A/N: Hello! Chapter 4 is here! Sorry for yet another delay. I have finals and other essays to do. I also have been drawing fan art for this fic! I really want to show it to you guys but it's wayy too early for you to see it. It would be like a spoiler if I posted it! SO I'm going to wait until later to post in on Tumblr for you all to enjoy! Thank you all for your comments and love thus far! I'm glad you all like it!
Replies:
tortue071 - D: I AM SO SORRY YOU CRIED! I mean, my intent was making you feel sad but NOT CRY! I feel so bad now ;-; ( But I'm glad you liked it! Who doesn't like angst?)
Guest - Right! You sound so positive! You should be Steven's life coach!
cristofer25 - Thank you! I'll do my best!
Queen-of-Earth - D: I'm so sorry for the delay my Queen *bows* I hope this new chapter will be of use! :)
Hildegard Von Mariendorf - FEELS THAT ARE STRONGER THAN THE ACTUAL SHOW!? Oh my gosh thank you!
Cyber Orteck - :0 ! Steven appreciates your aching heart 3
Shiranai Atsune - Hmm he is different. :3
ItsAsecret - Thank you so much! I'm so sorry for the update wait. However, I made this update extremely lengthy for my late updates :) I hope you enjoy!
I'm out of names - :0 ! Well.. Yellow Diamond? I don't know about that... but Pearl...he knows about~! Somethinggg's going onn around here~! Thank you so much! And I know ;-; I'm so sorry for all you Gravity Fall fans out there! *gives you all healing feels*!
Desire4Chocolates - I know it was really ehhh... gloomy. I told you I didn't like that chapter hahaha! I'm so glad you waited for the update! Here's another update for you~!
20Last-Sparkle01 - ! I thought I was the only one who didn't like Greg at the beginning of the series, but I did too grow to love him and though he was a great father :). I;m so sorry I gave you those hating vibes again hahaha! But it's for the story. You can always love regular Greg from afar! Please give Steven all of the hugs because he is a precious little cinnamon roll! I'm sorry for the late update, but hopefully this update will suffice because it's longer and has the Homeworld Gems in it! :D
katmar1994 - Hmm that's a maaaaayyybeeeee hahaha! I wish I could give the answer away! But I'll just keep quiet and keep updating :) ! I Hope You enjoy this chapter! (And thank you for my Thanksgiving! :D )
eternal mist - GIVE HIM ALL THE HUGS! HE IS A PRECIOUS CINNAMON ROLL!
Tatopatato - :D ! Thank you ! Thank you for the support! I'm going to do my best! I always write on this story through my phone - like every day, so I'm not gonna pull a Crewniverse Hiatus on YA! hahah!
Fanfic writer 117 - Thank YOU! HERE's Your next chapter! Thank you for being so patient!
I'm glad you guys are sticking with me! NowL
Disclaimer: I do not own anything about Steven or his Universe!
CH4: I Promise
"I told you we should have gone after him." A hushed Peridot hissed from the corner of Steven's room. She was sitting on the floor with her legs crossed while scowling, "Now he's in a worse condition than I've already feared."
"It was either to let him go or have a panic attack right in front of us." Lapis whispered back. She was sitting on the bed next to Steven while she stroked his hair affectionately, "You saw how frightened he was at the sight of us..."
"Hmph," Jasper grunted disapprovingly, shifting of her weight on the tiny wooden stairs that she was sitting on. The floorboards underneath her creaked unappreciatively, "Us? Please. Speak for yourself. He didn't seem have a problem with you, Lapis."
"Agreed." Peridot followed, "He's seemed to have this fabricated story that Jasper and I have made a convoluted scheme to capture him and yourself."
A thoughtful silence stretched, waiting for Lapis' response.
"I don't know where that...idea came from, but whatever the case may be, we need to support him." She paused, "That means no yelling or fighting. It will only make things worse." She said and glared sternly to her comrades.
There was a brief pause until both Jasper and Peridot grunted in agreement. They were quiet for a few moments. The only noise that was barely audible was Steven's light breathing as he slept.
