Steven couldn't take it anymore.
He didn't know how much longer he could wait to act.
But he knew that if he didn't, then things might take a turn for the absolute worst.
But first, let's back this up a bit, before things get even more confusing. (Assuming that's even possible.)
So, it was after Bismuth had baked the pancakes, the one that was reputed to taste like cookie-cats. It took over three attempts, but eventually, Bismuth managed to cook it to the point where it was only slightly burned. Steven dug in, tried not to throw up, and then forced himself to eat the rest of the thing while smiling like a crazed lunatic, which was good enough for the bulky Gem. After finishing the whole thing (and silently cursing Pearl for giving the recipe to Bismuth), Steven tried to go to the bathroom, fully intending to puke the pancakes up as silently as possible before it forced him to via food poisoning. Unfortunately, Bismuth wasn't having that, and tried to spark up another conversation.
And you can imagine how well that went.
"So...what did you think?" She asked, giving him a smile that was all teeth. "I know it took me a couple of tries, but I think I really did good, all things considered!"
"It was...good," Steven mumbled, tapping his fingers against the tabletop. "It didn't taste entirely like cookie-cats, but the underlying...sweetness was there. I'm sure no one could have done better."
"Ah, thanks." Bismuth said, rubbing her hands over her hair. "But I'm sure Pearl could have done better. I just wish she was here. I've actually been taking a few baking classes recently, which I think is why she asked me to do this for her, but I could have still used her help."
"That's for sure," Steven whispered, before coughing dramatically. "Yeah...maybe. But I didn't know you were taking a cooking class. Why didn't you mention that earlier?"
"Well, we were just discussing other things." Bismuth said. "And besides, if I told you about every class that I was taking at the moment, we could sit here chatting about them for hours!"
She then laughed, and Steven awkwardly went along with it, doing his best to fake a chuckle or two. After Bismuth calmed herself down, the two remained silent for a moment, before the Gem gave him an equally awkward smile and opened her mouth again.
"I really need to shape up with my cooking skills, huh?" She asked rhetorically. "It's okay, Steven. I get why you're lying about it. I just wanted to do something nice, you know? Just the two of us."
"Huh?" Steven said. "What are you talking about?"
"The whole pancake thing." Bismuth said, shaking her head and grinning. "You don't have to hide it from me that it was terrible. The look on your face every time you took a bite was proof enough of that."
"What? No, Bismuth, I loved your-" Steven started, before Bismuth tilted her head and stared at him with a thin smile. The expression on her face said it all, and Steven's voice died in his throat and then he sighed in both exhaustion and relief, secretly overjoyed that he didn't have to pretend he liked the pancakes anymore.
"Okay. I admit it." He said. "The pancakes were terrible."
"Yeah, I thought so…" Bismuth replied. "Sorry about that. You didn't have to eat the whole thing, you know. If you didn't want it, I would have understood. And besides, I'm sure Amethyst would have loved it. She does seem to be eating a lot nowadays…"
Steven winced and leaned back in his chair. "Oh...you noticed." He said. "In case you're wondering why half our fridge was empty, it's because of her. Everyone's dealing with the stress of Mirror and another explosion in their own way, and Amethyst's...is eating. A lot."
"Ohhhh…" Bismuth said, before glancing at the ground, almost in shame. "Yeah. I understand. Peridot and Lapis are taking it hard as well. Peridot spends all day cooped up her house, working on those devices that she says can help us beat Mirror. Each time I ask her about them, she says they're almost done. But to be honest…" Bismuth shook her head again and took a seat. "...I think half of the time she didn't even work, just thinking to herself. Even when things were normal, I couldn't even imagine what kind of crazy things she could be thinking up at any given time. And now...well, I shouldn't even bother trying."
"Well, at least that's better than what Pearl is doing," Steven said. "She spends all day in her room as well, although I think she does things that are a lot more...concerning. I tried visiting her once, after she stayed in there for three days straight, but I just heard sobbing sounds." He shivered as if a cold wind had just passed through. "That was proof enough for me that she was taking it hard as well. And when I asked Garnet about it, she just said that she hadn't seen Pearl like this ever since...since…"
"Since Rose disappeared?"
"...Yeah," Steven said softly. "Exactly that. Which sucks, because according to her, it took months for Pearl to get over it. And even then, it was a few years before the smiles she had when Rose was still around came back. And...I think she's reacting this way because she's worried that she's going to lose me too."
"We're never going to let that happen." Bismuth said, in a much more serious tone. "Even if Mirror comes to Earth and shows their ugly face in person to steal you away, we'll defend you down to the last Gem. No matter what."
"...Thanks," Steven said. "But I don't want you all to get hurt because of me. If Mirror does come to Earth for whatever reason, I'm not going to let you sacrifice yourselves in my place."
