There may be some disturbing or slightly upsetting elements here. I don't really think so myself, but I'm just putting it out there just to be safe.

Nuke Tremor, thanks for noticing that. I edited it. LOL.

~O~

Chapter Twenty-Nine: Night Terror

Roooossseeee...

Steven awoke from sleep at the sound of moaning.

A chattering hiss and a wheezing, like air leaving a balloon.

A plea for mercy.

Standing up, he watched Lion awaken too. Both of them looked at each other and Steven felt a tenseness in the large cat's frame. Something definitely felt different tonight. Something unsettling.

"Did you hear that?" he asked, softly.

Lion didn't answer, naturally. Instead, he stood closer to Steven, his haunches raised and his fur bristling with uncertainty. Steven patted his face comfortingly before they walked outside onto the front porch. They noticed Jasper standing there, watching the horizon with a deeply focused frown.

"Jasper?" Steven said.

"Shh," Jasper whispered, "Be quiet."

"Do you hear it too?" Steven asked, approaching her.

Jasper nodded her head. "Something's out there."

Steven was uneasy by the thought. He didn't know what Jasper was looking for or what she suspected she saw. He felt a chill run down his back.

"What do you think it is?" he asked her.

Jasper frowned. She didn't know.

The following morning, Garnet, Jasper and Pearl were walking through the woods just outside of Beach City in search of a corrupted gem. Garnet had sensed it - which Jasper suspected was what she had felt on her own. But that was a warrior's instinct and not necessarily an act of future vision.

When they came to a clearing, Garnet stopped at the sight of yellowish fluid that soaked the trees. Some of them appeared to have been snapped in half by something enormous. Pearl bent down, touched some of the fluid with two fingers and sniffed it.

She grimaced. "UGH. It smells awful!" she said, shaking the goo from her hand.

After a few moments, she walked alongside Jasper. "What could have done this?"

"I don't know. This is new." Jasper replied, frowning.

"There's nothing here," Garnet told them, scanning their surroundings. "We've been searching for hours. We should return to the temple and regroup again tomorrow."

"Alright, but we should really think about what Steven had heard last night," Pearl reminded her. "We didn't take the Robanoids seriously and look what happened."

"That's right." Garnet agreed. "Don't worry. I'll continue the search on my own later. You and Jasper have your own time to spend together."

Pearl's features lit up. "Oh! That's right! Fusion training!"

Jasper smiled at the thought.

The two visited the Ancient Sky Arena where Connie and Steven were waiting for them. They both brightened when they saw them arrive.

"Alright, you two," Pearl said, "Jasper agreed to help with fusion training today."

Steven looked at Jasper with a grin. "Really?"

Jasper chuckled. "Really. And don't think I'll pull any punches, either."

Pearl extended her hand. "Shall we?"

Jasper smiled and took it. Connie and Steven watched as the two gems disappeared in clouds of light, replaced by the large form of Carnelian. The gem fusion smiled down at the two children.

"Alright. Form Stevonnie and show me what you're made of." she said.

Steven and Connie did just that; they performed a little dance, holding both hands together. Their forms disappeared in the same fashion as Pearl and Jasper; Carnelian took a few steps back, watching as Stevonnie appeared.

"Nice to meet you again, Carnelian," they said.

Carnelian chuckled. "Yes, well... Hopefully this introduction will be less unpleasant as when we took on Onyx." she replied.

Stevonnie smiled in return. Then, she straightened. "So, what are we training today?"

Carnelian inhaled, held it and exhaled slowly. "Well, as it is, we are both in need of focus during fusion," she said, walking across the arena. Her four legs moved as if she were gliding on water. "So I thought we could practice together. A sparring session, if you will."

Stevonnie nodded and retrieved Rose's sword that had been lying next to a duffel bag. The shield was produced on their arm.

"Alright, let's dance!" Stevonnie said, smiling.

The entire afternoon was spent training; Carnelian conjuring up a spear that collided with Stevonnie's sword. The training was more methodical than what they were used to. Pearl and Jasper must have been applying both of their fighting skills in the equation. They were working as one, which was what Onyx had accused them of NOT doing.

"No, no," Carnelian chided, furrowed her brow. "That stance is clumsy in battle! I told you this before." Her voice carried the sing-song tone that Pearl was known for. "Keep your stance wide, keep your body lowered..."

Stevonnie sighed. "Sorry. I guess Steven's just thinking about what he heard last night."

Carnelian's features smoothed out. "I know. So am I."

"It's just, we've never had this feeling before." Stevonnie continued, worry lighting their face. "This is different. We know it is."

