Author's Note: Hey, everyone! I just want to say thank you so much for all the support. We've already hit over 700 stars, which really blew me away. It seems like you guys love this story way more than I ever imagined, so that's why I brought you this chapter. Believe it or not, this one took several days of preparation and clocks in at over 5,000 words, making it the longest chapter in the story so far. I think after this I'm going to take a break for a week at most... or who knows, if we hit a goal of 50 stars, maybe a random chapter will drop out of nowhere. Yeah, yeah, I know, it's a long shot, but hey, who says a guy can't dream? Keep up the support, and I'll keep thanking you with chapters. Comment, share, and leave your suggestions. Your hobbyist writer, Isau, is signing off. Bye! <3
A single thought dominated Steven's mind.
Did I lose? He thought about it with a heavy sense of frustration. All those plans, all those hours of rigorous exercise... they weren't worth a thing.
He woke up inside his cell and immediately started healing his wounds with his spit. They weren't healing very well, but hey, it's better than nothing, right?
Steven stared at a specific spot. He could hear singing, and he knew exactly who it belonged to.
"Sapphire," he murmured, his voice raspy but gradually regaining its calm tone.
Steven wondered what he could possibly do now, his mind filled with frustration. He thought things over for a several seconds before coming to a conclusion.
I'm going to have to change history a bit.
He stood up, feeling more composed, as he stared at the energy barrier and brought his hand closer.
"I hope this doesn't hurt," he whispered to himself as his hand made contact with the wall.
A bizarre sensation washed over Steven as he watched interconnected lines web across his hand. It wasn't painful, at least not to him, but it definitely felt weird.
This is perfect.
He slowly slipped out of the cell, scanning his surroundings with his senses dialed to the absolute maximum as he walked toward the sound of Sapphire's voice.
I have to keep in mind that Jasper is around here somewhere, absolutely furious... and if she decides to head straight to my cell, I'll need to hurry.
Steven dashed through the corridors as Sapphire's voice grew louder. However, he paused in front of a window that looked out into the endless blackness of space.
"Beautiful," he muttered to himself, taking in the sights that, to him, looked stunning.
He shook his head to snap back to his self-assigned mission.
"I need to focus," he told himself, resuming his sprint down the hallways with a renewed sense of determination.
He rounded a corner and stopped dead in his tracks.
"Stop singing!" Jasper roared.
She slammed her fist hard against the wall right where Sapphire was kept, causing her to fall back obediently.
"Do you think I care about the mission right now, Peridot?"
She glared with disdain at the green Gem standing in front of her.
Ooh, gossip, Steven thought, trying to calm his nerves.
Jasper turned her rage back to Peridot.
"This mission has changed. Tell Yellow Diamond we found a rebel, and do it right. I don't want you doing it with your filthy robot hands; I want it done on the bridge, with video and everything. And if for some reason you don't listen to me..."
She cracked her knuckles—a crystal-clear warning.
"...you're going to have a bad time."
Peridot swallowed hard and nodded obediently.
"Pathetic," Jasper spat with scorn, turning around and walking off toward an unspecified area.
"An easy mission, they said. Great rewards, they told me. But no... I get stuck with an incompetent Jasper." Peridot scratched her hair with her fingers and walked toward the bridge, taking her time. She had a long way to go.
Steven calmly stepped out of his hiding spot, glancing toward where the two Gems had gone. He listened to their footsteps fade into the distance and felt a wave of relief.
Perfect, since they're out of the way.
He looked at Sapphire, who was watching him with interest.
"Looks like you need some help, little lady. Want me to get you out?" Steven feigned ignorance to avoid any complications.
Sapphire observed him for a few seconds before speaking. "You are wise, Steven Universe. If you can get me out of here, I will owe you a great favor."
"Anything for a fellow Gem," Steven replied as he pressed his hand against the barrier, opening a gap wide enough for Sapphire to slip through.
"Thank you very much, Steven."
"Don't mention it. Is there anyone else around here you want to help? Take advantage of it, because these ships can't hold me."
Sapphire nodded. "Give me your hand," she said. I didn't hesitate and grabbed hers.
The two of them quickly dashed down a specific hallway. Steven kept pace with her effortlessly, but in his mind, he was already preparing to deploy Plan C. If Plan A and Plan B failed, he'd have to do this the hard way.
