Greg was playing his guitar to Y/n and Steven, with his van parked outside the Crystal Temple.

"That sounded great!" Steven cheers.

"Very interesting." Y/n comments.

"Oh thanks! I'm thinking about calling it "Water Witch"." Greg tells the two.

"Cool." Steven says impressed.

"And check this out, I can add some vocal distortion too." Greg pulls down a microphone from the ceiling of the van, adjusts a control panel and speaks into the microphone, distorting his voice into a robotic one. "Steven, your dad's a robot now. And now that I'm a robot, things will be better and colder. Please forgive me for being an amazing machine."

"Aww, I can't stay mad at my robo-dad." Steven joins in on the joke. "Where's all this awesome energy coming from?" Steven then asks.

"Actually, I was inspired to make some new songs after the ocean got sucked up into space a while back. I even drew up some freaky album artwork." Greg shows Steven his drawing of his album cover, titled "Water Witch".

"It looks like...Is this... Lapis?" Y/n says as looks it.

"Yeah..." Steven says as he puts hand on the drawing

Greg takes the drawing back. "Easy with the tender touches, don't want it to get all smudged. Here, plug this up and help this old man work out this witchy jam." Greg says to two now as he hands Steven an electric guitar.

"Yeah! Let's... Jam!" Steven strums the electric guitar but it makes no sound. "Uh? Where my jams at?"

"It's not plugged in yet Steven." Y/n points out to him.

"Ah ha!" Steven plugs the electric guitar into the TV in Greg's van. "All right, here we go. Let's... jam!" Steven strums the guitar again, but it still makes no sound "Uh... hmm. "He strums it again. "Jam!" No sound is made. "Hmm... Jaaaam!" Steven repeatedly strum the guitar, but still no sound.

"Oh, sorry, that's just the TV." Greg says as he points to the TV. "See, you plugged into the video jack, but were making audio here. Don't you know video killed the audio star?"

"I thought it was video killed the radio star." Y/n says.

"Hey, nice catch." Greg chuckles.

Steven looks around in confusion. "I have no idea what you guys are talking about.

"That's okay, you leave the details to me. When you're a one-man band you got to know how to do it all lyrics, graphic design, forum moderation, but for me it was all about the audio." Greg says now.

"What a lovely poem." Steven says.

"Ok, we need a catchy hook! Something like..." Greg starts playing his guitar and singing.

♫ Well she's a riptide queen and she's super mean..."

"Woah, hold the phone! Steven halts Greg from singing. "Now give the phone to me. Lapis was not mean."

"She was just trying to get home." Y/n clarifies.

"How 'bout this instead?"

Steven starts to sing now while playing his electric guitar.

♫ She was trapped in a mirror

And it couldn't be clearer

She wanted to leave this place

And get herself back in space

And dad you might think she's a criminal

But her friendship comes through subliminal ♫

Lapis Lazuli~ You fled into the bottom of the sea~

Lapis Lazuli~ You were so mad but then you came around to me. ♫

Steven stops singing, when a strange loud noise startles him. "Uh, what the heck is that?!"

"It must be some kind of weird feedback!" Greg tunes his audio keyboard, unsuccessfully removing the noise. "Hm, it's not us."

"I think it's coming from the temple!" Y/n says as he points to the beach house.

"Let's go check it out!"

"You two go on ahead, this is a Gem thing and I don't want to get in the way. Plus I get to eat the rest of this pizza." Greg said.

"Good thinking Dad. We'll be back."

Y/n and Steven both run to the Beach House, and the noise intensifies when the door is opened causing both to cover their ears.

"What's happening?!" Steven shouts over the loud noise.

"It's the Wailing Stone!" Pearl shout back as the gems were gathered around it.

"Make it stop!" Amethyst cries.

"Why is it making that noise!?" Y/n shouts as he holds his ears.

"It just activated on its own!" Pearl shouts herself.

"It won't shut off!" Amethyst continues as Garnet sets the Wailing Stone on the floor. She summons her gauntlet and slams the button at the top of the stone, momentarily stops the noise. As soon as she lifts up her gauntlet, the noise returns, and everyone continues to whine.

"Stand back!" Pearls says and she approaches the Wailing Stone and bubbles it, and the noise disappears. "Huh? It worked! Now we can..." But Pearl's bubble then begins to expand and pops, releasing the Wailing Stone and everyone screams at the returning noise. Steven runs up and sticks his arm through the hole of the stone. The noise momentarily stops, but blasts out again through Steven's mouth. Garnet then quickly removes Steven from the stone, shoves a couch cushion through the hole, surrounds the stone with more cushions, and places Steven on top.

"I don't understand, that thing has laid dormant since we found it." Garnet says.

"I haven't heard a Wailing Stone activate since we used them for the rebellion, and I've never heard it sound like that!" Pearl then say pointing to the muffled stone.

