27L turned to one of the large monitors on the wall, taking a seat before it. She began tapping away, then hesitated, asking over her shoulder, "You're sure you want to contact Earth?"
"Yes," Amy confirmed, and 27L shook her head, continuing her work with a sigh.
3CX pulled up a seat next to her, occasionally glancing at 27L's monitor as she joined the effort.
Amy leaned back against a wall, seeming content to wait, and Steven tried to mirror her nonchalance. He couldn't help but be anxious; he was so close…
27L hummed as she scrolled through lines of text, thinking out loud, "We could bounce the signal off the sixth-quadrant relay…"
"Wouldn't the fourth and second provide a stronger signal?" 3CX added.
27L nodded, "Yes, but," she looked back at Amy, "I assume the least traceable method is preferred."
Amy nodded in agreement and the pair turned back to their screens, occasionally bouncing ideas off each other as they narrowed down the best way to carry the signal. It was clear the peridots were quite close despite their differences, working together in flawless tandem.
"Amy?" Steven whispered, and said amethyst glanced over at him. "Why is 27L so… tall? I've never seen a peridot without limb enhancers before."
Amy rolled her eyes. "She's Era One," she answered, matter-of-fact.
Steven frowned, remembering the little Peridot had mentioned of herself on Earth; she'd been made in Era Two. "What does that mean, though?"
Amy's face grew serious. She leaned in, quietly saying, "She was made before… you know…" She glanced over at the peridots, engrossed in their displays, then whispered, "the shattering."
Steven's gaze darted to the floor, uncomfortable with the intensity Amy spoke the words. "Oh," he mumbled. Of course. Even the changing of Homeworld Eras revolved around his mom… around him.
The silence stretched and eventually Steven whispered, eyes on his feet, "I'm sorry."
Amy straightened, giving Steven a confused look. "For what?"
Steven shrugged, throat tight. "Everything's always my fault, isn't it?"
Amy opened her mouth to reply when the peridots froze, 27L letting out a hushed, "Shards."
"What is it?" Amy asked, instantly on alert.
"We've lost connection to the mainframe," 3CX replied, tense, as 27L began frantically tapping her monitor.
Suddenly the room's screens changed, showing angles of what seemed to be the hallway outside. A hallway that was now suspiciously devoid of gems.
"They know you're here," 27L stated, bland, hand still hovering over the screen.
Amy hissed something under her breath, then asked, pointed, "How many?"
27L still seemed frozen, but 3CX turned back to the screen, pulling up various images that were immediately overlaid by symbols and text. "A half-squadron," she said after a moment, grim.
27L burst back into motion, pulling up lines upon lines of text that immediately vanished. "We won't tell them anything. We were busy; we didn't know of your wanted status. Nothing was said about Earth, or Pink Diamond, or, stars forbid, Rose Quartz." Her hands moved even faster, geometric patterns unspooling themselves and symbols swiped into nonexistence. "You wanted only to contact 185FE-"
"No," Amy interrupted with a growl, "I won't drag her into this."
"You had to have some reason for being here, so I suggest you come up with it, fast," 27L spat, still a flurry of activity. "If I'm going to lie for you, you'd sure as diamond better make it convincing."
"I asked for shipping logs; I told you I wanted to review a discrepancy in facet 1082-A deliveries."
27L hesitated, then nodded. "That will do." A breath of silence overwhelmed the room, then she turned to them and snapped, "What are you waiting for? Leave!"
Amy started, then turned to the door. Yet, before it could open she looked back at Steven. "Shift, now," she demanded, and Steven hurriedly complied, ignoring the distinctly unpleasant strain on his gem.
Amy turned back to the door, only to have 3CX grab her arm, a disconcerting level of desperation in her gaze. "I'm sorry we couldn't send your message," she lamented. "I wish we could do more."
