-=Steven/Spinel/ Amethyst=-
-=Beach house=-
Steven slammed the door open, waking Amethyst up from her nap on the couch.
"Dang Steven, what's with all the racket?" She asked with a yawn.
"I need Garnet, now!" Steven said in a panicked voice as Spinel joined him in the doorway.
"Yo dude, what's going on? You look like the world is about to blow up, did the cluster escape?" She joked with a laugh.
"Amethyst, this could be really serious! It's something that I probably could handle on my own, but Ronaldo would never listen to me!" The hybrid said as he began to make his way to the warp pad, setting Spinel's shell bag and his small lion on the table carefully l.
"Woah dude, what harm could that fry boy really do? I'm sure you're just over reacting." Amethyst brushes him off, this time sounding a bit more serious.
"You don't understand! Listen, I'll explain everything once everyone is present, I just need to know exactly where Garnet went, this is important." He said to her, looking as serious as possible.
"Um, I mean if it's really that important, I think I heard something about her going to that place where we found the Heaven Beetle." She shrugged, giving Steven the benefit of the doubt.
"Right, thank you. While I'm gone I want you to go and collect Bismuth, Lapis, Peridot, and Pearl. You bring them all back here and wait for me to come back, okay?" Steven asked, turning to his sister who was probably the one who he trusted the most among the Gems, the only one he trusted even more was his father.
She returned a smile. "Don't sweat it, I'll get everyone together for you."
"Thank you, Amethyst. Spinel, if you're coming with, get on the warp pad." Steven said to the Gem that was standing at the edge of the warp area.
"Oh, right, sorry." She chuckled as she bounced her way over to Steven. One she was standing next to him, he sent them off in a stream of light.
"So Steven, who's this Garnet that you've been talking about?" Spinel asks, turning to the boy as they traveled through the warp stream. "I assume she's another friend of Pink's, I've just never met her."
"Yeah, Garnet is a permanent fusion between two Gems that really love each other." Steven explained. "Mom helped her and brought her to the rebellion, but I'm sure she had some selfish motive there."
"I see...you really look down on Pink huh? I mean, I of all Gems should know that she definitely deserves it, but she created you and gave her life so you could have yours." Spinel mentioned, trying to make sense of the boy's anger at his own creator.
"Simple: she left me with her gem, and with it, all her problems, enemies, and her role to fill. In the end, I've seen her do far more bad than good. Don't get me wrong, she saved the earth and all, but I'm beginning to think that she had her own selfish reasons for that too." Steven said, giving a sigh as he thought about all his mother has done and how the little good that she actually did was probably tainted by her selfishness.
"And as for her bringing me into the world the way she did... Spinel, what I'm going to say has to stay between us, ok?" Steven asked turning to her as they finally reached their destination and began walking.
"Of course, I'm great at keeping secrets." She smiled as she made a zipping motion over her mouth, bring a small chuckle out of Steven.
"Thanks...Anyway, I feel like my existence has really only been for her to run and hide. She had so many of her mistakes towering over her so she just dumped them off on me, probably hoping I'd fix them. Spinel, at one point I got so sick of the responsibility of her actions...I tried to remove my Gem. I thought that if I no longer had this thing in me, I would no longer be held responsible for any of it. It was a moment in my life where I had no supporters, and everyone was still wanting me to be like my mom, it was so hard to handle." Steven explained, helping her along the path.
"You tried to take out your Gem? What happened? Did you really end up doing it?" Spinel asked, seemingly worried for the boy.
"Well...I tried to but it hurt too much, though I guess it was for the better that I didn't, seeing as it probably would've killed me. Anyway, I spent the rest of the night on the roof and watched the sun come up. It gave me time to think and realize that I shouldn't worry about what others want me to be. I should fix this world because it's my planet, not my responsibility, I should help the corrupted Gems because they need help and I have the potential to do it, not because my mother screwed them over. I shouldn't think of fixing my mom's mistakes as...well fixing her mistakes." He said, thinking back to that night. "At least not in the sense I was thinking before."
"And you know, in the end, that got me along for a while, but then I look at Homeworld and how I have to fix it. No longer am I just fixing her mistakes, but I'm fixing an entire race's mistakes now. Maybe...maybe after this, I can finally just relax and have a normal rest of my childhood. Heh, I used to be so infatuated with the Gems and all the Gem stuff, but it became pretty clear that there's more to it than just fighting monsters, and quite frankly I just want to fix everything and get it done with so I can finally have some peace." They approached the top of the mountain, Steven still lost in the conversation.
