A/N; To everyone who loved the old one, I am deeply sorry. This will be a complete retelling of As Time Goes On, giving each chapter more detail and life. If you'd like to see the old story continued, let me know and I'll double-write these.
A few things to note before I start, however;
1. Keifer (my O.C/Self insert) will be in the story from the start to finish.
2. SPOILERS; Connie and Keifer still become gem-hybrids, but it will be better-written.
3. Yes, Black Diamond will still be a thing. Twice.
Chapter 1; The Lost Warrior.
"Jasper, please, just listen to me!" for what felt like an hour now, Keifer and Steven had been tirelessly battling the Quartz Soldier on the beach from the second she attacked the hybrid. "The other Diamonds are telling the truth - I'm NOT Rose!"
"SILENCE!" Jasper caught the boy off guard as Keifer got back up, a fierce pain burning in his ribs as he held the broken Scythe, the blade having been shattered by Jasper just moments ago. "You tricked the Diamonds somehow, you are Rose Quartz, and I WILL Shatter YOU!" the defiant warrior charged forward, dashing through the soft sand, kicking up clouds behind herself in her advance.
"Leave him alone!" one more time, Keifer tried to hit Jasper, but was slammed hard, flying back and into the side of the Temple Hill, his body going limp. Steven cried out as he heard a sickening crack, Keifer unresponsive as Jasper charged Steven. dust clouds behind her once more.
"Say Good Night, Rose!" Jasper had grabbed ahold of Steven as she once did long ago, and with a hard slam, she knocked him out, watching the boy's body go limp.
"Steven, NO!" Connie had just walked into view of the Beach House and when she saw Jasper, a rage burned in her gut. Drawing her sword, she charged down the Orange Warrior as Keifer struggled to stand, his whole body screaming with pain as Connie and Jasper clashed. He fought his pain as he tried to reach Steven, Connie doing her best to keep Jasper at bay. No one knew where the other Crystal Gems where - probably at the fountain or showing their old friends different parts of the world to catch them up on the times. After all, some of them had been bubbled for thousands of years.
"C'mon man... wake up...!" Keifer had somehow managed, despite his injuries, to reach Steven and he grabbed the fainted boy, trying to shake him awake as Jasper and Connie roared, their fight rampaging on. "Steven, you gotta stay with me man!" Keifer was wheezing as he spoke, bits of sand being inhaled from the literal storm Connie and Jasper were cooking up.
"S... stop... you're hurting each other...!" Steven's voice sounded weak. Jasper suddenly turned to the two boys, momentarily forgetting about Connie.
"Hurting each other?" the quartz spat. "Physical pain is nothing but an annoyance to me. What you caused me mentally though... it can NEVER be forgiven!" Jasper changed tactics, abandoning her fight with Connie. She was closing in on Steven and Keifer, Connie being unable to keep up due to being tired from her long stand-off against the quartz.
"You know what?" Steven stood hard, his breath shaky, his legs wobbly as he began walking towards Jasper, despite Keifer and Connie yelling at him. "Just do it Jasper! I'm tired of fighting. If this makes you happy, then DO IT!" the rage in Steven's voice was unfamiliar to everyone in the area aside from Jasper. "I'm DONE trying to convince you. You've chosen not to believe me so do it! Shatter me, KILL me if you have to! If it's going to make you happy, THEN DO IT!" this stunned the warrior into silence. Connie had tears in her eyes and Keifer was crushed, his heart in two as he watched Steven give up.
"You're giving up like that?" Jasper's tone was different. Still spiteful, angry of course, but more-so with a hint of curiosity.
"Yes, I am! For YEARS I've tried to make things right!" Steven yanked his shirt up. "So if you're gonna shatter me, DO IT. You don't believe me, and you NEVER WILL!" the boy was in tears, holding his shirt up. There was her chance. What jasper had wanted to do for thousands of years. Her chance was right there.
But she didn't take it.
"Rose... would never..." Jasper just stopped, both physically and mentally. She dropped to her knees in the sand, much to the shock of the three children.
"He's tried..." Keifer collapsed at that moment, his body giving out. Jasper finally took in what she did. She'd killed countless organics over the years. Why did hurting the one connected to Steven hurt her?
"Your friend..." the warrior croaked out, exhaustion setting over her body at long last. Jasper had been held to a high regard back on Homeworld, having never tired. But now, she somehow felt... weak. Not so much physically as mentally however. Steven acknowledged what she said and used his healing powers on Keifer. He didn't stop until he heard the faint breathing of his friend resting.
"How can we trust you?" Connie's tone was on edge, her sword still pointed at Jasper, the many sand clouds they had created finally having settled down.
"... You can't..." Jasper knew she was defeated. And at that moment, she finally realized she was wrong. Even now she was realizing there was no way Pink could've ACTUALLY been shattered. "After everything I've done here today..." she rose from the sand and turned her back to them. "You three have opened me up to a few things"
"I'm glad to hear that..." Steven put a hand on the warriors buff leg as Jasper stared out to the Ocean. "I don't know how this has hurt you... but I'm sorry..." those were the only words Jasper needed to hear before tearing up.
"It's not... you couldn't have done... don't worry about it..." the warrior wiped the tears from her eyes. "Y'know... looking out there... it makes so much sense... of course she'd want to preserve this place" as Jasper spoke to Steven, Keifer began slowly rising from the sand.
"So... you gonna keep... trying to murder us...?" he collapsed next to Steven, who was sitting with Jasper and Connie on the beach, the sun set fitting the tone of what had just transpired.
"Very funny" a sly smile played along Jasper's lips as she spoke in a coy tone. "I know you three may never forgive me. And I accept that"
"Jasper, I forgive you" Steven's near-instant response surprised the Quartz Soldier. "Just promise me something" this struck the warrior in the heart. The last time someone had asked her to keep a promise it was Pink Diamond herself, before her 'shattering'
"Make it quick" Jasper tried to shake the looming thoughts of the lies of the past that she was sure would haunt her for some time, the truth now entering her mind, putting a massive weight on her shoulders in place of the one which had been lifted when she accepted the truth.
"Promise me you'll be good from now on. Promise me that you won't hurt another person or gem if you can avoid it"
"..."
"Jasper...?"
"I promise"