"I don't," 27L hissed, stony-faced. "We might be in pieces before tomorrow as it is." She locked eyes with Amy. "Don't come back, or I'll turn you in myself." The ominous statement ended with a decisive nod and an expectant raise of the brow, accompanied by an intense stare.
Amy, while grave, nodded in return, sharing something more than words with the peridot. Steven had a strange feeling that, despite her denial, 27L would put her gem on the line for Amy again, should the situation call for it. It was clear Amy trusted these peridots with her life, so he, as was becoming common, followed her lead.
"Stars guide you," 3CX whispered, relinquishing her grasp, and they were gone.
Amy dashed out the door, spending but a moment to check the way was clear. Steven followed, but as they made for a connecting hall a pair of gems appeared: twin topazes, barring their way.
"Stars above," Amy hissed, turning around. She sprinted to the other end of the hall, only to find yet another pair of topazes. They were surrounded.
Amy glanced back and forth for a moment, then leveled a glare at a door to what Steven presumed was yet another meeting room. With a snarl she pressed her palm against it, brow furrowed in consternation, and after a moment it slid open.
"What are you-" a peridot within squeaked, surprised, only to be roughly shoved aside by Amy.
She quickly scrambled to her feet, a horrified look on her face. Steven offered a brief, worried, "Sorry," unnoticed as she bolted for the hall.
As the peridot fled Amy strode forward, planted her feet, then, with a roar, punched the wall. The displays shattered, shards of crystal flying from the impact, and Amy was left breathless for a moment. She readied herself to try again when Steven stepped in.
"Let me," he said, rushed, and Amy relented with a nod that clearly said hurry up.
Steven clenched his fists, desperately hoping he could draw some of the destructive power that had been plaguing him, now that he actually needed it. He took a quick breath, readied himself, and let his fist fly.
The wall shattered outward, a gaping crater surrounded by metallic rubble, leading into a once-pristine purple courtyard, a ceiling shimmering high above. Steven blinked for a moment in shock, then let out a short, relieved breath. He did it.
Footsteps sounded behind them and Amy whirled on the door, shutting it just as a different set of yellow-gem guards appeared. She tapped frantically on one of the remaining wall panels as the door began to shudder with blows.
"Go!" Amy snapped. "I'm right behind you!"
Steven didn't need telling twice. He bolted through the hole, searching for an exit, and Amy, true to her word, leapt at his heels. She glanced around frantically, starting for the nearest door as a group of burgundy gems fled through the farthest. Unfortunately for them the same door was almost simultaneously wrenched open, revealing yet more angry gems. The guards had made it through the hole behind them as well, picking their way through the rubble towards them. They had only moments before the two groups converged upon them, both shouting angry orders to halt, combined with threats.
Amy pivoted towards the remaining door, lithe with desperation as she scrambled across the courtyard. It sprung open as they approached, as if sensing their urgency; they sprinted through. It seemed fate had graced them with a small reprieve as no guards appeared to block their way this time, despite the six now hot on their heels.
They ran, Amy taking the lead once more. After a few turns and a sunken stairwell gems began to litter the hallways again; the guards clearly hadn't planned on chasing them this far. Amy shoved more than a few out of her way as she went, earning angry protests and concerned glances from Steven when they fell to the floor. He had no choice but to trust they'd be alright; they were gems, after all.
The guard gems fell behind rather quickly, almost suspiciously quickly, if Steven had a moment to process the thought. Yet, even if they were running into a trap, there was nothing he could do. Nothing but hope they'd weasel their way out once more.
Amy turned a corner to a less-populated hall, slowed her pace dramatically, and ducked into a side-room, closing (and presumably locking, from her rapid tapping against a panel) the door behind them. They'd entered another courtyard, smaller than the first, though this one was open to the sky. There was only one door in or out that Steven could see.
"Blue Court isn't usually that responsive…" Amy lamented. She looked at Steven appraisingly. "Should've known... not every day you lose track of a diamond. Uh- I mean- Steven."
Steven shook his head. "What do we do?"
