A Single Pale Rose

[Open Int. Beach House]

(Steven is sitting on the couch in the living room, deep in contemplation and having several flashbacks.)

[Flashback - "Back to the Moon"]

EYEBALL: I watched the leader of the Crystal Gems, Rose Quartz, shatter Pink Diamond!

[Flashback - "Jungle Moon"]

(Back in Steven's dream, Pink Diamond punched the glass in Yellow Diamond's Jungle Moon Base in anger, smashing it.)

[Flashback - "The Trial"]

ZIRCON (D): So how did a Rose Quartz, with no business being anywhere near Pink Diamond, get so close in the first place?

[Flashback - "Can't Go Back"]

(Back in Steven's dream again, a silhouette of Pearl held up Rose's Sword bеhind Pink Diamond and glared at Steven intimidatingly.)

[Trans. Int. Beach House]

(Stеven gasps in fright from Pearl's glare in his dream, snapping him out of his thoughts, when Pearl and Amethyst walk into the house.)

AMETHYST: I can't believe you've had your phone for a month, and you haven't used it at all!

PEARL: That's not true! I use it to tell the time!

(Steven groans in anxiety, as Pearl and Amethyst sit by the kitchen counter.)

AMETHYST: Sigh... Come here, P. Huh, let's change your wallpaper.

(Amethyst takes Pearl's cellphone and takes a selfie, setting it as the wallpaper.)

AMETHYST: Looks great. Okay, now texting is in the messages. Just click on this screen icon-

STEVEN: panicking PEARL, CAN I ASK YOU SOM-

AMETHYST: Hold on, Stevo. I'm in the middle of a demonstration. Hey, anyway... Then you can type pretty much anything you want.

(Steven receives a text from Pearl, reading "Dear Steven, Hello. Love, Pearl".)

AMETHYST: You should get a case for that thing.

PEARL: I do. pulls out a suitcase from her gem

AMETHYST: Okay. I have a whole bunch of actual phone cases in my room. Don't go and throw that thing against a rock or anything until I'm back.

(Amethyst enter the Temple Gate into her room. With Pearl now alone, Steven approaches her nervously.)

STEVEN: Pearl?

PEARL: What is it, Steven?

STEVEN: ...You remember how Mom shattered Pink Diamond? Well, I was just wondering, if maybe... You shattered Pink Diamond.

PEARL: shocked I-

(Pearl quickly covers her hands over her mouth involuntarily, dropping her phone onto the floor.)

STEVEN: It's okay. You can tell me.

(Pearl struggles to speak, with her hands still covering her mouth.)

STEVEN: Why can't you just talk to me about this!?

(Amethyst returns, holding a phone case in her hand, and quickly senses the uneasiness in the room.)

AMETHYST: I got the... phone... case...

(Pearl slowly uncovers her mouth and begins shouting hysterically.)

PEARL: AH YES, THE PHONE CASE! THANK YOU AMETHYST! Whoops, so clumsy, it's probably safer if I just keep it in here. chuckles nervously

(Pearl picks up her phone and stores it into her gem. She then grabs the suitcase and marches into the Temple.)

AMETHYST: Wait, come on, just, put it in this, then put in in your head.

(Pearl walks through the Temple Gate and it closes.)

AMETHYST: What was that?

(Steven sighs in great dismay.)

[Trans. Ext. Beach Citywalk Fries]

(Steven is eating fry bits by the fries shop, when he receives a text from Pearl on his phone.)

STEVEN: reading "I want to tell you, but I can't"?

[Trans. Int. Beach House]

(Steven quickly rushes back home, where Pearl is vacuuming the Warp Pad.)

STEVEN: PEARL I'M READY TO TALK!

PEARL: stops vacuuming Uh- What?

STEVEN: I got your text! "I want to tell you, but I can't"? With a monkey (🙊) emoji?

PEARL: Steven, I didn't send that. I haven't used my phone since I put it away this morning.

STEVEN: Maybe you butt-dialed me? With your gem?

PEARL: No, that's impossible! Hang on, I'll pull it out and we'll get to the bottom of this. See, here- pulls out a remote control, and drops it See, I-

(Pearl proceeds to pull several items out of her gem, such a violin, an aerodynamic book, Steven's shirt and a bundle of cash, but no phone.)

PEARL: Maybe this? No. Maybe this? No! Maybe- Ma-May this? NO!

STEVEN: Pearl, are you okay?

PEARL: pulls up a film roll Where could I've put it!? I know it's in there somewhere!

STEVEN: gasps You just sent another one!

(Steven shows Pearl his phone, this time a text of a single hibiscus flower (🌺) emoji. Pearl suddenly comes to a horrific realization.)

PEARL: Steven, I need you to go inside my gem and find my phone.

