AN: Hello everybody. Most information is at the bottom, if you're a usual reader. So sorry. This was inspired by a song, and Writer's Block and Artist's Block is hitting me hard right now. Sorry! Please enjoy!
~AP
"Shadows settle on the place where you left."
Pearl gripped the fountain as her tears mixed with the healing water, her knees falling from under her. Thank God she'd come to vent at night...Nobody would see her then. She couldn't let Steven see her like this...Not again. It was destroying the boy, destroying Rose, and she couldn't do that. Never.
"Our minds are troubled by the emptiness."
She heard the floating voice of Sapphire first, then the slightly harder tone of Ruby's. Garnet was apart...? Why? And why was she here? She dealt with Rose being gone better than anyone, there's no way she'd come here, not on Steven's birthday!
Or...the anniversary of Rose's death. Of course the other Gems would come. Pearl could punch herself for being so dumb! But Garnet didn't usually unfuse...
"Destroy the middle, it's a waste of time."
Amethyst was singing too. Strange. She usually avoided it unless she was venting out some form of emotion through it. Well, of course she was, but usaully she made sure neither Pearl nor Garnet could hear it. The purple Gem never seemed to mind so much around Steven, but why would she? Even if she DID sound terrible, (Which, despite her disliking for the other, Pearl admitted she didn't.) Steven would definitely not be the one to say it. The boy was such a ray of sunshine...But his existance brought so much...pain.
"From the perfect start to the finish line."
Pearl found out the gentle, swift sound was coming from her own mouth without a stutter, despite the tears still dropping down. She stood shakily as the other gems approached, still facing the statue of Rose in the middle of the fountain.
"And if you're still breathing, you're the lucky ones."
Yeah. Definitely. She didn't need to breathe, but hyperventilation creeped up on Pearl too easily nowadays. She also forgot how nice Sapphire and Ruby's voices sounded separately, though Garnet's was beautiful as it was, the perfect harmony of the two. They were their own people, and sometimes she forgot that, the pale Gem supposed.
"'Cause most of us are heaving through corrupted lungs."
Sapphire's was smooth, but Ruby's was interesting. Her voice was rough and loud, but still gentle and comforting in it's own way. Pearl got the sudden thought that she wished to hear it more, as Ruby's hand itself slipped over the pink-haired Gem's. She looked to her side, and the other Gem smiled comfortingly, tears budding in her own eyes, with Sapphire standing next to her, kind of cutely hiding her face with her hair, but parted the fingers pressed against her face and shot a half-hearted smile Pearl's way. Then she returned to her position. Sapphire liked to keep to herself when grieving, but the others preferred each other's company. Most Gems did. Sapphire was always unique.
"Setting fire to our insides for fun."
Amethyst pulled herself up on the other side of Pearl, kicking her legs a little, spraying droplets of water and giggling through quiet sobs. A goofball, that's what Rose always said she was, ruffling her then-short hair and letting out a loud, goofy giggle.
"Collecting names of the lovers that went wrong...The lovers that went wrong."
Steven woke up. He didn't know why, but he got dressed, picked up his ukelele and warped to his mother's fountain. He just felt the need, so he went. Then was confronted by the thought that the Gems would probably have heart attacks (not literally, of course.) if they found him missing. However, after listening for a while he realized there was no need, because the Gems weren't at the temple.
He walked towards the fade of the word "wrong" and found his voice moving without his consent.
"We are the reckless, we are the wild youth."
The Gems spun around, wiping their eyes, looking for the source of the sound. Usually they didn't sing that part...But somebody was. Part of them hoped it was Rose, but they brushed off the silly thought immediately. Sapphire let out the next line, obviously already knowing who it was, but not speaking it.
"Chasing visions of our futures."
Steven recognized Sapphire's voice, but the excitement of Garnet being unfused disappeared quickly, considering why she was the last time he saw the two. But still, he ventured, the voice's echo growing closer to him, like syrup in the boy's ears, which brought a gentle, but for some reason, sad smile to his face.
"One day we'll reveal the truth."
His voice called out, as he suddenly felt lost again. He could navigate the paths easier by voice. Usually he would easily, but it was too dark for him to see much, and he didn't want to move blindly in case of walking into a horribly nettled wall.
"That one will die before he gets there."
Steven ran into the clearing. Sapphire was the only one poised towards him, a sad grin on her face. She beckoned, and the other Gems barely seemed to notice his arrival. He ran and sat beside her.
"And if you're still bleeding, you're the lucky ones."
Sapphire conjured a blue bandage, wrapping it around a cut on his shoulder the preteen hadn't even noticed he'd gotten, probably from feeling around in the dark. Amethyst sung that line, and then noticed him, nodding briefly, before turning to sing back towards the statue.
"'Cause most of our feelings, they are dead and they are gone."