Amy glanced at the door, pursing her lips. "We don't have long before they know where we've gone… and the only ways in and out of the communications facet are guarded…." She fell silent, pondersome.
Steven glanced around, looking for another way out. Things didn't look good.
After a long moment Amy turned her gaze back to Steven, grimaced, and let out a resigned breath. "Look… thank you for helping me, but if there's even a chance for you to get back in with the other diamonds…" she paused for a moment, as if regretting her words before she even spoke them, "you should turn me in. Security on Homeworld has only gotten tighter since… uh." She cleared her throat, gesturing vaguely. "Earth." She shrugged hopelessly. "There's no way we won't be caught." Her words were flat, a well of emotion hidden deep beneath the surface. Steven knew the feeling.
"What-" Steven began, an objection on the tip of his tongue, but Amy held up a hand.
"I've always known this day would come; it's only right for an… off-color like me to be destroyed." She huffed a bitter laugh, continuing, "And say I did get off Homeworld, where would I go? There's nothing for me out there."
"You could come to Earth!" Steven protested, not at all pleased with the turn the conversation had taken. "Everyone's welcome there! Off-colors, fusions: everyone!"
Amy raised a brow. "Your own botched colony, a haven for reject gems?" she scoffed. "No thanks. I've had enough of being a failure."
Steven was aghast; it almost seemed like Amy wanted to die. "Anything's better than being shattered!"
Amy crossed her arms, jaw tightening. "I don't get why you're so worked up about it; there's millions of amethysts, just make another to replace me." Aggravation warred with pain for dominance on her face.
Steven scowled. "No one could replace you. No gem should ever be replaceable!"
Amy sneered, "I don't see what you know about it! You don't even know who you are!" She snapped her mouth shut, but too late; the words hung in the air between them like daggers. They winced in unison as Amy turned away.
Steven shuffled his feet, looking down. Tears pooled in his eyes. So much for someone recognizing him as different from his mom. No, he was, and would only be, Pink Diamond to the gems of Homeworld.
"I'm not worth the effort," Amy muttered, keeping her back to him. "I should never have been made; I'm defective. The only way I can serve My Diamond now - to make things right - is to cease to exist."
"I don't believe that," Steven said firmly, pushing down his hurt. "Homeworld is wrong about gems. Yellow is wrong. I know; I've seen it with my own eyes. You're so much more than what you were made to be." Amy held her defensive hunch so Steven pleaded, "Please, come to Earth with me. Let me show you what it's like to be free. You'll love it there- I promise! There's even another amethyst! She's shorter than average, but she'd love to meet you more than anyone."
Amy's lips thinned and she looked up, eyes glistening as she struggled to ignore Steven's words. "You're the most senseless, audacious gem I've ever met, My Steven…" She raised a hand to her brow, shaking her head. "But I can't help but want to believe you." She breathed in quickly, blinking before a tear could fall, all traces of her inner turmoil erased. "Fine, you win." She pushed off the wall, crossing her arms expectantly. "What's the plan?"
Steven looked around, then up to the sky, peeking between buildings far above. "We go up."
Amy's brows rose, following Steven's gaze. She took in the sheer faces of the walls surrounding them. "Not even I can climb that."
Steven shook his head. "Not climbing. Floating."
Amy's brows rose yet higher. She looked to him, up, then back to him yet again. After a moment she inclined her head. "By your leave, My Steven," she said, bemused.
Steven heaved a tense sigh, gauging the distance. It would be a stretch, to be sure. "Okay," he said, as if that would make it so. "Okay." He turned back to Amy, holding out a hand. "I'll need to carry you."
It looked as if Amy's brows would float away on their own with how high they shot at that proclamation.
"What?" she asked, deadpan.
Steven frowned. "I can't just magically make you float up there. I gotta carry you."
Amy stared at his outstretched hand as if it would bite her. "You, carry me."
"That's what I said, isn't it?" True, it was usually the other way around, but Steven really couldn't see what the problem was. He slowly lowered his hand.
