Steven threw himself forward. He hit the dirt with a grunt as the walls shut with a BOOM behind him. Laying there, catching his breath, he looked back at them. The one seam that separated them fused together, until there was a single, solid barrier behind him.
"One second longer," he huffed to himself, "and I would have been a Steven-flavored pancake." He paused, thinking. "That actually sounds appetizing."
Beyond the walls around him, he could hear distant grunting and shouting, and the occasional buzzing roar. He couldn't tell which way they came from—the labyrinth had thrown his sense of direction out of whack.
Peridot's arrival at the Kindergarten had put the Crystal Gems on edge. Ruby spent at least an hour a day traveling through the Warp Pads, searching for more Robonoids. Steven was also pretty sure that she traveled the Galaxy Warp every now and then, maybe to smash it up some more.
Opal seemed jumpier than usual. She stiffened when the Warp Pads lit up. If Steven was around when they did, her hands would twitch in his direction. She hugged her arms around herself more often.
Sapphire retreated to her Room more frequently, possibly to use her future vision to see any chance of danger. She was quieter than usual, but in an odd sort of way, she was also more talkative. She would fall into either lapses of silence or bouts of conversation.
But they still had work to do, and plenty of Corrupted Gems to capture. Peridot's presence was made as a lingering threat to be wary of while they dealt with other matters. This was supposed to be a mission for one of said Gems, but it had gotten out of hand quickly. Steven couldn't quite remember what happened. One second, Opal was saying "Don't wake it up, or it'll summon a labyrinth", and the next second, they were in said labyrinth.
He just then realized that he was boxed in with tall, leafy walls. The walls on either side of him then split apart. Steven looked between the two openings and huffed.
"How am I supposed to get out of here if you keep changing like that?" Steven mumbled. As he turned to the path on the left, he huffed, "No one likes cheaters!"
He passed by more turns and walls. He really didn't think that there was a point in trying anymore. He couldn't backtrack, and any kind of marker he'd made was nowhere to be seen. He'd be corralled back to the middle no matter what.
He cupped his hands around his mouth. "O-PAL! RU-BY! SA-PPHIRE!"
He could hear at least two of them still grunting in the distance, but neither responded to him. The Corrupted Gem roared again.
There was a different sound, and Steven could tell that it was close. He turned left and right, and only noticed the wall of stone charging at him when it was ten feet away. He braced himself for impact.
Something grabbed him by the arm and tugged him out of the path. The wall zoomed behind him, and he heard it collide with something solid out of sight.
Sapphire looked down the other paths as Steven caught his breath. The grunting and roaring was growing quieter in the distance.
"Thanks," Steven huffed out. "Hoo, boy, I really need to work on my stamina…"
Sapphire didn't say anything. She had stopped still.
Steven pursed his lips. "Hey, Sapphire? Can't you—?"
"I am," she said. Her fingers were cupped around her forehead.
Steven whispered to himself, "Wow. You knew I was going to ask you to use your future vision while you were using your future vision. That's like…inceptive future vision."
Sapphire perked up and turned to him. "Come here."
He stepped to her. "I'm here."
Sapphire placed her hands on his shoulders. Slowly, she said, "Listen to me."
He turned an ear to her. "I'm listening."
"You'll see the way out of here. You need to move fast before anything changes, and don't come back into the labyrinth. We will take care of the Corrupted Gem."
Steven nodded. "I understand, and yet, I am totally confused."
Sapphire leaned forward and pressed a kiss to his forehead. A tingling sensation spread throughout his skin, and the image of Sapphire melted away into something else entirely.
He moved through the passages, dashing through the walls in a fixed pattern.
Finally, the walls broke open. He jumped through the exit, and the walls shut behind him.
Steven shook his head. Was that a hallucination? It was almost like one of those dreams where he woke up in the morning, and then he really woke up a minute later. And it looked so weird, too, like he was looking through three eyes. What was that..?
He gasped when he realized. "Future vision!"
"Steven, go!"
Sapphire darted down a path without another word.
Steven tried to remember where to go, and a little snippet of the vision returned to him as he did so. He continued like this, darting between the present and the future at Sapphire's instruction. He moved through the passages, dashing through the walls in a fixed pattern.
Finally, the walls broke open. He jumped through the exit, and the walls shut behind him.
Inside, Steven could still hear the others. He guessed that they were closing in on the Corrupted Gem, because the sounds were louder and angrier. He could occasionally hear a soft grunt from Sapphire.
He knew that he was supposed to wait, and while he did so, he thought about the vision he saw.
He hadn't thought much about how future vision worked before, but now he was interested. The vision he saw was somewhat…blurry. Kind of like how an old television begins to go static at the edges. Was that how they always looked?
He tried to summon up the vision again, but he only saw a flicker in his mind's eye. Right…That was in the past now, wasn't it?
He paused, then, deciding to experiment, thought, Will Ruby come out of the labyrinth in a minute?
Ruby skidded out of the labyrinth. She was alone, and turned back to the exit. Neither Opal nor Sapphire appeared behind her, and the exit closed shut. Ruby growled in frustration.
Steven pulled himself back to the present. That vision had been a touch bit blurrier, though not by much. Was it wearing off? And was it right?
Suddenly, Ruby skidded out of the labyrinth. She was alone, and turned back to the exit.
Sapphire exited after her, and the exit closed shut. Ruby growled in frustration, while Sapphire fisted her skirt.
There was a distant POOM, and all of the walls crumbled away to dust and twigs. The three of them stepped back.
Opal stood in the clearing that the labyrinth left behind. She was knelt down in the aftermath of a jump, and was holding something in her hand. The dust settled.
She stood to her toes with a sigh. She Bubbled the Gem, a purple cube with green speckles, and sent it away. She dusted all of her hands off.
"Well," Steven said as he stood to his feet, "That was an exciting eleven minutes, huh? And I never even got to see it."
"Trust me." Opal's face was suddenly cast in dark shadows. "You didn't want to."
Steven blinked.
