Hi again, and welcome back to Into Oblivion.
So... those episodes. And now a new chapter. I told you today would be fun, lol.
Disclaimer: I don't own Steven Universe. Steven Universe is owned by Rebecca Sugar.
Present
"Thoughts"/Writing
Author's Note
"We're here."
As he spoke, Steven wiped his forehead with his shirt. Beads of sweat trickled down from his forehead and stung his wide open eyes. He had anticipated the island being warmer than Beach City, but not quite so humid.
"I only brought a few water bottles..." thought Steven. His hand absentmindedly reached behind his back and patted down his cheeseburger backpack; he could only feel one or two bumps. "I hope we're not here too long, or we might get dehydrated."
"Steven? Come on, shake a leg! Let's go!"
Steven shook his head to dispel his thoughts. Heeding his best friend's call, he hopped down from Lion's back. "You stay here, Lion, we'll be back soon," he yelled as he jogged to Connie.
"Sorry," panted Steven as he caught up at last. He hunched over to catch his breath; the temperature was making it harder than usual. "I was just thinking."
"Thinking?" she asked. "About what?"
"About how we need Malachite, and fast. She could be anywhere around here."
Connie quickly glanced around the island, her gaze scanning for what would be, according to Steven, a giant greenish monster with bright white hair. She didn't notice her when they first arrived, but it never hurt to be too careful...
But what she saw instead made her eyes pop open wide.
Just ahead of the beach, a dense foliage of tangled trees and low hanging branches extended deep into the center of the island, and the heart of the forest was darkened by the night sky. Just beyond that, an enormous cliffside, hundreds of feet tall, rose high the stars. A brilliant blue and seafoam green waterfall crashed with a roar. And of course, the brilliant yellow sands of the island's beaches edges mingled with the calming ocean waves, creating a rather peaceful lull.
The full moon was a nice finishing touch.
"Steven..." whispered Connie. Her eyes grazed over each and every detail she could discern, sucking it all in to commit to memory. "This... this is beautiful..."
Steven's mouth fell wide open.
"Oh my goodness... wait a second, this is Mask Island!"
"Mask Island?"
"Yeah, it's an island we visited on a mission once." Steven looked around the area with renewed interest. His jogged memory flashed back to that day for comparison; everything stacked up as he remembered it. "You know, there's also a warp pad here... Lapis must not have known when she told me about this place."
"Wait, so we could've just warped here the whole time?"
"Yeah. We didn't really need to bring Lion... I'll say sorry to him later." Steven turned to look behind him; the big cat was curled up under a particularly tall tree, his eyes shut and his chest breathing in and out. Steven smiled at the sight.
"... Anyway, it is nice, but there's no time for admiring," he continued. "Malachite might be nearby, let's get moving."
True to his word, Steven began to walk along the beach to the east, his footsteps all but silent in the soft sands and occasional pebbles. Connie reluctantly tore her eyes from the island's mountain and followed close behind.
For the next few minutes, neither child bothered to converse. They kept their eyes peeled for anything from land or water, or for perhaps something that may give a clue to Malachite. They just had to find it.
But it wasn't their eyes that picked it up. It was their ears.
A loud snapping sound echoed throughout the beach, its uniqueness poignant against the usual waves and wind. Steven and Connie whirled around on the spot, but found nothing but trees and darkness.
"What on Earth... you just heard that, right?" asked Steven.
"Yeah, it sounded like a branch snapping. Was it Lion?"
"No, I told him to wait by that tree..."
Connie and Steven swapped glances. And then, with no words needed, she proceeded to draw her sword, and him his shield. With unspoken synchronization, they slowly approached the pitch-black foliage.
"Do you think it's her?" Connie hurriedly whispered. She glimpsed Steven shake his head out of the corner of her eye.
"No, she's way bigger than these trees. If it was her, we'd have seen her."
"But then what is it? It might be a wild animal, or maybe—"
She never had time to finish. And the thing jumping out from the trees was the reason why.
"AGH!"
Out of instinct, Steven took several steps back. He raised his shield to cover himself, and he kept his eyes pasted to the creature. He strained to identify it through the distorted pink glare.
