"Aaaaahhhh…" said the recovering youth as the experienced doctor depressed his tongue with a Popsicle stick. The sun's rays had barely begun bathing the city in its golden hue when Dr. Maheswaran came over to do her follow up.
"Hmmmm" she said as she held her mini flashlight to examine his throat and uvula. Then she took out her otoscope to check out his eyes and ears. "Mm hmmm"
Every syllable, even every breath that came out of Dr. Maheswaran's mouth added to the building anticipation inside the beach house. This time the gems were allowed to be indoors, so long as they remained in the living room. But soon that anticipation turned into a heart-stopping anxiety.
"Ugh, when is she gonna be done?" asked Amethyst. She was laying on top of the cushions twirling the ends of her long locks in her fingers, acting completely bored out of her mind.
"She just started" Garnet responded, but the slight edge in her voice spoke of her impatience with the process as well.
Amethyst let out an annoyed sigh; her emotions always fluctuated in stressful situations and having Pearl run a hole in the floor with her pacing didn't help. "Pearl, would you give it a rest?" she said and Pearl stopped. She thought she was going to snap at her for being insensitive or something, but her response surprised her.
"…I know, I know. We followed Dr. Maheswaran's instructions to a T and gave him the necessary time to rest, but I can't help it. I'm just…worried."
Her heart went out to her; she was secretly worried as well, but as usual she put on a façade to mask her true feelings.
Garnet tried to remain stoic, but her rapid, agitated foot tapping mirrored the fear her two halves shared.
Lapis was outside on the deck staring at the serene ocean. She couldn't be in that house right now, the whole scenario created an immense amount of invisible pressure - almost as if one of her gem-created water hands was crushing the inside of their home; it was suffocating.
They still couldn't believe that it had already been almost a week since Jasper nearly killed him. So much has happened that, to beings that didn't pay attention to the concept of time, it seemed to fly by in the blink of an eye. They managed to eradicate all of the ship pieces by throwing them into the boiling lava lake. They did find Peridot's escape pod in the middle of a field on the outskirts of town, and they promptly destroyed it. But the green gem still eluded them.
And thankfully Steven's health was improving drastically. He was almost back to his normal size due to all the food he consumed. He had a bit more muscle definition, like a mini gladiator, due to the regeneration process sucking up all his reserve fat cells as well as what he ate. Nothing a couple of donuts couldn't fix.
"Can you flex your bicep and hold it for me?" asked Dr. Maheswaran. Steven did as he was told and held it for about fifteen seconds til his arm gave out from the strain.
"Can you sit on the edge of the bed so I can check your reflexes?" He shifted his position so his feet were hanging off the right edge of his bed. She took out her reflex hammer and struck his right leg, right on the tendon between the patella and the tibia. The impact caused his quad muscle to contract and slightly raise his leg up and down. "Hmmmm"
The gems waited with baited breath when they heard Dr. Maheswaran close her medical bag. Lapis saw her descend into the living room through the window and went inside just as she was about to explain her results.
"He has a clean bill of health" she stated and the gems let out their collective breaths.
"However" they stiffened up. Why does there always have to be a catch?
"He has very minimal muscle atrophy, but that's completely normal for someone who has been limited on physical activity and nothing a little playtime can't fix. So long as you ease into it!" she stressed as she noticed Amethyst jubilantly fist pump the air. "He can eat solid foods now, and I highly recommend that he has plenty of lean meats such as chicken and fish to rebuild his muscle mass. Also, limit the amount of junk food he eats, such as donuts."
She heard him groan; she looked at him said, "I said "limit" not "eliminate". You can still eat them, just in moderation."
"Alright!" he said with starry eyes.
The gems nodded in agreement with her recommendations. "Thank you doctor" said Garnet as she extended Ruby's gem embedded hand out.
Dr. Maheswaran smiled and said "Your welcome" as she shook it. "And Steven, Connie will see you in a few days; she has a tennis tournament to attend."
"Ok! Tell her I said good luck and to use her overhead death strike!" he beamed.
"…Yes…I'll be sure to tell her" she responded, trying to figure out what in the world those two do together. Well, as long as she's having fun that's all that matters. "I'll see all of you later, but hopefully not like this" she said as she reached for the door.
"Trust us, you won't" Garnet assured. Dr. Maheswaran nodded and let herself out.
Once she was far away from the temple, Amethyst launched herself up to Steven's room and affectionately pounced on him. "You're ok! You're ok!" she joyfully repeated as she hugged him.
"He won't be if you keep squeezing him!" Pearl chided.
Steven just laughed as Amethyst messed with his hair. Garnet ascended to his room as well and placed her hand on Amethyst's shoulder. She understood and moved out of the way so she could embrace him. She placed multiple kisses all over his face and he giggled through all of them.
"Um…may I?" Lapis hesitantly asked and Garnet happily handed him over to her. She gently cradled him to her delicate frame and just stroked his hair; it was simply a pulchritudinous sensation.
