Corruption

Who are you?

"Where is my son?!" Greg yelled, startling everyone in the room. His eyes scanned all the gems and the Mahechwaren's before his sight landed on the partially corrupt, passed out Steven, he ran to his side immediately and started to tear up, "Is he okay? What happened to him?"

"He'll be fine, physically, but I'm trying to find out what happened aswell" Mrs Mahechwaren answers, the two parents turned to the gems.

"Well, as you know, Greg, Steven fused with Jasper and became corrupted.." began Pearl.

"He ran away and Jasper trapped him in a cage and sped up his corruption somehow?" Continued Connie.

"Then we found him and kicked Jasper's butt, but..." added Amethyst.

"His corruption had gotten too bad, he changed into a beast and in order to bring him back like this we had to attack him." Concluded Garnet.

And awkward silence filled the room. The parents couldn't believe what they had heard. Corruption? Beast? Trapped? This was way outside their area of knowledge.

The silence continued for a hot minute, before it was broken by Steven's groggy moaning. Everyone turned to him as he raised one of his arms and pressed it against his face.

He slowly opened his dark eyes and looked around. He sat up, and was immediately hugged by almost everyone. He let out a help of pain, everyone immediately let go and looked at him.

"Steven... are you okay? How are you feeling?" Worriedly asked Amethyst. He looked at all of their faces, with a confused look on his face.

"Do I...Do I know you?" He questioned. The gems immediately looked at eachother with a scared look of sadness. Connie looked towards her mother for guidance, Greg hoped he remembered him.

"He must have amnesia. Did he get hit in the head at all during his time with 'Jasper'"? She questioned.

"Yes." Bluntly responded Garnet.

"Is there anyway we could get his memories back?! Any way at all?" Amethyst pleaded desperately.

"I don't believe so.."The doctor responded.

"There might be," stood up Greg, "A while back, when that pink gem came around and destroyed the town, she reset all of your memories. Steven got them back by remaking your most precious memories. Maybe it could work for him?" Explained Greg yearning for a scrap of hope.

"Oh please like that would" started Mrs Mahechwaren, sarcastically.

"Maybe it would!" Interrupted Pearl, recalling their time with Spinel. "If we remind him of all the things he loved then we could get his memories back!"

Steven watched them all with a blank stare, he had no idea what they where talking about. His head started to hurt. He layed back down and placed his hands on his eyes.

The gems and adults continued to talk about what to do next, Mrs Mahechwaren didn't believe that's how to help someone with amnesia, the gems insisting on trying. Connie sat beside him.

"Hey Steven, how are you feeling?" She gently asked.

"Everything's so loud..." He responded.

"Do you know me?" She hopelessly asked.

"U-uh...." He sat up and looked at her, with a worried look, he didn't know her but he knew he should, "No...sorry" He looked away.

Connie watched his eyes with a disheartened look, "Do you remember this?" She showed him his Ukulele, he took it and started at it blankly.

"I-I should know, shouldn't I?.." He scaredly said, his face was painted with a sad and guilty look, as he held his forgotten instrument, "I-I'm sorry" he croaked.

"No, no! It's okay, we'll help you remember, I promise." Connie hurridly said, sensing Steven's unnecessary guilt.

"Alright if you say so, uh..." Steven stuttered, recalling no name for the girl he was talking to.

"Connie." She informed, with a sinking heart.

The two young adults both chatted while the gems and parents came up with a plan to help Steven. Connie could tell that he was different. He wasn't the happy confident Steven she knew, of course he couldn't remember that, but she hoped he would still have the same attitude, even without memories.  He was quiet, anti-social, and scared, which worried her, why was he so frightened? Was she scaring him? Or was it the overwhelming knowledge that he knew he should know her but he didn't?

"Steven?" Said Pearl in a caring motherly tone, infront of Garnet and Amethyst, both looking at him with caring eyes, he met their looks with a worried stare, "Would you like to go home?"

"Wait!" Interrupted Mrs Mahechwaren making Steven flinch back and grip his Ukulele closer to him, "He's still injured. He'll be staying the night here. Under my supervision."

The gems instantly retaliated, "I'm sorry, he would be much better off with us, we can take care of him just fine, we've been doing it for over 10 years." Protested Pearl.

"Yeah, lay off, we can help him with his corruption, you've already wrapped him up in those stupid bandages" Amethyst spoke out angrily.

"Those 'Stupid bandages' are there to stop him bleeding out." Informed Mrs Mahechwaren, before Greg quieted down the argument.

"Pearl, Amethyst, it will be best that Steven stayed in one place for now, we'll start helping him tommorow but he seems most comfortable with Connie right now." Greg persuaded.

The gems all looked at each other before Pearl walked over to Steven who analysed her caring face, "Steven, you'll be staying here with the Mahechwaren's for tonight. Tommorow you'll be going home with us." She embraced Steven in a hug, his face immediately dropped, with an extreme expression of fear filled his face. Amethyst noticed and tapped Pearl on the back, signalling to let him go. She looked at Steven's terrified face with a worried and sad look, before the gems all departured away to the Temple.

Connie addressed Steven's terrified stare, "Are you okay?"

"I-I don't know...that lady I...She was terrifying...I...don't know why..." Steven stuttered, crossing his legs and placing a hand on his head and bringing his new tail around his leg, "Am I..Am I supposed to be this scared or...She said she's looked after me for 10 years...I should remember that I...why can't I remember?..." He panicked, his horns extended slightly as he covered his face with his hands. Greg saw his distressed son and quickly knelt next to his distressed son.

"It's okay, calm down, you'll remember in time, you don't have to worry" He comforted, placing a gentle hand on his knee. Steven took his hands away from his face slightly to look at his trying father.

He took his hands away from his face placed them down on his legs, staring down at his feet. "A-Alright..."