Cracked- an evil Steven Universe au

A New Kind of Pain

Connie had been staying with Steven for a week. Of course, the thrill of a sleepover had not even come across either mind. It had seemed that slowly, Connie had begun to regain herself. Small moments when she would seem to make her own decision or have clear, strong emotions appear on her face.

That was fine.
As long as he kept fusing with her and she lost all the qualities, it was fine. But there was still a problem. Every time Steven fused with her he felt a terrible pain around his gem. This time had been the worst- he was on his third day of laying in bed, staring at the ceiling and refusing to move for fear of the pain becoming more intense.

His silence was quickly interrupted, this time, by Amethyst. He swore under his breath and sat up slowly, although it really did no good. The pain around his gem spread down his legs and he cringed, visibly and audibly. Amethyst looked over him, alarmed.
"Pearl told me to- I mean, ugh... I came to see how you're doing. What happened just now?"
"Nothing. Where's Connie?" He replied sharply. For a moment a look of fear flashed across Amethysts face. It quickly changed to anger.
"What's wrong with you, dude? I'm trying to help! Do you think it's easy for us to watch you suffer like this?"
"I said i'm fine! Are you even listening to what I tell you?" He yelled, quickly beginning to turn pink. "You won't listen to me! Garnet won't listen to me! Pearl won't listen to me! i'm going to visit the diamonds. Now tell me where Connie is!" He shouted, ignoring the intense pain throbbing through his glowing body. Amethyst instantly shrank and stepped back. She had seen what he could do, seen the human blood he was covered in, seen the lifeless look in Connie's eyes. It was all to much for her to make the mistake of arguing back again.
"She's in your garden! In your garden."
"Then get her."
Amethyst tried to reply, but his now demanding presence made her think better of it. The purple gem regained herself and opened his glass screen door to get the human girl, feeling the pain of losing someone she held so close- who was now so far.
Steven didn't want to wait, but his anger that had fueled him now drained him, and as he relaxed through a deep breath, the intense emotion faded and left him helpless.
He hit the floor with and echoing thud and cried out. Pain erupted terribly through his entire body, seizing his muscles and leaving him gasping the air. It was too intense, too destructive, and he curled up there, on the ground. The only sound he heard was the quick beating of his own heart.

Pearl stood in her room, alone, confused. Amethyst hadn't returned for some time, and it was beginning to get to her. She could no longer wait, and with a bit of hesitation, she opened the door and came into Steven's room. She called out softly, but with no reply, she began to worry. The pale gem quickly climbed the staircase to find Steven and Amethyst sleeping on the ground.
Pearl had barely stepped on the wooden floor before Amethyst opened an eye. She smiled. Pearl felt an angry twist in her stomach.
"Pearl, he's fine. He's sleeping again." She told Pearl softly, pointing to Steven who was quite near her.
The curly-haired boy was indeed sound asleep on the floor. His hair framed his face messily, and his face was in a permanent frown with his brows furrowed deeply. The pillow his head was on had been placed there by Amethyst, who had found him curled on the floor in a frozen state of uninterrupted pain. Amethyst could only hope he felt any better in the comfort of rest, which he had not much of in the past few weeks, and give him a pillow and blanket to ease him whatever more she could.
He was sleeping roughly, as though with no dreams, but he was sleeping deeply enough that the conversation between the two gems would not wake him as Pearl raised her voice from an uneasy whisper.
"Are you sure he's sleeping? I thought- nevermind that. I'm glad he's come to some semblance of rest." The pale gem relented. Amethyst nodded in agreement and slid down the wall a bit more as she relaxed. She knew that a moment like this would not come again for a very long time, and she paused to take it in. She felt so sorry and wretched for letting that happen to Steven. She recalled the story gently in her mind and wished she could quickly forget it again.
Pearl's sharp inhale of alarm snapped her out of whatever form of trance she was in. Amethyst looked from Pearl to what she was observing.
There was a dark shadow in the corner of the room, eyes fixed unwavering on Steven. Amethyst realized that she had forgotten about Connie. Pearl was staring at Connie as Connie stared at Steven, but with a strong and gripping fear. Pearl was scared, simply put. That wasn't Connie. It hadn't been Connie for a long time. The girl looked from Steven to pearl and asked quickly,
"How is Steven?"