Chapter 1: A Gem Interrogation
I own Nothing
A day spent on the beach is a day well spent. The cool breeze, the even cooler waters, and the feeling of the shifting sand slide in between your toes was a wonderful experience. So many people come from miles out of town to just laze around on a warm Saturday afternoon, basking in the sun and sand. It always confused Connie.
She loved her town, don't get her wrong, and she loved the beach too. But to waste a whole day here, what's the purpose? But, I suppose that's what happens when you live next to a beach, you forget how great it is. As she gazed over the beach, watching the tourist stake their claims on what they believed to be prized tanning spots, she smiled at the sight. Reaching the top of the wooden stairs, she knocked rather quietly against the screen door that belonged to one Steven Universe and his family, the Crystal Gems.
This was one of the main reasons she came to the beach anymore. Steven was just so…..interesting, nothing about him was average or normal. Even his parents -if she should call them that- were incredible. Intergalactic Gems, protectors of Earth and all its inhabitants, you couldn't top parents like that if you tried!
So, here she was, waiting patiently for someone to answer the door, hoping, just maybe, there was an adventure waiting beyond it. A chime was heard beyond the door, almost as if the warp pad was just used. She knocked again, hoping this time she would get a response.
A few patient seconds later and Connie was greeted with the square mother herself, Garnet. She was a fierce towering gem with a stone cold gaze and a chill disposition. Out of all the gems she has met, Garnet seemed to be the most mysterious. Which is saying a lot, seeing as most of the gems were foreign to the black haired girl. They all do such wondrous things and yet they act almost like humans, at least that's what Steven's told her.
"Oh, Garnet, hey." Connie greeted the tall woman, a little nervous to be actually speaking to her. Truth be told, this is the first time she ever talked to Garnet, usually Steven spoke enough for the both of them when they were around the Crystal Gems. So, she wasn't overly confident in speaking with this giant woman. "I-Is Steven home?"
Garnet looked down, her slick shades stared directly into the eyes of Connie. "No," She said neutrally, as cool as she was, she never seemed to show much of anything. Whether it be emotions or expressions, I guess that's why many find her so mysterious. You can never read her.
"O-Oh, well…..um, do you know when he'll be back?" Connie questioned.
"No." Her stare was unfazed. It was actually very eerie how still she could be, almost as if she was just solid garnet.
"Okay," Connie sighed, gripping her wrist tightly, her nerves were getting the better of her once again. Maybe it was for the best, he must be very busy, he's a crystal gem after all, he doesn't need to be bothered by some earth-bound girl who just want's a little fun. "Well, I guess I'll come back later. Maybe he'll be back before dinner."
"Connie," The stone giant spoke, halting Connie's descent down the wooden staircase. Connie looked to Garnet, confused and perplexed. This was the first time she could recall Garnet ever saying her name. It sounded…...sweet, in a Garnet sort of way. "Why don't you wait for Steven inside. I know he will be happy to see you when he get's back." Garnet ushered the girl in with a…...smile on her face!
"Really! A-Are you sure, I mean, I wouldn't want to impose." Connie stammered, running her pale dress through her fingers, sampling the fabric as she peered nervously towards Garnet. "Y-You guys are always so busy. I would hate to be in the way."
"As long as you stay in Steven's room, you won't be in the way." Garnet protested, placing a calming hand to the girl's shoulder.
"How do you know?" Connie questioned once more.
"I just do, now come in." Connie didn't need to be asked twice. She quickly walked past the threshold and scampered up the stairs to Steven's room, and took a spot on the corner of his bed which seemed to be covered in old comics and toys. "Oh, Steven," She thought with a smile. She always loved his childlike ways, that's what made him...well, him. He's a loveable kid who has so much on his shoulders, whether it is the dangers that await him in the future or the things that have happened in the past. She had to say, she wouldn't want to be in his position.
I mean, yes the adventures were exciting and she's been a part of a few of them but if she had to do this every day, to the moment she wakes to the moment she sleeps, she would lose her mind. She had much respect for her plump friend, much respect indeed.
A beam shot from the Warp Pad once again, this time it held more than just one gem. Four poured from the pad, shuffling quickly with the couch like a herd of charging buffalo. Amethyst was the head of this herd, a cloaked figure draped in her arms as her face showed much fear. While Steven and Pearl came up the back, both seemed worried but to different degrees.
