Chapter 4
The pressure that had subdued him for all those years had suddenly vanished; he had just a moment's rest at the bottom before his entire form exploded into a blinding white light.
He was on fire.
His body grew and expanded, breaking through the cold stone until he tumbled out into bright red sunlight. Brushing off his dusty pink pants, he looked around to see soaring towers of orange-red clay surrounding him, and behind him, a person-shaped hole in the wall. He placed a hand on the hard clay surface, peering inside. The smell of damp earth hit his nose as he stared into the shadows he had just broken free from.
"Hey, get over here!"
He whirled around to see a slim yellow form waving him over. He bounded in her direction, his shoes emitting squeaks with each step. He stopped and stared in wonder at his own feet, giggling. He jumped when the figure repeated her call, sounding impatient.
As he approached he observed a line of pink gems clad in poofy garments and wearing excited expressions, all being studied by the yellow figure. She walked up and down the line, pulling at the other gem's clothes and measuring their hair. She carried a notepad and marked tallies for each gem she passed, tsking and shaking her head.
He got into line just as the gem reached him, squinting up and down at him. Her yellow spherical gem shined on her chest as she carefully inspected every little detail from his shoes to the heart-shaped buns in his hair. She pulled a tape measure up to his chest and began recording the facets on his pink, heart-shaped gem. He squirmed a little under such direct scrutiny, but the gem in front of him looked pleased. She nodded, then shouted to her left in a brittle voice.
"This one will do, Topaz. She's perfect."
He smiled at the compliment, hoping that the approaching gem would be his new friend. The 'Topaz' in question marched over, a broad-shouldered and boxy gem, holding a two-pronged device with sparks crackling from it. He waved at Topaz as she approached, and began with, "Hi! It's so nice to meet you!-"
Without a word, Topaz stabbed the pronged device into his side, shocking him from his speech.
He felt his form tearing apart and dissolving as the pearl screeched out, looking down her pointed nose, "You really are so lucky!"
He fell to the floor with a 'clink'.
…
Amethyst ran her hand through her hair in exasperation as Pearl offered, yet again, to shine Lapis's gem for her. She fawned and preened over Lapis like a lovesick puppy, and Lapis seemed to want nothing of it. She squirmed uncomfortably as she reminded Pearl that she really didn't need help with anything.
"Of course, my Lapis Lazuli, you're so strong and independent!" Her pale eyes shone in adoration for the blue gem awkwardly folding her arms across her chest.
Lapis cringed and looked at Amethyst, pleading with her eyes. She whispered, hoping not to offend Pearl. "What on earth is wrong with her?!"
It had been about an hour since Pearl had reformed, and she hadn't shone even a glimmer of her old self. The only thing she cared about was flattering Lapis, to Peridot's continued annoyance. The little green gem's face scrunched in conflict, not knowing what to make of Pearl's new attitude towards her roommate.
Amethyst decided to speak up, waving her hand to get Pearl to look at her. "Hey Pearl, do you remember me?"
Pearl placed a finger to her lips as she squinted at her, scrutinizing. "Hmm.. I certainly recognize my Lapis Lazuli! You on the other hand, well… I can't say I do."
"Do you remember Steven?" Lapis piped in, hoping the name would snap something out of her.
Amethyst watched as Pearl pursed her lips in thought, humming. "I have never met a Steven before, my Lapis Lazuli. I could go meet one if you want me to." She smiled broadly at her master, hoping to finally get some kind of a command to carry out.
Lapis sighed, "No, we're looking for a specific Steven." Her dark blue eyebrows pulled together in worry as she explained. "He was taken prisoner a little while ago, and you were supposed to remember who took him. You recognized her during the battle."
Pearl's eyes went wide, and she gasped out, "I would never participate in a battle! Unless of course, you wanted me to. A battlefield is no place for a Pearl otherwise." She nodded wisely as if she had just given the most sage advice ever.
"What's this about Pearls not belonging on the battlefield?" Bismuth chose just that moment to walk through the door, her locs windswept from excessive warp pad travel.
Amethyst rushed over and pulled her away towards the desk, whispering. "Bismuth, she doesn't remember anything! She thinks she has to serve Lapis, and she doesn't recognize any of us!" Bismuth peered over the purple gem's head to see Pearl offer Lapis a cushy chair she had manifested from within her pale gem, while Peridot glared on. She gave a pronounced frown, seeing Pearl's new choice of outfit. She wore a ballerina-like tutu, with flouncy puffed sleeves and a close-fitting bodice adorned with a large, pink diamond. A terrible idea struck her.
"What did you say they got hit with again? What did the weapon look like?"
Amethyst explained, and horror dawned on Bismuth's gray face. "Oh no…I know what that weapon was. How on earth did she get one of those? They were all supposed to be destroyed when Steven rang in Era Three!"
