How long had it been?

The thought floated hazily through his mind, a distant wondering he wasn't quite sure he had created.

He didn't have any of his senses – no sight, sound, taste… nothing but a faintly warm hum that felt more like a vibration than an actual noise.

He shifted slightly, mind settling back down into the blank stupor of his continuing existence.

The hum warbled, and he startled awake, woozy and disoriented in the endless hum. There was a feeling of… movement.

He stirred, reaching out with his awareness in curiosity until- !

The hum vanished!

Warmth sucked out of him as cool air and strange sounds and oh! He could hear words! But the world was so cold, and the abruptness of it all was exhausting him.

He could feel warm hands cradling him….

That was nice….

"I don't think you can fix that one."

Peridot eyed the swirling fluid bobbing around inside Steven's pink bubble, doubt coloring her expression.

"It looks thoroughly destabilized. How about that one!"

She pointed at a blue oval hovering near the ceiling, bare feet already patting along toward the bubbled gem.

"C'mon, Peri~ It wouldn't hurt to try. The Gems have been so stressed lately, I figured I'd give them a nice surprise! Friends are always a good surprise."

The green gem stopped, still looking up at what must have been a pearl before the corruption got to it. She sighed, turning on her heel and crossing her arms.

"It's not going to work." She stated, glancing to the side. "Whatever was done to that gem, it's not-" Her lips thinned. "Don't get your hopes up."

Steven gave her a thoughtful frown, popping the bubble and jumping a little when the orb of… goo, just dropped down into his hands. He scrambled to keep his palms cupped, hoping he wouldn't have to try and put together a melted gem after it oozed into the cracks of the tiles.

Thankfully, it did seem to have some sort of internal drive to keep itself together, and even the drops that spilled over his fingers slowly pulled back up to join the main blob.
Steven tilted his hands, watching it slide sideways, eyebrows raised in curiosity. He could hear Peridot edging forward, probably just as curious.

"Ah! Found it!" "YAAGH!"
Steven giggled at his friend's startled yelp, giving an apologetic smile and awkwardly shifting the pile of goo to one hand. It spilled over, but the viscous fluid just twisted around and drew back up, making a continuous loop through his fingers.

"What'd you do that for?" Peridot whined, and Steven used his free hand to prod at the middle of the slime, tongue sticking out slightly in concentration.

"I just- thought I saw- there we go!"

He gently scooped out a tiny clear crystal from the goo, bright light scattering across the room. The goo quickly followed the movement, enveloping the tiny crystal and swirling almost protectively around it.

Steven made a little sympathetic noise, helping the last of the goo up to his other hand.

"Hey little guy, don't worry, I'm not gunna hurt you." His green friend whispered his name warningly, but he ignored it.

Now he could feel the hard weight of a white crystal gently pinched between his finger and thumb, and could maybe feel a pattern in the way the slime was moving around.

Steven nodded decisively, wiping his hand off on the front of his shirt. Not that he thought the goo was dirty, but… you know.

He stuck his tongue out and gave his fingers a noisy lick, then pushed them through the goo until he could wipe it onto the tiny gem. Peridot sucked in a breath behind him, but for a long moment, nothing happened.

Just as Steven was pulling away his fingers, a shock jolted up both of his arms. He couldn't help the instinctual yelp, accidentally dropping the gem.

A bright light flashed and spilled out from the goo, and it hovered instead of falling to the floor.

Steven grinned delightedly, taking a step back and watching the reformation of what must have been one of the Crystal Gem's companions.

"Steven." Peridot whispered more urgently, tugging him back several more steps.

"H-hey, what was that for?" He turned to scold her for not asking nicely, but her face made him hesitate. "Peridot?"

Her eyes were fixed on the gem, realization and fear blooming across it. Goosebumps prickled over Steven's arms and he quickly looked back as well.

Glowing tendrils writhed as they spread outward from the goo's central mass, more slime reaching out in creeping tendrils to twist around them and slowly form the outline of a body. It was nothing like the light-condensing he was used to, and the boy wondered if he had just made a big mistake.

The green expanded, reaching out to form long limbs, bubbling goo settling into a humanoid form, still floating. Fingers spread, then relaxed into half-curled fists.

Color started to bleed across the surface, creating black and white outlines.

"I'm sure it will be fine, right?" Steven chuckled nervously, sweat beading his forehead. "She'll be healed and it'll be fine."

"Are you sure all the gems stored here used to be their friends, Steven?"

"Um…"

With a black body and white gloves and boots, the gem hovered for a long moment. White hair drifted lazily around their head, as if underwater.

"We should… probably get the others."

Peridot nodded quickly in agreement, and the two of them shuffled backwards toward the door. The gem still just… hovered there, the faint light not fading from their skin. Was it still broken? They weren't really being quiet.

As soon as the temple door opened, the gem twisted around, bright glowing green eyes finding the pair immediately. They yelled, scrambling backwards tripping over themselves to get away, until the door closed and sealed behind them.

Steven panted, eyes a bit wild as he held his chest. That gaze had felt…

Not even Jasper's eyes ever felt that predatory.