You feel as though a wave of anxiety has clammered over you. Engulfing your little bit of newfound happiness, and swallowing it whole. The conversation at training with Pearl made you realize the brokenness you both had been feeling lately.

The three that had stood before you only pressured you more.

"Connie!? Connie, are you okay? Garnet told me everything! I just can't believe... Shtooball." Mr. Universe pauses, cupping a hand over his mouth.

Your heart aches at the very site, but yet, you still don't comprehend how or why it's still beating.

Moving closer to him, you hold him in a tight embrace. The tightest you could muster. Actually, even tighter than you've ever held his son. You wonder about the other's reactions. Lapis and Peridot were both brought here because of his happiness.

As you two release, Pearl inches closer to him. She goes to place a hand on his shoulder, but he refuses. His face grows stern, and he ferociously wiped the remaining flowing tears away.

Pointing at Pearl, he gripes, "I trusted you. I trusted you all," He turns toward Amethyst and Garnet, giving them horrible glares.

Garnet frowns, moving closer to him, "Greg, we'll get him-"

Mr. Universe looked as though he had enough of everything. Not even wanting to hear the fusion's calming words, he covered his ears.

"When!? Rose confided in you all! To take care of him, I thought he was in the best of-" he interrupted the fusion, but paused due to his clouded emotions. "I thought he was in the best of hands. I thought...I thought he was safe." Saddened by his words, his face turned away, unable to fathom any more actions.

Your wave of anxiety became a thunderstorm, slowly morphing into a tornado. You never knew how much he kept inside. All those times he supported his son, it always ended with him going berserk about it. But his breakdowns weren't like this, this one was especially unnerving.

As he continues to exchange ugly words with the Gems, your sight eventually begins to blur. They just become a mere look of water color, clouded by your tears.

Wiping them away, you catch the slightest glimpse of a blue and green gem wandering out the beach house.

Mr. Universe and the Gems begin to bicker loudly, him blaming them for neglection. How they couldn't keep him safe away from Homeworld's grasp, nor the fact they couldn't even tell him the truth about Rose in the first place.

You quietly slip outside the door, struggling to tune out the conversation. Closing it, you lean against it, and take a deep sigh.

"What do you want?" Your eyes back slam open. Lapis and Peridot, you had almost forgotten about them.

The water gem hops off the railing, glaring at you, her cerulean orbs give you an eerie sense. Realizing the sudden change of stance, you straighten your frame and release the beads of sweat from your pores.

Placing your hands behind your back, you remember the sword's presence. You grip it out of habit, since the first few meetings you had with the gem weren't at all pleasant.

She rolls her eyes, "Calm down, I'm not going to do anything, Connie."

She said your name.

Gripping the sword tighter, you murmur, "Why-why did you call me by my name?"

She shrugs, making your tornado turn into one big confusion. Sure, all she said was your name, but it disturbed you in some way.

Turning towards the steps, Lapis' wings are summoned from her gem, "Stop relying on that dumb stick, it's not like it'll get you out of all situations."

Her advice seemed rather un-Lapis like to you, so you ponder as to why she'd say a such thing as that. But as you do, she begins to take off.

Panicking, you snap out of your trance and think quickly of what to do. Without a second thought, you yell, "What happened to Peridot?"

She stops. You catch her cringing at those words, contemplating what to answer back. Looking down to face you, she replies, "She's back at the Barn," and ascends as fast as she can.

You knew that, but why did Peridot leave so swiftly? Why did Lapis hesitate just to answer a simple question? Why is the arguement tuning back into your ears?

Walking towards the beach house's stairs, you sit down on the first step. Unsheathing the sword for what felt like the seventh time that day, you gaze at the rosy blade's edge. Staring intently into the pink metal, you're suddenly unable to hear anything. Not even the dispute.

A black void surrounds you, engulfing you into the darkness that is nothing. Yet the blade is all you pay mind to. Out of the midst of the dark Galaxy, you notice the sword begins to show a faded pair of eyes.

Your own grow wide before you can clearly see the ones appearing on the sword. You hold it closer, making sure you never lose those pupils.

They are his. The ones that made you smile when you were sad, the ones that encouraged you when you were feeling down, and the very ones that had fused with you.

"Steven! Steven! Are you okay! Please answer me!" Your words cease to change the deep black pupil's appearance. Then, as the pitch darkness fades away, so do his orbs. You shake they sword in hesitation, but you know it won't help.

They're gone. Just like that, you're back to the beach, and his eyes are no longer lingering upon the blade. You hear the nearby waves crashing, and seagulls crowing. But the quarrel has silenced.

Sheathing the sword back into its scabbard, you wipe the rapid tears escaping down your face away. You place the blade next to you, and put your head between your knees.

You hear the door open.

OoOoOoOoOoO

Homeworld

The small boy gripped his ratty shirt. With his calloused hand, it wandered towards the gem placement upon his navel. Whatever could make a Rose Quartz think such humane thoughts? Really, at the moment, he hadn't the slightest idea what to think.

As he and Lars stood in the Human Zoo's hawk sized cage, his thoughts became clouded at the site of the two diamonds conversing.

What are they going to do with me? Looking up towards Lars, his face was hard to tell, but he knew he was trying his best to stay calm.

He stared back towards the larger gems. Clutching his navel, he didn't realize how tight he had been holding his gem. Gritting at the slightest thought of pain, he didn't want to feel it.

smallest bit of blood drip from each wound. Not only did he wince at the pain, he gave out a helpless scream.

"Is this what you wanted, mom? This torture! I-I...Don't get it!" Taking his hand away from the cage, he shook the cell bars like mad, repeating the same vainful words.

The Diamonds stopped conversing, Yellow's eyes turned to slits, while Blue began to cry. Yellow frowned at her sister, then glared a nasty grimace at the Quartz. Having interrupted their conversation, he couldn't even care less. He was broken, and it was hard to glue the pieces back together.

OoOoOoOoOoOoO

Hey guys, gems, girls, everybody reading this story!

Sorry about the recent hiatus, I've been busy in the latest week, if you read the announcement! Chapters will be coming out more quickly (Probably Thurs. or Fri.), so please don't hurt me! Also, I decided to put in a Steven/Homeworld part, so ya know what's going on. I can't thank you guys enough for giving this story a chance, and I hope you have a good day! (Good last week of school, unless you're already out!)

Changed rating! Teen now due to blood, but it won't be too serious!!