"I see...yeah, that does sound sucky, I think I can understand where you're coming from." Spinel nodded, giving him a look of sympathy.
"Heh, but it's all ok, once I'm done with Homeworld, I can go back home and relax. I'll never have to worry about Gem stuff again." Steven chuckled lightheartedly. "Anyway, we're at the top now. Spinel, can I ask one big thing if you?"
"Yes, of course." She nodded, all to happy to try to take some weight off his shoulders in one way or another.
"Can you wait here at the entrance? I promise I won't be too long, but I will be pretty far ahead." Steven asked, unsure how she would respond to the proposal. "It's just that...well, if I'm going to get Garnet to come home and help me, I'll need to stop this argument we're having, and I would rather do it in private. You can say say no, I won't mind, but I just think things would move along better and I would seem more sincere if I went alone."
Spinel sat there for a moment, hesitating on an answer. "I...I want to, I really do, but I don't know if I could handle being all alone here...this place reminds me a lot of the garden as it is..." She said, looking around at all the plant life.
Steven thought for a moment and have a smile. "Hey, you still got that plushie?" He asked, getting an idea.
"Yeah, it's right here." She said, pulling it from her Gem.
"Good. I want you to try holding onto it while you remember the memories you said it represents. Just remember how much of a genuinely good time we've had together. If you keep at that, I'm sure it'll keep you calm and remind you that I actually do care for you and will always come back. You think you can do that?" Steven asked, trying to make her plushie into some kind of therapy doll.
She looked down at it, a smile coming to her face as she hugged it close. "Yeah, I think I can do that."
"Alright then, I'll be back soon, okay?" He said, turning to go up the stairs.
Spinel just gave a wave and a nod as he began walking. "See you soon."
A few minutes later with Steven, he had just gotten to the top of the stairs, seeming to be out of breath at this point.
He made his way inside the wrecked building, a hole in the roof from the time he was eaten by that bird. He looked around and saw Garnet outside, she was sitting on the calm water, seemingly meditating.
The boy gave a sigh as he made his way outside. He hesitated before pulling his pant legs up a little, kicking his shoes off, and stepping in the water.
He slowly walked over to the fusion, wondering if she even knew he was here. "Yes Steven, I know." She said calmly. Right...future vision or just plain omnipotent knowledge of the world around her at this point? Who could say?
"Hey, Garnet." He said, walking next to her. "I've come to talk to you."
She looked over to his with a slight surprised look. "Really? About what?"
"Well, a couple things, but before anything, I just wanted to apologize. I get that you were just looking out for me, and maybe getting upset and just leaving alone wasn't the best course of action." He sighed, looking off into the distance.
"No...I'm the one who told you to go alone. Albeit, I never actually thought you would actually do it, I was still in the wrong for how I acted." Garnet said, her voice almost as stoic as ever, holding deep emotions of sadness "I just...well you have to understand, Ruby and Sapphire know the real Blue Diamond. The one that shatters Gems on a whim. I was just scared that one of them would let their emotions get the better of them and they'd hurt you."
"I can see that now, but Homeworld has been going great. I've actually been wanting you to see it,... I mean, to be honest, even when we're fighting like this, I was still just trying to make you all proud of the work I was able to get done on Homeworld." The hound Diamond responded.
"I'm sure you've done an amazing job and I'm sorry I ever doubted you. Steven, you have to think of it from my perspective: I've lived for thousands of years, all my life I've been fighting." She began, seemingly starting to get emotional. "Steven, you've been alive for fifteen years now. After taking with Greg I understand that's a big deal, you're basically an adult at this point...but it's just not that easy for me."
"I don't think I understand." Steven said, confused on where this was going.
"For as long as I've know humans, I've been told how fragile they really are, especially the younger ones. I've spent fourteen years of my life trying to keep you safe, always keeping that in mind. Then, after those fourteen years, you were asking to leave for Homeworld with some of the most dangerous beings in all of the universe." She began explaining.