A sensation that Pearl so desperately wanted to experience. But she felt she had to have some self-control, especially after the comment she made. She turned her back to them, thinking that if she didn't see them, she wouldn't give in. That is until she heard Lapis hum in contentment. That spiked her jealousy levels all the up to ten. She ran up the stairs and almost wrestled him away from her, but stopped herself and merely held her arms out like a child wanting candy. Lapis released him and he jumped into her arms. That caused her to blush and she swayed side to side while holding him tight.
"I'm so glad you're okay" she whispered and he moved his face out of the crook of her neck and gave her a soft smile. He noticed faint multicolored lights floating around the room, but didn't say anything; just enjoyed the moment.
Once the light disappeared he remembered, "OH! We can go shopping now right?"
All of them smiled and Garnet said, "Of course we can. We'll leave as soon as you're dressed."
He hopped out of Pearl's arms and ran downstairs to his closet. Before anyone could say "Cookie Cat," he was dressed in his signature style raring to go. "Oh man! I'm so ready for this! It's gonna be so much fun!" he squealed as he hopped up and down in the living room.
The gems smiled at his enthusiasm and Amethyst said, "Yea, buddy! I'm gonna make you look so fly!"
"Amethyst, it's physically imposs-"
"It's a saying Pearl, sheesh" Amethyst said cutting off Pearl's naivety.
Pearl puffed her cheeks out and muttered, "I knew that…"
"Alright! Let's go!" he shouted as he marched toward the door.
"But Steven, where are we going?" asked Lapis.
"We're going to the mall. It's a big building that has a lot of different stores inside. But…it's all the way on the other side of town…" he realized. He crossed his arms in deep thought. How were they going to get there? Dad has to work and bringing Lion to a place where a lot people are doesn't seem like a good idea; plus I don't think he'd be into shopping.
"Uh Steven? You do remember we're gem warriors right? I can hop you over there lickety split" said Amethyst holding her head up high.
"Pffft, As if! I could get him there faster and most importantly, safely" said Pearl.
"Is that challenge?"
Pearl smirked at her and it was on.
"Alright, if I win you have to eat escargot, the perfect meal for a slowpoke like you!" Amethyst declared.
Pearl shuddered and almost gagged at the thought of a slimy mollusk going down her throat. "Fine! But if I win you have to clean up your room! And I mean my standard of clean!" she demanded.
"My room is clean! You just don't appreciate my organizational system!" she retorted. "But whatever, it ain't gonna happen anyway so it's a deal!"
They shook hands and turned around and said "Ste-?"
He wasn't there. In fact Lapis and Garnet were gone too. "What the?!" they said. They ran out the door just in time to see Lapis fly off the beach with Steven while Garnet waved.
"Garnet, where is she taking him?!" asked Pearl.
"To the mall" she flatly replied.
"But" she began to protest but was cut off.
"Look. Steven's been looking forward to this outing all week and I won't let your petty wager ruin it. You two were about to put him on the spot to make him choose between the two of you, and then he would've been worried whether or not he offended someone. So I snuck them out in the middle of your smack talk and told them to go on ahead."
Pearl and Amethyst looked down in shame. "Sorry Garnet" said Amethyst.
"Don't apologize to me. Apologize to Steven by making sure he has a good time." They nodded in agreement. "Besides…there's no way you two could beat me" she said before taking off in a lightning sprint.
**cough cough cough** Once the dust settled, the pair of gems were left with their mouths wide open, completely dumbstruck.
"What the?" asked Amethyst.
"Did she just say?" concluded Pearl.
"Oh it is ON!" the simultaneously said.
Garnet noticed them catching up and smiled, pleased that her plan to redirect their squabble into a friendlier competition worked. But there was no way she was going to lose!
Meanwhile
"WOOOOHOOOO! THIS IS AMAZING!" Steven squealed as he clung onto Lapis' back like a baby koala.
Lapis was enjoying herself as well; she loved the wind flowing over her skin. This is what true freedom was and she closed her eyes, relishing the special moment she was sharing with her bosom buddy.
"Lapis, look out!" She snapped her eyes open, but couldn't evade the cloud in time and flew right through it.
"Steven! Are you ok?!" she worriedly asked.
He just chuckled and said, "I'm good! I forgot clouds were made of water. Hey, does that mean you can control clouds too?"
"Um…I don't know. In theory I guess I could, but that's beside the point! Are you sure you're okay?" She couldn't bear it if she caused him to be bedridden for another week.
"Lapis, I'm okay. A little wet, but okay. I should be dry by the time we get there" he assured her.
She took his word for it since she couldn't turn her head to see him and continued her trajectory, this time being more vigilant about sky borne obstacles.
"Lapis, can you do a loop de loop? Pleeeeeease?" She about to tell him no, but somehow she could feel his pleading, puppy dog eyes stare straight into her soul. She sighed, no one was immune to that.