Sapphire arrived at a cell containing a red Gem who was curled up tightly into a ball.
"How cute," I said without thinking, which immediately caught the red Gem's attention.
"Huh?" Ruby grunted, completely confused, but she completely ignored Steven the second she saw her loved one standing there.
"Sapphire!" she cried out with a joy that even made Steven smile. However, that smile vanished instantly when Ruby clumsily charged toward the barrier, causing both Sapphire and me to drop a sweat-bead.
"Ow!" she yelled as her hand began to pixelate. "How do I get out?!" she panicked, looking wildly in all directions. Steven simply extended his hand and opened a gap in the barrier.
Ruby wasted no time. With a burst of speed, she lunged straight out into Sapphire's open arms.
"Did they hurt you? Are you okay?" Ruby asked frantically.
"I am fine. Why would anyone care?" Sapphire replied.
"I care!" Ruby said, forcing Sapphire to look her in the eyes. Then, with a kiss, the two began to dance so harmoniously that Steven stood there, completely mesmerized by the sheer amount of love between them.
This fusion dance was different; it didn't represent anything he had been taught before. It was almost poetic, something words couldn't quite describe, but the emotion behind it was undeniable. A bright light enveloped them both, and a booming laugh echoed through the entire ship.
"Steven, thank you!!!"
Steven glared with three cartoonish anger-veins popping on his forehead at Garnet, who instantly noticed he had gotten irritated out of nowhere.
"What's wrong?" she asked, genuinely confused, but a sudden noise left her petrified.
"Where are they?!" a furious voice roared, echoing through the entire ship.
"That's my cue," Steven said dryly. "I need you to go find the others, and I won't take no for an answer."
"Steven, you cannot face her. If you couldn't beat her before, why do you think you can win now?" Garnet said, deeply worried.
Steven just stared at her in silence, causing the fusion to break into a cold sweat.
"Get all the Gems out of here, including Lapis Lazuli. If you don't, I'm gonna get mad at you," he said with a mischievous grin.
Garnet looked at him dead seriously. "I have faith in you, my little one, but I would never forgive myself if something happened to you."
Steven raised his hand to stop her. "Don't worry, Garnet. Don't you remember? Healing spit. As long as I can manage to get even a single drop on myself, I can recover. So go, before she gets here and we can't escape later."
Garnet went silent, adjusting her visor to scan the alternate futures. After a few seconds, she sighed. "I hope I do not regret this. Stay safe, Steven."
"I will," Steven said with a confident smile.
With that, Garnet quickly sprinted off toward the other Gems' cells.
Steven looked up and immediately ran toward the source of Jasper's raging noises.
He arrived in a room that looked exactly like the place where the original Garnet had fought. Taking a deep breath, he locked his emotions down, letting pure rage take the wheel to maximize his raw strength and speed. It was a trick he had discovered a year ago, though it had a nasty side effect: it took a massive physical toll on him.
Out of nowhere, a heavy thud echoed as Jasper appeared, staring at him with barely contained fury.
"Rose Quartz... you actually dare step out of your prison? Pathetic," she scoffed, facing him down.
"You seriously have an obsession with my mom," Steven said, rubbing his neck. "You know, you should really take a vacation to get over her. It's starting to look like you have a crush."
Jasper ground her teeth in pure rage and whipped out a Gem Destabilizer, flashing a sadistic grin.
"Do you know what this device does? It's the exact same one I used to split your little friend apart. HAHA! You are weak, Rose. Prepare to stand trial before the Diamonds."
Steven smiled back at her.
"Oh, come on. You think I haven't learned any new tricks? A destabilizer won't do a thing to me—it won't even tickle. So bring it on, Jasper. Let's see who's the top dog here."
Face to face—a battle for the fate of the Gems and, quite possibly, the Earth itself.
On one side: a Gem who fought ruthlessly in the war and continued to conquer worlds in the name of her late Diamond. A Gem molded by absolute perfection, the strongest of her kind.
Against her: a half-human, half-gem boy. The very first of his species and, by default, the most powerful. The battle that would decide if the fruits of his training were worth it.
