"Apparently," replied Greg, "Marty sold my song as a burger jingle, and now I'm filthy stinkin' rich."

That commercial for Pepe's Burgers may not be all too fancy, but it's what ended up getting them the "stinkin' rich" money. It wasn't until they were off and on the road to Empire City that they took a look at this commercial of his. Jasper, Rarity, Steven, Peridot, Pinkie, Jade, Bismuth, and Lapis were present for this trip … which made the van a bit crowded, even with Bismuth and Jasper in the back.

"I can see that," Jasper remarked, "But that's worth the ten million dollars in that paper?"
Greg checked the envelope he got his money in, and while it wasn't exactly in dollar bills - it was a written check, mind you - the 10,000,000 was right there in black and white.

"Copyright claims are a VERY big deal," Greg replied. him being a Rockstar once upon a time taught him that, at least somewhat. Regardless how much it truly mattered, there was no denying how much money he got from the commercial.

"By the way, Mr. Universe, what's the game plan now? I'm no expert on "money" but that's A LOT you got there," Bismuth asked.

"I don't know," Greg admitted, "I never really had this much money before. What do rich people usually do? Buy fancy houses? Drive in limos? Play golf?"

"OOOO, get a super deluxe chocolate fountain!" suggested Pinkie, who popped up right behind Greg. "That way you can brag and say "I have a chocolate fountain, and you don't!"

"Rich people do tend to brag a lot … but, I'm not gonna have it go to my head. I got my carwash, and my van, and that's just fine by me," Greg concluded.

In some odd twist, the only one who wasn't really paying much attention was Steven. All he had been doing was just sitting in the passenger seat, staring off out the window in … surprising boredom. There was a lot to chat about, yet Steven had been a bit quiet throughout most of the trip. He wasn't seemingly much interested in the chitchat, and no one really spoke to him yet.

"How did I end up in this?" Steven thought, "I'm better off in a war than with this bunch of loons."
Yep, not the best road trip ever, at least to him.

"Why the LOOONNNG face?" Pinkie suddenly asked him, her hoof pulling on Steven's chin. Steven took a minute, rubbing his now sore chin. He was hoping not to get too involved with the group, but guess that wasn't gonna happen.

"Sorry, I'm just daydreaming," Steven simply replied, before looking off out the window, trying to see if this will make them all just go away. Sooner this is done, sooner he can get his actual project done. However …

"What'chu daydreaming about?" Pinkie asked (somehow outside the van, and upside down by the window) "I daydream about a lot of things: like what if I can fly without wings, balloons, or my flying gizmo, or how Gummy can eat peanuts with no teeth!"
Pinkie continued on with this blabbering, Steven honestly just keeping to himself. Which Pinkie would note of being weird of Steven if not for being distracted in her own blabbering.

It took them a while longer to fully get there, and on the arrival, it was quite the eye-catching place. It was a pretty big city right along the eastern US coastline of the Empire State. It at first seemed like a basic city in it's own right, but like Fillydelphia with Dragon Town, or Las Pegasus with it's big "amusement park" theme, Empire City had it's own special touch to it - in this case having a sort of "Eiffel Tower" building built within it, which the group could see as they began to drive on to it from the highway. Steven and Greg got the first look at Empire City, Steven looking a bit intrigued with such a establishment. Something to note for later.
Greg managed to find himself a parking spot off further into the city, which seemingly stopped right in front of a place called "Le Hotel" (how convenient), which gave them a spot in the heart of Empire City itself. The others got out (relieving some weight on the van), and had some time to check the place out. Rarity and Lapis both were pretty pleased especially, Rarity for the hightime of the city, and Lapis for … pretty much the same thing.

"Oh my," gasped Rarity, "This place is just as grand as I hoped! I've always wanted to come here, but never had the time."

"You've never been here, Rarity? I thought you'd be the first to come here the second you heard about it," Greg said, getting out of the car.

"I KNOW, but accounting all the business at my boutique, and all the adventures we've done already, it's hardly been a good time for it," Rarity replied. Well, at least she had her priorities in tact, and seeing Empire City and all of it's activity was such a buzz, it was making her all giddy.

"Oh, the great city, what you do to me!" Rarity said, full drama mode. She even found a convenient light post to hang off of in her dramatic pose. Jasper smirked as Bismuth chuckled.

"Okay then, you all can check out the town, I'll get ourselves the deluxe rooms," Greg said.

"Thanks, Greg. Come on, Steven, let's own this town!" Lapis said, and before Steven even realized it, he was suddenly lifted off the ground. Steven laughed along with Lapis, though in his eyes, he was taken completely by surprise. And NOW did Pinkie notice something off with that smile. The smile looked … forced. As if he had to smile, or if he's making himself smile for the sake of the situation. Almost as if -

Not even five minutes, and already some of them got themselves in a bit of trouble. As Jasper, Jade, and Bismuth stuck behind to get a room with Greg, the others found themselves by a cross light. Lapis and Steven had no such problem, as they just flew across, though it can't be said for Pinkie, Peridot, and Rarity.

"Come on, you guys!" Steven called. Peridot was ready to go off, but all she needed was two steps off the curb before a car quickly gave a loud honk at her. Good thing Pinkie was nearby to pull her back, as the car went by.

