"And this piece goes over here…and this one over here…aha! Done!" exclaimed the little green technician as she popped out of the cockpit. The rays of the afternoon sun reflected off the completed, shiny metal hull of one of the Turbo Moles.
"Great job everyone!" Garnet congratulated.
"BAM! That's how we roll!" Amethyst cheered.
"Roll? We're not rolling anywhere" Peridot pointed out.
"What Amethyst meant was that we were quick and efficient in our actions" Garnet clarified.
"Then why didn't you just say that in the first place?!" Peridot exasperated as she climbed out of the subterranean machine and landed on the ground.
"Ugh…just forget it" Amethyst replied.
"So when will we be able to test it out?" Lapis asked.
"Right now actually. During the trial run, we can see how quickly the motherboard sends out its signals to make sure the components react at the required speeds and that nothing's delayed. Then we need to check and make sure the inner lining of the laser canon can withstand the heat of the fire crystals. Then there's-"
"So basically make sure everything works. You could've just said that in the first place" Amethyst grinned.
Peridot puffed out her cheeks and countered, "…It was necessary to state the specifics so you'll be able to operate it correctly!"
Stars appeared in Amethyst's eyes and she asked, "I get to drive?!"
"NO" Garnet firmly denied.
"What? Why not?" she whined.
"Don't you remember that drag race crash in '52? Or the monster truck rally in '79? Or even what you did to Steven's little kazoo racers?" Garnet listed.
"Hey! That crash wasn't my fault! The dude didn't chicken out…crazy man. And monster trucks are supposed to smash stuff! And it was a baby war, you're supposed-"
"Enough. My decision is final" Garnet declared cutting her off.
Amethyst just crossed her arms and huffed. "…Fine. Whateves. Driving is boring anyway" she muttered.
"…Anyway, where's Pearl? While I am an expert technician, it never hurts to have a second pair of machine-savvy eyes" Peridot said, trying to get things back on track.
"Hey…now that you mention it, where'd Jasper go?" Amethyst asked.
"It's training time" Garnet stated and everyone froze for a bit.
"Already?" Peridot asked and Garnet nodded her head.
"And you're absolutely sure that nothing bad will happen?" Lapis asked.
"Bad depends on your perspective. But no, nothing like Dark Stevonnie will happen. In fact…" Garnet readjusted her shades and finished, "it'll be a very short training session. We'll see them soon enough."
The chill of a passing breeze underneath the forest canopy shifted the leaves, causing the rays that managed to penetrate the barrier to be temporarily dispersed across the landscape. The slight light redirection caused a multitude of vibrant colors to pop out in the natural spotlight; it was truly a sight to behold. But for one gem, the only thing that caught her attention was the soil caking her light blue shoes.
"…I guess I'm in good company if dirt still wants to be around me" Pearl solemnly thought as she slowly trudged across the forest floor towards the crystalline warp pad.
She was taken out of her despairing state of mind when her training partner yelled, "C'mon Pearl! We're gonna be late! Didn't you say that promptness was a good trait to possess?"
Pearl sluggishly lifted her head up and managed to make out through her blurry eyes the orange figure that was far ahead of her. "…I shouldn't have said anything at all!"
Suddenly, her eyes couldn't hold back the water and she wailed from the top of her illusionary lungs before collapsing to the green carpet underneath her.
"Pearl?!" Jasper shouted as she ran back towards the distressed gem. She kneeled down next to her and asked, "Hey, what's wrong? Did something attack you?" All she got for a response was her shaking her head, coating her face with dew-covered grass blades.
Jasper growled in frustration and gently, well…gentle by her standards, pulled her off the ground by the back of her shirt.
"No! I don't want to go! Just leave me here to erode!" she cried as she flailed about, almost hitting Jasper in the face with a nice left hook.
"Hey! You're not the only one that doesn't want to do this you know!" she shouted, causing Pearl to cease her thrashing and actually look at her. "Look, we screwed up okay?! But like they said, just because we made a really bad mistake, doesn't mean we're going to be bad forever! I know I'm not! Well…not anymore. I mean, I thought I was good until I learned what the diamonds we're doing was bad and that made bad by association but…GAH! Point is, I failed my mission to train Steven and keep him safe. But now I have a chance to redeem myself in his eyes. It's not like back on home world where if you fail a mission, you basically wait around while they decide your fate. And nine times out of ten you're broken for your failure."
