Chapter 1

The Info Isn't Lion

After regrettably agreeing to let Steven keep a gigantic jungle cat as a pet, Pearl decided to do some research on the subject.

She had located a book at a pre-used bookstore in town. It was a bit further then she would have liked. She asked the other gems if they would come with her. Amethyst seemed uninterested in books and Garnet seemed completely unfazed by this development in their otherwise Lion-free lifestyle.
After returning back home, Pearl read the dusty book while sitting on the living room couch. She was hoping the extra knowledge would put her at ease.

It did not.

Among many of the facts carried in this human literature (titled: "Big Cats in the Wild"), were examples of carnage, slaughter, eating habits, territorial spats, and various ways a large animal could probably destroy the house…and Steven along with it. On the other hand, the book had nothing on lions being pink in color…or having "sonic roars". Pearl lowered the book briefly to gaze cautiously at the gigantic pink cat that was currently sleeping in the middle of the floor. Lion was stretched out to his full potential. He had purposely chosen a sunny spot of the house to bath in. Other than his ear twitching periodically and the sound of his sleeping breaths he didn't look terribly active or menacing. A sudden movement brought Pearl to a more alert state. Lion stretched in his sleep, baring his sharp claws before becoming inactive once more. Pearl shivered at the mere thought of those same claws ripping through the flesh of her family. She looked down at the book again.

"Lions can sleep up to 20 hours a day."

She supposed this was a good fact. If the creature was asleep, at least it wouldn't be violent. The front door suddenly banged open, causing Pearl to jump. The book fell to the floor.
"Garnet says we're going to the pet store!" yelled Steven.
Garnet who was standing directly behind the small human gave a nod of agreement. If they were going to keep this creature around, they would need supplies…LOTS of supplies. Garnet stared at the beast's large stature- knowing it would need just as much love.
"Garnet…I've been reading up on the subject. I don't believe we have thought this through. A lion is a wild creature and is not typically kept as a pet- especially not in the house." Pearl picked up a book and flipped to a chapter titled "Captivity- A Controversy". "Look, see? All of these humans who kept lions as pets, they all met the same demise!" she turned to a page that featured a picture of several female lions in a cage made out of chained fence.

Garnet stiffly replied: "Not all of them."

Garnet turned the book a few pages forward and pointed to a picture of a man and wild lion embracing in a hug after a long time away from each other.
"AWWWW! That's adorable!" Steven looked up at Garnet "Can I teach Lion to do that?"
"NO! ABSOLUTELY NOT!" Pearl interrupted. "It says here that lions can weigh several hundred pounds! You'll get crushed!"
"Steven will be fine." Garnet was tired of arguing. "…besides, we need to get an appointment. There is a doctor at the local pet store. We need to make sure Lion gets his vaccinations." Garnet glared at Pearl. "Unless you want Steven getting sick."
Pearl looked mortified and conflicted. She certainly didn't want anything to happen to Steven, especially if this THING was going to be following him anyway. Deep down she knew that even if Lion was not allowed to be kept, he would still find a way to locate Steven. The only thing she could think of that was worse than being mauled by a lion, was being mauled by a disease-carrying lion.
Amethyst suddenly appeared from her temple room, looking rather fatigued. "What's all the ruckus? I was taking a nap."
"We're going to the pet store!" Steven repeated himself.
Amethyst perked up immediately. "All right! Can I get a snake?!"
"NO!" Pearl wanted no part in having another carnivorous creature endangering Rose's son.
"How 'bout a rat?"
"ABSOLUTELY NOT!"
Amethyst gave Pearl a disgruntled look. "Then why are we even going?"
Garnet pointed at the sleeping lion.
"OHHH! Yeah. That makes a lot more sense." Amethyst agreed.

The large beast gave an annoyed, deep, warning, growl. He obviously didn't want to be disturbed. The gems instructed Steven to stand back as the three of them attempted to push the creature to its feet. Lion responded by making himself as heavy as humanly possible. He leaned toward the trio, and put all his weight on one side. The gems huffed with exhaustion before giving up the struggle. As Lion's weight fell back on the floor he gave a calm sigh, and fell asleep again.
"Ugh. This is impossible!" Amethyst was frustrated. "If we can't even get him to come to the store now, how will we get him to the doctor for his appointment?"
"Hmm. Don't know. Pearl, you said these things only weigh a few hundred pounds." Garnet frowned at the aspect that this creature was so heavy not even the three of them combined could move him without causing potential harm.
"That's what the book said. Maybe it was older than I thought? Perhaps the information has been updated elsewhere?"
"Let me try!" Steven butted in, looking at the large cat with determination. "MOVE!"