The words brought tears to his eyes, and Ruby pulled herself to sit in the same position Amethyst was next to Steven, ruffling the child's hair and wiping a stray tear off of his cheek. "Don't fret it, kiddo." A shaky whisper reached his ear, and Ruby smiled, wiping her own eyes and nodding.
"Setting fire to our insides for fun."
Pearl still refused to acknowledge Steven being there, keeping her head tilted towards the face of the stone statue, or in her hands, never even glancing his way. He was the one singing, but she still refused to look at him. He held back the hurt. She was grieving. It was okay.
"Collecting pictures from the flood that wrecked our home, it was a flood that wrecked this home."
Her tone became harsh, and suddenly Amethyst interuptted with a warning. "Pearl, not while-!" The pale Gem interuptted, still in song, but more shouting than melody. She pulled Steven off of the side of the stone fountain, dropping him on that spot, and he looked up in hurt fear as she pointed a finger at him.
"AND YOU CAUSED IT!"
She repeated it over, walking towards the boy who backed away, tears spilling, scratching himself on nettles and shaking a little. He'd never seen Pearl like this, and the words were drilled into his head.
"And you caused it!"
He held his head as his back scraped against nettled moss, and so he was forced to cave in on himself for protection against the Gem who usually acted as a mother to him. He was repeating it himself now, in his head.
"And you caused it!"
Pearl's shadow disappeared as she was dragged away, and she was forced to sob into now-Garnet's arms.
"Well, I've lost it all, I'm just a sillohouette."
Amethyst sighed, looking at Steven as if she was conflicted whether or not to comfort the shaking child, who was looking up with the most terrified expression the purple Gem had ever seen, and she'd seen a lot of people dying, for hell's sake.
"A lifeless face that you'll soon forget."
Her voice was tearful but strong, as Amethyst usually was. There was truth in it; It seemed to be what she truly believed of herself, and that just upset Steven more, who was still cowering against the wall, slightly bleeding from scratches and grazes, but not paying attention.
"And my eyes are damp from the words you left."
Garnet sung together again, a perfect harmony, voice cracking slightly as a tear slipped from behind her glasses, which she hastily wiped. She rubbed comforting circles in Pearl's back, who was still struggling, now somewhat weakly.
"Ringing in my head when you broke my chest."
Pearl sobbed it out, and then the three best friends missing one sung together in a perfect, goosebump-bringing harmony, which was almost spooky.
"Ringing in my head, when you broke my chest."
Suddenly, without warning, Garnet split again, Ruby charging over and almost screaming out in pain and frustration. Amethyst sighed, dropping to her knees and picking up a rose that fell off of the statue, hastily reaching over to place it back where it should be.
"And if you're in love, you are the lucky one."
Her voice seemed more directed towards the two, who were now arguing in hushed tones. She turned and almost aggressively gestured to her and Pearl, singing out the next lines with a sort of depressed violence about them.
"'Cause most of us are bitter over someone."
Pearl stood, still violently shaking, staring blankly into the distance. Sapphire forcefully took hold of Ruby's hand and made her look her in the single, sky-blue eye, forcing a sad smile onto her own face, and then letting out the words.
"Setting fire to our insides for fun."
She wiped a tear off of Ruby's face, who held her hand to her face and smiled shakily in response. She nodded, knowing what the other wanted her to do, and a tear slipped out anyways as she followed the other's line, voice cracking occaisonaly.
"To distract ourselves from ever missing them."
"But I'm forever missing her."
Surpisingly, they all managed to sing together despite the fact they were apart.
"AND YOU CAUSED IT!"
"PEARL STOP!" Amethyst called out, but she looked in horror as Ruby joined it with a sob, tearing herself away from her love.
"And he caused it..."
Amethyst joined suddenly, looking guilty for doing so. She let her head fall into her hands as she did so, not making eye contact with anybody.
"Well, he caused it..."
Steven was rocking back and forth. Sapphire sighed as Pearl collapsed, and Amethyst started shaking, Ruby letting out screams of anguish and then sobbing, and then cycling over the two actions. She wiped a tear out of her eye, and pulled Steven up, but he'd fallen, and his ankle went from under him. She caught him barely, as his bodyweight was more than hers. Ruby stopped, stood up, and turned to Sapphire, still crying. She just ran to her, and they fused on the spot, Steven almost falling back down with a yelp.
Garnet was just in time, and caught the boy, and then scooped him up into her arms, tears still slipping down, but an attempt at a comforting smile plastered on her face. She sighed at his tired fear as he looked up at her, still crying. "Let's get you home, kiddo. You aren't ready for this yet."
When they warped, Greg was waiting. Without them knowing, Steven's birthday had passed, and it was the day after. Gifts still lie at the side of the boy's bed, but he paid no attention. Garnet didn't make any form of eye contact with Greg, just laid the boy on the sofa. She took a look at his leg. "How badly does it hurt?" She put a gentle hand on the swelling ankle, and the boy let out a quiet scream, then covered his mouth, screwing his eyes shut as tears slipped out.