Ruby clapped her hands together. "Anyway! Let's head back home. I want to go through the Warps again, and I want to make sure everyone's in the same place."
As Ruby and Opal turned in the direction of the Warp Pad, Sapphire came to Steven. As she did, Steven did a quick test. What is Sapphire most likely going to ask me?
The vision was blurrier than the others, but he could make it out.
She asked him, "How do you feel?"
She asked him, "How—?"
"I'm fine."
She closed her lips. She was probably surprised, which was…well, a surprise. Didn't she know that he was going to say that?
Eventually, she gave a small, somewhat uneasy smile. "Ah. I see."
"Oh, oh, wait!" Steven pressed his fingers to his temples. Not that he needed to, but for emphasis. "What am I most likely going to say next?"
Sapphire shrugged.
Steven frowned, and his hands dropped back to his sides. "Don't you want to see? I'm just kidding."
"I can't see. You have my future vision."
"Oh…!" Steven ran his fingers over his forehead. "So…You can give me future vision, but you can only give me future vision?"
Sapphire half-nodded, half-shrugged, and waved him forward. They were some ways behind Opal and Ruby, far enough that neither of them could hear their conversation. "It'll wear off eventually."
"Okay." Steven paused, and Sapphire said nothing more.
Closing his eyes, he quickly thought, Am I going to trip in just a second?
He op ened h is eyes , an d saw t hat his t oe was j ust bru sh ing a gainst a rock. H e step ped o ver it a nd ke pt goi ng.
He hummed to himself. The vision was fuzzy like disrupted static. Was it falling apart because it wasn't technically his future vision? Huh.
He opened his eyes, and saw that his toe was just brushing against a rock. He stepped over it and kept going.
"Hey." He beamed at Sapphire, eyes sparkling. "Can I use the future vision while I have it?"
Sapphire paused. Her lips were pressed together, her fingers curling.
Finally, she nodded. "Sure. But nothing big."
"I won't, I promise." Steven started putting one foot just in front of the other, taking tiny steps. "Baby steps, baby steps…"
"Guuuuys!" Opal waved them over from the Warp Pad where she and Ruby stood. "Come on, let's go!"
He and Sapphire quickly trotted up to them. As the Warp Pad lit underneath them, Steven clasped his hands together and declared, "I have an idea I need to tell you guys! Hear me out: Personality Pancakes."
When Steven stepped inside the Room, the Temple Door sealed shut behind him. Inside, nothing had changed from the last time he'd visited. There was the same soft teal grass, the same white birch trees, and the same small portal-pond. Sapphire was nowhere to be seen, but Steven had a good idea of where she would be.
He brushed the curtain of feathery vines aside. Sure enough, in the small chamber ahead, Sapphire sat on the cushioned basin in the middle. She had her hands folded in her lap and her head slightly turned down. Steven walked up to her. He gave the basin a weary glance.
"Hey, Sapphire."
Her head lifted at her name. "Hello."
Steven winked at her. "Can you guess what I'm about to say now?"
She paused. "I see several likely scenarios."
"Hm. Well, I'll just go ahead." Steven held up the notepad and pen in his hand. "I wanted to run your Personality Pancake recipe by you."
She nodded.
"But…Since I've already got it written down, can you tell what it is?"
Without missing a beat, she replied, "Blueberry pancakes with white chocolate sauce and glitter sprinkles."
As she spoke, Steven checked the list. When she finished, he smiled. "Yup! Good eye you've got there, pun somewhat intended."
Sapphire nodded, but didn't say anything more.
Steven clicked his tongue. "So…"
"I don't think so."
His jaw snapped shut. He waited for her to explain, but she didn't.
He slowly said, "Can you tell me what I was about to say? Because I honestly wasn't sure myself."
"You were most likely about to ask if you could borrow my future vision again." Sapphire shook her head once. "And I don't think so."
Steven blew a raspberry. She wasn't wrong. The future vision had worn off of him a while ago and had returned to Sapphire. He had been having fun with it! It was cool to guess what was going to happen, and then see if it did or not. But the visions became blurrier and fuzzier until they stopped altogether, and he just wanted to know if maybe he could try it again.
"Not even if I said please?"
Sapphire replied, "I'm sorry, but no."
"What about 'pretty please'?"
"I'm pretty sorry, but no."
"What about…" Steven cleared his throat and sang, "Pretty ple-e-e-e-e-ase~?"
"No-o-o-o-o-o~."
Steven huffed. "Why not?"
Sapphire paused, then replied, "I know that you were being careful with future vision while you had it, but it's still dangerous."
Steven's brows furrowed. "What's so dangerous about seeing things that may not happen?"
Sapphire's lips pursed. When she spoke, her voice was as calm as always, but it held a sort of far-off tone, like she was talking to both herself and Steven.
"The future isn't just little details. It's not just finding out what the weather will be like or what's going to happen on your favorite television show. Some details are set in stone and will happen inevitably, but most depend on each other. Two choices will become four choices, then twelve, and so on. The future is a river with many turns, and although some currents are stronger than others, they all move. Some currents lead to ponds, others to hurricanes. My ability does not allow me to see which river the boat will drift down, it allows me to see the rivers without moving the boat. The further the boat moves, the more rivers are eliminated. I see what the future can be, and it's not always a lovely sight."
When she finished, silence filled the chamber. Steven's notepad was completely forgotten as he stared up at her.
"I'm pretty sure that's the most I've ever heard you say. Like, ever."
Sapphire shrugged.
Steven hummed. "Well…If I come up with a reason that I actually need future vision, then can I borrow it for a while?"
Sapphire let out a breath. "It has to be a very good reason."
"Of course!"
"But I won't guarantee I'll say yes."
Steven's smile dropped, and he sighed. "Right." He turned on his heel. "Well, I'm going to head out to town for groceries. I need cherries for Ruby Pancakes and sugar pearls for Opal Pancakes. Don't you think sugar pearls fit Opal perfectly?"