The strongest Gem in history vs. the most powerful hybrid of the modern era.
"Let's get this shit started," Steven said with a manic smile, pushing his emotions to the limit to unlock his full potential.
Jasper smiled with the same feral madness and charged right at him.
The shockwave of their clashing fists rattled the entire ship as two beasts gave everything they had for their respective worldviews.
Steven felt a wave of excruciating pain shoot through his hand, but he quickly adapted his strategy. He summoned bubbles around his fists like gauntlets and, with even more fury, unleashed a barrage on Jasper.
"Pathetic!" Jasper yelled, summoning her helmet as she traded blows and headbutts.
Right, left, duck, jump, left, duck, right, uppercut... those were the thoughts racing through Steven's mind as he slowly adjusted to Jasper's fighting style.
Is he adapting? Jasper thought just as Steven parried a punch and delivered a heavy blow straight to her stomach, launching her into the wall.
What is happening? Why is he hitting harder than before?
Am I getting weaker? No! Rose is adapting to the fight, and her strength is scaling with it.
Is she just like me? A perfect Gem who simply wasn't valued the same way by my Diamond?
Thoughts like these swirled in Jasper's head as she stood back up and glared seriously at Steven, who was using his spit to heal himself and prolong his endurance.
"What's wrong?" Steven taunted, noticing Jasper staring at him curiously. "Why are you looking at me like that?"
Jasper went silent for a few seconds before asking, "Rose... are you like me?"
Steven looked at her, genuinely confused.
Jasper saw his bewilderment and, with a look of pure annoyance, continued.
"Are you perfect? Just like me—a Gem born with absolutely no defects. Were you jealous of me because you were born perfect too? Is that why...?"
She clenched her fists.
"...is that why you shattered our Diamond?!"
Steven stared at her in silence while Jasper glared with burning hatred after her outburst.
"You know, Jasper," Steven said, locking eyes with her. "I didn't shatter our Diamond. Someone took my form. That's the only detail I'm giving you."
Jasper gasped in shock, staring at him.
"Liar!" she screamed in a blind rage, charging full tilt at Steven.
He quickly summoned his bubble shield, and under the sheer force of Jasper's impact, the two crashed through several floors until they plummeted directly into the ship's power core.
They traded brutal blows. Out of nowhere, Jasper landed a punch that connected squarely with Steven's stomach, forcing him to cough up blood. But he immediately wiped his hand in the coughed-up blood to heal himself. With that very hand, he snatched Jasper by the face—catching her completely off guard—and slammed her repeatedly into the ground with a flurry of punches.
Jasper grabbed Steven's hand and, with superhuman strength, hurled him against a wall. Steven's shield dropped to the floor, but it didn't dissipate.
I only have one shot at this.
Jasper charged toward Steven, who used the wall to build up momentum, sprinting fast enough to run right up the vertical surface.
"Don't run, Rose!"
Both of them were now racing across the walls.
Steven recalled his shield in a flash, striking the back of Jasper's neck and throwing her off balance. Capitalizing on the opening, Steven delivered a knee strike so brutal that Jasper spit up a massive spray of saliva.
The two pushed away from each other, panting heavily, sweat pouring down their faces.
Perspective Shift
Garnet, Pearl, and Amethyst stood before their leader.
Garnet: "There's no time to lose." She shattered the cells and added, "Steven is buying us time."
Pearl: "What do you mean, Garnet?"
Amethyst: "Don't tell me he's fighting that Gem alone."
Garnet nodded.
Pearl instantly panicked, looking at Garnet with a mix of fury and terror.
Pearl: "Why did you leave him?! Do you honestly think a human who has barely lived for fourteen years can fight a perfect Gem who has existed for millennia?!"
Garnet locked eyes with her with unprecedented intensity, causing Pearl to instantly fall silent.
"It's the best future, isn't it?" Pearl asked, her voice cracking with sorrow.
Garnet: "Unfortunately, yes. And if we want Steven to reach that future, we have to bring this ship down before they transmit that message to Homeworld. So, Gems, get Lapis out of here and run to the bridge."
"Understood!" both replied in unison, splitting off in different directions. Amethyst went for Lapis under clear orders from Garnet: do it the easy way or the hard way.
Garnet quickly ran right behind Pearl toward the bridge.