Lion's ear twitched again.

Steven tried a different approach and pushed the cat with all his might nearly straining himself as he did so. Lion gave a mighty yawn and rolled over.
"Well, he did move..." said Amethyst chuckling to herself.

It was decided that Steven and his family would walk to the store without the giant animal. There would be time to figure out a solution to this problematic situation later. Fortunately, the pet store was just a little further then the boardwalk. Pearl cradled the used book in her hands attempting to find the chapter on eating habits. She wanted to get the right food so that the beast would find Steven less delectable.

"Lions are carnivores. They eat meat, and will often follow vultures to food. They are willing to scavenge if necessary."

Pearl heightened her upper lip in disgust. It seemed that lions were not picky when it came to how long their kill had been dead. They were willing to eat carcasses.
"This creature is sounding more and more unpleasant." stated Pearl, her nose in the book.
"Will you put that thing down? You're going to run into something…actually, keep reading! That sounds hilarious!" Amethyst grinned at the thought. Before Pearl could rebuttal, two automatic glass doors swung open in front of them.
"We're here." Garnet stated simply before walking through the entrance of the store and grabbing a cart. "I want you two to behave while in the store. If we get banned, we'll have to go to another store. It will require a ride on the bus."
Pearl shuddered at the thought of cramped, public transportation. Amethyst's eyes lit up.
"No." stated Garnet.
"But I've never ridden on a bus be-"
"No."
"-I haven't even done any-"
"No."
Garnet was not in the mood for shenanigans. Her future vision showed many scenarios involving them getting banned due to Amethyst's behavior. "Take this cart. I'm going to speak with the animal doctor in the back. Steven?"

"Y-yes Garnet?"
"Keep an eye on these two goons."
Steven gave a salute, as Garnet smiled and headed toward the back of the establishment.

The store had white tile, tall ceilings, and rows upon rows of pet supplies for various animals. The place also smelled strongly of seed and dog treats. Pearl pushed the cart as she began to search the various isles for the "Lion" section. Amethyst followed her somewhat frustrated and bored, before noticing a giant yellow cockatoo in a cage.
"I don't see any sections for lions." Pearl grew concerned. Steven snickered.
"They don't have sections for lions Pearl!"
"…and why not? Shouldn't an animal store accommodate all of Earth's animals?"
Steven thought for a second "You know, they SHOULD! That would make a lot more sense. I've heard of people having all kinds of animals as pets, even spiders!"
"Arachnids?" Pearl seemed puzzled that such a strange creature could be a "pet".
"Yeah! …and hedgehogs, and horses, and skunks- HEY! Where's Amethyst?"
To Pearl's horror, the purple gem had indeed disappeared from the group. She looked around frantically, attempting to get some idea of where Amethyst's tracks might have broken off in a different direction. The answer came almost immediately.

"SWAAAAK!"

The distressed call led Steven and Pearl running toward the bird section. When they got there the sight was more odd then troublesome.
The large cockatoo in the cage flapped its wings in terror. The crest on its head frilled in fright, it puffed up its feathers to make itself look bigger than it actually was. On the opposite side of the cage an identical bird clung to the side bars. Purple and majestic, the new cockatoo screamed loudly and flapped its wings while clanging the large beak against the metallic cage. The frightened bird saw this conflicting purple cockatoo as a threat because of the bird's violent behavior. The poor thing shivered as far away from Amethyst as the cage would allow.
"Oh no you don't!" Amethyst climbed to the opposite side to the cage using her newly created talons. She got as close to her fellow bird as possible. The real cockatoo hobbled to the opposite side of the cage again attempting to put some distance between it and the intruder.
"I just wanna say hi!" Amethyst used her beak to climb back to her original position.

"AMETHYST! LEAVE THAT CREATURE ALONE!"

