Steven Universe fic

part 17 Chapter One: Carnage

Aquamarine's base was dark, littered with hollow gemstones of her companions, Steven hesitantly stepped inside.

Listening and hoping for survivors of the destruction.
A whimper and scuttle sounded in the shadows, causing him to turn.
A gem sat huddled behind a doorway, crying.

"Hello?" Steven breathed, the gem sucked in her sob, quieting her frantic breaths. Steven approached the gem, dropping to his knees so he seemed less frightening.

"It's okay, we're not going to hurt you." He whispered with a comforting smile. The Pearl looked up, tears still staining her face, though she didn't speak, she clearly recognized him.
Her diamond.

She opened her arms, clutching the small blue bubble for him to see.

"Is that.." Steven blinked, taking the bubble from her and holding it 8n his hands, the orange triangular gem hovered inside. "Jasper?"

Lars had told him of her betrayal, but why was she bubbled now? He scooted away from the Pearl and pressed his finger into the bubble until it popped and the gem was free.

"Steven, what are you-" Amethyst's dissagreement was cut off by the hulking gem as she reformed, landing on the ground confused and oddly afraid.
She had never seen the gem look fearful, ever. And it struck her core with sudden worry.

"What the- Steven?!" She gasped, her shock turning to mild rage at the sight of him before she recalled the moments before her dissipation.

"Did you stop Aquamarine?" She asked, now standing straight, despite the crystal gems preparation for a fight, Jasper herself seemed entirely unfazed by that. "Did you get your Spinel back?"

Steven fell quiet, the unsettling memories replaying in his mind, Aquamarine's sick play against him..and Spinel cutting through her with one of White Diamonds horrid weapons.

"She's gone." He muttered softly. Jasper's cold eyes softened for half a moment.

"I was-" she fumbled with her words, flustered at the admission. "I was going to bring her to you."

Steven looked up now, noticing the way the gem awkwardly shuffled her feet.

"Well...thanks, for- I'm out." She muttered, turning heel to escape the terribly awkward situation.
Steven may have shown her compassion in unbundling her, but she wasn't lost on her past with him. And the way Amethyst stared at her made her skin crawl.

"Wait, sis." Amethyst's hand reached for Jaspers, stopping the giant gem short. She hesitated, turning to face her.
Amethyst smiled at her, making her feel even less comfortable at the kind notion.

"I'm glad you're not gone." Jasper pulled her hand away, not in anger but shock, despite it not seeming as such.

"I-" Jasper glanced toward Steven and the other gems, "I need to..work on things."

Jasper looked at the ground, averting her eyes from the stares of Steven and his friends. She didn't want to face them, despite thinking so clearly that she could so easily bring him his friend and her failure to do so.
Despite thinking that she could win them over with ransom, she wasn't prepared for their sympathetic eyes.
She didn't want them and didn't deserve them.

She stepped away from Amethyst, before making a break from the base all together. Leaving Amethyst and the rest in the dust of the decayed gems.

"Did Aquamarine stay here?" Steven asked, turning to the silent pearl. She jumped, unprepared by his address, but nodded.

"Do you know if she had a way to get to the kindergarten?" The silent pearl nodded once more, directing Steven toward a small ship that looked like a smaller version of Aquamarine's saucer.
Steven smiled, looking back at the quiet pearl.

"You don't have to stay here, we can take you to Earth." He offered, but she shook her head in reject, stepping away to further prove that she was comfortable staying. Steven's heart fell, he couldn't exactly offer her protection, but perhaps leaving her here would be better than bringing her to the diamonds. He would come back for her.
And any other survivors on the planet.

"Okay."