-Chapter One-
Another Average Day
It was at this time that Steven loved to watch the most. When the sun was high in the sky, casting small shadows. When the animals were most alive and active, scurrying about and chittering and chattering. And of course, when the strange building with the giant bell let out a cry.
He leaned over from the treetops, looking down below as human kids flooded out of the brick house. Many were grouping up into pods, going their own way. So many smiles lit up their faces. They all spoke above one another. It was thrilling to know that so many people had so many different things to say. Steven often caught himself wondering what they were saying. Was it good? Bad? Was it something that happened or would happen?
He continued to watch in mystified silence, as he always did. Several faces stood out amongst the crowd, faces Steven would often pretend to know, as if they were his own friends. He kept a close eye on those few, smiling to himself as they merrily went about their day.
The swarm died out, until everyone was gone, leaving the building behind as they did nearly everyday. Steven let out a sigh, already yearning for the next afternoon so he could watch them. He desperately wanted to go into the building, to figure out what was going on. Everyone was so happy when they left.
He was about to climb back down when he heard a voice; pitched and annoyed. It was quickly followed by a lighter, gentler one. Unable to make out what the mysterious voices were saying, Steven jumped down onto lower branches. He made an effort to get a good look of the voice's owners.
"Come on Sadie, I'm serious!" A tall, scrawny figure continued, toeing the edge of the forest. His orange hair, shaved on either side, bobbed as he spoke. He wore dark clothes and had weird rings on his face. Steven could recall him as a boy who often hung around even after the bell rang, always talking to people who kept trying to leave.
The girl next to him was over a head shorter, with a plump figure and pale skin. She wore a dress matching the sky, and had blonde hair pulled into a neat ponytail. "I don't know Lars… M-Maybe they really are just rumors. I mean, magic? In Beach City?" She nervously laughed. "Weeeeeeird."
The boy named Lars scoffed, waving her off. "No way! My old man was here when it happened." He inched closer to the forest. "He said the last place they saw it was in these very woods."
Sadie's eyes widened in fear. She glanced around nervously, hand reaching out for Lars' arm. "Ok, ok! I believe you, Lars. Can we please just go now? We're going to get in trouble. No one's allowed in here, remember?"
Steven cocked his head to the side at the duo. No one was allowed in the woods? That was weird. He wasn't allowed out. That is, unless they needed unattainable supplies. Still, the woods were a safe place.
Annoyed, Lars waved her arm away. "Stop being such a baby, I don't have a death wish or anything." He cast one last glance at the forest. "One day though, I'm going to pummel the monster in those woods." He vowed. "Then all the babes will want my number."
"Yeah, whatever." Sadie rolled her eyes, motioning for him to hurry as they left the forest floors.
Monster? Of course there were a few here and there, but the Gems usually got rid of them before anyone could notice.
Heart hammering from the close encounter, Steven picked up the pace as he followed the all too familiar path through the forest floors. He absentmindedly shuffled past debris, jumped over fallen trees, toed past burrowed animals. All the steps he took were so familiar, almost boring.
The flat floors began to rise, turning into a hill, which turned into a cliff. At the peak of it resided a small, worn wooden house. Boards were torn off, vines were roping and clinging to the sides. Mold was apparent on several corners of the torn shack. Yet, despite the disgruntled appearance, Steven's heart swelled with nostalgia.
It was home.
Steven slowed down, a sense of ease falling over him now. No matter what monster resided in these woods, he was safe here. This was his haven.
Before Steven could even reach the door it flew open, exposing a short, chubby girl. She had long, wild white hair that stuck up everywhere and pale purple toned skin. She wore a tank top with multiple tears and stains on it, along with a pair of tights with faded stars on them. On her chest, barely covered up, was a deep purple gem, giving off a feeble glow. The girl wore a cocky grin, eyeing Steven like he were fresh meat.
"Look who fiiiiiiiinally showed up." She snorted, picking out a stray leaf from her hair. She tossed it to the ground, eyes never leaving his approaching stature.
Steven gave her a pleading look as he came to a stop. "Please tell me Pearl and Garnet haven't noticed." He knew exactly what would happen if the two gems figured out where he went every afternoon. He'd be restricted even more than he was now. Even Amethyst, his purple skinned partner in crime, wouldn't be able to sweet talk him out of it.
"Of course not. You think I'm dumb or something." Amethyst rolled her eyes, ruffling Steven's hair with her stubby arm. "They were totally close though. But don't worry Steverino, I managed to get them off your back."
Relief washed over Steven. He managed a nervous laugh, running a hand through his coarse hair. "Thanks Amethyst, I owe you. What did you even do?"
Her grin widened, resembling a sly cat. "I let loose a bubble underground. Nothing serious, just one of those weird worm things."
Before Steven could even react, a shrill cry broke through the air, rattling them both. "AMETHYST WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU."
The short girl burst out cackling, slapping her knee. "I guess they finished up with it." She flipped her flowing white hair, and in an instant what was once a girl was now a ratty looking purple hued cat. "You owe me, right? I'm sure you can clean this one up." The feline purred, flicking its tail in salute as it scampered off.
"Amethyst don't leave me to-" Steven began to plead, but it was too late; the cat had vanished.
Steven pulled himself inside, mixed emotions brewing in his stomach. The floorboards creaked as he walked through the familiar room; his room.
The house technically held only one room, which doubled as a kitchen, a living room, and a bedroom for Steven. He'd feel bad for hogging the space for himself if it weren't for the fact the gems had their own secret rooms, stowed away with the rest of the magic the still had. It wasn't much, but according to Pearl, it was enough.