Carnelian nodded. "Garnet's going to continue the search. Training is important. We've told you this." she said. "Now, let's continue."

So the training resumed for the rest of the afternoon.

O

"Movie night!"

Steven made the announcement that evening while the others crowded around the television in his room. Jasper had been intently watching popcorn cook in the microwave. Steven tripped and nearly knocked a few bowls over. But Jasper had caught him with one hand and stopped the bowls from falling with the other.

Pearl remembered when she had been a servant for Rose Quartz. How she had been clumsy enough only a few times.

"You stupid thing!"

Pearl raised her arm to her head, fortunate the mask that covered her face wasn't showing her fear. The gem that she had spilled a mess onto almost struck her, had it not been for Rose stepping between them and trapping the gem's wrist in her hand.

"You'll not strike my pearl while I'm here." Rose's voice was soft, but tapered with an edge that could freeze the room.

"You need to keep better control over your servants. Or someone else will."

Pearl kept her head lowered when the gem walked away. Rose helped her stand, her touch going from hard to soft when she handled her.

"Forgive me," Pearl said, softly. "I'll clean this mess and not inconvenience you anymore."

Rose chuckled, her voice light with disbelief. "Pearl, honestly; it was a mistake. There's no need to worry about it."

"You are far more kind than a pearl deserves."

Rose's nose scrunched a little at the words, as if they tasted sour. "Everything deserves kindness, Pearl." she reminded her.

"Not I, my Quartz. Not a pearl."

"Oh, enough of this." Rose said, pulling Pearl's hand away as she had attempted to clean it with a cloth - something sweet and fruity scented. "Don't worry about the mess right now."

Rose had been so kind to her. So welcoming. Pearl knew she didn't deserve it. But Rose was always there to make her feel as if she was everything. And now, she had Jasper to do that. What a funny turn of events her life had taken.

The gems gathered in front of the television. Jasper had an enormous bowl of popcorn in her lap. Amethyst sprayed some whip cream into the bowl and Jasper, without looking down at her, said "thanks". They started watching It Came From Beneath The Sink.

Jasper was laughing at a lot of the frightening scenes that had Amethyst and Steven holding each other. Garnet was making a disgusted face. After a few moments, they all looked at Jasper, who continued shoveling popcorn into her mouth.

"She is DYING! How is that funny?" Amethyst exclaimed.

Jasper grinned at her. "Yeah, she's so pitiful!"

The other gems simply started at her strangely why she continued to laugh at the terrified screams coming from the television.

As the night went by, the corrupted Yellow Gypsum had made her way through the woods of Beach City. Half of her face had been horribly mutated between humanoid and nightmarish. Yellow fluid poured from her mouth and form.

"Roooossseeeeee..." she groaned.

O

Steven awoke in the middle of the night again to the sounds of moaning. He found Jasper and Pearl awake and watching the window. The two look at him and they were guarded. Pearl was holding her spear in her hands.

"Steven, go back to sleep." Pearl whispered.

"No. I can't." Steven whispered back.

"We should check it out." Pearl said, looking at Jasper.

Jasper nodded an affirmative.

Both gems walked outside and eventually, Steven followed them. Pearl turned and flicked her spear behind her, gesturing for him to go back to the temple.

"Steven! Get back inside!" she hissed.

"No!" he argued. "What if you guys need help?"

Jasper shook her head. "We don't need help."

"Please? Just in case!"

A sigh from both of them. Pearl shrugged her shoulders and Jasper didn't see a need to argue. She just wanted to find whatever it was that was out there and put an end to it. So Steven was permitted to follow them down the street.

There was more streaks of yellow as they drew closer to the woods. Splatters that reminded them of a horrific bloodbath, much like from the movie they had watched. Looking back at it, Steven could see how watching a horror movie before a fight may have not been the best idea.

"Roooossse..."

The sick, wheezing call froze the three of them in their places. Jasper's helmet appeared on her head, Steven produced his shield and Pearl stood at the ready with her spear.

The Yellow Gypsum crawled her way through the trees, still pouring yellow pools from her mouth and form. Her wide, unseeing eye suddenly focused on the three. She gave a screech that had them shielding their ears from it.

"Sheee..." Yellow Gypsum moaned, tears pouring from her good eye. "Sh-She told me... It would stop... She said... She promised me...if I found Rose...the pain would stop... But no, I can't..."

They were frozen there, staring at the corruption. Steven raised one hand. "Please, let me heal you." he said, "I bet if I - "

When he mentioned 'healing', the Yellow Gypsum went berserk, screaming and charging at them. Pearl, Steven and Jasper jumped out of the way in separate directions. The Yellow Gypsum crawled haphazardly across the ground, sending sprays of yellow everywhere.

