Steven sees a few gems that look the same, as he's escorted quietly through the large halls. There are two gangly blue ones, with gems on opposite shoulders. There's another gem like the yellow one escorting him- Citrine, he's heard her called. And there's three of his red gem from the ship coming to pass by him. Two are twice as big, with twice as many visible gems, and are carrying the third, smaller red gem along by her 're being given a wide berth, as the floor has a clear, charred trail where her feet have been able to hit the ground. He feels bad again, and wishes she hadn't seen Jasper catch him. Maybe she could have found her friend and gotten away.
Nevertheless, he had something to say to her.
"Thank you!" He calls, loudly. Many heads turn towards him, but none as interested as hers.
The blank expression in her glassy, tear-filled eyes turns to one he can't quite pick out. She already looked sad, but now she looks rather determined, too. The red gem slams her feet into the floor- there's a popping sound as the direct heat cracks the stone, allowing her to get in a good hold on the melting rock.
The two red gems next to him glance at each other in a panic, fusing effortlessly into an extra large gem- whose head nearly hits low-hung parts of the ceiling by the wall- and pulls Steven's friend out of the ground, carrying her away as Jasper pulls him along more quickly.
Her wails echo down the chamber after him.
...
He's put back into a cell, but this time, at least he's eaten. Peridot left again after his relocation, and brought back some weird squares with fairly good taste, like protein bars. He's not sure where she got them, but they seem like they might have been made in a lab, judging by Peridot's comments on how they had sufficient nutrients for humans to survive. She seemed annoyed that she was on "human duty" at all, since she was a technician, but he let her know he appreciated her company. Peridot looked alarmed, glancing towards the guard in the room, and left. He'd been alone since, with only the guard to keep him company. She wouldn't converse with him, and he'd only heard her voice when Jasper was giving orders to her and the two outside his room.
He's been there for a while, but he knows gems don't sleep, so he knows it's not just because it's night. If it even is night- Steven's , he sleeps for a little while, curled into a tight ball, and resolves to ask Jasper for a blanket. It's not cold, but added warmth helps him sleep.
"Why do you have bars if gems can shapeshift?" he asks Jasper, when she returns; she's holding the cuffs with the gem in the middle again.
"These cells aren't for gems," Jasper says.
"Oh," Steven says, rubbing his eye, sleepily, "are we going out again?"
"Do you need more food?" Jasper asks, and Steven nods, also requesting a blanket; he has to describe to her what it is, but she takes both ordersand passes them onto his guard, telling her to find Peridot Facet 2F5L Cut 5XG.
"Are there other Peridots?" Steven asks.
"Yes." Jasper says, a 'duh' sort of tone in her voice.
She's answering his questions now, so he keeps them coming.
"Where are my friends?" Steven asks, "Are they in a cell too? What's going to happen to them?"
"They'll be treated as war criminals. Maybe you should wonder what will happen to you."
Steven doesn't think that sounds very good. He starts to cry again, and Jasper's stoic expression turns sour.
"A-Amethyst wasn't in the war." Steven points out.
"True... she was programmed by them though. Taught their ways..." Jasper says, "but I think she's been placed with a high ranking Amethyst from the war for now, to see how she does. A second chance."
Other Amethysts, too?
"What about Pearl?" Steven asks; he's afraid to ask about Garnet- he hasn't seen her or heard about her since Jasper... "A-and Garnet."
"No second chances for a Pearl; especially not her," Jasper scoffs, "the fusion will be dealt with separately. I'm not going to answer all of your questions, but remember that I have been doing so, Rose, or whatever you are. So you might want to answer mine when the time comes."
"The... fusion?" Steven repeats, puzzled.
"Garnet," Jasper says, face lighting up with a wicked smile when Steven responds with surprise; he's still working it out in his head when Jasper elaborates, "The Ruby and Sapphire, fused like they're one gem. Disgraceful. Did she not... tell you? She must have been ashamed. Maybe she didn't trust you to like her still."
"Garnet trusted me! I love her no matter what," Steven says, the past tense bothering him- but then the other half of Jasper's words hit, "th-the Ruby, was, is that the red gem from the ship?"
Jasper nods, and Steven slouches in on himself, wishing he was sat by the wall so he could lean against it. He's having trouble believing her, but it doesn't seem like it couldn't be true...
Her screams from the day before- she sounded so upset.
He's a little relieved to see Peridot when she walks in, carrying another set of food squares. No blanket. She shoots a sharp glare in Jasper's direction.
"Why do you have me delivering these?" she spits, "Get a Pearl."
"Can Pearl do it?" Steven asks, but Jasper ignores him.
"Because we have an appointment. You're coming with," she says, then to Steven, "eat- you're coming too."
He eats quickly- Jasper doesn't seem like the kind of person to wait for him.
He stuffs a last bite in his mouth as two Citrine gems enter. Jasper shackles him once more and nudges him along, allowing him to walk without the grip on his shirt this time.
They pass another gem coming out of the room they intend to enter. Jasper's arm is in the way, so he only gets an obscured view from the back;Her yellow hair is done straight up in the air and her shoulders have dressing on them. It looks a bit silly. He hopes he'll meet her again.