"Peridot, you can't just "mosey" off in the middle of the street," Rarity advised, "Remember, you're in the big city now! Doesn't this resemble how it was on Homeworld for you?"

"First of all, it's been at least over a year since I've last stepped foot on Homeworld. and second … we didn't have these transport vehicles," Peridot replied, seeing numerous amounts of cars go by them.

"Be that as it may, the big city's all about speed and confidence! It's something you're gonna have to keep with," Rarity advised, just as the crossing guard whistled for the crosswalk to go. Rarity demonstrated her method and trotted right on through, and despite the human eyes looking to her a little bit confused, they didn't stop her going through, and soon the Unicorn was on the otherside.

"Onward!" Pinkie said, suddenly having Peridot on her head. Peridot yelped as Pinkie galloped right through. The pink mare bolted, skidded, side-stepped and bounced about the crowd to avoid running into someone (much to Peridot's dismay). It lasted only two minutes, but Pinkie Pie was already on the otherside, Peridot very dizzy, and glad it was over. Steven couldn't help himself, and covered his mouth so the others wouldn't see his giggling grin.

"Warn the little green Gem next time," Peridot murmured, falling off of Pinkie Pie's back. Riding Pinkie was like sitting on a rodeo bull, and twice as energetic.

"Wowie! So, where do you wanna go? Town square? Dining row? Central park? That funny looking tower that looks like a Gem Communicator in disguise?" Pinkie offered, ready to go off exploring the second they would give the word. Steven was still intrigued by this "communicator in disguise" thing, though him suggesting that might be a bit off-putting, so he simply waited for someone to pick something else. Greg did say they were gonna stay around, so at least he had time to check it if he needed to.

"Take your pick: Culture, Cuisine -" Rarity was then cut short when they heard Lapis begin to flutter again, her eyes catching something just off down the road. Lapis made it to the spot before the others did, and once they caught up to her, they found what got Lapis Lazuli so excited.

The Chandelier Theatre. And it looked as extravagant as the rest of the town, Lapis very excited to see it.

"Oh my stars, the Chandelier Theatre!" Lapis said, very excited to finally see it herself.

"It's the Chandelier Theatre: only one of the most popular stage theatres in Empire State! At least that's what Jamie told me while getting that big play of ours together," Lapis said, thinking back on it. Jamie mentioned the Theatre at least once or twice during script chances, and given how deep in theatre Jamie was, no doubt Lapis got hooked into finally seeing the place herself. Looking around the Theatre herself, she then began to see a poster for the latest show along the wall.

"And they're gonna have a new show in the next ten minutes - can we go, please?" Lapis asked.

"A new show?" Steven asked, looking to the poster and time himself. The poster showed a few figured posing in front of a crowd, stars behind, though vague enough to not show who they truly were. And according to the time said, If they went in now, they could get their seats just before the show.

"What luck! Seeing such drama unfold on stage, it would be a great way to start off our trip," Rarity said.

"But what about Jasper, Dad, and Bismuth? They wouldn't want to miss this," Steven suggested.

"Oh, you are so right! I'll get em, you get the seats!" and before anyone could say, Pinkie Pie bolted off to get them, leaving them in the dust. Steven felt more conflicted about the whole thing, as the others went off to get the seats for the coming show. All Steven could do was just go along with it.

What a time to get there too: any minutes earlier, and they most likely wouldn't of found their seats for the next show. The theatre itself was just as Jamie had described it to Lapis: many seats for hundreds of visitors, all lined up passed the doors leading to a gigantic stage. This was no place for half-cocked shows, and thanks to Greg's large amount of cash from his commercial gimmick, he got the group a seat amongst one of the "boxes", giving them a great view of the stage without bothering anybody down below. Rarity got herself one of those "opera goggles" for the best view possible.

"Boy, I'd never thought I would end up in a box at a place like this," Greg said, getting comfortable in his own seat. Bismuth playfully fluffed Greg's hair.

"Says the millionaire overnight," Bismuth joked. Greg saw her point: he never thought he would ever get rich so quick, and so prominently either.

"A drama-esque solo I think," Lapis replied, "A song devoted to a lone lover, her heart torn between the one she loved, and the one to whisk her away," Lapis explained, all with a deep case of Jamie's ever-prominent "Drama Zone" in her speech. This already sounded like a pretty interesting show.

"And I just spoke with the ticket lady." Rarity added, "Apparently, and this is just rumor, that she had such an amazing first audition, they allowed her right on the spot."

"Someone with that much talent will make this show simply extravagant," Rarity reassured.

And indeed it was. The crowd started to quiet down, the musicians finished up their practice, and the lights began to dim out, with the exception of course being small lights along the stairs (wouldn't want anyone tripping). Soon, the air was filled with orchestral music, signifying the beginning of what were to be a "extravagant" show. Lapis had gone to a few different plays with Jamie over their time together, and if that told her anything, it's that a good musical would begin with some music. The stage itself was dark, and no one could really see much of anything, though they did hear someone walking out onto the stage. Or rather, a balcony, as it turned out, all set up to resemble a balcony on a hotel building (how appropriate).

