A Mother's Love.
Summary: The Crystal Gems are captured. Oh noes! They escape! Oh Yesh!
Disclaimer: I do not own anything to do with Steven Universe. That belongs to the marvellous Rebecca Sugar, and whoever else owns the rights. I'm merely a recent convert to this amazing series.
Note: As I am fairly new to this series, and this is my first non-Pokémon fanfic, I apologise if anyone is out of character.
Also: Contains OC. Basically just a large green Gem. Definitely in the same vein as Jasper, that creep. Loves the pain of others. Exists merely to be evil, and get pwned by a small angry crying boy.
Finally: Damned formatting doesn't want to go the way I want it. Screw it... Stupid thing wants to be a text-wall, it can be a text wall.
Speech. Thoughts.
"Oof!" Ruby grunted as she hit the back wall of the small cell. As she jumped back onto her feet, she whirled around as the force-shield glowed in front of her. "When I get outta here…!"
The green Gem ignored her as she tossed the surprisingly passive Amethyst into the next cell, activating the shield. "You better not hurt Sapphire!" Ruby yelled.
Sapphire stifled her grunt of pain as she was tossed into a third cell so as not to worry Ruby. "I'm okay, Ruby. Don't worry." she called, using her powers to raise herself upright.
The Gem stood before the three cells, smirking widely. "When Yellow Diamond finds out that I've caught the last remnants of Rose Quartz's pathetic little army, she'd going to be so pleased. Shame she can't have all four of you, oh well…"
Reaching into a pocket, she drew out some small, glittering objects. "But I won't separate you yet." Turning, she tossed the objects into the cell opposite Amethyst and activated the shield. "These can go in here… for now…"
Laughing, she stalked away as Ruby punched the wall. "Murderers!"
Sapphire wiped a tear from her eye. "I just wish I could have seen this coming…"
"Pearl…" Amethyst moaned, falling to her knees. "I'm sorry… for everything…"
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…raised to strike, as a blue fist filled his vison…
"Ugh, what happened?" Steven Universe sat up, holding his head. Gingerly, he felt around his left eye. "Man, not again…" he sighed as his vision cleared up and he saw where he was. "We got captured again?!" he sighed and fell back, closing his eyes. "How'd this even happened?"
…flash of light and two shiny objects fell to the sand…
"Wait!" he gasped, sitting up. "Oh no! Garnet got separated again! Ruby and Sapphire must be going crazy without each other… I gotta find them!" he got to his feet shakily, leaning on the wall until he stopped feeling dizzy. "Okay, is this the same kind of…"
Carefully, he reached out and touched the shield, feeling the buzz of electricity along his arm. He smiled as he saw the glowing veins of light appear. "Yep, same thing as before."
Steven forced himself through the force-shield designed to contain Gems, not humans, and despite the weird feeling it gave him through his body, he recovered quickly. "Okay, gotta find the others, and go home." Looking up and down the hallway, he picked the way to his right. "This way, I guess?"
Steven crept along the corridor, glancing around nervously every few steps. Hearing the sound of voices, he ducked into a side corridor just as two Gems turned into his.
"Well, I hear that they're just some traitors that were trying to hide on that miserable world…"
"They will be punished."
"Yes."
Steven's mouth dropped as the two passed him. "Wait… two Pearl's?!" he gasped, covering his mouth just in time to stop sound escaping. Watching them continue down the hallway, he considered stepping out and trying to ask them which was his friend, but noticed something. "Hmm, no sash around their waists… Not my Pearl…" he nodded, turning and walking away. "Gotta find them."
Steven carefully edged his way out of the corridor and found himself in a large room, the sound of voices drew him near the edge of the balcony, and he clung onto the railing in amazement. "Is this… the Gem Homeworld?!" he stared around the room as Gems of various shapes and colours moved about. There were many other balconies, each with Gems going about their business.
He saw a large group of Pearls gathered in one corner, but dismissed them one by one as he took note of their lack of Pearl's now-familiar blue sash. "Hey, she looks kinda looks like Amethyst… hair's too short though…" he glanced around the room, taking in the sight all of the new Gems, but trying to focus on the more familiar ones. "That could be Sapphire… but she's too tall…" he gasped. "There's Ruby… wait, her hair's too long… Gee, how am I gonna find them?"
"Hey!"
Steven gasped and looked across the room at the balcony one level up.