"Alright, hang on!" She accelerated with a few flaps from water wings and soon ascended backwards to perform the circular motion that Steven spoke of. He laughed and made incoherent sounds as the wind expanded his mouth.
"That was awesome!" he yelled when they leveled out. "I wish I could fly like you."
"Well, if you shape shifted into a creature that was capable of flight you could" she said.
"Why didn't you do that when you wanted to leave the planet the first time?" he asked.
"I…I…" She didn't know. Without a doubt it would've caused him and Connie a lot less pain. She was just…so confused. A bunch of emotions were running through her head at the time so she only went with what she was comfortable with, her natural powers.
"Oh, duh! Your gem was cracked, so you couldn't shape shift!" he said trying to erase the awkwardness he created.
"Yea…" she responded.
They flew in silence for a few moments until she asked, "So, do you have an idea of what kind of outfit you want?"
"No clue, but that's OK! You guys can help me pick one out!"
"Oh…I don't know about that. I'm not very knowledgeable in human fashions…or fashions in general for that matter" she said dejectedly.
"What are you talking about? Your outfit suits you perfectly! Your dress has a subtle elegance to it which matches your personality; you're quiet and calm on the outside and that conceals this awesome power you have on the inside! Plus when you walk, the ripples that show in the fabric look like ocean waves" he explained.
"I…never thought of myself that way…" she responded.
Steven thought he may have pushed the wrong buttons again, but the glow emanating from her gem dismissed his worries.
"Hey, there it is!" he blurted out.
Lapis looked down and saw the large shopping complex with dozens upon dozens of people entering and exiting the main building. Lapis decided to land in an empty part of the parking lot so as not to draw any attention to themselves; she'd never been around this many humans before. Then again, Steven was the first 'human' she really interacted with.
He hopped off her back and surveyed the area with his hand creating a mini visor. "Huh. I wonder where-"
Before he could finish his question Garnet landed right across from him, with Pearl and Amethyst landing a couple seconds later.
"Don't. Say. Anything" muttered Amethyst when she noticed Garnet's sly smile.
"Hey you guys!" he said as he ran up next to them.
Garnet smiled and said, "Sorry we're late"
"Don't worry, we just got here too! We did loop de loops and flew through a cloud!" he explained with excitement laced in his voice.
Pearl gave Lapis an incredulous look and she shifted uncomfortably under her gaze.
"I'm glad you had a good time. Ready for more?" asked Garnet, dispelling the tension.
"Yea! Let's go!" he said. They all walked across the white-striped black asphalt and entered the arena of regalia.
"So Steven, where do you want to start?" asked Garnet as they were walking around the indoor plaza.
"Hmmmm" he pondered as he looked around the various stores.
"AAAAAAH!" screamed Pearl.
"What?! What's wrong?!" asked Steven.
"LOOK!" she said pointing at the store called Leeds's and Son.
"A…jewelry store?" he asked not getting her hysteria. Luckily for them there weren't a bunch of people around so that she wouldn't cause a scene.
"What kind of technology do humans have to take out gems?! And why would they wear them?!" she asked.
Steven blocked Pearl's advances so she wouldn't interrogate the store owner and get them kicked out. "Pearl, it's okay! Those aren't gems! Well, I mean they are, but not like you guys! They're just rocks! They're not alive and they never were! People like to wear them as accessories, y'know to make'em look better" he explained.
Pearl was still absolutely mortified but accepted his explanation. "Let's go this way" she said and briskly walked away from the little shop of horrors.
Soon Amethyst saw a store with various graphic t-shirts on display. "Now THIS looks like a cool shop!" she said.
"Scorching Matter?" asked Steven.
"Yea! Don't worry Ste-man, I'll hook you up!" she said as she dragged him inside. The remaining gems gave each other worrisome glances and they followed suit.
The sound of metal music was repelling to Pearl, but Garnet bobbed her head to the beat. Lapis' curiosity got the better as she started to examine the different prints on the articles of clothing.
"Why is there a green dog holding a pig talking about doom?" she wondered.
"Finding everything okay?" asked one of the store associates.
"Huh? Oh yes…I'm okay" she answered.
"Alright, let me know if I can help you out." She nodded and he was on his way to assist another customer. Lapis went back over to the safety of group before another human could engage in another conversation with her.
Meanwhile Amethyst was looking up and down the wall racks to find the perfect outfit.
"Hey Amethyst! Look at these!" Steven said. She turned around and saw him wearing sunglasses that look like it had window blinds. "Now I look like Master of Ceremonies Bear Bear!"
"HA! That's funny dude! You should give'em to Garnet" she suggested, wanting to see her reaction to the silly shades.
"…Naw. They're kinda hard to see through plus I don't want her to feel self-conscious about her third eye" he said as he put them back.
Her heart softened when he said that. "Yea, you're right. Why don't you get a changing room, I just need one more thing to make this outfit da bomb!"
