-Finding Garnet part 1-

Steven's P.O.V

The high pitched shrill that echoed from the warp pad bounced along the dry, rough Kindergarten walls, then resonated within their ears. He swallowed shyly, his fingers quickly tracing the thin cloth around his collar. "Connie, let's look over there, I found her here before. Near that broken machine."

She raised an arm above her head, blocking out the sun and straining to see far off. "Oh, right there." She said, pointing to the dull, red fragmented gem atop a machine body structure with three metallic legs that jutted out from the sides, one completely shattered.

He nodded in agreement and took her hand in his. We'll find her, for Amethyst, for Pearl, for everyone. Then things will go back to normal finally, like they used to be.... He was filled with a gleam of hope. With Connie's hand clasped in his, and a positive attitude about them, they strode off with smiles rested upon their faces.
. . .

"Should we try calling for her?" Connie asked with a concerned look fixed on her face. No doubt she was beginning to feel the very depths of worry and despair he felt. God, it was contagious. Despite the fact that his hands had become clammy and his lips, chalked...he swallowed. If she were down, his job would be to raise her up. If she were to cry, he were to soothe her. If there was a problem, he'd find a solution.

"No, I think we should look around more. Check the holes over there, and I'll check the machines around here. "

She nodded in consesus and trotted off, while he stayed put, watching her with a careful eye; refreshing his mind briefly. Ok Garnet...Peridot...where are you? Where are you hiding her? He lifted up a torn slab from a nearby machine and stared down at a multicolored shard the size of a watermelon. Without a moments hesitance, it was bubbled and warped to the temple-

-The pink bubble warped in directly beside another. The shard's spikes stabbed through, popping both bubbles easily. The shard hit the ground of the basement...reforming instantaneously, while the other gem; bearing a square facet with a deep velvety color, lie there...still, on the cold, hard floor-

-Steven squared his shoulders and kicked up his legs with each step, whistling an old tune he remembered his dad singing. He squatted and examined a pile of dirt, not afraid to get his hands dirty, he dug into it. At the very bottom, he brought up yet another shard carefully, as equally large as the other and bubbled it, sending it off. He paced over to a different remnant of gem tech and examined it closely, analyzing everything he found like Pearl taught him previously before.

Until something started to click. Small whirring sounds and a loud continuous tsk tsk click, tsk tsk CLICK! The machine gave forth a howl and steam billowed from its sides, as it roared to LIFE!!!!

"STEVEN!!!!!" Connie yelled into his ear, shaking his shoulder fiercely.

His head snapped up in awareness. "What!?"

"You were scaring me," she giggled. "I thought the creepy machine was possessing you, the way you stared at it. " Connie joked.

"CONNIE, RUN!!!! IT'S GONNA GET US!!!!!!!" He cried out.

She jumped with fright. "Stop that! I-it's not real. See!" She gestured to the dead machine.

He turned his head sharply to the lifeless piece of scrap metal. Wasn't it alive just a second ago? He began to hyperventilate out of fear. "B-But-"

She placed both her hands on his shoulders. "I think the microscopic dust and dirt particles lingering in the air is affecting your brain waves. Yea, your breathing in a LOT of it. " she patted him. "Let's search a different place. There's nothing really here but gem technology, deep figure like hole structures, and more dirt." She reached for his hand and smiled as they began walking together back to the warp pad.

That's right. Connie's right. None of it works and none of it will ever work again. "It hasn't worked since...FOREVER!" He exclaimed.

"Yea! Nothing to fear!" They both stepped up onto the warp pad and she put two fingers to her forehead. "Gem powers...ACTIVATE!" She smiled. And as if on cue, Steven activated the warp pad...and their laughs echoed throughout the Kindergarten.

But ever so little did they know, things weren't exactly how they always had been...

crrrrREEEAAAAAKKKKK!!!!!!!

((Which is reality...and which is a parallel universe? Was what Connie saw real, or was what Steven saw real? That's up to you, the reader to figure out. Till next time my lovelies~
-Fanfiction365))