"Steven, you know you don't have a choice in that matter." Bismuth said.
"..."
"..."
"...Okay." He said, not sure what else to say to that. "But now that I've told you about Pearl...what's Lapis been doing? You said both her and Peridot are taking it pretty hard. What's she doing nowadays?"
"Ehh…" Bismuth said, rubbing the back of her head. "She's been painting a lot. She spends all day in that art studio, just pumping out painting after painting. Sometimes they're the same thing over and over, and sometimes they're...odd. Disturbing, almost. I want to tell you what she's been making on those canvases, but I don't think I can. Not because I think she'll get mad at me, but because…" Bismuth looked away and blew some hair out of her face. "...I don't think I physically can. You know what, just imagine ten different cans of paint splattered onto a canvas at random. That should give you a decent idea."
"Yeesh." Steven winced. "Well, at least that's not hurting anyone."
"Speak for yourself." Bismuth said. "I locked her out of her studio once, and then I found her five minutes later painting on the side of a building using her water wings. Big mistake doing that, let me tell you. I don't know what kind of special paint she uses, but it took hours to scrub off."
"For the love of…" Steven started, leaning back in his chair and facepalming. "Please don't tell me she was whispering obscure things while doing it. Because I've seen that happen in movies before, and I'm pretty sure it's a sign of mental instability."
"Uh...I don't know anything about any whispering, but when I asked her what she was doing, she said she was making "poetry"." Bismuth replied.
"Okay, I'm putting a stop to that," Steven said, who didn't like any of what he was hearing. "Bring Lapis here. No, you know what, being everyone here. I'm not having them turn insane because of me. I'm solving this right now."
"Gems can't turn insane, Steven." Bismuth said. "At least, that's what Pink Steven told you, right? I distinctly recall you telling us that he told you that being a Gem means-"
"Yes, he didn't say something along those lines," Steven admitted. "But still. This isn't healthy. They may not go insane, but their anxiety may only get worse." He stood up and huffed. "What if Peridot takes apart power lines and generators for her projects? What if Lapis floods the town in an attempt to create her "poetry"? What if Amethyst becomes a thief and steals from the local grocery store?" He asked towards no one in particular. "At this rate, that's what's going to happen. And I'm not going to stand by any longer and watch my friends tear themselves apart!"
"...Wow." Bismuth said. "Okay then. I'll go get Lapis and the others. But what exactly do you plan on saying to them? Most of their anxiety is about you after all. They're worried that Mirror is going to take over your mind and harm you. And after Aquamarine and Ruby...well, I think I can speak for all of them when I say that they're more worried than ever."
"Doesn't matter. I'm still taking care of this. I-" Steven started, before a loud ringing sound interrupted him. The two of them looked at the house phone attached to the wall, the only phone left in the house after the day Steven had all his electronics taken away. Bismuth looked at Steven, who shook his head in response. Bismuth nodded back before walking over to the phone and answering it, with a grim expression on her face.
"Uh-huh…" She said. "Right now? But in the middle of…...oh, that important? Wait, they're all going to be there? All three of them…...okay. Alright then. I'll be there as fast as I can…...yes, you can use it. Alright. Bye."
She then placed the phone back in the older before sighing and glancing back at Steven, who was frankly expecting the worse.
"Okay, I have to go." She said.
"Why?" Steven asked. "Another meeting?"
"Yeah…" Bismuth said. "I'm really sorry about this, Steven. I'd love to talk more, but apparently, it's urgent."
"Well, I do imagine you guys would have a lot to talk about after getting all your answers from Aquamarine and Ruby…" Steven mumbled. "I still don't see why you can't just have me on a video chat for these things. I know Mirror could hack into them, but come on. Sometimes this just feels ridiculous."
"You and me both." Bismuth said. "But I don't have a day in it this time, unfortunately." She then turned and started walking towards the warp pad, stopping when she was on top of it. "I'll come back later so we can finish what we were talking about. Is that okay?"
"Of course," Steven said, before deciding that he didn't want to end this whole thing so depressingly. "But make sure to improve your baking skills." He chuckled.
Bismuth laughed in response, giving off the exact reaction that Steven had hoped for. "I'll try, Steven. See you later."
And with that, Bismuth warped away in a flash of light, leaving Steven all alone again. He turned back to his plate and the now empty plate, before picking them both up and carrying them over to the sink. He washed them and then set them in the drying rack, before slogging over to the couch and laying down on it like a sack of potatoes.
"Note to self." He said. "Only ever let Pearl or yourself cook things for you ever again. Lest you throw up and-"
Steven then paused and recalled why he had almost fled the whole pie scene in the first place, and he was about to get up and run to the bathroom, before another ringing sound came from the phone, causing him to stop short. He cautiously approached it after a moment's hesitation like it was going to blow up, and then grabbed and answered, fully expecting it to be a simple telemarketer or something of the sort.