For some reason, Sapphire's lips wavered. It was like she was trying not to smile. "Yes, they do."
"I knew it! I'll see you later, Sapph!"
"Wait."
Steven had just turned down the tunnel when she called out to him. She waved him over with one hand, and he obeyed, walking to the edge of the basin. She waved him forward again, so he leaned forward.
Sapphire leaned towards him, opening her lips and raising a finger…
…which she pressed to his nose.
"Boop."
Steven chuckled and pulled back from her. Sapphire gave him a small smile.
"Sapphire, I bet you're just a huge silly-billy under all that calm!"
Sapphire waved her hand in an 'Oh, you!' manner.
Steven lifted his bags up and onto the bench with a grunt. He rolled them down and dug out his notepad. He flipped it open and checked his list.
"Okay! Strawberries."
He looked down at the plastic box of plump pink strawberries.
"Check. Whipped cream."
He turned the cylinder can around so he could see the logo of a white dollop on its front.
"Check. Star sprinkles."
He picked up the small bottle of multicolored, star-shaped dots and gave it a shake.
"Check. White chocolate sauce."
He was missing the bottle.
"Not check."
He looked back at the bags. They were completely empty.
"Also, not check for everything."
He looked left and right. Everything was right in front of him just a second ago, where on earth did they all go?!
He heard the distant, quick pitter-patter of running feet. He turned to its source, and saw a familiar boy with a jacket around his shoulders and a tuft of blonde hair dashing down the boardwalk. His arms were full of Steven's groceries.
"Onion!"
Steven charged after him with a growl. Why did Onion only come around to cause trouble? Where did he come from, anyway?
After a minute of running, Steven wasn't closer to or farther from Onion. Onion was as agile as a cheetah. With every turn and obstacle, he glided around them easily and kept going. Steven was like a one-legged goose on a roller skate in comparison.
Even though his ribs were aching and his breath was running short, Steven kept going. Onion was coming near Funland, and Steven had to catch him before he went in. He still wasn't un-banned from the place.
"Onion! Come on, you don't even eat food! Give it back!"
He ultimately lost. Onion disappeared into Funland and didn't give Steven a glance behind him.
Steven slowed down on the boardwalk leading to Funland's entrance. He put his hands on his knees and huffed for air. Passerby gave him worried looks.
"Really…need…to boost…stamina…" He sank down to his knees, groaning.
He heard a clacking rhythm coming towards him, and he lifted his head to see what it was.
Mr. Smiley was walking out of Funland. He smiled and waved at the guests while he continued to push the wheeled cart in front of him. The cart was holding a tall, rectangular machine painted in swirling cosmos and twinkling stars. Other than the coin slot, the front had a small window. Inside, there was a small, robot-looking thing, made of gray and red metal and grinning from ear to ear. Its round blue eyes were dull as it hung limply in its place.
As he strolled up to Steven, Mr. Smiley, well, smiled down at him. "Hey there, Steven! Don't go running in too fast now, alright? You're still banned for damage to my property."
"I know. That's why I'm out here." Steven stood to his feet and dusted himself off. "Onion stole all of my groceries and ran inside."
Mr. Smiley raised a brow. "I don't think I've ever seen that inexplicable result of nature eat before."
"Me neither! Maybe he's making, like, a bomb or something."
"I surely hope not!" Mr. Smiley chuckled, but his face was pinched tight. "That boy has gotten Funland evacuated for a bomb threat three times and he will not be doing it again!"
"I remember one of those times. It was a dark day in Beach City." Steven sighed nostalgically. After a moment of silent, he pointed up at the machine. "What is that, by the way?"
Mr. Smiley nodded his head at it. "Take a look."
Steven sidestepped to do so. In pointed red letters, 'Future Boy Zoltron' was printed across the top.
"Future Boy Zoltron, huh? This perfectly fits my policy that anything with the letter 'z' is automatically interesting."
"He is. Well, was." Mr. Smiley patted the machine fondly. "I've had Zoltron here for years, but it seems he's lost his touch."
Steven hummed. "Have you tried plugging and unplugging him?"
"Several times. He doesn't work even when he's plugged in."
"What about when he's not?"
Mr. Smiley shrugged and gestured Steven forward. Steven dug into his back pocket and pulled out a quarter. He slid it into the slot, and he heard it tink down inside, but nothing happened immediately.
Then, in the span of five seconds, Zoltron shot up straight and buzzed out, "YOUR LUCKY NUMBERS TODAY ARE I SEE GOOD FORTUNE IN YOUR FUTURE PLEASE SLIDE IN ANOTHER QUARTER FOR AN ANSWER TIME IS AN ILLUSION!"
Then he went limp again.
Mr. Smiley and Steven blinked at the machine, disturbed.
Steven groaned, "Guess I just wasted a quarter. And the ten plus dollars I spent on groceries."
"Sorry 'bout that, Steven. I'd offer you a job, but uh…" Mr. Smiley winked and snapped his fingers at Steven. "You're banned!"
"Thank yoooooo—" Steven's eyes trailed from Mr. Smiley to Zoltron. "—ooooooh wait! If Zoltron's out of order, does that mean you need a new fortune-teller?"
Mr. Smiley nodded. "Indeed."
"I can set up a fortune-telling stand out here!" Steven waved his hand, spreading an image. "The Great Stevzini! The captain of the future's boat!"
"I don't know…" Mr. Smiley murmured. "Doesn't sound like a solid business plan to me."
"I can give you fifty percent of what I get!"
Mr. Smiley paused. Eventually, however, he exclaimed, "Deal!"
Mr. Smiley paused again, then frowned. "Still…You'd have to get a stand permit to legally be here, and that could take a while."
Suddenly, there was a distant BOOM. A great cloud of smoke shot up from the highest bowl on the Ferris wheel. More lifted into the air, and Steven could just make out the slight orange flickering of a fire. A familiar tuft of blonde hair peeked over the top of the bowl, then the top of the whipped cream can.
