"Pearl, the rescue mission's cancelled." Garnet declared, walking into the kitchen.
"Why?" Pearl dried her hands and set down the towel.
"Connie's been killed. Steven, Julianna and Amethyst found her."
"Oh my stars…" Pearl murmured. "Is Steven going to be okay?"
"He's been through quite a shock." Garnet replied. "He needs his space to grieve, but he'll come around eventually."
Pearl nodded, starting up the stairs. She leaned against the wall, arms crossed, watching Steven carefully. Sorrow shone in her eyes as she stared at the grieving child.
"My poor baby…"
Garnet wrapped her arms around her and stood behind her, acting as a wall of support, which Pearl leaned against, defeated. Her heart ached for Steven, but there was nothing she could do. The white gem cried into her lover's chest, the heavy weight of the situation slowly settling itself on her shoulders. He would likely become absent and withdrawn, as she had done after the death of Rose Quartz. She had been dragged back into her life by the obligations of raising her deceased friend's child, but Steven had lost more than she had, and he might never be the same again.
Steven sat on the floor, staring out his bedroom window, watching the waves roll against the shore. He pulled his knees inward, a hole slowly forming in his chest. He had seen Connie's lifeless form, taken her cold hand in his, felt her cold, pulseless veins against his fingertips. But he couldn't shake the feeling, a small glimmer of hope inside him.
Maybe Connie isn't dead after all.
"I have to see her one last time." He vowed to himself, speaking to the empty air. "And I have to rescue her." His breath caught in his throat, tears stinging in his eyes. "I love you, Connie Maheswaran. With all my heart." He drew the curtains closed, not wanting to let the light in any longer, the landscape she had always loved to heavy a burden to stand. He squeezed his eyes shut tightly and rested his forehead on his knees, tears cascading into the denim fabric.
"I can't lose you…"
After what seemed like hours, the tears began to subside, and he wearily closed his eyes, body aching from his poor posture. Not bothering to climb into bed, he laid down on his side and fell asleep, the world slipping away from him.
Peridot walked into the room where Connie was being kept. "Is the subject awake and responsive?"
"Yes." Prasiolite responded.
"And has she been healing?"
"That's a question you should be asking her, Peridot." The olive gem gestured to the girl lying on the table.
Peridot rolled her eyes. "Fine. Have your bruises gotten smaller, Morganite?"
Connie looked up at her with confusion. "What?"
"You seriously didn't tell her?!" The triangle-headed woman shouted in frustration. "You've been stripped of your humanity." She explained, venom dripping from her words. "You are now almost a fully-fledged gem, just as much as any of us created on Homeworld. All that's left of your human side are your organs, which we cannot remove, and your memories, which we also cannot remove. Any questions, Morganite?"
Connie blinked, taking it all in, and said nothing.
"You don't have to be so cruel to her, Peridot. Be a little less sharp, for Goddess' sake."
"I'll be whatever I choose to be." Peridot snapped. "Make sure Morganite is healing properly, and speed up the process. We need to begin her training." She turned and left the room, limb enhancers clicking across the floor.
"I'm sorry you had to find out that way." Prasiolite apologized. "But, she's right." She checked the chart on the table. "You haven't taken your medication yet today." She went off to get it, leaving Connie alone in the dimly lit room. Her thoughts were still, the voice in her mind being numbed out by the chip she'd been injected with. She had no awareness of this, as was the intent of the system's design.
Prasiolite entered the room, canister in hand. "Is the swelling going down in your injection sites?"
"Yes," Connie responded. "Quite a bit."
"May I?" She reached her hand out towards her wrist. After receiving the okay, she gently placed her fingertips on the fading bruise. "Does this hurt?"
"No. Not at all."
"How about your shoulder?" She pressed her hand against it, and her eyes widened when she didn't get a reaction. "Your gem is protruding. It should come up in another day or so. Once that happens, we'll begin your training."
"I've already been trained." Connie replied. "By Pearl."
"You'll need more training than that to get you through your missions." She replied simply.
"Your gem's fully protruded." Peridot observed, taking careful notes on a tablet. "You're ready to begin your training." She turned to Prasiolite. "Teach her the basics of her gem. How to summon her weapon, how to retreat for regeneration, and how to prevent her gem from cracking."
"Alright." Prasiolite waited for Peridot to leave. "Let's begin."
With shaking legs, Connie stood up, and immediately toppled over.
Prasiolite extended a long arm, taking her hand and pulling her up. "Easy, Morganite. It'll take a little while before you get the hang of walking. You were in suspended animation for nearly a month. Just practice it awhile." She let her stand for a few moments, to help rebuild the strength in her legs, and soon she was running full on sprints around the small room.
"Alright, that's enough of that. Now we need to summon your weapon."
Connie closed her eyes and concentrated, and sure enough, a Khanda sword materialized in her hand. The blade was long and slightly pointed, with both sides sharpened. She gave it a swing to test its weight, and Prasiolite stepped to the side.
"Easy with that, Morganite." She warned.
She moved out of Prasiolite's range, and tried again, swinging it through the air with a calculated aim. The blade was slightly more weighted that she was used to, but manageable.
Prasiolite observed her stance from the corner of her eye. "Maybe Pearl's teachings will help you more than I thought…"