!"

"And he is my Diamond!" the Lavender Pearl cried out, her devotion blinding her to the danger. She lunged forward, trying to grab Greg’s arm to pull him toward the warp. "He belongs to the stars, not to a half-breed and a group of rebels!"

That was the breaking point.

Inside the gem, the image of Pink Diamond didn't just flicker; it solidified. The jealousy reached a fever pitch. If she couldn't have him in the way she wanted—if she couldn't be there to hold him as Rose—then no one else would be allowed to claim him as a Diamond.

Steven’s eyes didn't just turn pink; they became glowing stars. He didn't move, but a burst of pink light erupted from his feet, turning the floor into a jagged forest of rose-colored crystals that cut off the Lavender Pearl’s path.

"I said," Steven growled, his body trembling with the effort of containing the power, "don't. Touch. Him."

Greg stepped back, looking between his son and the frantic Pearl. "Whoa, hey, everyone! Let’s just take a breath! I’m still Greg! I still like breakfast burritos and bad sci-fi movies! I’m not a trophy!"

The Lavender Pearl turned to Greg, her eyes pleading. "My Diamond, you don't understand. The Pink lineage was always... volatile. They destroyed everything they touched. You are the balance. You are the silence in the noise. You must come with me before his instability shatters this entire spire!"

"She’s lying!" the voice in Steven’s head screamed.

Steven clutched his hair, his breath coming in ragged gasps. "Shut up! Just shut up!"

"Steven?" Pearl cried out, rushing to his side. "Who are you talking to?"

"Her!" Steven pointed at his own gem. "She’s angry! She’s so angry that they’re taking him!"

Garnet’s face went pale. "Pink... is she reacting to Greg’s awakening?"

"She hates her!" Steven sobbed, pointing at the Lavender Pearl. "She wants to break her! She wants to take Dad and hide him where no one can ever find him!"

Greg’s heart sank. He looked at his son—really looked at him—and saw the agony of two different worlds colliding in one small body. He looked at his own arm, at the purple gem that had upended his life in a single morning. He realized that his existence as a Diamond wasn't just a change in status; it was a threat to the peace they had fought so hard to build.

"Listen to me!" Greg shouted, his voice echoing with the hidden power of the Purple Diamond, a frequency so heavy it made everyone in the room stop moving. Even the Lavender Pearl froze, her body vibrating in involuntary obedience.

Greg walked over to Steven and pulled him into a tight hug. He didn't care about the pink thorns or the glowing energy. He just held his son.

"I’m not going anywhere, Steven," Greg whispered into his hair. "I don't care if I’m purple, pink, or polka-dotted. I’m your dad. And nobody—not a Pearl, not a Diamond, and not even the memory of Rose—is going to change that."

The pink glow around Steven began to fade, the jagged crystals softening into petals before dissolving into mist. The pressure in Steven’s mind receded, though a lingering sense of cold dissatisfaction remained deep within his gem.

The Lavender Pearl watched them, her expression one of profound confusion. To her, a Diamond was a god, a pillar of the universe. To see one acting with such raw, human vulnerability was a violation of everything she had been taught.

"But... the protocol..." she whispered.

"Forget the protocol," Greg said, looking her in the eye. His purple pupils were steady now, no longer flickering. "If I’m the boss of this 'Void' or whatever, then my first order is this: we’re going home. Back to Earth. If the other Diamonds want to talk, they can come to the car wash. I’ve got a couch, and I might even have some chips."

"The Diamonds... in a car wash?" the Pearl asked, her mind clearly reeling.

"It’ll be a tight fit, but we’ll make it work," Greg said with a weak grin.

He looked at Garnet, Amethyst, and Pearl. "Can we get out of here? This place gives me the creeps. It’s like living inside a giant grape."

Garnet nodded, her stoic expression returning, though she kept a close eye on Steven. "The warp is still active. Let’s go before White Diamond decides to send an escort."

As they stepped onto the warp pad, Steven looked down at his gem. It was quiet now, but he could feel the shadow of his mother’s jealousy lingering like a bruise. She wasn't gone. She was watching. And she was not happy about sharing the spotlight.

The light took them, whisking them away from the jagged purple spire and back toward the blue skies of Beach City.

But as the Abyssal Spire fell back into darkness, the Lavender Pearl remained standing on the platform, her eyes narrowed. She had spent thousands of years waiting for her Diamond to return. She wasn't going to let a group of rebels and a confused hybrid keep him in a van forever.

"The Void does not belong in the dirt," she whispered to the empty chamber. "I will prepare the way. Whether you want it or not, my Diamond, the galaxy will bow to you."

And deep within Steven, the pink light flickered once, a silent promise of a coming storm. The Universe was getting bigger, and the ghosts of the past were no longer content to stay buried.