"My fate has already been sealed" Pearl muttered.
"What?" Jasper asked.
"I blew it. I really really blew it. There's no way in the world that Steven would ever love me let alone trust me again!" she cried.
"So what? You're just gonna give up?! What happened to not giving in to stinkin' thinkin'? How do you know if you don't even try to make it better? Do you want another one of those monsters to come out of him?!" she countered.
"It's not stinkin' thinkin' if it's the truth!" Pearl yelled back. "You weren't there! You don't know! You didn't hear what I heard!"
"Then enlighten me" Jasper said as she carefully dropped her to the ground with a soft **plop**. She sat on the ground Indian-Style right next to her and waited for her to compose herself long enough to articulate her thoughts.
"**hic** L-Last night… I went into his r-room to be near him."
"What? Didn't he say that he didn't want you to watch him sleep?" Jasper reminded.
"Y-Yes, but I couldn't help myself!" Pearl explained.
"Sounds like an excuse to me. You consciously made the decision to go in there" Jasper countered.
"Fine! Maybe it is, but I needed to be near him! It's the only time I can see him and not feel…guilty. That's my way of working up to rebuilding the trust I destroyed. I'm…I'm not as courageous as him. Or you for that matter. Even though you're scared about facing him and Connie in that kind of setting, you still push through. I-I can't" she lamented.
"…First off, I'm not scared. Uneasy yea, but not scared. Second, of course I push through. I'm a warrior, we shrug off one battle and move on to the next one. But if there's anything that I've picked up from being back here on this planet…being with Steven…is that everyone has a different way of doing things. You know? If every pork chop were perfect, we wouldn't have hot dogs. Strive to be a better you through unexpected ways. I'm the "face you head on" type of warrior while you're the stealth kind. Nothing wrong with that" Jasper explained.
"But I want to face him head on! Well…not like that but you know what I mean! But I can't! Not after what I saw…what I heard I should say" Pearl clarified.
"…Well? What did you hear?" Jasper asked.
"H-He was underneath the blanket…and he was crying. He was crying because he was having a nightmare…about me. I could only make out some of his words, but they still keep replaying in my mind."
"Pearl…no…why don't you love me? What…do wrong…not mom…I'm sorry…please!"
"I mean you saw it yourself when he was a lion cub. He was hesitant to even let me hold him. I know he told me it was because he didn't want to get fur on me, and I believe him. But…what if he felt that way because he didn't want me to get mad again? To yell about him again? H-He's s-scared of me and I hate it! It feels like I'm one of those negativity monsters! How could anyone, let alone him, possibly love someone like me?!" she cried as she buried her face in her hands.
Impulsively, Jasper grabbed her and held her against her body in a warm embrace. Pearl was stiff for a brief moment, trying to comprehend what was happening.
"The same way he could love someone who nearly beat him to death" Jasper answered. "He told me back in Rose's room that everyone deserves to be loved. If he can care about a "bad home world gem", then I'm sure he still cares about you too."
Pearl's eyes widened at that statement. Soon more tears silently spilled out of her sockets as she clung to the massive gem for dear life.
Jasper softly, yet awkwardly, patted the sobbing gem's back and continued talking, "It'll just take some time before he truly believes that you care about him too. I know it did for me when he let me out of the bubble and stopped Copy Rose. It wasn't until he held me like this that everything just…clicked. But it still took some getting used to…I mean it still is. All this love stuff…not having it hurts more than anything Yellow Diamond could ever do to me. And you know that she's capable of some tortuous stuff."
Pearl nodded in her head against her chest in agreement with that notion.
"Steven has always been our support, fountain, rubber band or whatever you want to call it. Point is, even he gets worn out. He already forgave us, that means he ain't bringing up anymore and neither should we. It happened, we learn from it and move on" Jasper finished.
"B-But it hurts" Pearl choked out.
