Steven spent the next day with his toes in the sand and the water, thinking about yesterday and more. He called Connie and talked to her about it. "Gosh, Steven, that's some intense stuff," she'd said.
"I guess."
"Do you think she'll ever give up any information?"
"I don't know," he'd said. "Definitely not anytime soon, though."
"Well, I mean, it sounds to me like there's nothing more you can do. You tried all you could and that's what matters."
"Maybe… but I just don't feel right about it all. Like things aren't being done in the best way, and are for the wrong reasons."
Connie had replied, "What else can you do, Steven?"
Steven had sorted his thoughts by the third day and was fairly confident in them, but anxious. The Crystal Gems went on a mission which he wasn't allowed. When they were gone, he woke Lion from his morning nap.
They teleported into Garnet's Room and Steven found it less welcoming than usual, but he was here on a mission of his own. He crawled up on the sarcophagus and mashed its sternum.
Topaz looked at him incredulously. "What are you doing here? Why are you so stupid?"
Steven looked straight at her. "Topaz," he said, "I'm letting you out." More incredulously and dumbstruck, she was for once at a loss for words. Steven went on, "So, uh, how do I open this thing?"
It took a second for her to process his question. "Displace the shape that adorns the face, and fit it into the indentation in the side below the hip." Steven followed her instructions, exerting himself to yank free a red diamond, which was engirdled in a removable mounting, from the sarcophagus' hood—Steven thought he felt the bars over Topaz's face cool down when the diamond came loose. He then found where it fit in the divot about the pelvis. The diamond sunk into it, then reemerged faceted on the end of a handlebar. "Push," said Topaz. Steven did, the handle ground heavily along the contour of the sarcophagus—up its length, over its head then down its other side. Steven, sweating, rounded its feet—then caught glimpse of silhouettes opposing him at the far end of the Room. His stomach flipped in terror.
Garnet erupted, "STEVEN!" She, Pearl and Amethyst all rushed for him, summoning their weapons, screaming for him to stop. Topaz urged him to hurry. And as Steven pushed, Lion growled and huffed, and all the Gems screamed—everything honed in on him, even the bubbles and the roots, and he couldn't feel anything other than his core that pushed him. And as the Crystal Gems made halfway, Steven passed under the pelvis of the sarcophagus again—and as he did, it resounded with a backbreaking crack—and Steven could've sworn he felt a little vibration ripple through him and the air. All the noise stopped, and so did the Crystal Gems.
Nothing happened for a moment. Then Topaz said, "Get this off of me!" Steven pushed again, on the façade of the sarcophagus, and Garnet sprinted to him. The façade was very heavy, and even with Lion's help, they only managed to push the lid a few inches before Garnet grabbed Steven and tossed him to Pearl and Amethyst who safely caught him.
Garnet shoved Lion, too, and started to pull back the façade. "Garnet, wait!" shouted Steven; Pearl squeezed him more. Then, in a fury, Topaz yelled and muscled upward with her powerful legs, pivoting the weight of the lid over into Garnet's arms. Garnet braced herself under it, and Topaz leapt out of the sarcophagus without hesitation up to the hanging roots. Garnet hefted the façade and heaved it out of her arms and to the floor—it landed hard, cracking the ground; and from the underside of the lid, Steven saw nasty spikes protrude past its rim, all deep enough to have gone straight through Topaz.
Topaz hung from one of the mighty roots, and she looked wild, her eyes darting to and from all of them and everywhere else. Garnet summoned her gauntlets. "Get Steven out of here!" she commanded. Amethyst and Pearl ran for the door with him. Garnet leapt into the air at Topaz, and Topaz swung herself to more roots, then leapt off of those and started popping bubbles. Corrupted Gems rained down, and took on small physical forms. There were many of them, and most of them were ones Steven had never seen before. They were confused and scared and angry, and some fought each other. They were everywhere, and Pearl and Amethyst, with Steven, kicked some out of the way. Seeing all of this hurt Steven. He was hurting.
Garnet chased Topaz, knocking corrupted Gems out of the way, too. Topaz ran and jumped, far and fast, directionless. She threw little Gem monsters behind her. Then she summoned her sword and threw it into the ground. It exploded between her and Garnet who deterred. Topaz did that repeatedly, cratering the floor and throwing dust and little Gems into the air. Lava spilled out of the well. Garnet dove into the smokescreen Topaz's swords had made.
Garnet's door was already open for Pearl, Amethyst and Steven, through the arches. Steven was clutching Pearl, scared, while Amethyst made the way for them. Looking back he saw Topaz out of the dust and looking everywhere, around all the screaming. She focused in on someplace on the ceiling, and jumped for it without hesitation. Then he, in Pearl's arms, fell through Garnet's door and into the beach house. Amethyst beat back little Gems that were trying to get out. Pearl let go of Steven, demanded he stay put, and joined Amethyst with her spear. The last thing Steven saw, though the horrible mess, was Garnet, far away, reaching out her hands toward him. Her door sealed shut, and then everything went strangely, painfully quiet.
Lion was not with Steven. He wiped his eyes. He knew what they were doing—what they had to do. He didn't want this. He felt at fault. Steven went upstairs to his bed and waited. All he wanted was to help the ones who need it.
When Garnet's door opened hours later, Steven stiffened. He was thoroughly reprimanded, but what he really needed was a hug.
They didn't find Topaz. She was still in the Temple somewhere.
That night, before Steven fell asleep, the thought crossed his mind and he wondered just how long had all of those little Gems been kept in there.
…