A Sibling Squabble

## Previously

Cat's eye was broken by Blue Calcite

Cuprite and Yellow Calcite returned from their absence after her death.

## Appearances

Steven

Cuprite

Chara & Charo

Bismuth (flashback)
Pearl (flashback)

Tiger Eye (Flashback)

Spessartine (Flashback)

Limonite (Flashback)

## Story

The episode starts with Steven waking up in the middle of the night, he looks around and noticed that the Crystal Gate was being activated. It glowed red and 3 red lines came down from the top left corner down, making a slide. Cuprite then slid down the the door and landed at the entrance.

Cuprite was carrying her sword on her back and looked around before reaching into her gemstone. She pulled out a device with a large silver gem in it. “Alright let’s get to work. “

“Woah Woah Woah! Cuprite what are you doing up this late?” Steven asked rubbing his eyes and walking up to her. “And you stole the Loding Compass from Pearl's room?”

“Hey Steven-sama… This isn’t what it looks like…” Cuprite said backing up back towards the door.

“Really? Cause it looks like you are sneaking out late at night to track down lodestone and by extension the rest of the Homeworld gems.” Steven said calm and matter of factually.

“Oh...well it’s exactly what it looks like... “ Cuprite looked back and looked around. “Look Tiger-sama….she spent most of her nights and many days patrolling the warps keeping earth safe, and is the only reason we knew when Lodestone first got here.” Cuprite looked at the ground solemnly “With her gone...someone needs to pick up the slack! There are still 7 gems out there, plus Jasper is still missing!” Cuprite was getting very excited at this point, but not in a happy way, more like panic. “Since Nee-chan and the others are keeping Spinel safe, it’s up to this one.” Cuprite raised her sword into the air.

Steven was astounded he never saw Cuprite act so maturely, except for that one time she was mad at Pearl. “Alright I’ll come with you!” Steven ran back up to his room and began getting changed.

“Wait Steven you are part human remember you need sleep! I’m a living battery, LITERALLY! I don’t need to rest so I’m fine.” Cuprite didn’t want steven to be put in any excess danger.

“Cuprite you can’t do this alone, what is your plan if you find them? Can you take all 7 of them by yourself? C’mon you need me.” Steven was already in his normal attire now.

“Well I guess you're right...C’mon! I’m getting closer I can feel it!” Cuprite hopped on the Warp pad and Steven followed. They warped away.

--

Cuprite and Steven warped into the desert where the sand glass was once found.

“Why are we here Cuprite?”Steven said looking around the vast desert

“Well I have been checking different areas each night and checking out how the compass responds.” She held it up and the iron gem began to spin around before pointing northwest. “She naturally this should point north meaning a magnetic interference is coming from...that way.” Cuprite hopped back onto the warp pad. “C’mon Steven-sama we can get closer!”

“Alright Cuprite!” Steven hopped on and they warped to the old communication hub. Cuprite and Steven looked at the compass and saw which way the iron gem pointed. They continued this process of warping and checking the compass as they passed the Great North, Sky Arena, Ferrous Fane, and the Solar Sanctuary.

Steven looked up at the sunrise at the Solar Sanctuary. Cuprite was in the distance staring at the Loding compass which was still spinning in different directions.

“Cuprite...the sun is coming up...I think we should call it a night.” Steven looked over at Cuprite who looked defeated.

Cuprite sighed “I never knew...it was this hard for her…” Cuprite looked down at the ground again. “Alright I’ll look again tonight. Let's go home.” Cuprite seemed defeated, but she got on the warp pad with Steven and warped away.

“Hey Cup It’s ok…” Steven was caught off guard “Cuprite look over there!” In the distance across the warp space another warp beam was going off with two gems moving through it.

“I think we found something! Tiger-sama would be so proud!” Cuprite summoned her yoyo and grabbed Steven she flung both of them across warp space and into the other warp stream.

Cuprite and appeared in a volcanic region, due to the conservation of their horizontal momentum they were flung out the top onto a nearby cliff.

The two purple gems turned around thinking they heard something.

“What was that Charo?” Chara looked around but didn’t see anything.

“It was probably just the wind Chara.” She took a glance back but was preoccupied by pressing buttons on a blue beacon like device she had.  “Besides we have a mission to complete. “ She continued walking down the volcanic path.

“Yeah I know...but you know this isn’t really our purpose. Lodestone’s are supposed to plan colonies like this, but we aren’t.  Chara skipped down side of the volcano looking around.

“No but our purpose is to serve Blue Diamond, and if remaking this colony will make her happy, then helping identify 89 locations is no problem.” Charo followed.

Steven looked down at the two he was glad they didn’t notice them. “C’mon Cuprite they are headed that way!” Cuprite hopped on Steven’s back and he floated them above the Charoites, who were now examining a large hunk of metal.

“This seems to be some kind of door, clearly made by gems...Should we investigate?” Chara turned to ask Charo.

“Well of course this mission is secondary...this is what we were made for!” Charo’s gem began to glow as she placed her hand on the door. The glow changed from Purple to multicolored glow and the metal door responded by opening up leading to a staircase downwards.

Steven gasped “Cuprite did they just open the Forge!! Steven looked back at Cuprite who was already gone and running down after them.

“Cuprite!” he rapidly descended and landed on his feet before following her down.

When he reached the bottom Cuprite was already engaging the twins.

“What are you doing here!? This is crystal gem territory.” Cuprite held her sheathed blade.

“Actually this planet belongs to our Diamond!” Chara yelled as her gem began to glow.

Charos gem glowed as well both of them drew their scythes “Don’t cause any trouble.” She shot glare at Cuprite “You’re out numbered.”