But it wasn't a telemarketer. Rather, it was a voice he hadn't heard in weeks, as well as one he thought he might never hear again.
"Steven?"
At the sound of this voice, the hybrid sucked in his breath, not sure if it was containing a shriek of excitement or fear. Because the owner of that voice was Connie. It was rather hoarse, like she had just woken up with a bad taste in her mouth, but it was still unmistakable. Steven almost dropped the phone out of shock, and it took every bit of willpower he had to respond with just one word.
"C-Connie?" He replied, his voice trembling to the point where he thought it might be inaudible.
"Oh, it is you!" Connie said. "Sorry, I thought that it might have been someone else. I heard that you were banned from using any electronic devices for some reason, so I wasn't sure if you were allowed to answer the phone or not…"
"W-what?" Steven sputtered, fear now overridden by confusion at how nonchalant Connie sounded. He had expected her to resent him and insult him for letting this happen to her the second she found out it was him. But she didn't. There wasn't a hint of anger in that tone. Rather, she sounded...relieved?
"Did I say something wrong?" She asked. "I can call back later, if that's fine. I just wanted to talk to you…"
"Wha-no!" Steven said quickly. "No, no, right now is just fine! I have nothing going on! We can have a conversation all day long, if you want!"
"..."
"..."
"...Why are you acting so nervous, Steven?" Connie queried, sounding concerned for him. "Did something happen recently that I don't know about? Is everything okay?"
"What the...what are you talking about?!" Steven asked. "What do you mean "did something happen recently"? Of course something happened! Why are you...how…" He stuttered, half-expecting for this to be a dream.
"Okay, you're starting to freak me out!" Connie said. "God, you're sounding just like my mom when I first woke up! I asked a bunch of questions, and then she started freaking out and crying before leaving the room! I haven't even seen her since! I asked some of the other doctors, and they say she's...not ready to face me?" She scoffed and sounded like she had turned away from the phone. "I don't know. It's weird. Everyone is acting weird here, Steven. And now...you are too! And nobody will tell me what's going on! Or at least...not fully."
"...Hold on," Steven said, as he began to get a terrible sinking feeling in his stomach, mass confusion filling his head as he tried to make sense of Connie's words. "Connie. Where are you right now?"
"At the hospital." She answered. "Same place I've been for two weeks."
"Okay...do you know why you're there?"
"I got a head injury?" Connie replied, saying this like she already expected Steven to know. "A pretty bad one, if the x-rays they showed me are anything to go by, but I think I've been healing up pretty quickly. Getting all those stitches out was a pain though…"
"...I see," Steven said softly, praying to god that his assumption as to what was going on was incorrect. "Connie...what's the last thing you remember? Do you know how you got that head injury?"
"Uh...not really." She said, almost making Steven throw up right then and there. "The doctor told me that I was hit with a piece of rock, but apparently, my mother requested that they not tell me the full story, which is really annoying. As for my last memory...I think I recall reading a book in my room. But anything after that is a blur. I can't remember any of it."
"..."
"..."
"Steven?" She said. "Are you okay-"
"I...give me a second," Steven said, before setting the phone down on the counter and rushing over to the sink. Then, just like he had planned a short while ago, Steven grabbed the sides of it and vomited up the entire pie, burning the back of his throat and making what could only be designed as an absolute mess. This continued for a few seconds, before he finally stopped, panting for air, and trying to spit out the horrible taste that now permeated his tongue.
"No…" He whispered, as the ramifications of what Connie said continued to him at full force. "She can't be...she lost her…" The word "memory" danced on the edge of his lip, but he couldn't bring himself to say it. Nevertheless, he still thought it, and started dry heaving again as he realized what this meant.
When had that last study session been? A week ago? A month ago? Several months? Just how far back had her memory been damaged? And could she ever get it back? Steven wasn't an expert on how the brain worked, and he had no idea if his healing spit could bring back lost memories. The gash on her forehead, most definitely, but something as complex as that…
Well, he had no idea what might happen.
But even so, now was not the time to think about that. Connie was still on the line, and had problems heard him throw up, so it would be best if he went back to her as soon as possible before she started worrying even more about him. He turned on the sink and washed his mouth out before washing the remains of the pie down the drain, almost hurling again from the mere sight of it. Afterwards, he grabbed the phone again and prepared himself for the incoming conversation, not sure if he was going to be able to handle it or not.
"Okay. I'm back." He said. "Sorry about that, Connie."
"...Are you sure you're okay, Steven?" Connie asked. "I'm pretty sure I heard some gagging noises from your side of the line…"
"Oh, yeah, I just ate something earlier that I guess made me a little sick…" Steven replied, which he was sure would have become true if the whole vomit session hadn't just happened. "I just had to step away from the phone for a second."