And then the spotlight was on her. A lone women up by the balcony. Her outfit was that of a tuxedo, pure black with a few exceptions: dark blue top hat, dark red bowtie, and a flower in her hand, plucked from a bouquet of flowers in a nearby vase. The group couldn't believe who it was that was there on stage.

And Pearl began to sing.

I was fine. With the men
Who would come into your life, now and again
Cause I knew, as for them
That they never truly mattered, until him.

In this chorus, Pearl began to walk towards the audience, heading to the edge of the balcony, her voice frilled with the sorrow filled up within her through so long. No one dared say a word, not wanting to stop her, and wanting to hear what she had to say. Even if Pearl had seen them in the box, she probably didn't give them much mind as she continued.

I was fine. When you came
and we fought, like it was all some silly game
Over her. Who she'd choose.
After all that time, I never thought I'd lose. …

She tipped her head, her hat rolling off into her hand, and if they didn't recognize her before, the gemstone now open for everyone to see was more than enough. And just as well, the words she sang were more precise, and laid down the point of the song. The idea that Pink would chose Greg. Over her.

It's over, isn't it? Isn't it?
Isn't it over?
It's over, isn't it? Isn't it?
Isn't it over?
You won. and she chose you
and she loved you, now she's gone.
It's over, isn't it? Why can't I move on?

As the chorus slowly began to pick up a little, Pearl got off of the safe balcony, and landed precisely onto the border fence. It was her own personal stage, and she treated it as such as she danced on it with a mix of swordsmanship, and grace like any other time.

War, and glory. Reinvention.
Fusion, freedom, her attention.
Out in daylight, my potential
Bold, precise, experimental

At the end of her dance, she actually laid down on the rim of the fence, as if it was her own bed, looking up to the same heavens where Pink would now forever reside.

What am I now, in this world without her?
Petty, and dull, with the nerve to doubt her?
What does it matter? It's already done!
Now I gotta be there for her son. …

The chorus calmed down again, as Pearl got off of the fence, looking off once again. Now THIS point they knew she saw them, her eyes looking right up to them. Pearl knew they were there. But she didn't say anything.

It's over, isn't it? Isn't it?
Isn't it over?
It's over, isn't it? Isn't it?
Isn't it over?
You won. She went with you.
And she loved you, NOW SHE'S GONE!

Pearl threw the flower into the air, the remanence of what was now all just some game she and Pink played for thousands of years. Now disappearing into the crowd below, and out of existence. Simply standing there, Pearl felt a single tear also come through.

It's over, isn't it? Why can't I move on?

As Pearl disappeared behind a wall of curtains, the crowds went into applause, with the exception of much of the group. At this point, they couldn't believe what they had just seen.

"HAH, good call bringing us here, otherwise we'd miss her," Pinkie congratulated, nudging Greg. They were still stuck on the fact that Pearl was not only here, but also performing for the theatre. What exactly happened to have this end result for her? Of course, with them not seeing her in weeks, it wouldn't be a bad idea to try and figure it out. Steven took some unique curiosity and interest in this himself.

There was many other shows to be had for the theatre, but with her performance over with, Pearl began to head off backstage, away from the crowds and getting some quiet time as other performers went with whatever they had in store. It was probably good that her act went first, and such her emotions could come out right away. Still, even if she finally got a way to get that out of her somehow, she did wonder if it reached her target audience as she hoped it would. But now it was up to them to figure it out for themselves, for as the song itself stated: it's already done.
Pearl went off towards one of the back rooms of the theatre, this one being the dressing room. It had a standard layout for a Hollywood star's personal dressing room: a mirror with lights, some costumes hanging up, that sort of thing. And when in there, Pearl got her outfit hung up, revealing that she was no longer in her "first regeneration" phase, but instead the form before being stuck on the space station. There wasn't exactly a point keeping that form if the purpose was no longer there (it would've made costume changing a lot harder, anyway). She got the suit hung up, and was just about to get the top hat off, when -

The sudden voice made Pearl jump out of her skin, bolting around just to find yet another Gem with her, one that put her at ease right away.

"Star Quartz, I thought we went over this: at least TRY to make your presence known before you talk. Please?" Pearl asked. You'd think they would've been used to her by now, but it was very hard to.

"It went well. At least they thought so. Is Emerald with you?" Pearl replied, placing her hat down in front of the mirror.

"Right over here, P," Emerald replied, strolling in from the door, closing it behind them. It seemed when the group split, they didn't all just go it alone. Pearl took a seat on a nearby chair, as Emerald went up to her.

"See, was I right, or was I right? The crowd loved it!" Emerald asked, though it was more him caught up in the performance than much else. Star though nudged Emerald a bit roughly to remind him why they actually did this.

"Oh, right, right. So, does it feel good you actually got that out?" Emerald said, correcting himself.

"Actually, it is. And you were right - the others are just outside. some reason they were up on uh … Box, I think it was," Pearl said, checking herself in the mirror as she was explaining, a cup of tea right next to her. This was pretty interesting to Emerald.

"They got a box for the theatre? Dang, they must've got more bucks out of that commercial than I thought. You gotta pay at least thirty dollars a person for one of those seats," Emerald replied.

"I know, but Earth's got this dumb thing called "economy", and they've messed with it A LOT, let me tell ya," Emerald explained. The phrase "I blame the economy" hadn't got passed Emerald's ears. Pearl took a few sips of her tea before she spoke next. Pearl sighed.

