SHATTERED GLASS
(A Steven Universe fanfic)
*Warning: This fan fiction was written before the official episodic debut of Yellow Diamond (depending on when you read this) and after the episode "Too Far".
Story takes place in my own little world where I connect whatever I want together. Enjoy...
Ch 1: Response...
"So you basically use this device in place of a control panel?" Peridot asked, uncomfortably wrapping her fingers around the appliance know as the "TV remote".
"Yeah." Steven replied as he leaned close to the green gem. "So all these buttons, they basically control everything on the tv so that you don't have to get up from your couch to do stuff like change channels." he then gently hopped back and cushioned himself between the couch pillows.
Peridot just stared at the remote. The concept seemed simple enough. After all, how was it different from the controls to her machines (aside from being prehistoric in comparison).
"Uh-hu..." she slowly nodded. The homeworld gem aimed the remote at the "TV", as they call it, and moved her thumb over the power button. "I'm gonna go off on a limb and assume POWER means turn on."
Steven gave her a pat on the back and a smile. "There, you go! That's exactly right! Good job!" he exclaimed.
Peridot grit her teeth. "Don't patronize me! You're primitive image box isn't even on yet!"
Steven smiled nervously. "Well you still got it right..."
The homeworld gem redirected her attention to the "TV screen". She then pressed power and immediately found herself adjusting her eyes to the bright flashing lights that created the screen.
Whatever channel popped up was playing some kind of random cartoon. "What in the world is that?" Peridot asked squinting at the strange characters on screen. "Is that earth canine made from some sort of elastic?" she raised an eyebrow and almost looked disgusted.
"Hmm...I don't know." Steven leaned forward. "If you don't like what's on, you can always change the channel if you want."
"Good." Peridot pointed the remote at the screen only to pause a second later. "How...um...how do you do...what you just said."
Steven laughed a little to himself. He knew that the gem couldn't help it but it was very interesting (and kinda cute) to teach something that was so simple to a human to this woman from another world.
He leaned in and placed his hand over hers, causing the homeworld gem to try and hold back a blush. "Well ya see these buttons with the arrows on them? Pressing up or down will change the channel."
"And the CHANNEL is the broadcast that is currently being monitored?" Peridot asked trying to reassure herself.
Steven simply smiled and nodded.
Peridot gently slid her hand away from Steven's and once again aimed it at the tv. Steven neglected to point out to her WHICH arrows controlled the channel but Peridot was at least able to guess that CH was closer to "channel" than VOL.
She pressed the upward arrow and watched as the images on the screen shifted to an entirely new broadcast. She just stared at it for a moment before asking Steven another question. "And I can just keep doing that?"
"Yep! Until you find something you want to keep it on that is." He then leaned back on the couch awaiting what Peridot would flip through.
Peridot proceeded to glide through the channels. It only took a second or two for her to tell if she was disinterested with whatever she came across. "Doesn't your planet have anything on this TV that's a little more intelligent..?" she sighed.
Steven pondered as he sank deeper into the pillows. "Well there is the new. That's the only thing I can think of but I don't think you'd like it, it's earth news."
Peridot then sat the remote down, leaving it on something about jewelry. She was silent for a moment and Steven noticed this. He hunched forward and noticed a questionable expression on her face.
"Steven..." she finally spoke. "I would like to ask you a few questions." she said as she turned to face him.
"About the tv?"
"I...what...no! Er-look." she tried to regathering her thoughts as she looked around to make sure the crystal gems were not around. She then gave Steven a serious look. "You said that you and the-ugh-CRYSTAL gems threw away my limb enhancers, right?"
Steven raised an eyebrow. Where was THIS going ? "Yyyyeah..." it then hit him that he felt bad about that.
"Well..." she continued. "Where exactly was it that that you...threw them away...?" she almost growled the last part.
Steven immediately cringed. "Um...well...we kinda...dumped them...into the ocean..." he said futilely smiling nervously.
"WHAT!" Peridot immediately raged. "When you said THREW AWAY, you neglected to tell me that they're basically gone forever!"
"AH!" Steven reeled back due to Peridot's sudden outburst. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry! I-it just kinda happened."
Peridot face palmed. "Okay, FINE! Whatever. Just...just...moving on!" she attempted to calm down and let out a sigh. She now gave Steven an emotionless expression. "Where is my escort?"
"Escort?" the boy questioned, raising an eyebrow.