"Ohmygosh, are you okay?!" Connie asked frantically. "Again, if this is a bad time, I could call back later on, and if you're really feeling sick, then I don't think-"
"No, I'm fine," Steven said. "You don't have to worry about me. I'm all better now. I just...needed a little healing spit to make me better."
"You needed a little what?" Connie asked.
"Healing spit." Steven iterated, still internally freaking out at the amnesia revelation. "Is...your hearing okay? I mean, if it's not, then I can speak up but I might sound a bit-"
"My hearing is fine...I think." Connie interjected. "It's just that I don't know what you're talking about when you say "healing spit"."
"..."
"..."
"W-what?" Steven stuttered, the words from his mouth only coming out half-formed. "You...you don't…"
"Don't what?"
"I...give me a minute. Again." Steven said quickly, and for the second time he set the phone down and ran over to the sink, gagging dramatically. There was nothing left for him to throw up thankfully, but he could definitely feel that his body was trying to. The sudden spark of nervousness had sent his brain into overdrive, and then sent that nausea directly towards his stomach.
And that was only what happened the first time. But now, when Connie has so unceremoniously revealed that her amnesia stretched all the way back to years ago, Steven thought he might vomit up his internal organs. His best friend, girlfriend, who didn't even see herself as such anymore, had been given a case of years-long amnesia because of him. He knew she had been hurt. He knew what had happened and he cried himself to sleep most nights over it.
But now, Steven wasn't sure if he could ever get sleep again, knowing that Connie was in the hospital, her memories of almost everything Gem related gone via his own reckless actions.
He gagged a few more times, and then stopped when he heard Connie talking again, the same concerned tone in her voice from the last time he did this.
"Steven! Steven, pick up!" She demanded. "Are you okay? Please pick up and tell me you're okay!"
Steven started at the phone for a second before gulping and grabbing it with a trembling hand, one that was shaking so much that he almost dropped the device. He raised it back to his ear as he pinched his forearm with his other hand, silently begging to wake up from this nightmare.
"I...I'm okay." He said. "Sorry, I guess that sickness from earlier came back." He then chuckled lightly, which was so fake that it would make a clown die on the spot if they heard it. "But I'm good now. I'm good, Connie. I'm okay. I'm fine."
"You don't sound okay," Connie said, before sighing. "Alright. Something is clearly going wrong. My mom won't talk to me or even show up to my room. The doctors won't tell me what happened. I have no recollection of anything beyond reading that book. And now when I call you, when I finally manage to sneak away from my hospital room because I want to talk to someone that won't act weird, you suddenly turn into the biggest weirdo of all! Healing spit? This sickness that seems to come and go?!" She huffed. "Steven...can you please just tell me what happened? Why do I have this injury? And maybe do it before you throw up again?"
"I...I don't think…" Steven said, trying desperately to come up with a proper response. He was still wrapping his head around everything. What did this even mean? Had she forgotten everything in the years since the day he healed her eyes? The sword training with Pearl? The first time they fused? The incident with Aquamarine and Topaz? Going to Homeworld? All the stuff with Spinel and space camp? Them investigating the Traitor and the journal?
Was all of it just...gone? Because of that one injury?
And why wasn't Priyanka visiting her? And what about her father? She hadn't mentioned Mr. Maheswaran so much as once. And hadn't the Gems visited her at least once? Garnet said she had...did she not remember that or-
'Wait.' Steven thought, as another question, one of the hundreds he already had, flowed into his mind. 'It's been two years. Shouldn't she…?'
"Connie." He said, his voice finally becoming somewhat coherent. "Have you...noticed anything different?"
"What do you mean?" Connie asked.
"I mean...have you noticed anything different about yourself or your environment?" Steven repeated, his voice barely a whisper. "Any changes from the last memory you had of reading that book? Anything you notice? Anything at all?"
"Come to think of it, yeah, there have been a few things," Connie replied. "I think I'm a few inches taller now, my hair a lot shorter, and I've grown a bit in some...ah, areas that don't need specifying." She mumbled, sounding like her entire face was turning red out of embarrassment.
"I understand," Steven said, his own face turning slightly red once he caught on to what she meant. "And...what do you make of those changes?"
Connie paused for a second, before taking a deep breath and saying, "I don't know. I'm not sure how this could have happened. I mean, you said your family is magic or whatever, so maybe they did something to me...or that head injury is somehow behind it. I'm not really sure."
"You're not...what?!" Steven exclaimed, shocked that she hadn't put two and two together instantly. "Connie, how long do you think you were out after that head injury?"
"I think a day or two," Connie replied. "Not that long."
"But those changes you mentioned couldn't have just grown overnight!" Steven said. "It makes no sense! Why...are you acting like it's normal!"
