Chapter 7(Garnet)

It has been a month and four days since Steven disappeared. They warped on every warp pad possible and searched on every known gem site on Earth. They even checked the moon base. Garnet was considering going to the zoo. She was considering going anywhere at this point. She would never give up. Not when it was Steven. Not when it was her fault. Not now. Not ever. The other gems were just as concerned as she was though. Pearl has been so depressed lately, Garnet worries about her. Greg was in the worst shape out of everyone. Greg has been in denial for quite some time now. He would even come by the temple to visit Steven once in a while when of course, he isnt there so he would just sit on the couch and stare at the empty bed. We didn't dare touch any of Stevens things. Amethyst likes to sit on his bed and stare out his widow occasionally. She seemed to be handling it the best, but you can never be sure about Amethyst's feelings.

Garnet just got back from Empire City. She resorted to looking in the larger cities. She couldn't imagine he would still be there though. She scans her future vision and looks beyond the present almost every minute of the day hoping, wishing to see anything. Even a glimpse would be amazing. But she can't see Steven. She hasn't seen him in a long time. Garnet wouldn't dare to tell the others, they would only worry more than they already are. If Pearl or Greg took anymore grief...

Garnet stared out into the sunset, in beach city. She stood on top of the hand by the washer and dryer. Ruby and Sapphire have split multiple times worrying about Steven and frankly, it was annoying Garnet. She just wanted everything to go back the way it was. Before any of this happened...

The hourglass! She had to find it. Garnet was trying to remember where she saw it last. Steven had it when... she started to break down. She tried to stop but couldn't. There was too much of sadness she was bottling up. She was trying to stay strong for the gems but she just... can't anymore. Garnet knew she needed to try the hourglass. Surely the alternate time line that would be created would be better than this. Garnet scanned the possibilities of her success. She saw herself in several directions, each one making worse scenarios than the last. The first one, Garnet goes back to wait for the intruder. She ends up getting destabilized and then the gem shatters her, then takes Steven with her anyway. For some reason Garnet could still not see the identity of the intruder though she concluded she was a gem. She could see that much. The best situation she saw, was watching the intruder take Steven and then follow them. When she looks that way she doesn't see any possibilities for immediate death. So that's what she will do. She has to try. No interfering with the past. Just seeing what happened.

Garnet gets up and looks around the beach house. She makes sure the other gems won't see her. If they knew what she was doing they would only want to come with. If they came with... Garnet sees many more possible scenarios. They can't know. They won't come into the house within five minutes or twenty. Depending if Amethyst decides to eat the old mustard bottle in the fridge. Garnet must be quick in any case. She goes up to Stevens bed. looks under it and under the mattress. She then looked in the game closet and found only silly games that Steven loved... she can't break down again. Stevens life probably depends on this moment.

Garnet only knew one more place it could be. She looked in his dresser drawer. she looked in his sock drawer first. She dug under about three pairs and her hand touched something spherical and cold. It was the orb. It looked the same the last time she saw it. It was mainly clear. But had gold trim in a line around the middle and on the inside there was a small hourglass. It easily fit in the palm of her hand. It clinked into Ruby's gem when she picked it up. She then had to activate it. She simply backed away from the bed and thought of when and where she wanted to go. She wanted to be in the bathroom(it's dark in there and the intruder wouldn't come in that way.) and she wanted to be there around eight o'clock at night.

After she thought this, she opened her eyes to see shimmering light all around her. Then suddenly she was in the dark bathroom. Steven was just going to bed. She could hear him getting in his bed and rolling over to face the wall. Then all she heard was silence. She cracked open the door about an inch. She couldn't see much. Steven had all the lights off.

It's been almost two hours. Garnet was listening to Steven sleep. It was a nice sound to hear after months of searching for him. She had to restrain herself from bursting out of the bathroom and tackling Steven in a hug.

She heard the warp pad activate and a burst of blue and white light temporarily blinded her. She heard feet shuffle into the kitchen and behind the counter. Steven made a noise as if he rolled over and then it was quite. Maybe he was awake. Garnet couldn't see him. She could see the intruder though. She was fairly tall. Must be a quarts soldier. In the dark it was hard to see her but she looked orange. Maybe a citrine. Looks like one, but is hard to tell.

She saw a yellow light turn on below the counter. Some kind of device she supposed. Garnet can't keep up with homeworld's gem technology. Then she could see her face in the light. It was a Citrine. The device she was holding. The device almost looked like the destabilizer that she was hit with when they faced off Jasper except it was in a frisbee shape. It was shocking off electricity in yellow bursts. Garnet couldn't help herself anymore she stepped out of the bathroom silently to see Steven. When she did it the Citrine thew the object and Garnet watched helplessly as it whirled towards Steven. He attempted to dodge it but he was in a daze still and it hit him directly in the temple. He let out a small strangled Yelp as it made contact. Steven, in pain stood up with screaming and fell of the bed. He laid still after that but she could see him breathing. Garnet was ready to jump up and attack the intruder but she knew the consequences. She must stay still and silent. The Citrine walked over to him. She retrieved her destabilizer from the ground by Stevens bleeding head. Garnet was so angry at the Citrine she barely had any control while she watched. The citrine bubbled Steven and then pushed the bubble through the door toward another space ship that was similar to jaspers hand except it was orange and brown. Garnet followed out of sight. Steven was silent except the occasional groan in his unconsciousness. Citrine pressed a key pad to shut the door of the ship as she continued walking and pushing the bubble down the entrance hallway. Garnet had to act fast. She still doesn't know where Steven is so she is going to go on board. She leaped through the door silently as it was closing. The door missed her leg by an inch. Garnet was in complete stealth mode. Ducking into empty cells Everytime she came upon one. Citrine stopped in the control room and pressed a button on the key pad.A screen came up and the Citrine started talking to it.

"This is Citrine 2F-1 reporting progress. mission k5-1 was a success. The hybrid is dormant in my bubble imprisonment. I'm launching off planet Earth now. I will arrive at homeworld in approximately 2 hours and 35 minutes.", Citrine said this with a grin on her face. She must've been happy reporting a success to her diamond.

Garnet got the information she needed. Steven was probably alive. He was taken to homeworld by a Citrine. The Citrine had a yellow diamond insignia on her chest so it must be Yellow Diamonds homeworld. Garnet took out the orb while standing behind the control room and silently went back to her own time.