NA: I think this first chapter is really necessary to give this story a start. So, let's begin once for all!
Chapter 1: Unforeseen Consequences
- "Go to Earth", they said. "Those gems won't be a problem", they said...
In middle of a corn field an escape pod had crashed, suffering considerable damage and leaving a notorious trace behind. In front of the pod, a green individual, wearing a uniform and with a peridot gemstone on the forehead under her visor, was getting up while getting rid of a dark whip with purple scales. Such a thing had been a real pain to fight against until she got to break free of its grab.
- Peridot: (Brushing her arm) As soon as I get back and find those two again they're going to see. Now... I need to get outta here first.
The gem used four of her floating fingers to create a small screen. She moved around the projected interface to establish contact with Homeworld... or at least she tried.
- Peridot: No... no, no, no, no, no... No! Dammit!... Why of all the planets where I could have an accident like this, it had to happen in one far enough to receive signal not strong enough?
Peridot tried moving around the area cleared by the crash landing in look for better reception, without success.
- Peridot: (Cursing to herself while shaking the integrated device) Gemfuck...
Then the alien gave the case for lost, undid the screen and got back to her pod, to check its status. Hopefully, at least the communication systems wouldn't be messed up.
With a hand gesture, a holographic interface was deployed inside the cabin. The system ran its boot sequence, checking the availability of the various devices the pod had been equipped with. Several warning and error messages took place on screen in no time.
Finally, the message Peridot feared the most appeared in red letters: the communications module was offline.
- Peridot: (Stressed) No! Why?... Why!?... WHYYY!? Duuuh!...
Feeling down, the homeworld gem could do nothing but siting next to the pod and taking a moment to think, with her arms resting placed over her knees. This may be a primal planet, but thousands of years have passed since the last thing the gems knew about it, before needed from it again. Maybe, just maybe, humans had now the technology needed to establish an stable communications link with her home. If that was so, she was going to have to move... No, wait. Moving out in enemy territory would be exposing herself to the Crystal Gems. The chances of being able to defend successfully of three gems and what seemed to be an improbable amalgam between a meat and bones human and a quartz gem, every one of them weaponed at some point, were minimal. She couldn't dare do that in her current situation.
Peridot cursed in her inner self the time when this task was assigned to her. She was supposed to be back in Homeworld right now, after Jasper gave notice of their sudden returning. She was supposed to be taking a deserved break, giving maintenance to her own devices... stuff she usually did in missions too, but at least far away from the menacing sight of Yellow Diamond... stuff she actually enjoyed and needed to do.
- Peridot: I just... (crosses her arms and buries her face between them) I just want to go home...
Unfortunately, it seemed she could only wait for the days to pass, in order to continue with her previous mission; and praying to the primal gems that Yellow Diamond didn't end up beating her gemstone to dust for this wouldn't be a bad idea either.
- Connie: What do you mean you don't want to be my friend anymore!?
There had been a pair of days since the incident, but the problems didn't seem to end for Steven. The young boy had thought that it was for the better to get away from Connie and keep her out of the matter, in order to avoid getting her in risk. What he didn't count with was that, by ignoring her, he just made her want to get to the bottom of it all.
And there were they. Some big portions of the warship were still around the beach. A girl of similar age to the hybrid, of sightly dark skin and wearing a one-piece light blue dress, was in front of him. Connie faced Steven at the verge of tears.
- Connie: Explain yourself now, Steven Quartz Universe!
He was making her suffer, exactly what he wanted to avoid.
- Steven: Well... y-yes... and no.
That answer sent a light of hope through Connie. There was an actual reason behind this mess, and knowing Steven, it was probably something complicated enough to force him into taking these measures.
- Connie: ... S-So?
- Steven: It's... it's... (tries to think in something to cover up with, but finally he gives up under the pressure) It's just that I don't want them to hurt you! I CAN'T LOSE YOU THAT WAY CONNIE!
The girl was awestruck due to what she just heard.
