Chapter 10: Comfort

Nearly a month and a half had passed since Steven's disappearance. The house felt more like a ghost town. It was so quiet, no laughter, no silly cartoon show playing from the television. Sadly, no little boy doing silly things that made the gems smile. All that was here was sad faces, worried expressions, and cries in the night. Amethyst came in tired from looking for Peridot; she checked all over the dang Kindergarten, if Peridot was there, she was a good hider. Rubbing her eyes, she walked into the house and was going to report to Garnet or Pearl. Far as she knew Garnet was still swimming at the bottom of the ocean looking for Jasper and Lapis. Pearl had been searching everywhere she could think of for Steven. Amethyst had caught her countless times, eyes blood shot from crying or lack of sleep. She would return empty handed and curl up in Steven's bed, crying herself to sleep. Garnet and Amethyst took turns comforting her but sometimes they needed comfort too.

As Amethyst walked in sure enough Pearl was curled up on Steven's bed. Her gem was displaying a dream and Amethyst thought it would be another Rose dream instead it was a memory she knew well.

"Pearl!" shouted Steven running up the stairs. Pearl rushed out holding out her spear looking menacing.

"What is going on?" Pearl asked.

"Help me, save me," cried Steven jumping into her arms. "Save me," he said frowning. Just then two other Steven's one red with glasses like Garnet's, and the other purple like Amethyst ran around Pearl laughing.

"What in the world?" asked Pearl looking confused, as Steven tagged her.

"Tag you are it," he said.

"Someone mind telling me what is going on?" asked Pearl still holding Steven.

"It's Steven tag, Steven tagged you and now you have to turn into Steven," said Amethyst.

"It's the rules," said Garnet.

Amethyst waited for Pearl to refuse to play instead she was shocked to see what the gem revealed.

"Well why not," said Pearl putting Steven down and morphed into him. "Now what?" she asked looking at Steven smiling.

"Now we all have to tag each other last Steven standing wins," said Steven. Soon they were all trying to tag each other smiling and laughing.

"I wish that really happened too," Amethyst said trying to be quiet, yet she must have been too loud or Pearl was going to wake up anyways, for soon Pearl opened her eyes.

"Steven," she called looking around only to see Amethyst.

"Sorry P, it's just me," said Amethyst frowning. It hurt her when Pearl frowned, more tears fell from Pearl's face, yet she wiped them away.

"Have you found Peridot?" Pearl asked getting up.

"Afraid not, if she is in the Kindergarten, she is good at hiding," Amethyst replied frowning. She stood by Pearl unable to read her expression. Pearl's face was a deep pale, eyes so tired and full of sadness it hurt Amethyst to see her like this. An idea came to her, maybe just maybe for a brief moment she could make Pearl smile. She morphed into Steven and smiled at Pearl. "Hey Pearl, let's go to the temple and you can teach me the boomerang blade," said Amethyst doing her best Steven voice.

"Amethyst please not now," begged Pearl. Amethyst morphed back into herself frowning.

"Sorry P, just trying to cheer you up," Amethyst said gently.

"I know but we all know what would cheer us up and he is not here," Pearl said as the tears fell from her face. She fell to her knees just sobbing and trembling pain consuming her.

"Pearl calm down, we will find Steven, don't worry," said Amethyst.

"HOW CAN I NOT WORRY? MY BABY IS MISSING AND I CAN"T FIND HIM! ROSE TRUSTED US TO PROTECT HIM AND HE IS GONE! HE SHOULD BE IN BED SAFE AND SOUND NOT OUT THERE WHERE WE CAN'T PROTECT HIM! WHERE IS HE? I WANT MY BABY! I want my baby," Pearl shouted the last part she moaned out. Amethyst grabbed Pearl hugging her close and rubbing her back. Tears falling down her face as well.

"I want him back too," Amethyst said her voice cracking from the pain and worry. They heard the door open and saw Garnet come in wet and a frown on her face. Pearl regained her composure wiping the tears away.

"Any luck finding Lapis or Jasper?" asked Pearl.

"No but guess who found me," said Garnet motioning to Connie and Greg.

"Connie, Greg, what are you guys doing here?" asked Pearl in a shocked tone.

"I managed to get an extra hour, of staying up before my parents got worried. My parents think Steven is visiting his aunt, Mr. Universe made a convincing story, so I am here to make Steven a surprise party when he comes back," explained Connie. "Have you…I mean did you find him?" asked Connie looking hopeful.

"Afraid not," said Pearl.

"Garnet I hate to ask but how is the future vision coming?" asked Greg. Maybe she finally got a vision on Steven and could tell them if she knew where he was or anything about him. Garnet frowned and folded her arms looking a cross between upset and worried.

"No, I haven't had one vision of Steven, I see possibilities but nothing concrete, something, something is blocking my vision of him. I just don't understand it, I can sense him sometimes, I know he is safe but that is all I know," she said sounding defeated.

"How can your future vision be blocked?" asked Amethyst looking confused.

"I DON'T KNOW! YOU THINK HAVING FUTURE VISION IS SO EASY THAN YOU GIVE IT A TRY!" shouted Garnet tears streaking down her face. Amethyst hid behind Pearl wishing that for once she kept her mouth shut. Garnet placed a hand over her mouth as more tears fell. "Amethyst, I'm …I'm sorry I shouldn't have yelled," Garnet said looking sadder.

"It's okay G, we are all worried about Steven," Amethyst said hugging her.