"Because it is?" Connie suggested. "Well, I mean, not too normal, but I think I've heard of people having growth spurts. It wouldn't be odd for me to have something like that as well."
"Connie, even things like growth spurts occur over a good period of time!" Steven said, almost shouting now, and he was unsure whether it was in concern or frustration. "Stuff like that isn't normal at all! Why are you treating the fact that you've aged two full years since your last memory like it's nothing?!"
"...What do you mean "two years"? Connie asked.
"...Okay," Steven said, finally having enough of this. "Connie, I think it's time I tell you the full story. I don't know why you're acting like this, or why your mother won't see you, or why nobody will tell you how you got that head injury, but I think it's time you learned the truth."
"..."
"...Connie?" He asked. "Are you-"
Before the next word could leave his mouth, however, Steven heard several shouting noises on the other side of the phone, one of which belonged to Connie. He was about to open his mouth again, until the next noise rang out, which sounded distinctly like someone getting smashed over the head with a phone. A cry of pain was heard, then loud footsteps, then even more shouting, and eventually these things all blended together into a symphony of noise that Steven couldn't make heads or tails of.
Finally, after a few minutes, the line went quiet, with no voices, no footsteps, no nothing.
"C-Connie?" He said cautiously. "Are you there? Are you oka-"
"Steven." A sudden voice said, one that he recognized instantly. Priyanka. The boy gasped upon hearing it, and he immediately started asking questions, as everything she had heard about the woman from Connie the last couple of minutes hadn't exactly been...good.
"Dr. Mahesweran!" He shouted. "Where's Connie? What did you do with her? Why haven't you visited her ever since-"
"Steven, stop," Priyanka said, clearly peeved with either him or the situation on the other end. "Please...calm down, Steven. Whatever Connie told you, I promise there is an explanation for it."
"I hope so." Steven snapped. He knew he was in no real position to get angry with her since he was the one who put her daughter in the hospital, but he still wanted some sort of explanation. "Because from what I've heard, she hasn't exactly put you on a pedestal."
"I can imagine…" Priyanka muttered, before sighing. "But could you please correct or at least calm your tone? Especially since you're the one who put her in the hospital in the first place? I'm going to try to be as respectful as possible here, because I know it wasn't entirely your fault, but I'd still like to have a talk about that, and what happened exactly so neither myself nor my husband start resenting you for the rest of our lives. Because...neither of us want to, and Connie wouldn't forgive us if we do."
"..."
"..."
"...Okay," Steven said, taking a few more deep breaths. "Okay. I'm calm. I'm good. Now...could you please tell me what's going on?"
"You're going to have to be a little more specific," Priyanka said. "There's so much going on with her that I wouldn't even know where to start…"
"Well, how about the amnesia?" Steven requested, tapping his fingers against the kitchen counter. "I assume that's a byproduct of her head injury."
"...That's correct," Priyanka replied softly. "She has a form of Retrograde amnesia, where her more recently formed memories, which seem to be the ones from the past two years, have disappeared entirely. We also believe that earlier ones may be gradually disappearing, and it's possible…" She paused for a moment and stifled a sob, which Steven heard full-well. "That she may eventually forget everything."
"...Please tell you're joking," Steven begged. "Please tell me that she's going to get better no matter what, that she won't forget every detail of her life, and that my best friend isn't going to-" He was about to say "disappear", but Steven stopped himself to turn away from the phone, choking back a few tears just like Priyanka had. "Just...please. Tell me this isn't permanent."
"...There's no way to tell," Priyanka replied. "Normally Retrograde amnesia that you get from injuries is only temporary, with the memories returning eventually, but so far Connie has shown no signs of that, only the exact opposite. She may eventually get her memories back, and while there usually is an...average for how long that could take depending on how severe the damage is to her brain...we don't have an exact date. It could be a week for now, or a year. We don't know." She repeated.
"...Well, m-maybe I can do something," Steven suggested. "Maybe I can try and heal her with-"
"No," Priyanka said, making Steven flinch away from the phone. "And this isn't a personal bias towards you, Steven. I've seen your healing powers before. If I truly believed that they could bring Connie back to normal, I would drive over to your house myself and bring her to you." She then sighed again, sounding like she was shifting in place. "But I don't truly believe that. I'm sure your powers will heal the actual wounds, but I'm not sure if they could restore lost memories. Something like that is much more complex than a broken bone or a minor laceration. And worst still, you could only make things worse. You might accidentally plant new memories, or reset her brain entirely. Now, it may be possible that none of these things could happen, but until then I don't want to risk it."
'That's exactly what I was worried about as well.' Steven thought. "Alright. If you say no, then I'll consent to that. But until then...is waiting all we can really do at this point?"