"Once he wakes, I need to do a proper check up on his body." Peridot brought up.
"Yeah, yeah, we know already. You don't need to repeat it." Jasper sighed.
Peridot let out an exasperated huff, but before she could give Jasper a piece of her mind, Lapis cut in, "I promise, once he wakes up, and I calm him down, you have complete control on whatever you seem fit."
"Hn," Peridot responded, clearly pleased, "Good."
Minutes passed and there was a strong silence, thick with uncertainty and questioning. The three gems were waiting patiently for what seemed like years to wait for Steven to wake up from his slumber.
Steven was unconscious again for the past three days. During those days, Peridot managed to successfully feed Steven with a feeding tube, getting some type of food in his body. However, Peridot only fed him twice a day, which wasn't enough food to actually make Steven feel full, considering how much he actually consumes on a daily basis.
Because of this slight malnutrition Steven looked sickly pale compared to his natural hue. However, this could be due to whatever is physically wrong with the quartz child. Since the day he accidentally activated the Versal Stone, Steven's body, especially his face, looked a like he was going through some wear and tear. Steven's whole body was swollen from head to toe. His eyes had huge bags under them (before his crying escapades) and they had horrible dark rings circling under them. His hair, which was usually thick, neat, brown curls, were now messy locks of tangled hair. Though his face was almost the same color as Jasper's hair, Steven's nose was as red as a ruby.
"When is he gonna wake up?" Jasper mumbled, more to herself than to either other gem.
"Most likely at any given moment. His unconscious state usually lasts about three days..." Peridot answered.
"If...he does decide to wake up...you two have to stay behind me–" Lapis started.
All types of Hell broke loose.
"What do you mean, 'stay behind you'?!" Jasper roared, jumping onto her feet, towering over Lapis.
"Shh! Jasper! I told you to keep your voice down in here!" Lapis quietly hissed at the larger gem.
"You're not the only one that cares about him!" Jasper yelled, ignoring Lapis' previous statement, "If you think that I'm going to cower behind your back while you bark out orders, then you're looking at the wrong type of Quartz!" She bellowed, curling her fingers into a tight fist.
Lapis stood up as well, leaving Steven's side. She boldly stood in front of Jasper, preparing to kick her out of the house if she escalated her voice any further.
"Jasper. You need to calm down, now. If you won't then I will have no choice but to make you leave." Lapis growled out. It was more than a threat, it was a promise, "Don't test me." Her words came out as sharp as a knife. A knife that made Jasper silent for a few moments.
Lapis took this opportunity to calmly explain herself, "Look, we don't want Steven to panic again when he wakes up. If he's got this idea that you or Peridot are going to hurt him, then we don't want him to feel like he's in danger. I'm not asking you and Peridot to leave per-say, but I want you two to give him some space to calm down and feel comfortable."
Jasper's eyebrows and lips twitched in utter annoyance. She knew that Lapis was right. Steven obviously felt horribly uncomfortable around her and Peridot, and it would make things considerably worse if Steven panicked in their presence. Although Lapis was logically correct in the matter, Jasper wasn't entirely thrilled with her authority.
Jasper jerked her head to the side and folded her arms against her chest and grunted. She wasn't happy with the idea, but she accepted it.
Lapis took Jasper's silence as a form of compliance, and she visibly relaxed. She went back to her seat, beside the sleeping Steven and continued to stroke his hair.
Each gem occupied themselves quietly as they waited for their youngest member to wake. Jasper had her back against a wall, glaring at nothing in particular, pondering her thoughts. Peridot fiddled with her touchscreen interface, scrolling past information that she seemed to be disinterested in. Lapis was calmly stroking Steven's hair, humming a lullaby she used to sing to Steven when he was an infant.
According to Peridot, Steven could wake up at any moment. Although that information was given, each gem felt extremely anxious. Once Steven wakes up, there's no telling what strange things he'll conjure up this time around. They weren't sure where to start. Should they listen to the story he's created, then tell him that he was wrong? Or, should they update him about his life and let it all sink in?
