Steven Universe Homeworld War AU

Chapter 2: The girl in the black cloak and glasses

All I can see is complete darkness as I open my eyes. I hate it when Pearl makes me train with Galena in the dark. "Keep your sword up Steven. You have to stay constantly alert when you can't rely on your sight." Pearl yells from what sounds like the other side of the room.

"I know Pear.."All of a sudden I feel a breeze pass by me. I quickly raise my shield and my mom's sword.

"As much as it hurts me to agree with her Pearl's right Steven. You have to learn how to sense when your opponent is about to attack you without relying solely on your vision," Galena says as I feel her start flying by me over and over. As she passes by me she swings her scythe back and forth against my shield as I continually turn back and forth to defend. "Steven your shield is strong, but it's also useless if you don't know where to use it to defend yourself," She says as her last swings knocks me off balance and I stumble forward. I quickly catch myself but before I know it I can feel Galena's scythe against my throat. "I guess I win again little man. Better luck next time I guess," Galena says as the lights of the training room turn on. "Also Steven most of your blocks with your shield were really good, you just need to improve your footing a little more. But you also need to learn to go on the offensive more with your sword too. Just remember that both your weapons were meant to be used together. Remember all strong defenses need a just as strong offense. They're like two halves of the same coin. I know it seems hard, but I know you can do it, Steven, because I've watched you grow up and do nothing but surprise and amaze all of us. I remember the first time you summoned your moms shield when you were five. Everyone was so happy for you especially Pearl. I know if your mom could see you now she'd be so proud of you and show you the best smile you've ever seen. You have her smile you know."

"Steven come on we have to go back to HQ now," Pearl says walking out the entrance of the room.

"Just remember Steven just keep doing your best and you'll keep improving."

"Steven come on we need to go," yells Pearl standing next to the entrance of the training room.

"Come on Pearl give the kid a break. Just let him relax for a bit. How about we take him out for some semi-fresh air," Galena asks putting her hand on my shoulder?

"You know we can't do that Galena. What if an enemy sees us, they could discover Steven? And if the Diamond Authority ever found out what Steven was you know as well as I do what they'd do."

"Oh come on Pearl this is a ghost town in neutral territory. We've come here countless times over the years when you thought the battlefield was too dangerous for our training and not once has anyone ever come here," Galena says starting to yell. "Just let me take him outside for a bit. We'll just walk around for a few minutes and then you can get back to your schedule."

"Galena I just don't think this is a good idea. I have a bad feeling," Pearl says as she makes a bubble appear that holds a clipboard. "Steven still has two more lessons today."

"Pearl please let me do this. Even though we live in a town I hardly ever get to leave the house except for when we go out for my training or when my dad's home. Please just ten minutes," I ask looking up towards her with the saddest look I can make? Pearl looked down at her clipboard and then looked back at me. She did this two more times before giving in.

"Ok, but only for ten minutes. Also you have to stay within two blocks of our current position and Galena has to stay with you at all times ok," she says looking at Galena and me.

"Don't worry Pearl I'll keep my eye on him like a hawk," Galena says as she turns into a hawk. Pearl looked at her questionably.

"Steven I know I might come off as a bit cold and overprotective sometimes, but that's only because I don't want anything bad to happen to you I hope you know that," she says as she puts a hand on my shoulder.

"Yeah I know Pearl," I say as I give her a big hug. Then I quickly run out of the training room and then out the front door of the building with Galena flying right behind me still in her hawk form.

"So Steven you want to explore the area," Galena asks as she lands on an old mailbox?

"You bet I do," I tell her really excited for the first time in a while!

"Ok you go that way and I'll go this way," she says as she first points a wing to the left and then one to the right as she flies up and lands on a street light.

"Wait didn't Pearl say we were supposed to stay together," I ask?

"Oh come on Steven we can cover and explore more ground if we split up. As long as you don't go further than two blocks what's the problem? Anyway, don't you want to do something on your own for a change instead of following a stupid schedule for once."

