Based on the prompt: What would Steeb have been like if Blue Diamond had been able to exist alongside him from the start?

Warning for torture, emotional manipulation and abuse.

oOoOo

Mother Knows Best

Steven wasn't sure he'd ever been this excited in his life—not when he'd taken a family trip to Empire City, not the first time he'd summoned his weapon, not even his first flight into space. He was practically shaking with it, rocking on the heels of his feet, and taking all his self control not to pester Mom with questions.

She smiled back at him fondly— but the smile retreated into something more neutral as she came to the end of the hallway. "Now Steven," she said, "Remember. This is a real Quartz warrior."

"I know," Steven said.

"And she was taught by traitors. I have done my best to re-train her, but you must still be on your guard for disobedience and treachery."

"I know," Steven repeated, resisting the urge to roll his eyes. Mom said that wasn't Diamond-like.

So despite his excitement, he took a deep breath, stood straighter, and pulled his hoodie up over his head. Mom nodded at him, and together, they turned the corner to the containment hall.

Most of the cells were empty and inactive. There was a single cell which fizzed and hummed with the power of a light-barrier, and inside was the captured Crystal Gem.

Steven was… not very impressed.

The Amethyst was huddled in the corner of the cell, head tucked between her legs. When she heard the footsteps, however, she snapped to attention, standing as straight and tall as she could. Which… wasn't much at all, really. All the holograms Pearl had made for him showed Quartzes as huge, imposing figures, but this Amethyst was tiny, shorter even than him.

Amethyst saluted. "My Diamond."

Blue Diamond nodded. "Greetings. Today I have deemed you ready for the greatest honor you have received yet in your life: to meet my son, Steven Diamond Universe."

Amethyst saluted again. "My Steven Diamond Universe."

"Uh…" Steven said, pushing back a giggle at how silly that sounded. "Just call me 'My Steven'."

"My Steven," Amethyst said, saluting again.

Mom launched into a briefing, informing Amethyst of all her duties and responsibilities. Steven half-listened; most of his attention was focused on the Quartz. She was staring back at him, eyes huge and shiny, and Steven couldn't read the emotions in them. He liked her outfit; it had a nice pretty blue diamond on its chest, framing her gem, and the rest of it looked kinda cute, with a frilly shirt and suspenders. More fun than the boring warrior uniforms he'd seen pictures of.

And this was gonna be fun, right? A whole Gem of his very own! Not like Pearl, who he shared with Mom, but the first real member of his court! She would protect him and follow him everywhere and they could talk with each other when they got bored. And yeah, she was kinda small, but so was he, and anyway, it made sense for a Gem to be smaller than their Diamond. Besides, Dad always said not to judge a book by its cover.

As soon as Mom finished her briefing, Steven stepped forward through the light field. It felt all funny and tingly on his skin.

Mom was shrieking and fussing in the background, all scared the Quartz would hurt him. But Amethyst didn't look dangerous at all. In fact, she simply looked scared and awed, just like a Gem should when meeting their Diamond for the first time.

"Hi," he said, holding out his palm. "C'mon. I have lots I wanna show you!"

Tentatively, Amethyst took his hand, and shook it.


Amethyst, Steven had decided, was awesome.

He'd spent the day taking her all around the Palanquin and the forests. She'd trailed behind him with huge eyes, nodding and smiling at everything he showed her. Steven was pretty sure she was just happy to get out and stretch her legs. She'd been stuck in that cell for years, ever since he'd been just a baby. While he knew it was necessary, he figured it had to have been pretty boring too, so he was happy for the chance to guide her back into the real world.

(Always with Mom and Pearl watching carefully after them, just in case.)

When he got out his sketchpad, he invited Amethyst to draw too. She wasn't as good as him, which she freely admitted. Steven consoled her by saying her style wasn't bad, just like Picasso's, and it turned out Amethyst had met him, and she had lots of cool stories about the painter, and lots of other famous people from history.

When they had lunch, they didn't have to put the garbage in the bin for their weekly trip to dispose of it in town, because she just ate all the good cans and wrappers!

Then he'd taken her to meet a bunch of his animal friends, and it was so cool; she could turn into any of them! Mom said shapeshifting wasn't really an efficient use of power, unless it was absolutely necessary, like when she made herself small for cuddles and stuff, but allowed Amethyst to do it for his amusement. She could be a bird, or a crocodile, and even an elephant!

(If only for a little while, but that was okay. Steven knew how exhausting shapeshifting was).

Then Steven took her to Pink's Palanquin.

