Connie, Steven, and Peridot warped into the Great North, a frigid cold place, but full of wonder all the same, for this was a very special mission.
"And here we are, the Great North!" Peridot announced. "Stunning, isn't it!"
"Very!" Connie breathed, sucking in cold air. She wore her yellow winter trench coat and white woolen hat along with white mittens and boots. Her not-so-normal backpack strapped on her back, loaded with supplies. The girl looked around in amazement. "It's even more beautiful than you described!"
"Picture time!" Steven suddenly cried, taking out his phone. He wore his red puffy jacket and pale purple mittens and earmuffs, along with his signature cheeseburger backpack.
He put his arm around Connie and Peri and brought them into frame for the selfie. "Smile!"
They did so. He snapped it.
"Okay, now let's do one where we're looking for a monster!"
Connie put her hand over her eyes as if shielding them from the sun while Steven looked intrigued to his left. Peridot just awkwardly stood there, not sure how to pose.
The phone gave a little snap again.
"Okay, now-!"
Peridot snatched the phone away. "Steven, please, no more pictures, we must get started right away."
"Oh, yeah, sorry!" Steven chuckled, taking his phone back. "It's my first mission, and I want to remember every bit of it! Let's go, team!" The boy started marching off in the snow, Peridot and Connie watching with surprise.
"He's growing up so fast! His first mission!" Connie beamed with pride like she was a mother.
Soon, the trio were trudging through the deep snow.
"Steven, recap the details of this mission at once!" Peridot ordered.
"Yes madam!" Steven called. "Well, Jasper thinks that she saw a corrupted gem out here a few days ago, on the prowl. We're out here to find them, destabilize them, and put them safely in a bubble where they can't suffer anymore!"
"Correct!" Peridot replied with much pride in her voice. "Human bodies like your own and Connie particularly, cannot survive long in such temptress, so you must stay warm, do you understand?"
"Of course." Connie smiled. "I packed everything we'll need for this trip! Along with books!"
"And I brought snacks and board games, in case we get bored!" Steven added on.
"Excellent. I'm glad you brought something to amuse you, Steven." Peridot smiled.
"I'm already amused!" Steven laughed.
Suddenly, a low and menacing growl came from the trees and they all gasped in surprise.
"I'm no longer amused!" Steven creid.
Connie and Peridot took out their weapons and a bright orange corrupted monster cut through the trees at them.
Steven snapped a picture in his shock.
" Ready, Steven?" Connie called, wielding her yellow blade.
Steven threw his back pack aside to reveal his shield, and put it in front of himself. "Ready, Connie!"
To their surprise, another corrupt gem of the same kind revealed itself from behind the other. This one was apple green, it's gem wasn't visible at the moment.
"What?! Two of them?!" Peridot cried in shock.
Connie needed no prompt to summon her bubble, shielding her allies. However, the monsters seemed to not care about them, they merely leapt over them in a frantic dash. The two split up and went separate ways.
Connie looked after them with surprise. "They… didn't attack us… I think they were running away from something."
Peridot sighed, ignoring Connie in her disappointment. "This mission is ruined!"
"That's not true!" Steven protested. The two glanced back to see him smile. "Uh, what if we split up? And track both of them down? You can go after one, Peri, and Connie and I will go after the other! It's perfect!"
"Steven, that plan isn't logical at all." Peridot huffed, arms crossed. "Seeing as I, Peridot, trained you, I know for certain that you too are now magnifect at your blocking abilities, however, you've never been in a real fight."
"Yes, he has!" Connie piped up. "At his dad's car wash, he defeated those experimented on gems."
"True, But still-"
"Along with everything we need to survive, I packed walkie talkies." Connie continued, taking out two plain black walkie talkies. "You can take one, and Steven and I will take the other!"
"Er…"
"And I've got a can-do attitude!" Steven blurted out with a huge smile. "We can do it, you'll see!"
Peridot looked at him with disbelief, but at the same time knew what he said was true. "Hmph, fine! But you must contact me the moment you find that monster! Your skills may be great, but you could still get damaged immensely. Now, what are you looking for?"
