Chapter Two: Emotions Erupt

"What do you mean he is gone?" asked Pearl unable to believe her ears. No, it wasn't true Steven couldn't be gone, this had to be a dream, she told herself.

Rose turned to her the shirt fell from her hands and gently landed on the floor. "When Steven went into his gem, his human side was destroyed, leaving only the gem side left to recreate me, I-I saw him disappear right before my eyes," Rose explained. The room went deathly quiet, Garnet covered her mouth, tears streaked from her face. Amethsyt was shaking so badly she let out a loud wail and ran into her room.

"Amethyst," called Rose alarmed by the wail, yet the purple gem was long gone. "Oh dear I know everyone is sad but believe me, I know with time we can get past this," Rose said gently, trying to calm everyone down. True she never met Steven before but she was the leader again and she would help her team cope with this loss.

"HOW WOULD YOU KNOW!" screamed Pearl. Her face was twisted with anger and pain as tears fell from her face. "YOU NEVER MET STEVEN, YOU DON"T KNOW HOW KIND AND SWEET HE WAS. HOW HE TRIED TO LIVE UP TO YOU! YOU TOOK HIM AWAY, THIS, THIS IS ALL YOUR FAULT! GIVE STEVEN BACK!" shouted Pearl as she scooped up his shirt and ran to her room.

Rose was beyond shocked she never, ever heard Pearl speak to her like that in all their time together. A small tear ran down her cheek as she tried to remain strong, turning her attention to Garnet. Yet, like the other two Garnet was beyond upset. Her body began to twitch and shake, as Rose tried walking towards her, Garnet split in two. Now before her was Ruby and a crying Sapphire, Sapphire just rushed to their room wailing and sobbing.

"Sapphire wait!", called Ruby as she chased after her. Rose now stood in the living room all alone and she didn't know what she should do.

"Oh Steven, what can I do to help them?" she asked outloud. She remembered what happened just before she emerged from their gem.

A few moments earlier

Rose slowly opened her eyes to a bright, pink light and heard screams of agony. A samll human child with curly, black hair and dark eyes, was yelling in pain. She clearly saw multiple bruises on the boy but what shocked her was his body was disappearing. "My goodness here let me help you," Rose called floating towards him. Yet once she did, her healing tears were of no use and the boy's screams got louder. Finally with a tearful gaze, he looked up at her and smiled.

"Mom," he whispered, no longer screaming.

"St-steven is that you?" she asked.

"Yes, I don't have much time, I am dying, please take care of the gems, dad and my friends, so-sorry I failed you," he said his voice getting quieter and quieter.

"Steven, hold on I can help," Rose assured him but it was too late, with his dying breath he said four last words to her before she emerged from the gem.

"Take care of them", he said and then he was gone.

Rose walked up to the stairs leading to his room. She saw pictures of him with many other huamns as well as the gems. Even some gems she didn't recognize, like a blue skinned gem with short hair wearing a dress and a green gem wearing a type of jumpsuit. The two gems were dancing with Steven to a radio, she picked up the picture and it read: Steven, Peridot and Lapis. Who are these gems? Maybe they are his friends? Rose wondered. Her eyes moved towards another picture of Steven playing his guitar with a dark skinned girl, with long brown hair and eyes. The human girl was playing a violin smiling at Steven. On the back of this picture it read: Steven and Connie Jam Buds Forever. Connie, what a nice name, Rose thought feeling sadder than she did earlier. How was she going to tell these people that Steven was dead?

In Amethyst's room

The purple gem had become the Purple Puma and was wrecking everything in sight. Her trash that held such treasures now were being crushed into pieces. "Damn you Steven! How could you just leave us!" she shouted. "It's not fair! Why, why!" she wailed throwing a couch she had saved for years into a pile of trash. Tears streaked from her face, as she just sobbed. "I am sorry Steven, I am so sorry, why couldn't we save you? Why?" she cried as she fell to the floor in tears.

It hurt her to know her number one fan was gone and wasn't coming back. In that moment she just wished someone would shatter her or she would have taken Steven's place. He always made her feel special, to him she was not a defect but a true friend with a mischeivious way of thinking. To Steven she was just Amethyst and she was perfect. Now he was gone, and she didn't know if she would be strong enough to go on without him.

Pearl's room

Pearl wasn't doing too much better, all she did was hug onto Steven's shirt and sob. She still couldn't believe she had yelled at Rose. Ever since Rose gave up her physical form to have Steven, Pearl would do anything to have Rose back. Yet, that sweet curly haired baby, warmed her cold heart, and his kindness made her care and love him all the more. Steven was her baby and she would do anything to protect him.

It was Rose's fault for leaving in the first place. If she never left Pearl never would have met Steven, never would have clapped with joy when he started walking, never would have cried tears of joy when her name was the first word he spoke. Never got to show him how to sword fight, read him bedtime stories, watch him sleep, yes it was all Rose's fault, Pearl decided. Yet she knew she couldn't blame Rose, she had no idea Steven would die.

In all honesty Pearl blamed herself for not being able to protect him. She failed him when he truly needed her. She hugged his shirt tighter as she sang a song trying to stop the tears but more fell as she sang.

We are the Crystal Gems

We always save the day

And even when you think we can't

We always find a way

That's why the people of this world believe in

Garnet

Amethyst

and Pearl

and Steven

Garnet's room

"Please Saphy don't cry," begged Ruby as she fought tears. Steven , her little cutie pie dead, it can't be happening, this was just a horrible nightmare, right, right? her mind asked itself.

"Why couldn't I have seen this happen, I would have stopped it, this is not fair!," wailed Sapphire. She had future vision, she saw so many possibilities, so why, why when she needed her future vision the most it failed her.

"I should have grabbed him! Blame me not yourself!" cried Ruby tears streaming down her face, making her body sizzle.

"I-I don't know what to do, how can I tell Greg? What would he do? What will he say? Or Lapis, or Peridot, what will they do? Oh no Connie, this will kill her, I can't I just can't" sobbed Sapphire ice forming all around her.

"Sapphire, please calm down," Ruby said, picking her up, ice and heat reacting to each other. "You won't have to do anything alone, I will be there with you, and Steven, Steven will live on through us. As long, as long as we remember him, he will never truly be gone," Ruby explained as she hugged her.

"Oh Ruby, this is, this is," Sapphire tried to speak but her voice kept cracking.

"I know, I know," Ruby said stroking her hair. They were facing an unknown future and with Steven gone, would they be able to face it?

To be continued...

Author's Note: The next chapter contains one of the gems telling Greg, Connie, Lapis and Peridot that Steven is dead. Hope you all enjoyed this chapter and please review I really appreciate feedback.