Roses on the table, Diamonds round the neck. (Pokemonboy3000)

Appearances

 * Steven
 * Peridot
 * Pearl
 * Garnet
 * Yellow Calcite
 * Helenite (Aptos)
 * Tiger Eye
 * Rubellite and Snow (mentioned)

Steven walked past the bathroom door, still completely frozen, Snow hadn’t left in almost 2 days, he looked at Peridot, Pearl, Garnet, Calcite, and Helenite work on the device they were going to use to find Lodestone.

“Hey guys, how goes the tracking device?” He asked Peridot.

“Quite...fine Steven...everything is going….Perfectly.” A fuse blows in her face covering it with soot. “Ravengflagenn agh Gah!” Peridot exclaims.

“This is a little more complicated than we thought.” Pearl added.

“But since she hasn't used the warps yet this is the only way.” Helenite chimed in.

“Well have any of you seen Tiger Eye, I need to speak with her.” Steven asked.

“Hmm...You will find her at her waterfall.” Garnet told Steven.

“Thanks Garnet.” Steven stepped on the warp pad and warped away.

---

He appeared at the warp pad located at the best the waterfall, the spray from the water felt refreshing on his face, he looked around and saw Tiger eye meditating underneath the waterfall.

“Tiger! I need your help with something.” Steven called out to her, She opened her eyes and noticed Steven down underneath her, she jumped off her ledge and landed next to him

“What’s up?” She asked steven, before shaking herself dry of the water.

“I want to know more about mom...during the war…” Steven asked and Tiger looked slight uncomfortable with the question.

“Why now? Why me?” Tiger asked.

“I need to know more about Snow and Rubellite, did mom really try to break them? Also I need it to be you… Garnet and Pearl always leave stuff out… Amethyst wasn’t there. You're the best one for this.”

Tiger sighed and took a deep breath before she answered. “Yes, your mother did...but it’s complicated...and you are wrong...I’m not the best to tell you this.”

“Then who is? I felt like there was this gap that Snow needed to work out before she could feel like one of us...I thought it was Black Ice...but now I think it’s me...and mom.” Steven teared. “I just need anyone who can help.”

“Not any one…” Tiger eye glowed a bright white color before her two gems separated revealing Spinel and Cat’s eye.

“Spinel! Cat’s Eye!” Steven was shocked to see these two again and ran to give them a big hug.

“Steven...remember the touching…” Cat’s eye blushed as she hated physical contact. Spinel just laughed,  Once Steven put them down they sat down in preparation.

3 orbs floated out of Cat’s eye’s gem the orbited around steven before projecting a scene onto the ground, it was a scene of Rose Quartz standing in front of many gems with her sword and shield raised.

Spinel began to speak. “Your mother always tried to to do what was best for the earth….what was best for the gems that stood by her fighting. You see Rose gave us something that we never had before… a choice.”

-

The flashback zoomed in on the Lunar Sea Spire

Spinel Spoke in the background “The War was taking it’s toll on all of us, but especially your mom. She had finally had her way out, Pink Diamond had agreed to meet and discuss terms on neutral territory for the future of earth."

Rose, Pearl, Sapphire, Ruby, Spinel, and Yellow Calcite entered the spire.

“As per all negotiations Rose was allowed to bring a diplomatic gem, sapphire, two bodyguards, Spinel and Ruby, and gems to prove her status, Yellow Calcite and Pearl.” Cat’s eye’s voice cut through. “I was hiding in the back keeping an eye on the proceedings.”

A Pink Pearl walked into the room holding a communicator, with Two Quartz Soldiers, and one of the silhouette gems from The Answer. The Pearl turned the device to the pink setting and a picture of Pink Diamond projected on a screen.

“Rose and Pink Diamond began to spoke, Rose believed that she could finally come to a peaceful solution and protect the earth, but that’s when it happened.” Cat’s eye spoke.

“You can’t believe we would accept those terms, I thought we were here to negotiate, not give in to demands.” Rose spoke to the image of pink diamond.

