Bismuth and Greg are seen trying to fix Greg's van after Steven crashed it during a roadtrip with his dad. Steven is watching them over the balcony, then heads back inside sitting on the couch.
"How could this happen? You crashed the van with Greg inside? You know how fragile he is, these pink outbursts of yours are getting out of hand." Pearl says.
"It's not an outburst!" Steven shouts and he turns pink and swells up.
"See? This is exactly what I'm talking about! What's happening to you?" Pearl says worried.
"Nothing! ...It's nothing." Steven says as he gets up still glowing pink.
"S-Steven! Where are you going?! We're not pro-" Pearl says but she hits Steven's generated force field. "Steven! Drop this wall!"
Steven gasps. "Pearl, sorry. I'm trying- I just..." Steven's dome dissipates. "need... some space, OK? I'll be in my room."
"Not so fast, my dude. You gotta tell us what's going on." Amethyst says.
"It looks like you are trying to avoid a serious discussion about this all together." Garnet adds.
"No! I'm NOT!!!" Steven shouts and he slams his fist into the stairs, unleashing a room-wrecking shockwave from his rage.
"Steven, you have got to calm down and talk to us!" Garnet says
"Just chill, man!" Amethyst adds.
"Nnghh... Steven growls agitated.
"We need to do something about this before someone gets hurt!" Pearl says.
"NNGGHH..."
"Don't let this power control you. You're better than this." Garnet says trying to get through to Steven.
"NNGGHH... LEAVE ME ALONE!!!" Steven shouts and the Gems start moving in slow motion.
"Huh? I'm speeding up again. I gotta get out of here." Steven runs out of the temple as everything returns to its normal speed.
The Gems come out of slow motion and can see Steven is gone much to their surprise, They don't have long to think however as the sound of the warp pad can be heard and they turn and watch at it as Y/n appears. Immediately he can see the damage in the temple and his brow furrows.
"What happened?" Y/n asks.
The Gems look at each other and decide that Steven needed help and that Y/n could one of best Gems to get him to see sense.
"It's Steven... He's been having outbursts recently and began to glow Pink out of nowhere! We tried to talk to him about it but he got angry and fled." Pearl tires to explain.
Y/n looks worried now. "We have to find him, immediately."
"And that's why I can't go back." Steven says to a cloaked figure.
"So, what you're saying is; you're here- for a rematch?!" The figure rips off their cloak revealing themselves to be Jasper.
"What? No! I'm telling you why I'm out here in the first place. I think my diamond powers are coming out, I can't control them. I just need to be alone so I don't hurt anyone." Steven says.
"If you really wanted to be alone, you're doing it wrong." Jasper says annoyed
"But, Jasper! This is the last place anyone would look for me." Steven says.
Jasper walks away as Steven follows her.
"W-Wait! Don't leave me here." Steven pants as they walk further into the woods. "This thing with my powers is a real problem."
"The only problem you have are your friends. They have warped your way of thinking. Even Black Diamond has fallen under their influence..." Jasper says annoyed.
"Huh?" Steven says confused.
"Can't you see they're holding you back?" Jasper pushes.
"What? No. Th-they're just worried about me." Steven says trying to defend the Gems.
"They're afraid of your power." Jasper states.
"Yeah? Yeah.. I-I guess so." Steven says seeing her point.
"You are too! You came all the way out here to hide from it. But I'm not here to hide, I don't need to stifle my anger, or my power! I channel it into training." Jasper says aggressively.
"Oh, right. This destroyed forest." Steven says as he looks at the devastated landscape.
"I got no one to serve, nowhere to go. All I have left... IS POWER!!" Jasper punches a tree and destroys it, sending smoke towards Steven. "And in order to control that power, I have to use it. Those so called friends of yours don't understand, they want you to feel bad for being yourself."
"I do feel bad." Steven walks over to another tree and prepares to punch it, turning pink as he does. Then holds his hand in pain.
"Yeah! Destroy that weakling tree!" Jasper shouts.
"No!" Steven heals the tree by kissing it and grass begins to grow back beneath it.
"Gross! That's disgusting! Burgh! No, the grass!" Jasper tries to kill the grass that has grown back by ripping it out of the ground with her hands.
"Get out of here!" She grunts then she picks up Steven by his jacket. "Quit helping the local ecosystem recover! Show me, show me your power!" Jasper throws Steven to the ground.