STEVEN: What?! I-Is it stuck in there or something?

PEARL: There are certain things I can't tell you, but I CAN tell you that I need my phone. Please. I can bring you back out once you find what you're looking for.

STEVEN: ...Your phone?

PEARL: Exactly! I'll keep your phone, text me with mine when you find it.

(Steven nods and Pearl offers him her hand. Steven accepts it and Pearl's gem begins glowing, levitating him up and pulling him inside.)

[Trans. Int. Pearl's Dimension]

(Steven opens his eyes and finds himself in a white room, with a Pearl humming and arranging an array of spears.)

STEVEN: There's a Pearl, inside Pearl's pearl? runs up to the Pearl

PEARL #1: Oh, Steven! picks Steven up Where should I put you? Certainly not with the spears. Human paraphernalia? Personal items? Let's just go alphabetical. "S"... "S-t"...

(Pearl #1 begins scrolling an array of neatly-arranged items and is about to slot Steven in between the stethoscope and the sticker.)

STEVEN: Wait! No, don't file me! You sent me in here for your cellphone.

PEARL #1: My phone? Well, alright. sets Steven down Let's see...

(Pearl #1 scrolls through the items, towards the ones categorized under "P", such as a potted plant and various phone numbers.)

PEARL #1: "P-h-o"... Hmm... Nothing. gasps* Oh, it's a cellular phone! I must have put it under "C" *scrolls again It should be right... here.

(Pearl #1 scrolls to the "C" category and points at an empty slot in between a roll of cellophane and a cleaver, which shocked Pearl.)

PEARL #1: It should be right here! Unless... some other me took it.

STEVEN: There's more of you in here?

PEARL #1: Oh no, not here. I made sure of that. I am very good at compartmentalizing everything. That's why I get to be surface, and they have to be put away.

STEVEN: Well if one of those Pearls has the phone, can you tell me how to find her?

PEARL #1: Oh, you don't want to go back where they are. It's a mess. Let's just stay here, where everything is alphabetized!

STEVEN: Come on, I can handle it!

PEARL #1: sighs Alright. Don't say I didn't warn you.

(Pearl #1 holds Steven's hand and her gem glows, pulling Steven inside again.)

[Trans. Ext. Crystal Temple (Pearl's Memory)]

(Steven looks around and finds himself on the beach, right in front of the Crystal Temple.)

STEVEN: This doesn't look like a mess. It looks like... the past.

(Steven then hears sobbing behind the hand of the Temple statue on the beach. He looks over and finds another Pearl crying in distress.)

STEVEN: Oh... That kind of mess.

(Steven runs up to Pearl #2 and sits down besides her.)

STEVEN: Hey, Pearl inside Pearl inside Pearl's pearl. You upset about the whole missing phone situation too?

PEARL #2: sobbing No, it's Rose. What was she thinking? She can't have a baby.

STEVEN: Well... This is awkward.

PEARL #2: What am I going to do when she disappears? I'm going to lose her! Just like I lost my- turns to Steven What was it you said?

STEVEN: Your cellphone?

PEARL #2: My cellphone! sobs loudly

STEVEN: It's going to be okay. hugs her That's why you sent me in here, I'm gonna help you find it.

PEARL #2: looks up I think I know where it is. It's probably where I lost everything else.

(Pearl #2 takes Steven's hand and her gem glows, pulling him inside again.)

[Trans. Gem Battlefield (Pearl's Memory)]

(Steven arrives in the middle of the Gem Battlefield at its aftermath. He walks around and accidentally trips over, noticing several gems on the ground. He gasps and jumps back in fright.)

STEVEN: It's better not turn out her phone was in her pocket. continues walking around Or she left it on the dresser or dropped it in the toilet. Seems about as likely as putting it in your repressed war memories!

(Steven finds yet another Pearl standing alone in the battlefield, staring out into the distance in a daze.)

STEVEN: Pearl? I mean, Pearl inside Pearl inside Pearl inside Pearl's pearl? Is this really about your phone or what?!

PEARL #3: dazed* We're the only ones left... Homeworld... They were all leaving... *drops to her knees We thought we'd won.... There was a bright light and everyone was- ...Why did I do it?

STEVEN: What do you mean? Just tell me!

(Pearl #3 shakes her head and takes Steven's hand. Her gem glows and Steven is pulled inside again.)

[Trans. Ext. Pink Diamond's Palanquin (Pearl's Memory)]

(Steven finds himself kneeling on the ground, in front of several pink gem shards and hibiscus flowers on the ground. Loud voices and weapon clashing are heard in the background. Steven picks up a shard and looks up, spotting Rose in a cloud of pink dust, having swung her sword at whatever was there. Tears then stream down her face.)