"No matter, they're here now. And if they're here, I assume their next action would be to try and see me," Pearl concluded.

"Well, there's Bismuth. There was also Jade, Jasper, Pinkie Pie um … Lapis and Rarity, naturally. Along with Greg, Peridot, and … Steven." Pearl needed a minute to get out that last name. Steven, being the first to be told about this whole scenario in the first place, and inexplicitly started a fire that didn't really need to.

"K, I'm not expecting the whole team to show up, but heck let em see ya," Emerald said.

"I don't know what to say!" Pearl quickly retorted, "I haven't seen any of them since … well, you know what. What am I supposed to say?"

"Alright. Buddy. Real talk: You guys had been together for years already, and yeah you all got all stingy, but you really think they will just stop because of that?"

"Right, so I'm just gonna go, see if I can get em back here. You just hang tight and get your stuff together," Emerald replied, heading off towards the dressing room door. Pearl knew she would at least have to see them at some point, but it was a bit of trouble to get her to actually go for it. After all, this was her secret that got out, and made this whole problem happen in the first place. Still, with Star quartz by her instead of Emerald, it did give Pearl some better time to calm down, and not freak out completely. As for Emerald -

And within just milliseconds of opening the door, Emerald was quickly hit by a pink blur, albeit by accident. Pearl jumped out of the way, as Star caught both Emerald and Pinkie in her grip.

"You're ALL here?! Lucky day for us!" Pinkie gasped, as they began to see outside of the room, just to find some of the others there; Steven, Lapis, and … Greg. Oh boy, with what she sang, how was THIS going to work well, she had no idea. Steven went right on in, very happy to see Pearl after so long, and hugged her right away, as Lapis and Greg stood aside. The others didn't seem to be anywhere here, though it was possible they couldn't get everyone a backstage pass.

"H-Hi, everyone. Uh … what brings you here?" Pearl asked, clearly nervous on what to actually say.

"Great to see you, Pearl. You killed it out on stage back there," Lapis said with a wink and grin.

"It's nice to see you're alright," Greg said, "So, you decided to get into show business?"

"I wouldn't call it "getting into it" exactly," Pearl said humbly, hands raised a little, "It was just a one-night stand."

"Are the other ones with you?" Star Quartz then asked, standing not too far from Greg. He was startled, but not as much.

"Huh? Oh, yeah, they just couldn't get a pass to come back here. They could only sell so many passes at once," Greg replied. Well that explained why they weren't there. Emerald then slid up to Greg, nudging him.

"How'd you know?" Pinkie asked, right next to Emerald in a slide of her own. Emerald had that look of smugness that seemingly answered Pinkie Pie's question for them, it clicking in Pinkie's head almost immediately.

"You gave us that check?!" Pinkie gasped. A surprise to hear from most of them, and Emerald readied to explain himself.

"Guilty," Emerald said, though he sounded more cheery about it, "We saw that "Pepe's burger" commercial thing while passing through the city, and got your copyright claim on it. One thing lead to another, and well, here you are."

"It was a bad plan to get you back together," admitted Star, stabbing into Emerald's pride.

"Hey, it worked didn't it? They're right here!" Emerald retorted. Why else would they be in Empire city anyway without a cash grab to get them here? Surprisingly generous of him too, getting the proper copyright claim for Greg over his own song.

"Don't sweat it. Be glad you didn't have to tango with Marty for an hour over it," Emerald replied, feeling a little drained remembering it. Pearl smirked though, remembering the defeated look on Marty's face once it was all done. They still had Pearl to deal with though, as according to the performance, still had some bit of emotional baggage.

"So … you guys feeling better now?" Steven asked.
It was honestly an inevitable question that had to be asked. Star Quartz felt a bit indifferent about it, and simply shrugged. Hard to feel much for something that happened thousands of years before you were made.

"I'm alright. … Emerald and Pearl had as long talk about it, and after that we went over here. Something about a vacation?" Star Quartz answered.

"Right. Pearl needed to share her feelings, so Emerald suggested this place. She shared with a lot of people," Star finished.

"We saw," said Greg. Though, they could tell that even with the feelings being brought out in full, it wasn't exactly enough to get it all out, so eventually, Steven began to get a big idea. … Though, whether or not it would work was still up to debate.

"Pearl? We're here on a vacation trip, you like to join us? We can all have a vacation together!"

"W-Wha? you want me to - uh … I've been kind of pre-occupied at the moment, and past experience has taught me that "three's a crowd"," Pearl said, feeling very uncomfortable. it was nice to see at least some of them were together, but this was going a little bit quick for her. Star counted out the number of people there.

"Aww, come on, it's been forever, and we're a big family! It'll be great: just you, me, dad, the Crystal Gems, … and don't forget mom," and Steven lifted his shirt to show his gem, and it just made both Greg and Pearl even more uncomfortable. Lapis HAD to do something before it could go downhill.

"HAHAHA, oh Steven, how funny, heh, let me just have a little word with him," Lapis said, pushing a confused Steven just outside of the room, much to everyone else's confusion on the situation. Lapis got Steven isolated from the group, and her happy demeanor suddenly turned more serious, both over by a nearby wall, and Lapis having Steven by the shoulders.