Sapphire began to spoke but suddenly turned around and used her super speed to rush towards Rose, she tackled her and pushed her out of the way, and right then a sword pulled through her navel where Rose’s gem would have been.

“SAPPHIRE!!” Ruby yelled out and jumped grabbing Sapphire's gemstone.

“I didn’t come to negotiate with you, this is the end of the rebellion, meet your replacement. Serpentinite, blindly loyal, powerful and prepared to break you.”

Rose was concerned she had never seen this gem before. But she drew her sword and prepared for battle. Pearl ran towards Serpentinite with both her blades drawn.

“Pleasssse a Pearl.” Serpentinite smirked and separated her blade into its whip form, with one strike she disarmed Pearl. Both Blades fell to the ground and so did Pearl before she poofed back into her gemstone

“Stay back!” Rose rushed at Serpentinite shield first but Serpentinite dodged it, and unleashed a flurry of whip strikes at Rose. “I’ll handle her! Protect Sapphire and Pearl.” Rose defended herself with her shield before jumping into the air and accelerating herself quickly towards Serpentinite. She tackled her and brought her deeper into the Spire.

“That just leaves us with everyone else.” Yellow Calcite’s eyes met with the silhouette gem who pointed at them. Many quartz soldiers charged at them. Yellow summoned her wings and flew up into the air.

Spinel caught one of the strikes from the quartz and flipped her over her body. “Ruby! You need to focus!” She got socked by another Quartz and  was sent flying. She crashed into one of the walls of the spire. “Oh that really battered my luster…” The Quartz spun dashed at her but was suddenly cut down by a fuma shruiken. “Kitty!”

“I’m here!” Cat’s eye jumped into Spinel’s arms and they fused. Tiger growled before engaging two more Quartz soldiers.

“Alright Rubies form up!” A bunch of Homeworld Rubies fused into a giant ruby fusion. “Ruby smash! The fusion charged at Ruby and Yellow Calcite.

“Please, a fusion? Easy.” Yellow Calcite formed her egg that made a soundwave and separated the fusion back into 7 rubies. Ruby tackled the leader and engaged the others in combat.

“Nice work.” Tiger approached Yellow Calcite having beaten the two Quartzes from before. However, unbeknownst to her another Quartz with an ax was standing behind her, she prepared to swing when a javelin pierced through her chest. Tiger turned to see the gem poof. “Nice to have an invisible support for negotiations turned sour.”

Ammolite de-camouflaged and smiled. “Thanks but we have bigger problems!” She pointed to the numerous soldiers pouring in.

“Yeah but here comes the cavalry!” Yellow Calcite pointed to the rest of the crystal gems who had also shown up.

“Let’s do this!” Tiger lead the charge towards the soldiers.

--

The flashback ended.

“The battle was intense, when Rose returned we could all see something changed in her.” Cat’s eye began to speak again. “This battle had the most casualties of any yet, and it destroyed Rose’s beliefs that she could end the war peacefully.”

“From that moment on, she became more focused on winning the war by any means necessary. That’s why she feared Rubellite and Ice, not only were they powerful on their own, but the served as a greater threat.” Spinel added.

“If they fused, they could’ve opened the gate for homeworld to use fusion as a weapon against us, and we would have lost earth….” Cat’s eye gazed down at the ground. “So yes she did threaten to shatter them….It was hard for her to do, and Tiger eye helped talk her out of it, but it was a decision she was ready to make. Rose would do anything to protect earth.” Cat’s eye informed steven.

Steven looked into the sky, and then down at his gem before sighing. “Thanks for telling me, I feel a lot better now.” He embraced both of them in another hug.

Spinel and Cat’s eye both hugged him back. “You Ok?” they asked in unison

“Yeah I know what I have to do now.” Steven ensured them.

Cat and Spinel refused back into Tiger eye. “Glad I could help.”  Tiger and Steven stepped on the warp pad.

“Do you think they are done with the tracker?” Steven said before they warped away. The star closed in around them after they warped away.

Trivia

 * This is the first story to flashback to events during the war
 * This episode title comes from the Emma Goldman quote "I'd rather have roses on my table than diamonds 'round my neck.