"I guess I was still under the impression that you were still small and fragile, never once did it cross my mind that fifteen years is a lot to humans. Like I said, I've lived for thousands of years, the past fifteen years has felt like maybe what a year would feel like to you, people don't turn into adults in a year. Before I knew it, I had basically blinked and you were basically a mature adult, worth of the title "Crystal Gem", and more than worthy of my trust. I'm just sorry it took so long to realize that." Garnet said, not even able to find the strength to look Steven in the eyes.
"Really? But, if that's the case, why have you been ignoring me and avoiding me? I mean, I get that when I first came back that I kind of did the same, but it just seems that every time I'm here that you just leave before I get the chance to even say hi. I was starting to think you actually hated me." He said, putting his hands in his pockets.
Garnet gave a surprised look before making her way over to Steven and giving him a reassuring smile. "Steven, of course I don't hate you, I could never bring myself to hate my cutie pie."
Steven chuckled lightly at the old nickname, tears came to his eyes as he continued. Garnet thought she had done something wrong but before she could even say anything, the boy wrapped his arms around her, enveloping her in a hug.
She continued to smile as she put a hand on his head. "I've missed you too, Steven."
She let him stand there for a minute or so before he let her go, the realization that he hadn't told her the other thing yet hitting him.
"That's not all I came to tell you though. Walk with me back down the stairs, I should really start getting back to Spinel nkw, she hasn't been away from me for this long yet." Steven said, turning to go back to the stairs.
"Spinel huh? I don't think I've ever met a Spinel, who is she?" Garnet asked, walking along side him.
"Well, it's a bit complicated, but mom left her alone and had her stand in one spot for six thousand years straight. The Diamonds thought I needed a companion so they found her and sent me to go get her. She has separation anxiety, so it's hard to leave her alone." Steven explained as they started walking down the stairs.
"I see. Of course you would be the one to go out of your way like that to help such a Gem, you're still the same old Steven everyone knows and loves." She says with a smile. "Anyway, I'm sure what you have to tell me is urgent then? I mean, it made you come looking for me after all."
"Right. I think that not only are the Crystal Gems in danger, but so are all the uncorrupted Gems too." He said, thinking about that book again. "Amethyst is gathering the other Crystal Gems, I wanted to tell you all together so that way you're all at least aware of it."
"Alright, let's get back soon then." Garnet said with a nod as they sped up the pace a little bit.
Once they reached the bottom of the steps, Steven could see Spinel waiting, seeming to be only slightly anxious while holding the bear close.
Steven chuckled at the adorable site of her hugging the bear while she waited for him.
"Hey Spinel, I'm back!" Steven called to her, waiving as he approached her. She gave a relieved smile as she rushed over to him.
"Steven, look, I did it!" She grinned. "I was able to wait for you without any problems!"
Steven chuckled at her joy. "That's good, I'm proud of you for lasting as long as you did alone."
"You were right, all I had to do was keep on thinking about the memories this stuffed toy represents and I could assure myself that you weren't going to leave me, and it kept me calm." She said, looking over the bear.
"See, I knew it would work." He said, giving her a smile before turning to Garnet. "So, this is Spinel."
"Oh, is this the Garnet we were coming to get?" She asked looking the fusion over.
"Yep, we're going back to the house now, I'm sure everyone is waiting on us at this point." Steven nodded.
"Right." She said before turning to Garnet. "Hey, I'm Steven's best friend, Spinel. But I guess you already got that." She said, shaking her hand.
"Hello." Garnet greeted with a nod. Steven walking up behind them.
"We should get going now, I'm sure everyone is getting impatient." He said, walking past them, Spinel being quick to follow.
-=In the house=-
-=Peridot/Lapis/Bismuth/Pearl/Amethyst/Garnet/Spinel/Steven=-
Steven came back to see that Amethyst had actually managed to gather the main team and they were all waiting on the couch.
"Hey Steven, you wanted us?" Lapis waved with a smile.
"Yeah man, you had me gather everyone here, why?" Amethyst asked from her spot on the couch next to Pearl.
"Alright, I can explain now." Steven nodded, walking to the middle of the room. "Now, this might just be a false alarm, and I don't need all of your help, but I just thought it would be best if everyone knew."
"Stop being vague and just tell us!" Peridot shouted, seemingly taking this unknown threat seriously.
"Well, Ronaldo has been going around and documenting Gems." Steven said, tossing the notebook onto the table.
Pearl picked it up and started flipping through it with a gasp.