Steven grunts and coughs. "No way, Jasper! I can't control myself."
"Shut up!" Jasper lunges at Steven as he turns pink and creates a barrier but it breaks as Jasper punches it, causing him to shoot into the air. "This is it? This is what you were worried about? It's nothing!"
Steven falls to the ground in pain.
"I'm stronger than the ones who want to hold you back! Because I'm not afraid of this, and you shouldn't be either!" Jasper shouts.
Steven turns pink again as he creates another barrier and shoots it at Jasper.
"Yes! That's more like it!" Jasper runs at the barrier and breaks it. "Now, tell me. Did it feel good to let your anger out?"
"Y-Yeah." Steven finds himself answering.
Jasper laughs.
"If I stay here, will you teach me how to control this feeling?" Steven asks.
"I'm not gonna teach you unless you fight me!" Jasper demands.
"Well, I'm not gonna fight you unless you teach me!" Steven retorts.
"Hmm, fine!" Jasper concedes.
Steven returns to his normal color. "Really?!" Steven asks.
"Lesson one: stop smiling!" Jasper says.
"But, I've seen you smile." Steven says.
Jasper suddenly kicks Steven into the air.
"Lesson two: SHUT UP!"
Steven hits the ground in pain again. "I guess my training starts now.." Steven groans.
"This is my fault. I've let this get out of hand, I thought Steven could control this better than his mother but it appears I was wrong. I didn't factor in that his mindset would change so drastically within in such a short amount of times, Though given the circumstances he has been through these past few years I guess it is not all that surprising." Y/n says and he sighs before sitting down on the temple couch. "I had my worries when I saw him glow Pink for the first time, I should have acted then but I made a mistake. Now it's Pink all over again." Y/n rubs his eyes.
"What do you mean?" Garnet asks.
"You have to understand this was back when I was the ruthless leader that wouldn't take no for an answer." Y/n starts. "Pink was...difficult. Pearl you know first hand what a childish nature she had." Y/n says and Pearl smiles sadly remembering it. "But what you only recently found out was how she was before you were given to her. Pink had a...destructive way of expressing herself. Volleyball was the unfortunate one to find that out the hard way." Y/n says regretting what happened to her. "After that happened I had to step in and I...locked her away for a few hundred years." Y/n says standing up now and the gems look at him.
"You locked Pink away?" Pearl asks. "But she never mentioned that."
"That's because I wiped it from her memories and forbid the other Diamonds from talking about it. While I could control her, I couldn't always be everywhere at once and Pink's power was growing more unstable. So while she was locked away I taught her how to better control her powers and when I eventually let her back out I gave her Spinel in the hopes that she would also calm down emotionally. It worked for a while, but then the colony business began and well, you know the rest." Y/n explains.
"Okay but what does this have to do with Steven?" Amethyst asks confused.
"Right now Steven is probably experiencing the same problems his mother did. Unable to control his powers. This would explain the sudden catastrophic outbursts of anger, The swelling however is a stress related issue. When a Gem is under too much pressure they will poof or even crack. Steven is half human however, The swelling is his Gem trying to poof itself while his body fights back. This situation would be easier to deal with if his powers were not tied to his emotions. We need to find him and quickly, If anything happens to him out there then the way he could react might be devastating."
"But what can we do to help him? You said you locked Pink away for hundreds of years! We can't do that to Steven!" Pearl says worried.
"No you are right. We can't. But I can teach him to control his powers better but right now our main focus should be dealing with this mental trauma he is struggling with. First we need to find him
The next day, Steven is seen struggling to carry tons of rocks on his back while going up a hill, while Jasper is only carrying two. Next, Steven turns pink as he shoots multiple barriers at Jasper, who is smashing all of them. Then, Jasper charges into a pile of rocks and smashes them, Steven runs into a rock but face-plants into it. Jasper then throws a rock on top of Steven and walks away slowly until Steven, in his pink state, breaks out from underneath. Jasper tries to throw more rocks at him as he keeps running away. At night time, they are seen heading into Jasper's cave, but she kicks Steven out shortly after, leaving him to sleep outside. The next day again, shows Jasper throwing another rock at Steven as he activates his barrier and gets thrown into a tree by the rock. Next, it shows Steven splitting a log in half with his hand, as Jasper hits a tree. Then, Steven starts to construct a shelter with logs as he has his jacket tried around his head. At night time again, Jasper is seen in her spin dash until Steven runs past, sped up by his power. The following day noticeably shows Steven, in his pink state again, has a slight beard and ripped shirt as he throws another barrier while Jasper throws a rock into it and the barrier slams it into some trees. Next, Steven catches fish with his bubble barrier ball in a swamp. He is seen wearing a cloak, similar to Jasper's, sipping food from a bowl, while the fish he caught is cooking near a fire pit. Then, Jasper and Steven are seen punching more trees while Steven looks very noticeably taller, and more muscular, and has a different hairstyle. He breaks another rock with his barrier.