Pearl looked at Garnet with frustration, a burning question on her mind.
Pearl: "Do you think Steven will be okay?"
Garnet went silent, only offering a single nod.
Pearl's expression hardened. "Then let's go handle this Peridot."
The aforementioned Gem was sitting comfortably in the cockpit, tapping away at her tablet. She heard a noise and assumed it was just Jasper pacing around the ship again.
Peridot: "Next time I'm requesting Rubies. They actually follow orders, unlike this Jasper," she growled under her breath while reviewing her notes on the Cluster.
Peridot hadn't left the planet's orbit for one simple reason: she didn't want to go back. She knew returning without completing her mission meant punishment, though considering they were bringing back Rose Quartz, maybe that punishment would turn into a reward instead.
Those hesitant doubts spelled doom for the green Gem. She didn't even have time to react before a gauntlet twice her size slammed into her face, knocking her clean out.
Pearl: "Remorseless," she said, glancing at Garnet. "No time to waste. Get to the ship's controls and try to steer us back to Earth."
"On it," Garnet replied, but a violent tremor nearly knocked them both off their feet.
Pearl: "What's happening?!" she panicked.
"It's Steven," Garnet said grimly, staring down toward a specific point in the ship. Realizing they were running out of time, Pearl dashed over to the controls. Slamming her hands into the console, a rush of data flooded her mind, allowing her to force the ship into a sharp U-turn back toward Earth.
Perspective Shift
Amethyst sprinted through the corridors, looking for one specific Gem.
Amethyst: "Why did I have to be the one to look for her?!"
She briefly remembered how she had messed up on that previous mission and, with a sigh, pushed forward until she finally found the cell.
Amethyst: "Lapis Lazuli!"
The blue Gem merely glanced at her out of the corner of her eye before burying her face back into her knees, curled tightly into a corner.
Amethyst: "Come on, girl, we don't have time! We need to—"
She didn't get to finish before Lapis cut her off.
Lapis Lazuli: "Why do you keep fighting? There is nothing left of value on that planet. You have no one. If I remember correctly, the Diamonds' light shattered many, if not all of the Gems, right?" Lapis looked up at Amethyst. "You're an Amethyst. Why do you fight? Why do you defend this place? You have a Jasper, a Peridot, and all of Homeworld locking their sights on this stupid planet."
Lapis was about to continue her tirade, but Amethyst cut her off.
Amethyst: "Oh, come on, girl, don't fall into that depression trap," she waved her hand dismissively. "Look, maybe you don't have a reason to fight, but I do... mostly the food. You've never even had a good slice of pizza."
Lapis Lazuli: "Pizza?"
Amethyst: "Doesn't matter," she gestured. "I'll keep it brief: you wouldn't want your savior to make a sacrifice in vain, would you?"
Lapis snapped her head up so fast Amethyst thought her neck was going to break.
Lapis Lazuli: "Is Steven okay? Is he still alive? Please tell me he's okay."
Amethyst noticed how the blue Gem completely panicked just at the mention of Steven's name and quickly hatched a plan.
Forgive me for this, Steven, she thought.
Amethyst: "Well, he's literally throwing his life on the line to get you out of here. If you don't want his sacrifice to be for nothing, you better follow me."
Lapis Lazuli looked at Amethyst in pure panic.
Lapis Lazuli: "Is he fighting Jasper?!"
Before Amethyst could answer, a massive shockwave rattled the entire ship.
"Looks like we're heading down," Amethyst said as the tremors grew more violent by the second. "If you don't want the guy who specifically told us to save you before he went out to fight to sacrifice himself for nothing, follow me."
She smashed through the side of the cell, causing the light construct mesh to dissipate.
Amethyst: "Come on, girl, no time. Do it for Steven. Make him proud."
Lapis hesitated for a split second, but ultimately reached out and grabbed her hand.
"Come on, girl, stay right behind me," Amethyst said as both of them bolted toward the bridge.
I hope you're okay, Steven, both thought with deep anxiety.
Perspective Shift
Steven and Jasper were down in the power core. Both were heavily battered, but Steven was in much worse shape. However, he kept rapidly healing himself with his spit.
Jasper spit a mouthful of saliva onto the floor and cracked her neck.
