The Diamond in The Rough

Chapter 1

Steven stood along the shore of the beach as the cool night passes by.  "I'm glad to finally take a breather and have things calm for once." But as he says this he was in shock when the sky went pitch black as black vines grew out of the ground. "What!? What's happening!?" Steven suddenly felt a strong and powerful aura that was coming off the vines.  "What? I feel someone aura?" Steven walked over and place a hand on the vine as he focuses on trying to understand who aura he is feeling.

Steven fell deeper into a pit of darkness that appeared below his feet.  As he was being consumed by the aura around him.  "Who has an aura this strong? Who... What gem is this!?" Steven crashes land onto a hard rock floor and looked around.  But jumped in shock when he saw a large dark figure standing above him, "What!?" The figure looked down at Steven as vines wrapped around him. He heard a sad and yet strong voice coming from this dark figure, "Is anyone there..? Does no one care?" Steven panicked as he tries to break out of the vines and reach out to the figure, "I care! Please, let me help you!" But the figure didn't react to Steven's call and remained frozen standing there. 

As the ground caved in and Steven fell through, "ahh!" Quickly he focused on his float ability and slow down his fall.  Steven was in shock when he heard the sad voice again around him as he was falling, " aren't we all the same? Isn't this enough?"  Steven thought for a moment as he hears the voice, "aren't we the same? So this voice... it is a gem but the same?" Steven yelled in panic when he saw a sharp blade was suddenly heading towards him.

Outside if the dream... 

"Ahh!" Steven woke up screaming in fright as beads of sweat ran down his face.  Taking deep breaths as he looks around he saw he was in his hotel room. That he rented out during his big trip around the country. "It was just a dream? I was just dreaming." Steven climbed out of bed and ready for the day when he realized it was already morning. Steven got ready and packed up his bags to travel the road again. As his mind wander back to his strange dream he had last night. "What was that dream about?" He only shook his head as he checks out of the hotel and was about to get back on the road. When he heard his phone go off with an incoming phone call. Steven picked up the phone and answer it with a smile, "hey, Garnet. How are things back at Beach City?" 

2 days later  Back at Beach City...

Steven drove up the beach and slammed on the breaks when he was in front of his house. Quickly he jumped out of his car and ran up the stairs that lead into the front door. Pearl jumped in fright when she Steven suddenly burst through the door. "Are you sure it was black vines that cause the damage!?"

 Pearl shook her head at him, "Steven!? You can't just run in like this unexpectedly! " Steven only made a face at her, "ugh, Pearl! What Garnet told me last time we talk on the phone...is it true? Garnet told me is that some mysterious vines appeared." Pearl nodded her head yes, "yes, it is true but I don't know why you came here in a hurry."   Steven panicked and paced back and forth across the room, "Are you sure that vines caused the damage?" Pearl nodded her yes, "yes, I am sure. That is what Garnet told me. That they grew and appeared at Little Homeworld.  Why is something -? Steven!?" Before Pearl could finish her question Steven ran out the door. 

With his heart racing, Steven jumped into his car and drove off to the little homeworld. When he got there, he froze in shock as he sees enormous and thick pitch-black vines. That is tangled and intertwined with each other all around the tower. Steven's face went pale in shock because the vines were a perfect match to the ones he saw in his dream about three nights ago. Amethyst walked up and waved to Steven, "yo Steven! Did you decide to do an early home visit? Aw, did you miss us, buddy?" Steven only waved off Amethyst's questions, "yeah, yeah. Miss you too Amethyst. What is going on here?" Amethyst stood next to Steven and gestures towards the vines, "  Is it crazy, right? All these weird indestructible vines grew out of the ground and been  growing for the past three days." 

Steven shook his head at her, "wait, indestructible!? You guys can't get rid of them!?"  Amethyst shrugs her shoulders, "tried everything and didn't even make a single tear or cut in them." Steven gaps in shock as he walks up to the tower that covers in black vines and thorns. Crowds of different gems were gathered around the tower. To help clean up the various debris that is scattered around the tower square. Steven ran up to Garnet that was checking up on some gems that were sitting on the side. "Garnet!? Is everyone ok?" Garnet adjusted her shades and looked around the courtyard, "a bit shook up when these vines first appeared but everyone is alright. There were no reports injured humans  or crack gems."  Steven sighed in relief when he heard this, "that's good, I am glad everyone is ok While I was gone. What about the vines?" Garnet walked over and place a hand on one of the vines, "the vines are not natural... they are definitely not from here." 

Steven looked at the vines and then to Garnet, "are they gems?" Garnet shook her head, "not any that I recognize. Since we been trying to get rid of  these vines for the past three days now and made zero progress." Steven thought about it and walked around the perimeter of the tower to get a full view of the tower.  But found nothing that could give him a clue about where they come from. Until he heard something... a faint soft and sad voice singing. " Guys, do you hear something?" Amethyst shook her head no, "don't hear anything over the crowd and noises." Steven carefully listens and tries to follow the sound  of the voice, "Garnet, tell everyone to stop working and be quiet for a few minutes." 

Garnet did what Steven asked and soon it was dead silent in Little Homeworld. The only sound that could be heard was a soft and yet sad voice that was singing a lullaby.  That was coming from within the vines that were wrapped around the tower. Amethyst gave Steven a confused look, "uh can vines singing?" Steven shook his head as he placed both hands on the vines, "no... someone is in there." Amethyst pouted at Steven, "What! So let's get them out!" Steven turned around to face the gems with a serious look on his face, "no. Whoever is in there is so scared that they trapped themselves within the dark vines. We have to wait until they are ready to come out and then maybe we can help them." 

Bismuth groans in annoyance as she hears this, "man, and I was just finishing building that tower and now, someone crash in and took over the joint."  Steven shrugged his shoulders and look up at the tower, "sorry, Bismuth. Hopefully, they are alright and soon come out."