"Stop right there!" An orange gem yelled, gathering attention, and several other Gems turned and stared at the now panicked boy.
"No, thank you! I gotta go! Bye!" Steven yelled back, running down another hallway. "Are they all bad Gems?!" he panted as he ran into a smaller hallway.
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"Do you think they're okay?" Connie Maheswaran asked quietly.
Greg Universe glanced at her briefly, and continued staring at the annoyingly inactive warp pad. "I hope so. If anything happens to Steven, I don't know what I'll do… I've already lost one person I loved, I can't lose another…" he sighed.
Connie nodded. "Steven's my… my only friend. If he never comes back… I don't know what I'll do either…" she hugged her knees, the empty frames of her glasses lying forgotten beside her.
Greg smiled. "You're young. You'll grow up, go away to college, and make lots of other friends. Probably marry one of them. Hopefully, you'll have better luck than I did. And your kids won't have to run around saving the world every week…"
The phone rang, and Connie, embarrassed by the conversation, ran to get it. "Hello? Universe residence… Oh, hello mother… Yeah?... … … Uh-huh… … … … Oh… Okay. I'll be home soon. See you, bye."
Greg watched as she put the receiver down and walked back to the warp pad.
"My parents want me home now…" Connie sighed, picking up the frames and slipping them back on.
Greg grunted with effort as he stood up. "Okay, you grab your things, I'll start the van."
'If you don't come back, I'll tell them you healed my eyes…'Connie sighed as she took one last glance at the warp.
"I'll be sure to call you when they come back. Better yet, I'll have Steven call you himself."
Connie smiled. "Thank you, Mr. Universe. I'll be waiting for that." She watched as his van turned the corner, looking up at the already dark sky. "Please come home Steven…" she whispered as the door opened, he mother waiting for her to come inside.
Greg kept one eye on the speedometer and the other on the road as he drove as fast as he felt he could get away with. "Maybe he'll already be back…" he mused to himself hopefully, his foot pressing subconsciously harder on the pedal. Catching himself, he quickly slowed down to just under the limit, wishing to avoid being arrested by the town's only police officer.
Driving directly onto the beach, he peeled around the corner of the cliff, stopping in front of the temple and leaping out. Running up the stairs, he opened the door. "Steven?!" he called out. But the room was still dark and empty, and he sighed. "Back to waiting…"
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"This is hopeless…" Ruby punched the wall again, sinking down to her knees.
Sapphire heard her. "There is always hope, Ruby."
Ruby sighed, and sat down with her back to the wall. "Sapphy, I'm sorry, but get real. We're been captured; we're imprisoned on a Gem controlled planet, we don't even know where Steven's been taken, and Pearl is…" she trailed off, turning her heard towards the cell where the gem shards lay scattered. She sighed. "I'm just… feeling kinda hopeless right now…"
The two fell silent. Now that Ruby's punches weren't echoing around them anymore, they could both clearly hear Amethyst sobbing loudly in the cell between them.
"And she's starting to get annoying…" Ruby muttered, crossing her arms.
Sapphire smiled. "Ruby, we both know we want to cry too…" she trailed off. "If you don't want to believe in hope, believe in Steven. He's coming."
Steven leaned against the wall, panting. "How... big…is this…place…" he gasped.
"Steven?"
He looked up and saw the yellow glow of the force-shields.
"Ruby?" he dashed over to the nearest cell, and grinned widely. "I finally found you guys!"
"Are you okay, Steven?" Sapphire called.
Steven rushed over to her cell. "Yeah, I'm fine… Hey, why's Amethyst crying?" he stared into her cell as she sat hugging her knees. He glanced at Ruby and Sapphire's faces, and felt a sense of foreboding as they didn't make eye contact.
"Where's Pearl?" he looked up and down the corridor, looking at the darkened cells. A glow from the corner of his eye caught his attention, and he turned with a smile. "Hi, Pe…"
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"Who are you?!" Pearl demanded, spear brandished as the figures leapt onto the sand.
The largest one, a green Gem, who reminded Steven of Jasper, smirked. "I am Chrysoprase."
Steven shuddered as her eyes glinted at the sight of the three Gems before her before resting on Steven himself.
"You are not welcomed here, leave now, or there will be consequences." Garnet ordered, her gauntlets at the ready.
Chrysoprase laughed, without the slightest hint of joy. "Good. I like consequences." She grinned as she summoned her own weapon, a large sword with seven points along each edge, from the gem on her chest.