"It would seem so," Priyanka said. "We've been getting her to do some exercises, see what she remembers and what she doesn't in the hope that it might unlock more memories...but she's shown no response to them."
Steven gulped after this and leaned against the counter to prevent himself from falling over. Suddenly, he felt like he had been smacked in the head with a giant rock. Again, the realization that Connie had lost her memories of a huge portion of her life, and was only going to get worse was hitting him head-on (no pun intended). He wasn't sure if he was about to throw up again, or smash straight through the door of the Beach House in a mad dash to get to the hospital.
Although Priyanka probably wouldn't approve of that, if her earlier comment was anything to go on.
But speaking of her…
"Something else," Steven said. "Connie told me that you never visited her while she was in...while she's in the hospital! You were only there when she woke up and she hasn't seen you since! Apart from right now, I'm guessing, considering that you were probably the one who took the phone away from her." He rambled. "I'm not accusing you or trying to vilify you here, but...why didn't you go visit her? Are you just...unable to see while she's like this-"
"Oh for the love of...is that what she told you?" Priyanka asked, sounding like she was facepalming. "Did she really tell you that I haven't come to see her even once?"
"...Yeah," Steven said. "Why? Have you?"
"Of course I have!" Priyanka exclaimed. "I've been paying her visits multiple times a day every day! Even if she lost every bit of herself, even if that head injury had reverted her mental state to the point where she was no more intelligent than an infant, I'd still make sure she was okay using as many opportunities as possible!"
"O-oh," Steven said softly. "Then why did she…?"
"I probably should have mentioned this earlier…" Priyanka mumbled. "But Connie no longer sees me as her mother."
"Wha-what?!" Steven exclaimed. "What do you mean?"
"I mean she doesn't recognize me as anything more than another random doctor," Priyanka explained. "She recognizes her father just fine, but as for me...no. I'm a stranger to her now. It's like I was erased from her memory entirely, and now I have to remind her of who I really am every time we meet. But no matter how many times I try...she simply refuses to acknowledge me as her mother." Priyanka then squeezed the phone tightly as she went on, using such force that Steven could hear the plastic straining on his end. "One time she even shouted at me to leave when I tried to hug her. It's been...a painful time for all of us."
"Oh my god…" Steven said, now feeling even more guilty, if that was even possible. "W-well...if she doesn't see you as her mom...then who is it? She told me that you were there when she woke up, and she saw you as her mother, or...gah, this is getting so confusing!" He whined.
"It's more the way you're putting it," Priyanka said. "But I understand what you're trying to ask. And I'm still a little...salty, you could say, over this, so please excuse me if I sound frustrated while I'm explaining it. I was there when she woke up, of course, but as I'm sure you've guessed I'm not the person who she claimed was her "mother". Because there was one other person visiting that day. She was in the room as well. It was...it was Pearl."
"Pearl?!" Steven shouted. "Connie saw her as her mother rather than you?! That doesn't...doesn't...actually, no, it makes perfect sense." Steven deadpanned. "Connie practically sees her as a second mother, so if not you, then…"
"Her." Priyanka finished. "And I can tell you that I may have gotten a bit...angry when I heard this. I demanded that Pearl leave, and she hasn't come back since. Connie keeps asking to see her mother when I'm around, and when her father comes to see her she requests that "mom" come around as well, even though I'm usually standing right there next to him."
"Ouch," Steven whispered. "I guess that explains why Pearl said she "wants to give Connie some time alone with her parents". She was afraid that you'd tell her off again."
"I wouldn't. It's just that the shock at that moment made me blow up at her. I wasn't thinking rationally." Priyanka admitted. "I was so worried about Connie, and when she finally woke up and wanted to see someone else...well, let's say that I wasn't pleased, and unfortunately I took it out on the closest person to me that wasn't her."
"I understand," Steven said. "But...hey! That means Pearl knew Connie had lost her memory! Or at least had some form of brain damage! And I'm betting she told Garnet and maybe Amethyst as well!" He deduced. "Have they been...hiding that from me?"
"I guess so," Priyanka said. "Garnet did come to visit a few days after she woke up, to use that...future vision she had to see if Connie would improve."
"And?" Steven asked breathlessly. "What did she say?"
"She didn't say anything," Priyanka replied. "She stared at her for half a minute and then walked out without saying a word. I tried to stop her, but she ignored me the whole way. Which didn't exactly give me high hopes for Connie's recovery…"
"Really? That's not like Garnet." Steven said. "I mean, sometimes she can be stoic and silent and kinda creepy, but I wouldn't think she would just read Connie's future and then leave without giving you some kind of prediction."
"Well, she did and there's nothing I can do about it now," Priyanka said. "She mentioned beforehand that you were grounded in a way, or at least being protected in that house-"
"Protected is a good word for it." Steven scoffed/interjected. "They have literal blast shields surrounding this place."