Mr. Smiley blanched. He took off running into Funland, calling over his shoulder, "GO AHEAD AND SET UP, STEVEN! I GOT OTHER THINGS TO WORRY ABOUT!"
Steven cupped his hands around his mouth and replied, "Thank you!"
Then, suddenly, a black van pulled up beside Steven with a squeal. As men in armored black suits piled out of the van, the guests of Funland came running out onto the boardwalk, and there were screams of "Run, run, run!"
Steven threw the door to his Room open. Inside, Sapphire sat on a stool at the kitchen island. She had her hands folded in her lap, as always.
"Sapphire! You knew I was coming and waited for me, weren't you?"
Sapphire paused. "Not really. I was just sitting here."
"Oh. Well, I have great news!"
Sapphire paused. "Funland was evacuated for a bomb threat?"
"Wha—No. There's nothing great about that. I have a reason to use future vision!"
Sapphire said nothing.
"Mr. Smiley needs a new fortuneteller at Funland! And I can give people actual future predictions! For money! And then we can make pancakes!"
Sapphire said nothing. Wearily.
Steven sighed. "Hear me out! What if someone actually needs to be told the future? What if it can help them with their problems, or even save their lives? Like, what if a police officer is about to go on a big heist and he might be robbed by the Cream Snatchers if he's not careful and I—"
Sapphire held up a hand to stop him. "This isn't the reason that I had in mind."
"Still, it's a reason, right? And a decent one."
Sapphire pursed her lips.
Steven frowned. "Do you not want me using future vision because you don't think I can? I mean, you totally have a point, but I promise I won't abuse it! I know great power comes with great responsibility."
"It's not that," said Sapphire. "There are things in the future that I would rather you not see."
Steven tipped his head to the side. "But you use future vision all the time, so don't you see them?"
Sapphire opened and closed her lips. For once, she was stumped for a response.
"Please?" Steven begged. "I'm—" He tried to lower himself to the floor, and his knees hit the wood with audible thumps. "Ow. I'm on my knees!"
Sapphire's fingers curled in her lap. Steven wished he could see her face right then, to get some kind of idea of what she was thinking. The room was silent.
Finally, slowly, she spoke, "You have to be specific."
He stood up to his feet. His face was about to split apart with his smile. "Yes!"
"Don't look for two things at once."
"I won't!"
"If you see anything that upsets you, stop. Don't go any further."
"I won't!" He was dancing on his feet.
They both leaned to each other. Sapphire pressed her lips to Steven's forehead, and he felt a familiar tingling sensation spread through his skull, but it didn't feel as uncomfortable this time around.
"Thanks, Sapphire! I promise you, I won't abuse this power."
"I know you won't. Be careful."
Steven sighed, but smiled. "I will—"
"I mean at Funland. Bomb threat."
"Oh, right. I will. I'll bring my gasmask just to be safe."
Steven pressed one last gold star to the poster. The whole thing was covered in stars, sparkles, and swirls like galaxies. Shimmering silver letters read The Amazing Stevzini: Captain of the Future's Boat - $1 Per Question!
He taped the poster to the front of the table with two more stars and stepped back to admire his work. The table was set just outside the Funland entrance, draped in a dark blue cloth. The only things on the table were the money-box and a crystal ball.
Satisfied, Steven walked around the table to his costume. He wrapped a sparkly blue cloth with a jewel around his head and tied a matching cape around his shoulders. He'd also put on some eyeliner for aesthetic purposes, and he had done...fair. Fair enough.
He cleared his throat. When he spoke, he dragged out the vowels and rolled his tongue, trying to sound...Magic-ish. "Come, one and all, to the Amazing Stevzini~! If you have a question about your future, only I can provide the answer~! Come~!"
A few people passing by gave him a glance. One or two chuckled good-naturedly. Steven held his pose.
He heard footsteps coming, but only noticed the person when he was three feet away from Steven.
Ronaldo threw his hands down on the table, and Steven scurried to grab the crystal ball before it toppled over. Ronaldo had his phone in one hand, recording him, and was staring down at him intensely.
"What is this?!" he demanded.
Steven cleared his throat and put his mysterious smirk back on. "I am the Amazing Stevzini~! If you want to know where your choices will (most likely) lead, ask me~! One dollar per question~!"
Ronaldo narrowed his eyes at him, and although he didn't put the phone down, his hand went to his back pocket.
He set four quarters on the table, and while Steven scooped him up, Ronaldo hissed, "I'll play your game, Stevzini. I'll play."
"Very good~. Please, be specific about your question~!"
Ronaldo pursed his lips thoughtfully. His fingers drummed on the table. A few passerby glanced over in interest.
Finally, Ronaldo said, "Just so I know that you aren't some fake wizard trying to steal my money..." He paused, looking aside. "Again." He continued, "Tell me: What is going to happen right now?"
Steven cupped his hands around the crystal ball, closed his eyes, and thought hard. What is most likely going to happen right now?
A seagull swooped down to the table, landing on the edge. It blinked and squawked at Ronaldo, then dug its head into its wing.
Steven pulled himself out of the vision and straightened himself up. Ronaldo had his fingers curled on the table.
"I predict that an avian creature will come down from the sky and turn to you~!" He held his arms wide when he finished.
Nothing immediately came. For a moment, embarrassment burned in his cheeks. Maybe he should have made it clearer that the future wasn't one-hundred percent set in—
A seagull swooped down to the table, landing on the edge. It blinked and squawked at Ronaldo, then dug its head into its wing.
Ronaldo stared down at the seagull for a long second...then suddenly yelped and leaped back as if the table were on fire. The seagull, startled, took to the air again.
"It's real! It's real!" Ronaldo's fingers typed furiously on his phone, surely too fast for every word to be spelled right. He turned to the people behind him, who all jumped back. "He's a real wizard! He knows the future, I saw it myself!" His eyes turned left, and he pointed a finger. "Cool Kid Trio, wait!"