"I do but what if something happens," I ask Galena looking up at her as she transformed back into her human form then jumping off the street light.

"Listen, Steven, you can't be afraid to go out and do things on your own. And worse case scenario I'm only two blocks away. You don't need to worry if anything did happen I'd be right there to back you up. I've trained you since you were five years old and I consider you to be my family I would never let anything bad happen to you," she says as she gives me a hug. "So are you ready to explore? We probably only have about eight minutes left now so let's make the most of it. And if you do get into trouble or need my help just call my name and I'll be there to help." I nod my head and we both head in our separate directions.

I don't know what I thought I'd see, but I didn't expect it all to just be old rundown buildings and wasteland. I wonder for a second what this place was like before the war with Homeworld? As I start to head back to the training building I see something impossible. A person in a black cloak run right past me. I freeze for a second and then yell "Hey." The figure stops and looks towards me. What I see next makes me freeze a second time, the figure in the black cloak looked like a human girl with glasses who looked around my age. I yell at her again, but she quickly started running away.

I quickly run after her as fast as I can yelling for her to wait and saying I only wanted to talk. Before I knew it I had chased her for a good four blocks before I started catching up to her. I know I should have stopped at Pearls two block limit, but I have to figure out why this human girl is in a gem neutral zone. As I see the girl speeding up and getting further away, I start running as fast as I can and I finally start catching up to her. She turns a corner just as I'm about to reach out to catch her. Just as I turn it I lose all sight of her. I look all around, but I don't see anything. But then it hit me I wasn't chasing her she was luring me into a, but before I can finish my thought the girl jumps down from above me and I can feel the end of a broadsword against my back.

"Who are you and why are you following me? Scratch that why are you even out here? Kids like you shouldn't be in a place like this," she says as she pushes her sword further against my back.

"Kid," I yell? "We look the same age!"

"Shut up!", the girl quietly yells as she puts her hand over my mouth. Just then the earth shakes making both me and the girl stumble. In the distance, I see a building fall."I don't have time to deal with you just get out of here kid. You don't want to stick around here for what's about to happen."

"What are you talking about? What's about to happen? Who are you and will you please stop calling me kid," I ask as the girl puts her sword away and starts to walk away towards the source of the shaking and collapsing building?

"Haven't you ever felt that kind of rumble before," the girl asks as she looks back towards me looking surprised by my question. Then it hit me what the rumbling was. I had felt it before when Garnet would spar with other strong gems.

"That's two gems fighting," I say looking in the direction of the noise.

"Bingo. And two strong ones from the feel of it. Look, kid, my names Connie what's yours." I hesitated for a second, but she didn't seem like an enemy.

"Steven. Steven Universe."

"Listen, Steven, you seem like a nice kid and I'd hate to see something bad happen to you so you should get away from this area. If you head east you should hit a town sooner or later," she says as she puts the hood of her cloak on and continues to walk away towards the source of the rumble.

"Wait, why are you heading towards the source of that destructive noise? Shouldn't we both be running away from the destructive noise and falling buildings" I ask the girl as I grab her arm? she quickly pulls her arm away.

"For one thing there is no we Steven. Two I have business with someone I think is causing that noise. Now get out of here and get back to your family I'm sure your parents are worried about you," she says as she now begins running in the direction of the now multiple collapsing buildings. Before I know it she's out of my sight and I don't know what to do next. Should I go back to the training building and hope that one of the two gems fighting isn't Galena or Pearl. Or should I follow this girl in a black cloak with glasses that I don't know named Connie and risk letting the Homeworld Diamond Authority find out about me after everything the gems, my dad and everyone I know have gone through. It took me less than a second to start running after the girl in the glasses because I knew that if there was even the slightest chance that one of the gems fighting were Pearl or Galena the least I owe them as my teachers, as my friends, and as my family is to do all I can to help them if they're in trouble no matter what!

To be continued….