"A monster!" The two said in unison.
"And what are you ordered to do once you find it?" The gem asked with a arched eyebrow.
"Contact you!" The children replied.
"And who is the best gem, perfect in every way?" Peridot said smugly.
Connie frowned with a groan, this wasn't a good time. "Peridot!"
"Correct! How well trained you are!" Peridot smirked, patting Connie on the head.
The kids giggled.
"Be safe, children!" Peridot called, and they walked their separate ways.
Connie was glancing around for her target when Steven stopped and kneeled in front of large, animal-like tracks. "Hey look! All we have to do is follow these tracks, and we'll find the gem!"
Connie bent down beside him. She then took up a handful of snow from a track and expertly tasted it. She narrowed her eyes in determination. "Yeah. These are fresh. We trail it until it stops to rest."
"Connie, you're so good at surviving in the wild!" Steven gushed.
"I have to be." Connie whispered with eagerness. "I'm ready for when this society collapses, when this world ends, caused by Homeworld or Rose Quartz, or most likely humans' own doing! I mean, peak oils, Steven! How do we handle terminal decline without alternate energy sources?!"
Steven looked at her in surprise.
Suddenly, their walkie-talkie made a staticky clunk noise and they heard Peridot on the other end. Connie took it out and listened. "Connie, Steven, have you eaten? I don't want your bodies to be out of energy when you find the monster, you'll be of no help that way."
"We'll eat, madam!" Steven replied happily. He then took out two Cookie Cats and beamed. "Snack time!"
Connie laughed, and took out protein bars from her own backpack. "Steven, we have to eat healthy!"
"But-!" Steven gasped, and Connie forced a protein bar in his mouth. He grumbled slightly before taking a bite.
A few minutes after finishing their snack, the two were off walking again.
"Good thing this snow is here, we'll find that gem in no time!" Steven cried, pumping up his fist.
Connie smiled. "I hope so."
"So, these gems are like bears? Right? Big ones! They don't really want to hurt us, unless they're hungry?" Steven asked, walking along.
Connie shrugged a little. "Well, sorta. Gems don't need to eat, but they are like bears in a way, they have a fight or flight reflex, and survival instincts… They used to be gems that looked somewhat human like Jasper, Peri, and Lapis. They had thoughts, feelings… friends. But they were corrupted by something, and now are only husks of what they once were."
Steven was concerned, looking up from what looked like a burnt log, but it may have looked like it because it was wet, maybe. "That's sad."
"Yeah…" Connie whispered.
Steven didn't know what to do, Connie was upset, how could he make her feel better? He then gasped. "Race you down!" He yelled, and fell into the snow, rolling down the hill laughing.
Connie gave a start, but then smirked. "No fair!" She took a piece of wood nearby and snowboarded down. The walkie talkie suddenly came up again. The girl took it out.
"That's it! I can't find this clod at all! Now, don't mistake me for giving up, but I believe we should regroup at the temple!" Peridot's static voice rang out in the wind.
"What?! No!" Steven moaned. "We're doing great! We can do it all by ourselves!"
Peridot's voice paused for a moment, she was thinking about it. Soon, it came back, "Ok, but Steven, you must not get overconfident, remember,"
"Keep my stance low, keep my guard higher!" Steven sang in joy, it was his way of remembering that part.
"Do it for her!" Peridot sang along. "Your pride is the key!"
Connie laughed, and rolled her eyes playfully. She put the comunicator back in her pocket and turned to Steven, he was stuck in a snow bank. "You need some help?"
"Yes please!" Steven blushed.
Connie heaved, and then they fell back into the snow, giggling.
The two brushed the snow off them, then noticed the tracks.
They were monster tracks, but scattered on top of them were seemingly human ones… The odd thing was, the tracks started out as one person's, but Connie could swear she could see another human like path leading off from it… She blinked and the path was gone, covered in snow. She then realized it had started to snow.
"Brr! We need some shelter!" Steven shivered. He blinked and saw Connie staring at where the tracks had been. "...Connie?"