Whatever the case may be, Peridot had to do some serious tests on him. Analyze his mental health as well as his physical state. The physical torment that Steven was going through was abnormal to say the least. This wasn't some type of flu. And even if it was, it was progressively getting worse each day. If it wasn't for Lapis' strict policy on letting Steven get some rest first before she gave him a proper check up, Peridot would've figured out the problem with gem hybrid by now.
Peridot only sighed in annoyance. He was fine for now, she supposed.
'But, for how long?' She pondered.
She shook her head defensively. She rather not think about it. Steven was the only remnant of the last Rose Quartz. A dear friend to her. She promised that she would make sure Steven was safe and healthy. A vow that she, Jasper and Lapis took in a heartbeat.
Peridot couldn't help but to feel guilty at the fact that Steven was nearly killed to the exposure of the Versal Stone. He shouldn't have gone along with them. He should've stayed home where it was safe. Instead, Lapis and Jasper foolishly let his 'puppy dog eyes' (as the earthlings referred to it) to persuade him into participating with their mission.
"Foolish idea..." Peridot mumbled to herself.
"What was that?" Lapis asked, turning around to face Peridot.
Peridot looked up from her touchscreen and gave Lapis a sour look, "It was a foolish idea to bring him along with us on that mission." She said, disengaging her fingers.
Lapis sighed. She figured that Peridot was going to give a lecture sooner or later, "Peridot..."
"It was foolish, brash, and spontaneous," Peridot added, "He shouldn't have even come along on such dangerous mission."
"Peridot, it was an accident. It could've happened to any of us—" Lapis tried.
"There wouldn't have been an accident if he were home, like I suggested that very day. As of now, Steven would be enjoying his evening dinner, getting ready to bathe and sleep. But, instead, he's in a coma, fighting off whatever illness that's threatening him." Peridot snapped, "This would never had happen if you three would listen to me for once."
"Oh please. Cry me a river, Peridot." Jasper finally cut in. Both Lapis and Peridot turned to her direction. Jasper's back was still against the wall, with her arms folded tightly against her chest, glaring no where in particular.
Peridot's eyes narrowed, "Excuse me? What I'm saying is correct. If you clods would just listen to me for once, then maybe every mission would run smoothly—"
"All we do is listen to your mundane plans," Jasper spat, now glaring at the green gem, "We give you the lead on every mission. You tell us what to do and what our objective is. You have complete control over the layout of all of our missions. So don't pull some bullshit out your ass saying that we don't listen to you."
Unable to hide her anger, Peridot jumped up on her feet and balled her fingers into a fist, "I wasn't the one who declared that Steven should go along with us for that mission! I told you that it was dangerous and now look!" Peridot gestured to Steven who was breathing raggedly, "Look! He's hurt! He's not feeling well! We made an agreement with Rose Quartz, saying that we will protect him and make sure he's healthy. I don't know if your vision is obscure, but Steven is clearly unwell!"
Jasper narrowed her eyes and Peridot, "So what? You want Steven to be sequestered in the temple his whole life?"
Peridot's face flashed in surprise, "I-I didn't say that!" She protested, "I was indicating it was unwise to take him with us on dangerous missions—"
"All of our missions can be potentially dangerous." Jasper sneered, "We can't just keep Steven here on every mission, just because you're scared he'll get hurt. Despite your worries, you need to understand that Steven is a Crystal Gem too."
Peridot's face dropped, and had no words to say to the older and stronger gem. Jasper, in a sense, was correct. Steven was a Crystal Gem. It was his duty also, to protect the inhabitants of the living creatures on Earth. But still...
"He's...human...humans are fragile..." Peridot mumbled to herself.
"He's half human, Peridot," Lapis finally said quietly, gaining Peridot's attention, "Half gem, half human. Steven can hold his own." She said with a small encouraging smile.
Peridot looked down at her feet, with a defeated look, "That's what I'm worried about." She sighed.
Lapis was going to respond, until she heard Steven painfully groan to himself. He was shifting painfully under the pile of blankets that Peridot insisted on giving him. All eyes were fixated on the youngest gem, who was beginning to wake up from his elongated slumber.