"Steven, what're you doing?!" Lapis asked in a hushed, yet urgent tone, "We're trying to make Pearl feel better, not worse!"

"But I am making Pearl feel better, I'm trying to make her comfortable," Steven replied, seemingly not seeing the problems this was actually causing.

"Pointing out your mom under your shirt is not making it comfortable! I'm sorry Steven, but what's gotten into you?" retorted Lapis. How was Steven acting so oblivious to this? The whole thing began because of Steven's mom in the first place, so bringing her up now was probably the last thing they wanted to do.

"Nothing's wrong with me, what're you talking about?" Steven asked. Lapis took a deep breath.

"Steven. I've known you for years now, and ever since you came back with Ruby, you've been acting a bit off. You barely talked to any of us on the trip here, and now you're bringing up Pink Diamond to Pearl? Steven, you're better than this!" Lapis made sure it was made as clear as it can get, and Steven meanwhile had no choice but to agree.

"Ok, ok, I'm sorry. Let's just try and make things right, ok?" Steven said, getting a slight headstart to walk back to the others. Lapis though quickly flew right in his way.

"Steven, clearly something's bothering you, what is it? You're never usually this stern," Lapis said.

That was when thing's started getting weird. Steven looked a bit perplexed, and seemingly "corrected" himself.

"OH, it's just finding Pearl again, and how distant she's acting," Steven said, sounding more cheerful, "But I promise, I will give Pearl the best time of her life, and get her to come back to the team, so we can all be a happy family again!"

Well … that was quick. A little too quick. Lapis didn't leave just yet, but Steven tried to go passed her. Something wasn't right about this, and Lapis Lazuli wondered just what was going on with her "friend" since they came back. There was one, rather eerie theory she had in her head for a while now, and now felt like a good time to actually test it. To make sure Steven stayed with her, Lapis opened up her wings, covering up most of the hall so he couldn't pass.

"Lapis?" Steven asked, a little nervously. Lapis looked Steven dead in the eyes, looking at them very closely. And it was then that she noticed one very minuet detail in the way the light bounced off of it. and it showed a very slight greenish color. Steven's eyes were not green.

It happened too fast for Lapis to do much of anything. Upon reaching this conclusion, Steven glared daggers at Lapis, before his body ended up covered in green flames, revealing Pharynx under the mask! Rather than hiss, or threaten, Pharynx went for broke, and Lapis only made one step back before her head was skewered by the changeling's horn, poofing her almost on the spot. All that was left was a Changeling, one Lapis Lazuli gemstone, and a lot of water on the wall and ground. For Pharynx, it was a lucky break.

"Great," Pharynx groaned, "The rocks actually have brains. Better hide this one away before they find out."

What did he do with Lapis? Carrying his gemstone, making sure no one was around, he galloped off to another room, which itself was nothing more than a closet. Checking himself quickly, he rushed in with the gemstone in his teeth. He could soak up her love, but it was far too precarious now, so he had to keep her hidden for a while. He still wasn't sure how Gems worked overall except that they disappear inside stones to regenerate. So, he made sure she regenerated somewhere out of sight, and threw her stone inside, before closing and locking the door as best he could. Quick, and easy. Once that was done, Pharynx turned right back into Steven, and began to walk away. He'd better get back there before anyone else would get suspicious about him.

"Eh, sorry, I may have gotten a little carried away. Come on, let's have some fun," Steven decided.

"She decided to go back to the hotel, we'll meet with them later. looks like it's just us to take on the town. ONWARD!" Steven said with enthusiasm, getting a slight headstart to get their "fun" started. It would be something Steven would do to cheer them up, if he could help it. They still felt some bit of awkwardness between Pearl and Greg thanks to what Steven had said, but they still went with him anyway. … Except for Star Quartz, who took a glance back to where Steven was just at, noting the strangely large amount of water.

Meanwhile, there was some cooldown time for the others off back in their hotel room. As before with the backstage passes, and the "box" for the show, Greg's multi-millionaire bank account had scored them all a high-class suite. The room itself was less like a hotel room, and more like a personal resort: small pool with waterslide, a fountain, second-floor accommodations. To sum it up, the room could easily be a mansion in of itself, and it also was apparently by the fact they were on the top floor.
Rarity and Jade were getting some drinks, as Peridot, Jasper, and Bismuth hung out by the pool, Peridot just sliding down the waterslide as they came over. It was a pretty good time, especially for Peridot, who was glad to be with her friends.

"Well, this is a nice change of pace," said Rarity, "Hard to believe they put all of this in just one room."

"I don't think many of the Homeworld rooms were this luxurious except for the Diamond rooms," agreed Jade. Where else can one say that had a full-sized fountain, AND a full-sized swimming pool in their hotel room? Jade and Rarity sat over by the edge of the pool, as Peridot swam on by, Jade taking a taste of the new drink.

"Oh, it's a fruit cocktail. You don't like it?" Rarity asked. Rarity took just one sip of the drink and immediately understood what she meant. Yeah it tasted like fruit, as a fruit cocktail should, but this drink tasted a lot more bitter than she was prepared for.

"Yeah. I'm sorry, but I'll pass," Jade admitted, placing the drink aside with the other beverages. Rarity tried not to look too disgusted with it, but had to agree.