Cuprite glared back “Yeah well you’re outmatched!” Cuprite leapt at the two with her blade still sheathed. Chara smiled and swung her scythe at Cuprite, but she blocked with her sheath, blade locking her and Chara. “Oh nice moves, for a Cuprite.”

“Unfortunately for you there are two of us.” Charo leapt at her and was about to come down straight through Cuprite, but she quickly moved and unsheathed her blade, blocking the other scythe with it. Both Charoite’s gasped, but before they could react Cuprite did a flip in the air corkscrewing them and tossing them to separate sides of the room.

“Cool!” Steven stared astonished by Cuprite’s move. He always forgets how skilled she is combat when she gets serious.

Cuprite summoned her yoyo and flung it down, it ricocheted off the wall, ceiling, and floor before wrapping it around Chara preventing her from getting up.

“Now I’m mad you worthless little copper!!” Charo’s eyes and hands glowed purple and she fired multiple purple blasts at Cuprite. However, Cuprite was unfazed she slid down the string left behind by her previously thrown yoyo and avoided each blasts. However, this put her coming at at Chara who had been charging her own blast.

“Now I gotcha!!” She fired a single large purple blast at Cuprite, but a poof of smoke happened and Charo was in the way instead she was blasted and thrown back into the wall. “Charo!! I’m sorry! Where did she go?” Chara looked around before Cuprite landed in front of her.

“Right here!” She tied Chara up in a second yoyo and lifted her over head “Around the world!” Chara crashed onto Charo and a large red explosion happened.

“Cuprite you were….Cuprite?” Steven stopped close to her noticing a red aura forming around her as she breathed heavily. He also noticed his gem began to glow. A small red orb flew off of Cuprite and hit Steven.

Steven grabbed his head and looked around he didn’t see the charoites anymore, but he turned around to see Cuprite and….Bismuth!? But they both looked different Cuprite was wearing a tank top with Yellow diamonds on it, and had pure red hair. Bismuth looked like whatever she looked like during the rebellion.

Cuprite walked into a table causing a bunch of Bismuth’s tools and works to crash onto the floor. “Uh! Gomen! I didn’t mean to please don’t…” she was quivering .

Bismuth just laughed “Ahh you’re alright kid! No one’s mad you’re on earth now you’re free!! Now let’s get back to work on that sword.” Bismuth petted Cuprite’s head. And Cuprite smiled up at her.

--

Steven snapped back to the present and noticed Cuprite quivering standing over two gemstones. As the aura began to pulsate more.

“You invaded her home...you had no right...you touched her stuff...you opened her door.” more red orbs formed around Cuprite.

“Cuprite you have to calm down!” the three orbs flew into Steven once again sending him into flashbacks.

Cuprite is seen in a slightly different outfit with small streaks of yellow, purple and blue in her mostly red hair. Pearl is wearing her rebellion outfit.

Cuprite runs up to Pearl and Bismuth very happy. “Bismuth-sama  Pearl-sama look! I learned how to summon my weapon!!” She began playing with her yoyo and showed it off.

“Oh Cuprite...how..unique.” Pearl answered somewhat uncomfortably

Bismuth laughed “Hey it’s perfect for you!! Make sure you cause Homeworld’s elite some damage with it.”

Cuprite smiled.

The next flashback shows Cuprite wandering around the ziggurat searching for something she is currently wearing her debut outfit with fully rainbow hair, but no stars nor diamonds.  Rose Quartz comes up next to her.

“Cuprite please, you have come back, you have been searching for days you have to rejoin the others, help fight off Homeworld...it’s what Bismuth would want. “ Cuprite turned to face Rose before breaking down in tears and hugging her.

Steven flashes back to the present

“Those orbs they are her pain...she takes everyone else's...but never expresses her own.” Steven understood what was happening with her.

“I could forgive all of that...but you two...YOU HELPED BREAK NEKO-SAMA!!” Cuprite’s aura flowed off in waves that hit Steven causing him to experience countless memories that Cuprite has had with Cat’s eye and Tiger eye. He flashbacks through scenes of Tiger petting her head, Cuprite and Tiger eye dancing, Cuprite eating with Tiger, Spessartine dealing the final blow separating Black Ice, Cat’s eye and Cuprite hanging out in Limonite’s fusion realm, and many others.

“Cuprite you can’t keep your feelings bottled up like this...it isn’t healthy!” Steven struggled to walk towards Cuprite as her emotions continued to overwhelm him. His vision was impaired by two bright lights that were glowing in front of him,  But he was able to reach her and gave her hug from the back.

“Steven...sama...She’s I’m sorry...I thought I could replace her. I’m just not strong enough.” tears began to fall from her eyes.

“Cuprite it's ok...you tried your best...no one could do this job alone...not even Tiger...it’s ok to feel bad...you just have to let it out.” Steven smiled at Cuprite and wiped the tears off of his eyes.

Cuprite picked up a small box that was left on the table and hugged it. She smiled back at Steven.

Steven went back to the pile where the Charoites poofed gemstones were but they were missing. “Guess they got away...should have bubbled them.” Steven sighed.

“Don’t worry Steven...we’ll get them later.. Together!” She smiled as the star closed in around her and Steven.

## Trivia

* This episode heavily implies that Cuprite's multicolored hair is a result of Bismuth's influence on her
* This episode shows that if Cuprite bottles up her emotions they can build up around her in an aura and be siphoned off by Steven, it's unknown if this is an extension of her pain absorption abilities, Steven's emphatic connections, or some combination of the two.
* This Episode reveals that abilites of Charoites, namely that they can fire purple blast of energy and open the doors locked by other gems.