Steven's always been a nurturing soul, he got that from his mother, so of course he would show concern. But Pearl's concern seemed more for the people around her than the man Amethyst held.
Connie could only see so much from where she sat. She peeked over the corner when Amethyst put him down, trying to see who or what could be hidden from her sight. Amethyst flipped him gently to his front, revealing his ripped open cloak and the mangled mess his gem was. It was awful to see, it really was. Connie, a girl who knew little about gems still knew enough to know this was not good.
A mangled gem to a gem is like a mangled heart to a human, unsettling.
"What's going on here?" Garnet wondered yet her cool appearance seemed to waver a tad when she noticed the commotion and the new gem that was resting on the couch. Surprisingly, Garnet didn't see something like this coming. It was such a small possibility that this could happen, such a miniscule degree that she didn't even register it.
"Amethyst, Steven, and I found a…..male gem still active at Kindergarten." Pearl spoke up, turning to her leader to give her the short and sweet version of what took place at that horrid place. "His gem is badly damaged and I thought it would be smart if we brought him here."
"Okay Steven, time to work your magic." Amethyst said, practically plucking Steven from his spot and dangling him over the gem, "just hock a loogie on his gem and he'll be as good as new."
"Wait, Amethyst put Steven down this instant and come over here!" Pearl ordered as she wrestles Steven from her grip like he was nothing but a toy in the hands of an unruly child. She wasn't going to allow Steven to even touch this man without Garnet's say so, "maybe she'll knock some sense into Amethyst" Pearl thought.
"What?! B-But you said-" Ametyst began, confused and impatient. She had no time for waiting or talking things over, something was hurting her friend, something that could be easily fixed if the others would just listen to her. Talking this over won't help, action will.
"I know what I said, but we need to get Garnet's opinion before we do anything drastic." Pearl instructed, walking towards their towering leader with Steven in her arms like a mother would hold a child. But, she stopped once she feels a tug on Steven's foot.
"But he needs our help." Amethyst mumbled through gritted teeth, growing very tired of Pearl and her prolonging of her friend's suffering.
"I know, and I'm sorry but we mustn't act too hasty." It ended at that, Pearl walked to the side of their leader and Amethyst followed, clearly unhappy about this waste of time. "Now, Garnet, what do you think we should do?"
"...Do you know anything about him?" Garnet questioned, her gaze hard as it fell upon the ill gem, unconscious twitches riddled his body.
"He said he was born alongside Amethyst at Kindergarten and was picked up by Peridot at a young age. He was then taken to our old homeworld." Pearl explained, Garnet's gaze wavered a bit once she heard about their old homeworld.
"His name is Obsidian," Amethyst interrupted, irritated once more at Pearl for not even mentioning his name. Many people would start with that and then list the rest.
"I thought he said he wanted to be called Naruto when he was around friends?" Steven chimed in.
"Well, does it look like he's around friends? I don't think friends would let another friend writhe in pain like that!" She was getting anxious the louder the screams got from her friend. They started low but grow in decibels and in frequency. She couldn't stand just sitting around, pretending everything's alright.
"Amethyst! This isn't something we can just do without discussing it first! For all we know, he could be a Gem spy!" Pearl said, almost as if she was blocking out the screams of a fellow gem.
"Or maybe he's just a broken, battered gem who just so happens to be my long lost friend! And you're prolonging his suffering!" Amethyst retorted.
"Enough you two!" Garnet stated firmly, silencing them for now. "Now, Pearl, what do you suggest we do?"
"...Honestly, we can't trust him. Don't you think it's odd that we just so happen to find him walking around Kindergarten around the same time we found that Peridot gem snooping around the old Warp Pads. It can't be coincidental." Pearl said, her eyes closed in thought.
"True," Garnet nodded, taking Pearl's thoughts into consideration. She then turns her attention to Amethyst, "And you, Amethyst? What do you think?"
"We can totally trust him!" She said without a second thought. "The moment we met in Kindergarten today, I could feel he was still the old friend I've been dreaming of seeing again. I'd bet my life that if we heal him, he'll help us. And think about how helpful he could be. He's been on the Gem Homeworld, he's been around the next generation of gems, he even dropped Peridot's name. He can be a great help to us."