"Steven, I'm ready when you are."
Steven glanced to his right and saw Connie, holding Rose's sword with confidence.
"Connie, Steven… Only help if they really need it, okay? I don't want to lose either of you." Steven's father spoke up, a hand on each child's shoulder as if to hold them back from running into the battle head-on.
Steven glanced back at him to see concern on his face, his eyes darting back and forwards between the Crystal Gems and these new ones, as if looking for the slightest chance to get the children away from there.
Garnet brought her fists together with an almighty clash. "Then you'll have them."
Beside her, she saw Amethyst draw out her whip, growling furiously. "I'll get the ones on the right."
Pearl nodded. "I'll take the ones to the left."
Garnet nodded. "I have the best chance with this Chrysoprase, so she's mine." The three charged ahead.
Steven watched in horror as Garnet took a powerful slash across the body. He saw a flash of light, and two shiny objects fell to the sand.
"Garnet! No!"
Running forwards, he dashed across the sand, dodging the attack of a Gem by summoning and raising his shield to deflect it.
"Steven!" Greg called out, holding Connie back from joining him.
Steven reached the two gems, one red and one blue, and quickly gathered them into his hands. "You're safe now."
"Not quite."
Steven turned and stared up with horror into the reddish eyes of Chrysoprase.
"No you don't!"
Steven ducked as a clash of noise came above his head.
Glancing up, he saw that Pearl had drawn her own sword, and was forcing Chrysoprase back, away from Steven. "Steven, get out of here!" she called back.
Shaking at the close call, Steven got to his feet and ran back towards his father, the pair of gems clutched tightly in his hands.
"Not so fast!" Suddenly, he felt the ground coming out from under his feet, and he squirmed into the grip of a blue Gem.
"Steven!" Connie shrieked, stepping forwards with sword raised.
Pearl turned at her voice, and taking advantage of her momentary distraction, Chrysoprase slashed her with her sword.
"Noooo…" Steven moaned as Pearl disappeared in a flash of light, her gem dropping to the sand. His vision blurred with tears, he saw Chrysoprase laugh and her sword raised to strike as a blue fist filled his vision…
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"Steven, I know you're hurt…" Sapphire begin gently as the boy started to cry.
"Pearl?" he whimpered through his tightening throat, and he stepped forward to force himself through the barrier. Kneeling, he carefully gathered the shards into his hands. "Pearl, you're gonna be okay…"
Fumbling as his hands started shaking, he tried holding two pieces together. "Please, be okay…" he stopped to wipe his face, some shards falling between his fingers onto the floor with a soft clink. Panicking, he picked them up and tried to fit them together.
"Steven…" Ruby said softly, too touched and upset by the sight to attempt anything louder.
Somehow, Steven managed to hold the shattered pieces together, and he closed his hands around them and squeezed tightly as if to force them to bond. Gulping for air, he allowed a thin trickle of saliva through the small gap between his thumbs. "Please…come back… I need you… Pearl… Please…"
Amethyst lifted her head, tears running down her face. "Steven… she's gone…" she whispered.
As she reached up to wipe her eyes, she stopped as Steven's gem started to glow. The light filled the small space of the cell, causing the teary-eyed Gems to cover their eyes.
As the glow faded, they looked back.
"Steven? Did you just…?" Amethyst called, crawling closer to the force-shield of her cell.
Steven unfolded his hands and stared at the gem lying in his palms. As he watched, small cracks slowly faded away, and he found himself looking at a completed gem. Steven wiped his eyes, sniffling. "Pearl?"
The small gem started glowing, and as they watched, it took several forms before finally, Pearl appeared with her head lying on Steven's hands and lap. She now had a light pink headband, with a small hole in the front for access to her gem.
Slowly, she opened her eyes, and blinked up at Steven. "Steven?" Suddenly, she sat up and stared at her fingers. "Wha…? What happened? That blow should have destroyed me…"
"Pearl!" Steven wailed, throwing his arms around her and breaking down in tears again.
Pearl stared at him in shock, and over at the others. Ruby was leaping up and down, cheering, and Amethyst was on all fours, grinning with tears in her eyes. "What's going on?" she asked, clearly confused.
Sapphire smiled. "Steven healed your shattered gem."