"Okay!" he said and grabbed the associate that spoke to Lapis. He escorted them to the changing area and Amethyst showed up a moment later with surprisingly a small stack of clothes.
"She must've used a lot of will power not to grab the whole store" thought Pearl as Amethyst handed the outfit to Steven. He went inside and looked at what Amethyst picked for him.
"Huh…interesting" he said looking at the assortment of clothes and proceeded to get dressed.
"C'mon Steven! I want to show off how cool you look!" yelled Amethyst and a moment later he came out. "Aw yeah!" Amethyst said as she nodded in approval. "So, whatcha think?"
Garnet was expressionless. Lapis just stared at the boy with wide eyes. Even with her lack of experience in fashion, she could tell that this wasn't right. And Pearl felt the same way as she smacked her forehead in exasperation.
"I think it's tight" responded Garnet.
"Heck yea it is!" she said.
"What?! She means he can't breathe!" explained a very agitated Pearl.
Steven agreed with her as he unbuttoned his black skinny jeans to let his stomach out. In addition to that he was wearing black, fingerless gloves, a red/purple striped tank top with a grey holey one layered on top of it. He had silver spiked wristbands, a necklace with a lock pendant, and he was wearing pink/purple sparkly shoes with ponies on it. To complete the look he had a long black overcoat with flames at the ends that pooled around his feet.
"Uh…" was the only thing he could say as he at himself looked in the mirror.
"Explain this" demanded Pearl.
"I will! So I was thinking about that new power he unlocked, y'know that spiky bubble? So I incorporated that into the outfit. The flames are just a necessity to awesomeness. I picked the pony shoes to symbolize that underneath all this hardcore coolness was a soft, sensitive guy. And the lock necklace to show that no one is gonna take him from us!" she explained.
The gems absorbed everything that was told to them and Steven said, "…I like the lock necklace. Maybe we can find one that's not so…bulky."
"That's about the only thing I agree with. Everything else is a no go" deemed Pearl.
"Why?" demanded Amethyst.
"Look at him! He can barely move!" she pointed out.
"So he needs a bigger pant size! Big deal!" she retorted.
"Steven" Garnet said halting their personal argument. "Do you like it?" He vehemently shook his head. "Then that's that. We'll try another store. Go on and change back" she said. Steven went back into the changing room and put his regular clothes back on.
"Sorry Amethyst" he said. He wanted to like it, but it was just too much.
"Don't worry about it, little guy. There are plenty of places to choose from, so let's get to it" she replied and he was relieved that he didn't upset her.
They walked around for a bit until Garnet stopped and said, "How about this one?"
"Superstar Sport Co.? Okay, let's try it!" he said and they all went inside the athletic apparel store.
"Whoooaaa" Steven marveled as he looked around.
This place had every kind of uniform and sports equipment imaginable. Garnet went off to look for something for Steven, whereas he dragged the rest of the gems to some sports simulation games.
"Lapis! You should try this one!" he said as he gave her a basketball for the three-point contest simulator.
"What do I do?" she asked as she examined the black-striped orange ball.
"You try and throw the ball through the hoop, but don't your full strength or you might break it" he explained as he put a quarter in and activated the game.
The backboard moved back and Lapis threw the ball at the target. Surprisingly, it went in! "Woohoo, keep it up Lapis!" he cheered as she grabbed the next ball. Her motion was just so fluid; she only missed three shots. "Wow, 36 points! You rock Lapis!" She blushed when Steven ran around her cheering her name.
"Pshh! I got this! My turn!" declared Amethyst but Steven said, "Wait! How about this one? It's soccer and in this one you can kick the ball!" She liked the sound of that and she followed him over to the simulator. He put a quarter in and the plastic goalie figure moved from side to side. With careful precision she blasted the ball right past the goal keeper. She kept firing until the clock ran out of time.
"Whoooa, that's was so awesome! You've got an iron leg!" he praised.
"What can I say?" she said as she ruffled his hair.
"Pearl, do you want to try one?" he inquired.
"No, thank you. I don't find amusement in any of these sports" she replied.
"In other words, she sucks" snickered Amethyst.
"I do not suck! It's just that none of these games match my skill set!" she retorted.
"What about the tennis one? It's kinda like sword fighting but instead of deflecting blows, you have to hit the ball back over the net" he suggested.
"…Alright" she resigned; more so just so she could wipe that smug look off Amethyst's face.
Pearl went inside the netted enclosure, but before Steven put quarter in he asked, "What level should I put it on? Easy, medium or hard?"
"Hard" she answered.
"This should be good" thought Amethyst as he put the coin in.
The tennis ball machine whirred and shot a ball clocked at 65mph. But Pearl gracefully parried it with her racket and sent it flying to the other side. She continued her rhythmical strikes, sending all the tennis balls back against the drop cloth.
"Wow…she makes it look so easy! Go Pearl Go!" he chanted and she bubbled with a newfound vigor.