- Connie: Could you... tell me again what happened back then for you to be so afraid about that?
- Steven: Don't... don't you get it? They kidnapped me! They punched me! And... and... (raises both of his arms) and they made Garnet poof back to her gemstones! (Short pause) Connie, those gems had no choice! They could have killed us, or even something worse.
- Connie: Steven...
- Steven: They came for my mother, and now... (closes his hand into fists and lowers his sight) I fear there could be more coming for us.
- Connie: Steven, please...
- Steven: Between either not seeing you again or seeing you hurt or... (swallows) dead... I'd prefer not seeing you ever again.
Steven raised his sight again. His usual happy eyes were no more, leaving in their place a pair of glassy, wet eyes. Rivers of tears were flowing through his cheeks, and even a trickle of mucus was starting to lean out of his nose.
- Steven: (His voice starts breaking) It's just... *snif*... I could not stand it... *snif*... I may be strong for a lot of stuff for... *snif*... for mom, but... *snif*... not for this. I-I can't!... *snif*... I... c-cant...
Connie could feel her heart sink and shrink until it had the size of a walnut after hearing the hurtful confession she just provoked.
- Connie: Steven, d-dont say that, please.
The girl cleared her throat before continuing. Even if she felt the need of crying, it didn't seem the right moment to her.
- Connie: You're one of the very few friends I've had, maybe even the only true one until now. That day when we met near here, you saved me. I mean, not from that... thing that attacked us then, but from my own loneliness. You don't know what I have passed by until then.
Connie hold the boy's face within her hands. Steven stopped his cry. He needed to hear what his dearest friend tried to tell him.
- Connie: Thanks to you, I finally found the needed courage to open myself to the world, to grow in full as anyone else. Being prisoner of your own fears and, thus, unable to socialize with others is... is horrible. It's a freaking magnet of troubles, overall when at least five days a week you have to share space with hundreds of people, some of which take advantage of weaknesses like that one.
- Steven: (His voice clear again) Geez... I... I didn't think I've had done so much, actually.
- Connie: Finally, Steven, I can't see you go just like that, without even knowing if I will ever know from you again. (This time, her voice is the one that breaks) I'm not that strong either... Let's admit it, nobody of us has the necessary to deal with something like that!
Prey of her own cry, Connie threw herself over Steven, hugging him without second thoughts. Steven stayed unmoving for some moments, not knowing what to do. Eventually, out of instinct, he slowly hugged her back.
- Connie: I know there are risks out there, I know life can be hard and cruel... but please, don't ask me to leave!... because feeling all alone is sometimes even worse than death itself!
- Steven: Forgive me, Connie. (Breaks apart the hug and moves her in front of him) I shouldn't have acted this way.
- Connie: No, Steven. You did well, because now I can see that... what I really want is to be with you, and face whatever happens to us... with you. A lonely life is not a life, and I would prefer to sacrifice it fighting for something I believe than waste a thousand years feeling my existance has no purpose. (Caresesses his face) And you, Steven, have given me a purpose.
Connie ended her speech with a slight grin, and Steven couldn't avoid following it with a small smile, turning her grin into a smile of her own, shining in her lovely face.
- Connie: We'll get out of this, Steven. Together.
Not far from there, a short gem, with purple skin, long pale hair and an amethyst gemstone embedded in her chest, was leaning on the railing in front of a small beach house at the foot of an enormous statue of a colossal woman, with several arms coming out of her. Amethyst looked seemed touched by the events taking place down there at the beach, and had with her a bucket of pop-corn.
- Amethyst: (Wet eyes) This is so fucking beautiful... *snif*.
The crystal gem ate a bunch of pop-corn, holding her tears.
NA: Well, after slice-of-life stuff there comes the feels. That's the main rule of Steven Universe so I considered the best was to follow it.
And there's a lot more from where those came from. You're warned in advance.
Aren't those two a cute little pairing? And their innocence just makes it all better to play with!
Thanks for reading, everyone.
