It's Not Okay

It had been over two weeks since Connie had gone to visit Steven. The last time she had stopped by Beach City, Steven had taken her up to a hill which overlooked the entire town. It was a beautiful spot. Connie had intended to visit last weekend, but she became too busy between studying and tennis practice. She had decided to surprise Steven by bringing him a homemade lunch and stopping by for an impromptu visit. She had prepared a picnic basket, and asked her parents to drop her off just outside Beach City. Her plan was to stop by the Big Donut to pick up some dessert for Steven, and then continue to his house. It would only take her about ten minutes to walk to the edge of Beach City, and another five to reach his house from the outskirts of the small town. Assuming there wasn't a line at the Big Donut, it would only be a short stop to grab…

Connie stopped abruptly. She stood and stared out at the Beach City and the temple where Steven lived. Or, more accurately, what little was left of those places. The majority of the town had been leveled; rubble and debris covered the streets and the boardwalk. If not for the ruins of the massive temple and a few buildings which were still standing, Connie doubted that she would have been able to recognize the town. Nothing she knew could cause this much destruction. Maybe it was some sort of gem ship or weapon, like the one Steven had told her about…

Steven!

If there had been a gem battle, then Steven would have gotten involved. Last time something like this had happened, the town was largely unscathed, and Steven still came out with a black eye. If this much damage had resulted, who knows what trouble he had gotten himself into! Now genuinely worried, Connie began to jog towards Steven's house. As she passed through the town, Connie became more and more concerned. The town was eerily quiet; even the usual sounds of seagulls seemed to have ceased. As she passed the remnants of Mr. Universe's carwash, Connie noticed that his van was gone. She hoped he had made it out of town in time to avoid the destruction. She shuddered at the thought of finding a body among the debris.

Connie stopped to catch her breath at the Big Donut. All that was left of the store was a pile of rubble, a shredded window canopy, and a donut-shaped sign. She felt a twinge of sadness for Steven at the annihilation of his favorite shop, and hoped that the two nice people who worked there, who she had met when trapped in Steven's bubble, were alright. Thinking of her first encounter with Steven reminded her of her current objective, and she continued her trek towards his house.

Even from the outside, the damage to the temple was clearly visible. Steven's house had been entirely crushed by the giant stone head of the temple statue. When she found Steven, maybe he could stay at her house while they rebuilt his. Connie saw that multiple small gemstones were lying in the sand. Connie knew that they likely belonged to Garnet, Amethyst, and Pearl. She began to move towards the stones to pick them up, but something else caught her attention. She couldn't see what it was from where she was standing, but it didn't look like it was moving. Resolving to find out what the mysterious object was, Connie began to slowly make her way towards it. As she got close, the object slowly became clearer, until she finally realized what it was. Connie gasped and dropped the basket she was holding.

There, in the middle of the beach, was Steven. He was lying face-down in the sand. Not moving. Connie rushed over and knelt down beside Steven's prone form. She carefully took hold under Steven's shoulders and turned him over to get a better look at him. She managed to roll him onto his back, and her heart sank. Connie had never seen anyone in such bad condition, not even in movies. His left eye was entirely swollen shut, and his clothes were torn. He looked as if he had picked a fight with a wood chipper and Garnet.

"S-S-Steven?" Connie asked. She shook him lightly in an attempt to wake him. "Steven, wake up. It's Connie. Steven, please, answer me!" After a few minutes of trying to wake him up, Steven still hadn't moved at all. Now Connie was really scared. "STEVEN! STEVEN, COME ON! PLEASE, STEVEN, SAY SOMETHING! ANYTHING! THIS ISN'T FUNNY!" He still didn't react at all, didn't give even the slightest signal that he knew she was there. Connie took hold of his hand and stared at his face. She could feel the tears running down her cheeks. The whole situation felt unreal. Despite his grievous injuries, Steven looked somewhat peaceful, almost as if he would suddenly open his eyes and say, "Surprise! Hey Connie! I was just joking! Sorry if I scared you." Connie continued to hold his hand and stare at him as she began to reminisce about the time they had spent together. Suddenly, her crying intensified. It just wasn't fair! He never deserved any of this! All he ever wanted to do was help people and have fun! Why did he have to die! Why did her only friend have to die! Connie leaned over so her head was against his chest, and continued to cry.

She failed to notice the sound of something slowly approaching her from behind…