Jenny, Sour Cream, and Buck all paused at the entrance of Funland. Jenny stopped mid-sentence, while Sour Cream lifted his head from his phone. Buck just turned to Ronaldo.
"You have to ask the Amazing Stevzini a question! He's real, I tell you!"
The Cool Kids turned to Steven, who winked back at them. He gave his cape a flick.
Jenny giggled and stepped forward. Buck and Sour Cream flanked her, and Ronaldo stepped aside, but kept recording on his phone.
"Alright, I'll do it." Jenny raised a brow, smirking. "Any rules?"
"Be specific, be soon, and be aware that not every outcome is guaranteed~! My third eye only sees which turn the river will most likely take, not the definite one~!"
Jenny nodded. "Gotcha. Okay, sooooo...What am I about to do right now?"
Steven cupped the crystal ball and thought about it.
As she put the fourth quarter into her palm, her fingers slipped, and one fell to the boardwalk. It disappeared into a crack.
Steven wiggled his fingers with his eyes closed. "I predict that you are about to pay a dollar for your question..."
"Oh!" Jenny dug into her pocket with a chuckle. "Right, I forgot. My b—"
"But! You will drop a quarter as you do!"
Jenny paused with three quarters in one hand and the other in her back pocket. "Well, that's really specific, ain't it—?"
As she put the fourth quarter into her palm, her fingers slipped, and one fell to the boardwalk. It disappeared into a crack.
Jenny blinked down at it, stunned. Ronaldo's trembling hands gripped his phone tightly. Sour Cream and Buck shared a glance. Jenny turned back to Steven, who winked at her.
A smile spread across her face. Digging for another quarter, she sang, "Okaaaaay! I'm impressed. I'm in. Sour Cream, you try."
She passed her quarters to Steven as Sour Cream took her place.
He passed Steven a dollar. "What are in my pockets right now?"
Sour Cream pulled out a pair of entangled earphones, some gum wrappers, a few coins, his wallet, and a red yo-yo from his pockets. He spread them out on the table.
Steven cleared his throat. "Tangled black earphones, silver wrappers of chewing gum, shining coins of silver and copper, an old leather wallet, and a fashionable yo-yo, I predict~!"
Everyone turned to Sour Cream expectantly. He shrugged and dug into the pockets of his orange pants.
Sour Cream pulled out a pair of entangled earphones, some gum wrappers, a few coins, his wallet, and a red yo-yo from his pockets. He spread them out on the table.
Jenny squealed and Ronaldo whooped. Sour Cream blinked, then gave Steven a thumbs-up and a smile.
Ronaldo turned to the small group of people that Steven hadn't noticed before. "Everyone, come here! He can really tell the future!"
The people shrugged and stepped forward, forming a line around the table. Buck stood at the front, and as he passed over a dollar, Steven tried to hide a smile. He knew this was a good idea!
The Amazing Stevzini quickly became the new fad of Beach City. Forget about the bomb threat at Funland—this was interesting!
Within an hour, Steven had a line of at least twelve people at the table. They all gave a dollar, asked a question, got their answer, and moved aside for the next person. Some went back to the end of the line to go again. Ronaldo had become Steven's cameraman of sorts, taping every question and every answer.
Steven saw several familiar faces during the day, and some unfamiliar ones: Mr. Fryman, Nanafua, Yellowtail, and so on. Even Onion stopped by at some point...but he didn't ask a question, he just left a pineapple ring on the table and kept walking.
Steven supplied the answers as best as he could.
To Sadie: "I'm sure that your romantic turmoil will work out eventually~! Just remember that everyone is flawed, and some people are more flawed than others~!"
To a woman with a snarling dog in her purse: "Spray your furniture with acidic juices so Mr. Sprinkles will stop chewing on them~! Also, I suggest signing Mr. Sprinkles up for behavior training~!"
To a tall, gangly fellow: "Your house isn't haunted, you're just lonely~!"
The questions came and went, and at one point, Mr. Smiley was standing in front of him. He, of course, smiled at Steven.
"Hey, Stevzini! How's business going?"
"Very well~!" He opened the money-box on the table and turned it to Mr. Smiley. "I believe I have around seventy dollars in here~!"
Mr. Smiley winked at him. "Technically thirty-five dollars, once I get my fifty percent!"
"...Right~! Such is the way that economy works~."
Mr. Smiley nodded, winked, and stepped out of the line. A redheaded girl with a spattering of freckles across her face—Steven recognized her as one of the employees at the theater—took Mr. Smiley's place.
Wringing her hands, she shyly asked, "How will Hime Warriors III end?"
Steven hovered his hands around the crystal ball, as always, and summoned up a vision.
P r ince ss Sei ko tu r n e d t o her s i s t e r . . .
Steven frowned and pulled out of the vision. It had been going fine for the first half-hour of his work, but after that, it gradually fell apart. Now it was just images of colored blurs with warbled sounds.
He smiled up at the girl apologetically. "The Amazing Stevzini advises you to keep your money~. It seems that my third eye is exhausted and needs to regain celestial energy before I can answer any more questions~."
Of course, everyone in the line sighed in disappointment. Steven quickly put up a sparkly 'ON BREAK' sign on the table.
"I will be back in an hour at most~!"
He swirled his cloak around him and took off running down the Boardwalk. Well, he lost his stamina halfway again, but he just flicked his cloak again and kept going.
Ronaldo turned to the redheaded girl. "Tell me, which Hime Warriors game do you consider to be the best? Cause if you say Hime Warriors Nobility, we're going to have to have a long talk."
Steven pushed the door to his Room open. On the other side, Opal stood on the Warp Pad with two arms crossed, two hands on her hips, and her toe tapping impatiently. The fridge door was open, and Ruby was rummaging around inside. Sapphire wasn't to be seen.
"Hey," Steven said. "What's up?"
"Hey, Steven," greeted Opal. She looked him up and down. She winked, clicked her tongue, and pointed a finger at him. "Nice!"
Steven mimicked the gesture with both hands. "Thanks!"
