As they all settle around the fountain, Garnet turns to the group, "Everyone split up into pairs and search the area. My future vision shows he should be here, but I can't pinpoint exactly where."
Nodding, everyone splits off in different directions; Connie opts to search with Pearl, Lapis with Peridot, Bismuth with Greg, Garnet with herself, and Amethyst on her own. The sun is setting and the light of day is beginning to dim. They're hoping to find him before the sun sets. It'll be so much more difficult to spot him in the dark.
"Do you think he's okay?" Connie quietly asks Pearl, almost afraid to disrupt the quiet atmosphere in their chosen search area.
"Well, aside from exhaustion and lack of appetite yesterday he seemed fine. I don't know what could have changed to make him just disappear like this. Oh, but I'm sure he's alright! He would have come to me if there was anything really serious." Pearl doesn't want to worry Connie more, so she doesn't voice her concerns over Steven's phone being left behind. It's just so unlike him, so she's trying to avoid thinking about it lest her imagination begin to run wild, and she inadvertently works herself up and frightens Connie.
Lapis and Peridot circle the area overhead, Peridot on her trash can lid so Lapis doesn't have to carry her.
"Why would he come here?" Peridot asks, "He doesn't exactly like the constant reminders of Rose Quartz. Plus if something was wrong he could always have come to us…"
Lapis thinks for a moment, "Maybe he just wanted some time on his own? I know when I'm stressed I like some alone time."
"Well he could have had this 'alone time' with one of us!"
Lapis smiles and shakes her head. It amazes her how Peridot is so massively intelligent and yet still doesn't quite understand some human concepts, even after several years on this planet.
Bismuth lifts some branches to let Greg through to a small open area. She and Greg haven't ever really spoken before, beyond the times they've worked together to repair and rebuild the beach house, so she's unsure if she should try to strike up a conversation or just keep quiet.
"I'm sure Steven's alright," Greg says with a smile, wanting to break the silence and bring some positive energy, "He's a tough kid."
Bismuth smiles back, "Of course he is! That kid has tangled with all sorts of gems and monsters and come out shining! Heck he beat me when he was barely half the size he is now. Steven can handle anything!" she pumps a fist in the air as if in triumph. Greg smiles at her enthusiasm and positive attitude, glad she's here with him. The other gems would probably have had him in a near heart attack by now. They mean well but they don't usually say the right thing. Bismuth, having fought in the war and knowing exactly how to get gems pumped for battle, is used to sounding way more confident than she feels.
Garnet, sticking near the fountain, uses her future vision to try to lock down Steven's position. It's difficult though; Steven disappearing is so unexpected and unusual for him that it's caused far too many possible futures to open up before them. She's struggling to find the most likely future, especially since part of her isn't willing to accept some of the less… Good futures. Sighing she crosses her arms, sits on the edge of the fountain and looks at one of the Rose statues. The only thing she's able to be sure of is that Steven will be hungry and they'll be more likely to bring him home by tonight if someone has food. Everything else is up in the air.
Amethyst pushes her way through the rose bushes around her. Whip in one hand to help clear her path, Chaaaaps in the other. It's difficult for her, in her anxious worry, to not simply destroy the forest around her in her search. It'd be so much easier to find Steven if all these thorny bushes weren't in the way.
"Uuuugh!" she presses the back of her hands against her eyes. She's so angry with herself right now. She knows something has been bothering Steven for awhile and now she's kicking herself for not asking him more, or at least offering more support! Removing her hands from her eyes with a look of determination on her face, she raises her whip to clear some more bushes out of her way. Well she can start now! Better late than never, as the humans say! A small sound has her pausing. She holds her position, whip ready, and listens. After a moment she hears it again, a sound like a combination of a whimper and a quiet bark. Is there an injured dog nearby? She lowers hand but keeps her whip ready, just in case and cautiously moves toward the source of the sound. As she moves closer, carefully parting the bushes and low hanging branches, the sound continues. It almost sounds like the noise dogs make while dreaming.
With the sun having nearly set and darkness beginning to settle in, it's becoming difficult for Amethyst to see when she nearly falls right through some bushes into a partially charred clearing. She straightens up and finds herself nearly face to fur with a corrupted gem monster! It shifts a little at the sound of the bushes rustling, Amethyst stumbles back, trips on a root sticking out of the ground, and lands right on her behind. She waits for the monster to turn and attack. When the gem monster doesn't stir Amethyst realizes the sounds she heard were coming from it! It must be sleeping, and the sounds were it dreaming. Taking a deep breath to calm her nerves, she takes a closer look at the corruption sleeping in front of her. Odd that it's sleeping, since gems don't need sleep, but it couldn't possibly be anything other than a corrupted gem.
It's about the size of a large rottweiler. Similar build as well, but with slightly smaller ears and a longer thin tail. Its body is covered in short pink fur, except the top of its head, along its back and down its tail, where the fur is black and slightly curly. Peeking out from large paws, are pale pink claws capable of a lot of damage where it to attack her. Along its back small pink crystalline spikes rise just above its fur and travel down its tail. Amethyst inches closer to its head to get a better look in the growing dark. Its head is large and round, with a short snout, but plenty of sharp looking teeth are just barely showing from under its lips. Its nose is a pale pink color, its eyes large, round and a slightly lighter shade of pink.
…
…
Amethyst blinks.
The corrupted gem blinks.
Amethyst yelps loudly, the gem yelps, and they both scramble away from each other. She turns with her whip raised to attack while she takes a few cautious steps back, but pauses when she sees the corruption across the clearing. A thought occurs to her; with the exception of Centi, every corrupted gem she's ever met has sooner attacked out of reflex than run away. Stopping her retreat, Amethyst watches the corrupted gem. It's cowering as far away from her as it can get, while still being in the small clearing. It's shaking and shuddering in complete fear of her. Movement above the corrupted gem catches her eye, and she glances up. Just above and slightly to the side of the gem hangs Steven's pink jacket.
"Steven?"