"Wh-what is that thing? It's only a little taller than I am, and it's standing on two feet. And it's green..."
Steven's eyes grew wide. Green.
"CONNIE, STOP!"
He hadn't even been looking at her when he issued his command, but he was glad he did; true to his gut, she had already jumped to the side of the strange little man. Her sword was raised high above her head, poised to strike.
Steven lowered his shield. The creature was curled in a ball and shaking, and its little arms were tightly clutching its head. Now that he could see it clearly, he knew exactly what it was.
"Watermelon Steven?"
Connie turned her head to Steven. She squinted her eyebrows.
"Watermelon Steven? What's that supposed to mean? And why is he—"
Before she could finish her thought, the green creature perked its head up and whipped around to face Steven. Was Steven just addressing this little human-like... gem monster? Plant-thing?
"Steven, what's going on?"
The young boy said nothing. He and 'Watermelon Steven,' as he apparently called it, were locked in what seemed to be a rather tight staring contest.
And then he blinked.
"It is... it is you!"
Much to Connie's surprise, an ear-to-ear grin split across Steven's face as he dissipated his shield. And what she now knew with certainty to be Watermelon Steven jumped to its feet as well, and he frantically waved both its stubby arms. Steven quickly ran over to him and knelt down, coming eye-to-eye with it.
"My goodness, I haven't seen you guys since you left Beach City! Is this where you settled?" he said. Watermelon Steven nodded, earning another smile from the young gem. "Well, it seems you're doing all right. But let me ask you this: since the day you left, have you learned to understand true loyalty?"
Watermelon Steven rubbed the back of his head and bowed. Connie couldn't take any more.
"STEVEN! What the heck is going on here?! What is this thing?"
"Oh, uh, heh heh..." Now it was Steven's turn to rub the back of his head. "You weren't there that day, so you wouldn't know..."
"What day?"
"It was about a year ago, maybe less." Steven stood up and walked the extra few steps to Connie. He then plopped down on a largish rock, and she quickly followed suit. "I was eating watermelon with my dad one evening, and when I woke up the next day... they kind of came alive. And started attacking people."
"... Really? Huh... how come I never heard about this?" she asked. Steven could only chuckle.
"I'm not too sure. But in any event, I convinced them to stop fighting after they killed Baby Melon, and then they all walked into the ocean to find a home of their own. I guess they picked this island."
Watermelon Steven vigorously nodded and waved his arms, earning the attention of both Connie and Steven. The young gem slightly cocked his head at the sight that met his eyes; he was holding a stick. "Uh, mini me? What are you doing with that?"
Watermelon Steven walked to the edge of the beach, and stopped along a soft patch of sand. He plunged the sharpened branch into the sand and began to move his arms. Steven and Connie stood up and walked over to him, and peered over his shoulder.
Yes, we've certainly learned the values of life, and we all deeply apologize.
Steven's eyes filled with stars.
"What the... Watermelon Steven, you can write?!" exclaimed Steven. The green creature nodded once again. He picked up his writing stick and quickly scribbled several more words.
Indeed. We're also learning speech, though others are better than me.
"W-well that's great! It looks like you're becoming a real community!" Steven grinned and gave Watermelon Steven a pat on the head. "I'm really proud of you. You've come a long way from the days you tried burying Amethyst alive."
Connie nervously chucked at what she assumed (and hoped) to be dry humor. But the feeling quickly gave way to an overwhelming sense of worry, and her eyes frantically flickered around the jungle and night skies.
"Steven, I think we're getting off track," she said, after a moment. "We still need to find Malachite, remember?"
"Oh, that's right! Watermelon Steven, it's great to reconnect, but we'll have to talk later." Steven squatted low, plucked the writing stick from the ground, and handed it to Watermelon Steven. "We're here for something important. This is going to sound goofy, but have you guys seen a giant green monster with four legs and white hair?"
Watermelon Steven paused for a moment. And then, with slow, almost choppy movements, he gently ran the branch across the sand.
We've seen her many times, and she's very unusual. At least twice a day, she'll surface from the water over there. Watermelon Steven lifted his writing stick and pointed to the west side of the island. She's well aware we're here. She always seems like she's about to attack, but then she throws herself back into the water before she gets the chance. It's like she's fighting herself.