"Hey, Steven!" Ruby pulled out of the fridge. One of her arms held a stick of butter, a carton of milk, and a pack of cheese slices. As she grabbed yogurt from the fridge door, she asked, "Where's the cottage cheese?"
Steven frowned. "What do you need cottage cheese for?"
"There's no time! The cheese, dang it!"
"I-I think it's on the middle shelf, near the back!"
While Ruby turned back to the fridge, Steven turned back to Opal. "Again, what's going on?"
"Right! I forgot. Ruby and I are headed out for another mission."
"What about Sapphire?"
"She said she needed to stay for some reason." Opal shrugged. "No clue."
"Alright!" Ruby dashed over to the Warp Pad with her armful of dairy products. She dropped a bowl of sour cream, and almost toppled over picking it up. "Let's go!"
"We need to go right now," Opal told Steven. "We left money on the counter if you need to get more dairy stuff!"
Steven gave them a "Thanks!" just as the Warp Pad lit to life. Opal and Ruby's forms blurred, and when the lights vanished, they were gone.
Just a moment later, the Temple Door lit up in a bluish-white glow. It disappeared into nothing, and Sapphire stepped out from the space it left behind. The Temple Door reappeared behind her.
"Hey, Sapphire! Good news: the business is going great! By the time I'm done, we're not just going to have Personality Pancakes; we're going to have Personality Pancakes with top-notch ingredients. I'm talking name brand!"
Sapphire's lips pursed once. "My future vision is back."
"Yeah." Steven pulled the wrap from his head and bundled it together in his hands. "Sooo…Can I have it again? Unless you need it right now."
Sapphire paused. "I don't think so."
"Okay." Steven popped his lips. "Can I ask why?"
"I don't think I should have given it to you to begin with." Sapphire let out a breath of air. "You can't handle it."
"Can't handle what?" Steven crossed his arms over his chest, not angrily. "I told you, a couple of weird pictures aren't going to hurt me. I saw the Crying Breakfast Friends pilot episode, you know."
"Steven…" Sapphire brushed a hand over her bangs. "The future can go ways that you don't want to know."
"But you seem the future all the time, don't you? Why is it okay for you to see it, but not me? I promise, Sapphire." Steven put a hand over his heart. "I'm tougher than I look."
Sapphire paused. When she spoke, her voice was low, serious.
"The future is not a thing
For you to see.
Believe me when I say
You don't want to be me."
Steven shook his head with a smile. He stepped forward and clapped a hand on Sapphire's shoulder.
"Hey, now,
No need to get tense.
I know the future
Doesn't always make sense,
But believe me when I say
I can handle whatever comes my way.
You don't have to worry
About little 'ol me."
Sapphire clasped her hands together. "I know you."
Steven winked at her. "You know me."
"I know you care."
"Is it hard to see?"
Sapphire put her opposite hand on his shoulder.
"But believe me when I say
The future can sometimes go astray—"
Steven cut her off.
"But you don't have to worry
About little 'ol me."
Sapphire pursed her lips again. Shaking his head, Steven stepped back, waving his hands.
"I think you're underestimating
This amazing ability.
Don't you know all the awesome things
That only you can see?
You can predict the weather!"
Sapphire scoffed shortly. "I can see better."
"You can see unaired TV!"
She shrugged. "Nothing on for me."
"Journeys through the desert!"
"Someone's going to get hurt."
"Adventures underwater!"
"Horrifying slaughter."
Steven didn't even hear what she said, too absorbed in his fantasies.
"Saving spires!"
"Burning fire."
"Tough terrain!"
"Blinding pain."
"Fighting guards!"
"Scattered shards."
"Setting sail!"
Steven finally paused for her reply. However, what she said caught him entirely off guard.
"I failed.
Waited too late,
Made a mistake,
All alone,
Should've known.
It'll be all my fault-!"
Sapphire stopped herself with a quick breath of air. Her fingers were curled in the skirt of her dress, her arms stiff.
Slowly, she eased down. She turned to Steven, staring at her wide-eyed. She reached out to him, cupping his elbows with her hands.
"From now on,
Please don't ask.
This ability
Is no easy task.
I don't want you to worry
About little ol' me."
Steven sighed. With Sapphire's hands still at his elbows, he said, "Sapphire, I'm not going to force you to give me your future vision. I'm not trying to. But really, I can take it. And I'm not looking that far into the future. And hey, if you don't like having future vision so much, why don't you lend it to me for a while?"
Sapphire pulled back from him, lowering her head. As her arms fell to her sides, Steven wondered how she felt right then. Was she considering it? Or was she just annoyed?
She leaned forward and pressed her lips to his forehead. By the time the tingling had stopped, Sapphire had already disappeared back into her Room.
Steven returned to the Funland entrance with his future vision restored. He put his head-wrap back on and put his Stevzini persona back to use. He answered more questions, but in-between, he continued to think about Sapphire.
On one hand, he felt bad for how their conversation had turned out. He hadn't meant to force Sapphire into giving him future vision again, he'd just meant to ask for it if she was willing to. On the other hand, he really was being careful. If there was something so terrible about seeing the future, he had yet to find out what it was. What was Sapphire so worried about, again?
He snapped out of his thoughts when Ronaldo once again stepped forward to the table. Steven really wished he'd take a break for at least a little while. Ronaldo had been running on coffee all day, and his fingers were trembling.
"Okay, Stev…" Ronaldo paused, his eyes blinking slowly. "Stevzinger, I have another question!"
Steven nodded. "Continue~!"
Ronaldo slapped another bill onto the table. "Tomorrow night, it has been predict…predictum…preducked that there will be a meteor shower. Is this right?"
Steven closed his eyes and swirled a hand around the crystal ball. "Let me see~!"
On the following night, the moon was bright and the sky was starry. Streaks of white flashed between the stars.
On the following night, the moon was bright and the sky was starry. Everything was still.
On the following night, the moon was bright and the sky was cloudy. Gray curtains blurred the moon's image.
