This story is Alternate Universe. It's only based on cannon up until Full Disclosure.
Thank you for reading!
The water around them suddenly retreats, as if they are the repellant side of a magnet being forced into a pile of iron fillings. It forms a basin around them that reminds Steven of the Sea Spire. Finding it safe enough, Steven deactivates his bubble. He huffs and stumbles a bit as he steps out of it- he's never quite held it that long under such rough conditions, and it shows. He regulates his breathing almost instantly though, refusing to let Pearl see him stagger. Pearl notices anyways, and shoves in front of him, spear planted into the damp sand beneath her like a soldier in the Royal Guard.
Lapis is holding the water back despite her obvious tiredness and glares at Jasper, who stands across from her. The striped gem releases a monstrous laugh that jars Pearl from her stance. How long had Jasper been planning this? How long had she been relentlessly weathering Lapis down for the very moment she could be overpowered? Pearl can see by the way Lapis struggles to stand without wavering that she's over exerted and exhausted. Just keeping Malachite together probably would've destroyed her physical form eventually- Pearl concludes that the added emotional turmoil from Steven was only what tipped the iceberg.
Lapis limps over to the Crystal gems, defying Jasper. She nearly falls, but catches herself just in time. Steven lurches forwards and grabs her, letting her use him as a crutch. Pearl grimaces. Lapis is in no condition to fight, let alone hold the basin for much longer. Even now, the tall gem can see the barricade of water around them quiver with effort.
"Are you okay?" Steven asks Lapis reluctantly, grazing a rough scratch on her arm with his hand. Lapis winces, and the waters tremble.
"Fine," she forces with a weak grin. "Thank you."
"No prob, B- I mean Lapis," Steven grins. Pearl tries to shield them both from Jasper, but the orange gem is hardly impressed.
"Looks like the little bird is free," Jasper sneers, stepping forward. Her boots sink into the wet sand and make a sloshing noise with every step.
"Jasper, stop it!" Lapis chokes out, weakly trying to push Steven behind her. Steven refuses to budge, instead moving himself so that his mass stands between her and Jasper. Pearl almost laughs. They look like the crumbling blockade of an old war front that only gets worse as you go into the heart of the battlefield.
"Oh, no, Lapis. I understand now. I understand how it feels to be a prisoner," Jasper sneers. Lapis' throat lets out a low rumble, and she digs her blunt nails into Steven's shoulder. Jasper takes a huge step forward. "But unlike you, my imprisonment did not break me. If anything, I'm stronger than ever!" Jasper smashes her fist into the waterfall side of the basin. The sea salt sprays in Pearl's face.
Pearl knows that Jasper can overpower them. It's her alone, and between the other two gems behind her, one is inexperienced, and one is exhausted. Lapis can't hold the basin long enough for Garnet to realize what trouble they're in. Pearl knows this. She has to think. She's always been the smartest, hasn't she? Or at least, she had seen herself as the smartest. Pearl brushes off the wave of insecurity to adjust her grip on her weapon. The pearlecent spear fits in her slender hands as it always had, and grants her some confidence.
Seeing the Crystal gem like this, prepared for battle and unwavering, sends a jolt of recollection to Jasper. She remembers Pearl. "You," Jasper snaps, "I did not recognize you before. You fought under Rose's arm, didn't you? You were her servant."
Pearl grips her spear. Steven knits his brows.
"You were my mother's servant? I thought you said you guys were teammates," he asks innocently.
Jasper smirks. "Oh, no, I definitely know who you are now. You were Rose's handmaiden, weren't you? I believe I saw you at the battlefront, licking her scabbard clean," Jasper taunts, locking eyes with Pearl and drawing her lip.
Pearl feels fury rush through her body like adrenaline through a roller coaster, and she clenches her fists. Bide time, she reminds herself. She's trying to get you to be reckless. Don't fall into her trap.
Jasper glares. The lack of response from the Crystal gem bores her. She knits her brows and takes another two steps in their direction, relishing the feeling of power when they respond by taking three steps back. Lapis' shoulder blades graze the water.
"There's nowhere for us to run," she mumbles in defeat.
"Lapis, just let the water go," Steven orders quietly, grabbing her hand. "I'll be fine, I swear."
Steven's lying, and Pearl can hear the giveaway crack in his voice. He knows he's got stint enough strength left in him to bubble himself for such an extended period of time once again.
"Lapis, don't," Pearl demands, hoping the Ocean gem can see that he's in no shape to protect himself.
"Don't tell me what I can't do," Lapis grumbles, despite complying and keeping the walls of the basin steady.
"Well?" Jasper asks, knuckles popping as she stretches them. "Are we going to fight, or do I get to destroy Rose without resistance?"
How courteous.
"We'll engage in battle," Pearl announces, ripping the point of her swiveled spear from the Earth and aiming it forwards.
She charges up a ball of light as Jasper looks on in amusement. Pearl fires the energy pulse at Jasper, smirking as it hits the orange gem head on. The walls shake, and the dust clears, revealing an unscathed Jasper smiling down with a wolfish grin.
"Cute," Jasper hums before preparing her battering ram. "But I'm through with this shameful display."
Jasper lurches forward, spiraling into a ball and homing in on the Crystal gems. Pearl intercepts the blow with her spear, although she's still pushed back from force alone. Jasper extends from her ball and drives her fist forward. Pearl dodges gracefully, like a practiced ballerina does morning routines. Every missed blow infuriates Jasper more, until she snaps, releasing an animal-like yowl and catches Pearl by the throat. The Crystal gem coughs and her hands drop the spear, flying to the muscular arm constricting her. Gems don't need air, but they do need their necks to stay in one piece. At least Pearl thinks they do.