"Or he could feed us with lies and watch it blow up in our faces." Retorted Pearl, still as skeptical as the moment she met him.
"Of course you of all people would look a gift horse in the mouth!" Amethyst barked, glaring deeply at her friend with the same veracity you would save for an enemy. But, to Amethyst, at this point anyone who tried to take Obsidian away from her again was the enemy. "I swear, I think you only disagree with me just to spite me! You just want to watch me and my friend suffer, don't you!? Because we're nothing but mistakes to you perfect gems!"
"Amethyst, Pearl! We don't have time for this. Pull it together and act like crystal gems, not children." Garnet ordered, trying to be the voice of reason in these confusing times. So much has happened in the past few weeks, none of it seemed to be good, and now her comrades are at each others throats. Truth be told, she was worried about their chances in the future. "Steven, what do you think? This is just as much your decision as it is ours."
Steven stayed silent for a while, twiddling his thumbs as he eyed up the twitching gem on the couch, waiting to be tended to. "Well….ummm, I-I kinda like him. For the most part he has been nice, caring, and he really seems to like Amethyst." Garnet nodded at this assessment, "I believe we can trust him, at least enough to heal him. Besides, what Amethyst said was right, he could be a big help to us."
"B-But Steven, what about-" Pearl tried to say, but was silenced by Garnet.
"Pearl, let Steven heal this gem. He's already decided." She said, locked in her decision. Steven has grown of the past few months, he wasn't the simple minded boy he once was...well, not as much, anyway. He wished to make his own decisions and it was up to the Gems to make sure to stand behind him all the way.
"Garnet? Are you seriously going to let Steven get near him? He could be dangerous." Pearl whispered while Steven inches closer to the unknown gem. She gripped tightly to Garnet's arm, fearful of what might come if her fears come true.
"And if he is, we'll be right here to stop him. But, if we're wrong, and we let him get any worse, we might lose our only chance at defeating these new gems." Garnet answered, watching on as Steven reached the Gem's side. The room grew silent, each party held their collective breaths as Steven waters up his mouth. Connie peered over the side, keeping herself mostly hidden from Steven, she didn't want her presence to interrupt what was about to happen. Steven waited over the gem's unconscious form, propelling a string of spit down to the man's gem. Splashing rather loosely around it, the spit along with the gem began to glow.A gasp was released from this beaten man, a gasp of life, one that Amethyst was more than happy to here. His gem slowly started to heal, each second gave way to a new piece of his broken gem appearing until soon enough, he was back to his usual self. He rose to a seated position, color now fully back in his face and his hair turning back to it's natural bright yellow.
The room was silent, the gems held there baited breath as Steven stared nervously at the rising gem. Naruto looked to his hands, his eyes wide and his mouth ajar, was this real? "Y-You saved me." He whispered, looking from his hands to the young lad that stood before him. Without a second thought, the gem launched himself at the boy, lacing his arms around him and bringing him into his chest for a loving hug. "Thank you, I can't thank you enough, Steven."
"Obsidian!" Amethyst yelled joyously, rushing the two hugging and jumped right in, wrapping her small arms around both parties. "Thank god, you're back to normal! Thank you Steven, thank you so much!"
Steven chuckled at the two in contact with him squished in the middle. "N-No problem. A-All's in a day's work as a Crystal Gem, I guess." Steven blushed lightly, a stranger's hug was not something he was accustomed too.
"No, Steven. It's more than that." Amethyst smiled, shimmering tears evident in the corners of her eyes. "I….I've dreamed of this day for a long time, and when I saw his gem I thought that dream was over. But you saved him. I can't thank you enough, Steven."
"Nor can I," Naruto spoke up, ruffling the boy's scruffy hair like a father would a child. "I am forever in you and your friend's debt. I would have died out their in a matter of months without your help. You're my hero, Steven." Steven blushed even more, he had no idea how to respond to something like that. He's done many amazing thing in his life but most of the time it was the Gems that did the heavy lifting or finished the job. He'd never thought of himself as a hero just a boy doing his job, until now, I suppose.
"Naruto, I have so much to show you!" Amethyst exclaimed, pulling him to his feet as she starts to usher him towards her room. "I've collected so much stuff like we used to do in the old days and I want you to see every last one of them. I even got a few swords and battle axes from some battleground."