"To be fair, after seeing the damage that explosion caused, I'd put them there as well," Priyanka said. "But anyways, she requested that I not go over myself or send Connie over there if she got better. And that I shouldn't bother calling you. She claimed that all the phones had been ripped off the walls." Priyanka blew a puff of air and bit her bottom lip. "I guess that was a lie…"
"Of course it was." Steven sighed, facepalming. "I can only imagine what this means. I wonder how many other things they've lied to me about. Soon enough I'll learn that the Diamonds actually know about Mirror or Peridot hasn't been working on a way to stop them at all or...something." He scoffed. "And I don't think they're going to be that happy about me finding out about this either."
"...Who is Mirror?" Priyanka asked, sounding genuinely curious. "You said something about how the "Diamonds actually know about Mirror". I know who they are well enough, but who's this Mirror person?"
"Eh...I don't think I should tell you." Steven said. "And it's not that I don't want to, it's more because...it might be dangerous for you. I feel like I have a requirement to tell you, but I'm the other hand, I'm not sure I want to get you roped in with this situation any further. I'm worried you might get hurt like Connie did. Or someone else might." He sighed. "I hope you understand, but I just don't want anyone else to be put in the hospital because of me."
"I...understand," Priyanka said. "But when all this is over, I want a full explanation, Steven. If this "Mirror" person is the one truly to blame for doing this to Connie, then I think I deserve at the very least to know who they are."
"You will," Steven reassured her. "We just need a little more time." He then shifted in place again before popping a question that had been on his mind for a while, one that he hoped could be explained logically. "Um...by the way, there was something else Connie told me that sorta stood out. When I realized that she had lost her memory of the past two years, I asked her if there was anything about her appearance that she noticed was different. She did seem to realize that she had grown, but for some reason, she treated it like it was-"
"Normal," Priyanka said, more of a groan, really. "Yes. That was something I was going to get to if you hadn't mentioned it. For some reason, Connie can't seem to comprehend that it has only been a few days and not two years, and that she has lost their memory. I've dealt with amnesic patients before. When told that they lost their memory, usually they try to help us to get it back. They know they were someone, and most of the time they want that someone back. Most." She whispered.
"But…" Priyanka continued. "Connie is not like that. When we told her what happened, she passed out almost immediately. And when she woke back up, she simply refused to believe that she had lost such a major part of her memory. Her unexpected growth? Nothing but a puberty spurt that she considers normal. How different the town looks, along with Little Homeworld? A new addition that she had simply missed from being in her room all day. The Gems walking around in the hospital, training to be doctor's assistants? Just some friends of Steven's family, visiting for a while." Priyanka huffed after listing all this, clearly fed up with how Connie was handling everything. "Everything we tell her she finds some random explanation for, and she believes it completely. For some reason, it seems that while she was passed out her brain entered some kind of situational delusionary mode, where she only believes what she wants to believe."
"So what you're saying is…" Steven started. "Connie won't ever think that she lost two years of memories simply because she doesn't want to? And if someone provides her with evidence that she did, she'll just come up with an excuse to try and disprove it?"
"That's exactly right," Priyanka confirmed. "It's almost nothing like I've seen before. It isn't rare that people suffering from amnesia sometimes won't want to believe that the person they used to be is gone, but this takes it further than I've ever seen it. And even worse...we have no idea how to cure it. Or even help her. Heck, we don't even know how this happened!" She exclaimed, momentarily losing her composure. "Her brain just entered a shutdown mode by itself and when she woke up it had altered everything! It was almost like a separate entity had taken over her mind and forced her to adopt this new personality. This is...a mystery. For all of us. And like I mentioned earlier, perhaps the only way to stop this...is with time."
"..."
"..."
"..."
"...Steven?" Priyanka said. "Are you there-"
"I'm here," Steven reassured her. "Sorry, I was just thinking to myself. But look, Mrs. Maheswaran-"
"Just call me Priyanka, Steven."
"...Okay. But look, Priyanka, I know you said that we shouldn't use my healing spit because we won't know the outcome, but there could be other ways to heal her using Gem methods." Steven explained.
"How so?" Priyanka asked, sounding like she wasn't going to enjoy what Steven said next.
"Well, for one thing, Gem technology is thousands of years ahead of humanities," Steven revealed. "They may not have traditional "doctors" but I'm sure they have experts on organic biology. Some of whom may know how the human brain works even better than any human. Gems who have spent thousands and thousands of years studying organic life and how it works. They likely have more knowledge of how the human brain works than any other being in the entire universe."
"...Go on." Priyanka requested, after some careful hesitation.