The worried expression she wore was suddenly washed in a bright light as the red gem on the table next to them began to glow and float above them. Amethyst and Bismuth stepped back, watching the light mold into a familiar form.
Ruby landed with her fist to the floor before jumping up with a "Hup!" The small red gem scanned through the room before announcing, "You're not my assignment. Where is my assignment?"
Everyone stared blankly down at her before their attention was caught by another bright wash of light over the room as Sapphire's form regenerated. She gently floated down to the floor, right in front of Ruby. Her white gloved hands clasped in front of her as she stood there silently. The entire room watched them raptly, looking for any sign of recognition between the two at least, not daring to hope to have Garnet back.
Instead, Ruby knelt in front of Sapphire, declaring, "My Sapphire; as my sworn duty and sole purpose, I will protect you with my life." Her eyes shone fiercely as she spoke, and she bent her head in a bow to the small gem in front of her.
Sapphire replied in a calm, quiet voice. "I know you will. That's why I predict you won't last the week."
Ruby looked crestfallen.
Amethyst looked worriedly at Bismuth. "What is the matter with them? Why don't they remember anything?"
The larger gem rubbed her jaw with a calloused hand. "They don't remember who they are because they've been rejuvenated." At the room of blank stares she received, she continued, "The weapon she used on them is called a Rejuvenator. Homeworld used to use them on gems that started stepping outta line; one hit with that, and you're back to how they made you." She frowned in pain as she observed Pearl's subservient attitude towards Lapis.
She hated seeing her like that. It was the complete opposite of everything their Pearl stood for. The Pearl she knew and loved would never lower herself so far. Bismuth turned away, feeling as if she were witnessing her best friend's deepest shames and fears coming to life in front of her. For decency's sake, she felt like she needed to look away. This would be mortifying for Pearl if she ever came back to herself.
Amethyst stepped in front of her, tears welling in her eyes. "How do we get them back? There has to be a way to bring them back!" Her voice shook with grief and desperation and Bismuth realized the full gravity of Amethyst's situation. Her entire family was just destroyed in front of her and she was the only one that made it out. There was almost no hope at this point.
It pained her to say it, but she deserved the truth. "I'm so sorry, Amethyst. I really don't know." She watched the smaller gem walk numbly to the door before falling to her hands and knees in the dirt just outside.
The shock was just starting to wear off. Amethyst's face crumbled as she cried out her loss into the earth.
…
Steven's chest rose and fell rhythmically in the cool prison. He lay curled in on himself, one hand wrapped over his left eye as he slept. Dried blood crusted over his fingers and down his cheek, streaked by the tears he had shed before exhaustion carried him to unconsciousness. His uncovered eye moved back and forth beneath its lid as he dreamt.
He fell to the floor with a 'clink'.
He was being suppressed, but he wasn't sure how. He didn't feel pressure around him anymore like when he was in the ground, but something was preventing him from forming. Air touched his gem on all sides, and the overwhelming desire to form was unbearable. How much time had passed since he came out of the kindergarten? How much longer would he be forced to remain in his gem? Like an itch he couldn't quite scratch, he felt a steadily rising sense of anguish within himself.
If he couldn't form soon, he was sure he was going to crack. His entire consciousness yearned to exist, to stretch out and be whole again.
Instead, he sat in the dark, for what felt like ages. The air around him grew stagnant as months passed, unbeknownst to him.
Unexpectedly, a 'pop' resounded around him and his form exploded into being like an overextended band snapping. He fell to the floor, relief washing over him. He was back. He looked to his left to see a large, pink box, the ornate top of which was haphazardly tossed to the side. Above him, he heard a delighted gasp.
"She's perfect!"
He looked up to see an angel towering above him. A large cloud of light hair framed a gorgeous face of light pink skin. She stood tall and proud, her bright pink clothes illuminated by the glowing torches of the throne chamber. Her gloved hands were placed on either side of her face as she stared down at her prize with diamond-shaped pupils. Her plump lips were pulled into a wide, gleeful smile.
Steven's heart leapt in joy as he realized his purpose was finally met; here was his new best friend! "It's so nice to meet you!" He cried out, flinging himself around the angel's neck. "We're gonna have so much fun together!"
His angel held out a hand for him to hang on as she addressed the gigantic woman who stood over them, watching.
"Thank you so much, Yellow!"
The giant woman replied in a booming voice, "Yes, this Spinel should keep you entertained, and out of our hair." The last part she added in a whisper to the tiny yellow Pearl situated on her shoulder, who snickered at the snide comment.
His angel, who asked to be called Pink Diamond, carried him out of the chamber. A small, peach-toned Pearl followed them out, her face darkening.