Connie and Steven glanced at each other. "That sounds like Lapis and Jasper, all right..." he thought.
Why do you ask?
Steven eyes flickered to the sand and Watermelon Steven again. "Because we're here to stop her. Where exactly is she?"
Watermelon Steven closed his eyes and nodded. And then, as if he had just woken up from a deep sleep, he wrote one final message in the sand.
Come. I'll show you.
"Ugh... Steven, will you hand me one of the water bottles?"
Steven reached behind him and took his backpack off his shoulders. After unzipping the tomato pouch, he quickly rifled through the mess of contents before his hand closed around the plastic bottle. He lifted it out of the bag and handed it to Connie.
"Here. Be sure to save it, though, we only have one apiece." Connie nodded and carefully unscrewed the cap, and then took a very small sip.
"Thanks. You told me it'd be hot, but not humid like this," she said as she lowered the water bottle from her mouth. She took a breath and put the cap back on. "I hope we're not here for much longer."
"So do I. We can't speed this up much until we get there, though... are we there yet?"
Watermelon Steven, who had walked far ahead, shook his head. Steven and Connie groaned.
"I guess we have some time to kill..." said Connie. "Steven, I get you want to try talking to Malachite, but you really need to think about this for a second. What are you going to say to her that she'll actually listen to?"
Steven put a hand to his chin and softened his gaze ahead. "Well... it'll be tricky, but I'm hoping to reason with the Lapis side of Malachite. And since Lapis is usually in control, that's how we'll get her to split apart."
"But what if it's Jasper?"
"Then we'll have to fight." Steven tore his eyes away from the beach and back to Connie. "But Connie, I promise it won't get that far. She's going to unfuse whether she wants to or not, and that's final."
Connie mouth fell slightly agape. And then, without a shred of doubt, a smile took its place.
"You're right, Steven. We can do this."
Steven gave her a nod, and then turned his attention back to his front. Realizing their little chat had gotten him off track, his eyes quickly scanned over the surroundings; the forest was now well behind them, with the beaches and ocean taking its place. They were miles from where they had started.
"Hey, W Steven?" called Steven, using the nickname he had bestowed his counterpart. "Are we-"
Watermelon Steven stopped cold. He buried his writing stick into the sand, and Steven had a feeling his question was about to be answered.
Yes, Steven, we're here. The creature you refer to as 'Malachite' always surfaces on this beach. If you wish to talk to her, you'd be wise to wait it out.
Steven read over the words inscribed on the beach, a smile spreading across his face the further along he went. "Great! It won't be long now." Steven looked at Watermelon Steven and locked eye contact. "W Steven, I'm hoping we don't have to fight, but we don't know for sure. Are you going to stay?"
Watermelon Steven picked up his branch again. I'm not among the ranks of the warriors, so I'm afraid I won't be of much assistance from here on out. Will you be needing back-up?
"No. We'll be okay."
Then I shall warn the others to stay off the beaches. Good luck, Steven and friend.
Watermelon Steven yanked his writing stick from the ground, and held it in his hands like a spear. He charged head-first deep into the darkness of the forest, and kept running head on until he was completely out of sight. Connie looked at Steven.
"... I still can't believe I just met a living watermelon."
"I know, isn't it great? And after what happened last time... oh, they've come so far..." Steven stared off into the distance with stars in his eyes. His hands locked together with pride, and Connie suppressed a chuckle.
"Well, I'm glad to see your message seemed to reach them, but we have to focus. He said to wait here for Malachite."
"That's right," nodded Steven. "She could come anytime, so we have to be ready."
Even as he spoke, however, Steven had to stifle a creeping yawn. This didn't go unnoticed by Connie, and she shook her head.
"Steven, both of us haven't gotten a lot of sleep tonight. Why don't we take turns looking out, and we'll switch every hour?"
Steven sat on the sand and propped himself up on his elbows. "You do have a good point with the sleep. Do you mind?"
"Not at all. I'll take the first watch."
Steven didn't need any more encouragement. He fell to his side and curled up into a ball, and tightly shut his eyes. He did his best to ignore the beach's humidity, but it was a definite challenge. "Remember to wake me up in an hour..." he quietly mumbled.