Amy shook her head, pressing her palm against her eyes. "Sure, fine- It's only breaking about seventy rules I would be shattered for, but sure. Might as well just keep racking them up." She muttered something else under her breath that Steven couldn't hear, but was probably quite dark, judging from the look on her face.
"Uhm," Steven looked up again, "I… could try to find something else…?"
Amy waved a hand. "We don't have time- It's… fine. You make the rules, My Steven."
Steven frowned, but offered Amy his hand once more. This time she took it, though she did look distinctly displeased. As her hand met his he blinked in surprise; the sensation of flowing energy across her palm was one he hadn't felt before, almost mesmerizing in its intensity, but he shook off the novelty, preparing himself for the jump. He pulled Amy in close (uncomfortably close, on her part), swept her up under the knees (to which she gave a very tense grunt), and braced himself.
"Hold on," Steven said, crouching as he prepared to jump.
"To what-" Amy hissed, cut off by a resounding boom. The door had been blown open behind them.
"Shards," Amy snapped, leaning forward as she twisted to escape his grasp. "Let me-"
"No time!" Steven yelled, clutching Amy's (much larger, in his transformed state) form to him, breaking into a run. He got a good few strides in, putting distance between them and the guards, then sank low to the ground and jumped, just as even more gems began to pour through the clearing smoke.
Amy threw her arms around his neck with a startled yell. They were going up, fast. Steven might have miscalculated. Or, more likely, he used too much of his newly-found destructive super-strength. Actually- probably both.
They passed windows at a blinding pace, then the square of rooftops surrounding the plaza, then a single, hazy cloud. The expanse of Homeworld stretched out beneath them, glimmering as brightly as the gems that called the planet home, deceptively serene. Steven grit his teeth as they began to fall, attempting to control their descent, hoping to land in a different place than where they started. (And not- definitely not- in the empty kindergartens of Homeworld's underbelly.) His gem strained with the effort, a truly unpleasant sensation, and he felt his form begin to slip...
Steven let out a groan, snapping back into his transformation. It wasn't quite right, now, feeling like an ill-fitting second skin, but Steven didn't have time to try to fix it. Not now, when they were plummeting to the ground ever faster- he needed to slow down- There! His powers snapped into action, a series of stuttered stop-and-go movements jolting the pair as they slowed. Amy clung tighter to his neck, fingers digging into his shoulders, and Steven felt for her; this certainly wasn't the best introduction to his floating abilities.
They brushed past a series of skyscrapers, Steven kicking off one to redirect them away from a bustling plaza. They drifted above a couple bridges (the gems occupying them looked up and pointed, and Steven lamented how easy it would be to track them) before finally reconnecting with solid ground. They touched down at the edge of a narrow byway between two buildings, scaring a cluster of passing blue zircons.
Amy scrambled from his arms the moment they hit the ground, tense as she leaned over, head down, hand still on his shoulder. After a moment she seemed to realize she was still touching him, violently leaping back and nearly overbalancing in her haste to put distance between them. She looked around, noticed the zircons whispering amongst themselves from a distance, and glanced back at Steven before setting off in the opposite direction. Steven, still shaken from the narrow escape and his faulty powers, had to run to catch up.
He opened his mouth to speak once he fell in step with Amy, but she was quicker, snapping, "If you ever think of doing that again, do me a favor and just shatter me first."
"Wh- Amy! Don't say that!" Steven gasped. "It's not that bad usually, honest. I just… went a bit too high." Among other things.
Amy shuddered. "A gem's place is with two feet on the ground. Not… that."
Steven looked down. "Sorry."
Amy returned an annoyed glare. "You need to stop apologizing." She rounded a corner, took a breath, and slowed her pace by a fraction. "…Thank you."
Steven looked up again in surprise, confused by the emotional whiplash. Amy spared him a glance before scowling again.