"O-Okay." Steven gulped, surprised that he had already made it this far. "So like I was saying, these Gems likely know more about human biology and brains than any other being. So they might know a way that we can cure Connie of her amnesia that we don't know about. And if there's a way, then they can use that super-advanced technology that I was talking about. Faster-than-light travel. Literal teleportation devices. Super-weapons that could destroy entire planets. That's only a small portion of the tech I've seen on Homeworld and other colonies! So I'm sure they could whip up some crazy medical devices that could easily cure Connie. All they need is for the Gems who made that technology and the Gems that are the experts on organic biology to work together, and I think it should be easy sailing from there!"
"..."
"S-so." Steven stuttered, hoping he wasn't about to hear Priyanka crying all of a sudden. "It's a good plan, right? I get that you probably don't want anything to do with Gems after what happened to Connie, but maybe those same Gems can help fix what was damaged! Heck, even right now, Peridot is working on a machine that should be able to look into a person's mind and manipulate memories and stuff! We might not even need anyone from Homeworld to help! We could just use that!" He said, trying to be as enthusiastic about this as possible.
"..."
"So...what do you think?" Steven asked.
"...Steven." Priyanka started, with a tone that he was unable to read even the slightest bit. "I think...I think that I am willing to give this a try."
"That's okay, I wasn't expecting you to-" Steven started, before he realized what Priyanka just said was not what his immediate response was appropriate for. "...Wait, really?! You're really willing to?"
"...Did you expect me to say no?"
"Uh, yes?" Steven replied. "To be honest, I was expecting a much worse answer than a simple no."
"I suppose I can't blame you for that." Priyanka huffed. "But I am willing to try almost anything at this point, Steven. And unlike how your "healing spit" works, your explanation of those Gems' knowledge of...organic biology and technology made a lot of sense to me. Like your powers, I don't have the foggiest idea how any of it works, but I trust that they do. And that alone is reason enough for me to say yes to your proposal. I will trust whoever you contact to help Connie from this "Homeworld", so they can assist us in curing her amnesia."
"Thank you, Priyanka!" Steven exclaimed. "I don't understand it either, but I promise that you will not-"
"But...I have a few terms." Priyanka interjected, making Steven snap his mouth shut. "Before they even come near my daughter, I want to know everything about them. What they've studied. If they think they can pull this off. What sort of medical work they've done before. How well they truly comprehend the complexities of the human brain, and how one wrong poke can effectively erase a person from existence. I want to make sure that they're prepared for this."
"I'll make sure!" Steven said, even though he knew that going to Homeworld, something that he was definitely not allowed to do at the moment, would be required for this plan to take form. "I'll make sure, Priyanka. I'll take care of everything. Don't worry about it. I'll-"
"Okay, okay I believe you, Steven," Priyanka said, chuckling slightly. "Against my inner voice, I'll believe you. When you get a hold of those Gems, call the hospital and ask for me. We'll work it out from there. Now if you excuse me...I have to go. I know it's abrupt, but someone is calling me. I think a patient had gone out of control."
"Oh, that reminds me! One last thing." Steven requested. "How did Connie get to the phone? I heard some shouting after you presumably took it away from her, like she was, ah, a patient in an insane asylum who just escaped her room. Where are you keeping her?"
"Just in a hospital room. The best I could afford". Priyanka said quickly. "I don't know how she got out, but rest assured, she's okay. We just don't want her contacting anyone and spreading rumors that we might be holding her here against her will."
"I mean...aren't you? From what I heard, she doesn't sound happy to be there…"
"Well, yes, but it's for her own safety, for obvious reasons," Priyanka said. "Now, Steven, goodbye. And once all this is over...if your Gems can really help Connie and restore her memories...then we'll start talking about how I will allow you two to interact in the future."
"Understood," Steven said quietly. "Goodbye."
"Goodbye," Priyanka said, and with that, the line went dead. Steven stared at the phone for a moment before he hung it up, before turning around and facing the counter. He placed both his hands on it, wet his lips, and then using as much force as he could, Steven raised his fist up and slammed it down as hard as he could, shattering plaster and causing it to fly in all directions. A giant crack formed instantly and stretched all the way from the counter to the floor, eventually coming to a stop right at the edge of the wood.
Steven rubbed his hand after this, grimacing as it started bleeding from the minuscule pieces of plaster now embedded in it, but he didn't care about the pain. Only one thing was on his mind: His plan for saving Connie.
And he knew that if he was going to do it, he had to do it now. Mirror could attack at any moment, and he didn't want Connie caught in the crossfire, as she was nothing more than an innocent now. She had to be ready when they came back. They all had to be ready. So Steven sighed, looked over at the Warp Pad, and psyched himself up to leave. The Gems wouldn't approve of it. His dad wouldn't approve of it. No one would approve of it. But still. In some odd, horribly shaped part of his mind, the fact that he had to go now was making some sort of sense.
But first he had to leave a note.
He might not be coming back for a long time, after all.