"I will, Steven."
Connie's eyes danced across the gently rippling water, for what felt to her like the millionth time. Still no Malachite.
"She'll be here soon..."
Connie couldn't help but release a sigh as she fell back into the sand. She spread her arms out wide; her sword sat just a little ways away, and Steven a few feet beyond that. Her gaze hovered over them both, and then turned to her pocket.
"This'll be the third switch now..." thought Connie as she took out her cell phone. Her thumb pressed the power button, and the screen flickered on; it was indeed 5:04 AM, exactly sixty minutes from the start of her shift.
Connie stood up and slowly made her way to Steven. She knelt down next to him and shook his shoulders, and then waited for him to stir. "Come on, Steven, it's your turn..."
"Ugh... is she here?" he said, after a moment's quiet. Connie shook her head.
"I'm afraid not... it's time to switch."
Steven rubbed his eyes and shook his head, doing his best to force the drowsiness away. "Yeah, yeah... just give me a second."
Steven crawled to his nearby cheeseburger backpack. He opened the zipper and rummaged his hand around, and pulled out a half full water bottle. He quickly unscrewed the cap and took a drink. "You know, if she doesn't come up soon, I'm thinking we should call Lion and come back with more supplies," he said as he put the bottle back in his backpack. "It'd make the wait a lot easier."
"I'd like to do that too, but I don't think we should leave," replied Connie. "If she comes up when we're gone, then we'll have missed our opportunity."
"Just an idea... get some sleep. I'll hold down the fort."
Connie folded her hands and rolled on her side, facing away from him. Steven sighed and glanced over the sky; the moon was still visible, though it was definitely lower than last time.
Steven stood up and started to pace. He lifted his arms high and stretched, and smiled to himself as he felt back pop. "You know, I almost wish I could go for a walk..." he thought. He around on the spot, and allowed his eyes to trail over the jungle, and the waterfall careening over the canyon side. "Connie's right, it really is beautiful... I wonder-"
SPLASH!
SPLASH!
Connie's eyes split open wide.
In one swift motion, she jumped to her feet and lunged to her sword. She picked it up from the ground and ripped off the scabbard, exposing the brilliant blade to the glare of the moonlight. "STEVEN!" she yelled out to wherever he was; she didn't dare tear her eyes from the water.
"CONNIE! WHAT WAS THAT NOISE?! I WASN'T LOOKING!"
"YOU WEREN'T LOOKING? WHY WEREN'T... FORGET IT, JUST GET OVER HERE!"
He didn't need much encouragement. With tight, bated breath, the young gem sprinted to her side. He formed his shield at arrival, and his right arm took hold. "It sounded like the water! Is it her?"
"I don't know! Just... be quiet. Listen."
They both fell deathly silent. Steven's heart pounded in his chest: he would never admit it out loud, but he half expected Malachite's hand to tear out from the water and sweep them both away.
The beach stayed quiet.
"... False alarm?"
Connie said nothing. Instead, she turned her eyes from the water and to the beach; everything still seemed the same.
"... False alarm."
Steven gasped a sigh of relief and dissipated his shield. He then lifted the collar of his shirt and wiped his forehead; it came back drenched. "Jeez, that was something... to be honest, it's kind of a shame she isn't actually here."
"Don't let your guard down, Steven."
Malachite slammed her fists against the ocean floor.
"STOP FIGHTING IT! JUST LET ME TAKE OVER, AND IT'LL BE EASIER FOR US BOTH!"
"NO! HE'S NOT HERE YET!"
"JUST GIVE IT TO ME!"
Malachite couldn't take any more. An angry roar broke free from the prison of her throat, and she jumped up from the ocean floor. Her two halves continued to fight for control of her mind, and her body.
And then she broke through.
It was like a geyser, breaking through the peaceful ocean. Destroying the calm. Shattering the illusion of serenity.
But they were ready.
A booming crash echoed throughout the sky as the water exploded into the sky, soaring high to the stars. Steven summoned his shield again, and Connie drew her sword. Both took several steps back as Malachite tumbled out of the water, wildly swinging her fists at nothing in the air. She took a step onto the sand, and collapsed to her side.