"Maybe someone is trying to send you a message." Y/n suggests now.

"But who? We've rounded up all the Wailing Stones on Earth, and we're not sending this signal to ourselves. Unless... Amethyst, is this a prank?!" Pearl ask her.

"No way! I want it to stop! I don't like it!" Amethyst grabs her hair in agony.

"If it's not coming from Earth, then a Gem must be sending this message from space." Garnet says now.

"Is that what some Gems sound like?" Steven asks.

"No, no, we should be hearing a voice. Maybe this signal is too advanced for the Wailing Stone to process. That would explain the distorted audio." Pearl explains.

"Audio... my daddy-o knows audio!" Steven suddenly says.

"Uh... you mean Greg?" Amethyst asks.

"Yeah!" Steven cheers.

"I don't know..." Pearl says hesitantly.

"Don't whine, let's try it." Garnet decides.

Y/n, Steven and the gems were sat on the beach outside Greg's van as Greg unloads all sorts of audio equipment out of his van, while the Crystal Gems sit and watch.

"I can't believe it, you need help with sound stuff!? You've come to the right guy!" Greg says as he looks for something. "Ah ha!" Greg holds out a huge glowing blue microphone. "The Lubitz Cardioid Condenser 680! It's got warm tone without too much top end."

"Uh, plus it's got a big honking sponge thing." Amethyst comments.

It is revealed it is just a regular microphone with a giant foam cover. "I know, isn't it awesome!?" Greg says.

Greg removes the couch cushion from the Wailing Stone, causing the noise to emit and the group to cover their ears, and he quickly plugs the microphone into the hole of the stone. He then begins to adjust his audio equipment. "Now I'm going to add some reverb and some low octave effects. I'm also adding some fuzz 'cause who couldn't use more fuzz? Now if I directly input the Wailing Stone and put it through a flanger, we might get what you're looking for."

"Flangers aside, do you really think a signal like this is compatible with your analog devices?" Pearl asks him.

"Don't worry dad." Steven says before he start to speaks using the voice distorter. "It'll work!"

"Well, here goes nothing." Greg turns on the flanger, and the wailing noise is intensified even more.

Y/n covers his ears in agony. "Okay! This is even worse!"

"I'm sorry!" Greg shouts.

"Dad you can do it, you're the audio daddy-o!" Steven encourages him.

"Yeah!" Greg configures his audio equipment further, and the wailing noise calms to an ambient-like sound.

"Y/n lets go of his ears a little. "It sounds like... music."

"Yeah, that's real nice." Greg comments as he tunes his equipment a bit more. "Yes, yes! Woo-hoo!"

"But, it's not supposed to be music. It's supposed to be a message!" Pearl says now.

"Okay, hold on I got this." Greg keeps tuning his audio equipment as the sound keeps changing.. "It's changing!"

"It's almost sounds like a voice." Steven says as everyone listens in.

"Almost got it!" Greg adjusts more, when the system short-circuits. The noise stops playing and smoke emanates from the van engine. "Aww... Oh great."

Pearl gets up angry. "What's happening? where's the signal?"

"Uh, looks like the van battery couldn't handle all this." Greg sighs.

"I had a feeling this wouldn't work. There's just no way that Greg's equipment can interface with our ancient Gem technology." Pearl says frustrated.

"Ah... Come on Pearl, you can't be ready to give up yet." Steven says to her.

"Look, we just got to keep trying. Sure we don't have the latest and greatest Gem tech, but...

Garnet remove the microphone from the Wailing Stone, the noise momentarily returns, she then plugs the couch cushions back into it. "It's okay Greg, you tried. Back to the temple. We'll figure something else out." She jumps off taking the muffled wailing stone with her.

"What a waste of time." Pearl sighs as she jumps off too.

"See you later, Gregory." Amethyst says being the last to jump off towards the temple.

"Ah, come on y'all!" Steven calls out to the Gems as he tries to jump after the Gems, but fails.

"You gave it a good go Greg, I'm sorry about your van." Y/n says.

Greg looks down in disappointment. He picks up his guitar and sits down on the beach, facing the sea. "I really blew it, huh?" He says to Y/n and Steven.

"Ah, Dad." Steven says worried about his dad.

Greg begins to play his guitar and sings.

♫ I could have tamed you, I could have shown , That I could depose you from your loud throne

But in the end I wasn't good enough, I just showed the Gems I ain't got the stuff

Oh Wailing Stone! I tried so hard to fly but I was thrown

Oh Wailing Stone! I gotta tell the Gems 'cause they should know

Have a little, have a little, have a little faith in me! I just wanted to help.

You know I have a little, have a little, have a little expertise!

I know it's not much

But if it could come in handy, I'd want to be there

I think so highly of you, it just isn't fair

That you have so little faith... ♫

"Eh, that's a B-side." Greg says to himself

"Dad, I hate seeing you like this, there's gotta be something else we can try.