"You saved me; you didn't have to. Thank you. Now stop gawking like a peridot with a new toy."
Steven couldn't help the smile that spread over his face; Amy's scowl grew deeper when she saw it. He took that as a good thing.
The sound of gems reached their ears and Steven looked up; the narrow lane opened up into a wide road, glistening not far in the distance. Clusters of blue and green gems (with the occasional warm color mixing in) passed by, businesslike, none sparing a glance into the dim-lit corridor. Amy held out her hand in warning- Steven paused. She crept closer to the road, eventually peering around the corner, then waved Steven forward.
"Shouldn't we go somewhere else?" Steven whispered, shrinking into himself despite being utterly ignored by the passerby.
"If we want to get out of Blue Court's facets we'll have to cross somewhere," Amy replied, eyes searching the crowd. "It won't be long until both Yellow and Blue Courts are on our tail, if they aren't already." She looked pointedly at Steven. "And I don't think either of us want to stick around to see what happens then."
Steven nodded, grave, and Amy spared him a sympathetic half-smile. "It'll be fine, My Steven. I know these streets like the back of my gem." Steven hoped she was right.
Amy strode out into the throng, Steven sticking close, and they began to make their way… somewhere. Steven hadn't exactly bothered to ask where, exactly- not that it really mattered. They were buying time at this point. Maybe she knew somewhere else to get a message out?
Suddenly Amy stopped dead, Steven backpedaling to keep from running into her. After a moment he peeked around her shoulder, also freezing in place as the apparent problem came into view.
A pair of topazes stood at the foot of a nearby building, scanning the crowd, and Steven was suddenly aware of how much they stood out. The blue-and-green throng passed around them like a river around stones, accentuating their unfortunate differences. Amy spun, making her way back the other direction, but as Steven glanced back he saw it was already too late. One of the topazes had locked eyes on Amy, saying something to the other before they both started forward, gems hurriedly moving from their path. Steven nudged Amy and she looked back, instantly getting the message.
"Shards!" she snapped, breaking into a sprint.
All pretense of fitting in was thrown to the winds; they ran to the other side of the street amidst stares and gestures, cutting off lines of foot traffic in their haste. Yet, as they sped into a smaller connecting lane, the topazes didn't follow. They stood unmoving, blocking the exit to the main road behind them.
A moment later Steven saw why. A small force of topazes and other yellow-orange guards stepped out in front of them, blocking their path. Amy skidded to a stop, looking around wildly, but Steven knew what had happened. They were trapped, cornered: nowhere to run, nowhere to hide, enemies on every side that wasn't a sheer blue wall- and even that was unfriendly.
Steven took up a protective stance in front of Amy (ignoring her indignant protest), shield raised and ready. Yet, while more gems filled in behind them, the gems in front didn't move. They stood stiffly, ominously, all eyes trained on the two much-less-impressive gems in their midst. In a lighter setting it might've resembled some high-stakes staring contest, but this was not a time for humor.
Finally, a voice boomed out, setting Steven's nerves on edge with its authoritative tenor. "Amethyst Facet-2 Cut-185FC. You and your companion shall surrender yourselves immediately to my judgement, by command of Yellow Diamond and under her direct orders."
The owner of said voice stepped forward, a tall, imposing yellow gem… one Steven had seen before. The name given by Yellow Pearl sprang to mind: Heliodor. A gem high-up enough to get an audience with Yellow Diamond herself- and they were completely at her mercy.
Steven looked up, the shimmering buildings towering almost endlessly above him. He could try to jump again, but… he was nearly spent. He didn't know how much longer he could keep up his disguise- or even his shield, his arm trembling with the effort of sustaining it. Not that any of that would really matter, when they were moments from being captured anyway.
Heliodor stepped forward again, a blunt cape, reaching her mid-calf, accentuating the gravity of her movement. Her gem, prominently situated on her forehead, was nearly a rectangular cut, though its chiseled edges formed it into more of an octagonal shape.
