A New Era Three

Chapter Eight: Back to Earth

Steven was petrified from the moment Garnet smashed through the vent grate. He knew what White meant to do with them. He knew that if Pink Diamond didn't show herself, then everyone would die. But seeing Pearl, seeing her eyes widen and water when she first saw him, all of that didn't matter. His emotions surged forth and mixed so well with the words White forced him to say that he wasn't even sure if it was White talking, or if he had reached his limit and finally snapped.

None of that mattered anymore though. Everyone was back on the Roaming Eye and heading toward Earth as fast as they could. They met no resistance on Homeworld, something that didn't go unnoticed.

"It should have been harder to leave," Pearl mused quietly, clearly not wanting Steven to hear her.

"I was expecting a fight," Amethyst said slowly, with a nod. "Unless it's because Steven's a Diamond. They pretty much do what they want. Everyone is afraid of them."

"Yeah, but he is still kind of a prisoner?" Peridot whispered, her eyes shifted toward Steven. He acted like he didn't hear them. White had him sitting in the back of the ship, against the wall, knees drawn to his chest to protect the only thing that could give her away — the grayed out Diamond on his stomach.

"I mean, it's not like they understand organics," Peridot continued. "We don't even understand what Steven is."

Lars sighed loudly and cut off their hushed whispers. "If I can hear you, then Steven can too," he pointed out. The teen looked back and took in the kid's postured and unfocused eyes. He looked so beaten and pale — so unlike the Steven they all knew. All of his energy, his infectious spark of hope, was just gone.

Lars was about to move over to the boy when Garnet stood from the captain's chair and made her way over to him. Everyone turned away and busied themselves with the ship or meaningless conversation to give them some privacy.

"Steven," Garnet said, her voice low and heavy as she sat next to him. Her hand went to her face and her visor vanished to reveal the three conflicted and sad eyes. "I'm sorry."

Steven glanced over to her, feeling both his and White's curiosity bubble inside of him. He didn't say anything though. White's confusion wasn't enough to overcome her concern of Garnet's future vision. She knew, after all, that she was a fusion of a Sapphire and Ruby.

"I should have looked into her, into Rose," Garnet continued with a quiver in her voice. "But I never did. I just trusted her. Believed in a future I couldn't see. If I had, then you wouldn't have to have gone through any of this. I wouldn't have followed her. She wouldn't have fought for Earth. No one would have been corrupted. It's my fault."

A sinister feeling bubbled inside of him. One that brought a familiar heat to his gem as White's own anger as she heard Garnet through Steven's ears threatened to burst forth. She wanted Pink to blast Garnet out of existence. To destroy everyone on this ship, right down to Lars, an organic who dared to treat him like an equal. But she restrained herself.

Instead, Steven's mind was flooded with the urge to speak. He couldn't stop it. His tongue had a mind that wasn't his.

"Then I wouldn't be here," he whispered.

The five words caused Garnet to freeze. She looked down at Steven, her eyes wide.

"I didn't mean it like that," she gently tried to correct herself. "I am happy you're here. You're the one good thing that came out of all of this."

"I'm not," Steven said. The feelings that accompanied these words were very much his own. He wasn't better than Pink was. White made sure he knew that. But he couldn't tell Garnet. He couldn't tell her how he lost control, how he felt things he never felt before when standing at White Diamond's feet, or how he shattered another gem. Sure, it wasn't him, but it was him. He should have tried harder to fight White. He should have better control over his powers. He was better than that. He fixed things; he was Steven Universe.