On the following night, the moon was bright and the sky was starry. Everything in Beach City was burning. The night was hot orange.
Steven snapped himself back to the present. The last image…that was…He didn't want to say that it scared him, it just really took him by surprise. What was that about?
Ronaldo was still watching him. Everyone was waiting for his answer.
"Um…" Steven cleared his throat. "It seems that a meteor shower is to come, but we may not be able to see it~!"
Everyone nodded and shrugged, with a few murmurs of "Fair enough." Ronaldo nodded.
Then, he took out another b—Well, actually, it was a crumpled-up napkin, but Ronaldo continued before Steven could point it out. "Okay! Now…now-now…Wh-What is going to air on television in three days, eight AM at night, on channel two-nine-three…four. Two-nine-four, not…two…thousand…"
While Ronaldo blinked slowly again, a guy in the line leaned forward. "Hey, get back in line! We have actual questions!"
Steven raised a hand and waved for him to calm down. "At ease, my friend~! All questions are good questions~! A moment, please~."
At night o'clock at night, Cork and Cindy rolled on the screen of Steven's television in Steven's Room. Everything was dark and still.
At night o'clock at night, Marvelous Black Cat! rolled on the screen of Steven's television in Steven's Room. One light was on. There was laughter in the Room.
At night o'clock at night, the screen of Steven's television in Steven's Room was off. A siren wailed in the distance. Everything was green. Someone called his name.
Steven pulled out of the vision too quickly. His head spun, and he stumbled out of his chair, a hand to his forehead.
Ronaldo and a few of the people in line frowned. Ronaldo put the phone down and worriedly ask, "Are you okay?"
"Um…" Steven shook his head. "I…I'm sorry, but the Amazing Stevzini is…um…I have to go."
He grabbed the money-box and stumbled away. The people watched him go, all with furrowed brows and worried frowns.
Steven put the money-box on the counter with a shaky sigh. His forehead was tingling again, but it was different. Before, it was like his forehead was asleep, but now, it felt like needles dancing over his skin.
Something was wrong. Was this what Sapphire was talking about? He had been so careful. He couldn't understand what he had seen, but it made him dizzy. It made his stomach churn.
Opal and Ruby were probably still out, but hadn't Sapphire stayed behind? Or had she followed?
Steven almost tripped over the Warp Pad as he came to the Temple Door. It took his concentration and all of his strength, but he managed to get the Door to activate. His and Sapphire's gemstones lit up, and the door disappeared.
In what seemed like two seconds, he had walked through the miniature forest and into Sapphire's chamber. She wasn't sitting in her basin, and there was no way that Steven was about to check underneath it.
Steven paused. Sapphire was in a definite place right now, so he might be able to find her.
He squeezed his eyes shut and thought, Where is Sapphire right now?
Sheturned her head left and right, looking for—
Sapphire hit the ground with a cloud of dust.She was in an open field of some sort. Some distance behind her, there was some kind of pyramid structure with a square door. Something red landed behind Sapphire, and she turned—
Steven groaned and pulled himself back. He didn't know what was going on, but in that image, Sapphire was obviously being hurt. He didn't want to go back to that. He didn't want to go to any visions anymore.
"Ok, just…Try to relax. Don't think about it."
He stumbled his way back into his Room, and as he did, a wave of nausea crashed over him. His stomach was swimming, his ears were ringing. He couldn't think straight.
The light fixture in the ceiling fell down onto Steven—
Steven reeled backwards from underneath the light. Even with him away, it didn't budge an inch. He swallowed dryly.
The floor underneath his feet crumbled. He fell through—
Steven reeled back…then realized that he was on the floor no matter where he stepped. He kept reeling backwards, though, until he stumbled into the fridge. His stomach was still churning.
The fridge door flew open. Hundreds of crabs poured out and dug their pincers into Steven's skin—
Steven paused, eyebrows furrowed. Slowly, awkwardly, he pulled the fridge door open. Not a single crab came out.
"…Okay, that one was just weird."
The ceiling caved in, crushing—
Steven made a beeline for the door. He couldn't find his balance, but he didn't stop to think. He pulled it open and ran outside to the deck—
The deck collapsed—
"Alright, I get it!"
Steven ran all the way down the steps to the sand below. Once there, he put his hands on his knees to catch his breath, so hot in his throat.
He looked up with burning, watery eyes. It was late evening now, and the sun was setting over the ocean—
The sun erupted in a blast that consumed the sky—
Steven's head spun left and right. Okay, technically, he couldn't outrun the sun, but he just didn't want to look at it anymore! He needed to get away!
He ran to the right. He rounded around the Temple's side to the strip of beach that ran ahead. It held the remains of the old docks and led to Funland, but he wasn't heading to either of them.
He spied the cave in the cliff side, a mile or so down. It was a round hole in the rock with jagged stones dotted around its mouth, like teeth. He kept running towards it, trying not to think about the sunlight behind him or the burning in his chest.
"Alright," he told himself through huffs of breath. "Just…Just try not to think about it. Try not to think about anything…No, that's impossible. Just…don't think about the future."
He was thrown around in every direction. He could only see flashes of color, and there was so much pressure on his chest, and he couldn't breathe—
Steven growled and forced himself back to his senses. He glared up at his forehead, going cross-eyed. "Ugh! I trusted you!"
In surprisingly little time, he finally came to the cave. He pulled himself up into the mouth, legs kicking. The rock was slick, and a jagged edge sliced into his hand. He felt the line of stinging pain across his palm, but kept going.
The inside of the cave was moist and dark, with tight, uneven walls. He stumbled forward blindly. He didn't care where he was going or what he was doing; he just needed to get away.
At some point, the sunlight turned into little more than a faint glow. Steven kept squeezing and pushing his way through the cave mouth regardless. His stomach had settled, but his heart was pounding like a jackhammer.
Eventually, he couldn't move any further. It was too dark, too cramped, too everything. He sank down with his legs to his chest and tried to breathe.
Everything felt so tight. He felt like he was being crushed in a giant fist, he couldn't breathe.