The sound of Pearl's scolding frightened Amethyst off the cage. In a flash of light, the purple gem slammed to the floor. The new cockatoo was gone, replaced by a dazed family member. Amethyst moaned as she rubbed her head, which had slammed onto the hard tile floor during the fall.
"What in the stars are you doing?!" Pearl stared at her in a rage. Amethyst looked at her with guilt.
"I just wanted to see if I could talk to it, you know? Bird to bird?" The slight rise in her voice indicated that she was lying. Pearl put her fingers on the bridge of her nose.
"You KNOW better Amethyst. How many times have you turned into Earth creatures? Just because you can shapeshift into birds does not mean you can speak to birds."
Amethyst grunted in response. Seeing a pause in the conversation, Steven took the opportunity to point out the obvious and distract his friends from fighting more.
"Hey! Lion is a CAT right?"
Pearl perked up. "Oh! Yes! Lion does share the most qualities with a feline! Good job Steven!" she turned a sharp look at Amethyst. "WE will head to that aisle NOW."
Pearl gritted her teeth. Amethyst rolled her eyes.

Garnet approached the back counter of the store. A small metallic tap bell was present. She stared at it for a second, before slamming her fist on top of it.
"Ding-grth…"
The bell let out the most pathetic sound she had ever heard. The weight of her strength causing a crack to form in the wall. When she lifted her fist once more, the bell was falling apart, and slightly flattened. She blushed. Maybe the workers wouldn't notice.
A nice looking human appeared from the back door of the counter. "Just a minute!" As the woman appeared it was clear that she had been working with various animals all day. Her apron had fur all over it. Several band aids covered her arms, and the blond ponytail did little to hide the cat scratches on one side of her neck. "Hello!" she greeted in the kindest way possible. "How can I help you today?"
"I would like to make an appointment."
"For YOU? Hahaha! Just kidding! Vet humor!"
Garnet showed no signs of happiness what-so-ever. She stood, stoic. Truthfully only half of her found the joke even remotely amusing…the same half that had probably just caused structural damage to the building.
"A-him. Anyway…" The young girl tried to break the awkward silence by grabbing a clipboard from behind the desk. "Is it a dog, cat, or other?"
Garnet thought for a second. "Cat."
"Name?"
"Lion."
"Awww! What a cute name!"
"Hmm."
"…and what will this appointment be for?"
"Shots. Lots of them."
"Do you want Lion fixed?"
"He's not broken."
The woman stared at Garnet for a few seconds, not quite sure if she was joking or not. The large gem continuing to show no emotion one way or the other.
"Okaaay….um…when do you want to schedule the appointment?"
Garnet fell silent for a minute. "Next Friday at noon is the most optimal selection I can see."
"All right! Just sign right here!"
The girl handed Garnet a clipboard and pen. The gem looked at the paper for a few seconds before gently taking the writing utensil, and signing at the bottom. Slightly proud of herself, Garnet faced the woman and simply stated: "Thank you for your time." It was only as she began to walk away that the confused human noticed two things:

1. Her bell was broken

…and…

2. The strange woman's signature stated: Ruby/ Sapphire/ Garnet and had a small star drawn next to it

"WOW! Look at all the toys!" Steven was admiring the large wall of various cat teasers. Each one was colorful, or plush, or adorable, or awesome. "Which one would Lion like best?! What do you think Pearl?"
Pearl didn't answer. She was to busy trying to figure out whether the various cat treats would be of any interest to their new family member. Most of the bags had small cats on them, not big ones like Lion. She spotted one that had no picture on it and simply stated: "Calming Treats! Great for Cats with Anxiety on Trips"
"Hmm. I think Lion is pretty calm already. Still if he attacks Steven, this might help..." Pearl mumbled to herself.
Amethyst suddenly walked up. She had somehow gotten a hold of a bag of rabbit food. She ate the green pellets ravenously. "Hmm. It's not as good as the fish food. Worms taste a lot better than grass."
Pearl turned in disgust. "What…are…you…doing?"
"Trying to find a food Lion will like." Amethyst spat flakes of rabbit pellets through her full mouth, before shoving in another handful.
"You know I'm going to have to pay for everything you're eating?"
"Yup! That why I put all the samples I've been trying in the cart."
Amethyst pointed her thumb toward the cart. Pearl followed her hand to the sight of a cart with an empty bottle of bird seed, an empty jar of fish food, and what appeared to be some sort of empty can of something.
"Stop eating everything in sight! I already know what Lion eats. We need some steak…or raw chicken."
Pearl looked up, and saw one of the employees restocking a shelf of canned cat food. The shelf did not need more food per say, but the dozens of cans scattered on the floor had to be picked up and re-arranged. Pearl turned to Amethyst.
"What?! Everyone knows they keep the fresh stuff in the back of the shelf. Even I know that! You don't want to get Lion OLD food, do you?"
Pearl sighed, and approached the poor employee who was whispering curses under his breath.
Pearl coughed slightly, hoping to get the man's attention. "Excuse me kind sir, do you know where we could find some steak please?"
The man grumbled "berightback" before disappearing.
"See Steven? If you ask nicely you'll be rewarded with results."
Steven's eyes glimmered with stars as he nodded in agreement. The man came back several seconds later, and handed Pearl an array of items. "allrightgoingonbreakbye." He mumbled before walking off again. Pearl surveyed the items, and soon found herself becoming frustrated. "Steak flavored dog food, beef flavored cat food, and-what is this?" Pearl held up something that slightly resembled a steak-but only by minimalistic standards. She squeezed it. It squeaked back. "Well I've never!"
Amethyst began to roll on the floor, laughing hysterically. "Those are some GREAT results you've got their Pearl! Really top notch stuff! TOTALLY what we were looking for!"
Pearl stuck her nose up in the air. "This establishment is going to get a very nasty complaint letter about the attitude of its employees. I assure you!"

"Um guys?" Steven piped up "What are we going to do now? There's no food here Lion can eat."

The two gems realized this would not bode well at all. Clearly the entire reason of coming to this place was to get something much more delectable to occupy Lion than a fresh half-human. Pearl put three bags of the calming treats into the cart.
"Well, we can still get some toys here. What do you think of this Amethyst?" Steven held up a plush ribbon on a string.
"Oh yeeeah! Lion will LOVE that!" Amethyst saw what Pearl had put in the cart, and discreetly grabbed a large bottle of something grassy on the shelf. She hid it on herself quickly. As the trio continued down the aisle, Garnet suddenly appeared with a rare grin on her face.
"You look happy Garnet!" Pearl lifted an extra-large dog bed that had obviously been put on the wrong shelf into the basket.
"I got Lion his appointment for next Friday."
"Oh thank goodness! It seems we accomplished this mission with little disruption."
"How did you guys do?" Garnet surveyed the cart. She lifted the large bed to reveal the toy, cat treats, and various open containers of pet food. Garnet looked toward Amethyst her smile fading.
"What? I got hungry."
Amethyst looked down, slightly embarrassed.
Pearl found the situation stressfull, and piped up. "Well, what really matters is that nothing significant got destroyed right Garnet?"

Garnet turned to Pearl. Her face suddenly transformed into a frown. Pearl became nervous, shuddering at the thought of being yelled at. All Garnet could think about was the wall in the back of the store that now had a fresh crack in it. "We should probably go." She stated feeling slightly embarrassed herself.

The same male employee that had "helped" Pearl earlier rang up their items. Pearl stared at him with a look of disapproval. He didn't notice. He was way too busy trying to figure out why on Earth most of the bags of food these people were buying were completely empty.
"Uh…theseare…erm…empty?"
"Yes. I know." Garnet replied, both employee and gem having about the same amount of enthusiasm in their voices.
"Okwhatever."
He rang them up anyway. "$54.98"
As the three of them left the building Garnet tossed the empty containers in a recycling bin. She bubbled the items that hadn't been eaten, and tapped on the top with her hand. The bubbles disappeared and dissolved into nothingness.
"There. Now we don't have to carry anything back." Garnet smiled slightly.
"Why didn't I think of that?" Steven realized that this technique could have saved a lot of time during past predicaments. He wondered if he could bubble himself back to the temple somehow to avoid walking.
"I only did it, because we are not going home yet." Garnet looked into the horizon.
"What do you mean?" Steven was confused.
"It seems you all failed to find our furry friend any food. We are going to have to go to the grocery store on the way home."

Pearl groaned.

Next Chapter:

Food Lion

(A.K.A. – The Dreaded Trip to the Grocery Store)