[Sniff] I can't believe people are reading this, geez. I'm getting emotional. Also, my friend is evil because she torments me about when I'll finish this thing. I only just starteeeeed.
Disclaimer: I don't own Steven Universe! It belongs to Rebecca Sugar.
"There's evidence that points to a corrupted gem in the eastern hemisphere," Garnet relayed to Pearl, balancing her visor with an adept tilt of her dark wrist as she regarded Pearl, who was studying the map they had laid out over the kitchen countertop.
The blue and white gem gently traced her fingers over the surface of the faded Earth map. Ever since visiting the Diamond Moon Base with Peridot all that time ago, they had marked down the locations of each original gem construction with red marker. Peering at each individual crimson dot made Pearl recall just why she had vowed to save Earth.
Her index absently rested on the location Garnet had suspected gem monster activity.
"We've not seen activity there in decades," she noted anxiously. "I'd say that it's near the old gem orchestral temple," she added, tapping the single speck before lifting her eyes up to Garnet.
"It should be a simple mission, then. We're familiar enough with the vicinity to capture and bubble the gem without too much trouble." Garnet brought a broad hand to her visor and gave it a judgmental flick over the nose. The light that caught on its exterior turned more reddish when she leaned back up, a hand cocked on her hip.
"Then let's not waste any time," Pearl ushered. She neatly rolled the map onto itself and wrapped the aged red drawstring around it, I know there are small human settlements littered about the temple; I still can't fathom why they were so adamant to build there a couple hundred years ago."
She tucked the map into her gem and faced Garnet, before giving the beach house a curt examination. If they left without explaining themselves, it was likely that Steven would fret and get worked up over the sudden lack of a certain Pearl and Garnet. "I'm going to tell Steven and Amethyst so they don't worry where we-"
"No need," intervened Garnet. "I found Amethyst beforehand and let her know we'll be gone for a bit."
"How clever of you, Garnet!" Trilled Pearl as she wound her way around the counter and towards the warp pad, followed closely by her friend. "Come on, I'll warp us there."
"Off to the mountain palace we go," the shorter of the two declared as coruscating blue light engulfed them and warped them to their next destination.
It wasn't where Garnet had expected them to be.
They were on the warp pad on Temple's Sapphire gem, overseeing the beach as evening sun poured over the ocean.
The gentle ding-ding of the laundry machines tucked behind the mossy stone thumb caught her attention.
"Pearl?" She asked, brows raised behind her shades with arms crossed questioningly at the gem stepping off the platform to open the contraption.
The fusion was met with a sheepish little smile.
"I need to unload Steven's things from the dryer before we go. We know Amethyst isn't going to do it."
The sounds of flip-flops and light sneakers pattering against the sand-crusted boardwalk rose into the air, outclassed only by the occasional giggle as the two humans made way towards the nearest empty bench.
Steven flopped down first with a silly pwah. Connie followed but was more seemly as she threw herself onto the wooden boards, laughing as Steven wiggled onto his behind while trying to save the container of fry bits he clutched in his hand.
"And safe!" The boy crowed, shooting his arms up with rejoice.
He quickly realized his error when the fry bits flew out from the little paper basket.
"Ah! No!" He yipped, stretching his small arms out in a vain attempt to catch the falling, burnt bits of starch.
Connie, fortunately, managed to catch two in her palm while another landed on top of her head. Steven only managed one.
"Aww. . . the bits. . " Crooned Steven as he dropped mournfully to his denim-clad knees, a dramatic sniffle making his back shudder. "How I will miss thee."
It only took a few seconds for the birds to come in.
"Uh oh- Steven, I think you'd better-"
"Aaaaaah!" Steven jolted up from his knees, waving his arms in a failed attempt at intimidating the foul bird demons away.
"Ya! Ya!" He bayed. "Go on, get outta here!" He waved the empty fry carton at the impeding seagulls threateningly.
He quickly regretted this ill-considered decision when three of the grey birds turned on him, beady eyes flashing hot-headedly as they dived for the fry bit clutched in between his thumb and index.
"Gah! No! Bad birdies- stop!" He started to jog around the bench where Connie was proceeding to laugh her lungs dry. "Connie, help! They're after me!"
"I-I can't," she wheezed. "They're just- waddling after you! They want the ridiculous amount of carbohydrates!"
"If they had hands they'd be snapping right now! I'm in a very serious predicament, Connie!"
