Author's note: You know, I'm going to upload this early, just because I feel like it.
Cheeseburger Backpack
"It came! It came!" Steven cried, running inside with a giant cheeseburger backpack in his hands.
"Wow, you really got it?" Connie asked. "I thought you were just kidding."
"Well I wasn't." Steven said playfully. "Opal, Ruby, and Sapphire have been pretty mad at me since what happened with Lapis and the mirror."
Connie rolled her eyes. "I'm still kind of mad at you."
"So I decided that, on this mission, I'm going to be so good, they're going to forget all about it."
"Wishful thinking my dear brother. But hey, I'll help. It's not like I enjoy seeing you in the doghouse." Connie said, standing up. "So, what are you planning on doing that will make them happy?"
"Well, at first I had wanted to just impress them with it, but then they said they were going to go on some mission this week. So, I'm going to pack that statue they said they need to bring and a bunch of other stuff to help us."
"Like what?" Ruby asked, from behind then, making them jump.
Steven was breathing heavily before he managed a glare. "Hey, you scared me half to death."
Ruby chuckled. "I just came to tell the two of you that we're going on the mission in ten minutes. You better pack what you want to before we go."
"Okay." Steven chirped before running over to the fridge and taking two doughnuts out, putting them in the bag.
Ruby chuckled. "Hey pal," she said, earning Steven's attention. The moment he looked over, she tossed a small, human shaped stature over to him, the boy easily catching it. "You don't want to forget that." She said.
Steven smiled. "Will do." He said, placing it carefully into the bag before running to the closet to grab other 'essentials'.
The warp pad rang as the light cleared, Steven and Connie looking in awe at their surroundings.
"The Sea Spire." Steven said in awe.
Opal looked around. "Was it…always like this?" She asked as a large piece fell off.
"No. The place has become structurally unstable." Sapphire told her.
"Then we should act fast." Opal said. She turned to Steven. "Steven, I want you to listen to me very carefully. This mission is dangerous. You need to be smart and you need to be serious. No more repeats of Lapis. Okay?"
Steven gave a confused look. "Um…okay." He said.
"Good, now let's go." Opal said.
As the rest of the group began, Connie stayed still for a moment, giving a small glare to her brother. He still didn't understand what he did was wrong. He still only saw that gem as a friend.
With a huff, Connie followed after them.
Connie followed as the group made their way to the top of the Sea Spire.
This mission was actually going very well. Steven, despite having packed things that may have seemed like random junk, had actually pulled through quite a bit. He had come up with a clever way to get them across a pit with a magic whirlpool under it, he had used a bagel sandwich to lure a large group of crystal shrimp away to get through, and he had even found a use for the raft (though that ultimately failed). All in all, the Gems had been very impressed with Steven's performance.
"There it is!" Opal exclaimed happily as they reached the pedestal. "Oh, we still have time to save this place!" She stated, looking too the moon overhead.
"Steven," Sapphire called. "may I please have the statue?" She asked, holding her hand out.
Steven nodded, reaching his hand into the bag. After rooting around for a few seconds, he finally pulled out the statue, handing it to Sapphire.
"Thank you." Sapphire said, walking up to the pedestal. "Now, let's finish this."
She raised the statue up, preparing to place it onto the shrine, when a large ball of fire flew into her side, knocking her away.
The statue flew from her hands, breaking as it landed.
When the flames cleared, a red gem was revealed pinning Sapphire down. As Steven looked at her, all he could think of was how she looked like Ruby. Her hair, her body, even her clothing was remarkably similar to the red gem he knew and loved. In fact, the only difference in appearance from the Ruby he knew was that she had a gem on her right shoulder.
"Ruby?" Steven said quietly.
"Heheh, what's the matter Saphy, you look like you've seen a ghost." The ruby said, pinning Sapphire as the blue struggled against her captor.
"Hey!"
The ruby looked over to Opal, leaning back in time to narrowly avoid an arrow.
"You're aim hasn't improved." The new red gem said.
"Well you should check out mine!"
The ruby turned in time to feel Ruby's large gauntlet collide with her face. The new gem was sent back, landing on her feet and skidding to a halt. She looked to Ruby and Sapphire, grinning. "You sure do have a type, don't you?" Ruby asked, chuckling. Her smile dropped. "What, did you think that I was done with you?"
"Guys, what's going on?!" Steven asked Opal.
"Stay back." Opal said, ignoring the question entirely before charging forward.
The new ruby sensed something running towards her, finding Opal charging at her, spear raised.
The ruby just reached for the gem on her shoulder, the large gemstone glowing before a steel sword came out of it. The blade collided with the spear, the two at a stalemate.
