Disclaimer: Characters, settings, names from the cartoon television show 'Steven Universe' are creations and property of Rebecca sugar and Cartoon network. Any Non-steven universe characters, settings, names, Gems, Gem powers, beliefs, mythology are my own creation.
Author's Note: After taking down a young gem commander thanks to Steven and Lion, The Crystal Gems talk about Steven and Lion's fusion while he is recovering from the battle in Lapis's arms. Soren, also recovering from his wounds takes the time to explain why he came to earth.
(!) Thank you to every new reader who has favorited and is following this story and myself. It makes me happy and proud of my work which keeps me going. I wanted to say a few things, anyone hoping to see Stevonnie in a future chapter or the pairing of those characters, sorry but I'm dedicating chapters from now on to StevenxLapis. And in the future I will be asking for ideas for chapters or OC's, but not anytime soon. That's all and have an excellent day/evening/ night.
Story Tags: Steven Universe, Lapis Lazuli, OC's, Connie Maheswaran Pearl, Amethyst, Garnet, Ruby, Sapphire, Peridot, Beach City, Gem Powers, Romance, Adventure, Comfort, Destiny.
Music Inspiration: "Wedding Bells" By: Cashmere Cat
Chapter 19: Traitor
Tuesday
May 12, 2016, 2:30 [Morning]
Crystal Temple, Beach City
It was nearly three in the morning, two hours after Steven and Lion took down Soren; the male gem from outer space. Steven's skin was still giving off a light pink glow, but it was fading by the passing of each hour. Steven rested soundly on his bed, with his back and head on Lapis's stomach. She kept her arms around Steven's head and brushed her fingers through his black curly hair. Lion was resting on a large doggy bed, Garnet sat by him.
Pearl was on her knees beside Steven's bed, looking at him and at Lapis. Soren, on the other hand laid down on the couch beneath on the first floor. Amethyst sat next to him albeit a few inches away from him. Soren was still passed out, but curiously he did not retreat into his gem stone like normal gems did when they sustained damage; like Peridot.
Peridot had not come out of her gemstone since being taken in after Leo kunzite and Soren's battle had came to an end. Pearl took a look at her gemstone and saw fracture lines across it from one end to the other. She hadn't come out yet and probably never would. No one was expecting Peridot to reform and answer for what happened between her and Jasper.
Garnet left Lion to rest, and walked up the steps to take a seat at the foot of Steven's bed and talk to Pearl about what was going to happen now.
"Pearl, what are we going to do if Soren wakes up, or if Peridot wakes up." Garnet asked calmly.
Pearl seemed oblivious to everything around except for Steven. So garnet tried again. "Pearl!" she said, raising her voice. Unusual for her.
"Yes garnet?" Pearl replied, sounding Distant and disconnected.
"Did you hear me. I said what are we going-"
"I don't know Garnet. I suppose when Soren wakes up, if he wakes up. We form Alexandrite and fuse with Lapis. That's about the only thing we can do. And even If that's not enough, and we fail everyone here on earth. Then perhaps we should carry that agony with us into oblivion."
Garnet couldn't believe the lack of hope and faith pearl was showing, it bothered her so much she started to glow and.
POP
Ruby and Sapphire appeared. Lapis who had kept her eyes closed and Steven cradled in her arms, felt the gem vibrations of Ruby and Sapphire. Her eyes immediately shot open, she surrounded her and Steven and the bed they were on in a sphere of boiling scalding water. Pearl pulled her arms out of the boiling sphere as quickly as she could. She looked at Lapis then looked over to Sapphire and Ruby.
"You two! Stay away from Steven! don't come closer than you already are." Lapis warned, her voice hissing with acidity and old anger.
Ruby pulled Sapphire behind her and walked sideways, behind pearl and down the steps. Pearl stood up and gestured with her hands for Lapis to relax, to think about Steven and unintentionally hurting him. Lapis's sphere of boiling water vanished. Steven moved around a bit, Lapis pulled him closer to her. Ruby and Sapphire headed for the front door, but the knob glowed with burning intensity. Ruby, who was the essence of anger, heat and fury, was burned herself when reaching for the knob.
"Ruby, what's wrong?" Sapphire asked very calmly but still concerned.
Ruby slowly turned and looked past Sapphire's shoulder. Her face which was filled with pain, quickly shifted into one of strange attraction and fear. Sapphire waved a hand in front of Ruby and turned around as well. She became frozen too, mostly out of fear. Pearl, Lapis and Amethyst watched Soren hovering above the couch. His Black and red hooded poncho had reformed. His armor had also regenerated and reconstructed itself. His black fiery hair had reignited. His body gave off a haunting and ominous dark red glow.
He hovered back down to the floor, he regulated his body temperature and brought it down so as not to cause a fire. He opened his eyes, looked around him in a cool and concentrating manner. He found Ruby hiding behind Sapphire, he turned around and saw Amethyst pressing her arms and back against the couch. He looked up at the steps and spotted Pearl guarding the top floor with two spears in hand. Off to the side he saw Peridot's gemstone resting on a small pillow.