For the final shot, she pirouetted and smashed it right through the net. "Game, Set, Match" said the computerized announcer.
"Pearl that was amazing! You were so cool!" he said as gripped the enclosure.
She chuckled and said, "Well, the same skill sets can be used in different way I suppose." She walked out of the simulator and smirked at Amethyst, who merely crossed her arms and replied, "Fine…you don't suck." "Thank you" she graciously accepted.
Garnet came over to where they were and said, "Here Steven, try this on."
"Okay!"
He grabbed another associate and got a changing room. Garnet was smiling, feeling pretty confident about her selection. When he emerged, everyone was stunned. He was wearing a neon-green shirt with black pads on the shoulders and rib area coupled with black padded shorts that covered his thighs. He also had a neon green cloth belt tied around his waist.
"Uh…looks…tough" he said as he looked in the mirror and patted the sewn-in padding.
"Garnet, where did you find this?" asked Pearl.
"In an area called the football section. That human said it was used for protection against physical blows" she explained.
The gems just stared at him and Lapis said, "I don't think it works for him"
"Yea… it looks like you tried to beef up our little cinnamon roll" said Amethyst.
Garnet frowned then looked at Steven. "Do you like it?" she asked.
"I think it'll be good for combat training…but not for everyday wear" he replied.
"I see. Well, let's go somewhere else" she said. He changed back to his normal clothes and they left the store. He noticed that Garnet was walking further ahead of the group and caught up to her. He was about to apologize but she shushed him and ruffled his hair, letting him know that everything was okay. They went to the upper level via the escalator, although Amethyst sat on the handrail part of it.
"Who knew clothes shopping was so tricky" Steven commented as they kept on walking past stores.
"When you've liked something for so long, it's hard to get accustomed to something new. But don't worry, we'll find something you like" assured Pearl. He nodded and they continued their search.
All of a sudden, something caught Lapis' eye and she ran ahead of them.
"Wait up!" he said.
"How about this one?" she said with diamonds in her eyes. They stopped in front of a store that had a golden elephant and tiger statues in front of it.
"Ali Baba's Treasure?" he said.
She nodded and they decided to go in. "Welcome Welcome! Please have a look and don't hesitate to ask for help" greeted the shop keeper with a thick Indian accent. "Thanks" replied Pearl.
"Whooaaa, look at the fountain! This statue kinda looks like the temple!" he said as he ran to the back of the store. There were all sorts of silk and cottons garments with an assortment of patterns. Lapis looked at all of them and came across a deep blue one.
"Here Steven, try this one" she said.
"Okay!" He went to get changed and emerged to mixed reactions.
It with a simple silk tunic/pants outfit. It had and intricate zig-zag pattern on the back of the shirt that resembled a lotus. He even wore some ivory colored beads. Lapis looked at him with diamond studded eyes and thought he looked adorable. But the others…eh.
"It's very flowy" he commented as he did a quick spin.
"Yes…it's just um…" Pearl tried to say but couldn't find the words.
"Dude, you look like a monk" Amethyst said.
"There's nothing wrong with that! It's just seems…too delicate for everyday wear" she clarified. The shine in Lapis' eyes faded; she couldn't argue with that.
"Let's see what else we can find" Garnet said and he changed back.
The three original gems walked ahead whereas Steven hung back with Lapis. "It was really cool, maybe I could get it later as a fancy outfit. But I want a lion on it next time" Lapis chuckled and held his hand.
"Now this is what you need Steven!" Pearl exclaimed.
He and Lapis caught up to them and he read, "Step by Step?"
"Yes! It's casual and elegant!" she said as she rushed him inside.
"I can see where this is going…" muttered Amethyst as she crossed her arms and followed them.
A fusion of hip-hop and classical music played through the music themed store. Pearl was in her happy place as she looked through all the dance apparel.
"Perrrfect" she sing-songed as she gave Steven her choice. He went to change and Pearl was beside herself with excitement. He came out wearing a loose white t-shirt with an unbuttoned black vest coupled with black tight-like pants (plus-sized) and black ballet shoes.
"Oh Steven! You look-"
"Like you" finished Amethyst.
"What? He does not!" asserted Pearl.
"Yes he does! I mean C'mon! Really?! You couldn't be any more creative than this?" she said pointing to him.
"It's better than having him look like a walking hodgepodge!" she retorted.
"I don't what that means, but I know when my style is being made fun of!" she yelled.
This was bad. It's a good thing the music was loud enough so people wouldn't notice their argument but it would only be a matter of time before everyone would be looking their way.
"Cut it out, both of you!" ordered Garnet. "If he doesn't like it, then we'll go somewhere else."
"He didn't say that he didn't like it!" snapped Pearl.
"And why are you in such a hurry? Do you want to dress him up in battle armor next?" asked Amethyst.
It's a good thing her shades covered her eyes, because her red one twitched and that usually spelled trouble. Lapis was becoming increasingly uncomfortable. So far all she experienced was love and kindness and the occasional squabble between Pearl and Amethyst, but this…this was the complete opposite. How could there be so much animosity over clothing choices?
