Steven Universe: The Little One
A Story by supersaiyanjin219 and Feraligreater328
A/N (supersaiyanjin219): Hey Everyone! This is Supersaiyanjin219 and i am here with My writing partner Feraligreater328 author of Connie and The B-Team.
A/N (Feraligreater328): Hello everyone! I just want to say that I'm super excited to be working with my writing partner here. I've only ever done one collab before, so I'm hoping this experience will be phenomenal! And I hope you all enjoy this too. This is the kinda stuff that I'd like to include in the main story, but can't really find a place for. So, supplemental tales like this one are place where I can express things I can't find room for in the main story! :)
Chapter 1: Ruby and Sapphire
The Omega Colony…
Garnet sneakily hid behind a rocky encampment. She looked over the stone edge and peeked down below at the Gems of the Omega Colony. The Crystal Gem Leader was silent as she observed these new Gems, watching them toddle around and just experience their lives.
The Fusion sighed as she sat back and listened to them talk to one another. She couldn't help but smile as they played with and supported one another. "Can't believe they'd try to keep this a secret from us…"
Garnet sat back and listened to each conversation. One in particular made her smile from ear-to-ear. And adorable little voice talking to silent partner, sounding as cheerful as could be. "Come on Tiger! Let's go explore some more!"
No verbal response, merely a deep grunt. This adorable voice chuckled. "Right-o! Let's get going!"
Garnet got onto her knees and peeked over the rocky encampment. She watched as the source of the voice, an adorably tiny Lapis Lazuli, climbed up onto the back of her terse partner, some kind of Quartz wearing a dark, brown shroud over her form.
Garnet sat back down and sighed. Despite her reservations, having seen glimpses of this Colony in her Future Vision, nothing seemed to be the matter. It did make her feel slightly hurt on the inside that Lapis and Jasper and especially Peridot and Connie would keep this from her, she could see where their fears were founded. These Gems seemed totally innocent to here, uncorrupted by the unfortunate situation of having to take sides in a war they didn't comprehend. Most likely, the B-Team was scared of them being drawn into all of that.
Garnet stroked her chin thoughtfully. Where to go from here?
It would be at least a few more hours before Pearl and her girlfriend got back from the mall with the Steven and Connie and the gardening supplies. And, knowing Amethyst, she hadn't even begun to build the greenhouse yet. So, here Garnet was, not knowing what to do. She had no interest in building that thing (and she saw a not insignificant number of futures where it would be pointless to try anyway). So, what to do now?
Her question was answered by a clinking sound next to her. She looked down and her eyes widened at the sight of a piece of scrap metal resting next to her. Her brain reacting quickly, Garnet saw every Future from this moment in time. There was no way for her to get away without being seen. And, from there, she could see the angry tirade that Lapis would go on and, even worse, the angry rampage Jasper would go on from her putting her nose into their business.
Thinking quick, Garnet did the only thing she could think of. Nodding, she quickly separated into Ruby and Sapphire, just in time for the arrival of the Lapis and the Quartz seeking their lost peace of scrap.
As they walked up the hill, the Lapis gasped at the sight of the two new Gems standing before her. She smiled wide and ran up to them. "OH MY GOSH! NEW GEMS!"
The Lapis turned to her bigger counterpart. "Tiger! Look! Now Gems!"
The larger Gem, a Tiger Jasper with a huge crack in her Gem, looked less than impressed. She glared down at the two newcomers and growled under her breath. On instinct, Rubyy reached out and pushed Sapphire behind her.
However, the oncoming altercation never happened as the Lapis cheerfully and playfully scolded her partner. "Tiger! Don't be such a meanie! These are clearly new members of our family just wondering around and trying to catch there bearings! Nothing to be angry over…"
The Lapis turned to Ruby and Sapphire. "Right? You two must be so confused…"
Ruby stood there, her mouth agape. She was at a genuine loss for words. However, luckily for her, she had Sapphire to speak for the both of them. "You're right! We are...a bit confused about our place here. Might we accompany you two for a bit and get a tad more acclimated with our surroundings?"
Tiger Japser glared suspiciously at the two new Gems, but her smaller partner was absolutely cheerful. "Of course! We'd be happy to show you around. We could introduce you to everybody and-"
Ruby loudly cried out. "NO!"
Sapphire and the Lapis both flinched. Tiger Jasper growled slightly louder and clenched her fist, taking a heavy step forward. The Lapis stopped her. "No. It's okay. They're aren't being threatening…"
She turned to Ruby. "They aren't mean you know. They're nice like we are. And I'm sure they'd love to meet you…"
Sapphire smiled and nodded. "I'm sure they would as well. But, I'm afraid that we just can't meet them right now."
Sapphire grabbed her lovers hand and squeezed it tight. "My friend here is a bit shy. She doesn't do well with new people."