Pearl's mouth dropped open, and she stared down at Steven. He rested his head on her shoulder and glanced up at her with reddened eyes, one barely open due to swelling, his face streaked with tears and what was unmistakably snot. Pearl barely hesitated as she gathered him into her arms. "Thank you, Steven." she whispered, hugging him tightly.
"There you are, you little…" Chrysoprase returned, growling at Steven in the cell.
Steven released Pearl, allowing her to stand up.
Staring, Chrysoprase pointed at Pearl. "How did you…?! ARGH!" she reached to her gem, pulling a sword from it. "Never mind, I'll just shatter you again. Then I'll deal with this freakish child."
Pearl promptly shoved Steven behind her and glared back at the bright green Gem beyond the force-shield. "You will not touch him!"
Smirking, the Gem touched something out of sight beside the door, and the shield fell. Brandishing her sword, she grinned evilly. "Like a pathetic, defective weakling like you can stop me."
"Leave my mother alone!" Steven lunged forwards, shield forming as he deflected the sword. "I won't let you hurt her again!"
Surprised by the attack, Chrysoprase stepped back as the small angry boy leapt again, shield mashing into the large Gem's face. Stunned, she stumbled backwards, slamming into the shield caging Amethyst. It sparkled and crackled, and Chrysoprase's construct flashed briefly as she winked out of existence, her gem falling to the floor of the cell.
Steven fell through the force-shield behind it, but was easily caught by Amethyst, who hugged the boy close to her as his shield disappeared.
"It's okay, you beat her Steven." She soothed the still angry and upset boy.
Glancing across the corridor at Pearl, she saw her friend standing stock-still in her now opened cell as the shock washed over her. 'He called me his…'
Steven sniffled and stood in the force-shield, arms raised to give Ruby room to pass through safely. He'd been unable to figure out how to turn the shields off, and Pearl was still dazed, so he stuck with what he knew he could do.
Ruby ran through the gap and hugged Sapphire happily, and Steven stepped away from the still-active barrier as the two glowed and fused into his more familiar caregiver, Garnet.
"That's better…" the taller woman smiled, as she recreated her visor covering her three eyes.
Pearl felt arms wrap around her waist and looked down. "Can we go home now?" Steven quietly asked.
Pearl smiled and hugged him back, a blue blush streaking her pale face. "Of course."
Arms wrapped around the pair of them, and Pearl turned to see Amethyst hugging her. "Fine by me." she muttered into Pearl's side.
Garnet stepped forward and gathered the others into her arms, completing the rather impromptu group hug. "Right after we finish this very important thing."
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The group warily stepped into the large domed area, staying in what little shadows there were. Steven grinned happily as he took in the sight of the various ships. "Ooh, ooh… Let's take the giant foot." he pointed.
Garnet adjusted her visor, the giant appendage reflected in them. "Sorry Steven, but we'd be better off with something smaller. Trust me on this."
Steven sighed. "Right, future vision…" He looked around. "How about… Ahh! I pick… the Nose." he pointed, giggling.
Amethyst joined in. "Yeah, pick the nose, pick the nose." she chanted, mercifully keeping her voice down for fear of drawing attention.
Pearl rolled her eyes at their antics, but smiled. "Well, the nose, knows…" she smiled, finger touching the tip of her own rather pointed nose as she winked.
Steven's face lit up, and he grinned, eyes sparkling as he stifled a laugh.
The three looked at Garnet expectedly. Garnet smiled and nodded. "The nose it is."
"Okay, the way I see it, it should only take about a day to get back to Earth." Pearl called back from the controls.
Amethyst sighed. "Good, it's pretty cramped back here. I can't wait to stretch out, and run around after being cooped up so long."
Garnet nodded. "I'm going to spend some time in Beach City, just enjoying being fused again."
Amethyst grinned. "How about you Steven?" she asked the boy wedged between them.
"I'm gonna spend time with my dad, and Connie, and you guys, and Lion, and eat, and sleep, and read, and…" he yawned.
"Maybe you should sleep first…" Pearl glanced back.
Steven yawned again. "Maybe…"
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"These craft are difficult to land…" Pearl brushed the dirt from her arms as Garnet caught the falling Steven.
"Hey! Looked what we came out of…" he giggled. They looked up to see what could only be described as giant nostrils.
"Really? Of all the places to put escape hatches…" Pearl sighed.
"Well, at least the Homeworld Gems have a sense of humour." Steven shrugged as Garnet put him down. "They're pretty mean thoughhhh…" he added as he yawned.