"STOP!" shouted Steven and the music suddenly shut off.
The gems looked at him and he said, "This isn't what I wanted! I don't care about the clothes! I just wanted us to spend time together as a family. You guys have been so stressed over me, finding Peridot and home world so I thought it'd be cool to hang out. Having fun, trying on crazy things and laughing about it. And if I did find an outfit that I'd like, it'd be like the cherry on top. But all this just turned into you guys getting offended because I didn't like your styles. And that's just it. These are YOUR STYLES, not mine. Like I told Lapis, I don't know the first thing about clothes shopping; I don't even know where MY clothes come from. But I figured you guys would know me well enough to pick out something for me, not for yourselves. I heard that fashion is about bringing what's inside of you out into the light. Like how Garnet's outfit represents her balance of toughness and tenderness. Or Pearl's outfit showcases her precision and attentiveness. And Amethyst's clothes shows her untamed personality. I need something that represents me, and I think it's better if I find it on my own."
"But Stev-" Pearl was cut off when Steven slammed the changing room door.
He quickly ripped off the Pearl-esque outfit and put on his normal clothes. He knew they were still outside, he could see their feet underneath the door. He was kinda surprised that they didn't break down the door to try and talk to him. He only had one shot at this - he was gonna make a break for it. He quickly opened the door and just as they were about to say something to him, he pulled a Ruby and slid underneath them. He ran away, not looking back. Pearl, Lapis and Amethyst were about to go after him but Garnet stopped them.
"Garnet, move!" yelled Pearl.
"No. He wants to be alone. And quite frankly…I don't blame him."
"But what if he gets hurt?!" she asked.
"He'll be fine. You should have a little more faith in him, considering he just pulled off that sliding move. I guess that muscle atrophy is miniscule now" she responded.
Pearl tightly hugged herself while Amethyst ran her hands through her hair.
"Why do we always screw everything up?!" Amethyst asked.
"Why didn't he tell us?" asked Lapis.
Garnet crossed her arms and sighed, "…I don't know. But what I do know is that we're going home and if… when…he does come back we're going to apologize to him." They all nodded and dejectedly headed home.
"…Man…what a bummer" Steven sighed as he walked out the main entrance. He tried all sorts of outfits, everything from a suit and tie to high top shoes, gold chains and baggy pants and nothing expressed who he was on the inside.
"Who am I?" he asked himself. That was a loaded question in and of itself. He pondered it until someone shouted his name.
"Huh? What?" He'd been thinking so hard that he didn't even notice he was in the parking lot. Right next to him was the Pizza's delivery car and inside sat Jenny, Buck and Sour Cream.
"Hey Steven, welcome back to Earth" said Jenny.
"What?" he asked.
"Yea man, you looked like you were a million miles away" Buck chimed in.
"Oh, yea…just thinking about some stuff. What're you guys doing here?" he asked.
"Just freaking out some squares" replied Buck.
"Yea man, it's good energy flow" said Sour Cream as he got in a comfy position in the back seat.
"Now same question to you, haven't see you around in a while. Where you been?" asked Jenny.
Steven shifted his feet as he debated whether or not to tell them. Well…they already know about the alien stuff since they saw Peridot's ship blow to bits so it couldn't hurt to tell'em. "It's a long story, I don't want to bore you" he replied.
"Tch, don't be silly and get in here" Jenny said as she unlocked the doors.
Steven got in the back with Sour Cream and told them what happened to him. When he was done, they just stared at him in stunned silence.
Jenny got out the front seat, slid into the middle seat and gave him a big hug. "Oh my god! I'm so glad you're okay!" she said.
"Dude…you saved us. This puts everything going on in our lives in a completely different perspective" realized Buck.
"Man, I don't even know what to say except thank you. Thanks to you, I can keep being a DJ" said Sour Cream.
"I just wanted to help" replied Steven with a slight blush.
"You're a real champ, Steven Universe" Buck replied as he lifted his shades, his way of expressing true respect.
"I still can't believe you actually went through all that and can even walk. Speaking of, you still haven't told us why you're here. Getting some new threads?" asked Jenny.
"Yea…sorta. I brought the gems with me for a fun time, but they ended up getting mad because they didn't each other's styles on me. I tried to find something on my own, but I don't know the first thing about clothes shopping. I just know that fashion is supposed to bring out what's on the inside to outside. But…I don't even know what's on the inside of me…" replied the crestfallen hybrid.
"Ah…the proverbial question. Well, what makes you feel good?" asked Sour Cream.
Steven thought about it for a minute and said, "Seeing my friends happy."
They all smiled and Buck said, "So you need to wear something that shows off your love for your friends and family. Trust me man, you won't find something like that in a cynical, money driven place like this. No, you need your own style."
"Sounds like you have something in mind Buck. Wanna spill?" asked Jenny.
