A light descended from the sky, revealing a small green figure in the desolate desert.
The figure, covered in drool, sweat, and dirt, struggled to open her eyes, which glimmered like crystals. Her gem was cracked, and she writhed in agony.
"A- Ah! Aaahh!" Peridot cried out, unable to articulate any other words. Her nails dug into her emaciated body, leaving marks everywhere, but the pain persisted.
Her suffering was not physical but mental. The overwhelming use of her appraisal skill bombarded her with information all at once, leaving her disoriented.
Peridot couldn't recognize her surroundings or her state; the overload left her in a haze.
"Ah- Ah- Aah-!" She sounded like a broken machine, only able to utter a few sounds.
Eventually, she stopped screaming. Her mind drifted; she couldn't tell if she was present or in another realm.
Days passed in a monotonous cycle; her only solace was a fluffy sensation that occasionally enveloped her.
Whenever her mind cleared, she attempted to touch her gem and analyze it, only to be met with more intense pain that blanked her mind again.
Her once vibrant gem had dulled to a pale shade. Peridot felt weak, barely able to maintain her form.
Despite her dire state, she repeatedly tried to analyze her gem until her mind went blank.
When the pain became unbearable, she clung tightly to the source of the fluffy sensation. The pain remained, but her mind found a modicum of comfort.
Days blurred together. She considered that death might be less painful than living, but she couldn't bring herself to end it.
When her mind drifted to a strange place, she felt wetness on her cheeks, a glimmer of hope.
It reminded her of the warmth she felt with her grandmother. She missed it dearly.
Peridot felt as if an angel were protecting her, even amid her suffering. She didn't follow any religion, but she believed this must be what having an angel felt like.
With an angel by her side, she couldn't give up yet.
Her exhausted spirit kept striving. After days without progress, a green light finally emerged.
Peridot identified the source of her pain and knew she needed to change it to find relief.
She moved her trembling hands to her gem, using all her remaining energy to sever the pain channel.
She tried, but her body couldn't sustain the effort for long. She needed to be more efficient.
Initially, she moved her energy recklessly, but now she directed it cautiously, using just the right amount for each process. It was a delicate and arduous task.
The cracked gem slowly realigned, forming a clean and straight line.
Little by little, until it finally reached the point she needed.
The pain subsided, taking with it the heat from her skin, the sound of the wind, and the precious fluffy sensation.
The world turned black. She was alive but almost in a vegetative state.
Peridot lost all involuntary functions. This was the only way to stop the data overload. She divided her mind into two parts.
Her primitive, involuntary mind analyzed the data, using energy and leaving her body weak, but keeping her alive.
The remaining part was her slow, voluntary mind.
She tried to move her finger but didn't know how.
Which muscles to move? How much energy to use? In which direction?
YOU ARE READING
Steven Universe: Broken Peridot.
FanfictionWhen he opened his eyes, he found himself in a desolate, abandoned, and cold world. After exhausting all available resources, he finally discovered a way to escape, but at a tremendous cost. He had lost his ability to speak, hear, and move properly...