He began to walk towards Ruby and Sapphire, but. "Ugh!" Soren grunted. He fell on one knee, grabbing at the back of the of calf of his right leg. Amethyst, going against her instinct to fear this young commander, went over to give him a helping hand.
"Amethyst Stop!" pearl shouted from atop the steps.
Amethyst placed a hand Soren's black shoulder guard. Soren turned his head and looked at Amethyst. Soren's eyes bored a hole through hers, Amethyst saw the stern and stoic face of this commander go soft and friendly. Amethyst shape-shifted to make herself taller, and placed Soren's arm around her neck and helped Soren walk back over to the couch.
He walked with a slight limp. he took a seat on the couch and cocked his neck back on the couch. Amethyst took a seat next to him, Pearl walked down the steps but stopped halfway. She never put her spears away. Sapphire walked slowly over to Soren, Ruby tried to stop her.
"I'm shocked." Soren started, speaking again since falling back down to earth after his battle with Steven.
"I thought I had given myself enough time to heal from all my injuries. Even in the night of this planet, my accelerated healing is not impaired. Yet, my right leg apparently has sustained hidden damages that has given me this...limp. How curious."
when Soren finished thinking out loud, Amethyst, Pearl, Sapphire and even Ruby blushed. Soren's calm and relaxing voice and just overall presence did something to every gem, except Lapis.
Lapis, moving off of Steven's bed, walked down the steps and stopped in front of Soren. Lapis raised her right hand up, and made it look like a gun. At the tip of her extended index finger was a dark blue sphere of concentrated water energy. Soren was not afraid of Lapis, but he did not push her short temper by responding with a grin, smile or chuckle. Instead he chose to remain quiet.
"You said your name was Soren?" Lapis questioned.
"Soren Spessartite." Soren answered the angry blue gem.
"Why did you come here. What do you want." Lapis's gaze never came off of Soren's face. Pearl walked down the steps and placed a hand on Lapis's shoulder.
"Pearl I really don't want to hurt you. let me talk to this commander without me breaking our new trust." pearl took her hand back and stood behind Lapis.
"I came here not on a mission, I came here on my own accord. If your question is who am I? Then take a seat...or stand, and listen."
Soren Spessartite's History
"My name is Soren Spessartite, born to The Mad Goddess Taffeite nearly five thousand years ago. You know Taffeite to be the goddess who initiated the kindergarten program. Kindergarten," Soren said very disappointingly.
"How many Homeworld colonies and outposts were ravaged by the parasites that sprouted out from their holes. How many beautiful paradises of planets were turned into abandoned sad wastelands. I saw what my mother's program and ambitions lead to, and honestly, I hated her for it. But my three other brothers absolutely did not care.
"It's sad to think that our species originally started out as simple curious explorers. Curious as to what kinds of worlds laid beyond the horizon of our planet. Apart from male gems like myself, my brothers and fellow senior commander. Gems were seen as the most beautiful of all creatures. Appealing to every different species whom they met. So much that different species took gems as brides and birthed powerful and unique hybrids. We had powerful allies, we served as intermediaries between warring species. We even helped jump start life on other planets. The universe apparently chose it's representative for who would lead for the better of everyone and everything.
And then the first goddess gave birth to the first commander. Her name and his name have been lost to time, erased from the annals of homeworld's history. She saw the possibilities of having her power and her son's power combined and switched our position as explorers, diplomats and scientists to conquerors, sneak thieves and turning our scientific accomplishments to militarize our forces.
I know what your thinking, this is old history. But a history that's been playing out century after century with no end in sight. I was paired up with a warrior gem named Jadeite, I believe you know her sister; Jasper. Jasper, a Peridot and you, Lapis Lazuli took a battle ship and and returned back to earth to destroy the last few surviving gems. At the same time, I took off for a planet with Jadeite to destroy their defenses. Jadeite would deal with the remaining survivors. Afterward, we were to call in for injectors and start numerous Kindergartens on the planet.
I don't know what happened to me, but I snapped somewhere after our mission was finished. Jadeite was absolutely heartless, a mindless beast who truly enjoyed snuffing out the lives of creatures and species who were doing nothing but defending themselves. I did it because the mission called for it, not because I enjoyed it. On the ship that was taking me and Jadeite back to home world, I had a dream whilst I was in my sleeping pod. Red Beryl, our home world's last kindhearted goddess told me I had to make a journey to earth and defend it.
She said it held a power so special, powerful yet frail, that it was the only thing that could put an end to what home world was doing to innocent planets and infant civilizations. She told me to atone for my evil actions by abandoning my birth mother, brothers and wife and children to protect the being she called the Shield of Humanity. Never one to go against an order, especially from The pure hearted goddess red beryl; I did as I was told. I killed Jadeite as he slept, completely incinerated him and placed fire energy bombs in the ship.