Her eyes were sharp, calculating, predatory as they roved over Amy, and then, briefly, Steven. "You are accused of high treason, acting in disobedience of Yellow Diamond herself, and attempting to escape punishment. If you do not comply you will be immediately destroyed." She left no room for question, for appeal. Her word was law and she knew it.
Amy tried to push her way in front of Steven; he wasn't having it.
"Stay behind me," he hissed, and, surprisingly, Amy took a half-step back. "My shield should be able to take anything they throw at us," he added, by way of explanation.
Amy whispered, leaning in close, "It's not too late to hand me over, absolve yourself-"
Steven interrupted, a solid, "No!" and for once Amy seemed to understand it was non-negotiable. He would sooner see himself in pieces than Amy, though if he had his way it'd be neither of them… But that was looking less and less likely by the moment.
"I won't let you hurt Amy!" Steven called out, and Heliodor's eyes narrowed a moment.
Then she laughed, "A single pearl, standing between me and my quarry? Step aside, servant, and I may consider not breaking you for your association with this traitor."
Steven raised his shield defiantly (ignoring, once again, how very un-circular it was) and Heliodor sighed, stepping back behind the line of gems. "This is a waste of time: destroy them."
The wave of gems lowered their weapons and Steven held his shield higher, a tremble of fear chilling his bones. There were so many… there was no way…
He grit his teeth, steeling himself. He had no choice.
"You don't have to do this," Steven pleaded with the encroaching gems. "This is all just a misunderstanding!" His cries fell on deaf ears.
There was no more time for diplomacy; they were upon him. He blocked one- two maces, hearing Amy grunt as she met another swing at his back. He shoved the weapons back, sending the topazes wielding them reeling, before turning to catch a sword aimed at Amy's head. Amy herself was exchanging blows with a few yellow-orange quartzes - not jaspers, but Steven didn't exactly have time to puzzle out what gem they were.
He spun back around, throwing off the sword-wielding gem to parry another mace-strike. It hit his shield heavy and square, sending a reverberation all the way down to his gem. He felt his powers shudder, nearly losing his transformation before he managed to pull himself back together.
He pushed the topaz off again, making for a jab with his shield when two more strikes had him dodging back. He parried a third, then caught sight of a mace directed at Amy from the corner of his eye. He wrenched his shield back, sending the gem braced against it stumbling forward, just in time to block an attack that doubtlessly would've crushed Amy into the dirt. Amy glanced at him gratefully, retaliating with a swing of her flail that put the gem on the defensive.
The next swing nearly caught his back; he barely sidestepped it in time, almost landing him in the path of yet another flying mace. Amy cried out; he turned, seeing her grip her shoulder for but a moment before jumping back into the fight. Unfortunately for Steven, his momentary distraction left an opening for a strike at him. He raised his shield, stepping back, but too slow; the sword tore through his shirt, clipping his gem. Fortunately, it didn't seem to do any damage, but Steven was shaken as he retreated again, miraculously managing to block the next weapon headed his way. His form shuddered once again; he couldn't keep this up for much longer.
"Look out!" Amy cried, and Steven started, glancing to the side.
The amethyst been drawn a few steps away, leaving his back open- and a topaz wielding a painfully-spiked mace was barreling down upon him. Steven hissed, throwing up a second shield, but the attackers were coordinated this time; the combined strikes on both sides took him to his knees. He felt his shields begin to give- No, no, no! He forced whatever energy he had left into maintaining his shields, but he couldn't hold everything together-
His transformation snapped, a rubber band pulled too taught, and with a pained flinch he felt his body settle into its true form. He shot up after a half-moment of shock, shaking with the effort of holding his shields steady, yet found Amy once more at his back, watching over him protectively.
Strangely, Heliodor's forces had pulled back, shocked whispers making their way through the crowd. He saw more than one gem glance at his navel, the sliver of crystalline pink visible through the tear in his shirt.