Peridot narrowed her eyes. "My escort. Jasper!"
Steven's eyes widened in realization. "Oh, her. Well she..." his face the immediately drooped in fear. "Uh...she and Lapis fused. But Lapis is trying to use her powers to keep Malachite under the ocean..."
Peridot just stared at him dumbstruck without saying a word.
"Malachite is there fusion by the way..."
Peridot continued to stay silent in shock until she final lowered her head and grunted. "Ugh! Are you serious? Why'd that have to go and happen?"
Steven felt bad. He was pretty much just dropping bombshell after bombshell on the gem. "Sorry..." was the only thing he could say.
Peridot restricted her anger and took a deep breath. "Okay. Jasper and Lazuli are now a fusion and stuck in the Earth's ocean. Fine, whatever!" she brought her feet up onto the couch and wrapped her arms her legs. "As long as Jasper, or whatever you called their fusion is active, then I guess I do t have to worry about that..."
Steven say up next the to gem. "Why? Is Jasper like your friend or something?"
"Pffft! I hardly confirm that." Peridot ALMOST smiled sarcastically. "But I'm sure that Yellow Diamond would be furious if the escort I requested was destroyed."
Steven's eyes shifted away for a moment. "Yeah...about that..." he began, scratching the back of his head. "This...Yellow Diamond? You kinda mention her a lot. Who is she exactly?"
Peridot shot Steven a look and raised an eyebrow. "Who is Yellow Diamond?" she was clearly shocked that the boy hadn't heard of the gem. She through her arms up in the air. "She's only the chief general of the entire gem army back on homeworld! How could you not have heard of her? Or have the crystal clods neglected to tell you about HER as well?"
Steven just looked confused. "Ummmmm, no." he shook his head. "I'm pretty sure you're the only one I've ever heard say that name. But back up a sec; did you say CHEIF GENERAL?"
Peridot nodded. "Affirmative. She's also my superior and supervisor..." Her eyes darted to the side. "Or at least if I ever get back to homeworld, she will be."
Steven started putting things together in his head and was getting a pretty good idea of just who Yellow Diamond was. "Wait...is she, like, the one who sent you here to do all the things you did?"
"Yes." Peridot nodded. "She's my superior, so I did what she told me to do."
"Well in that case, she kinda sounds like a thunder jerk..."
"What does Yellow diamond have to do with your planet's weather?"
"Umm, no, I meant she sounds mean."
"Oh...yes...you would be...correct... In that assumption..."
Steven took a moment to comprehend what peridot was telling him. He had many questions her could ask but he thought of something that he truly should ask the homeworld gem. "Peridot...?" he began. "I know that helping us stop this cluster thing isn't exactly your favorite thing in the world right now..."
She looked at confused. It felt like a drastic shift in conversation and it made her uncomfortable.
Steven continued. "But after everything we've been through so far, we're...friends...aren't we."
Peridot looked at Steven confused at first. "Friends?" she questioned.
"Well yeah. You've really stared getting along with Pearl, Amethyst, and Garnet. You're helping is build a drill to dig for and stop this cluster thing. You're helping is save the world. I mean...I know it's not exactly what you want to be doing but...we're friends now, right." he placed his hand over Peridot's and have her a smile.
Peridot still just looked confused. It would have been easy for her to say "no" but for some reason she couldn't. The way Steven talked to and acted around her was so different from the normal abuse she was accustomed to. He never had any hostility towards her, even back when she was trying to destroy him and the gems.
It felt awkward but Peridot could not help but answer with what she was about to. "I suppose...by your earth standards...that we could be considered...FRIENDS."
Steven got a big grin on his face and immediately hugged Peridot. "Awesome! I'm so happy you think so."
Peridot tried her hardest not to blush but is was impossible. She eventually wiggled out of Steven's grip. "Yeah! Sure! Whatever!"
Steven continued to smile. He then hopped off the couch and pointed himself in the direction of the kitchen. "Well I'm glad we had this chat and I hope we can be friends for a long time."
Peridot felt another blush bloom in her cheeks but this time she allowed it as she turned her eyes away. "Yeah...sure..." she said in a monotone voice.
"Cool. Well, if you need me, I'll be getting a snack." Steven then proceeded to leave the room, whistling a tune to himself (the show's opening).
Once he was gone, Peridot was left to ponder about the conversation they just had. She was filled with distraught. She actually felt genuine about calling the young boy her "friend" but how long could that relationship last...?
