Red As A Bloody Rose

What Have I Missed?

"TAMARA'S BACK!" Steven cheered.

She pat his head, saying "Darn right Steven! Now then, where are the two lovebirds so that I can show them how much I care for them?"

As Tamara chatted with the other gems, Steven noticed something....

"Hey, Tamara can I drag you away for a moment?" Steven ask, giving one of his classic smiles.

"Awe, alright. When you gimme that look, I can't deny ya." She says, walking away with him for a moment.

The two leave the gems temple, going down to the beach, before Steven suddenly grabbed her sleeve and rolled it up. There, in place of skin, sat black scales.

"I knew it!" Steven shouted at her.

"S-Steven! It's not what it looks like!" Tamara tried to reason.

"It looks like you're getting worse! What have you been doing up in space with the diamonds this entire time, stressing yourself out more?!" Steven ranted.

"It's not stress, Steven! White's just been teaching me the ins and outs of Red Diamond's colony and tasks!" She retorted.

"How did you get here then?! If everything there was so perfect, then why did you come here?! Why come back at all?!" Steven yelled.

"Steven-" Tamara tried to cut in.

"If everything was so great, why not rat out the Crystal Gems?! Why not betray me, Garnet, Amethyst, Pearl, and your friends?!"

"Steven-"

"When will you realize that they only want you because you look so much like her?!"

"I KNOW!" She shouted at him, her skin glowing red and eyes turning into diamonds. "I get it, okay! I know that the only reason that they want anything to do with me is because I have Red Diamond's gem! White keeps calling me Red, Yellow hasn't so much as chilled out on our training, and Blue's been avoiding me out of fear of getting yelled at by White!" She ranted.

"They. Don't. Care!" She admitted, eyes turning completely black, red irises shining red. The scales on her arms travelled upwards, spreading, Tamara saying "Hold on,"

She shook her hands, the scales only retreating slightly and her eyes changing back to normal.

".... I should've come back, I should've left sooner!" She admitted.

"Tamara.... What's happening to you?" Steven asked.

Tamara's eyes widened, and she chuckled grimly.

"You really haven't figure it out yet?" She said, looking down. "Steven," She said, locking eyes with him. "I'm corrupting."

"WHAT?!" He yelled. "This is still early, maybe we can still fix it!" He said, watching her pull back down her sleeves.

"Steven.... It's getting worse by the hour. I don't have much time left, a few days at most.... I just wanted to come back and say bye before I fully became like one of the corrupted gems. If these will be my last few days on the planet, I want them to be the very best before this thing finally takes a hold of me.... Diamond buds?"

She held out her fist for a fist bump.

He smiled sadly, saying "Diamond buds."

They fist bumped, staring at each other for a moment more.

.

Tamara leaned further into the lava in the temple, wearing a simple red bra and shorts, the rest of her clothes discarded onto the side.

"That feels so good." She said, grinning at the warmth, closing her eyes.

She headed the door open, opening one of her eyes. She sat up, covering her chest as soon as she spotted Steven.

"SORRY!" He yelled covering his eyes.

"STEVEN?!" She shrieked.

She quickly got her clothes back on, zipping up her hoodie. The two stood there awkwardly for a few minutes.

"I wasn't here. You weren't here. This never happened." She said blankly.

He nodded, saying "I need you to help me with something.... Or, well, someone."

A minute later he had Bismuth's bubble, the two nodding to each other before he popped it. A glow enveloped the gem, before she landed on the ground, recovering abruptly.

"Rose- I mean, Steven." She said, gazing at her.

"Oh no, now there's a third option." He said.

"Keep calm, stick to the plan." Tamara told him.

"Hey, what is this?! Did Rose bubble everyone who disagreed with her?!" Bismuth demanded.

"Wait- no-"

She gasped, saying "Tigers Eye! Little Larimar! Topaz, Beryl,"

She gasped again, looking at one in particular.

"BIGGS?!" Bismuth questioned. "Biggs was beloved by everyone!" She shouted, before jumping up to grab the bubble.

"Bismuth, wait!" Steven tried to say.

Tamara reached up to her throat, pulling out her javelin.

"I gotcha buddy." Bismuth said. She popped the bubble, saying "Now help me free the other.... Biggs?"

The corrupted gem growled, raising up a fist to strike her. Steven proceeded to get in front of Bismuth, raising his bubble to protect the three of them.

"Bismuth was it? Hi, I'm Tamara. You don't know me, but that's besides the point. Things happened and now everything is all fractured and messed up." Tamara said, readying her weapon.

"What we really mean to say is.... We're sorry!" Steven says, his bubble finally breaking.

"Biggs...."

Bismuth turned her hand into a blade, slicing the gem, poofing them.

"This damage.... Only a diamond could do this. It was Pink, wasn't it?! Why didn't Rose stop her?!" Bismuth said, clenching her fist.

"Because, they were the same person." Steven replied.

*One explanation later*

"And, that's what happened." Steven finished.

"Hmmm." Bismuth hummed, thinking for a moment.

"I'll let you two talk, I'm gonna go say hi to some of the other gems." Tamara said, sweating a little bit.

Steven nodded, Tamara walking out of the temple. She got behind a sea stack, leaning against it as she grit her teeth in pain.

"Dammit.... Dammit!" She cursed.

She looked at her hands, gasping in surprise at the viscous talons that came from them. Her nails had become dark red and curved, unease settling in Tamara's stomach.

"It's progressing further.... I need to see the others before it's too late."

She began walking down the beach, up until she got to the familiar red of her Palanquin. She took a deep breath, walking inside.

"Any word on Lady Tamara from the Crystal Gems?" Netty asked.

"None! Maybe we should-"

"Netty, Pearl...." Tamara interrupted, tears filling her eyes.

The two looked at her, Netty making her shades disappear while Red Pearl covered her mouth.

".... I'm Home."