For days they played together in Pink's room; juggling, playing tag, and talking together for hours. He loved her with his whole heart, and they had so much in common! Who knew having a best friend could be this great?
Everything seemed to be going so well for him, until he was unexpectedly confronted.
Pink wanted to play with the other diamonds one day, and Pearl had to escort her to the pool room where they waited for her. He volunteered to go too, not wanting to be without his best friend. He waited outside the chamber after Pink went in, skipping to the squeaking of his shoes. She giggled as she said her goodbye and the door closed behind her. He spun in circles with his arms stretched out wide, passing the time until he could see Pink again.
"You know you're just a phase, right?"
He stopped, looking around to the Pearl standing stoically by the wall.
She looked jadedly down her nose at him as she continued. "One day, she'll realize she's too mature for you, and then she'll grow right out of you. You may be a fun distraction to her now, but she's going to get sick of you eventually. Just remember that."
He frowned in confusion, not understanding why Pearl was suddenly speaking so negatively. "Pink wouldn't do that. She's my best friend, she says she loves me. She's not gonna get sick of me!"
Pearl huffed at him, scowling for just a moment before her face slid back into its cool mask. "You're not the first one she's said that to, and you certainly won't be the last." Her chest puffed proudly as she added, "I've seen plenty of 'best friends' come and go, and it always ends the same. She gets sick of them, and comes back to me. That's just how it goes."
"Pink would never leave me. I know she wouldn't! Whoever those other 'best friends' are, I'm not them! I'm not going anywhere!" His voice caught in his throat as he spoke passionately. He had just met his best friend, he wasn't gonna let anything come between them. He wasn't gonna let go of her, no matter what.
Pearl snapped her head in his direction, glaring. "Three is a crowd."
He paused, wondering at the threatening undertone to her voice. "Wh-what?"
Through gritted teeth, Pearl snarled, "Three. Is. A. Crowd. Remember that."
He certainly would come to remember that, in time.
Steven woke up, a tangle of limbs and roots. He rolled over and adjusted, trying and failing to get comfortable while his feet were bound together. He peeked his eye open to the gray dim of his prison cell, thinking back on his dream. It was obvious to him at this point that he was dreaming his captors' memories.
His mind combed through all he had just witnessed. Pearl had been so mean to her. He knew she could be jealous of Pink Diamond's attention, but the veiled threat she had given made him pause. Could Pearl have done something to her? He closed his eye, trying to pick out more details. Yellow diamond had gifted her to Pink, hoping to keep her entertained. What was it, she had called her?
"This Spinel should keep you entertained, and out of our hair"
Finally, he had a name for the pink-hearted gem holding him hostage. Steven thought aloud. "Spinel." The name rolled off his tongue in a strangely familiar way.
His stomach gave an unearthly growl, to Steven's shock. He realized he hadn't eaten in well over 24 hours, and the adrenaline was finally wearing off, reminding him that his human body still needed food. He squeezed his remaining eye shut as he pulled himself into a sitting position. His head pounded with the sudden change of position.
He gingerly touched his left eye, which was crusted shut with dried blood. Beneath its lid, he felt a sharp, throbbing pain resonating into the back of his skull. On the floor behind him lay the stone that had smashed his eye out of commission, far out of reach and covered in his blood. He should've thought before threatening Spinel with it; he could've tried to break his restraints with it. Now he was still trapped, and he was blind in one eye.
If he didn't figure out something to eat soon, he might starve. He warily thought back on his broken neck incident. If he starved, would he ever actually die? Or would the hunger pains amplify as he slowly dissipated into nothingness, conscious throughout the entire process? He didn't feel like finding out.
He looked around the gray cell, searching for anything edible. The roots creeping from the walls seemed promising, but they were too far from him. He dragged himself along the floor on his stomach, stretching as far as he physically could, trying to reach the end of a gray-brown tendril that seemed to reach back at him. The rough constraints bit at his ankles, nearly tearing the newly-healed skin.
He let out a heavy breath as he shimmied back into a comfortable position. He ignored his stomach's continued protestations as he let the faint glow from the warp pad light him from above.
His eyes snapped open and he gasped as he remembered something, sitting up abruptly. He had food, locked away deep in his gem. Lars's ube cake; the purple confection lay just out of his reach, but it was right with him. Ironically, stored near his stomach.
Steven sat up, pulling at his shirt. He took a deep breath, attempting to focus on attaining a meal. He held his palm open in front of his gem, willing the bubbled food item out. His brow began to sweat as he desperately focused all of his energy. His hand shook with effort, though his gem didn't seem to notice. Not even a sparkle shone from his faceted pink navel as he collapsed backwards, unsuccessful. He panted for breath, tired beyond rational thought.
He wouldn't be eating today.