"Just sacrifice your last bit! It's the only way!"
"How can I? We've got a special bond! It's the only one that came back to me after all it went through!"
"All that you put it through!"
"Nn. . . fine! Take it!" He threw the last now-soggy fry bit over his head. It flew away into the cracks between the wooden floor boards.
Two of the birds saw that the opportunity was destroyed, and cawed their frustration before beating their plumy wings and taking off. The third, however, simply tottered up to Steven's sandal. It gave his big toe an annoyed peck before flying off.
"Ah! It pecked me!" He lifted the assaulted foot and teetered at the unbalance, rubbing his toe tenderly and shh'ing its silent weeping. "Shh, shh, it's okay. The mean birdie's gone and flown away."
Connie wiped the last of the moisture collecting at the ends of her eyes away. "Oh my gosh," she exhaled, a ragged laugh spilling out instead. "That was the most beautiful thing I've ever seen."
Steven jumped up onto the bench beside the young girl, lifting up the foot to protectively cradle it with his hands. The toe stung just a bit. He tapped it thoughtfully before blowing out his cheeks. "The best performance ever: we had a sacrifice, a chase, a defeat, and. . "
Theatrically, Steven fell back against the curved wooden planks, closing his eyes as he gripped painfully at the yellow star embroidered into his shirt. "Death."
Connie fell right into the interplay, shuffling onto her bare knees as she placed her hands worriedly on Steven's shoulders. "Oh no, what ever will I do? With my beloved Steven-eth fallen into death. . .eth." She folded in on herself, lithe brown fingers clenching the fabric of her fallen friend's shirt in woe.
"And by some miraculous feat, Steven is alive!" The boy shouted, jolting upward and practically throwing Connie off of him, playfully nudging her as he tucked his legs criss-cross applesauce.
"It's a miracle!"
The two calmed down, occasionally breaking into giggles over the hilarious dilemma Steven had just fallen sufferer to.
"Gee," Steven finally managed to find the vocal strength to say without breaking into a spree of chuckles. "At least the local birdies were fed. . even if they wanted to eat my toe." He raised his leg and wiggled the pinkish toe for emphasis.
"Maybe they thought they were fry bits."
"Do I look like a potato to you?"
"Do you want me to answer that?"
". . . No. . "
"Well-thought, my friend."
Steven huffed good-naturedly and tucked his knee up to his chest. "So what's been goin' on in the Wondrous Life o' Connie? I haven't seen much of you outside of swordfighting practice since today!"
"Oh, nothing big, really," Connie confessed, throwing her dark hair over her white collared tee. "I had a pretty cool tennis match a couple nights ago- our team lost, but, it was a really good tournament! And everyone at school's talking about that meteor shower, so it's gotten just a little more interesting over there."
Steven's eyes boggled. "Meteor shower?"
Connie's eyes lit up. "Yeah! I aced a Pre-AP geometry test and my mom and dad let me watch an extra twenty minutes!" The dark-skinned girl straightened up on the bench, hands clenching the planks beneath them. "Under the Knife wasn't on anymore so I just switched to some news channel - and there were reports of a few meteors crashing down near the Himalayas!"
Steven pictured asteroids pelting towards Earth, feeling a cold balloon of remorse expand in his chest, blighting his happy mood as he imagined if the Rubies. . .
He mentally shook himself.
"Has anyone found them yet?" He probed. If there was anything coming blasting in from space, even if it was just a few little stones, he was sure the Gems would want to hear about it. They seemed leery of just about anything entering their orbit!
But, honestly, he could understand where they were coming from when they got all scared about it.
The last few things to come from outer space hadn't exactly been the most convivial.
"No. They can't quite seem to find anything about where they landed!" Connie admitted, face crestfallen as she frowned. She was puzzled. "It's kinda weird, don't you think? Usually the space program's right on top of that stuff."
"Hmm," the half-gem mumbled, giving the grassy backside of the Temple an introspective look from afar. "Maybe I should tell the gems?"
Connie let out a single laugh before registering the innocent consternation on Steven's face. "I wouldn't worry about it, Steven! Officials are confirming that it was just a couple of rocks."
"And you believe them?" Steven accused, thick eyebrows knitting suspiciously together as he focused on his best friend. "Don't you know the government likes to cover things up?"
Connie met Steven's gaze evenly. Her features dropped out of mirth and morphed at an inhumane rate into an expression of someone who's been haunted by the whole of the CIA themselves. "We don't speak of that. Now here, not now. They have eyes everywhere."
