Love And Hate: Remade

Dark world

It is now late in the temple as Steven sits atop his bed with lion lying across his lap. The two watch the Lonely Samurai together but lion isn't really that interested in it. More or less the large magical cat shows his love of his young owner by lying across his lap even though he does have a blanket Steven doesn't mind it. "Hey Lion... Guess what?" Steven says as he would stop watching the movie for a second being randomly playful. "Boop!" *he says as he taps the nose of the large beast who only blinks and pulls his head back slightly. "Hey lion... Have you ever actually gotten to see mom before?" Steven asks the big magical cat who only replies with a low growl of boredom not hostility. It's getting late and the movie has ended. "Well it's getting late... I'm gonna call it a night." Steven says with a yawn pulling himself from under Lion who still is lying across his lap.

Steven turns the lights out in the temple and gets in bed where lion finally gets up and goes downstairs. A final yawn is heard from Steven as he then drifts to sleep but... He doesn't have a normal dream. He goes back to the realm he was in before where he spoke with his mother Rose Quartz. He doesn't see her but hears her gentle giggle. Walking further through this unknown works he finally finds his mother. "You've come back." Rose says with some surprise though he's been coming back to see her every now and then. "Yeah I had to. I've missed you and I wanted to come here and see you." Her son explains as his heart feels warm with that love that only a family can give. That spark that would keep someone going in desperate times. She chuckles seeing her true side in him. His patience is that of her own and his love and care the same. "It's great to see you too. Look at yourself, you've grown so much as a gem. Not only that but with all these things that have happened in the past you kept calm and believed in them." She says referring to how well he can use her powers at will including the shield.

A rumbling can be felt by both of them. Steven looks around wondering what could it be? Just then Steven is slid away by a magical force away from his mother and into a dark and empty plain while still in the dream realm. His heart begins to beat fast in fear and surprise. He feels the coldness begin to flow around him as he would then look around now a bit frightened. A hissing sound comes from nowhere that he is all to familiar with. Paralyzed in fear he can't move, he's scared, and wishes this would end. Trying constantly to move but he can't. Finally the form shows itself. Its just like the dream he had before when Malachite was around but this time its a giant corrupted force fusion gem! Like a centipede it has many legs that it walks on as it gets closer and closer to him. "No no no this can't be happening why am I frozen?! Why can't I move?!" Steven thinks as he still attempts to move but is not successful in doing so. The centipede like gem wraps itself around the teen entirely its fearless and faceless figure squeezing the life out of him. He feels as if he is suffocating under the intense pressure but then he snaps awake.

There Pearl is just walking in to see him as she usually watches him sleep. "P-Pearl..." He says with a fearful tone. "Oh, you're awake? What's the matter your usually asleep at this hour?" The pale ballerina gem asks him walking over and kneeling beside his bedside. "I was talking to mom again and out of nowhere this crazy nightmare takes over and separates us. Then when I tried to get back to her this giant centipede thing attacked me...but it wasn't the malachite one this time. It was a forced fusion gem or something. It didn't have a face and it was really fast. I didn't know what to do." He explains his horrible nightmare which could be one of the worst anyone could have. The pale service gem is speechless and tries to find some words for this sort of situation which she can usually handle so well. "I honestly don't know what to say about this. This sleep thing is something much different than anything else you've taught us and even though I've tried it once I'm not so sure about what a nightmare is." Pearl says in her most kindest tone trying not to upset Steven. He leans off the bed somewhat feeling as if he needed a hug he puts his arms out. Pearl can't resist this. She's been with Steven since he was a baby. She reaches out and hugs him but then sits atop the bed and holds him somewhat to comfort the emptiness and sadness that has been bestowed upon him.

"Has this happened before?" Pearl asks as Steven looks down at his feet hoping that this didn't mean something else is gonna happen to them like the Malachite battle did almost a year ago. "Yeah but it sorta got to me how it happened as if it were a sign you know? We've been through a lot of this before but it wasn't a dream those little robonoid things were real and I get the feeling whatever that nightmare was about is too." He replies with fear in his voice. Never before has he been this frightened by something so minor. "I'm honestly not very sure. Its very late maybe you should go and get some rest for now." Pearl says as she stands and Steven lies back down under his large blanket. He drifts to sleep with pearl at his side...

(To be continued...)