"Amethyst, aren't you forgetting something?" Pearl questioned, stopping both gems in their tracks. Amethyst bristled at her friend's words while Obsidian just looked peaceful, smiling all the while.
"D-Do we really have to do this now?" Amethyst questioned, sighing deeply at the thought. "He's had a rough day, can't this wait until tomorrow?"
"No," Garnet said simply and without delay. She folded her arms, determined for this to end and for her to know everything about this other gem. Weather it come willingly or not is up for him to decide. "Now, sit. We have much to talk about."
"Of course," Obsidian nodded, more than willing to help these people seeing as they helped him. Sure they were a bit skeptical but he knew it was warranted, this wasn't something many would take lightly. So, he took a seat back on the couch; Amethyst securing her's right next to him, as he waited for the questions to flow. "I owe you this much for what you've all done for me."
Garnet nodded then looked to Steven. "Steven, would you and Connie leave us. Go play outside."
"Connie?" Steven questioned. "Well, sure, but at this time a day I don't think her parents would-"
"Steven, up here." Connie spoke up, poking her head up from behind the railings, glancing slightly at the new face of the group. He looked sweet, a kind soul like the others. His hair was as yellow as the sun, his eyes were a piercing blue, and his skin, once pale and gray, was now a light peach color. He almost looked…..human.
"When did you get here?" He wondered, his voice a bit louder than most would hope, as usual.
"We can talk about it outside. I think the gems what have a moment alone with…..ummm, Naruto." Connie said, walking quickly down the stairs before she pulls Steven behind her towards the exit, stealing one last look at this new gem who smiled gently towards her.
"What are your intentions?" Garnet wasted no time in her questioning. Once she heard the screen door slam shut she was prepared to fire these off one by one until she knew what she needed to. Pearl looked on, perplexed at this male gem while Amethyst's eyes fell on him as well, but more of a deeper meaning behind it. She was just happy to see him back to his usual color.
"Intentions? Well, I really don't have any." He said, a nervous chuckle left his lips, a bit nervous at how they all kept staring at him like he'd grown a tail or something. "Since today, I was sure that I would waste away in Kindergarten, never to be seen or heard from again."
"What do you intend to do next?" Garnet asked again, taking no time to stop her line of questioning.
"...I don't know, haven't thought that far yet." He answered honestly, scratching his chin with his thumbnail. In truth, he hadn't thought of his future for years. He stayed in that god forsaken crack in the earth for years now, barely moving lest he suffer the pain of his mangled gem. He begrudgingly accepted his so called future to be nothing but this, a hollowed hole in the side of the mountain to be nothing more than his home and his grave.
"You can stay with us!" Amethyst shouted, gripping the man's hand tightly in joy. "We don't have a room set up yet, but you could just bunk with me."
"I would love too, but I don't think that would sit well with your friend over there." Naruto said earnestly, pointing a digit Pearl's way. The moment Amethyst said what she did Pearl scrunched her nose up and glared slightly at her wayward friend. It didn't last more than a second but that's all he needed to see it.
Before the two could go at each other again, Garnet stepped in to ask another question. "We have been finding several small bots roaming around discontinued warp pads, it seems as if they are trying to fix them. Do you know anything about them?"
"Are they round, walk on four cylinder legs, and are white in color?" Naruto asked, counting his questions off on his fingers.
"Yes," Garnet said, recalling the many she's found and crushed in the past week. "So you do know about them."
"Yes, I know what they are. But I have no idea how they work. That was always Peridot's doing, her and her little toys." Naruto explained, a hint of venom etched into his voice when he spoke the diamond girl's name.
"See, he even knows her by name. Doesn't this sound a little bit suspicious to you?" Pearl whispered to Garnet. She then turns to Obsidian, a thought rattling around inside her brain that needed to come out. "What is your relationship with this "Peridot"? Are you friends, partners, is she your leader?"
"Relationship? I think that's too high of a word for the gem who destroyed mine without a second thought!." Naruto said quite harshly, the only time any of them have actually heard a genuine emotion from him besides kindness. He cleared his throat before speaking again. "Sorry, I didn't mean to raise my voice like that. I've…..I've just had a tough time dealing with what happened. When I was captured, she was the one to carry out my torture. A very painful experience which she took much joy out of."