At that moment, Pearl appeared through the rusty metal door, gem lighting up. A scowl was etched onto her face, deep and tired. Her pale skin looked nearly translucent, her bony limbs looked worn, dressed in only a filthy skirt and tube top. Her features were sharp as usual, and her eyes, like the oval gem on her forehead, were pale and cold.
"AMETHYST." She snarled, icy eyes darting about. They landed on Steven, faltering and softening instantly. She straightened out a bit, looking somewhat embarrassed. "Steven, dear, there you are. Have you seen Amethyst?" She scowl returned. "She was being reckless, as usual, and broke a bubble! What was she even doing down there? I swear she just does whatever she wants. It's like she doesn't know we're practically being ki-" She stopped herself mid rant, eyes widening. "A-Anyways, have you seen her?"
Steven paused, but loyally shook his head no. "Sorry, Pearl. Haven't seen her."
Pearl looked defeated. She plopped onto the matted bed nearby, rubbing the bridge of her nose. "Of course. That's fine, Steven." She promised him.
Steven shuffled his feet, sitting next to her. "Everything's fine now though, right? We're safe again." He pointed out with a smile.
Shoulder slumped, Pearl lifted her head slightly. "Yes, everything is ok now." She agreed, lips twitching up slightly.
"Amethyst is waiting us out." A deep, velvety voice took note, entering the room. A tall, curvy woman followed it. Her dark skin was radiant, despite her worn ragged clothes. She had tight curls that boxed out, and her chiseled face was partially covered by a maroon rag tied tightly. Her large hands both held a dark red gem in their palm, now covered by her fist.
Pearl's head shot towards Garnet. She immediately rose, waving her hand towards the door. "Garnet we can not stand for Amethyst's recklessness much longer! Imagine if that thing got up here and hurt Steven! Or- Or escaped the woods and made its way into town. Do you know what those barbaric humans would do to us?" She clutched at her throat. "We'd be ruined. No, we'd be-"
"Fine. We'd be be." Garnet interjected, arms crossed over her chest. "The worm was barely a threat before we caugh' it. We're fine now, and that's all tha' matters." She instinctively fidgeted with the rag on her face.
Pearl didn't seem satisfied by this answer. "But she-"
"Made a mistake." Garnet agreed, mouth a thin line. "Do you really think yellin' a' her will change anythin'?"
Steven nervously watched as Pearl's face turned a shade of blue. Her eyes darted away as she waved her hand. "Fine, fine. I won't yell at Amethyst when she returns. I'll simply sit her down and talk about her many blunders and how to approach fixing them." She nodded briskly to herself, as if praising her idea.
Deciding that this was the best she would do, Garnet let the situation rest. He face turned to Steven, her lip curling into a faint smile. "An' wha' have you been up to, Steven?" She asked.
Steven's stomach churned. He tried to think fast, all the while giving a large smile. "I went picking apples!" He practically yelled, puffing out his chest.
Garnet fidgeted with the rag. "I don't see any apples."
Steven was tempted to joke that her eyes were covered, but he knew that the cloth did nothing to hinder her sight. He wiped his sweaty palms on his jeans, laughing. "I-I-I ate them all."
There was a pause, following by a curt nod. "I see. Glad you had somethin' to do today."
That was a close one. Steven let out a sigh, slumping back deeper into the couch. It was at that moment a familiar purple cat swayed into the room, mouse in mouth.
The feline dropped the dead animal on the ground, grin exposing sharp fangs. "Man something is bugging those rodents out there. They practically came running to me." She noted.
Pearl recoiled at the dead creature, grabbing Garnet's arm and hiding behind it. "That's disgusting. Amethyst turn back into your human form and get rid of that this instant." She demanded.
"You're not the boss of me." Amethyst snapped, but she complied anyways, turning back into the pudgy purple girl and tossing the mouse carcass to the side.
"Enough bickern', you two. We've got to get goin' to check ou' the Thorn Temple." Garnet reminded them. "Save your energy for the warp there an' back."
Steven perked up. "Can I go? Pleeeeeeease." He begged, jumping off of the couch.
Pearl shook her head dismissively. "Sorry Steven, but warping takes a lot of energy. And considering you can't use your gem… Well…"
"You'd be dead weight." Amethyst interjected sharply. "If we add you we won't be able to get back."
"We're sorry." Pearl rushed to add. "You know our magic is depleting… We need to only use our gems for crucial situations. Not for changing our appearance for fun or to fight monsters we already bubbled." She shot Amethyst a glare, but the girl was too busy picking wax out of her ear to notice or care.
Steven tried to mask the obvious hurt. "No, it's fine. You guys need to save your energy. I'll just be here." He took a step towards the stairs leading to his open room. "Alone." Another step. "With no one to talk to."
The three exchanged a look. "How about we tuck you in?" Pearl suggested, clapping her hands together.
Steven didn't bother to tell them it was still light outside. He avidly agreed as the three escorted him to his room.
Tucked in, Garnet crouched down, poking his nose. She smiled softly at him. "Remember, Steven. Stay hidden."
Amethyst was next, ruffling his hair. "Cover your gem at all costs. You know, when you're not here." She winked.
Pearl leaned down, kissing the top of his head. "And never trust a human."
Steven nodded, suddenly feeling tired, as if the routine itself was lulling him to sleep. He let out a yawn. "Stay hidden. Cover your gem at all costs. Never trust a human." He recited, closing his eyes.
He could hear their footsteps descend the steps, followed by the ring of the Warp Pad whisking them off. He rolled over in bed, hand moving to his round stomach. His finger grazed the hard, cool stone.
Stay hidden. Cover your gem at all costs. Never trust a human.
He chanted the rules in his head over and over again. The rules that kept him safe so long. Slowly he fell into a light, dreamless sleep.