Connie blinked and then turned to him. "Uh… yeah, shelter…"
They were soon huddled around a tiny flame inside a large crack of a tree.
Steven handed Connie a Cookie Cat with a tiny smile. "I know you said we need protein, but I feel pretty energized, and you look like you could use some cheering up."
Connie nodded in thanks, and unwrapped it. The girl then chewed thoughtfully. She swallowed and sighed.
"So… do you have any idea what those tracks were? Cause I'm stumped!" Steven chuckled nervously, taking out his phone and pulling up the picture of the tracks he had taken.
Connie looked at it. "... Maybe. I'm not sure. What do you think?"
"Well, maybe the gems started turning back and forth between thier original forms! They might not be corrupted as we think! Connie, maybe we can save them!" Steven cried, full of ignorant hope.
Connie gave a weak smile, not wanting to say it wasn't possible unless her healing had gotten to them, and that couldn't have happened, she had never seen them before today. "Yeah… Maybe. Er… Steven, my healing powers, they can't fix a gem's broken mind-"
"But if it's half corrupted-" Steven insisted.
Connie interrupted him with a firmness. "Steven. I can't do it alone, I need-"
A growl suddenly interrupted their conversation and they gasped in fear. Steven peeked out before grabbing Connie's hand and running away from their shelter.
Steven soon slid to a stop however, leading Connie to knock into him and hit her nose. She bit back the pain, knowing it was unwise to make a sound near a confused and corrupt gem, for she was now.
The gem was clawing at a wall, clearly trying to escape from something, or someone.
"It seems scared, do you think it's running away… from us?" Connie asked, thinking it should be the other way around.
"Maybe it's running away from itself!" Steven said poetically. Connie hurriedly covered his mouth so he wouldn't give away their position.
Suddenly, they heard Peridot's very loud and obnoxious voice. "CHILDREN! IT'S ME! PERIDOT! YOUR TRAINER! I CAN'T TELL IF I'M SCREAMING OVER THIS WIND! AM I?!"
The gem monster turned at the noise, and saw the children.
They both were mortified.
"Connie, turn it off!" Steven cried in panic.
Connie fumbled with it, her mittens too slippery from the snow. "I-I'm trying!"
"BY THE WAY, WHEN YOU'RE NEAR THE MONSTER? DO NOT MAKE ANY LOUD NOISES!" Peridot yelled.
Connie started to sweat, turning all then knobs, trying to get it off.
"PICK UP, PLEASE! I'M GOING TO KEEP TALKING TILL YOU DO!"
Steven snatched the walkie talkie away and threw it far and into the snow.
Connie saw the monster and gasped. She went for her sword, but Steven stopped her.
"Connie, we should try and resolve this peacefully! Let's just talk to it!" Steven tried.
Connie nearly shook her head, but then she looked at Steven, and remembered Centi, how scared she had been when Connie first really met her… This gem, it had no idea what to do other than run from a weapon. "It's… okay. I won't harm you." She slowly reached out her hand to pet the thing, and it leaned down. "Please, remember who you once were! You can fight this!"
Just as she was about to pet it however, she a familiar sound, it sounded like… unfusing… She drew her sword, and swung around in panic.
But there was no one.
"Huh? But I thought-!" Steven suddenly shoved Connie out of the way of the gem monster, who she hadn't seen had been raising up to pounce on her and her dangerous sword.
"Connie, what was that?! You almost calmed her!" Steven creid.
Connie breathed hard, looking around wildly. "B-but…"
The two then looked up and saw the monster coming for them. Steven gasped and quickly got off of Connie and ran in the opposite direction, boomeranging his shield at it.
The thing turned to it's new target.
Steven backed into a tree and gave a nervous laugh. "N-Nice… gem!"
"What are you doing?!" Connie cried.
"I-I don't know!" Steven gulped. "But I wasn't ready for this!"
Suddenly, they heard the walkie talkie again and both looked at it with surprise. "Okay, I'm out of that wind, is this about the best gem thing? I honestly don't know who else you could've picked, but I do know that you should not tell Jasper, at all!"