"Why would she do something like that to you?" Amethyst asked, growing a new hatred for this gem who thought it was her right to hurt her friend. She'll make sure if she runs into her again she'll know why you shouldn't mess with Amethyst.
"I couldn't say, she's always been an odd character." He said simply, "never could get a read on her."
"You said you were captured, what for? Weren't you on their side?" Garnet asked, one of the few things that stuck out in his explanation.
"I was, until I was caught helping the wrong people." Naruto stated, "I was a simple grunt, nothing more. A small gear in a big, nasty machine. I played my part until I decided I couldn't be apart of something this…..barbaric."
"What happened?" Amethyst asked.
"We conquered planets, use them for resources, and left. I was just a soldier, that's all I was told to do. Questioning our superior officers was usually a damaging offense, if you get my meaning. I was unaware that a crew came behind us and captured many of the people we just defeated and used them as slaves to keep our planet running. Spoils of war - that's what they called it." Naruto stated coldly, remembering the night he found them there. Broken, cold, and alone. "Slaves, massive amounts of them. Shoved under the crust of the world, withering away as they made the lives of those above them better."
"How did you find out?" Garnet wondered.
"It was my platoon's first week back from scouting out other planets with suitable resources. We were asked, after our mandatory week of rest, to stay planetside and help there. So, while some stayed above ground to keep the peace between the common folk and the rebellion, we were taken down into the core of our world and given the job of watching over the slaves and keeping them in line." Naruto said, his eyes glazed over as he replayed the horrid memories that haunt his very nights.
"Then, one day, when I thought things couldn't get worse than they already were. I was ordered by my superior officer to kill a few of the older ones, they weren't performing well enough and there were a few younger ones willing to take their place…...So, we took them to the center, ex-executed them, and tossed their bodies into the cores inferno. That's when I knew I couldn't be a part of such a disturbing world. And that is only one of the many atrocities these monsters committed. Gem destruction, torture, planetary annihilation. The list goes on and on."
"Obsidian, I'm so sorry!" Amethyst said, almost tearful after hearing such a monstrous tale. She hugged the gem's arm to her chest, hoping a simple hug would help him forget, at least for now. How could someone so calm go through such a thing? She couldn't wait to get her hands on those homeworld gem bastards and give them everything they deserve.. "I couldn't imagine what that was like. I wish I could have been there for you."
"Thank you, Amethyst. You always know what to say." He smiled, unaware of the other two gems reactions to this…..oddly sweet scene. Pearl's eye seemed to twitch at how uncharacteristically sweet and tender Amethyst was. "I-Impossible," she seemed to think. "T-This is Amethyst we're talking about here! She doesn't say she's sorry or wish she could be there for someone! She could care less if it doesn't have anything to do with food, sleeping, or herself! Who the hell is this guy and how could he mean so much to Amethyst?!" Something inside Pearl just didn't sit well each time she took a look at this male gem. The way Amethyst acted around him, how Garnet seems to not even register him as a threat -at least that's how it looked to her in this state of paranoia- has her whole group gone mad?
Garnet on the other hand seemed to smile, at least a tad before she brought herself back to her usual stoic self. This was sweet, a reunion between good friends. Amethyst was showing the same love and affection she would if she was separated from Ruby or vise versa. Amethyst will hold on to this gem and never let him go.
"It's sweet, it really is." Sapphire spoke up, Garnet smiled at that. "Ruby? What do you think?"
"I say we should trust him. For now at least." Ruby said, her eyes closed in thought. "Steven and Amethyst has given their seal of approval. The only one who seems to be on the fence is Pearl. Besides, he seems like a nice guy…...and kinda cute."
"I'm sorry, Ruby. I couldn't hear that last part." Sapphire said sweetly, unaware of Ruby's whisperings about a certain cute blonde.
"N-Nothing! I just said he - he seems like a nice guy. Yeah, that's all." Ruby stammered, unaware of how she made her fusion body react. Garnet couldn't help but blush madly at what Ruby had said, something that thankfully went unnoticed by her fellow gems. Something like that, a simple remark that shouldn't even be in Ruby's head let alone said out loud, greatly affected Garnet. But, thankfully, she composed herself before the other gems could notice her little slip up.