"Don't touch me!" she screamed, wild with agony and rage.

"We can help you!" Steven cried, narrowly missing the swing of a tendril on the Gypsum's back.

"You can't, you can't..."

The Gypsum charged for Jasper now and the gem caught her arms in two hands, struggling to hold her back. The force of the corruption pushed Jasper back in the dirt; she snarled with effort and sprays of yellow struck her face. The smell was horrible.

Like rot.

Pearl jumped onto the Gypsum's back, driving her spear into her back. Another fierce scream, a collection of unholy hisses and wails. Steven backed away, narrowly avoiding being trampled by the Gypsum. She threw Pearl from her back and tossed Jasper into the ground.

Steven acted quickly and formed an enormous bubble around the Yellow Gypsum, stopping her from attacking the other two.

Jasper and Pearl stood up, staring at the frightening abberation housed within the pink bubble. She screamed again, slamming her head against the bubble. It sent a spray of saliva in a sticky, disgusting smear across the surface.

"What should we do?" Pearl asked, "If we poof her, we won't know where she came from."

"I know where she came from." Jasper said, staring at the Gypsum's remnants of her uniform. "She's a Yellow Gypsum; a guard of Yellow Diamond's colonies. But she's nothing. Just security."

"Maybe Peridot might know?" Steven suggested.

"I don't know, Steven." Pearl seemed doubtful, for some reason.

"Well, we have to try." he pointed out. "Let's find out why she's like this before we poof her."

O

Peridot studied the bubbled corruption, who was now lying on her side, hyperventilating. Her sides heaved in rapid time with her breaths. Her eye followed every movement of the watching gems that morning. Narrowed and wide. She looked like a sick horse to Steven. He had seen some of them outside of Beach City before.

Or maybe she was weak and frightened.

"Her form is breaking down," Peridot said, features filled with uncertainty. "This is similar to the corruption of other gem life, but...not."

She wanted to get a closer look, so she gestured for Steven to remove the bubble.

"Are you sure?" Steven asked, worried.

"I'm sure. She's exhausted most of her primary energy. She's no threat right now." Peridot assured him.

Jasper couldn't take her eyes off of the Yellow Gypsum. Why would she have been sent in this state? What was Homeworld planning? Did they know more than Onyx had suggested? It made her feel an unusual feeling of unease.

Peridot touched the Yellow Gypsum's sides, leaning close.

"Can you hear me?" she asked. "What is your purpose here?"

No response. Just constant hyperventilating.

Peridot exhaled, removing her hand and coming back with a slimy ooze. She grimaced in disgust and shook her hand free of it.

"That's disgusting!" she cried.

The Yellow Gypsum began to rumble, delirious from the pain and corruption. "I used to...dance with her..." she rumbled, causing the gems around her to react in surprise, "I used to dance... With her... She loved to dance. Do you love to dance?"

Peridot sighed, a mixture of sympathy and disappointment. "Her mind is going." she told them. "She won't be of any use to us. We should put her out of her misery now."

Jasper saw a flash of memory fall in front of her eyes. She remembered holding Kunzite and hearing the same gem inform her of that. Garnet took a step forward, her gauntlets appearing on her hands before she knelt down and gently stroked the Yellow Gypsum's head with one hand. The petting stopped her hyperventilating.

"I'm sorry you had to endure this," Garnet told her. "Be at peace."

For a moment, the Yellow Gypsum's jaws hung slack. Then, her good eye seemed to fill with relief. She croaked out her words and a single tear slid down her cheek.

"Thank you..."

Garnet nodded and raised her fist. A single blow to her head and the Yellow Gypsum disappeared in a poof of smoke. Her gem lay in the puddle of yellow that had formed. Garnet bubbled it and sent it on its way. But Jasper had been staring at the place she used to occupy.

She sensed Pearl watching her with worry and looked at her.

"What?" she asked, quiet.

Pearl shook her head. "Nothing. It's just... I've never seen you look scared before."

For once, Jasper didn't offer a retort. No witty sarcasm.

Pearl was right.

This had scared her.

O

Note - For the fight between the gems and the corrupted Gypsum I listened to the OST for Father Gascoigne from Bloodborne. The second half anyway. Also the OST for Cleric Beast. Give them a listen if you'd like. Also, its movements functioning a lot like William Birkin's boss fight in Darkside Chronicles. The growls and snarls used too.

Hey, I play a lot of video games.

I listen to a lot of game OST's for fight scenes to give me inspiration. LOL.