"Usually a fruit cocktail in Equestria's a lot more sweeter than this. Did they spike it or something?"

"Maybe. Humans like doing that for some reason," Jade replied. It was something that seems to happen a lot when it comes to these drinks, but Jade and Rarity were not going to fancy it. As they discarded the drinks, both Gem and pony checked out the pool, Peridot doing some back strokes, dives, and such. It was all just in some good fun for her, and by this point she was joined by Bismuth, Jasper still taking time to actually relax herself by the pool. Not much weights or boxing items to use in this place.

"There's not that much to do," Jasper sighed, "If this is being rich, I'd rather not."

"Here, you just gotta find something to do, that's all. You don't think the rich mares and stallions of Canterlot just stand around looking pretty all day, do you?" Rarity inquired.

"I don't see them do anything else," Jasper bluntly stated. Rarity felt a cringe coming on.

"W-Well they do. … OH! I got the perfect idea. any of you heard of a game called "Chicken fight" before?"

"So, like this?" Jade asked. Soon, four Gems were in the pool, Rarity standing just alongside the rim of it. Rarity got the basics of the set up brought around, and it was a pretty obvious set-up: Bismuth and Peridot for one team, with Jasper and Jade on the other.

"Well that's simple: try and knock eachother over. Last one standing wins," Rarity replied. NOW they were getting somewhere. All day not doing much except for riding in the car, check out a show, and hang out at a hotel, and finally Jasper and Bismuth were given some prime action. Peridot felt a victorious snickering coming on, though Jade was taken by surprise.

"NOW we're talking. Ready to topple over, Bismuth?" Jasper asked, cracking her knuckles. Bismuth smirked.

Rarity probably should've been more specific. The minute that was said, Jasper and Bismuth rushed right into eachother, Jasper hitting Bismuth with her helmet, with Bismuth using her hand-shields to block the hit. Not the exact rules, though Peridot and Jade were a bit puzzled on what they should be doing next.

"Help your partner out, that's what. Like I said, the first to topple over loses!" Rarity called back. Jasper and Bismuth pushed eachother back, but now with this information, Peridot readied up, snickering to herself and arms at the ready. So long as she didn't fall off, she'll be fine. Jade too, though a bit hesitantly, got ready herself as both Bismuth and Jasper locked hands. Peridot made a battle cry and slammed her strength into Jade.

"NYAHAHA! Feel my combine power!" Peridot announced … as she barely even fazed Jade. In fact, Jade looked even more puzzled now, and despite all of Peridot's strength, Jade was not even budging.

"That's the whole point of the game!" Peridot said, her voice straining as she tried so hard to move them. Well, at least they were in water.

"Okay," sighed Jade. … As she grabbed Peridot's arms, jumped at least ten feet up, spun like a top, and threw Peridot straight down!

"WHAAAAA!" Peridot spun and tumbled in the air before slamming right into Jasper's face, knocking them both down into the water with a big splash. Jade meanwhile landed right back on Bismuth's shoulders, as if she didn't move at all. The splash almost got Rarity, though if it did, Rarity was too stunned to have noticed. Bismuth soon broke into laughter.

"I guess I picked it up while Ruby and Peridot were fighting," Jade admitted, as Peridot got back to the surface, dazed, and spitting out a stream of water. It was good Peridot was a tough cookie, otherwise it would've poofed her on the spot. Jasper was alright as well, again slightly dazed.

"But I didn't get off of Jasper! According to Rarity, the rules state that you can not get off your partners shoulders for ANY moment," Peridot reminded, though this was just so Peridot and Jasper could win over Bismuth and Jade. Jade though blushed a little.

"Don't worry, Jade, you did great. Hey, we should get Aquamarine and Topaz to do this," suggested Bismuth. She could easily imagine the two in a game like this, considering their size difference.

"If we ever find them, they rushed off on us," Jasper reminded, as Jade was placed back on the side of the pool, not getting wet at all.

"They'll come back. We're the only ones who actually have any ticket to Homeworld, they just need to drop their pride for a bit," Bismuth said, mostly referring to Aquamarine.

AND a sudden voice made Rarity jump, and accidentally fall into the pool. Good thing she didn't have clothes or fashion on, otherwise she'd be fuming by the time she got out of the water, as Star Quartz simply stood there.

"Star? Is that you?" Rarity asked, getting her now wet mane out of her eyes. Star was glad to see them here too, and when Peridot saw Star, she made a mad scramble right out of the water, and right to the dry ground. Peridot herself needed a minute to get herself together, but honestly, after missing Star Quartz for so long, she just couldn't help herself.

"S-Star!" Peridot rushed into Star Quartz in a hug, hugging tight. Star quietly returned the hug herself, though this moment was kind of broke when Peridot remembered the others were there too.

"Er, uh … it's great to see you. Again," Peridot said, blushing. Star Quartz just smiled.

"Lapis? I don't think so, we thought she was with Steven," Rarity figured. Star Quartz paused.

"Steven said she was here with you. Did she leave again, or did she not make it?"
The suspitions were starting to rise. Lapis Lazuli would've been here, she should've been here according to Steven.

