UB-Symbiont [2018-08-08 05:56:38 +0000 UTC]
EISOPTROPHOBIA (n.)
persistent fear of reflective objections or seeing oneself's reflection
So imagine if this were just the most sudden thing. Like, ever. The morning of Ruby and Sapphire's wedding. Every Crystal Gem (except for the ones in the Temple. Bless their gems) is attending, is excited, is ready to take a jump start into some good times.Â
"Ohhh-kay, Sapphire. I gotta get ready for our big day now, so no peaking. And no future vision either!"
"Heh heh! Okay--"
"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!"
Everyone stops what they're doing. Greg nearly drops the wedding figurines for the cake. Pearl immediately scrambles to the bathroom door. "S-Steven?! What's happening? Are you okay in there? I can come in, if you want--"
"N-no!"
A few moments pass in silence.
"I mean... I'm fine. Just thought I saw a big spider. Or a spider-looking corrupted gem. Or just a spider. But there wasn't anything at all. I'm fine. Totally fine."
Pearl still waits at the door, worry written on her face. She glances at Ruby, who looks exceedingly concerned. She then looks over to Sapphire, still as a statue. "Sapphire?"
Ruby walks over to Sapphire after no response is given. "Is everything alright?" She pushes her love's bangs to the side to get a look at her face. Everyone's attention is turned towards Sapphire--her iris seems to have shrunk down to the size of her thumbnail, she looks panicstriken. "Oh, no! W-what's wrong, Sapphire?" Ruby asks with worry. Sapphire stays in the same paralyzed position for a few moments before muttering something nearly incomprehensible:
"His eyes have been opened. This is his reality now. H-he... WE can't escape it."
Amethyst scooches closer to Sapphire, saying, "Hey, uh, mumbles? Could you repeat that with less mumbling?"
Sapphire seems to come back to her senses. "No, no, it was nothing. Nothing of importance. We should resume to dressing ourselves, Ruby." Ruby gives Sapphire a look filled with concern and skepticism, but proceeds to look for her dress anyway. When Ruby leaves the room, Sapphire dashes over to the bathroom, unintentionally shoving Pearl out of the way.
Steven hears someone trying to turn the doorknob from outside. "Pearl, I'm fine. Just give me a sec--"
"Open the door, Steven. Now."
Sensing the urgency in Sapphire's voice, Steven reaches for the doorknob, but then hesitates. He quickly throws a towel over his head, hiding his face from view. He resumes opening the door for Sapphire. She rushes in, then closes the door behind her before Pearl can get a look inside the bathroom.
Steven can already feel beads of sweat forming on his face. He gives a fake, awkward laugh. "Look who tried to pull a Sapphire today! Heh, heh, heh..." After a moment, Sapphire says plainly, "Take the towel off, Steven. I know what you're hiding."
Steven begins to sweat even more. He removes the towel from his head.
Sapphire isn't amused. "Just... open your eyes, Steven." She doesn't get anything in response. She sighs. "It's an incredibly simple task to per--"
"Not when you're not even sure if the eyes you're looking at in the mirror are even your's."
"You won't be looking in a mirror, Steven. You may look at the ground, if you find that of most comfort. The only eye looking into your's is mine."
"B-but," Steven sniffs, "that's what I'm afraid of."
He thinks of the training Garnet put him and Connie through as Stevonnie for emotional stability. He remembers how much Jasper, Bismuth, and Eyeball impacted not only Connie, but Stevonnie as a whole, and none of that was Connie's fault.
Therefore, it wasn't any of Stevonnie's fault.
But it was HIS fault. It was his fault for letting them fall off the Cloud Arena. It was his fault for nearly killing them both.Â
And, apparently, he just had to face that.
He had to face what his mother did, what his mother left behind, what he had to do with it.Â
He looked his fear in the face--Sapphire's single, reflective, all-seeing pupil holding the truth--with eyes closed. And then, he opened them.
Sapphire let out a small gasp. It was a gasp full of wonder, amusement, surprise, shock, disappointment, and concern. And he knew why.
Steven could just make out small rings of magenta reflecting in the white of Sapphire's eye.
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