Jasper: "You didn't show this kind of power before, Rose. Why?"
Steven flashed a mischievous grin, masking the intense pain he was suppressing.
Steven: "You didn't give me time to think. You're a coward for attacking at the worst possible moment."
Jasper flew into such a rage that she tried to spin-dash, but Steven wasn't about to let her.
Steven: "Hey, Jasper, I have a question," he said, stepping closer to her.
The quartz warrior glared at him with a mix of curiosity and anger. "What?"
"Can you shapeshift?"
Jasper: "...?"
Jasper stood there, completely confused, but then she heard words she didn't understand, though she felt an overwhelming sense of danger.
"Domain Expansion: Royal Pack."
A massive bubble expanded, trapping both Gems inside on opposite sides.
Jasper: "What is this pathetic attempt?" she scoffed with disdain. "Do you think a simple bubble can hold me?"
Steven only offered a pained smile.
"This is gonna hurt tomorrow," he muttered. He brought his extended arms together, causing the bubble to rapidly shrink until it was barely large enough to hold a tennis ball.
"Holy shit!" Jasper's voice echoed from within, instantly forcing herself to compress her form to withstand the suffocating, tight space. Steven did the exact same thing, rapidly shrinking down to endure the immense pressure, turning the situation into a contest of who could survive longer in their absolute smallest form.
"You bastard!" Jasper yelled, throwing a weak punch. But that minor impact was enough to shatter the strained bubble.
Both went flying in opposite directions. Jasper launched straight into the ship's energy core, while Steven crashed violently into a support pillar.
"Plan failed successfully," Steven said with a blood-covered smile.
Explanation
You might be wondering how Steven could do this if it was never seen in the original show. Well, here is my answer and reasoning.
First reason: Ever since the "Cat Fingers" episode, it was clear Steven has a strong genetic disposition for shapeshifting, but unfortunately, due to the trauma of turning into a cat, he stopped doing it.
Second reason: Steven could always shapeshift, making himself smaller or larger. Those were the core principles I based this attack on: Domain Expansion. Why did I call it that? Because it sounds way cooler. Obviously, it doesn't have the guaranteed-hit factor of a real domain, as you can see, plus it was incredibly fragile.
In the original series, Steven always showed terrifying exhaustion whenever he shapeshifted. Shifting into such a microscopic form forces his gemstone to work at absolute maximum capacity, especially considering his body is organic and not made of light like other Gems. What am I trying to say? Steven can only pull off this attack once or twice a day if he doesn't want to drop dead on the floor completely paralyzed.
And the question many of you might ask: how could both of their gemstones physically handle that compression? Whenever you have a doubt like that, just remember: a wizard did it. Or look at it as Gems being able to scale up or down for plot convenience in this universe. Those are my notes on that. If you have more questions, feel free to drop them in the comments.
End of Explanation
Steven watched as Jasper screamed in agony from the ship's core, when suddenly, a thunderous noise erupted.
Ka-chow! I mean...
KABOOM!
Everyone on board felt the ship begin to plummet rapidly toward Earth.
"Crap," Steven groaned, pulling himself up with great difficulty, looking over at Jasper, who was also struggling to stand.
They locked eyes, but Jasper suddenly burst into a maniacal laugh.
Steven: "Huh? Did that hit scramble your brain or what?" he asked, spitting blood into his hand, mixing it with saliva, and rubbing it over his skin to physically recover a bit.
Jasper: "Not at all," she said, planting a trembling foot firmly on the floor. "This fight was one of the best I've had in my millennia of existence. I could thank you, but you know I won't, Rose Quartz. You're the first to ever push me to these limits, but..."
Jasper stomped hard on the floor, causing a green escape pod bubble to instantly enclose her.
Steven's eyes widened in pure panic; according to his knowledge, those types of escape pods were only supposed to be accessible on the bridge.
Steven: "SHIT!"
He quickly summoned his shield, and right before the pod could launch normally, the falling ship violently jolted, ricocheting the pod away toward an unknown destination.
Steven: "Damn it!" he coughed, dragging his broken body toward the bridge.
The girls were panicking, having no idea what was going on. Suddenly, the ship entered free-fall.
