Somewhere in the Stars

Topaz held both Steven and Shadow under her arm. Shadow was glad that gems didn't really have body odor cause damn a gem this big would have been kicken.

Aquamarine sat on her throne. The small blue gem was enthused at her catch.

"Rose Quartz. Can you believe it? And she just handed herself in." Aquamarine was more happy than a kindergartener getting a limited edition power ranger.

Shadow made a farting sound in mockery. "You keep sitting up their tiny blue. I've picked my teeth with gems bigger than you." Shadow laughed when Aquamarines happy face was turned upside down.

Aquamarine floated down to grab Shadow by his face with those tiny hands. "For a human you are surprisingly resilient. I saw Topaz hit you with her mace and somehow you're alive. What are you?"

Shadow wrenched his face away. "I'm the one that tried to attack blue diamond." He said in a haughty manner.

"Tried?" Aquamarine laughed.

This time Shadow was blushing. "I would have if it wasn't for her Pearl!"

That just made her laugh even more this was all just a joke. "Well it seems like you're only human after all. Weak and pathetic just like the rest of em."

To the left of them Topaz was dragging someone who was kicking and arguing. When he looked up he looked straight at the young boy. "Steven!" Lars shouted.

Steven was more shocked than Shadow was. Even though he was rolling on the ground from the pain he was in he saw Lars make off like the yellow belly coward he was.

"Now we have two humans and THE Rose Quartz. Well I guess if we take an inch will take a mile as well." Aquamarine couldn't hold in the laughter from her own maliciousness.

Steven wasn't too happy about that. "No Aquamarine the deal was only for me. Even Shadow wasn't suppose to be here."

"Hey I chose to be here little man. I got your back don't worry about that." Shadow would have given him a thumbs up if his side felt a little better.

Steven as tired as he was actually smiled. "Thank you Shadow." His angry glare turned to Aquamarine. "Lars wasn't apart of the deal, take him back."

"Ohhh is the wittle wosey upset because her little deal didn't work out? How touching, I can almost cry." Aquamarine mocked him.

Topaz formed together to lock the three humans together in her body.

Shadow tried to make light of this situation. "At least I'm conscious this time. I don't think my last time in space was memorable."

Steven wasn't happy about this one bit. Now that things were calming down Steven finally noticed the blood on his clothes. Steven licked his hand and tried to reach for his chest. When Shadow noticed he grabbed his wrist.

"What are you doing?"

Steven let his hand fall. "Aren't you hurt? You have blood all over you."

His heart dropped like an anvil. He couldn't even muster the courage to look him in the eye. "I'm fine my wounds healed up."

Steven didn't want to doubt him but he was worried. "You were gone for two days Shadow. We looked for you but couldn't find you."

Shadow didn't say anything he remained quite.

The tug of the ship meant that they were moving again. Lars was pinned up against a control board Topaz was working on. Shadow wanted to sleep but every time he closed his eyes Chad's face would come back to haunt him.

Lars muffled voice was just as annoying as his lack of sleep.

"Steven this is all your fault. All this weird alien stuff is because of you isn't it?"

When Shadow looked to see Lars pinned under Topazes ass. "Why don't you shut up. You ran off when you friend needed you the most."

"Shadow please. Yes this is my fault, that's why I turned myself in. To save all of you."

Despite Shadows outburst Lars needed someone to let his frustration out on. "Well la-de-da look how well that turned out."

Steven tried to suppress his own frustration. "Everyone else managed to get off the ship. Where were you?" He looked to Shadow for the answer.

Shadow turned his angry eyes to Lars. "Oh this punk ran and hid like a little girl."

"I'm am not a girl! I ran and hid like anyone other sensible person who wants to… get stuck on a ship… oh." Lars didn't take long to realize the error of what he had done.

"So you admit you just left your friend?"

Lars wanted to argue with Shadow, he didn't have it in him. All his words were warranted. "I did. Sadie needed me and I just tucked tail and ran. I'm scared Steven. Everytime I'm scared I run just like I did the pot luck. If I just came inside with my roll I wouldn't be here."

This time Shadow shut his mouth. It was hard to forget that Lars was just a regular kid. Shadow was the same as him two years ago and now he was something else. He swore he would try better to understand where Lars was coming from. Their was nothing wrong with being scared, it was all apart of being human.