I then escaped on an escaped pod, programmed it to take me to the Miky way galaxy where I would arrive in the solar system. I went to sleep, came to earth and the rest you know from there. I came here to atone, to fulfill my duty to protect, mentor and serve that hybrid sleeping above me. I've been plagued by nightmares if that makes you feel better. in each one I'm always fighting my old partner. He's been warning me that my treachery would not go unpunished. And frankly, I don't give a damn anymore. So that's me, that's why I'm here.
I would tell you to lower your hand, but even with all of your power you couldn't do enough damage to me for it to even matter."
Lapis bit down on her lip, frowned and lowered her hand. the ball of pure water energy vanished. She walked back up the steps and laid down next to Steven. Pearl took this incentive to ask Soren a few more important questions.
"If you truly are on our side, how can we trust you. For all we know, you could be a spy for yellow diamond."
"Yellow diamond?" Soren said her name with a hint of disrespect.
"She's a shell of her former self. Once she commanded respect, fear and exemplified leadership. but after Rose Quartz defeated her compatriots Blue and White diamond, she's been slowly turning mad over millenia. I predict more deserters from home world in the next quarter century. I wouldn't want to face her in battle alone though, at least not without my fellow commanders. But I suppose I haven't answered your question. How can you trust me? You can trust me to protect all of you, you can trust me to give my life for this planet. you all attacked me first, remember that."
"I guess he can stay, right pearl?" Amethyst asked. Soren turned his head to look at Amethyst, Amethyst looked down at her feet, blushing.
"I don't know. Steven is our leader. He saved all of us tonight. if anyone has the authority to make someone into a crystal gem it's him."
Sapphire who had been hearing everything, approached Soren and curtsied before him. An obvious sign of respect to someone who merited it. Soren smiled softly and stood up, Amethyst helped him up by acting as a crutch for him. He bowed slightly at Sapphire, kissing the palm of his black gauntlet and pressing it on top of sapphire's head. It was the way commanders showed respect back to their juniors and subordinate gems.
Ruby, seeing sapphire basically submit to Soren, did the same begrudgingly. Soren pressed his armored hand down on Ruby's head and returned back to his seat. "Thank you." Soren told Amethyst.
"You're welcome." amethyst replied softly, still sounding a bit shy being around him.
Over in the kitchen, Peridot's gem started to glow and shake wildly. Peridot's gemstone floated up above the small pillow and to everyone's shock, except for Soren, watched Peridot reform. First her body of light manifested, then her limbs became physical and lastly all of her features appeared. She fell onto the floor, arguing with herself.
"Stupid Jasper. who does she think she is. A stupid, dumb hardheaded ingrate, just like her brother. That's who. Wait till I notify Yellow diamond and the royal family about this traitor."
Jasper was on all four when she took a look at the floor. She froze, looking up in front of her, she saw Ruby, Sapphire, Pearl and Amethyst staring right at her.
"You Four Again?" Peridot said, sounding annoyed and none to surprised. But when Lapis glided over to the crystal gems, Peridot showed some nervousness."You! What are you these clods bodyguard now? Traitor!"
"She Isn't the only Traitor here you know." Soren walked over to join the group, his walking seeming a little better. He stood between pearl and Amethyst. Peridot's pupils went beady, seeing Soren made her blush and terrified beyond belief.
"It's you...The Scorcher of Worlds! Oh Yellow Diamond help me!" Peridot shouted and went running outside of the beach home. Soren told everyone to give him a second. At speeds faster than a human blink, Soren appeared in front of Peridot when she was ten feet away from the temple.
Soren picked Peridot up by her arm. Peridot knew it was futile, but she turned her other hand into an energy blaster and pointed in front of Soren's face at point blank range.
"just because you think you're handsome and a commander, you think I'll submit myself to you! I would rather let those crystal clods torture me then become your bride. Put me down right now!"
"Put Your Hand down Peridot!" Soren said sternly and intimidatingly, "Before I burn it off. And let me tell you something. Whatever I burn away, will never come back."
Peridot undid her energy blaster and submitted herself to the young commander fullt. Soren carried Peridot bridal style back to the temple. Peridot kept her hands together. She shook with terror and nervousness. She looked to her left and right anxiously, like someone was out to get her. Soren walked back up the steps of the beach house and was let in by pearl who looked like she had all kinds of terrible things in store for Peridot.
Continued in Chapter 20.
(!) "Yay to me for almost reaching twenty chapters! It wasn't easy but I had an awesome group to keep me going, and of course the cartoon Steven Universe and it's creator Rebecca sugar. On another note, the latest episode "Friendship" had me cracking up. It was just hilarious to watch from start to finish. but what made me laugh more was the fact that the crystal gems kept Peridot's foot, her foot! LOL. It's like those two bugs who kept Hopper's antenna at the end of the film "a Bug's Life."