Their answer came by far quicker than expected. The voice started out small, but suddenly one of the windows swung open, and Lapis Lazuli rushed right on inside! She wasted TOO MUCH TIME stuck back at the theatre, and who knows where they could've gone off to by now? She barely had time to explain herself, and she only had one question to ask who remained.

Out in the field, as time ticked on towards night, Emerald, Greg, Pearl, Pinkie, and Steven went basically all over the place in Empire City, having loads of fun. They went all over: from the shores of the sea, to the park in midtown, and wherever else their heart takes them. On the surface, it was just a family having their blast of fun, but in truth there still was some tension between some members of the party. Pearl and Greg (mostly on Pearl's side) still had a few things to work out, and Pinkie Pie kept a single eye on Steven and his behavior. Sure, Steven may seem carefree and cheery as he would usually be in a situation like this, but Pinkie still felt that something just wasn't too right about him. With all this, the only ones that truly were having fun were Emerald and Steven, even if one was just acting as such.
Eventually in their runaround, they reached that "Eiffel tower" of Empire City. This was what Steven was silently hoping they would reach, giving him a chance to have a closer look at the subject. There was a Eiffel tower existing in this world, namely one across the sea, though why would Empire City have one too? Steven took some time to check it out, taking some mental notes of it. Good thing they were going to go on inside it, otherwise it would make this a little difficult to accomplish.

Typically, as the group came inside, they already got a bit of a taste of the place: restaurant attachment, and some rooms as well. Guess this was a visiting hotel too? Not what Steven hoped for. The man up at the counter was unsure at first as Greg went right up (he didn't look aristocratic after all), skeptical even, but his mind was quickly changed the second Steven came over and placed the money right on the front counter. Nothing like plenty of greenbacks to get minds changing. They were taken in right on the spot, and since this was Empire city (maybe) … well …

Cashier; Hey shake a leg!

And suddenly, a number of other attendees just popped up out of nowhere, much to the surprise of Pearl and Steven.

Workers; Hey, shake a leg!

Cashier; It's Mr.Greg!

Workers; It's Mr.Greg!

Cashier; And he's here to spend his dough, ALL OVER THE TOWN!

All of a sudden, as this sudden musical number was bright on, the workers actually began lifting them up, and carrying them off on their way to check out the tower. Greg, Emerald, and Pinkie were happy with it, but Steven and Pearl were both at odds with this, Pearl stiff as a stick as they moved along. What the heck's going on?

Workers; He's got the bucks!

Greg; I've got the bucks!

Workers; It's all deluxe!

Greg; It's all deluxe!

Next thing they knew, they were in the restaurant attachment to the building. They all got their own seat, everyone catering to them, though Pearl and Steven were left just too dumbfounded to react to much.

Greg; When you're dining out with me, it's the finest steak and brie.

Steven glanced off away, trying to find some way to check out the place but there was just too much going on, Greg jumping onto the table for crying out loud and dancing. Maybe this could work for Steven …

Greg; And if I break a table
It ain't no-- whoa!

And of course, the table lost its footing somehow, knocking Greg onto the floor. Maybe with the song cut short Steven could get moving, but as the cashier went to him, Greg took the fall in stride.

Greg; "just put it on my bank."

Cashier; A hundred bucks? Gee, thanks!

"Why couldn't this happen at the other hotel?" Steven thought, as the workers rushed everyone off around the tower, giving them the best time in this place. It was all just happening far too fast, and Steven needed a minute to comprehend what the heck was happening as they were going off through the tower.
Next thing he knew, they were inside what looked like one of those indoor water park deals, not too dissimilar to the hotel room's get up. It didn't take long for the group to get comfortable, Pinkie, emerald, and Greg getting right into the open pool, as Pearl stood just outside along the rim of it. Steven was exhausted already.

"This is crazy. Come on, gotta slip away somehow. Think, think," Steven thought, trying to look around for something to give the others something to think about. And better yet, stop this dumb song! Soon, his eyes began to check out the door, but he can't just rush off to it and not be noticed. And a pretty pricy vase off a few meters away looked to be just the ticket. Steven felt a plan coming on …
AND got short when Emerald got a top hat on Steven. Guess he had to play along no matter the case, at least for a little bit. A tuxedo was also worn by Greg, and later Pearl.

Pearl; I must admit

Pinkie+Emerald; You must admit

Pearl; It's a perfect fit!

Pinkie+Emerald; You look great in it!

Pearl; And these fountains I find wasteful, are actually quite tasteful.
This city sure does have its charm, unlike that termite-ridden barn.

And suddenly, Steven and Pearl began tap-dancing. Steven had to go along with it.

Pearl; And anytime with Steven, makes for such a delightful evening!

Ok, he had enough of this.

Pinkie; you're having fun!

Pearl; sure, I guess

Pinkie; If you wanna dance, just say -

*CRASH*

At LAST, Steven found his way out of the situation. Getting his shoe, one well-aimed throw at the vase knocked it right off its perch and shattered it almost the second it hit ground. As everyone looked over there, Steven just managed to slip right back out the door, closing it up quickly, and not stopping until he was a hallways down. He could still hear Pinkie's distant voice.