Steven then belly slid under the corrupted gem and picked up the walkie talkie. "Peri, we found the gem!"
"WHAT?!" Peridot screeched. "I'll be right there!"
Suddenly, the monster screeched in pain and Connie turned and gasped in surprise.
The monster's feet were covered in ice, and the Ruby from Garnet was ontop of it, burning it.
Sapphire stood nearby, watching nearby with no expression, she had no empathy for the thing.
"I-I knew it was you! You unfused!" Connie sputtered out in shock, and Sapphire turned to her with that same grim mouth.
"Ah, Yellow Diamond. I see you brought your round friend with you, I saw him in many of my visions." Sapphire whispered, nodding to Steven. She then glared down at Connie once more. "And as for why we're split up, you, my dear, are far easier to keep still this way, can't have you trying to shatter us, hm?"
The boy ran up and guarded her. "Get away from her! O-Or I'll… uh…" He then dropped his shield. "I'll tackle you, tiny gem!"
"Oh Ruby, it seems this Steven has our only weakness, tiny hands." Sapphire chuckled, amused by the boy.
"Really?" Steven gasped.
"No." Sapphire hissed.
The children were then iced to the ground and couldn't move. They struggled in vain.
Suddenly, the gem poofed and Ruby grabbed it and took it to Sapphire. "Here we go, Saffie!" She then turned to see the others. Her teeth clenched seeing Connie. "Yellow Diamond."
"You did wonderful, Ruby!" Sapphire smiled, holding the other gem that Peridot had went to track down, it was iced over.
Ruby's anger faded at the gentle voice and she blushed. "Aw shucks, not as good as you!"
"Oh stop it!" Sapphire giggled.
Steven looked at Connie and she merely shrugged.
Suddenly, Ruby shoved Steven out of her way, formed her gauntlet and then pinned Connie to the ground by her neck with her free hand, shattering the ice. "I can't wait to shatter you!" She laughed with twisted glee.
"Ruby." Sapphire said calmly, and the gem turned. "She isn't what we came for, we'll get her later, alright?"
Ruby pouted and let Connie go.
Peridot suddenly landed beside them.
"Children, where's…" Peridot then noticed Steven was face planted in the snow and turned to see Connie staring at the two small gems as they fused.
Garnet formed and looked unfazed by the gem's sudden appearance.
"Garnet!" Peridot hissed, stabbing up with her pole.
The fusion moved her head ever so slightly so the pole didn't hit it. She then looked at Connie with a cold stare, lifting up the two poofed gems. "Look what I have. Does this make you upset at all?"
Connie shivered, unsure what to say.
"Of course it doesn't." Garnet then gave a cruel smirk, and walked away, into the blizzard behind her, laughing into the wind.
Peridot then turned to them. "Are you two alright? I know you both must be mentally scarred, but your bodies, are they-"
"They're fine." Connie whispered softly.
Steven ran up and she hugged them both.
"I never would've let you come on this mission if I knew those two… er, one clod would be here!" Peridot cried, pulling away to check their faces.
Steven suddenly looked up with big tears rolling down his face. "I-I'm sorry!" He blubbered.
"What? Why?" Peridot asked in confusion.
"I couldn't save C-Connie! I wasn't ready, a-and that fusion-!"
"Steven, it's okay!" Connie laughed, and wiped his eyes, hugging him.
"You passed with flying colors, Steven Demayo, make no mistake about that!" Peridot reassured him. "You called me, and that was exactly what you were supposed to do!"
Steven sniffed a little. "You aren't upset with me?"
"No, not in the slightest." Peridot hugged him.
"Thanks…" The boy then smiled big and held out his phone. "Smile!"
They did, Peridot was squished in between them and looked like she was about to sneeze in the photo.
"Steven, what do you plan to do with that photo?" Peridot asked nervously, walking him to the warp pad.
"I'll show all my pictures to everyone in town!" Steven cried. "And then, I'll keep them, forever!"
Connie had stayed behind, staring into the cold blizzard, shivering as she thought of Garnet.