"Obsidian," Garnet spoke, taking his attention away from his childhood companion. "I have all I need to make my decision. I'm willing to allow you to take refuge here, but I cannot in, good conscious, allow you to roam freely. So, you won't be permitted to do what you wish. But, Amethyst seems to really trust you, so does Steven, so I will compromise. You cannot leave this house without a gem with you. Everywhere you go outside the walls of this home will be monitored by either me or Pearl. Am I understood?"
"Yes, I do." Obsidian nodded, grateful for her generosity but also a bit nervous at the same time. Having someone breath down your neck was not something Obsidian believed to be comforting but it's better than being locked behind bars or whatever they would use to contain him. So, he sucked it up and knew he shouldn't look a gift horse in the mouth. "and thank you for this opportunity."
"I don't fully trust you, nor does Pearl. The only one who seems to is Amethyst." Garnet said, clarifying anything that he might have misconstrued. "Trust is something you earn."
"And I'm grateful for the opportunity," He said with a smile, causing another spasm to run through Ruby. "Where I once lived, trust meant nothing. Every single person perceived as a threat was eliminated on sight unless they were useful. You three have at least given me a chance, a chance to prove myself to you. I won't mishandle this opportunity, Garnet and Pearl."
A general calmness returned to the group and it couldn't have come any sooner. So much has happened today and so many things seemed to be changing, some for the better others for the worse, and it was good to feel a little ease. "Steven, Connie. Would you two like to join us inside. It's much easier to hear us in here than through the window." Garnet hummed, a collective sound of rummaging and fumbling soon followed. A few seconds later, the two walked in; stretching their 'aching' muscles from all the fun they had on the beach.
"Oh man, that sure was fun." Steven said, if only Steven knew the subtleties of lying, he might have gotten away with it. Actually, probably not, seeing as Garnet saw Connie's frames pere over the window seal. "Yep, nothing like playing…..umm, beach ball! Yeah, beach ball on the beach."
"So, how much did you hear, Connie?" Garnet questioned, not even considering Steven's rather weak attempt to fool her. Maybe if he didn't look so guilty she might have considered it, but, surprisingly, Steven's good heart also makes him very bad at lying, it's just not in his nature. Well, most of the time, anyway. "Speak up, you're not in trouble."
"N-Nothing really. The glass is pretty thick," Connie sighed, blushing a tad out of nervous habit. "Well, I did hear one thing. You're from the Gem homeworld, correct?" She stuck her digit in the direction of the new face in the room, well, newer.
"Yes I am, nice to meet you Connie-chan." He greeted, walking to her and presented his hand, ready to introduce himself formally to this new face. "My name is Obsidian, but I mostly prefer to go by Naruto."
"L-Likewise," She stammered, blushing once more. "A-And what does '-chan' mean?"
"O-Oh, did I say that?" He shyly asked, scratching the back of his head. "Sorry, I meant to say Connie. My mouth says things before my brain processes it sometimes. It's a tick, really. Nothing more. I have so many of them that I can't really keep track of them, yeah know?"
Connie smiled slightly at his flustered appearance, it seems she's not the only one who seems to put her foot in her mouth in awkward situations, and it's even more shocking to see a nervous tick coming from a Gem of all people. She thought they were next to perfect, but she'll soon come to find that her statement couldn't be further from the truth.
The day quickly turned to night, Steven walked Connie home to her parents who seemed worried sick that she missed dinner. Amethyst quickly dragged Obsidian away into the deepest pits of her room to show him the tallest, most dangerous pile of stuff she had. Leaving Garnet and Pearl to discuss what has transpired today.
"I don't trust him," Pearl said simply, a look of dread and trepidation in her eyes. "Something's off, I can feel it."
"I know," Garnet nodded, "you've made me very well aware of your opinion."
"I know you two think I'm being paranoid like I always am but I have a gut feeling about this. He's no good." Pearl retorted, "and I don't know about you, but I will be keeping a very, very close eye on him."
"And I will do the same, you are not alone in your suspensions. I will keep my own eye on him, a very close one." Garnet said, two very odd meanings stapled to that statement. Before Pearl could even utter another word, Garnet jumped from her seat and headed to her room. "Y-You're right. Yeah, keep an eye on him. Well, g-goodnight."
Pearl just stared, perplexed, watching her friend fumble to her room without another word. "D-Did Garnet just…...stutter?"