"First we need to head back, I'll tell you on the way" replied Buck. Then he took out his cell phone and dialed a rarely used number. "…Hey dad. Yea I know. Hey can we use your screen printing stuff again? No, it's not for the campaign. Let's just say someone is owed a big political favor…"
Steven was giggling and grinning from the euphoria flowing throughout his body as he ran from the abandoned, yet surprisingly multi-purposeful, warehouse. He couldn't wait to show the gems the new style he and the cool kids came up with.
"Man, they're gonna flip when they see this!" he thought as he ran down the beach toward the temple.
Then he skidded to a stop when he realized that he still needed to do something for Lapis' crystal gem coronation. "I need donuts!" he thought and ran in the opposite direction through town; he couldn't risk the gems seeing them and ruining the surprise.
He was huffin' and puffin' and his mouth was as dry as a desert, but he didn't care. The excitement of the stir he was going to create back home fueled him. But even that fuel had its natural limits; he had to catch his breath on the side walk and dig into his saliva reserves to rehydrate his mouth. He resumed his celebration conquest and luckily for him the Big Donut wasn't too far away from where he took the brief respite. He burst through the door, startling the lone worker for the evening.
"Steven?!" asked Sadie.
"Water" he breathed out as he made his way over to the soda station and filled a cup to brim with the neutral molecule. "Ahhhh…much better. Hey Sadie!" he replied without missing a beat.
"Heh, never a dull moment with you around Steven" Sadie smiled as she continued sweeping the floor.
"Where's Lars?" he asked.
"He took off for the night…again" she said with a tinge of irritation.
"Oh, are you about to close now? I can come back tomorrow" he inquired.
"No, no it's alright. In fact I haven't seen you around for a while. Doing some kind of special restriction diet?" she joked.
"Yea…funny you should say that…" Once again he retold the story and once again it was met with wide-eyed stunned silence.
"Steven…I had no idea"
"How could you? I just told you" he confusedly said.
She dropped the broom, rushed up to him and gave him a hug. "I'm glad you're okay…I always valued your friendship" she said with tears pricking through her eyes.
"You're a great friend too, Sadie" he sincerely replied.
She released the hug and smiled at him. "Hey, I like the new shirt!" she noticed.
"Thanks! Buck helped me make it! I'm gonna go show the gems right now, but I wanted to get some donuts for'em. How much for a dozen?" he asked.
"Are you kidding? After everything you went through, these are on the house. And I'll do you one better, you'll get a free donut every day for as long as I work here" she declared.
Steven just stood there with his mouth wide open and an array of stars in his eye. "This is the most glorious day of my life!" he thought as he shook himself out of his stupor and picked an assortment of the deliciously addicting pastries. After he got the perfect donut selection and a lion licker for Lion, he bid Sadie adieu and quickly, yet carefully, ran back to the temple.
He climbed up the hill and noticed Lion sleeping underneath the deck. "Lion!" he shouted. He opened his eyes and let out a yawn.
"I got you a treaaaat" he sing songed and Lion got up and nudged him with his muzzle.
"Okay, okay, let's go inside" but Lion huffed at that idea. Steven frowned and asked, "That bad huh?" and Lion replied with a low roar. He sighed but then remembered his celebration objective.
"Well, time to do what I do best" he resolved and climbed up the stairs. He looked through the screen door and saw the disheartened gems in the living room. He opened the door with one hand and they perked up.
"Hey guys!" he called out.
"STEVEN!" they collectively said and ran over to him. Garnet gabbed the box of donuts and set it on the table so they could hug him.
"I'm glad you're okay" said Pearl.
"Yea, I met up with Jenny, Buck and Sour Cream and they gave me a ride back to town" he replied.
"Steven" Garnet spoke as she continued to hug the group in her strong arms. "We're sorry for the way things turned out. And we're sorry that we're not the perfect family you deserve…" her voice faltered at the end and every one's regretful emotions manifested itself into tears.
"What are you guys talking about? You guys are the best family in the history of families! That's why I picked out this outfit!"
The gems got out of the embrace and took a good look at Steven's new outfit. Instead of blue jeans he wore khaki pants, but he still had the same red sandals. But the biggest difference was his t-shirt. It was white and it had a star in the center, but instead of being his traditional yellow star, it was multicolored with different stripes with a little pink star in the center of it.
"Buck helped me make it. I kept the star since it's our special logo and all, but I put everyone's colors in it! See? There's red and blue for Ruby and Sapphire and I blended the colors between them a bit to make purple for you Garnet! Then there's cream stripe for Pearl, Amethyst's purple, Lapis' blue and the pink star is for me, dad, Lion and mom! It's my style because it shows what's inside of me! My love and adoration for each of you guys!"
Garnet, Amethyst, Pearl and Lapis absorbed the explanation that was given to them.
"D-do you like it?" he asked; the silence concerned him.