Amethyst: "What do we do?! If we crash in this thing, we're dead!" she screamed in total panic.
Pearl: "I don't know! There are supposed to be escape pods, but I can't find them!"
Garnet: "Find them quickly! We don't know if Steven needs one!"
Lapis was huddled in a corner against the wall, praying with everything she had that Steven was alright.
Peridot, who had just regained consciousness, realized she was securely tied up with a purple whip courtesy of Amethyst. She muttered a quiet "damn it" and noticed the Gems were completely distracted with the console.
I have to seize this opportunity. If I stay here, I'll die and I won't be able to complete my mission, she told herself, squirming carefully so the Gems wouldn't notice.
Managing to position herself right over a manual override button, she slammed her head down onto it, instantly alerting the girls.
Pearl: "What is she doing?!"
Amethyst: "Is she crazy?!"
Garnet: "She's initiating something important! Stop her!"
Lapis looked up just in time to watch with horror as Peridot was encased in a green escape bubble, shooting out toward Earth alongside another green sphere that was dropping at extreme speed.
Lapis Lazuli: "What?" she muttered, completely bewildered as she saw one pod head toward a specific landing zone while another plummeted straight into the ocean.
But a furious shout snapped her out of her thoughts.
Garnet: "They escaped!" she yelled in panic, running back toward where Steven was.
The others hot on her heels. Amethyst slung Lapis over her shoulder like a sack of potatoes, and the blue Gem didn't even fight it.
Garnet: "Steven! Where are you?!"
Pearl: "My baby! Are you okay?!"
Amethyst: "Come on, man, this isn't funny! Show yourself!"
The girls screamed at the top of their lungs until they finally spotted a silhouette.
"Steven!" they cried out in relief, but as they got closer, they froze in their tracks. Lapis, whose back had been turned, spun around at the sudden silence and went completely pale.
Steven was completely covered in blood. His clothes were shredded, and even a section of his hair was singed off. But what worried the girls the most was the smile plastered across his face.
Steven: "Girls, you're okay! That's good."
He took a few staggered steps toward them, while they just stared in absolute horror at the state of their practically adoptive son.
Steven glanced out the window and, filled with sudden panic, dashed toward the Gems, who were still processing his bloody appearance.
"Bubble shield, damn it!" he screamed so loud it snapped them right out of their shock.
"Steven, you're o—!"
They couldn't finish their sentence. The exact millisecond a bubble encased all five of them, the ship made impact. With a sound that echoed for miles outside of Beach City, the vessel exploded into a thousand fiery pieces.
Perspective Shift
Greg was in his van, already a safe distance outside of Beach City. But something made him break out into a cold sweat: the ship, which had gone up barely an hour ago, was now falling out of the sky.
A loud roar snapped him out of his trance. It was Lion, who had leaped onto the roof of the van, staring intently at the ship plummeting straight toward the beach.
ROAAAAR! Lion's roar echoed through the entire valley.
Greg, pushing past his terror, understood exactly what Lion was trying to tell him.
"Got it," he said, slamming his foot on the gas pedal and racing back toward Beach City.
Perspective Shift
"How strange," Connie said. She didn't have her phone on her, but today she felt a heavy gut feeling that something terrible was happening. That suspicion was confirmed when she checked and saw a missed call from Steven.
Connie: "What's going on with Steven?" she muttered, lifting the phone to her ear.
With every passing second, her expression grew more bewildered. A dangerous mission? More dangerous than a robot from another planet? What could possibly be more dangerous than a robot from another... planet...?
"Holy shit!" she blurted out, startling her mother who was sitting right next to her.
"What's wrong?" her mother asked suspiciously.
Connie: "Nothing, nothing! Sorry, it was just some news that caught me completely off guard. That's all. Sorry for my language."
Her mother merely eyed her sideways before returning to her medical notes.
Connie let out a massive sigh of relief.
Connie: I hope Steven is okay... Steven...
She dialed his number, but there was no answer. She left a voicemail:
"Steven, if you hear this, tell me what's going on. I'm really worried about you. Call me, okay?"
She hung up.
Connie stared at her phone for several seconds until a voice broke her concentration.
"Are you finished?" her mother asked, looking at her expectantly.