The room is ornate, despite containing very little. It's got a high roof and a large warp pad. Steven wonders if it's harder to control one of there are 4 of them aside from him because they all have to concentrate on making it go. The Citrines stay on the pad when Jasper, Peridot,and Steven step off, warping off and leaving them alone.
Steven forgets his curiosity when as they enter the room beside the warp pad. He steps back, colliding with Peridot, who shoves him back onto the fronts of his feet, dropping to a knee behind him.
The massive gem before him turns her head, her strange eyes settling instantly on him. He sits, on his butt, beside the kneeling Peridot, who had now moved her arms into some strange salute.
"My diamond," Jasper greets, "I have brought you Rose Quartz."
Yellow Diamond, Steven has guessed, turns her chair to face them. He thinks if he stood on her shoulders, he would be at her head's height.
"Are you a fusion?" he asks, flinching at the sharp gasp from Peridot beside him.
"No," she drawls, raising an eyebrow, "are you... Rose Quartz?"
"She's my mom," he says, loudly, holding his shirt up to show his gem.
"So Jasper has told me," the Diamond says, "you are the Peridot in charge of earth?"
Steven begins to shake his head, no, before realizing that she's not talking to him.
"Y-yes my diamond. Ah- I-"
"Can you explain this thing?"
"No," she says, glancing at Steven, "my job was to check on the cluster, not read up on human reports. There were a lot of restricted materialspertaining to earth, anyways, because of the war, I presume..."
"And what do you know of the war?"
"O-only that I've been told to not speak of it without authorization, my diamond."
"Good." she says, "I need you to finish work on the cluster- if you find anything suspicious while investigating earth, put it in a confidential report for my eyes only, understand? You may both leave- Jasper, wait at the pad for when I am done."
"What's going to happen with the Steven?" Peridot asks, a little more boldly than she seems to intend, judging by the look on her face; she salutes,continuing, "I only mean that I was the one who reported him, for interfering with the cluster, but then Jasper made me leave my mission for-"
"You may leave, Peridot." Yellow Diamond booms.
Peridot jumps. She pushes her glasses more securely onto her face, and nods, though Steven thinks she had more to say.
"Good-bye," he murmurs.
Yellow Diamond waits until the flash of light signifies Peridot has left.
"What have you been doing on Earth since the war?"
"We protect it from corrupted gems."
"Are there any gems other than who we have brought in left on earth?"
Steven thinks of the room full of bubbled gems.
"None that aren't monsters."
"What was done with my Beta team?"
"Your... what?"
"How about the Crystalline Scepter?" Yellow Diamond asks, adding after a period of silence, "or the Catalysts?"
Steven shrugs, not understanding.
"Do you know me?" she asks, leaning back in her chair; it looks how Garnet sits- casual, powerful.
"No," Steven says, "Jasper thinks I'm Rose, but she's my mom. I've never met her- she gave up her physical form to have me."
"Hmm."
He's not sure what she wants from him, but he's keeping it together by deciding she's not so scary. Sugilite could beat her in a fight- she's much bigger. And Pearl can beat Sugilite.
"May I please know where my friends are?" Steven asks, "I can help you with what you want, but I need my friends; they know more than I do about my mom anyway."
"The Amethyst is being questioned on her observations," she answers coolly, "the Ruby is being held. We have some specific questions we wish for her to answer. The Sapphire was transferred to Blue Diamond, as she was of her court. She was ordered to be broken. It has already been done."
Broken.
Steven's breath catches in his throat.
He'd never even met Sapphire.
Was that why Ruby was crying...?
Without both of them he couldn't have...
Garnet...
Steven squeezes his eyes shut, sobbing audibly at the news.
He'll never see Garnet again.
He feels like he can't breathe, but he sucks in breath after painful breath through his constricted throat.
"The Pearl you've always been so fond of remains well, for now," she says, clearly annoyed.
Steven has been hearing her speak, but none of it has really registered until he hears Pearl's name. He must have been ignoring her.
He looks up for appearance only- he can't really see anything but colors through the tears filling his eyes. The only visions in his mind are Garnet-breaking into pieces on the beach, holding him in her lap in front of the TV, watching shows he knew she didn't like so she could keep him company, sitting with him at Fish Stew Pizza, protecting him from harm...
"She'll meet the same fate as the seer if you don't answer my questions."
He thinks of Pearl, stabbed through the back. Amethyst, with her gem broken.
"I don't know!" he sobs, "I can't answer, but Pearl can, I bet. P-please don't hurt her too. Can I see her? I'll ask her about the things."
"We'll see," Yellow Diamond says, "for now, you may return to your hold. If you tell anyone about any of our conversation, or about who you are,who your friends are, I will see that they meet a bad end."
She calls for Jasper, who picks the still boy off the floor. He sees her white hair through the fog, thinks again of Garnet on the beach. The pain on her face as the light spread through her body.
Garnet asking him to leave, and protect Beach City.
Garnet who loved him, and cared for him.
Who they took away from him.