The Lapis looked saddened. "Oh...well, that's…"
Sapphire quickly spoke up in a warm, motherly tone. "But, don't be sad. We'd just like to get to know the two of you first. For instance, I don't believe we've asked your names yet…"
The Lapis gasped. "Oh! I…"
She blushed. "Sorry. I'm a bit forgetful sometimes. My giant friend here is Tiger Jasper. And, I…"
The Lapis smiled wide. "My name is Lapis Lazuli. But, because I so closely resemble one of our Progenitors, everyone just calls me the Little One. Or, sometimes, they call me Little Lappy!"
She ran up to Sapphire and grabbed both her and Ruby into a big hug. "What are your names?"
Ruby awkwardly stuttered as she tried to speak, her gaze constantly averting to the larger, still quite cross Jasper looming over them. "Well...w-well uh...um...my...uh...I…"
Sapphire quickly cut in. "Her name is Ruby. And I'm Sapphire."
Sapphire quickly returned Lappy's hug and then walked up to Tiger Jasper, reaching out for a handshake. Tiger was cautious, but she reached out and accepted the handshake, loosening up the moment she and Sapphire touched.
Lappy smiled and turned to Ruby, squeezing her even tighter. "No need to be scared new friend. We won't bite!"
Ruby shuddered in relief, seeing the now benign look on Tiger Jasper's face. And then, she smiled. "Okay. Nice to meet you Lappy."
Ruby glanced down at Lappy as she continued the hug. The Little Lapis happily sighed. "You're really warm. I like warm things…"
Ruby blushed in embarrassment, heating up even more. She was quickly calmed by the cooling touch of Sapphire.
Lappy giggled as she felt the cool aura wafting off of Sapphire. "Ooh~! You're chilly! It feels funny!"
Sapphire smiled and nodded. "What can I say? I have a cooling effect on heated situations…"
Sapphire summoned a bit of snow into her Gem hand and playfully blew it a Lappy. Lappy cheered and swatted at the snowflakes. Seeing her little counterpart so filled with joy, Tiger Jasper fully calmed down.
Watching Lappy play in the snow, Ruby swallowed a lump in her throat. She hadn't seen anything as cute as this since she last had caught glimpse at Sapphire. And, before that, since she had seen Steven as a baby.
Ruby and Tiger Jasper both stood back and watched as Sapphire played with Lappy. They both turned and glanced at one another. Ruby awkwardly tried to make small talk. "So...uh...you want to play in the snow too?"
Tiger grunted and shook her head, walking up to Lappy and gently tapping her shoulder. Lappy looked up at her giant companion and nodded. "Oh! Right. We have to get back to work! Onyx needs us to gather more scrap for the big building. We should get going!"
Lappy quickly scaled up Tiger Jasper's back, taking a seat on the larger Quartz's shoulder. She looked down at Ruby and Sapphire and smiled. "Would you two care to join us?"
Ruby turned to Sapphire and Sapphire cautiously nodded at her. Ruby put her best smile on her face and nodded. "O-of course we'd like to join you! We can help find scrap!"
Lappy giggled and nodded. "Okay then! Just follow me and Tiger. We'll lead you to where we go scrap hunting!"
Walking through Paria Canyon…
As Tiger Jasper and Little Lappy trailed ahead of them, Ruby and Sapphire spoke to one another. Ruby swallowed a lump in her throat. "So, what do we do here?"
Sapphire smiled. "I don't see any reason to bother them. They seem to have a happy little ecosystem going on here. They don't require our interference."
Ruby nodded. "So...what now? Do we sneak off while they're distracted?"
Sapphire shook her head. "Not yet. I have one more thing that I wish to observe before we go. It won't take long though."
Ruby nodded and tightened her headband. "Okay. Whatever ya say Sapphy."
Ruby smiled and grasped her lovers hand. Sapphire tightly squeezed it back.
After another few minutes of walking, Little Lappy pivoted on Tiger's shoulder and smiled to Ruby and Sapphire. "We're here! We've arrived at the scrap pile that Tiger and I raid for building supplies!"
Within the Scrap Pile…
Ruby and Sapphire both stood by and watched as Tiger and the Little One dug through their "scrap pile". Ruby grimaced as Tiger picked up a Homeworld Fusion Cannon and tossed it like a toy, grabbing the metal plating of a busted transport container underneath and throwing it into the sack on her back.
Ruby turned to Sapphire and whispered. "Do you think they know that they're raiding a weapon's cache?"
Sapphire whispered back. "Even if they did, I don't think they'd care. Besides, all of these weapons are too degraded to actually harm anyone. They're safe…"
Ruby whispered back. "So, do we sneak away now?"
Sapphire shook her head. "No, the event I foresaw hasn't happened yet…"
Ruby grunted. "What did you foresee anyway?"
Sapphire opened her mouth to reply, but was quickly cut off by a roar. Ruby and Sapphire both jumped to their feet as, to Ruby's shock, a corrupted Quartz burst forth from a pile of metal.