STEVEN: Mom?

(Steven gets up, holding the shard and walks towards Rose.)

STEVEN: I thought this was Pearl's- What are you doing here?

(Rose looks up, revealing she has Pearl's eyes.)

STEVEN: W-What?!

(A scream is heard, presumably Jasper's, causing "Rose" to turn her head and reveal Pearl's gem on her forehead.)

STEVEN: I- I knew it. It was you who shattered her.

(Pearl, shapeshifted as Rose, opens her fist and reveals a pink diamond gem in her hand to Steven.)

STEVEN: Pink... Diamond? But... I don't understand.

(Pearl's gem glows again, pulling Steven in one last time.)

[Trans. Int. Pink Diamond's Palanquin (Pearl's Memory)]

(Steven this time finds himself sitting on the throne inside the palanquin, and he gets off of it.)

STEVEN: The palanquin?

(Steven then hears voices behind the throne. He walks around the throne and spots Rose conversing with another Pearl inside the palanquin.)

ROSE: And then we'll be done. It's going to be easy!

PEARL #4: There's got to be another way. I mean, maybe-

ROSE: Blue and Yellow don't care; they never have. This is Pink Diamond's colony. We can end it all right here, right now.

PEARL #4: clutching Rose's sword You know this is crazy, right? (Rose nods.) Your status, my purpose. None of it will matter anymore. (Rose nods more excitedly.) This will change everything.

ROSE: I know! Isn't it exciting?!

PEARL #4: sighs and blushes It is.

ROSE: We can leave our old lives behind. If this is really my world, I want to give it to the Crystal Gems. I want to live here with human beings! I wanna live here with you! We'll both finally be free!

PEARL #4: smiles and looks at Rose determinedly Okay. I'm ready.

ROSE: excitedly Peeearl!

(Steven continues watching intently as Rose holds Pearl's hands.)

PEARL #4: I can't believe I'm going to do this.

ROSE: I can't exactly shatter myself.

(Rose and Pearl hug each other and Rose begins shapeshifting. Steven watches and gasps in shock as Rose turns back into her normal self: Pink Diamond. Steven presses himself against the throne, as Pink Diamond and Pearl #4 walk past. Pink Diamond steps out of the palanquin and returns with a single hibiscus flower and a pile of dirt in her hand. Pearl takes the flower and puts it in her hair. Pink Diamond blows into the dust pile and tightly squeezes it, compressing it into fake gem shards, surprising Steven.)

PINK DIAMOND: Convincing?

PEARL #4: gets uncomfortable Very much so, my Diamond.

PINK DIAMOND: Soon, it will be just Rose.

(Pink Diamond pops the shards into her mouth and swallows them. Pearl begins to unsheathe the sword but Pink Diamond halts her.)

PINK DIAMOND: Wait! There's one last thing I need to do.

PEARL #4: puts the sword on the floor Yes?

PINK DIAMOND: No one can ever find out we did this. I never want to look back. folds Pearl's hands to cover her mouth So, for my last order to you as a Diamond, please, let's never speak of this again. No one can know.

(Pink Diamond stands up and proceeds to step outside her palanquin. Steven gasps in shock as Pearl #4 turns to look at him, having noticing him behind the throne.)

PEARL #4: Sorry to make you come all this way.

(Pearl #4 holds out her cellphone to Steven, and he takes it, looking surprised. Pearl #4 then shapeshifts into Rose in front of him, picks up the sword and heads outside. Steven proceeds to text Pearl that he has found her phone, and he begins being pulled out.)

[Trans. Ext. Pink Diamond's Palanquin (Pearl's Memory)]

(A sequence of flashbacks plays by as Steven gets pulled down. Outside the palanquin, Pearl poofed and "shattered" Pink Diamond with Rose's sword. Several other Gems witnessed the event unraveling, not knowing Pearl was hiding Pink Diamond's gem in her hand.)

[Trans. Gem Battlefield (Pearl's Memory)]

(In the battlefield, Garnet and Pearl fought against other Gems, when a bright light engulfed the sky and the entire field, presumably ending the war.)

[Trans. Ext. Crystal Temple (Pearl's Memory)]

(In front of the Crystal Temple, Pearl placed her hands on Rose Quartz's pregnant tummy. Slipping into depression, Pearl got comforted by Garnet and Amethyst in the temple.)

[Trans. Int. Beach House]

(Steven falls out of Pearl's gem onto the floor and looks at Pearl.)

STEVEN: I know...

PEARL: tearing up I wanted to tell you for so long.

STEVEN: Mom was Pink Diamond...

(Amethyst and Garnet are then seen standing right behind Steven, both in shock and surprise.)

AMETHYST: WHAAAAAAT!?

[END]