"WHAT ON EARTH?!" yelled Connie. "STEVEN, THAT'S MALACHITE?!"
"YEAH! NOW'S OUR CHANCE, COME ON!"
Steven sprinted head first down the beach, with Connie closely in tow. He came skidding to a stop well beyond the reach of her feet and arms.
"MALACHITE! STOP!"
Malachite's fist froze in the air, and her screams and wails tapered on the spot. She craned her neck to catch a glimpse of him; it was only her top two eyes that moved. Her gaze softened
"... Steven? Is that you?"
"Yes, it's me... I'm here to help you."
Steven's breathing slowed and dragged. He knew Malachite had very little control of her actions; inside her mind, she was a struggling mass of two conflicting storms, Lapis vs. Jasper. A never ending war.
He shuddered at the thought.
"STEVEN!" yelled Malachite, snapping him out of his thoughts. "I... I CAN'T unfuse! Why didn't you-YOU'RE DAMN RIGHT WE'RE NOT!"
Malachite's pupils dilated. Her eyes sharpened and creased together, and her glare directed itself at Steven.
Malachite stood up. She turned around and raised her arm: a great pillar of water rose from the sea, and molded itself into a fist. "DIE!"
Steven grabbed Connie's shoulder and brought her close. His gem glowed with a brilliant pink light, and the beautiful shape of a rose sprang up around the two, encasing them in his bubble shield. The pillar of water water crashed against the shield, and sent the two flying back: they skidded to a halt about fifty yards away, shaken but unharmed.
"Steven, she's not listening to us!" shouted Connie! "What do we do?"
"No, just wait! Lapis is fighting for control, see?"
Steven lowered his shield, and Connie got a good look at Malachite. She was screaming to the sand, her head in her hands and her feet stomping madly. Steven jumped to his feet and ran to her again.
"MALACHITE! YOU DON'T HAVE TO SUFFER ANY LONGER! JUST SPLIT APART!"
Even through her face hidden in her hands, Malachite looked at him form the corners of her eyes. And then, without warning, she slammed her fist down in front of the child, kicking sand all around. Steven covered his eyes and nose.
"LET ME TAKE OVER! NOW!"
"NEVER! I WON'T LET YOU HURT HIM!"
Connie ran up behind Steven and tapped him on the shoulder. "What?" he said through his teeth.
"Steven, what's going on? She really doesn't look like she's about to unfuse..."
"I don't know what she's going to do! We might have to-"
"THAT'S ENOUGH! ENOUGH!"
Both Steven and Connie's attention whipped back to Malachite. She was along the edge of the beach, and her four feet were planted in the shallow water.
Malachite raised her arm. The water behind her pooled and rose to the sky, and shapeshifted into another fist. Steven summoned his bubble shield around himself and Connie again.
Rather than swinging the fist toward the beach like last time, however, Malachite summoned a second one, identical in size and shape to the first. She then turned her back to the water and lifted her arms. Even through the pink, distorted tint of his bubble, Steven swore he could see a smile crack across her mouth.
And then the fists grabbed her arms.
They didn't stay in that shape for long. Malachite's own creations quickly morphed into chains, and they clamped around her wrists and held her tight. She was bound to the ocean...
"What on Earth? What's going on?" Steven lowered the bubble and stepped out to the shore, Connie right by his side. She held her sword pointed out like a javelin. "Malachite?" he asked. "What are you-"
"QUIET, STEVEN! I NEED TO CONCENTRATE!"
Steven shut his mouth.
With all the strength she could muster, Malachite pulled at both chains simultaneously. Her arms crossed as she continued to strain against the ocean, harder and harder. A vein popped in her forehead and she ground her teeth together, and tears of pain streamed out of her eyes.
"NO! STOP! WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!"
"IT'S OVER, JASPER! I'M IN CONTROL, AND I'M ENDING THIS NOW!"
Steven and Connie watched the back and forth exchange with a shared sense of horror; they didn't even dare to blink, for fear of missing the critical moment. What was she even planning?
"BUT... YOU CAN'T! YOU NEED ME, TO GET RID OF THEM!"
