History NightmareFuel / StevenUniverse

* Malachite is most certainly nightmare fuel for three very good reasons. First, let's start with her appearance: [[BodyHorror She has four eyes, a pair of fangs, and four extra arms on her body that act as her legs.]] And she's freaking HUGE, about as big as ''Alexandrite.'' Second, two seriously unbalanced minds combined into one deformed but extremely powerful body that outclasses Alexandrite in direct combat. Though at range or when destabilized by emotional conflict, still beatable. Third, Malachite is not just a mix of Jasper and Lapis, in theory she is an entirely new individual who's existence is made up entirely of unending emotional turmoil and self-destructive behavior. Even for a show that engages in some of the heaviest nightmare fuel intended for children, that implication is very, very dark.

* The very ''concept'' of being a Homeworld Gem is pure, undistilled NightmareFuel. From the moment you emerge from the ground, you have to do the job you were made to do for the rest of your life, whether you like it or not. You're immortal, so you better get used to that job, because you're gonna be doing it for a long time, likely hundreds or thousands of years. The smallest misstep, transgression, or [[YouHaveFailedMe failure]] can be grounds for your superiors deciding to [[AndIMustScream shatter you]] (and you're more at risk for it the lower you are on Homeworld's caste system). You can never, ever take a different job, for fear of being shattered. You can never, ''ever'' step out of line, for fear of being shattered. Exploring your identity? [[IndividualityIsIllegal Becoming an individual? Thinking for yourself?]] Forming a relationship with another Gem? Thinking about anything other than serving Homeworld and your Diamond? You can forget it. Fusion, a symbol of an intimate bond between Gems, is forbidden except for utilitarian purposes, and fusing with a different type of Gem for any reason--even accidentally--is grounds for being shattered. And even if you do everything right, follow every order you're given and remain loyal to Homeworld? You are ''still'' expendable, and you can still be shattered or worse, as shown by the fates of Lapis and the Gem monsters on Earth. And if you're unlucky enough to be born with a defect, your only chance to survive is fleeing to the underground catacombs, to live your whole life in fear of being shattered on sight. No wonder Rose and the Crystal Gems rebelled--because ''this was the alternative!!''

[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/steven_universe_nightmare_3.png]]

* The very ''concept'' of being a Homeworld Gem is pure, undistilled NightmareFuel. From the moment you emerge from the ground, you have to do the job you were made to do for the rest of your life, whether you like it or not. You're immortal, so you better get used to that job, because you're gonna be doing it for a long time, likely hundreds or thousands of years. The smallest misstep, transgression, or [[YouHaveFailedMe failure]] can be grounds for your superiors deciding to [[AndIMustScream shatter you]] (and you're more at risk for it the lower you are on Homeworld's caste system). You can never, ever take a different job, for fear of being shattered. You can never, ever step out of line, for fear of being shattered. Exploring your identity? [[IndividualityIsIllegal Becoming an individual? Thinking for yourself?]] Forming a relationship with another Gem? Thinking about anything other than serving Homeworld and your Diamond? You can forget it. Fusion, a symbol of an intimate bond between Gems, is forbidden except for utilitarian purposes, and fusing with a different type of Gem for any reason--even accidentally--is grounds for being shattered. And even if you do everything right, follow every order you're given and remain loyal to Homeworld? You are ''still'' expendable, and you can still be shattered or worse, as shown by the fates of Lapis and the Gem monsters on Earth. And if you're unlucky enough to be born with a defect, your only chance to survive is fleeing to the underground catacombs, to live your whole life in fear of being shattered on sight. No wonder Rose and the Crystal Gems rebelled--because ''this was the alternative!!''

