
Chapter 2
"Garnet?" Steven calls as he rouses from his position on the couch. When did I lay down?
"Yes Steven?" Garnet calls from her position by the bay window.
After their short conversation, Jasper disappeared back into her room. Said something about needing to punch something.
Garnet moves from the bay window and back over to Steven. "Did you have a good nap?" Steven blushes at her slightly.
"Yeah, I must have been really tired," he mumbles as he sits up and Garnet sits down next to him.
"So, are you going to tell me what's really going on? Why don't you really want to hang out with Connie and your dad during your birthday?" Garnet questions.
"Garnet, nothing is wrong. I just don't want to spend time with Connie and my dad during my sixteenth birthday." Steven looks away from Garnet.
To be honest, he just wasn't up for spending time with them. He enjoys spending time with Connie, like, really, really, really enjoys spending time together with her. As for his father goes, he just doesn't want to be bothered, he just want to spend a birthday relaxing with the women/gems who helped raised him.
Garnet nods her head slowly. "Does this have anything to do with our last mission?" she questions.
This last mission was extremely tough on each of the gems. Not only were each attacked and beaten at a certain point, but each were attacked in their soft spots. The gem monster was a strong psychological one and with one swipe of his tail, a scratch of a claw, or a blow from its scream could render one unconscious and helpless.
Steven flinches at the question. He still doesn't look at Garnet, not until he feels her hand come up to cup his cheek and turns his face toward her. She doesn't say anything but just looks at him, waiting for him to speak.
"You all died," he finally says as his voice breaks.
"Steven, it was just mind play. It was all fake," she tries to tell the young teen. But she can feel the lie that burns the back of her throat. That gem monster was a Amulet Stone, usually used for positive energy, slow and steady healing and clearing negativity, but when corrupted, it's the complete opposite.
"Even still Garnet, it all felt so real. You died Garnet and I don't mean like when you fought Jasper, I mean you died, your gems were shattered." Tears stream down his face and Garnet pulls him into her.
She's saw his vision. Due to her ability to see possible futures and her deep connection with Steven, he was the only one in which she was able to see. That was after she managed to shake herself out of her first one.
"Steven," Garnet says after a while, "is that why you want to spend your sixteenth birthday with just us gems?"
"I just want to make sure that you're all okay. Won't Connie and my dad understand?" he questions with tears still in his eyes.
Garnet doesn't say anything. She just pulls Steven to her and hugs him tight. She understands the feelings; the uneasiness, the feeling of everything spiraling out of control, the image of watching those you love and care about getting hurt and not being able to do anything about it.
She's saw Steven's vision, it brought her to knees before she was able to break out of it and together she and Jasper took down the gem monster. She saw her death, but she wasn't the first. First was Pearl and Lapis, they were taken out the quickest. Amethyst and Peridot were hard to take out; Amethyst never stopped fighting by Peridot's side and vice versa. Though Jasper was the strongest, her fall was ironically simple, with one swing of its tail, the gem monster cracks Jasper's gem and sends her flying into a tree branch which punctures her through the chest. She poofs right away. Garnet while trying to check on the rest of her team and gather Jasper's and Lapis' stones before they got crushed was caught off guard by a swipe from the gem monster's huge paw. It knocked her down and used its tail to repeatedly smash through her defense until she was forced to poof back into her gems. With one final step, it crushes her gems.
"Garnet?" Steven's voice brings her back to the present. "You're crying and your hold is a little tight," he struggles to let the last part out.
Garnet releases her hold on Steven before wiping the tears from her face. "I'm sorry Steven," she says.
Steven goes to open his mouth but nothing comes out. Instead he pulls Garnet into his own bone crushing hug.
"Oh, so kiddo, you're awake," Jasper mumbles as she makes her way out of her room. She furrows her brows slightly at the image of Steven holding Garnet as she sniffs. Once again, something in Jasper twists and writhers as she spots the distraught fusion gem.