"FINALLY. Okay, now to check in," Steven sighed, wiping some sweat from his forehead. At LAST he can actually figure some things out, walking well away from the situation before they realize he left. Once he felt isolated enough, he decided to do something else, his finger tapping his ears, as if starting to send out a signal. His normal ears turned back into Changeling ears, and he kept moving, checking around, as he phoned in.

"Thank goodness. Okay, you're not caught over there, are you?" Steven asked, keeping his voice a little quiet just in case.

"Good, I just managed to lose my group - for once. You still have sight on the others?"

"Out with it, Thorax, I don't have all night!" Pharynx said. He really was on limited time, between exploring this tower, and keeping as much time away from the others as he could.

Okay, I'll bring her to the Changeling Palace, and put her with that Ruby soon as I can. Uh … you want her with Ruby or Steven?

"Don't get all picky with me, can't you just do it? This was your idea, figure it out!"

S-Sorry, I just wanna know for sure, we need all the love to make that Warp Pad work, right?

"Whatever. I'm checking on something at the moment, I'll return to base soon as I'm even able to with this lot. Got it, or do I have to grub you again?"

Well at least one side was keeping out of trouble, far as he knew. Pharynx though wasn't sure if he could keep up with this any further. Just how much more singing can one Changeling even take?! Well no matter, there still was a chance to -

"Oh, Jasper, Peridot, you're here!" Steven said with a smile, "I thought you two didn't want to come by."
Looking though, he quickly realized that Jasper did not look too pleased with seeing him there, staring down daggers at him.

"Uh … do you wanna see the others? They're just off in the next room, and Pearl's feeling a whole lot better."

Steven slowly began to back up away from Jasper, putting on one of those "poker faces", just to find that he backed up right into Bismuth. Turning around, he saw Bismuth, and Lapis Lazuli blocking his way. Well, if Lapis was there, what was even the point of staying as Steven? In a quick change, Pharynx was back to his changeling self and immediately made a charge directly for Bismuth. All bismuth had to do though was raise her hand, and Pharynx got his horn stuck in the palm of her hand. Clearly the same tactic was not going to be the same thing as before, and it didn't take much longer for the Changeling to be captured, held single-handedly by Bismuth.

"Gladly," Jasper replied, going to find the rest of the group, as Pharynx hissed, roared, and struggled. It was then his gaze turned to Lapis.

And with that sound echoing throughout the halls, Pharynx knew the information had reached the others. Nope, there was absolutely no possible way to hide anymore. Everyone else went right over to the situation, Pharynx exposed for them all to see. Pharynx struggled all he could: biting into Bismuth's hand, hissing, growling, wiggling, whichever, but the hardly Gem was not letting him go. For the second half of this group, they needed a minute to comprehend. So the Steven they found at the theatre, hanged out with, and danced with was actually a Changeling in disguise.
for Pharynx, the irony of this stung him the most. Why was HE the one to be caught first? … Oh wait, he threw Lapis in a closet. Right.

"T-That's not my baby!" gasped Pearl, terrified on seeing such a hideous creature.

"Alright, you caught me. But good luck with your interrogation, because I'm not talking!" Pharynx stated, giving them all a loud hiss.

"You know what? We don't have to. Hey Pinkie, got any ideas?" Lapis asked, looking to the pink mare. Pharynx was a bit confused, but past experience did remind Lapis Lazuli of a few special details in this reality-challengedmare. Pinkie Pie took a minute, her head "ticking" like that of a clock, before she got it.

"You were sent out here by queen Chrysalis, alongside a few other Changelings, to find pieces of a fancy Warp Pad in order to make your own personal road between Equus and Earth, so you can gather up all the evil, powerful items here and use them against Equestria and take over everything all at once, using the abilities from Ruby and Steven trapped inside your palace in order to power the Warp Pad!"

… OK. WHAT? Pharynx was WAY out of his league. How the hay did this mare sum up their entire plan in just five to seven seconds?!

"Don't even try. Trust me," Bismuth said, before dropping Pharynx down onto the ground with a thud. Pharynx shook off the fall, but with all the odds now stacked against him, Pharynx was in no position to fight. He could, but he wasn't gonna win anything for it, especially with Jasper and Bismuth (the strongest physical Gems) right next to him.

"So you know the plan now, it's too late anyway! See if you can handle the rest of the horde!" Pharynx slipped by the Gems, and just managed to find a route out. As Pharynx made his escape, some did try to go off after him, but for some reason Bismuth stopped them from rushing to him, letting the changeling go out the nearest window and fly away.

"We don't need him around," Bismuth said, "We already have the whole plan. Besides, Steven and ruby are more important than some … what was he?"

"That's a Changeling; things that can look like anybody and feed off someone's love. Such rotten creatures," Rarity replied, disgusted with Pharynx, and herself for tolerating him somehow.

"WHAT'RE YOU ALL DOING?! Steven's trapped with Ruby, he needs our help!" Pearl suddenly spoke. Bad enough that this whole time Steven wasn't even there, it was even worse that he was trapped with the same creatures, being treated like who knows what.

And soon, Pearl was off, leaving the group to go straight off back home. She never should've left. It was a pretty quick decision, but now with the final three members properly handled, calmed down, and brought back around - as good as it'll get -, they finally had made enough tracks to recover the team.

My Little Universe: Season 7

by EquestrianKirin

Diamonds in the Rough