Pearl blushed profusely and covered her mouth with her hand. Amethyst gave a lopsided grin. Lapis had a small smile whereas Garnet sported a huge grin. But the common displayed action were tears. Tears of affection and pure merriment.
"You dummy, of course we love it!" said Amethyst as she laughed and spun him around. She set him down and Pearl took her turn to embrace him.
"It's beautiful" she choked out, still overcome by the sincerity of his gesture. She reluctantly released him and Lapis knelt down and gave him a kiss on the forehead.
Then Garnet scooped him up and cradled him. "…Now I know why we acted the way that we did in the mall. We were competing for your love." The room fell silent with this realization.
"Why?" he asked.
"Steven, your mother was like the embodiment compassionate energy and we cherished it. When you were born, we had to take on an unfamiliar role and show love, not just receive it. But I guess…after a while we wanted to feel that charge again. Your love is so innocent and pure…it's like nothing we've ever experienced. And I guess each of us wanted it focused solely on ourselves." Garnet explained.
Pearl and Amethyst looked at each other, then down at the ground.
"But now we see that we were being selfish and foolish. You have more than enough love for all of us. And we have an unlimited supply for you as well that'll never go away" she finished as she kissed his cheek. She set him down and Lion licked him as well, but nudged him over to where his ice cream treat was.
"Oh, yea! I got donuts for the coronation!" he exclaimed.
"Coronation?" they asked.
"For Lapis" he clarified as he fed Lion his dessert.
"F-for me?" Lapis asked.
"Yea!" he said as he motioned for everyone to sit on the couch.
"Steven, you don't have too. I mean the outfit and all this is more than eno-" But Pearl cut her off by placing a hand on her shoulder and smiling at her.
He got his ukulele out of the closet and said, "So, I wrote this when you sent us that message through the wailing stone. I hope you like."
"She was trapped in a mirror
And it couldn't be clearer
She wanted to leave this place and get herself back in space
And dad you might think she's a criminal, but her friendship comes through subliminal.
Lapis Lazuli... you fled into the bottom of the sea
Lapis Lazuli... you were so mad but then you came around to me
Lapis Lazuli…you're now a part of this family
Lapis Lazuli…I hope you'll stay and be my buddy…"
Lapis was stunned when she heard that song; this child never ceased to amaze her.
"I know it's a little short and I just added the last two bits right now and-"
"Steven, I loved it! Every single word!" she cut him off.
He beamed then grabbed her hand. In an overly dramatic kingly voice he bellowed, "Lapis Lazuli. By the powers vested in me, you are now a crystal gem! You may now partake of the donut treasure." Then he backtracked when he remembered that gems don't eat. "I mean, if you want." "Darn it, I broke character" he thought but Lapis didn't notice one bit.
She pulled him into hug and just chuckled. Her gem showed how happy she has as well.
"Geez, turn it down would ya?" Amethyst playfully said, but then Pearl tapped on her purple gem and smirked, "Like you're one to talk."
Amethyst blushed, but noticed she was illuminating the area as well but decided not to make any comment about it now…she'll bug her later.
Lapis released Steven and he said, "C'mon! Let's eat!"
Steven and Amethyst consumed most of the treasure but it didn't matter to the rest of them. "This is the most glorious day of my life!" he exclaimed and the gems couldn't agree more.
Steven laid on top of his bed to reflect on the day's events. The gems left to try and find Peridot again, leaving him alone with Lion in the living room.
It was amazing. After getting clarification for their actions and seeing that they could still come together and love one another…it just proved to Steven that everyone deserved to be loved.
He sat up and stared at the temple door. "I wonder…" he thought.
His gem responded to his inner desire and opened the door. He took a deep breath and mentally prepared himself for monumentally and seemingly impossible task of getting through to the gem that nearly ended his life…Jasper.
Man, this chapter is long! Hope you guys don't mind the length and that you guys enjoyed the sundae with sweet, salty, tangy, and a hint of bitter feels all topped of with a dollop of suspense. Will Steven be able to get through to Jasper? Stay tuned to find out.
I'm pretty sure Pearl has seen humans wear jewelry before, but I couldn't resist ;)
I also found that out that gladiators were actually a bit chunkier due to their diet consisting of mainly grain and that they needed that extra layer of fat for protection. Go figure.
Y'know, I've been checking out all the profiles of the ones that favorite/follow this story, and it's amazing to know that people who like everything from Naruto to Fairy Tale, Gravity Falls to Star Wars, or even Harry Potter to Frozen like my story so much. My many thanks to all of you who have stuck with me on this journey. I am truly blessed:)
Tell me what you guys think of his new outfit. At least now he has a bit of variety.
And just as a heads up, I won't be updating till the end of June. My mom's birthday is this Thursday and my aunt is shortly after hers so I'll be treating them both with the love they deserve. Thanks for understanding and enjoy Steven Bomb #2!
Steven Universe belongs to Rebecca Sugar and Cartoon Network, the only thing I own are my imaginative capabilities.