"Yeah, he's been going around and finding secrets that they would never want to get out, their strengths, and their weaknesses." Steven said with a nod.
They passed the book around, the reality of the situation hitting them all...well all but Peridot apparently. "So what? Some human's been going around and getting information on some Gems, what could he possibly do with it?"
"I know this doesn't sound like a big deal Peridot, but if this information is taken by someone who can actually use it against us, no one would be safe." Steven sighed, surprised he would even have to explain that to an alleged genius.
"Humans don't usually tend to have photographic memory, we have the book, everything is fine now, right?" Pearl asked, taking the book and setting it on the table.
Steven turned the book over so they could see the cover. "Book #2...there is another, maybe even more than just one. I want to resolve this peacefully, so I was going to ask a couple of you to come along and intimidate him into giving us whatever he has left, this first book is really important."
"Wait, what's so much more important about the first book?" Bismuth asks with a raised brow.
"Me and Spinel are thinking it's all of you and myself. We need to get it back ASAP." Steven explained.
"Alright, maybe we should all go then; I don't want to have to beat a human up, and he didn't seem scared of us the last time we had to fight him for the sake of retrieving you." Garnet said with her arms crossed.
"Right, I wanna see what kind of human would go around and stalk Gems like this anyways." Lapis agreed.
"Sure, just remember that we aren't trying to hurt him, just intimidate him into giving up the other journal and to just forget anything he might actually remember." Steven answered.
He grabbed the book and the group left the house on their first real mission in over a year.
-=Ronaldo's house=-
-=Steven/Spinel/Peridot/Lapis/Bismuth/Garnet/Amethyst/Pearl=-
They ended up in front of the Fryman house, Steven knocking on the door and waiting for someone to answer.
After a few seconds, Ronaldo's father answered the door. "Oh, hey Steven, what are you and your friends doing out this late?"
"Hey Mr.Fryman, we need Ronaldo, can you get him for us?" Steven said, not bothering to answer his question. "I need to talk to him."
"Ronaldo huh? Well he isn't here, though I think I saw him rushing off to the boardwalk not too long ago." He explained, confused on why Steven and his friends would need his son of all people.
"Thanks, I'll see you around Mr.Fryman." Steven said with a wave as he turned around, heading for the boardwalk.
-=Boardwalk=-
-=The same Gems and Steven as before=-
Steven and the Gems finally made it to the boardwalk to see Ronaldo next to a building, the same place he was when Steven and Spinel caught him spying.
"Alright guys, just let me do the talking at first, maybe he'll just give it up, but knowing him...probably not." Steven instructed before making his way over to the teen.
"Hey Ronaldo, looking for something?" Steven asked as he approached him with his arms folded.
"Steven!" Ronaldo said in his usual loud and obnoxious greeting. "Have you seen my journal? It's really important that I get it back."
"Your journal huh? Would you mind telling me what's in it? Maybe I'll know if I've seen it around." Steven asked, hoping to get an honest answer.
"Oh, you know, just some notes I've been taking, trying to find stuff so put on my blog, like usual." He said, not doing that great at hiding his nervousness.
"Really? So I guess that means you know that you aren't supposed to be doing this, and that we would be upset about it?" Steven asked, pulling the journal out, showing the crazy teen that he knew.
What Steven didn't expect was Ronaldo lunging forward and grab ahold of the book. The Gems moved to try and stop him but Steven held his hand up as a sign for them to not make any rash decisions.
Despite Ronaldo using the entire weight of his body to pull on the book, Steven kept a firm grip on it with just one hand.
"Ronaldo, you need to explain this. Now." Steven ordered, pulling the book away.
He looked away, seeming to get even more anxious. "Well, you know. I have to get as much information that I can so I can make truthful reports in my blog."
"But this is wrong! It's wrong to spy on people and gather sensitive information like this! I mean, we weren't even in town for a day and you started making a page about Spinel, and she doesn't even live here!" Steven said, raising his voice. He knew from their history that Ronaldo wasn't someone you could just reason with if you aren't stern with him.
"I-I know, it's just- well you see-" He was struggling to find and excuse.
"Listen. We can just forget about this if you give us everything you've made about everyone. Digitally and on paper, plus you have to try and forget everything you've learned. I don't think you understand the kind of danger you've put everyone in." Steven sighed. "So let's just start by you giving me the first book."
"Wait, no- I cant!" Ronaldo said, seeming to panic. "And I need that book too!"