The beast slammed its forepaws against the ground, smashing the rocks beneath it and charged at Lappy.
Ruby gasped in horror, attempting to run forth and help. But, to her shock, Sapphire grabbed her and stopped her. Ruby turned, confused, but calmed down upon seeing Sapphire's smile.
The two Garnet components both turned their attention to Little Lappy and the Corrupted Quartz and Ruby gasped. The Quartz stood there, stopped dead in its tracks. It struggled and snapped at Lappy, but it couldn't move. A crude water construct held the Quartz firmly in place as Lappy stared up at it, her lower lip quivering in sadness. "Why do you keep attacking us? What have we ever done to you to make you hate us?"
Tiger Jasper, having no time for questions, grunted and brought her katana down on the Corrupted Gems neck, severing its head and poofing it. Little Lappy sighed as she allowed the water to evaporate back into the air. "Oh well...see you next time I guess…"
Tiger Jasper reached down, grabbing the poofed Gem. She growled under her breath and reared back, ready to send the Quartz sailing across the canyon once more. However, Sapphire quickly stopped her. "Hold on one moment!"
Tiger turned to Sapphire. The blue Gem held out her hand. "Allow me to hold that please."
Tiger grunted and nodded, handing Sapphire the Gem. Sapphire nodded in thanks and immediately bubbled the Quartz, sending it back to the Burning Room. "There you are. You won't be bothered anymore during your scrap hunts."
Little Lappy stared at Sapphire, awestruck. "Oh my gosh! That was neat! Everyone at the colony is going to love that!"
Sapphire, content with everything she had observed, smiled and shook her head. "I'm sorry, but I'm afraid that my friend and I won't be accompanying you back…"
Lappy's smiled quickly fell into a frown. "What…?"
Sapphire, maintaining her cheery persona in hopes that it might keep Lappy happy, quickly responded. "It's not that we don't want to be with you all! It's that we just want to explore! From what Ruby and I have seen so far, this world is a wide, beautiful place! We'd like to go explore it before we settle down!"
Lappy's face went from sad to curious. "Explore?"
Sapphire nodded. "Yes, explore! See the world! I imagine it must be even bigger than we're able to comprehend! But...don't worry…"
Sapphire smiled and grabbed Lappy's hand. "I promise that you'll see us again some day! We will return!"
Lappy frowned. "You...you promise."
Sapphire nodded. "I swear. So, until then, could you please not tell the others about Ruby and I? I don't want to upset them or make them sad...I'm just afraid Ruby and I wouldn't be able to leave if we were to meet them first…"
Lappy looked sad, but she smiled. "O-okay...we can keep a secret…"
Sapphire smiled. "Thank you Lappy. We promise we'll see you again soon. We'll even bring you a souvenir when we come back!"
Lappy nodded. "Okay. Enjoy your trip."
Sapphire gave Lappy one last hug and then backed away, grabbing Ruby's hand and pulling her. "We will! We'll see you soon Lappy! You too Tiger!"
Sapphire and Ruby both waved goodbye to Tiger and the Little One, the two of them waving back and then getting back to their work.
Once the two Gems were out of sight, Sapphire turned to Ruby and smiled. "Re-fuse?"
Ruby smiled wide and jumped into Sapphire's arms, giggling as they both began to glow. "Do you even have to ask?!"
In a flash, Ruby and Sapphire disappeared and Garnet took their place. The Fusion happily chuckled and summoned a new pair of shades. "Now, gotta get back to Beach City and-"
Garnet briefly flinched as her Future Vision showed her what had happened while she was away. In spite of herself, Garnet couldn't help but question as she began to walk towards the Warp Pad. "How did she burn down a greenhouse?!"
Back at the Scrap Pile…
Lappy sighed, a bit sad, as she hefted more scrap into her sack. "I'm going to miss them…"
TIger grunted, smashing a metal container with her fist and putting the detritus into her sack. Lappy quickly regained her chipper attitude. "But, travelling does sound fun. I've laid in our house before, thinking about that…"
Lappy turned to Tiger. "Have you ever wondered what might be outside of our little living space?"
Tiger nodded and grabbed another handful of scrap. Lappy giggled. "So...if I just decided to go exploring one day...would you come with me?"
Tiger smiled and turned to Lappy, bending down to her and grabbing her little form into a hug. The giant, cracked Quartz opened her mouth and spoke in a broken tone. "i...FolLOw...yOOOOOuuu...AN-EE-WheRe…"
Lappy giggled and hugged Tiger back. "I know you will. So…would you like to go explore some time?"
Tiger nodded. Lappy giggled. "Good! Then let's get this scrap back home and then let's try and come up with a plan for what we should go explore!"
Tiger nodded and hefted her sack over her shoulder. Lappy did the same and then, chuckling and skipping all the way, Lappy lead her giant Quartz friend back to the Omega Colony.
OC Credits! (Thanks for lending your character(s) to this little story!)
Tiger Jasper created by RedHood001