Steven Universe
Iolite
It was another sunny day in beach city and the gems were ready to head off on another mission. They were going to another realm to retreat the Iolite gemstone. As always Steven was excited and was determined to get it.
"I call this one guys!" Steven exclaimed, racing to the warp pad. "I can take care of this!"
"Are you sure about that Steven?" Garnet said, stepping beside him.
"You don't know anything about this realm let alone where to find what we're looking for," Pearl commented.
"And we do?" Amethyst questioned.
Pearl narrowed her eyes at the purple gem beside her and sighed.
Steven looked over at Pearl curiously.
"Do you? Have you guys ever been to this realm before?"
Pearl frowned. "It's been a very long time, Steven."
"What kept you away for so long? Does it have giant volcanoes that go off every five minutes? Or-or giant spiders?"
"No it doesn't," Garnet stated firmly.
"Listen Steven, this place is... well, dangerous." Pearl frowned.
Amethyst snickered. "You always say that."
Pearl rolled her eyes and proceed to explain the mysterious realm they were about to warp to.
"There's no telling where we might end up while we're there, but try to stay focused on the mission okay?"
Steven nodded as Pearl gave him a heart warming smile. Steven wasn't sure about she meant not knowing where him and the gems "might end up", but he wasn't discouraged nonetheless. He retrieved gems before no matter the circumstances. He was prepared for any challenge that stood between him and the Iolite.
The four gems warped to their destination in a matter of seconds. They ended up in the realm of Midnight Blue, a grassland under the constant midnight sky. It was warm as the air carried the gentle whispers of will-o'-the-wisps in the area. Steven gazed at the various floating creatures, amazed by their glowing light. Amethyst hopped off the warp pad and tried to catch one, but it disappeared in her grasp.
"Dang it! They always get away," Amethyst said, stomping the grass beneath her.
Pearl stepped off the pad, shaking her head in detest. "Don't get distracted, we didn't come here to fiddle around. We have to stay focus and-,"
"Hey, I'm gonna get you," Steven said, chasing after the pink will-o'-the-wisp. He had his hands ready to catch the glowing flame. He leaped for it, but it vanished out of sight. "All, come back."
Just as Steven was rising from his fall, another pink flame appeared and then another. A trail of pink will-o'-the-wisps had formed, leading into a beautiful garden. Steven followed the path, entering into a surreal state.
"Steven, where are you going?" Pearl stretched her hand out, following the boy.
"Steven, come back here," Garnet demanded. She attempted to go after him, but fell under the spell of the whispers. They wrapped around her head, taking over her senses. She turned the other direction and walked off into a narrow, dark cave. Fiery red will-o'-the-wisps lite the dark space as Garnet's figure fade into blackness.
Pearl was still pursuing Steven, but when she tried to touch his shoulder his body shattered like glass. She gasped in horror, pulling her hands into her chest.
"Oh no!" She shrieked, collecting the pieces of sharp material. "No, no, no, no, no! This can't be!"
A tear ran down the devastated gem. This isn't happening. It's all just in your head, you know that. Just collect yourself and focus. She glanced up when she heard the whispers. In an instant, she was up on her feet, wielding a sword. She tapered her eyes, analyzing the area around her. She was still in the grassland, but something seemed odd. She looked down at the piece of glass and caught a reflection of herself before a white glow took its place. The ground began to shake as giant mirrors shot up and towered over Pearl. The mirrors had the gem isolated, displaying a reflection of her at every angle.
Pearl sighed and uttered, "why couldn't things just go as planned."
It was like a trance had come over Steven. The delicate whispers of the glowing creatures held his attention. A light breeze had swept past him when he reached the garden. Steven blinked his eyes when he realized he wasn't where he was before. He turned around and saw no grassland. He looked up at the sky and only saw the heavenly hues of sunset.
"Huh, where is everybody? W-what happened?" Steven was starting to panic. He raced towards the garden archway, but prickly vines covered the entrance. Roses grew from the vines, forming into a mirrored image of Steven. "Cool, it's me. I'm a rose bush!"
"Hello Steven, I've missed you." The bush spoke softly.
"Missed me? But you're me. How can I miss myself, unless... Oh my gosh, I've been somebody else all along!"
The bush giggled. "No, you've been exactly who you are since you were born; a crystal gem."
The rose bush formed into the Rose Quartz. Steven eyes widen with his pupils taken the shape of stars. A tiny smile broke through his whimsical expression.
"Mom!"
A/N: Ha, the cliffhangers gotta love'em! Hope you like this story so far. I just fell under the spell of gemstones recently and felt inspired by one of them and wrote this. Let me know what you think and thanks for reading!