Steven Universe: Beyond The Mirror

Fountain Tears

Lapis could only grimace and cower under the tension as she holds Steven's limp body close to her, having failed to recover in the fountain water. Now what? Call it a good run and abandon all hope to these Crystal Gems?

Lapis' vision blurs as she pants, her eyes filing up with liquid. She gasps, allowing her tears to start rolling down her cheeks. She wipes them off her cheeks with a single finger, covering portions of it in...water. She bends her head down towards Steven.

He has his left hand covering his naval, the place where his gem resides embedded within him. She narrows her eyes. She inhales...and she exhales, closing them. The Gems stand their ground not far in front of her.

If she dares to make an attack on any of them, the others will step in and poof her before she is taken away to get bubbled. The Gems tighten their grip on their weapons, leaning a tad bit towards the water. Lapis' eyelids convulse as she bites her lip.

She has the palm of her right hand set towards the Gems with no intention of hurting them--yet. Lapis shifts the direction of her palm, directing it towards the finger covered in her tears. Pearl raises her eyebrow as Amethyst readies her whip. Garnet gapes, letting her arms drop down to her sides.

Lapis inhales...and she exhales once more, her breathing turning to shuddering. Finally, the water slips from her finger, ascending into the air--other droplets soon following suit. Lapis, stiffening the form of her hand, moves it down to brush Steven's pudgy hand off his body, cautious not to let go.

Once Steven's hand plops into the water, Lapis gradually lifts her arm back up to where it was. Lapis tilts her pointing finger down towards the cracked gemstone. "It's time I return the favor." She keeps her voice and tone still and quiet, though shaky as she proceeds to insert the droplets into the cracks of Steven's faded gemstone.

Each teardrop drifts down as passengers in an elevator make their way down to their intended destinations. Each droplet inserts itself into the gem, containing it's form as they connect with each other...until the cracks were formed from within.

Lapis grunts as she finally lets go of the water, freeing her mind of the tension. She pants as she opens her eyes. "Steven?" Steven remains motionless in her arms the cracks remain wet in the gemstone. The Gems stare down at them, shaking their heads, narrowing their eyes.

Garnet scoffs, having lost her patience with the Gem. "It's over, Lapis! Surrender now or parish! There is nowhere and no one else left for you to fly off to!" Lapis clenches her teeth, closing her eyes as she sniffles. "I'm...I'm not giving up on him yet. He came through for me! I want to come through for him!"

She sniffles, on the brink of sobbing, as she opens her eyes once more. "Please. Steven, I'm sorry...for everything. For everything that I have done...to hurt you. You protected me against that monster...sacrificing yourself to help me even against THEM!"

Tears stream down her cheeks as her voice starts to crack. "I should've done the same for you. Maybe this whole idea was just...cracked out...to simply run away and avoid your caretakers. But I don't want it to end with you...dying here...with me. Please!"

She chokes on her tears as the Gems start to lower their weapons, letting up on their glaring a bit. "Please don't leave yet! Please don't have me regret ever taking you on this journey with me! All that I wanted to do with you...maybe I was using you! But I wanted to share it all and show you what you always wanted to know even though you don't know it yet!"

She sniffles and she chokes on a couple more tears as she turns her head away from him. "I just don't get it. Why did we have to go so far to sacrifice so much of what we once had? Why did we choose to sympathize with each other but never truly act on it to show that we care? Why, Steven? Why?!"

Teardrops slip from Lapis' cheeks down onto Steven as the sky over the fountain turns to a dull pink. "Why can't you come back?! I want...I need you to come back! I...I-!" She turns her head back to face Steven's. Her voice nearly reaches a whisper as she leans her head down towards Steven's.

"I love you." She bites her lip before she closes her eyes. She presses her lips to his forehead before she retracts herself back, ready to let go of him and let him sink into his watery grave. Lapis grits her teeth as her arms start to tremble with her hands, turning her head away from him once more.

That is when she hears the slightest gasp from ahead of her. The void behind her closed eyes gradually turns into a vibrant pink. She opens her eyes--she gasps, bulging them. The Gems in front of her gawk as they all witness the cracks on Steven's gem glowing and merging together to become whole.

The gemstone on his naval glows for a moment before it fades out once more. He groans and he gradually opens his eyes. Lapis covers her mouth, looking to the Gems...and back to Steven. Steven blinks his eyes as he takes a breather. After a few moments, Steven chuckles. "I'm really glad you came through, Lapis."