"Surprised? I couldn't do that last time, could I?" She asked before summoning a gauntlet over her free hand, punching Opal in the torso. "Well, I didn't spend my time hiding lazing around and eating my sorrows away."
She jumped, drop kicking Opal as hard as she could, the tall gem flying away. She looked to find Ruby upon her and smirked.
"No." She blocked Ruby's gauntlet with her own. "I was planning." She kicked Ruby away, dismissing her gauntlet and throwing a fireball at her. "I watched, I waited, I practiced, I learned how to put things in and out of my gem just as fast as I could my weapon." She looked to see Opal with her bow raised, the tall gem firing it at the ruby.
The arrow collided with her, a large explosion erupting from it on impact. Despite this, the Crystal Gems didn't back down, each readying themselves. They knew this enemy. Even if she was stronger now, they knew her. She wasn't easy to take down.
"Though, I'd say I've given enough explanation." The ruby said from the smoke. "We've done this song and dance thousands of times before, so let's get to the point." A flaming gauntlet erupted from the black cloud, nailing Sapphire in the chest.
Sapphire cried out as the weapon exploded against her, but still stood.
"My, my," The ruby said before she walked out from the smoke. "I guess I wasn't the only one who improved, traitor. You certainly didn't stand a chance last time we fought. Though, I forget why we did."
Suddenly, the ground around Sapphire began to form frost.
"Oh yea, you had a thing for that human I killed. Kind of a running theme when it comes to you, people you love dying because of you."
Sapphire let out a cry, large crystals of ice forming around her, before shooting at the ruby.
The ruby laughed, summoning and firing a gauntlet at her. The weapon exploded, only for Sapphire to shoot through the smoke at the red gem.
The ruby caught her, forcing her to a halt. She looked tired, but then again, so did Sapphire.
"You know…" The ruby began, looking to her side, finding Ruby readying her gauntlet as Sapphire continued to push on. "you don't look so good."
Ruby fired her gauntlet at her doppelganger.
"What?" The other ruby began, using as much power as she could to swing Sapphire in the weapon's way. "Can't take the heat?!"
The ruby let go as Ruby's gauntlet connected with Sapphire, sending the blue gem flying back, landing on the ground.
The ruby's grin grew. "Finally," She picked up her sword. "you die!"
The ruby rocketed forward, leaving a trail of flames in her wake. She wore a mad expression on her face, laughing maniacally, sword ready. When she reached Sapphire, she landed and swung her sword. In the red gem's mind, time slowed down. Here she was, about to take revenge. She was going to end this filthy blue gem's worthless existence here and now. And, just as she thought victory was within her grasp, a boy stepped in her path.
"No!" Steven cried, holding his arms out defensively in front of Sapphire.
The ruby gasped at the sight. She quickly turned, tumbling and rolling away. She didn't stay down for more than a second, pulling herself up. She looked into Steven's eyes, the hybrid no longer seeing the malice he had witnessed mere seconds ago. "K- K-…Kid?" She asked, surprised.
Steven looked at her in confusion. "Wait, you know me?"
The ruby ignored his question, taking frantic looks around her, finding Opal and Ruby at each side. Then, she looked to Sapphire, and finally to Steven.
Before any other moves could be made by her foes, she summoned a large gauntlet. She raised her weapon into the air, slamming it into the ground. When she did, the spire shook, cracked, and quaked, brushing up a massive cloud of dust.
Steven coughed as he squinted through the smoke. "Guys!" He called. "Guys!"
A shifting sounded behind him. Steven turned around, not knowing what he was expecting. When he did, he saw a glowing red gauntlet coming at his face.
Two red gems sit in a cell together, both holding mixed feelings of sadness and overwhelming rage. Earlier that day, they had been ordinary gems, doing their jobs as proper gems should. They were finishing a simple mission, it should have been easy guarding a sapphire. Nothing hard...well at least until Rose Quartz decided to barge in. That was precisely the moment when their lives became a living hell.
One of the rubies jumped as she felt her companion pound her fist into the wall, shaking their cell.
"That stupid sapphire!" The ruby said, tears streaming down her face. "How…how could she just stand there, just watch it happen? …This is all her fault! Why isn't she down here, why isn't her gem the one lying on the ground?" The ruby let out a pitiful sob. "Oh god why…why did it have to be you?"
The other ruby looked away from her companion, looking out towards the empty cells around them. What was going to happen to them? Were they going to be shattered like her, all because she tried to protect that stupid blue gem? …It wasn't fair. It just wasn't fair.
"Ruby…I wish you were here…"