"Yes!" Steven says proud of himself.
"Hm, not bad for three days of work." Jasper says.
Steven kisses his muscles.
"I didn't teach you that." Jasper says unimpressed.
At dusk, a crack of thunder goes off in the distance. Steven si sat down at a campfire as Jasper walks in holding two boulders in her hands. "I found some new rocks." She throws the rocks into a pile. " You won't believe how hard it is to find a good rock around here."
"I'm done with rocks, Jasper." Steven says suddenly.
"Huh, what?" Jasper says confused.
"I'm ready, for our rematch!" Steven stands up and stamps the firepit, putting it out.
Jasper laughs. "It's about time! Come on then! Show me what you've learned."
Steven creates another barrier and shoots it at Jasper, who jumps over it and runs towards Steven, trying to punch him. He punches her instead. As Steven gasps, Jasper summons her helmet and hits Steven on the head while he tries to summon another barrier in defense. She then throws him onto the ground. Steven coughs from the smoke.
"What are you holding back for?! You think I can't take it? I'm not gonna coddle you, Steven! Do you wanna go home to your gems?" Jasper berates him.
Steven tries to get up. "No..."
"Are you afraid to be strong? Are you pathetic? Are you weak?" Jasper pushes.
"I'M NOT!!!!!!!!" Steven shouts and the shockwaves from Steven's shout knocks Jasper back, and he lunges at her as they start to fight.
Jasper laughs. "Is that all?"
Steven throws a heavy barrier at Jasper, which slams her back into a tree. Steven pants and laughs.
"That's more like it!" Jasper grunts.
Steven lunges at Jasper again, but this time he is going insanely fast while repeatedly punching Jasper in mid-air.
"COME ON, COME ON! SHOW ME WHAT YOU CAN REALLY DO!" Jasper pushes.
Steven's laugh becomes more maniacal as he kicks Jasper to the ground, then launches four shields around her, pinning her in place. Jasper grunts as Steven begins to make a huge barrier while floating in the air.
"You're right, Jasper." Steven's huge barrier grows spikes and his irises take on the shape of white diamonds. "I have been holding back."
Steven throws the barrier at Jasper. Her eyes widen in fear as crack of thunder flashes.
As rain falls at the beach house, Steven is seen running to the temple in his normal state and size.
"Pearl have you been able to reach him?" Y/n asks.
"I've sent so many messages but he hasn't replied." Pearl replies as she paces looking at her phone.
Steven suddenly storms through the door with his hand inside his pocket while Y/n, Garnet, Amethyst and Pearl are waiting for him inside the temple.
"Steven! Where have you been?!" Pearl asks.
Steven ignores them as he rushes to the bathroom and closes the door.
"We looked everywhere for you!" Amethyst can be heard saying on the other side of the door.
"Steven I know things are difficult to deal with right now but please let me help you." Y/n can be heard saying.
"Not now!" Steven quickly shouts out.
Steven turns on the faucet for the bathtub, then immediately grabs the remaining Diamond aura potions and throws them into the water. Steven breathes heavily as he pulls out Jasper's gem from his pocket, revealing that he had shattered her from the impact he caused. Steven puts the pieces of the gem back together.
"Please, please let this work..!" Steven holds Jasper's gem in his hands as he puts them into the bathtub water. Tears fall down his face as he desperately holds her Gem together. "Jasper, I'm sorry. Please, come back!" Steven's tears fall into the water, causing it to turn into the rainbow-colored healing water. "Please." Steven begs.
But nothing happens as Jasper's gem remains shattered.
And that's the chapter! Not the ending your were all expecting I imagine. If you liked this chapter then don't forget to leave a vote and a comment as it all helps the story :) So Steven has finally reached a breaking point and Y/n reveals some of his own secrets from the past as Black Diamond. But will happen next? Find out next week in...
Homeworld Bound.