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* The very ''concept'' of being a Homeworld Gem is pure, undistilled NightmareFuel. From the moment you emerge from the ground, you have to do the job you were made to do for the rest of your life, whether you like it or not. You're immortal, so you better get used to that job, because you're gonna be doing it for a long time, likely hundreds or thousands of years. The smallest misstep, transgression, or [[YouHaveFailedMe failure]] can be grounds for your superiors deciding to [[AndIMustScream shatter you]] (and you're more at risk for it the lower you are on the Homeworld's FantasticCasteSystem). You can never, ever take a different job, for fear of being shattered. You can never, ever step out of line, for fear of being shattered. Exploring your identity? [[IndividualityIsIllegal Becoming an individual? Thinking for yourself?]] Forming a relationship with another Gem? Thinking about anything other than serving Homeworld and your Diamond? You can forget it. Fusion, a symbol of an intimate bond between Gems, is forbidden except for utilitarian purposes, and fusing with a different type of Gem for any reason--even accidentally--is grounds for being shattered. And even if you do everything right, follow every order you're given and remain loyal to Homeworld? You are ''still'' expendable, and you can still be shattered or worse, as shown by the fates of Lapis and the Gem monsters on Earth. And if you're unlucky enough to be born with a defect, your only chance to survive is fleeing to the underground catacombs, to live your whole life in fear of being shattered on sight. No wonder Rose and the Crystal Gems rebelled--because ''this was the alternative!!''

* The very ''concept'' of being a Homeworld Gem is pure, undistilled NightmareFuel. From the moment you emerge from the ground, you have to do the job you were made to do for the rest of your life, whether you like it or not. You're immortal, so you better get used to that job, because you're gonna be doing it for a long, long time. The smallest misstep, transgression, or [[YouHaveFailedMe failure]] can be grounds for your superiors deciding to [[AndIMustScream shatter you]]. You can never, ever take a different job, for fear of being shattered. You can never, ever step out of line, for fear of being shattered. Exploring your identity? [[IndividualityIsIllegal Becoming an individual? Thinking for yourself?]] Forming a relationship with another Gem? Thinking about anything other than serving Homeworld and your Diamond? You can forget it. Fusion, a symbol of an intimate bond between Gems, is forbidden except for utilitarian purposes, and fusing with a different type of Gem for any reason--even accidentally--is grounds for being shattered. And even if you do everything right, follow every order you're given and remain loyal to Homeworld? You are ''still'' expendable, and you can still be shattered or worse, as shown by the fates of Lapis and the Gem monsters on Earth. And if you're unlucky enough to be born with a defect, your only chance to survive is fleeing to the underground catacombs, to live your whole life in fear of being shattered on sight. No wonder Rose and the Crystal Gems rebelled--because ''this was the alternative!!''

Here, we have all the chills and spooks that are in ''WesternAnimation/StevenUniverse''. If there's two things that this show is going to teach you, it's that even in the worst situations, there's [[SugarWiki/HeartwarmingMoments surprisingly touching moments]]. And despite how [[WhatDoYouMeanItsForKids colorful and innocent it appears on the surface]], things can unexpectedly spiral into very [[SurpriseCreepy dark]] places.

!!!General

!!!Promos

* The very ''concept'' of being a Homeworld Gem is pure, undistilled NightmareFuel. From the moment you emerge from the ground, you have to do the job you were made to do for the rest of your life, whether you like it or not. You're immortal, so you better get used to that job, because you're gonna be doing it for a long, long time. The smallest misstep, transgression, or [[YouHaveFailedMe failure]] can be grounds for your superiors deciding to [[AndIMustScream shatter you]]. You can never, ever take a different job, for fear of being shattered. You can never, ever step out of line, for fear of being shattered. Exploring your identity? [[IndividualityIsIllegal Becoming an individual? Thinking for yourself?]] Forming a relationship with another Gem? Thinking about anything other than serving Homeworld and your Diamond? You can forget it. Fusion, a symbol of an intimate bond between Gems, is forbidden except for utilitarian purposes, and fusing with a different type of Gem for any reason--even accidentally--is grounds for being shattered. And even if you do everything right, obey your superiors' every order, and remain loyal to Homeworld? You're ''still'' expendable, and you can still be shattered or worse, as shown by the fates of Lapis and the Gem monsters on Earth. And if you're unlucky enough to be born with a defect, your only chance to survive is fleeing to the underground catacombs, to live your whole life in fear of being shattered on sight. No wonder Rose and the Crystal Gems rebelled--because ''this was the alternative!!''