Steven locked eyes with the girl's. Hers were unblinking, earnest, and seemed to bore right into his very soul.
"Oh. Oh no."
She wanted to do this? Now? At this very moment? In front of all this. . . sand?
"Challenge accepted."
He parroted her expression of solemnity with one of his own, eyes narrowing his eyes.
"I'm gonna win, I'm gonna. . . " He thought, heart rate seeming to accelerate the longer he returned Connie's dark stare.
It lasted for about five and a half seconds.
The two kids sustained their stern faces and unwavering eyes before they buckled down laughing, grabbing for each other to stop themselves from tumbling off of the boardwalk bench.
"Yeah, it was probably nothing."
The warp was ten miles away from the musical temple.
Snow-topped mountains rose in emboldened glory encompassing the old gem structure, grown over in luscious seas of green forests. It was a grandeur palace sadly blemished by time, its walls crumbling and vines that snaked hungrily around its walls.
The ancient construction had been built prior to the rebellion, a place for gems of high nobility and notable status to allow gems to flaunt and sing and dance.
Alas, any recreation on Homeworld was quickly forgotten and discouraged once it was decreed by the Diamonds that more and more gems be put to war and more soldiers be created.
It made Pearl's chest ache at the thought.
As the two Crystal Gems made haste in through the giant old doors, studded with lifeless crystals long since drained of any gem magic they may have once retained, they entered the grand hall.
A worn stage beneath a diamond-shaped proscenium stretched out before them, revealed to light for the first time in what could have possibly been ages. Dust motes swirled and flaunted in the faded grey sunlight peeking in from behind the gems as they walked further inside.
An eerie quiet settled over the settlement, kept only at bay by the small cacophony of cicadas that probably hid in the thick growth crowding the edges of the theatre.
Pearl's feet tapped mildly across the cracked floor tiles as she inspected a row of decor: cracked sculptures depicting gems that were created solely for the purpose of enlightening the noble. They had been gems of many shape, size, and colour, as Pearl could recall. Depending on which Diamond they were created for, their general elements, powers, and personalities would vary to appease to the desired audience.
She wondered if they were even made anymore, what with Homeworld holding militarism and conquering other worlds in such a high regard.
"Pearl, take the left wing."
Pearl startled with a yelp, nearly dropping the instrumental relic she'd been listlessly inspecting in her palms onto the floor. Beneath Garnet's unwavering stare she placed the remains back on their crumpling stand.
"On it," the gem acceded as she summoned her trident from her gem.
After a moment of decision she reignited her gem to let a beam of pale white light bathe the area immediately in front of her. All the better to not crash into any old gem vestiges and scare away the possible corrupted gem that may linger in these old halls.
The thought of finding a monster among the old remnants of an old Homeworld occupation grounded her.
Aside from dust bunnies that, impressively, were Steven-sized and the occasional Earth wildlife that had found homes nestled within the deep nooks and crevices of the ancient orchestral house, there was nothing of importance to find.
Pearl stopped after an approximate eighteen minutes of silent scrutiny and unimportant finds.
Garnet's readings had confirmed that there was corruption activity scourging these parts; and while they were never able to predict where it may reside, as each beast was different, they were generally good at locating them in record timing. It was an adapted skill that came with hunting them for thousands of years.
Springing from room to room proved meticulous enough for even Pearl to grow flustered at the profound lack of corrupted gem evidence.
She had just leaned against a table that groaned beneath the new weight when she heard a light panting echo through the corridor she stood in.
Her hands tightened intently around the shaft of her spear before assuming a soundless stalk towards the direction of the noise.
The sounds grew stronger and stronger until Pearl had entered what seemed to be an unremarkable barren room. Tables laid against the walls, though deep cuts were set into stone. Old gem figurines were scattered across the floor, some shattered into pathetic pieces and others cracked and mauled beyond recognition.
In the left corner of the room, as she cautiously pored over her surroundings, a sage green claw scraped at the fractured floor.
She shut off her light.
From what little natural light poured into the room, she could make out the fuzzy silhouette of a corrupted gem. Mottled spikes stuck out of its untamed shock of hair, and its claws seemed to scrape miserably at the ground underfoot as though trying to dig through.
Unlike other corruptions the Gems had faced in recent decades, its exterior seemed. . . to be pulsating. The welts that covered its fur shuddered and frisked about like living tattoos, seeming to continue expanding in size and changing in colour.