"You barely got any sleep on the way here. As soon as we get home, you are going to bed." Pearl nodded, decision made.
Garnet smiled as she adjusted her visor and picked Steven back up. "The warp pad is this way." she pointed as she started walking.
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Greg half-woke as he heard a noise, and leapt to his feet as the warp pad activated. Stepping back, and watched as four figures appeared, his attention focused on the smallest one.
"Steven?" he ran forwards, sweeping the boy into his arms. "Thank god you're okay! Are you hurt? Look at your eye! Who hit you?! I'm so glad you're home!"
Steven hugged him back. "I'm okay, dad. My face doesn't really hurt anymore. I'm happy to be hooooooo…" he yawned.
Garnet tapped Greg on the shoulder. "Steven is okay. However, he hasn't slept in almost two days. We think that should be his first priority." she said quietly.
Greg nodded and carried the already dozing boy up to his room. "You can call Connie after you've rested." He whispered as he tucked Steven into bed.
"What happened out there anyway?" Greg asked, eyeing the three exhausted Gems.
They glanced around at each other, Pearl blushing faintly.
"We were captured, and taken to a Gem-controlled planet." Garnet began.
"Pearl was hurt, but Steven got out of his cell and healed her." Amethyst cut in.
"We stole one of their ships, crashed it, and came home. The end." Pearl finished quickly, looking at her fingers, which twisted together nervously.
Greg looked around at their nervous faces. 'There's something they're not telling me…' "How badly hurt?" he asked Pearl.
"I don't remember…" Pearl looked away. "I was inside my Gem until he healed me."
"Real bad…" Amethyst said quietly, as Pearl glanced at her. "But Steven healed her. Better than even Rose could."
Garnet nodded. "Yes. Steven is getting stronger, and has better control of his abilities every day. Be proud of him, Greg."
Greg nodded. "Believe me, I am."
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Later, after Greg retreated to sleep in his van, which was still parked on the beach outside the temple, the three Gems sat in the kitchen, occasionally getting up to check on Steven.
"I can't believe he thinks of me like his… a mother…" Pearl murmured quietly. "I'm still a bit shocked, to be honest…"
Garnet smiled. "I'm not really too surprised. Remember when we were about to meet Connie's parents for the first time?"
Amethyst nodded in agreement. "Yeah. He told each of us our 'mum qualities'. I was fun, Garnet kept him safe… But you, he gave the most reasons."
Garnet smirked. "The only reason he didn't just take you to that dinner was because you don't like eating." Pearl blushed. "I would have tried… for him, if he asked…"
"If Steven can healed broken Gems now, does that mean he'll start healing all of those shards we've been collecting?" Amethyst leaned forwards on the table.
Garnet looked at her and shrugged. "That depends. His healing ability might be getting stronger than even Rose's, and I believe one day he'll be able to heal all of them. But this time, I think it was just a one-time thing."
Pearl looked confused. "What do you mean?"
Garnet took off her visor and looked Pearl in the eyes. "I believe that this time, it was his love for you that allowed him to heal you. And that's something that cannot be applied to any other Gem. Except Rose."
Pearl blushed deeper than they'd ever seen before. "Well, it's getting late. We should probably get some rest too. Who knows when we'll next be attacked…" she got up and started walking quickly away from the table, embarrassed.
She was stopped as Amethyst ran up and hugged her.
"Pearl, I'm really glad you're okay… And I'm sorry for all the trouble I've caused you… Can't promise I won't cause more, but…" Amethyst whispered.
Pearl smiled faintly and opened her mouth to reply, but paused as Garnet stepped forward.
The taller Gem placed a hand on Pearl's shoulder. "We really thought we'd lost you forever… Never do that again."
Pearl nodded, placing her hand on Garnet's and wrapping her other arm around Amethyst. "I won't… and I doubt Steven would ever let me."
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A few hours later, with the first rays of dawn still hours away, Pearl slipped through the temple door. Quietly, she climbed the stairs to Steven's room, pausing to take note of his pink Lion sleeping on the floor in front of the TV. She carefully sat down, pausing as Lion open one eye to look at her and relaxing as he closed it again. Turning, she looked at the small human child sleeping soundly, a soft smile on her face. "I'll probably never really understand this world… but I'm glad you're here to help me try… And I'll help you figure it out too." she whispered.