* The very ''concept'' of being a Homeworld Gem is pure, undistilled NightmareFuel. From the moment you emerge from the ground, you have to do the job you were made to do for the rest of your life, whether you like it or not. You're immortal, so you better get used to that job, because you're gonna be doing it for a long, long time. The smallest misstep, transgression, or [[YouHaveFailedMe failure]] can be grounds for your superiors deciding to [[AndIMustScream shatter you]]. You can never, ever take a different job, for fear of being shattered. You can never, ever step out of line, for fear of being shattered. Exploring your identity? [[IndividualityIsIllegal Becoming an individual? Thinking for yourself?]] Forming a relationship with another Gem? Thinking about anything other than serving Homeworld and your Diamond? You can forget it. Fusion, a symbol of an intimate bond between Gems, is forbidden except for utilitarian purposes, and fusing with a different type of Gem for any reason--even accidentally--is grounds for being shattered. And even if you do everything right, obey your superiors' every order, and remain loyal to Homeworld? You're ''still'' expendable, and you can still be shattered or worse, as shown by the fates of Lapis and the Gem monsters on Earth. And all of the above is assuming you weren't born with a defect and forced to flee to the underground catacombs, to live your whole life in fear of being shattered on sight. No wonder Rose and the Crystal Gems rebelled--because ''this was the alternative!!''

* The very ''concept'' of being a Homeworld Gem is pure, undistilled NightmareFuel. From the moment you emerge from the ground, you have to do the job you were made to do for the rest of your life, whether you like it or not. You're immortal, so you better get used to that job, because you're gonna be doing it for a long, long time. The smallest misstep, transgression, or [[YouHaveFailedMe failure]] can be grounds for your superiors deciding to [[AndIMustScream shatter you]]. You can never, ever take a different job, for fear of being shattered. You can never, ever step out of line, for fear of being shattered. Exploring your identity? [[IndividualityIsIllegal Becoming an individual? Thinking for yourself?]] Forming a relationship with another Gem? Thinking about anything other than serving Homeworld and your Diamond? You can forget it. Fusion, a symbol of an intimate bond between Gems, is forbidden except for utilitarian purposes, and fusing with a different type of Gem for any reason--even accidentally--is grounds for being shattered. And even if you do everything right, obey your superiors' every order, and remain loyal to Homeworld? You're ''still'' expendable, and you can still be shattered or worse, as shown by the fates of Lapis and the Gem monsters on Earth. And all of the above is assuming you weren't born with a defect and forced to flee to the underground catacombs, to live your whole life in fear of being shattered on sight. No wonder Rose and the Crystal Gems rebelled--because ''this'' was the alternative: thousands of years of joyless servitude with the threat of a FateWorseThanDeath hanging over your head, every single day.

* The very ''concept'' of being a Homeworld Gem is pure, undistilled NightmareFuel. From the moment you emerge from the ground, you have to do the job you were made to do for the rest of your life, whether you like it or not. You're immortal, so you better get used to that job, because you're gonna be doing it for a long, long time. The smallest misstep or transgression can be grounds for your superiors deciding to [[AndIMustScream shatter you]]. You can never, ever take a different job, for fear of being shattered. You can never, ever step out of line, for fear of being shattered. Exploring your identity? [[IndividualityIsIllegal Becoming an individual? Thinking for yourself?]] Forming a relationship with another Gem? Thinking about anything other than serving Homeworld and your Diamond? You can forget it. Fusion, a symbol of an intimate bond between Gems, is forbidden except for utilitarian purposes, and fusing with a different type of Gem for any reason--even accidentally--is grounds for being shattered. And even if you do everything right, obey your superiors' every order, and remain loyal to Homeworld? You're ''still'' expendable, and you can still be shattered or worse, as shown by the fates of Lapis and the Gem monsters on Earth. And all of the above is assuming you weren't born with a defect and forced to flee to the underground catacombs, to live your whole life in fear of being shattered on sight. No wonder Rose and the Crystal Gems rebelled--because ''this'' was the alternative: thousands of years of joyless servitude with the threat of a FateWorseThanDeath hanging over your head, every single day.