All the while, his forehead continued to burn.
Steven jumped and rolled out of the boulder's path. He slid across the rough floor, gritting his teeth when his tender, raw skin was scraped. He pulled hims elf t o his elb ow s—
He p ulled a nd strug gled as ha rd as h e could. It w as no use. He was trap ped. H e loc ke d g az es wit h ye l low e y e s—
T ho u sa n ds o f ha nds re ac he d o ut f or hi m—
Steven gasped for air. His eyes were wide, but he couldn't see his hands in front of his face. He heard low rumbling and a constant pitter-pattering. There was rain somewhere, but he couldn't see it. How long was he in there?
No more visions came to his mind's eye. His stomach eased and his temperature settled, but he continued to shake.
"I should just stay here," he whispered to himself. "Where no one and nothing can hurt me." He paused and swallowed. "Unless this place caves in. I don't even care anymore…"
He hated how hopeless he sounded and felt, but he knew that there was no point anymore. What he had once thought to be marvelous was haunting him. Every step he took, every breath he breathed could hurt him and everyone else. There was no point anymore, he was powerless.
Something moved in the darkness, and his tired eyes moved up. Tiny slivers of light were peeking through the air. Silvery light, or was it blue?
As it intensified, he knew that it was definitely bright blue. The shafts and been faded and flickered as its source moved about. Steven heard approaching movement.
He drew his knees tight to his chest and held his breath. He didn't even know what was coming anymore; he just wanted it to go away so it couldn't hurt him.
"Steven?"
He was so closed in that he wasn't sure if he heard it right. He waited.
"Steven?"
No, that was definitely a voice calling his name. He crept forward, hands blindly sliding over rock and stone. It took him a moment, but he realized that in his vision-caused stupor, a few of the rocks inside the cave had fallen. He wasn't trapped, but the way he came was crowded together. Small spaces peeked between the rocks.
The blue light peeked between them, until it only came from one hole at the top of the pile. A blue Gem in a gloved palm was shining the beam like a flashlight. The palm turned left and right like a lighthouse, as if calling Steven toward it.
"Steven!" the voice called again. It echoed down the tunnels.
"Sapphire?"
"Steven." She sighed, and the blue light stilled. He used it to creep closer to the wall dividing him. "What are you doing in there?"
"I…I don't know."
She paused. The light moved behind the rocks. "I'll move these real quick and get you out. Stay back."
He heard a quiet shing sound of her knuckledusters appearing.
"No! Don't!"
There was a moment of silence and stillness. "What?"
"Just go away and leave me alone! I just want to stay here!"
"You can't…stay in the cave, Steven."
"I can and I will! I'll live in the darkness and drink the water off the rocks."
He ran a finger over a moist stone and licked it with confidence. Confidence that he quickly realized was misplaced at the bitter, grimy taste on his tongue. He spat and sputtered.
"Steven, just—"
"No! It's way better in here than it is out there!" He took in a shuddering breath. "You were right, okay? You were right! Seeing the future stinks! It's terrible and I shouldn't have asked you for it!"
She didn't reply, so Steven continued.
"I don't want to know about the future anymore! What's the point in doing anything if you can be hurt just like that? Anything I do can hurt someone! It can hurt everyone! A-and I don't know what's worse: knowing that what you do will hurt someone or not knowing what things you do will hurt someone! There's no better option and I…I just can't think straight anymore!"
He balled his fingers into his hair and tried to breathe. He was shaking harder than ever.
"Steven…"
He cracked his eyes open a touch. The blue light flickered.
"I told you that the future can show the worst things." Her voice wasn't scolding; it was quiet, almost whispered. She swallowed. "I told you that even in all of the possibilities, things can go as badly as possible. You want to know something?"
He said nothing.
"When you asked if you could borrow my future vision again, I saw this. I saw that you could be hurt and afraid. And it was the most likely scenario that could happen. Out of everything that could happen, you suffering had more possibility. And I gave you my future vision anyway."
Steven crept closer to the rocks, just a few inches away. He could see bits of Sapphire through the spaces.
"I gave it to you because I saw that even though you could be hurt, maybe…Just maybe…This would bring us closer together. I clung to that tiny little hope that you would understand."
One of the stones in the middle of the pile shifted. It pulled away, but instead of straight bangs, Steven saw a single, cornflower blue eye staring back at him. It was shining with incoming tears.
Sapphire's voice dropped quieter. "Some things are inevitable. But please, please believe me when I say that almost everything is in your control. It's not just a never-ending list of terrible things that will be your fault. What you choose and what you do determines your future."
She paused, and the eye on him turned away in shame.
"I realized that today when I made the wrong choice. I decided to do something that I knew could hurt you. And if another possibility I saw comes true…and you hate me…then that's my fault."
The blue light died away.
Sapphire pulled away from the rocks. Nothing moved behind them.
She hung her head, a tear already slipping from her eye.
"Hey, Sapphire?"
She lifted her head and her hand. When the light returned, she saw a hand peeking through the walls, palm facing her.
"If these rocks weren't in the way, I'd hug you, but uh…yeah."
She laughed hoarsely. Taking his hand with her shining one, she summoned a knuckleduster onto her other one. She moved the sharp gemstones over the rocks in a zigzag shape, the lines leaving a dull blue glow.
The second she pulled her knuckledusters back, the rocks fell to pieces. Chips and bits fell onto and slid off Steven's arm. He coughed and waved away the dust that collected in his face.
He and Sapphire pulled to each other. He patted her on her back while she squeezed her arms around him.
"We just can't get enough of these 'welcome back' hugs, can we?" Steven joked.
Sapphire chuckled. By the time they pulled away from each other, she already had her bangs back over her eye.
"Hey," said Steven. "I promise I'll be careful, alright? So you don't have to worry about me so much."
She nodded.
"And because of that, I would like to ask." He pointed a finger upwards. "Is this cave going to fall in on us?"
"It might."
"Okay, let's go."