Her teeth dug tautly into her lower lip as she kneaded the spear in trepidation. She'd need to exercise extreme caution with this thing, as it just. . . wasn't the same as other corruptions, she felt. Something was inflating in her mind with the absurd thought that. . .
Something was really wrong with it.
She approached it carefully, noting its obliviousness to her presence.
Its face slowly shifted towards her, and she held the breath in her throat she didn't need hitched.
Instead of becoming aggressive, however, it only regarded her with an eyeless, mane-covered face before emitting a low-pitched whimper and continuing to scrabble at the floor.
As soon as Pearl's spear caught a glint of light seeping in through the small cracks bruising the walls, it all changed.
The corrupted gem burst up from its spot in the corner, its wild white hair exploding into a whirlwind mane of fear. A blood-curdling cry ripped from its jaws as it charged Pearl, who readily spun her trident and called for Garnet.
There was no use keeping quiet now that the brawl had just begun anyway.
Surprisingly, the beast averted collision with the trident-wielder, turning just quickly enough to avoid getting more than a scratch along its blotched flanks.
Pearl growled and regained her bearings, throttling after the furry monster with renewed assertion. Not seconds after the chase had begun did Garnet appear, blocking the mutant's tunnel exit from the assailing Pearl.
"Pearl, now!"
Both Crystal Gems charged towards the beast with the aim of digging in their weapons and poofing its form without further trouble.
Garnet's gauntlets charged while Pearl's spear angled for an accurate penetration into its unruly mane.
The beast, in what felt like only a single human heartbeat, dived away from both enemies and crashed headfirst into the nearest wall. Twilight broke through from the outside, causing both The aged handiwork crumbled beneath the new external force, sending huge chunks of stone and metal crashing to the ground after the creature.
It never stopped its wailing, even as it ran away.
"After it!" Garnet shouted.
Garnet and Pearl broke through the din of wreckage and sprinted after the fleeing monster with impeccable speeds.
They zig-zagged through the mountainous forest, following the trail of crushed detritus left in the fleeing beast's wake.
At long last, fate seemed to favor the Crystal Gems' chances at capturing the thing, for it presented them with a huge cliff that luckily curved just far enough to each side to prevent the creature from making an expeditious escape.
It tentatively approached a strange bulge of growth just beside the cliff wall, bedecked by broken branches and toppled upon by disrupted shelves of stone.
It cried with renewed fright as it turned and noticed the Gems climbing over the hill.
With no choice but to retaliate, the green creature spun around and screamed a horrible howl at its pursuers. It barreled for Garnet first.
Its first mistake was turning its back to Pearl, who had launched from her place on the top of the verdant debris and landed on its back, digging her spear tip in until, in one massive rush of dust and wind, the beast was defeated.
Pearl dropped to the rough sands in an elegant crouch, huffing as she did away with her spear.
She picked up the square-shaped olivine gem, staring at its speckled sage-green surface before dutifully surrounding it in a pale blue bubble.
"There we go," she sighed, relieved. "That wasn't so bad, was it, Garnet? Although, I think something was a little off about. . " She looked up to her leader, eyes sharpening with inquisition. "Garnet?"
But Garnet wasn't looking at her.
Or the bubble that held the odd gem either.
"Garnet?"
Unyielding, Garnet moved past Pearl and towards the misshapen lump of broken vegetation that the beast had inspected before turning on the Gems.
Pearl's lips tightened as she sent the bubble back to the Temple and jogged in beside Garnet, reaching out to touch her shoulder pad before the fusion's arms shot out, and her own shot back in with a surprised "oh!"
The fusion pried the broken boughs off first, slowly at first, before picking up her speed.
"What on Earth is she. . "
Her teeth were bared, Pearl noticed.
Garnet ardently swung her gauntlets and caught on the thick tangle of creepers that shrouded the object beneath. She snapped them with a resounding grunt before grabbing the torn ferns and frayed chaparral beneath and spreading them aside.
Garnet froze.
Pearl gasped in horror.
Behind the thick screen of vegetation, a smoking gem pod laid, abandoned, cockpit emptied of its former inhabitant.
. . . Yes. Or is the more appropriate thing to say oops? Sorry? Nah, I'll keep yes.
It sounds funnier.
Anyways, see y'all around next chapter! Hopefully it'll be out soon, the weekend's nigh!