Disclaimer: I don't own Steven Universe

(A/N: Okay, so apparently I really messed up last chapter. I can only assume that none of you liked it since I didn't get any reviews for it and I would have at least gotten two by now. You're being very polite and following the "if you don't have anything nice to say don't say anything" rule, and I thank you for that. I'm sorry if you didn't like it, and I would try to re-write it, but it wouldn't make any difference because I'm the one who's writing it, and I don't know of any other way to build that growing anticipation I was going for. I'm very sorry and I hope that this chapter makes it better. On a brighter note we hit over 2,200 views Wooooo!)

Chapter 18: Broken Inside

Jacinth woke up slowly. First came the consciousness, then the will to force his eyes open. He awoke to the same sight he did every morning; looking up at the ceiling of his tent, which filtered just enough of the sunlight to keep it from blind him. He looked beside him to the slim figure of a female gem holding him with her head resting on his outstretched left arm. He silently chuckled at this; it was very rare that he woke up before her. He gently brushed a few strands of her bobbed hair away from her peacefully sleeping face, feeling her smooth skin in the process. He always liked her deep leaf- like green skin tone. With a soft smile on his face he turned on his side so he could look into her eyes and gently tapped a finger on the bridge of her nose. This made he stir slightly.

"Wake up, come on. It's time to get to work," He coaxed softly in an American accent. (The Irish accent was something he picked up gradually after living in Ireland for a couple thousand years). She let out a sigh trough her nose and opened her bright green eyes, shooting Jacinth a bubbly smile.

"Why can't you just let me sleep for once?" She said in a joking manner. Jacinth chuckled at the running gag between them. That's what she would say every time he woke her up, knowing full well that normally the rolls would be reversed.

"You can sleep when you're dead. Get ready; I'll wait for you outside." Jacinth begrudgingly freed himself from the warmth of his covers and walked outside into the sun. He took a deep breath of the clean spring air. This would be the twentieth spring he and Jade had spent together. Twenty years since he and her learned what love was, and that what they felt for each other wasn't a defect. Their anniversary would be coming up very soon. Jade through the fabric doors apart, falling back into [place behind her as she exited their tent. She started walking at a slightly rushed pace. This was no problem for Jacinth having a pretty large stride evened things out pretty well.

"What job do you think we'll be assigned today?" Jade asked as she returned a nod to a red skinned human passing by.

"Well we haven't been sent on reconnaissance in a while; maybe we'll get lucky," Jade let out a brief giggle.

"That would be a nice change of pace," As soon as she finished her sentence the aircraft alarm went off. Both gems shot their heads to the sky while running for shelter. Their hearts were beating hard, and they didn't pay any attention to their breathing, unintentionally holding their breaths not that it mattered. They saw one fly right over their heads, and their hearts jumped into their throats. These bombs were the biggest threats camps like these. They were a type of EMP that shot the energy distribution inside a gem. Their consciousness was destroyed, their default forms were rearranged, and the once loyal soldiers were left behind in the form of horrific beasts. As they drew closer to the shock proof shelter the bombs that were dropped became easier to see. They felt an extra rush of adrenaline as their run became a race; those bombs detonated ten seconds after hitting solid ground. They were right in front of the entrance that could close just as easily as it could open. As if a cruel joke, right then and there the bomb hit. A few seconds later the dust cleared, and Jacinth's heart shattered. There under the silo-like bomb was Jade's left arm. Jacinth went into complete panic mode as he scrambled to his lover, trying as hard as gemly possible to lift the bomb as the timer hit six. Jade grabbed Jacinth's chin with her free arm.

"Jack you know you can't lift this thing, just run!" she said quickly and with impact. The timer hit five.

"I'm not leaving you!" He shouted as he tried to dig her out, only to realize that the bomb had made a foot deep crater in its wake. The timer hit four. She grabbed him again, and forced her lips against his in a chaste kiss with twenty years worth of passion in it. The timer hit three.

"I love you," She practically whispered.

"I love you too," He said with teary eyes. Two. Jade grabbed the collar of his shirt and brought him close, pulling her knees up to her chest and her feet on his chest. Jacinth didn't even have time to react to this before Jade sent him flying with all of her strength. He watched silently with an opened mouth and wide eyes as Jade became farther and farther away. One. He was close to the ground when the area he was just in became encompassed by a blue electrified half sphere that bent around the shelter. He landed on his knees, and for a moment stayed completely still and silent, tears flowed freely down his face. And then it hit him all at once. He threw his head back and let out a primal shout. It dragged on for half a minute and was filled with all of his sorrow and rage, but more would come to take its place. He weakly made himself get to his knees, and walked back to the shelter. About five minutes later he was right back where he started. He was so distraught that it didn't even occur to him that Jade would be a monster now, but that didn't last long. As soon as he ran a hand on the metal of the EMP it was thrown into the air. The still glowing form of Jade grew and warped into a giant Venus flytrap like plant. It let out a high pitched screech as it wrapped one of its tentacle like vines around him, and brought him over its mouth. He closed his eyes, resigning himself to death. He didn't really care anymore. He felt himself fall and hit the ground as he opened his eyes again.

"Jack what are you doing get up, and fight!" Garnet yelled with authority as she dodged another hit form one of the remaining three vines.

"That's Jade!" Jack managed to choke out while forcing out of the grip of the dismembered vine. Garnet froze and looked to him with a slightly open mouth.

"Not anymore," She mumbled with a hint of sadness in voice, leaping back into battle. With a mighty strike she deformed half of it eyeless face. Jack winced and reached out to the corrupted gem even though it was out of his grasp. He felt every hit. More gems joined in the fight. Dismembering the vines, aiming for the base, attempting to break through the skull in hopes of finding a vital point. He felt everything, every hit, every cut, every stab, all pain, and all the fear. He crawled closer with weakness visible in his eyes.

"Stop, please stop," He started softly at first, but as the beast's cries became more urgent so did his. "Stop, stop please, you're hurting her!" He yelled. The beast let out a final screech. "STOP!" It poofed. The green gem rolled at his hands, and he shakily reached out for all that remained of his one true love, only for the gem to be smashed into shards before his very eyes. Not even caring enough to look at who had broken it he scooped the shards up. They fell through his uncooperative fingers. He sniffled a little before letting out another cry. "AAAAAAAAHHHHH!"

Jack jolted forward panting heavily. He felt his soaked face just to see if this was real. Whether his face was wet with sweat or tears he didn't know, but the most likely answer was both. It was often that he would have this dream. It was bittersweet; on one hand it was the worst memory of his life, but on the other he got to see Jade again. He got to remember what it was like to hold her, to kiss her, to wake up next to her, to stare into her deep green eyes. This horrible dream was almost all he had left of Jade. His head shot up as he noticed the blanket on his shoulders. He had fallen asleep against a rock on top of the large hill that the temple was built into.

"Hey," He heard the child's voice in front of him, and looked up at its owner.

"You uh…looked kind of cold," He said with a straight face and toneless voice. Jack could sense pain in it, but smiled at him anyway.

(*sighs* that was a trip. God I think I'm crying. I hope you all enjoyed)