Steven, shaking, manages to carefully palm Jasper's assembled gem and hurriedly submerges her into the rainbow water. Hunched over the bath he convulses with tears and pains out the words, "Please let this work." His eyes blurry, blinking at his hands, pleading and begging with the destroyed gem encased inside to do something, anything, because this HAS to work.
Tears continue to slide down and drip off his cheeks as he tenses with fear. The terrible impending realisation that nothing was happening smothering him. Stevens' gaze shifts to a shocked stare. His pupils constrict in shock as he slowly opens quivering fingers, unable to fully reveal the impossible consequences of his actions. In the shadowed cracks in his hands, through the murk of swirling colour, were the dull remnants of Jasper.
Steven curled into himself, arms still poised in the water, as his stomach spasmed, lurching with a concoction of thick tar like emotions. "No-No.. Please Jasper-this isn't.." Despite the crushing weight on his chest he took a soggy hitched gasp and cried "Just-Please. Just come back!"
"She's not coming back." A deep rumbling voice told Steven. "You murdered her, so she is never coming back." Steven stared at the floor, trembling with terror.
From what sounded like very far away Steven could hear other voices. "Steven! Steven open the door!" One insisted. But he couldn't move.
"You think your mother's so bad, so cruel-"
"Dude this is serious, open the door!" Another exclaimed in panic.
The low voice slowly chuckled then said "But she never shattered anyone." Steven started to radiate with energy evident from his growing pink hue.
Pearl banged her fist against the door before pressing her head against the surface and looking to the floor in defeat. "Steven, please open the-" a pink light illuminated the floor at the base of the door. "Garnet, look."
Rumbling thunder filled the room as Garnet looked to the floor. Dread consumed her as waves of a dark energy pulsed from the bathroom. She took a sharp inhale and clenched her fists before announcing "Steven, I'm going to break down the door."
"Guys what is that light? And why is the air so-so damn heavy?" Amethyst worriedly asked, looking between both gems for an answer. She did not get one. Neither gem moved. "Errr, earth to crystal gems. Steven is in there and what feels like literal death. We have to get him out!"
Garnet clenched her fists harder. "I'll break down the door. Gems get behind me." Pearl moved away from the door and behind Garnet and Amethyst joined her. "We don't know what is in there so be prepared for anything." She warned as more and more powerful energy waves washed over them. The three pulled out their respective weapons ready for action as Garnet wasted no more time in kicking the door down.
The door slammed open and the Gems dove in. Amidst the pink and the pressure they see him with zig zag cracks extending from him, etched in the floor. Steven is on his knees turned away from them, pink and bound up in a painfully tight ball.
Garnet looks past him to the bath. She sees the swirling whites, yellows, blues and pinks as well as the submerged diamond essence bottles. "Steven?" He does not so much as twitch.
Pearl approaches him slowly and speaks more softly, "Steven what are you doing?"
He is drowning. Drowning in the guilt and the pain and- "They will hate me." And fear and- "They should hate me." -And-and- "I hate me." - He couldn't breathe.
"Get away" he whined as Pearl crouched down to him and placed a hand on his shoulder.
"Steven talk to us." Pearl quietly implored.
The waves of energy were getting more frequent and foreboding. Garnet gasped and outstretched her arm, desperately trying to get her words to win the race against time. "Get back!" She shouted, but not quick enough.
"I said GET AWAY."