There was something that Steven was always curious. What was regeneration like? Steven wasn't sure if he should ask the gems or not. Would it offend them if he did. Well, there was only one way to find out.

It was a very hot and sunny day in Beach City. The gems hadn't had anything to do for weeks. It was really getting to them. When Steven said he had a question, Pearl got really excited. She was eager for something to do. Answering a question was something. " What is it?" Pearl asked very excitedly. " I've been curious for a long time. What's regeneration like?" He asked. Pearl's exited expression hardened. " You better hope you never have to experience it." She said. " Why is that?" Steven asked. " Steven, have you ever heard of the concept of Limbo?" She asked.

" Limbo? I love that dance!" Steven said excitedly. " No. Not that kind of Limbo." Pearl snapped. " What other kind is there?" He asked. Pearl thought for a second. " Steven, imagine you were in a pitch black room, nobody there to keep you company. Just all alone. With no body." She said. " That sounds terrifying!" Steven said. " Yes. It is. That's exactly what the regenerative process is like. When you're in it, you hope it doesn't take long. You just hope that your body will regenerate quick. It's not always like that. Sometimes it takes weeks and that's terrifying on it's own but sometimes it takes years. Like I said, it is something you never want to experience." Pearl said

Steven went to his bedroom. " I don't want to regenerate. Ever." He thought to himself. " It sounds way to scary." He thought to himself. A few weeks later on a mission. They were fighting what appeared to a Cyclops. It wasn't going too great. " Pearl! Pearl!" Steven yelled when he noticed it running after her. " Oh no." She said. She had lost her spear. Steven ran up to her and shoved her out of the way. But at a terrible price. The Cyclops had stabbed Steven straight threw the chest.

He coughed up a decent amount of blood before he dropped to his knees. " STEVEN!" All the gems yelled. " You just made a big mistake, ugly!" Amethyst yelled before she wrapped her whip around its throat. " You killed our best friend!" Garnet said before she punched it as hard as she could with her gauntlet. Pearl threw her spear threw its eye and it turned to a bright purple colored gem. Pearl bubbled it and sent it to the temple and then dropped to her knees and started crying.

" Steven! I knew we shouldn't have ever let him go on missions." Pearl said crying hard. Garnet and Amethyst were both crying hard. " F-For once, I agree with you." Amethyst said, she was crying hard as well. " Yes, so do I." Garnet said . " I-I guess we have to tell his father." Pearl said before turning to where Steven's body was. Pearl gasped when she just saw Steven's gem sitting there. " W-W-What?" Pearl said. " H-He's regenerating." Garnet said.

" No! No! No! I never wanted him to experience this!" Pearl yelled before picking up the gem. " That time all alone is going to damage him psychologically. He's not going to be the same Steven we love." Pearl said. " Let's hope it doesn't take too long." Amethyst said before they went to the house and set his gem on his bed. " Steven, we hope you'll be back with us soon." Garnet said. The gems went to the temple and to there rooms, all with sadness inside them.

Regeneration was exactly like Pearl had said. Just like a pitch black room with nobody there. No body either. " H-How am I even thinking right now when I don't have a body?" Steven thought to himself. The endless void was terrifying. Steven hated it. He just wanted to go home back to his family and friends.

" I-Is this what death is like? I-I don't like it." He thought. Death is a lot easier than limbo my friend. Death, you would be at peace and in an awesome paradise. Where you are, you are quite literally nothing. Quite literally nowhere. I'm sad to say there's no knowing when you'd return to your home in Beach City. Weeks had passed and the gems depression was at an all time high. They couldn't seem to find the motivation to do anything. Even the ultra serious Garnet.

" I-Is he done regenerating yet?" Pearl had yelled from the kitchen. " No he isn't." Amethyst yelled. " Why are you even bothering cooking for him right now? He's not back and he might not ever be back." Amethyst said. Pearl had stopped what she was doing and started crying. " I-It's just a force of habit." She said. Out of nowhere, there was a bright flash coming from Steven's room. There he was, good as new." I-I'm done regenerating? I'M DONE REGENERATING!" He yelled happily.

" Steven? " All the gems said at the same time before running to his room. Their moods instantly got better at the sight of him. They all ran up to him and gave him a humongous hug. " I-I love you to guys." Steven said, returning the hug. " I am never letting you go on another mission again." Pearl said, refusing to let go of him when the other gems had let go.

" Or at the very least, stay in your bubble at all times when you're on them." Garnet said, holding back her tears. " Surprisingly, I-I agree with you, Pearl. The time without you was too painful on us." Amethyst said. " I-I have to go on missions in order to be a Crystal Gem. B-But I'm not sure I even want to be a Crystal Gem anymore after that. It was horrible." Steven said.

" I don't blame you, Steven. I have always hated regeneration to. But all the futures I see point to you changing your mind in a couple weeks." Garnet said. " We are all going to be hesitant to allow you to go." Garnet said. " I-I'm very tired right now. C-Can you guys stay with we while I sleep. I don't want to be alone right now." Steven said. " We won't ever leave you alone again. We promise!" Pearl said before Steven got comfortable on his bed and went to sleep.

I don't anybody would want to be alone after going through something like what he experienced. I sure as hell wouldn't want to.