"A lot, apparently. It's a shame you're human. And also can't heal yourself." Garnet sighed as Sapphire saw how much trouble they'd get if she took him to a hospital. She super-speed made a cast paste, bandaged it up, ripped one of the trouser legs of the boy to the knee with pure force and after about 3 minutes, had a stable cast over the boy's ankle and shin. "That should do." Steven looked up at her, opened his mouth, and then closed it again. He looked down, eyes blank and sad.
"I hate to interupt, BUT WHERE THE HELL HAVE YOU BEEN?!" Greg said, standing up. "IT'S 12'O'CLOCK AND STEVEN LEFT THE HOUSE AT LIKE, 3AM! WHAT HAVE YOU BEEN DOING?!"
"Dad, shut up." That was the first thing Steven had said, and the surprise shut Greg straight up successfully.
"Steven, I am so, SO sorry!" Garnet began, but Steven's look shut her up as well.
"What did I expect?" He tried to smile, but it just turned into a tearful half-smile. "It's...I shouldn't have..." He buried his face in his elbow. "I don't even know why I went! Or how I knew you were there! I just...I wanted...to help...But...But I..."
"It is not your fault, Steven. Don't."
"But...It's true...It is my fault!" The preteen removed his arm and almost yelled it at the Gem, who froze as, internally, Sapphire let out a sob. Garnet regained her composure quickly, wiping her eyes beneath her shades. "Steven-!"
"DON'T EVEN SAY IT! It is! You're all sad about it! EVEN RUBY SAID IT WAS MY FAULT! PEARL! AMETHYST!"
"Sapphire didn't."
"SAPPHIRE SAW THIS IN ADVANCE, SHE COULD'VE JUST STOPPED ME COMING!" Steven shouted, and then broke down completely. He turned away, twisting his cast around with him, and started sobbing, hyperventilating and clinging to his hair. Wails wracked through the tiny hut, and Greg stood, shocked, as Garnet froze once again.
She couldn't say it wasn't true. She didn't think about it; Sapphire didn't think about it! God...But this would all be over soon, she reasoned with herself. He'd get better. Most probably. And Steven usually opted for most probably.
"Steven. We didn't think Pearl would act like that. And I even MORE doubted Amethyst would agree with her. Ruby says she was talking more about Greg, no offense to him. She's sorry."
"It doesn't matter. Leave me alone." Steven mumbled, face still buried in the cushions of the couch. Garnet sighed, standing up, and pulling a blanket out of the cupboard, splaying it over the boy. "You don't want Connie over or something? Breakfast? I'll get donuts."
"No. Just...Just leave. Please."
The taller Gem hesitated, then sighed, nodding. "Okay. Don't tear yourself up, kid. We really didn't mean for you to see things in that way." She turned to Greg, who looked enraged but too shocked to act on it. "Greg, you should leave too. Steven needs time alone. To think." The man nodded wordlessly, running a hand over his head and walking out, sighing as he exited.
Garnet just opened her room and disappeared into there, probably to rearrange bubbles or things of the like.
And Steven lay alone, going over the nights events in his head. Of course, he was also going through the repeated phrase in the Gems' vent song.
And you caused it.
When Amethyst and Pearl arrived at about 6PM, both of them immediately disappeared into their rooms, not sparing the shape on the sofa even one glance. Garnet came out at about 5, before the two warped back in, and offered Steven food, but he jerked his head as a no in response. She left a cup of cold water on the table, and half of it was drunk when she checked on him in the middle of the night. She was surprised to find the boy was still awake.
He didn't register her being there, just tucked the blanket closer around him, covering his face up to his nose, and shifted slightly, then went back to being deadly still. She sighed. There was no point consulting the boy, she decided. He wasn't talking, and he'd sleep eventually. Humans always do, even when they're determined not to.
So she headed back into her room to continue her night-time activities as usual, trying to get a sense of normality back, God knows they all needed it. What happened left them all at the very least shaken, and they needed to get back to what was before before Steven freaked out. Because then, it would stay with him for a long time, and Garnet couldn't let that happen.
...Steven didn't sleep that night. Or eat that day. He barely could bring himself to breathe, he was so tired and upset and everything at once, he didn't want to move. Or do anything, but he had to. He always had to.
Always had to be him.
Okay before you scream at me, listen, my cousin's dead. Literally. He died. Got struck by electric from a train line. Don't ask. So yeah. I've found it hard to get motivation, but I'm trying. The next chapter of Life Lessons is nearly done, but otherwise, update schedule is slow and this is just for personal use. Please don't be mad. To normal readers of other stories, I'm sorry. I'm pretty much still on hiatus. Things are hard, and I am so so so sorry. Depression's hit like a brick, my house is barely running, but I am trying to work, I swear I am, really. I'm trying my best here, but I'm barely at home, let alone on my PC. I'm so sorry. Review if you liked!
~AP