That's when things started to go wrong.

It started with the flowers, which were painting the green landscape in pink. "They're Hibiscus syriacus," Steven told Amethyst, "aren't they the prettiest?"

She shrugged. "They're okay, I guess."

Steven was a little annoyed by her dismissal, but wasn't going to say anything— a person was entitled to their own opinions.

But then she added, in a small voice, "Roses are a lot nicer."

Even though the countryside was still filled with wind and bird song, a dead silence seemed to fall.

Mom spoke. "What did you say?"

Amethyst raised her eyes and looked at her, voice a little louder. "Roses are a lot nicer."

Steven's breath caught in his throat.

He'd never met Rose Quartz, the leader of the Crystal Gems. One day, Mom promised. But for now, she was too dangerous, too deadly-

And this Amethyst, daring to even refer to her, here, on the very ground where she had killed Pink—

— maybe it had been a mistake. Maybe roses really were just her favourite flower—

But Steven saw the Quartz's curled fists, and knew that wasn't true.

"Don't say that," Steven ordered.

Her eyes flashed. "Or what? It's true. Rose was the nicest Gem ever. Way nicer than you— ordering me around, pointing out every little thing like I've never seen like a chocolate bar or a hawk before—"

The anger bubbling up in Steven arced out in a bolt of blue lightning.

It stuck Amethyst square in her chest. She staggered back; her expression crumpled; tears welled in her eyes.

Steven staggered back too. He hadn't meant to let the lightning out— he never did, it was just automatic. In his head, he started counting, just like Dad had told him:

10, 9, 8, 7

Mom's shadow loomed over the two of them, suddenly huge.

"Amethyst," Mom intoned, and she sounded like the queen she was. "You listen when your Steven speaks."

Amethyst was shaking as she stared up at Blue Diamond. "He's not— he's not mine—"

Beneath the hood, Mom's eyes narrowed, and a blue light spilled from her gemstone.

...6...5...4

"Such disobedience will not stand," Blue Diamond announced.

Steven tried to finish his calming count, but was cut off by his mother's voice: "Steven. She must be treated again."

"W-what?"

"With the lightning," Mom said.

Steven blinked at her, then at Amethyst, and then at his own hand. It was fritzing with blue static, barely visible in the daylight. The anger was still there— Amethyst's rudeness, the casualness in which she called a murderer 'nice'— but it was nothing like the pure emotion which had shot from him only moments before.

"But…" Steven said, "I'm not supposed to use lightning. Dad says I'm meant to keep it under control."

"Yes. You cannot let the emotions rule you, and hurt random bystanders whenever you are angered or frustrated." Mom crouched down next to him, though in this shape she still towered. "But the lightning can be a tool for purification."

Steven glanced at Amethyst. She was shivering all over.

He'd hit people with his lightning before— Dad, Mom and Pearl, mostly, always by mistake. It didn't really do anything to Mom, but the others… It made him sad, Dad said. All worried and nervous and anxious.

Amethyst looked a lot more than anxious. She looked terrified.

"I think… I think I hurt her," said Steven, taking a little step back.

"Yes," said Blue Diamond. "You did. But remember when you found that lynx with an injured leg last month?" Cautiously, Steven nodded. "It's bones were misaligned. Pearl had to break them again." Steven remembered the animal's screams and desperate scratches. "It hurt, but it was necessary so the bones could re-heal…"

"...So they could be aligned properly," Steven said, eyes still fixed on the shaking Amethyst.

Blue Diamond nodded. "This Amethyst is the same. The rebels hurt her mind. She must be cleansed. She must realize her affection for them is a lie, and her only true loyalty is to you."

Amethyst's eyes were wet, tears running down her cheeks, and she was shaking her head—

"I know," Blue Diamond said softly, gently pulling Steven closer to her with one of her large hands. "It is a heavy burden that has been laid at your feet, as it has at mine and Yellow's and White's. What we do is not easy, but it is needed. For the safety and security of all Gems, we must be willing to guide them, for their own good. Even if a heavy hand is sometimes needed."

"Okay," Steven said slowly, "I understand."

He closed his eyes. He thought about the Amethyst's disobedience, her rudeness. He felt something bubbling up from within him: his frustrations in how she'd acted out after he'd thought they were friends— "Rose Quartz is way nicer than you"— memories of Pink's shattering repeating over and over, Rose Quartz's face twisted into something vile as she drove her sword through, Pink Diamond's scream...

Amethyst screamed too, when the lightning hit her the second time that day.

But it would make her better, Steven told himself.

He would make her better.