"Eh, I don't know Steven. I mean, sound and stuff like this, this stuff's my whole world, and if I can't figure this out then, maybe it isn't even sound." Greg sighs.

"But, if it isn't sound then, what else could it be?" Steven asks.

Y/n turns to look at Greg's van as he sees all the equipment and thinks back to what Pearl had said earleir and hel ooks around Greg's equipment "If the wailing stone is ancient Gem technology...Then what is current Gem technology like?" He says and remembers Peridot's screens. Y/n looks at the the TV now . "What if it's...Oh!" Y/n then suddenly exclaims as everything seems to click together. "That's it!"

"Is it some other thing I'm not good at?" Greg asks him.

Y/n just takes a hold of Greg's shoulders. "What killed the Radio Star Greg?" Y/n asks him.

"Oh my days, it's video!" Greg says slapping his own head.

"We have to tell the Gems! Video!" Steven cheers as he starts running to beach house.

"Hey, slow down!" Greg calls out to Steven as he and Y/n chase after him.

Greg was the first to burst into the house and rushes in, not noticing the Gems sitting by the windows. "I just want to help, have some faith in. "He pauses and turns to see the Gems.

"We're over here." Amethyst chuckles.

"I know my audio equipment seems like a pile of Earth junk to y'all but..." Greg starts again.

"Greg, it's okay." Garnet says stopping him.

Greg gets serious now. "No it's not, you guys don't give up on anything, except for me. Come on... it's not like I can make it any worse!" He says.

The group had returned back to Greg's van now. Pearl was inspecting the van engine while Garnet is holding a pair of jumper cables, connecting to the engine.

"Okay, go for it Garnet." Pearl instructs. Garnet begins generating electrical currents from her hands to jump-start the van engine. Pearl then nods to Y/n who was stood by the drivers side window with Amethyst sat down in the seat.

"Okay Amethyst, try it now." Y/n then tells Amethyst.

"I've never started a car with a key before." Amethyst comments before she turns the car key and the van starts up. "Hahaha, that's way easier!"

"I'm not even going to ask..." Y/n says deciding to feign ignorance.

Pearl shuts the engine hood. "The battery is ready to go."

"The Wailing Stone is ready." Steven says having moved it into postion.

"Ready with the video cord, Steven?" Greg asks Steven.

"Ready." Steven replies and he plugs the cord into the TV. Greg starts tuning his equipment and static begins to play on the TV, emitting the strange noise.

"Is that it?" Pearl asks.

"Just a second." Greg adjusts further, the imagery on the TV becomes less fuzzy. The Crystal Gems keep watching in suspension.

"I hear something." Steven says.

"Come on!" Greg keeps adjusting, and the imagery on the TV becomes clearer, revealing Lapis.

"Y/n! Steven!" Lapis calls out their names.

"It's Lapis!" Y/n says in surprise.

"I did it!" Greg cheers.

"I can't believe my eyes!" Pearl says.

"Everyone, listen up!" Garnet silences them all.

"I hope you're able to hear this." Lapis says upon the screen. "There's a Gem that's looking for you, she even knew your names. I don't know how, I didn't tell her, I swear! She's on her way to Earth, and she's not alone. Y/n, Steven. Homeworld it's not the way it used to be. Everything here is so advanced! I can't even understand it. There's no way anything on Earth can stand up to it. Please, don't put up a fight, It will only lead to devastation!" Lapis pleads to them and the video suddenly cuts off, ending the transmission.

"It's Peridot, she must be talking about Peridot." Pearl says to the others.

"She's coming for us!" Amethyst says worried.

"Lapis, she sounds so afraid..." Y/n says sadly.

Pearl and Amethyst starts to freak out in background, and Garnet clutches her fists.

"What are we going to do?!" Amethyst cries.

"Woo!" Garnet says letting out a sigh of relief.

"Wha...?" The others says looking at her.

"We did it." Garnet says.

"What?" Pearl asks.

"We got the message." Garnet continues.

"But..." Amethyst starts.

"It's "got!" Garnet stops her before she approaches Greg and holds out her hand. Greg looks at Garnet's hand in surprise and shakes it.

"Thank you Greg, we would not have received this message without your help." Garnet tells him.

"You're..." Greg tears up in joy. "You're welcome."

"My dad is..." Steven says normally before he plays with Greg's equipment and speaks with voice distortion. "the best!"

"Oh my gosh, Steven's a robot! Help, I can't relate to my robot son!" Greg cries.

"My mind is the internet, I know every continuity mistake ever made on television." Steven says with a robotic voice and both he and start laughing together.

The Gems turn and look at one another in worry while Y/n just looks up to the night sky.

And that's the chapter! So...lapis has sent a warning to Y/n and the Crystal Gems, but what does this mean for them? If you liked this chapter or just the story in general then don't forget to leave a vote and a comment and I shall see you all next week in...

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