* The very ''concept'' of being a Homeworld Gem is pure, undistilled NightmareFuel. From the moment you emerge from the ground, you have to do the job you were made to do for the rest of your life, whether you like it or not. You're immortal, so you better get used to that job, because you're gonna be doing it for a long, long time. The smallest misstep or transgression can be grounds for your superiors deciding to [[AndIMustScream shatter you]]. You can never, ever take a different job, for fear of being shattered. You can never, ever step out of line, for fear of being shattered. Exploring your identity? [[IndividualityIsIllegal Becoming an individual? Thinking for yourself?]] Forming a relationship with another Gem? Thinking about anything other than serving Homeworld and your Diamond? You can forget it. Fusion, a symbol of an intimate bond between Gems, is forbidden except for utilitarian purposes, and fusing with a different type of Gem for any reason--even accidentally--is grounds for being shattered. And even if you do everything right, obey your superiors' every order, and remain loyal to Homeworld? You're ''still'' expendable, and you can still be shattered or worse, as shown by the fates of Lapis and the Gem monsters on Earth. And all of the above is assuming you weren't born with a defect and forced to flee to the underground catacombs, to live your whole life in fear of being shattered on sight. No wonder Rose and the Crystal Gems rebelled--because ''this'' was the alternative: thousands of years of servitude with the threat of a FateWorseThanDeath hanging over your head, every single day.

* The very ''concept'' of being a Homeworld Gem is pure, undistilled NightmareFuel. From the moment you emerge from the ground, you have to do the job you were made to do for the rest of your life, whether you like it or not. You're immortal, so you better get used to that job, because you're gonna be doing it for a long, long time. The smallest misstep or transgression can be grounds for your superiors deciding to [[FateWorseThanDeath shatter you.]] You can never, ever take a different job, for fear of being shattered. You can never, ever step out of line, for fear of being shattered. Exploring your identity? [[IndividualityIsIllegal Becoming an individual? Thinking for yourself?]] Forming a relationship with another Gem? Thinking about anything other than serving Homeworld and your Diamond? You can forget it. Fusion, a symbol of an intimate bond between Gems, is forbidden except for utilitarian purposes, and fusing with a different type of Gem for any reason--even accidentally--is grounds for being shattered. And even if you do everything right, obey your superiors' every order, and remain loyal to Homeworld? You're ''still'' expendable, and you can still be shattered or worse, as shown by the fates of Lapis and the Gem monsters on Earth. And all of the above is assuming you weren't born with a defect and forced to flee to the underground catacombs, to live your whole life in fear of being shattered on sight. No wonder Rose and the Crystal Gems rebelled--because ''this'' was the alternative!

* The very ''concept'' of being a Homeworld Gem is pure, undistilled NightmareFuel. From the moment you emerge from the ground, you have to do the job you were made to do for the rest of your life, whether you like it or not. You're immortal, so you better get used to that job, because you're gonna be doing it for a long, long time. The smallest misstep or transgression can be grounds for your superiors deciding to [[FateWorseThanDeath shatter you.]] You can never take a different job, for fear of being shattered. You can never, ever step out of line, for fear of being shattered. Exploring your identity? [[IndividualityIsIllegal Becoming an individual? Thinking for yourself?]] Forming a relationship with another Gem? Thinking about anything other than serving Homeworld and your Diamond? You can forget it. Fusion, a symbol of an intimate bond between Gems, is forbidden except for utilitarian purposes, and fusing with a different type of Gem for any reason--even accidentally--is grounds for being shattered. And even if you do everything right, obey your superiors' every order, and remain loyal to Homeworld? You're ''still'' expendable, and you can still be shattered or worse, as shown by the fates of Lapis and the Gem monsters on Earth. And all of the above is assuming you weren't born with a defect and forced to flee to the underground catacombs, to live your whole life in fear of being shattered on sight. No wonder Rose and the Crystal Gems rebelled--because ''this'' was the alternative!

