When morning arrived, the five of us (Pumpkin still sleeping soundly) gathered around the Barn’s Warp Pad. Peridot and Lapis had insisted on joining, having grown fond of Mo since last night. Bismuth kept close to the pale Gem’s side, reassuring her each time she spoke her doubts. Mo herself was a bundle of nerves. Since waking up, she’s twirled her hair so much it encased her entire fist, tripped over one of Peridot’s Meep-Morps while pacing, and had debated with each of us whether she should be nervous.

“Maybe this isn’t a good idea,” Mo spoke, once again voicing her nerves. “I don’t know if they’ll be okay with me.”

“Have you ever stolen their ocean before?” Lapis asked.

“No.”

“Did you endlessly barrage them with Robonoids?” Peridot asked.

“No.”

“Have you ever created a weapon meant to mercilessly shatter Gems?” Bismuth asked.

“...No?”

“Have you ever tried to kill me,” I joined.

Mo’s eyes widened. “Who would ever try to kill you?”

Bismuth and Peridot raised their hands. When Lapis’s stayed down, Peridot nudged her with her free elbow. Lapis shrugged. “I never tried to kill him.”

Peridot wasn’t buying it. “Didn’t you try to drown him with a clone made of water.”

“I wasn’t trying to kill him,” Lapis countered nonchalantly.

Mo let out a shaky chuckle. “This makes me feel a little better about myself,” Mo told me. “But I’m questioning your choice of friends.”

“I’ve had my doubts,” I said jokingly. “Now, are you ready?”

Mo’s brief moment of peace passed, replaced once more by her worrying expression. “No, but I’m the closest I can be.”

“Don’t worry, they’ll be happy to see you,” Bismuth reassured her. “Trust me, I’ve been in this position and everything ended up fine. Don’t tell me the ferocious Mossainite, Scorn of Homeworld, is afraid of seeing her friends?”

Mo turned her face away to try and hide the beginnings of a smile. “I’m not.”

“Then let’s go.”

Bismuth stepped onto the platform, holding out a hand for Mo. The original Crystal Gem stared at it for a second, hesitating. She looked at Peridot and Lapis, who gave a thumbs-up and nod respectively. Mo looked at me, her eyes unsure. I patted her shoulder and smiled. “There’s nothing to worry about.”

Mo took a deep breath and took Bismuth’s hand, letting herself be hauled onto the Warp Pad. The rest of us jumped on after and the beam of light whisked us away. Seconds later, we touched down in my house and entered an empty living room. Everything was exactly as I had left it yesterday; the Crystal Gems hadn’t come home yet. We waited, Mo insisting on sitting on the floor since there wasn’t enough room on the couch for everyone, due in part to Bismuth’s bulk. Time passed as we chatted and played games that I pulled out of the cupboard. It was a couple of hours before the Warp Pad activated again. After a few seconds of light, a figure appeared inside before the glare faded.

Amethyst let out a whoop as she bounced off the Pad. “Man, those guys know how to have fun! Hey, Steven!” We exchanged our signature handshake before she continued. “You should have seen it! They gathered all this stuff from Earth: food, fireworks, you name it! We were running around and warping all over the place. Carnelian tried to swallow a firework, and she belched smoke right in Skinny’s face! And 8XJ tried to…” Amethyst continued to recount the antics her Kindergarten family had caused. The list went on for several minutes, each one more outrageous than the last.

“They sound like a lot of fun,” Mo interjected as she watched Amethyst with content amusement.

Amethyst paused mid-breath. Her eyes darted to Mo, sitting less than a foot from her. It was clear Amethyst had overlooked her in the excitement. “Who are you?” Amethyst asked.

“Moissanite, but I prefer Mo,” She introduced herself.

We caught Amethyst up on the events of yesterday, starting with me and Mo running into each other and her reunion with Bismuth and the subsequent evening.

“Guess I wasn’t the only one having a wild time,” Amethyst said. “I’m Amethyst. How come I’ve never heard of you before?”

Mo shrugged. “War. I was thought to be shattered. Secrets.”

“So the usual reasons,” Amethyst groaned as she rolled her eyes. “You’re not going to try and kill us, are you?”

“Wasn’t planning on it.”

“I already like you. What are you guys playing?”

Just like that, Amethyst joined us at the coffee table. Mo hadn’t seemed nervous talking to her, so that’s a positive note. Then again, she wasn’t worried about meeting Amethyst. Still, it a good note to start on.

Another hour passed, and the board games were losing their appeal. Everyone was moving pieces without any enthusiasm. Peridot, who had taken to levitating her spare pieces, dropped her items to the floor and stood up. “Isn’t there something else we could do? It might be days before Pearl and Garnet get back!”

“We can do something else,” I assured the smaller Gem. “I’ve got some movies upstairs. I’ve been wanting to watch Lonely Blade: Further Solitude since it was released.”

“I’ve heard it was garbage,” Lapis cut in.

“Yeah, they have been lacking in quality lately. I think I have some Camp Pining VHS tapes in the closet. We could watch those.”

A shadow passed over the table. Bismuth had risen to her full height, knocking against the table and scattering the pieces, which Peridot righted with a wave of her hand. “I’ve got an idea,” The rainbow-haired Gem said with a hint of a smile. “During the Rebellion, there was a certain rebel who always found a way to keep us entertained.” She directed her word directly at Mo. “Maybe it’s time for an encore performance.”

Mo’s expression slowly changed from boredom to befuddlement to finally understanding. “Really?”

“I would never joke about this,” Bismuth answered. “Come on, for old times sake.”

“Okay,” Mo’s head titled to her right side as she thought. “Quick and short, or full effort? Celebration or solemn?”

“The best celebration you can give us.”

Mo nodded. We all watched as she adjusted on her spot on the floor. The pale Gem rolled her shoulders and took a breath. A slight shift of her legs. I thought she was going to remain sitting. Suddenly, Mo leaped into the air, her body shining. She landed next to the kitchen counter, her jacket morphed into a monochrome vest with long tails tipped with bells. Her limp hair was now pulled back into an untidy knot, and her loose pants and boots had been replaced with slacks and loafers.

Everything about her had changed. Her tired posture was erect, brimming with energy. The brightest smile lit up her face. Every movement her body made was inviting, uplifted. It was like Mo had become a completely different person.

“It looks like we have a full house this morning,” Mo sang, her tone impossibly positive and bright. “Welcome, welcome, I’m glad you could take some time out of your precious time to indulge me.”

“Bismuth, what is this?” I asked the former rebel.

“Just watch.” That’s all she said.

“You sir!” I turned back to Mo. “Yes, you in the fashionable jacket. Might I add pink looks good on you? What do you say, my wonderful guests?”

BIsmuth started clapping. Peridot and Lapis, after exchanging confused looks, joined in. I followed along, trusting Bismuth.

“Thank you, but I’m afraid I don’t deserve your applause. After all, the show hasn’t begun. Now, what would our humble crowd like to request tonight?”

“Free falling!” Bismuth yelled.

Peridot, Lapis, and I were completely lost, but Mo chuckled. “An anxious bunch you are! Your wish is my command.” Mo spread her arms out, palms turned upwards. Smoke rose from her hands, light gray coils merging and splitting ceaselessly, forming clouds that swirled around her body. The smoke began to drift, obscuring the room as it swallowed the light. I expected to cough, but the smoke didn’t hurt my throat. It was pleasant. It was like a breeze with substance, but it wasn’t hot or cold, just soft and wispy.

Snap.