*Later that night...
Steven had been asleep for some time now and the crystal gems had retired to their room for the night. Peridot was still staying in the bathroom. She was curled up in the corner holding her leg enhancer that Steven had returned to her. It may have been useless without the other components but it would be more of a waste to let the thing go.
Since crystal gems didn't need sleep, Peridot's nights were QUITE boring. Truly all she did was sit in the corner and hold onto her foot until morning every night. She of course had her recorder to take notes and further her logs but there wasn't much to talk about at night.
It was about two in morning and all Peridot had were her thoughts, specifically of the chat she had today with Steven. She look up at the ceiling, imagining the stars over her head. "...Homeworld." she spoke, breaking the silence. "Steven...if I ever got the chance."
All of a sudden, Peridot heard something. It sounded like static. She looked around wondering where the noise was coming from. For a brief moment, it sounded as if she could here a voice.
Peridot stood up and tried to pinpoint the location of the sound but the strangest thing was that it sounded like it was coming from all around her.
"Hello...?" It was muffled but this time she definitely heard a voice.
"Hello?" she whispered in response. All of a sudden the static notice stopped but as soon as it did, a voice spoke clearly to Peridot.
"Hello?...Hello...?" It asked but peridot could see no one around.
"Where are you? Who are you?" Peridot asked looking all throughout the bathroom for the owner of the voice.
The voice continued. "This is communication officer, Onyx. I am transmitting this message directly into your brain. We received several distress calls from this gem."
Peridot felt like freaking out if this was what she thought it was. "My brain? Communications officer? Are you a gem on homeworld?"
"Aye, I am. But before we further this conversation, with whom am I speaking?"
"I...I...um...T-this is Peridot of the Diamond Faction. I'm currently stranded on Earth."
"Ah, agent Peridot. We we're wondering what happened to you. How of things been progressing with the cluster and the other experiments?"
"Are you serious!?" Peridot shouted and then immediately covered her mouth after. Despite her shock, she tried to whisper. "I've been sending distress calls for over a month now! I've been stuck on this planet and have lost all means of transportation, communications, and overall survival. You're just NOW responding to my messages?!"
"Please calm down, agent. We've been a little side tracked up her and it's not our fault that you lost all your...wait...what happened to the escort we sent with you?"
Peridot got a sour look I her face. "Jasper and Lazuli have been compromised. They are currently trapped at the moment somewhere out of my...jurisdiction."
The voice paused. "Hmm...I see. Well it sounds like you've had a rough time down there."
"Rough doesn't even BEGIN to cover it..."
"Well I'll send someone to get you right away and also retrieve agent Jasper."
Peridot's eyes widened. She almost couldn't believe what she just heard. "W...what..?"
"Like I said, I'll send someone to come pick you up. You and agent Jasper really shouldn't be down there for too much longer."
Peridot couldn't believe what she was hearing. Was this finally happening? Had her messages finally been received? Had she finally gotten a response?
The voice continued. "I apologize, but it might take at least a week or two for us to reach you. Geez, everyone is so busy...I might have to come get you my self..."
Peridot fell back on the bathroom rug, this was really happening.
"Will you be okay until I arrive, agent Peridot?" Peridot was silent and didn't quite catch what the voice had said. "Agent Peridot!" It exclaimed.
Peridot snapped back to reality. "Oh-what? Um-er, YES! That sounds fine."
"Alright. Prepare for my arrival." and with that, the voice was gone.
Peridot was completely frozen. She couldn't believe it, it seems all her messages to Yellow Diamond had actually gone through and been answered. And know another gem under Yellow Diamond was coming not only to retrieve her but also to locate Jasper (whether it be Malachite or not).
It seemed like the proper response was to cheer with excitement that a fellow homeworld gem was coming to take her away from this horrible mess but Peridot didn't feel like cheering. Something felt...wrong. An u easy feeling I. The pit of her stomach and the back of her head.
If anything , Peridot actually felt...bittersweet. On one hand: her wish was finally about to come true; on the other hand: it would mega leaving all of...THIS...
Peridot sewed her fingers threw the hair of the bathroom rug. Was it really a good thing that gem had called her? Of course it was...but...she couldn't help but wonder about the severity of what she had just accepted.
If another home world gem was coming to pick her up...what would happen to Steven...?
Ch 1 end