"Why?! You're freaking out over this, it's obviously not for your blog!" Steven shouted, loosing his patience for the teen that was putting his friends and family in danger.
Before he could answer Lapis wrapped him in water chains tightly, Peridot had random scraps of metal floating around her, and all the Gems summoned their weapons.
"I know I said intimidate him, but this is a bit much." Steven thought as he looked around to make sure no one was watching this, as they could get the wrong idea.
"We aren't asking anymore, give us the book, now." Garnet said in her usual monotonous voice but with slight undertones of anger.
"W-wait, I really can't give you the first book, and it really is the only other document of Gems that I have, I promise!" He panicked.
"And why is that? What could possibly be stopping you from giving it to us?" Pearl asked, visually tightening her grip on her spear.
"B-because I already gave it to someone else!" He admitted as he shut his eyes, bracing for whatever happened next.
"You what?! Who did you give it to?! Why would you give it to anyone?!" Steven shouted as he gripped his head, now panicking as well.
"I don't know who it was, she just told me that she needed it, she said if I wanted jer yo keep her end of the deal, I wouldn't ask questions." He said, getting quiet, realizing just how suspicious this whole thing was and just how much he messed up.
"Who? Who wanted all this information on us?" Steven asked, trying to sound calm as Spinel tried to comfort him by putting a hand on his shoulder.
"I don't know. She had a robe on, the only thing I know is that she was tiny and really mean, and kept going on rants about how disgusting this planet and its inhabitants are. She had another person with her, but they were pretty big and didn't really say anything." He described, bringing one person to mind...well, one Gem to mind.
"Right...when did you give her the book? Where did you give it to her at? What were you going to get in return?" Steven listed his questions calmly.
"I gave it to her this evening, at the lighthouse. She promised me that...she promised that she would make sure my family stayed safe." He explained, making Steven feel a twinge of sympathy for him, but also confusion.
He looked back to the Gems nervously. "You guys don't think?..."
"It's possible. We should head home, we're probably safest at the temple." Garnet said. "Fry boy. We aren't angry with you, you were just looking out for your family, we understand. Just come to us next time."
Lapis dropped him onto the floor while Peridot tossed the scraps aside. "Right...thank you, I should get home now."
"Okay, see you around Ronaldo." Steven sighed as he turned around.
"Steven, are you ok?" Spinel asked, speaking up for the first time in a bit.
"I don't know. I was so close to being able to have the peaceful life I wanted, and now we have even more enemies, seemingly coming after me personally." He said, now having to think about how he was putting his friends and family in danger as well.
"It's okay, can't we just go to the Diamonds about this? I'm sure they'll know what to do." Spinel tried to reassure him.
"I don't think that'll work, they found where I live, or if I'm right about who this is, they already knew where I lived." He speculated as they started heading back to the temple.
"Wait, do you know who this mystery person is?" Bismuth asked, lost on the whole situation.
"I think it's Aquamarine and Topaz. I'm not sure why Topaz would still be with her, but I am sure that Aquamarine would be the type of Gem to want me gone along with the people I care about. From the little time I knew her, she was pretty evil just for the sake of it." Steven explained told her of his encounter with her.
"If it's Aquamarine, we don't stand a chance! she threw us around like rag dolls last time!" Amethyst said, not enjoying the thought of having to try and fight that evil little pixie again.
"All we can be sure of, is that Steven isn't safe here anymore." Garnet spoke up. "Steven, as much as it pains me to say this, I want you to go back to Homeworld and tell the Diamonds about this. You're in more danger without them than you are with them."
"Right, it's probably best if they know immediately." Steven agreed, deciding not to fight the whole thing about keeping him safe as they approached the temple, a new conflict just on the horizon.
-=End Of Chapter=-
You do not know the pain of having broken autocorrect because you like to be a sarcastic dip-shit WhO tYpEs LikE tHiS aNd bReAkS hiS AuToCorReCt tO tHe pOiNt wHeRe iT tHiNkS tHaT tHiS iS aCcEpTaBLe wRiTiNg!
Anyway, I hope you enjoyed. Also, chapters are now getting harder to make at readable lengths rather than being too short, so my apologies if this went on too long. Oh well, I guess the former is the better option anyway
Anyway, as always-
Good morning, goodnight, or good afternoon, I'll see you all again soon.