His heavy eyelids struggled a bit, until they slowly, but surely, opened, revealing the pair of weary red eyes.
Steven blinked once. Then once more. His vision adjusted to his surroundings. He was in his room. From the lighting, which was dim from the setting sun, he figured it was late afternoon, almost evening.
Hovering above him, was a blue woman, who's features were laced with both relief and concern.
"Lapis...?" Steven croaked out. Not sure if he was dreaming.
Lapis gave a faint smile, "Hey, Steven," She said softly, not sure what to say first. 'Should I tell him not to panic? Or should I wait until he says something first?' She pondered.
Steven groaned again, fluttering his eyes closed, "My head hurts..."
Lapis' hand shot up to Steven's forehead, checking his temperature, "Hm..still warm..." She muttered.
"Does he have a fever?" Jasper asked quietly behind her. She wasn't too close behind them. She was far away enough for Steven not to see her.
"Seems like it." She answered. She looked back at the groaning boy and asked, "Steven? Do you need anything?"
Steven opened one eyelid before saying, "Water."
Before Lapis went to go fetch Steven some water, Peridot had already retrieved a glass of water and handed it to Lapis, then quietly stood next to Jasper.
Silently thanking her, Lapis gave Steven slow sips of the water. Minutes passed while Steven slowly recovered. He drunk gulp after gulp of his tall glass of water, hydrating himself.
Finally, Steven finished the glass, making him feel and look a lot better than when he woke up. There was a positive hue of color that took over his face. It wasn't much of a drastic change, but it was way better than the sickly color that he was sporting earlier.
Lapis ran a hand through Steven's hair, giving a heartwarming smile, "How do you feel, now?" She asked. Steven gave her a weak and tired smile in return. He was too dazed to fully understand what was actually going on. However, Lapis took this as a good sign. If he was content right now, she could feed off of his emotions to calm him down if need be.
Lapis took in a sharp breath, "Steven, I know by now that you're probably tired and confused," she started, making Steven's eyes change into an unsettling stare, "But, what I need from you, right now, is to remain calm, okay? Under no circumstances do you begin to panic. No one is here to harm you." Lapis assured. Unfortunately, that assurance didn't take the the unsettling and shocked expression from Steven's face. Lapis wasn't sure what his expression meant, but she could tell it was going to lead to a line of confusing questions that she wasn't sure she was ready to answer.
"Th-this is real?" Steven rasped, "Not a dream...?"
Lapis blinked before answering, "This is not a dream, Steven." She glanced behind her where Peridot and Jasper were standing silently. Japser gave a perplexed stare, and Peridot gave a concerned grimace. However, the duo stood firmly behind Lapis and remained silent, waiting on what Lapis was going to do or say next.
Lapis looked back at Steven. He had a blank look on his face that was very unsettling, "Steven, what is the last thing you remember?" She asked carefully. She thanked the stars above that he was at least able to remember her name. But...was his awful memory of Jasper and Peridot still embedded in his head? Or what about the ludicrous statement that he knew who Pearl was?
Steven stared blankly at her for a few moments. His expression never faltered as he lay numbly on his bed. Lapis began to worry. The Steven she knew never made a face like this. It was really strange to watch him not act like his usually happy and energetic self.
The unbearable silence stretched on. Steven wasn't even directly looking Lapis in the eyes. He seemed to be in deep thought. Something that Jasper and Peridot were known to do. If it weren't for his steady breathing, the gems would have thought he was frozen.
"This is my reality." Steven said quietly. Lapis' eyes widened before she glanced back at her comrades behind her, who shared the same incredulous look as she.
"All my memories...were fake." Steven whispered, closing his eyes, "Garnet isn't real. Amethyst isn't real. Pearl is..." He paused before a tear escaped his eye, "My dad doesn't love me." He strangled out with a silent sob following after.
Lapis' felt her gem ache at Steven's heartbreaking words. She knew that Greg was a...complex man. She knew that his relationship with Steven was strained, but she never heard Steven actually be upset about it. He always brushed it off or give a weak shrug about his relationship with his father, but never cried. No. Never cried about his father.