"Garnet, Pearl, and Amethyst I wanted to thank you all for trying so hard to find Steven, Garnet, you said you knew he was safe, that means more to me than you realize," Greg said smiling at them. That smile gave the gems some form of comfort but sadly they had to call it a night and start searching again. "Come on Connie, I'll take you home," said Greg.

"I know Steven is safe, he'll come back soon," Connie said trying to be brave. She wasn't entirely angry at Steven, just wondering why, why did he leave? What happened to him to make him just disappear? As Greg took her to his van the ground beneath them began to shake and rattle.

"Ahhh!" Connie shouts as Greg holds onto her.

"Gems!" shouts Garnet as they all raced down to the beach. An enormous rock monster, with a gem lodged inside it's lower belly, growled at Connie and Greg. "Amethyst get Greg and Connie to safety, Pearl, you are with me!" shouts Garnet as they charged at the beast. Amethyst grabbed both Connie and Greg carrying them behind the van.

"Stay here, you should be safe," said Amethyst racing to help the gems. The beast had Pearl wrapped around it's tail throwing her straight into Garnet. They collided rolling onto the beach.

"It's strong," Pearl moaned slowly getting to her feet. She held at a hand to Garnet, as the fusion formed her gauntlets.

"Then we will have to be stronger," Garnet growled charging at the beast, as Amethyst threw her whip around one of the beast's legs trying to keep it from moving. The beast roared as Garnet charged yet, the leg the whip was around was slowing ripping and when the beast turned around once again Garnet collided with a gem, only it was Amethyst. Now the creature was charging at Pearl, whose spears kept falling from the rocky hide of the beast. It used it's rock head to stomp at Pearl who barely dodged it, as Garnet jumped and hit the beast with her gauntlets, yet, it barely made a dent, as Garnet found herself wrapped in the creature's tail, being thrown side to side. Finally she was released as both gems were gasping and panting.

"It's strong and smart," panted Pearl.

"Anyone have any ideas?" asked Amethyst.

"Do you have enough energy to form Opal?" asked Garnet.

"I barely have enough energy to stand, but we can try, hurry Pearl," said Amethyst trying to get up. Yet, the gems found themselves being charged at by the beast.

"Look out!" shouted Connie tears streaking down her face. Greg watched in horror not knowing what to do.

"Brace yourselves!" shouted Garnet trying to shield the other two from being harmed. Just then a shield hit the beast in the head. The beast growled in pain and turned to face a figure appearing out of the moon light. It charged at the figure now full or rage, yet the figure moved with ease a sword in hand sliding under the creature, slicing it's belly open.

Good work, now let's get this gem out

Yes, it's weakness is it's belly, soft like butter.

Let's cut us some butter.

The creature roared trying to stomp at the figure with it's feet, yet the figure moved like the wind, and if the beast's feet got to close the figure used their shield and sliced more of the creature's belly.

"Who is that?" asked Pearl.

"I don't know," said Garnet looking amazed.

"Hope they are on our side," said Amethyst.

One more cut.

We're almost there.

Let's finish this.

The figure shoved the sword deep in the center of the beast's belly; the gem shards used to create the creature fell, making the rock monster disappear. Now the figure bubbled the shards and walked towards the gems, Connie and Greg. The sword and shield disappeared as now the figure came into the light.

She was the same height as Garnet, yet with an athletic build, her hair was a curly chestnut brown with streaks of blue and darker brown, her skin was dark chocolate with slivers of silver swirled and music notes around one of her arms. The woman had a round face and crescent moon shaped eyes, one was a mocha color and the other black. Her outfit was the only normal thing she wore a leather jacket, with a red shirt that had a star on it and tight blue jeans with boots. The new figure smiled and said, "Hello, nice night huh?"

"Who are you?" Pearl asked looking at the woman with suspicion. She looked so familiar but she didn't get a good look at the shield and if the girl was a gem, she had a hard time seeing her gem.

"Oh how rude of me, where are my manners?" said the figure with a small chuckle. Connie and Greg walked closer to the figure to get a better look sensing that the figure wasn't a threat, at least not yet.

"My name is Melody, but you guys might remember me by a different name," said Melody with a wink.

A bright light appeared and not two but three figures appeared once the light was gone. One figure came up to Garnet's neck, with silver skin, midnight blue hair, crescent moon shaped eyes, the color of a pale moon, with a crescent moon going across her face. She wore the jeans that Melody had worn from a few moments ago.

"Luna," said Garnet eyes, full of shock as a small tear fell from her face. Pearl however glared at Luna folding her arms.

"Hello Garnet, Pearl," Luna said gently. She bit her lip not knowing what to say or do next.

The next figure was a girl the same height as Pearl, but had more muscle, long curly brown hair with dark chocolate skin, and mocha eyes, with the same music notes that Melody had wearing the leather jacket Melody wore. She didn't say anything just smiled not sure of what to do. Yet, everyone didn't need to describe the last figure before them.

"Steven!" shouted the gems. Garnet couldn't hold back her tears; the evil look Pearl had given Luna vanished once her eyes laid upon the boy. Amethyst was grinning relief washed all over her seeing her number one fan before her. Greg smiled as Connie had tears streaking down her face. She had never been so happy before in her life. Steven just looked around at the gems, his dad, and Connie.

He gave them all a small smile and said, "Hey guys, I am back".

To be continued

Author's Note: Hope you all enjoyed this chapter and please review.