Corruption

Similarities

Steven let out an exhausted sigh, he understood why White felt the way she did. She was like him, not wanting things to change, she missed the days with Pink. Steven swallowed his pride and admitted it, he missed being able to help people and going on adventures with the Gems. The question now was...

"Do we have a plan? What are we gonna do?" Amethyst questioned, aching to get back at White, "We have to get her back!"

"No we don't." Steven stopped Amethyst's racing mind, shocking the others.

"What are you talking about Steven? Look what she did to you!" Connie protested, breaking her usual calm persona.

"She didn't do this to me! It was me who did this to me, I didn't listen to Amethyst's warning and fused with Jasper..." Steven explained, solemnly.

An all too familiar silence fell over the group. No one wanted to speak up, everyone averted eye contact with anyone. This went on for many moments before Spinel decided to continue the plot.

"Well, I guess this garden is the safe space from her powers so I don't think she knows where we are. But what if we go back and uh..." The pink jester fell silent on ideas.

"We have to just talk her out of it" Steven finished, resting the palms of his hands on his forehead, "Its going to be a pain, literally but also metaphorically. But if I can get to her I can relate to her mental state."

Pearl peaked up hearing Steven's statement, "Steven?...What do you mean?" She placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder.

He hesitated for a moment before speaking up, "She's upset, mad, angry... tired. Tired of everything happening so quickly, stressed that everything is changing and...and she's just not ready, yet."

"Steven...?" Connie started, before Steven continued, not lifting his eyes from the floor.

He stared at his reflection in the puddle of his own blood before starting again, "Think about it, not too long ago, she ruled over half the galaxy, in her mind everything was perfect...she was happy in her own head, controlling every movement of every gem. Then I show up and throw a wrench in the system. Her perfect empire, her comfort space...it all crumpled. Not only did she lose the one gem who she thought as like a daughter, but now Blue and Yellow, wherever they are, have changed too. In her mind, everything she spent her entire lifetime building for, believing that if she just set a perfect example, not showing any sign of weakness or flaws, believing if she kept doing what she was doing, nothing would change." Another long silent moment, as Steven evaluated what he was about to say, "She didn't realise how toxic she was being to those around her...and herself...She's Just lashing out in an ugly manner because, nothing like this has ever happened to her before! She doesn't know how to handle this new, new change and- because that change happend so quickly- she's lost and scared. She's only doing what she's doing because she's afraid."

The silence fell on the group once again, everyone was processing what he had just said. Some was about White Diamond but, they all knew that some was about himself.

"Right, then" Garnet stood up, putting  her hands on her hips, everyone's head snapped to her, "Why don't we go and see if White Diamond wants to talk about it" She gave Steven a comforting, warm smile.

"Right" He agreed, and the rest followed. They all walked to the warp pad and where sent flying back to Homeworld in a minty blue light.

The garden was left barren once more. Silent, and dead. It was dark and filled with a horrid atmosphere. The only slash of colour was the large, pink tinted pearl in the grass.

The gem glowed and rose up again, gaining her form once again.