If you guys have read 'Fires of Rage' already, you can tell that this story revolves around the origins of the infamous Gem Stalker, like you've never seen him before. So, brace yourselves, for a tale that has forever changed the Stalkers life. Enjoy! And be sure to review!

Steven Universe: The Echo in Our Minds

The Prologue

Not everyone grows up with a normal family and has a normal life. My life was all but normal. And by the time I was in my teens, it was the first time I died. Or so I thought.

With a groan, the young man, none other than Seth Conners, woke up, to the smell of smoke and burnt flesh. His clothes were a mess, but his jeans were still blue, with only a single cut in the knee. His white shirt was covered in dirt and blood. His black boots had small bits of dirt on them, but they remained clean. His long black hair was a mess, but his face was clean, before he allowed his goatee to grow out.

"What happened here?" He wondered, as he looked at the burned down house, noticing the smell of rotten flesh.

"I see that you have awoken, young one." A feminine voice startled him, as he spun around, coming face to face with a sort of ghost. The aura was bright pink as well as her skin, her hair was also pink with many curls, her dress was a strapless, floor-length, lilac-trimmed, tiered white dress that had multiple layers that lay flat most of the time with a star-shaped cutout in the stomach area, specifically where a quartz gemstone rested.

"Who are you?" Seth asked, curious about the stranger wraith "Or better yet, what happened?"

"I am Rose Quartz, young one," Rose Quartz said, bowing, before saying "And you, my friend, have been banished…from death."

"Death!?" Seth gasped, coming to a horrible realization "You mean…I'm DEAD!?"

"Well, not exactly." Rose chuckled, finding his disbelief humorous "As I have said, you have been banished from death."

"I don't understand," Seth said, finding this hard to believe "This is a lot to take in."

"You were killed, that much is true," Rose said, placing a ghostly hand on his shoulder "But you have been cursed, and therefore, prevented from dying."

"That's a lot to take in," Seth said, still giving her a curious stare "But what are you? And what brought you here?"

"I am an extraterrestrial being, known as a Gem," Rose declared "Or was, long ago. After my child was born, I was passed on from this world. But I am not certain as to how I am brought here and bound to you."

"Wait. What do you mean 'bound' to me?" Seth asked.

Rose lifted her hand held something up, and suddenly, a ghostly chain appeared, connecting to a black collar around her neck, and the chain also linked to a similar collar around Seth's neck as well.

"You mean to tell me," Seth gulped, in realization "That I have some…ghost attached to me?!"

"Wraith," Rose corrected "And it would seem so."

"Well, this is just great," Seth groaned, not liking the idea of having a ghost attached to him "As if being undead wasn't bad enough, now I have some ghost attached to me? As if things couldn't possibly get any worse…"

"Wraith," Rose corrected again, before frowning "And I'm not so bad, once you get to know me."

"To be honest, I think I'm better off dead," Seth frowned "Cause there's nothing left here for me…"

"Don't think like that," Rose said, sensing the sadness in his voice "It's not so bad."

"Really?" Seth frowned "How can this be anywhere near better!?"

"I'm not sure," Rose mused "But it wouldn't hurt to try to find out."

"Find out what, exactly!?" Seth growled "I don't know what's going on!"

"No, but if you try," Rose smiled "You might find some closure. And with my help, we can find the truth together."

"I don't know," Seth said, still unsure "I still don't know who you are."

"Tell you what," Rose said "You help me and I'll tell you everything you want to know about the Gems, and I do mean everything. By understanding my species, you can see why we once remained far from humanity."

Seth thought for a moment, then let out a sigh.

"Fine." He sighed "But only because you're just gonna keep bugging me about it otherwise."

"Very good," Rose smiled "Now, where do we start?"

"Why ask me?" Seth frowned "This is your bloody idea!"

"Well," Rose thought for a moment, then smiled "We could go to the temple, not too far from here. It served as our base, even before the war began."

"What war?" Seth asked.

"Once we reach the temple, I will explain everything." Rose assured "You have my assurance."

"Fine." Seth sighed, then spotted a crate, underneath a pile of rubble. Brushing off the dust, he opened the chest, seeing the outfit and equipment he would later being seen wearing in the future.

"What's all this?" Rose asked.

"This belonged to a hero I once looked up to with great admiration." Seth declared "He was an assassin, only known by the name of 'Echo'. He later died of a cancer, and passed his belongings to me, saying I will don the name of 'Echo', when the time is right."

"That time seems to be now, doesn't it?" Rose grinned.

Seth nodded "Yes. It does."

After putting on his new outfit, he strapped on his gear, pulled over his cowl and put on his black and white kabuki mask "Now, we begin the hunt. The enemy will pay for ever laying a hand on an innocent soul. I am the shadow of the night. I am the necessary evil that haunts every dark corner of their minds. I will never rest. And neither will they, for they will fear the Echo of Darkness."

He turned and went in one direction, with Rose bound to him, with a new plan ahead."

With my new goal in mind, I began to make my way to the temple. It was going to be a long walk, but I knew that it would be worth the trip. With this wraith, I feel as if there's more to it than that. But whatever she has to say, I will do my best to understand. For now, I will focus on my current objective for now.

I hope you guys are still looking forward to the new stories and chapters, because they're only gonna get better! Stay tuned! And be sure to review!