Steven was more empathetic than him. "We just need to get you out of here. Here." Steven looked up at Topaz. When he tried to communicate with her Topaz acted like she didn't understand anything they were saying. The ship made a lurching movement.

Aquamarine wasn't so pleased about this new dilemma. "Those Crystal Gems must have damaged the ship on takeoff. Topaz go check it out."

Topaz made her way downstairs. A large blue sphere attached with multiple blue tendrils connected to various parts of the wall.

"We need to find a way to get out of this." Steven looked to a table with what just they needed. Gem stabilizers were secured to the table about twenty feet away from them.

Shadow wished he could have done something. One of his arms were free but still no matter how many times he tried he couldn't summon his power. Not a shield, a whip or a zap to help get them out. He was more useless than a box of rocks to a gold miner.

Steven could see that he was trying. Their was only one other option left. "Lars… I'm going to need you to pull my pants off."

Both Lars and Shadow were shocked at what he had just said.

Shadow was almost to shocked to speak. "Steven you know I love you no matter what your sexual preferences are but I don't think now is a perfect time."

"What no Shadow. Lars I'm trying to save us so please hurry."

Lars didn't budge. "Why should I you weirdo? I'd rather just be lost in space."

"Just do it!"

The teenager didn't want to do anything until Shadow grunted at him. "Fine"

After a few seconds Lars finally complied.

"I did it."

Steven was happy about this turn around. "Good good now tie the legs together."

"I can't?"

"Why not?"

Lars looked down at the pants. "They're on the floor."

Shadow had just enough reach to punch Lars in the head. "Would you stop being a punk!"

Lars rubbed his head in pain.

"I'm sick of this!" He shouted. Steven and Shadow were silenced by his outburst. "I don't know why you think I can do all these things. You can create a shield from thin air. Shadow even fought back against them while I did nothing!" Lars couldn't stop the tears from filling his eyes. Those eyes looked at Shadow. "You were right. I am just a coward. I'm just afraid. Look at you two, you're never afraid."

That's what they all were. Afraid of sins of his mother's past that Steven was now trying to amend. Shadow, with his sins of love and rage he had committed. Or just simply being afraid as Lars was.

Steven didn't understand how his friend could think of that. "Lars I'm afraid right now. I've been to space, seen stars and have been on the moon. But not like this, I'm being taken to an alien planet to see terrible leaders that want to hurt me. Destroy earth for something that happened before I was born." Steven couldn't stop his own emotions from running.

"Steven you don't have to-"

"No." Steven interrupted Shadow. "I just wanted to save everyone. I couldn't even do that because look, you're still here. I'm sorry I don't know how I'm going to get you out of this."

Shadow wanted to give words of encouragement like he had always done. This time he didn't. Hell his hands were shaking a blind man wouldn't believe him. Shadow was afraid that he would end up in a dark room again with Holley Blue Agate. The thought of being at the end of her whip again terrified him more than anything else.

Lars on the other hand was different. Lars spoke up, told Steven the right things he needed to hear even if his tone still wasn't so convincing. Steven even pointed it out that Lars was normally more real with him no matter the situation. Guess when times are desperate the real you comes out or something more. When Steven confessed that he didn't want to be alone and that he was glad they were here with him Shadow felt weak again like he had in elementary school. Shadow wanted nothing more to be in his old apartment sitting in the darkness. To just let the world crush him under his weight. Anything had to have been better than this. Shadow couldn't even remember the last time he had slept in his own bed.

That was the problem with wanting though, seldom do we get what we want unless we put work into it. The problem with that though is that sometimes when we get it their are consequences. The the thing that was eating away at Shadows insides is that when he had saw Pearl and Chad dancing he wanted nothing more than to kill him. It didn't matter if it was with his bear hands or in front of all these people.

One thing for sure he wanted that man dead because of his pittiness. Shadow wanted to justify what he did, wanted to believe that maybe he was the hero of the day getting the girl and wearing spandex. All hopes of that went out the window when he ripped his arms off. So he let his head fall, let the shame of what he'd done weigh heavy on his heart. See Steven wouldn't be the only one judged when they arrived on homeworld. As they were flying somewhere in the stars judging himself Shadow would make sure that when they arrived on homeworld he would be too. He would make sure of that.

Author notes:

Sorry for the short one this time, the next chapter will be longer I promise. Linusatari… hold onto your knickers, believe me when I say ITS ABOUT TO GO DOWN. Or at least that's my intent. You'll see, I won't disappoint..

- Shadow