"Steven, no," she tried, running her hand through his hair, "Your dad does love you. He loves you with all his heart. He's...he's just..." She tried to think of the correct response.
Steven sniffled, "My dad never acted that way before...he always loved me. He always took care of me. He always listened to what I had to say. But now..." He paused, "Now he wants nothing to do with me. He said that all of the stuff we did together never happened. All of it is fake." He gritted out.
"What do you mean fake?" Lapis asked calmly. She and the others might as well try to understand what Steven was talking about before raining on his parade.
"The Crystal Gems. You. Jasper. Peridot. Dad. My friends. My family. My adventures. You and dad said it was all fake." He sobbed, "I live with Garnet, Amethyst and Peal. I go with them on missions and stuff. They're the Crystal Gems. They had a leader, which was my mom. My mom and dad fell in love and my mom gave up her physical form to give birth to me! The Crystal Gems and I fight corrupted gems, and Homeworld Gems like Jasper and Peridot." He said, throwing out as much information as he could.
"You guys think that none of that stuff happened. Like Garnet and Amethyst doesn't exist, and Pearl is just gone. Like my dad and I never spend time with each other. But, that's not true. It was too...real to be a dream. And...if it was a dream, and this is my reality, then I want to go back to sleep and be with them." He cried.
Heavy tension filled the room. Steven was clearly upset and the gems were only touching the surface of understanding why. He seemed to keep repeating these unknown gem names: Garnet and Amethyst. The name Amethyst definitely sounded like a quartz name, but the only quartz that Lapis knew that Steven was aware of, was Jasper.
"So," she said aloud, drawing Steven's attention, "You say that...the Crystal Gems...are you, Garnet, Amethyst...and Pearl...right?" She asked, hoping that she could follow his 'story'. Steven only nodded, with a glimmer of hope in his eyes.
"Not us. Jasper, Peridot and I...are not Crystal Gems...we're the Homeworld Gems that...you and the Crystal Gems fight?" She asked.
Steven shook his head, "You're my friend. I only fought you once, but it was a misunderstanding." He said grimacing, "Jasper and Peridot captured you on their ship and kidnapped me and the Crystal Gems. We eventually escaped, but you fused with Jasper as Malachite so you can keep her as your prisoner at the bottom of the ocean."
Lapis' face immediately blanched when he mentioned Malachite. Something was definitely going on with Steven's 'story'. It must of have some sort of truth behind it, and not some sort or fabricated tale he was spewing on about. Because the truth was, Lapis never fused with Jasper in front of Steven. Hell, they never even discussed what fusion was to Steven. He knew nothing of the concept, how it worked, what it was used for, and most importantly, they never told him that their fusion was Malachite. The Crystal Gems decided that when Steven was in better control over his powers, they would all explain the function of fusion and when and how to use it. But now, he suddenly knows what fusion is and what she and Jasper can turn into.
What he was saying had to be real.
Lapis was in a shocked silence, paralyzed with confusion. 'He knows Malachite? He knows about fusion? He knows about Homeworld Gems?' Her thoughts scrambled. She shuddered at the possibility of Steven knowing a lot more than what he said. 'Did the Versal Stone give him expansive knowledge?' She wondered. She shook her head in disbelief, 'No. He's clearly just as confused as me. He thinks that he's lived with a completely different family, and is upset about their absence...'
It was clear that Steven was acting strange. From his defensive body language around Peridot and Jasper, and the stories he's proclaiming to be true. And how he knew who Pearl was...
"How many times did I tell you that we shouldn't teach Steven about fusion until he's ready?!" Peridot hissed loudly from behind, grabbing both Lapis' and Steven's attention.
"I didn't tell him shit," Jasper snapped. She narrowed her eyes at Peridot, "Why do you always assume that I did something?" She barked.
'Oh great,' Lapis thought. They couldn't just stay quiet for five minutes could they? Of course not. It was nearly impossible for Jasper and Peridot to stop bickering, even for a couple of minutes.
Steven's eyes widened at the voices. He couldn't see them because they moved to the bottom of the stairs, but he could definitely sense their presence, not to mention their loud voices. He trembled at their bickering; somehow shrinking further into his mattress.