"What are you doing?" Heliodor's voice echoed, enraged. "Why haven't you shattered these fools already?"
For a moment there was silence, then a topaz shouted, "It's Rose Quartz!"
Oh, shi-
"That's impossible," Heliodor's voice rang again, steeped in frustration. The gems parted, the top of her head bobbing through the cluster of suddenly-panicked soldiers.
Steven's mind raced as Heliodor came once more into view.
"Look," he said desperately, "this really isn't what you think-!"
"Silence!" Heliodor demanded, now at the front of her entourage. Her eyes roved over him, appraising, then narrowed in anger. "So, you never did leave Homeworld after your trial, Rose."
"I'm not-!" Steven tried to explain, to no avail; Heliodor merely spoke over him.
"I will have the honor of delivering your gem to the Diamonds myself!" Heliodor snarled. She reached up to her gem, pulling out a pair of deadly-looking rapiers with a flourish, then leveled one of the weapons at him, grinning viciously.
Steven gulped.
The soldiers took a step back, clearing an opening around the three of them. Heliodor wasted no time attacking, charging in on lithe feet, her blows coming much quicker than the previous assailants'. Amy abandoned her position at his back, joining forces against their much-more-formidable opponent, yet even two-against-one it was still a trial to stand their ground. The commander was much more graceful than her size would suggest, taking advantage of every opening- no matter how small. After a few failed attempts Steven had to give up on retaliation completely, focusing only on blocking the needle-sharp blades as they swung, relentlessly fixated on his demise.
It was inevitable, really, that he would make a mistake, faced with such a furious assault. Amy dodged a strike that would've torn through her leg, forcing her away from Steven for but a moment. Yet, that moment was more than enough for Heliodor. She feinted right, then struck left, prying Steven's shield away with one sword while plunging the other into his side, using a surprising amount of force to tear it up and out of his body, nearly severing his arm in the process.
His shield clattered to the ground, then dissipated as Steven dropped to his knees, clutching his wound. It didn't bleed, barely even hurt, but it strained against him, a tidal current screaming, Retreat! Repair! Fall back to safety! But Steven wouldn't be safe if he returned to his gem; no, that was the worst thing he could possibly do at the moment, so he pushed against the pull, struggling vainly to stay cognizant.
Heliodor brought her sword down once more - Steven was doomed - when Amy leapt in front of him, arms outstretched. Shielding him with her own body.
"No!" Steven cried, reaching out- He couldn't let her die like this! -and a shroud of pink bloomed around them, Heliodor's blow glancing harmlessly against the outside of the protective dome.
Amy glanced around for a moment, surprise and relief intermingling as Heliodor snarled in frustration behind the rose-tinted veil, before she turned back to Steven.
"My Steven-!" she stammered, eyes wide with worry.
"I'm okay," Steven replied breathily, very much not okay. He shuddered, straining to hold his bubble as Heliodor began to pepper it with blows, yelling something Steven didn't have the energy to care about.
Amy knelt next to him. She observed the tear across his body for a moment, then bowed her head, resigned. "I'm sorry," she said softly.
"What?" Steven muttered, before his head caught up to what she'd said. "Wait- why?"
When Amy looked up again her expression was grim, eyes shimmering ever-so-slightly. "You wouldn't be in this situation if not for me. This-" she gestured to Steven's wound, "is my fault. I've failed you, My Steven."
Steven opened his mouth to reply, but the words he sought escaped him. His mind drifted for a moment, foggy. It's not… what? He felt his bubble falter- but that could not happen- and as he redoubled his efforts the world snapped back into focus, a painful jolt against his systems. Steven shook his head, trying to clear it.
"It's not your fault," he murmured. He offered Amy a weak, pained smile. "I just wish I could've been stronger for you."
Suddenly the blows against his dome stopped, an uncanny silence descending even through the muffled barrier. Steven and Amy looked up in unison, taking in the worst sight they could've found before them.
Yellow Diamond had arrived.