"Sorry," Connie said, returning to her studies, which were vastly exaggerated for a kid her age.
Be safe, Steven, was her final thought.
Perspective Shift
Devastation littered the entire beach. Twisted metal and green alloy fragments were scattered across the sand. Midst the smoking rubble, something slowly began to move. It was the Gems, dragging themselves out and looking toward the center of the crash site. There, in the dead center of it all, lay Steven, bleeding from his eyes and ears.
The moment Pearl saw him, she lunged forward, cradling him gently and pulling his head onto her lap as tears pooled in her eyes.
Amethyst screamed desperately that there was no way he could have survived the entire blast of a freaking spaceship. Garnet knelt over him, forcing herself to maintain her composure as she spoke to him firmly. She begged him to hang on, asking him how many fingers she was holding up in front of his face, but Steven could barely track her movement.
Lapis Lazuli watched the scene with her hands over her mouth, terrified by the state of the boy who had risked absolutely everything to save them. In her mind, a single phrase repeated like a broken record: If only I had helped, if only I had done something.
Suddenly, a faint sound broke through. Steven coughed violently, struggling for air.
With an almost superhuman effort, he turned his head and locked his gaze onto Lapis. She rushed closer, leaning in to hear whatever important final words he might have.
Steven could barely whisper her name, and when Lapis replied with desperate concern, he weakly muttered, "How... how did the motorcycle look?"
Everyone went dead silent. Lapis stared at him completely blankly, while the other Gems understood perfectly that this was his way of trying to lighten the gravity of the situation.
Pearl smiled through her tears, kissing his forehead and whispering that he had scared her half to death. She wasn't the only one crying; Amethyst and Garnet were weeping too, even if they tried to hide it. Only Lapis didn't shed a tear, simply because she still didn't get the motorcycle joke.
Steven let out a exhausted sigh, murmuring that he was gonna take a little nap, and pleaded, "Please, don't kill anybody." He immediately drifted into unconsciousness.
Pearl held him tightly in her arms, tenderly stroking his hair. Amethyst collapsed beside them, trying to process everything that had just transpired. Garnet, meanwhile, kept her gaze fixed on a horizon point along the beach, as if waiting for something.
Right on cue, the roar of a fast-approaching engine echoed down the shoreline. A vehicle slammed its brakes to a screeching halt, and out jumped Lion and Greg.
Greg barely managed to ask what had happened, but the second his eyes landed on Steven, he completely lost consciousness and fainted dead onto the sand.
Lapis, who was standing nearby, gave him a light kick to check if he was still alive and asked with genuine curiosity, "Is he okay?" Amethyst gently pushed her aside and assured her she'd take care of him, hoisting Greg onto her shoulder like a sack of potatoes.
Lion padded over and approached Steven. The Gems stepped aside; they knew this beast was incredibly close to Rose and, in a way, cared deeply for Steven too. However, what he did next left them speechless: he gently nudged Steven onto his back, then looked up at them, giving a clear nod with his muzzle for them to climb on as well.
Amethyst hesitated for a second, but Pearl remembered that Lion belonged to Rose and concluded he must have a specific destination in mind. Garnet nodded, stating she wouldn't be surprised.
They climbed on one by one: Garnet first, then Amethyst with a still-unconscious Greg slung over her shoulder. Garnet looked back at Lapis and asked if she was coming. The blue Gem, feeling deeply insecure, hesitantly asked if she was even allowed to. Garnet offered a warm, calm smile and assured her that yes, if Steven had specifically gone out of his way to save her, it was because he trusted her.
Lapis climbed on timidly, wrapping her arms around Pearl's waist. Pearl went rigid at the contact but didn't say a word. Garnet asked if Lion could carry everyone, and the majestic feline gave a firm nod before letting out a mighty roar.
A brilliant pink portal ripped open right in front of them, and in a flash of blinding light, all six of them vanished inside.
Where would Lion take them? What destiny awaited them on the other side of the portal? That remains to be discovered in the next chapter.
End of Chapter 32
What a crazy chapter, right? Well, at least on my end, I absolutely loved writing it. I hope you guys enjoyed it as much as I did. God bless you all... and for the atheists out there, well, have a good afternoon.
Here is a drawing I did of the fight (I'm no artist though):