"Because you always break the rules when you're around him!" Peridot replied haughtily.
"And who's rules am I supposed to abide by? Yours?" Jasper scoffed, "Last I check, you aren't the one to be giving any orders of any kind—"
"Will you two quit it!" Lapis yelled, ceasing the uprising argument. She glared at the two gems that were now looking at her in small shock, "Good heavens above, can you two just remain in a peaceful state without causing an uproar?"
Moments passed before Jasper gave Lapis a sour look, while Peridot sheepishly looked away. Although both would never admit it, they knew they were wrong. The gems abandoned their previous argument, now fixating their eyes on something else to only ignore each other. Lapis sighed. Those two were definitely the never ending thorn in her side. They were both so childish at times that she had forgotten that Steven was the actual child of the Temple.
"L-Lapis..." Steven whimpered behind her. Lapis spun around and saw that Steven wore a distressed look on his face. Visibly frightened by something...better yet someone. Lapis, however, wasn't completely clueless. She knew why he whimpered behind her.
"Steven. I told you before, and I will tell you again. No one here is going to hurt you. Not me. Not Peridot. Not Jasper." She gently put a calming hand on his cheek, "Trust, me." She said with a smile.
Steven gave a nervous gulp, "You promise?"
"I promise," She said.
Steven let go a breath that he wasn't aware that he was holding, "I feel horrible..." He groaned, knitting his eyebrows together.
Lapis frowned and put a hand on his forehead, "Peridot said that she's willing to do some tests on you. Your temperature has been extremely high for the past few days." She said.
Steven looked confused, then shocked, "Few days?" He gasped.
"The day when you woke up, you were asleep for about two days. Then when you ran out of here, Jasper found you unconscious on the beach, and you've been asleep for three days, until now." She explained, "You're temperature was sky rocketing."
Steven frowned and gave a small whimper. He wasn't sure what was wrong with his health. He's been sick before, but he's never felt this bad. He felt hot and his body still ached. He felt happy that Lapis was there trying to nurture his health, but he rather the usual Pearl or Garnet to take his temperature and nurse his fever.
"Peridot wants to check your vitals and figure out what's wrong with your health," Lapis said, "She may be able to determine why...everything is different...for you, y'know?" Lapis smiled encouragingly.
Steven's eyes widened, "You mean like...fix what's happening? Like finding Pearl, Amethyst and Garnet? Fixing my dad? Making everything normal?"
Lapis nodded, "She'll be able to figure out everything what's wrong, and will probably be able to fix it." She smiled.
Finally, hope surged through Steven. He wasn't sure why everything was reversed and twisted, but he was so glad that everything could possibly be the same. He could see Garnet, Amethyst, Pearl, his Dad. Everyone would be normal. Lapis and Jasper would still be at the bottom of the ocean, and Peridot would still be running around on Earth somewhere. His old team would be back. Their silly antics would be the same. Everything will be the same.
"We need to move you to my chambers so I can check what your malfunction is." Peridot said as she walked up from behind Lapis. Steven let out a small gasp when he saw the green clad gem. She wasn't the scariest out of the three. It was probably her cold, sharp, demeanor that Steven found a bit intimidating. He remembered the coldness in her voice the day she arrived on the beach when she fired a blast at him and the Crystal Gems. He couldn't shake off at how clueless and harmless she was one moment at the Kindergarten, to a frigid killer to the next. Sure, he could be bold, but without the Crystal Gems close by, Steven began to question how brave he really was.
"Okay," Lapis nodded. She looked at Steven, "Steven, do you think you can move?" She asked.
Steven grimaced. He barely thought he could roll over, let alone walk somewhere. Steven grunted with a negative response. Peridot sighed, "Okay, then I'll have Jasper carry you there." She concluded.
Steven froze. He knew that at one point he had to interact with her, but he didn't know it would be this soon. Especially when she had to carry him to somewhere.
Lapis was his friend. They both had mutual trust and understanding for each other.