"I DON'T CARE! YOU'RE NOT GOING TO HURT HIM!"
Malachite buckled to her knees. Her wild, frazzled hair obscured her face as she lowered her head, only for her to whip it back and let loose a terrifying roar. She pulled at the chains yet again.
It was only when she threw her head back that Steven saw it.
"Oh..."
"What? Steven, what is it?"
"Look... look at her gem!" Steven pointed to the spot, with Connie squinting her eyes to see it. "It has a crack! See?"
Connie's hand shot to her mouth. Her eyes stuck to the imperfection like glue. "Y-you're right! But I thought a gem cracking was really bad..."
"It is!" Steven shook his head and closed his fist around the hem of his shirt. He heaved a deep breath and used his free arm to wipe away fast forming sweat on his forehead. "It happened to Amethyst once, and she almost died! We have to stop her!" Steven's foot shot forward, but he froze at the feel of Connie's hand on his shoulder.
"Steven, I don't think that's a good idea..."
"WHY NOT? She might get really hurt! We have to save her!"
"I know that, but just THINK for a second!" Connie ran a hand through her hair, swiping away a few loose locks over her eyes. "If she wasn't able to unfuse before, then for all we know, what she's doing now might be the only way! Just let her keep going!"
"That's ridiculous! There HAS to be another way! We just-"
"It's too late..."
"It's too late..."
Steven's eyes grew wide. Without a sound, he slowly turned back to face Malachite. He felt himself tremble with fear.
The crack on Malachite's gem had expanded, running almost completely up the surface. Tiny grains from the rock fell from the tip like rain drops, gently mixing with the ocean water. And still it continued to grow.
"STOP!" yelled Malachite. Steven knew it was Jasper. "THINK ABOUT WHAT YOU'RE-"
"SHUT UP! IF IT WEREN'T FOR YOU, I WOULDN'T BE ON THIS PLANET AT ALL!"
Malachite tugged at the chain and kept up the pressure, and her cracked gem shot open even more. Just a little further...
"BUT WITHOUT ME, YOU'LL BE STUCK HERE FOREVER! YOU CAN'T FIGHT THEM ON YOUR OWN!"
"IF I'M TRAPPED, THEN SO ARE YOU! THAT'S A FAIR TRADE, DON'T YOU THINK?!"
Malachite smiled. "And besides, if we're both stuck here, then you're still my prisoner..."
She tugged again. The crack finally burst.
Malachite let forth a blood curdling roar. She arched her back high, and continued to scream to the starry sky above. Her water chains dissipated and fell back to the ocean beneath her feet, and the shattered shards of her gem slid off her face.
And then the light began. A brilliant white flash, rising up from her eyes, then her mouth, and finally poking out from her stomach, arms, and legs. Her voice went mute.
"CONNIE, GET DOWN!" screamed Steven. He wasted no time in doing so himself, and he covered the back of his neck with his hands. He silently prayed she did the same behind him, but he couldn't risk opening his eyes to look.
Even with his eyes closed, however, he could still see the flash. It became brighter, brighter, brighter... the boom, the inevitable explosion was coming any second. The young child used his arms to cover his ears as best he could.
And then, just like that, it was gone.
"We're dead, we're dead, we're dead, we're dead..."
Steven waited for the end. The searing pain, the explosion all around, whatever was coming next. Any second now...
Right?
The seconds ticked by. Steven slowly lifted his head; he blinked his eyes open just a tiny sliver at a time. He stole a glance up ahead.
Malachite was gone.
"H-hey... did she just... poof? But her gem was destroyed! Unless that means-
Steven's eyes bulged open wide. He jumped to his feet and quickly set to brushing the sand off his clothes. When he finished, he turned on his heel and ran across the beach, finally stopping where Malachite had been just a moment ago. His ears perked up at Connie's footsteps behind him, but he didn't care. He sank to his knees, reached into the damp sand, and closed his hand into a fist.
He slowly raised his hand, and spread his fingers like the blooming petals of a flower. In his palm, he held two stones: one blue, and one orange.
And both cracked.
Now we're getting into the thick of things. Lots of stuff coming up soon, so stay tuned.
Have a nice day.