* The very ''concept'' of being a Homeworld Gem is pure, undistilled NightmareFuel. From the moment you emerge from the ground, you have to do the job you were made to do for the rest of your life, whether you like it or not. You're immortal, so you better get used to that job, because you're gonna be doing it for a long, long time. The smallest misstep or transgression can be grounds for your superiors deciding to [[FateWorseThanDeath shatter you.]] You can never take a different job, for fear of being shattered. You can never, ever step out of line, for fear of being shattered. Exploring your identity? [[IndividualityIsIllegal Becoming an individual? Thinking for yourself?]] Forming a relationship with another Gem? Thinking about anything other than serving Homeworld and your Diamond? You can forget it. Fusion, a symbol of an intimate bond between Gems, is forbidden except for utilitarian purposes, and fusing with a different type of Gem for any reason (even accidentally) is grounds for being shattered. And even if you do everything right, obey your superiors' every order, and remain loyal to Homeworld? You're ''still'' expendable, and you can still be shattered or worse, as shown by the fates of Lapis and the Gem monsters on Earth. And all of the above is assuming you weren't born with a defect and forced to flee to the underground catacombs, to live your whole life in fear of being shattered on sight. No wonder Rose and the Crystal Gems rebelled.

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[[quoteright:350:[[Recap/StevenUniverseS2E11KeepingItTogether https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/image14.png]]]]
[[caption-width-right:350:AndIMustScream doesn't even ''begin'' to cover it. [[note]]And it keeps getting ''[[FromBadToWorse worse]]''.[[/note]]]]

[[caption-width-right:350:AndIMustScream doesn't even ''begin'' to cover it. [[note]]And it keeps getting ''[[FromBadToWorse worse]]''[[/note]]]]

* The very ''concept'' of being a Homeworld Gem is pure, undistilled NightmareFuel. From the moment you emerge from the ground, you have to do the job you were made to do for the rest of your life, whether you like it or not. You're immortal, so you better enjoy that job, because you're gonna be doing it for a long, long time. The smallest misstep or transgression can be grounds for your superiors deciding to [[FateWorseThanDeath shatter you.]] You can never take a different job, for fear of being shattered. You can never, ever step out of line, for fear of being shattered. Exploring your identity? [[IndividualityIsIllegal Becoming an individual? Thinking for yourself?]] Forming a relationship with another Gem? Thinking about anything other than serving Homeworld and your Diamond? You can forget it. Fusion, a symbol of an intimate bond between Gems, is forbidden except for utilitarian purposes, and fusing with a different type of Gem for any reason (even accidentally) is grounds for being shattered. And even if you do everything right, obey your superiors' every order, and remain loyal to Homeworld? You're ''still'' expendable, and you can still be shattered or worse, as shown by the fates of Lapis and the Gem monsters on Earth. And all of the above is assuming you weren't born with a defect and forced to flee to the underground catacombs, to live your whole life in fear of being shattered on sight. No wonder Rose and the Crystal Gems rebelled.

* The very ''concept'' of being a Homeworld Gem is pure, undistilled NightmareFuel. From the moment you are born, you have to do the job you were made to do for the rest of your life. The smallest misstep or transgression can be grounds for your superiors deciding to [[FateWorseThanDeath shatter you.]] You can never take a different job, for fear of being shattered. You can never, ever step out of line, for fear of being shattered. Exploring your identity? [[IndividualityIsIllegal Becoming an individual? Thinking for yourself?]] Forming a relationship with another Gem? Thinking about anything other than serving Homeworld and your Diamond? You can forget it. Fusion, a symbol of an intimate bond between Gems, is forbidden except for utilitarian purposes, and fusing with a different type of Gem for any reason (even accidentally) is grounds for being shattered. And even if you do everything right, obey your superiors' every order, and remain loyal to Homeworld? You're ''still'' expendable, and you can still be shattered or worse, as shown by the fates of Lapis and the Gem monsters on Earth. And all of the above is assuming you weren't born with a defect and forced to flee to the underground catacombs, to live your whole life in fear of being shattered on sight. No wonder Rose and the Crystal Gems rebelled.

--> '''Pearl:''' [[DarkReprise If you could only know]]/[[IronicNurseryTune what we really are]]/[[DroneOfDread what we really are]]/[[BrokenRecord what we really are...]]

[[caption-width-right:350:AndIMustScream doesn't even ''begin'' to cover it.]]