A/N: One day, I'll write something cute and cheerful for SU. Until then, here's this.

This is all our fault!

No it isn't! This is because of Peridot. We need to get her!

We need to help our friends!

How are we gonna help them?

"Garnet, are you okay? You're defusing!" Asked Steven. Steven felt another multicolored hand grab his leg.

Garnet didn't hear him. The arguing voices in her head were tearing her apart. She could feel herself defusing.

In front of her was the Cluster. The horrid abomination made by Homeworld. Everything Garnet stood for and loved had been turned into an awful monster. It screeched with the pain of her former friends. The monster crawled closer and closer and Ruby and Sapphire were still fighting over what to do.

We have to stay and help them. Bubble them maybe?

You want us to hurt our friends?

I want to help them! I can't stand to see them like this. Can't you hear them?

We have to track down Peridot and get Steven out of here!

No, we have to help our friends first!

Sapphire, can't you see this is why they got captured in the first place? This is all your fault!

And with that, Garnet fell apart. In a flash of light the tall warrior was replaced with Ruby and Sapphire.

"How could you say that?" Asked Sapphire through tears.

"If you had just let me look for them last time, this never would've happened," said Ruby, "but you wanted to stay back and make sure the others were okay. The one we already knew were fine!"

"Because we didn't really know if the others were fine. We had no clue where Emerald's team had been taken and we couldn't waste time on a blind search. If we had followed you, who knows who else would've been captured? We need to focus on the ones we can save, like Steve-"

Sapphire pointed to wear Steven was standing but didn't see him.

"Steven? Steven, where are you?" Shouted Ruby. "Sapphire can you-"

Ruby was cut off by the Cluster. It had pinned her down and began banging on her gem.

"Sapphire, help!" Begged Ruby,"they're trying to fuse with me!"

Sapphire raised her fist and summoned a blue gauntlet. She tried in vain to punch the monster off Ruby.

"Sapphire, please," cried Ruby. The Cluster was blocking her view; she couldn't see that Sapphire was trying to save her. "I'm sorry, I really am! Please, save me!"

Sapphire watched as Ruby began to turn into light. She punched the Cluster with even more force but to no effect; she just wasn't strong enough to save Ruby.

"Ruby, I'm trying," assured Sapphire, "just hold on."

But it was too late. Ruby disappeared and her gem was slowly absorbed into the Cluster. Sapphire stood and watched as her friend became one with it. Ruby's anguished cries had joined the Cluster.

"Ruby! Can you hear me?" Asked Sapphire, "I tried so save you Ruby, I really did!"

The center of the Cluster began to glow red. The glow for the shape of a deformed body. From the torso up, Sapphire could see a monstrous version of her former lover. Ruby's eyes were blank, her face sunken in, her hair fallen out and her once muscular body was now thin.

Ruby had been corrupted.

The Cluster started to move on Sapphire now, who put up no resistance.

"I'm sorry Ruby," sobbed Sapphire, "I failed you. I should've just listened to you."

The Cluster grabbed Sapphire and raised her into the air. In front of Sapphire's face was the corrupted Ruby.

"You were right about how we should've tracked our friends down."

Sapphire's body began to lose shape and turn into light.

"I am nothing without you. This is all my fault."

The Cluster began to absorb her. Sapphire could feel the collective pain and anger of her former friends.

"Steven, wherever you are, I'm sorry I failed you as well."

Sapphire's light died out as her gem melded with the core of the Cluster.

"Come on guys, Garnet could be in trouble!"

Steven was leading Pearl and Amethyst through the cave. He was worried Garnet wouldn't be able to handle it herself so he left for backup.

"Garnet should be just around-"

Moaning in the center of the room was the Cluster. Entangled in the center of it was the malformed bodies of Ruby and Sapphire, twisted and knotted together and joining in the choir of misery.

"S-S-Steven, stay b-back," stammered Pearl.

"Is that Ruby and Sapphire?" Asked Steven, "what happened to Garnet? Why did she unfuse?"

"I-I don't what that thing is," answered Pearl, "but we have to defeat it. Ready, Amethyst?"

Amethyst nodded and pulled out her whip.

"Hey Steven, you mind scouting outside the cave for Peridot?" Asked Amethyst with a smile.

"Shouldn't I help you guys save Garnet?" Asked Steven.

"Oh, don't worry," assured Pearl, "me and Amethyst can do this."

Steven nodded in an overly respectful manner and ran outside the cave.

As soon as he was out of sight, Amethyst dropped her smile.

"We can't win this."

"I know," said Pearl, "but we needed to get Steven out of here."

Pearl tossed her spear near the cave entrance, causing a landslide that sealed their way out.

"At least Steven is safe," said Amethyst, "do you think Garnet would be proud of us?"

The two looked at the Cluster advancing towards them.

"Do you think Rose would be proud of us?" Asked Amethyst.

"I don't know," answered Pearl, "maybe one day we'll find out."

A/N: I would like to take this time to say that I'm a rather upbeat dude, IRL. It just so happens that I like sad stuff. As always, thanks for taking the time to read and I would appreciate a review or constructive criticism. See ya round.

FUN FACT: Originally, this was gonna be about Peridot and it was gonna be even darker.