Peridot was...different. She was more of a misunderstood gem that was clueless about Earth names and customs, but she was quick to follow any orders without fail. Including obliterating innocent people without hesitation.
Jasper was a whole different type of gem. Each encounter they've made was a malicious one. When she first arrived on the beach, poofing Garnet and hitting him in the face, to his dream realm where Jasper charged after him, in an attempt to hurt him. Jasper was an immediate threat. A gem not to be dealt with.
Steven whimpered a little louder in distress. He was scared.
Peridot and Lapis looked down at him on surprise.
"Steven, remember our promise." Lapis said knowingly.
Steven took in quick shallow breaths. Lapis promised that no one will hurt him. He had to trust her. No friend would break a promise. Even though was sweating nervous bullets, Steven finally nodded in consent.
Peridot let out a sharp sigh before turning her head back to the living room area, "Jasper, get out of the fridge and come carry Steven to my room."
Steven heard the refrigerator door slam and an unhappy grunt, "Alright."
He heard heavy footsteps make their way towards him and up the stairs. A massive mane of hair walked up the stairs. Jasper's face looked annoyed and tired, due to the constant orders that Peridot and Lapis barked out at her.
Steven felt himself shrink back into his mattress, cringing at the Quartz standing over him. Lapis and Peridot shuffled out of the way as Jasper leaned down to gather little Steven into her large arms. She gently cradled him into her arms and held him close to her chest.
Steven felt like an ant compared to her, but by the way she was gently handling him with such care, Steven visibly relaxed. He never knew that this militaristic gem with an anger issue could be so...tender.
Steven thought back to the last time she man-handled him. She gripped him tightly by the collar and yanked him in the air, making him dangle uncomfortably, gasping for oxygen. But now, she was gently coddling him close to her bosom, much like he would imagine his own mother would do.
"Alright, we musn't waste time." Peridot announced as she made her way downstairs. Jasper grunted deeply, having Steven hearing it vibrate in her chest.
"C'mon, Jasper." Lapis said with an encouraging smile. She placed a calming hand on the small of the larger gem's back.
Jasper huffed, "I'm sick of her bratty attitude." She finally took a step forward an walked down the stairs carefully, heading towards the Temple Gate.
Steven began to examine the Temple Gate as he saw that there was something...different about it. The gate had the same symbol of a star on it, but the small gems inside of the star were much different than before. The star before had the colors of pink, pale blue, dark blue, red and purple. All of them in clockwise order.
Now the star was, pink, pale blue, indigo, green, and orange. Steven frowned, 'It's different here too,' he thought. He assumed that each color represented for each gem and their own room. The indigo color belonged to Lapis. The green belonged to Peridot. The orange to Jasper. The pink for his mother and himself. And the pale blue was for...
Steven's eyes narrowed in confusion. The pale blue looked exactly like Pearl's. Was that still her room? Wait. If it is her room...then why was it still there, or why hasn't it changed? Garnet and Amethyst's colors were replaced, so why not Pearls?
Steven's mind began to whirl as he tried to figure out what did that exactly mean. Why was Pearl's room still intact? What was so special about Pearl? Wasn't she thousands or so miles away from Earth? What was going on?
Suddenly, the green color of the Temple Gate suddenly flashed as Peridot suddenly activated it. The door opened up to a large room that looked very similar to what a science lab would be. Steven's eyes widened at the scy-fy like area in awe. He heard a sigh escape Jasper's mouth and she grumbled, "Let's get this over with."
Peridot walked in first and Jasper followed.
A/N:
Haha I sure do love Jasper and Peridot! They're like Amethyst and Pearl, except Jasper is more willing to fight her instead of spitting out insults! This Chapter took a really long time to write! I hope you enjoyed it (even though I changed the title for this one haha)! Thank you for all your reviews and comments! I really appreciate them and enjoy reading them (LIKE ALL THE TIME).
So now I'm off to write the next chapter! It should be out by next week! If not next week then it will be definitely out before the Winter Holidays!
And I'm off to draw more fan art of this fic~!( I should definitely spend more time on the Chapters than that, but I love drawing so I don't think I can stop hahah)
Until next Time! Thanks for reading!