"Pearl!" Steven throws himself forwards, but he's stopped by Lapis. She wraps her feeble arms around his neck and plants her feet in the ground to hold him back.
"Don't," she hisses. "It's not worth your safety."
Pearl's eyes widen, despite knowing that Lapis takes no sides between Crystal and Home world gems. Lapis' allegiance is Steven, and Steven alone. Pearl silently begs for Steven to break free of Lapis' hold. To help her. But he doesn't, and she feels a joint pop out of place at an agonizingly slow rate. Pearl gasps, and her toes curl. She can't afford to retreat into her gem. There has to be a way out of this.
Twisting her body like a snake, Pearl manages to allot herself some wiggle room. She rears back and then swings forward, sinking her blunt teeth deep into Jasper's arm like some sort of animal. What a horrendous way to escape a captor. But it works. Jasper yells in shock and releases the crystal gem. Pearl rolls back and staggers over to the other two, summoning yet another spear from her gem. Steven sighs in relief, although he knows that it's short lived.
"Pearl!" Steven whimpers. "We've gotta get out of here!"
"You think?!"
Pearl races towards Jasper before sliding in her knees between the striped gem's legs. Pearl extends her legs and twirls into a fighting stance, ripping her spear back off the ground. She leaps forward, thrusting the weapon in front of her. Jasper snickers and sidesteps easily before hurtling her battering ram down upon the small of Pearl's back. The Crystal gem crashes to the ground, breath hitching. Jasper throws her foot into Pearl's head, dangerously close to her smooth gem, and Pearl throws her hands up to protect herself from future blows.
Pearl knows that Jasper's brute force can overpower her skill any day. She hates to admit it, but she's completely outmatched. Pearl struggles to her feet and falls forward immediately after. She desperately swings her spear out and plants it in the dirt to balance herself.
"Pathetic," Jasper snarls. She swings her ram into Pearl, smashing it on the side of her shoulder and sending the gem flying into the barricade of water. Lapis cringes and pulls Steven closer to her. Pearl forces herself from the wall of water, falling on her arms as she crashes down.
"Don't touch him!" Lapis roars despite her weakness. "He's not what you want!"
"You're half right. He's not what I want. But I do want what he has." Jasper struts forward. Lapis' back hits the ocean wall and she quivers. Pearl can't stand up. She's screaming at her body to rise, but fails at mustering up the strength to do so. Jasper is getting closer. Steven whimpers in fear. Lapis' eyes dilate. Pearl stops breathing.
And then Jasper lunges.
"No!" Lapis shouts, and the barriers come crumbling down like the Bastille fortress. Blocks of water smash into Pearl as the Crystal gem tries to desperately shield herself.
Steven has created a weak bubble around himself, and it flickers momentarily. Pearl, now submerged, gets to her feet. It's right then that she hears a crash through the ocean. Pearl's eyes shoot up, and she feels a rush of hope. Garnet and Amethyst come sinking down at incredible speeds. Jasper senses them and grits her teeth.
"I don't have time for this," she snarls before slamming her battering ram into Steven's bubble. It shatters like breakaway glass, and Lapis can only clear the water around Steven's head so that the boy can breathe.
Garnet yells in surprise and readies her gauntlets. "Don't touch him!"
Jasper laughs as she snags Steven by the throat and sets her foot on Lapis' chest. She pulls and the Ocean gem's fingers slip. Steven yells in protest and tries to protect himself to no avail.
"Let's see just how hard it is to break a Rose Quartz!" Jasper howls before rearing her head and slamming the ram into Steven's forehead. Tidal waves of water push the gems back at the force. Three yells from the Crystal gems echo in nails-on-chalkboard harmony:
"STEVEN!"
Jasper chuckles and holds Steven's gem in her palm. "Shamefully fragile. Just as I expected."
Garnet begins to hurtle forwards, but Amethyst stops her, throwing her whip around Garnet's body and yanking. Garnet struggles and sends Amethyst a livid glare.
"The runt is smart," Jasper hums. "Make one move and I have no business making dust of your great leader." She motions to crush Steven's gem, but pauses to send the Crystal gems a cocky glare.
"What do you want with us?!" Amethyst barks.
Jasper smirks and stares at the hardly visible Beach City shoreline. "A ten second head start. Oh, and be wary of that little blue gem. She's a tricky one." Jasper cuts off with a laugh.
Pearl refuses to be terrorized. She tries to advance, but Garnet, now free of Amethyst's whip, stops her. "No," Garnet mumbles.
"Garnet, let me go right now," Pearl demands, staring anxiously at Jasper as she begins to take off.
One...
"You're not fit to chase after her. She has Steven. We can't risk harming him," Garnet tries to reason, even though she looks torn herself. Jasper is already yards away from them and picking up speed as she goes, causing a heavy foam wake behind her.
Two...
"We can't risk losing him!" Pearl roars, jerking out of Garnet's grasp with the last of her strength.
Three...
"P, stop it!"
Four...
"Don't you dare tell me what to do! You're not above me!"
Five...
"Oh, right. Because Pearl knows all, doesn't she? Pearl is omnipotent and all powerful-,"
Six...
"Amethyst, silence!"
Seven...
"You shut up! I knew this was a stupid idea! But nobody ever listens to me!"
Eight...
"Nobody listens to you because you're reckless and you're trouble!" Pearl snarls against her bonds.
Amethyst, with vitriolic fire in her eyes sneers, "Wanna say that to my face?!"
Nine...
"Crystal gems, stop this!" Garnet snaps. Though her voice does not ascend her usual vocal range, the two bickering teammates cast her a glance. "Look."
Ten.
Jasper is gone. Pearl goes limp in Garnet's hold.
"Steven..."
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