"Course it does! It's just like letting your guard down in a fight and getting sucker punched right in your gem. It's gonna hurt like crag in the beginning, but eventually it'll subside. Then you learn from your mistakes, change your tactics and adapt if the need arises. You've already done that after blowing up on him…twice. You're already starting to see him instead of Rose. Now you need to fill him up with your love, just like I need to do. And we can't do that being bitter little sad sacks, right?" she asked.
Pearl slowly got her head off of her chest looked into her honey yellow eyes.
"But ultimately it's your call. So…what're going to do? Just sit here and cry about it or be the warrior you were meant to be and fight for him? You've been doing it so far, so why stop now?" Jasper asked.
Pearl stared at her for a few seconds before wiping the tears out of her eyes. "I understand. I need Steven just as much as he needs me. I can't give up. I WON'T give up!" she declared and Jasper showed a smug grin.
"Good. I thought I might've had to knock you upside the head a few time to make sure it got through that thick gem of yours" she said and Pearl chuckled at that.
Jasper helped the still shaken gem to her feet and asked, "Ready to do this, warrior Pearl?" and Pearl responded with a quick nod. "Then let's go" she said and they continued their now brisk walk towards the warp pad.
"…H-Hey Jasper?"
"Yea?"
"…Thank you. I-I really needed that" Pearl said with a slight blush.
"Y-yea…well, don't mention it. Besides…that's just what a family do, right?" asked Jasper.
"Heh…you're right! And…just so you know, I think you're a stronger warrior now than you we're before. Tough on the outside yet soft on the inside. Almost like how Rose wanted Lion to be for Steven, a powerful protector with approachable fluffiness. The perfect balance!" Pearl praised.
That made Jasper's long hair spike up for a brief moment before she stuttered, "Th-thanks. Don't know about the fluffiness part though but either way. I mean I still don't know what I'm saying half the time. I mean I do but I'm also copying some of Steven's words. It makes sense to me and if it does to you then that's a bonus. Wait, no! I mean…GAH! Just forget it!" as she stomped off a little further ahead of her. Pearl quietly chuckled at the suddenly non-articulate gem as she caught up.
Soon the duo arrived at the warp pad just outside the entrance to the kindergarten. However, Pearl didn't make a move to step onto the crystalline portal.
Jasper turned her head and saw her looking down at her shuffling feet while nervously wringing the end of her sash. It didn't take a genius to tell that she was still nervous about the training session.
Instinctively, Jasper reached her hand out to her. Pearl looked at the striped hand offered to her then up at her soft, understanding gaze. "C'mon Pearl, it's now or never" she said.
"B-But"
"Pearl." Jasper firmly said, cutting off her rambling doubts. "It doesn't matter if they want to train with us or even be around us. If not today, then tomorrow. Not tomorrow then next week. Time never really mattered to us anyway. No matter how long it takes, we have to show that we're here for them. Once they see that we're not giving up, then we'll start training. And when they realize that we're training them effectively while still keeping them safe, that'll make them trust us again. That'll get rid of any fears and doubts they had towards us. Towards you."
Pearl smiled and nodded her head. She placed her hand in Jasper's massive palm and both of them stepped onto the warp pad.
"…Thank you" Pearl said as she squeezed Jasper's hand a little tighter as the warp stream surrounded them.
"N-No problem. But don't you dare tell Amethyst about this! I'll never hear the end of it!" warned Jasper.
"I promise" she swore. "And for what it's worth…I think you are becoming more like him, but in your own way. And I like it."
"Alright jeez! Knock it off already! Wait…no I didn't mean it like that! I meant…grrrr! Look, it just makes me feel…weird inside. Right here" Jasper tried to explain as she pointed to her abdomen.
Pearl chuckled and explained, "That just means you like it when someone compliments you. It makes you happy."
"…So it's like the body's way of displaying our ultimate compatibility glow?" she asked.
"In a way…yes" she agreed while desperately trying to keep her cheeks from becoming blue tinted.
"…Interesting. I mean I've gotten good marks back on home world, but I didn't feel anything. Whenever Steven says anything like that, I feel warm and then start glowing automatically. When you say it, I feel all jittery…like something's hopping around inside of me. So why is it different with you?" she asked.
"I…I…" Pearl's mouth just hung open as she tried to come up with the right way to explain this phenomenon. "Ask Garnet" she finally said as she turned her head away from the confused gem to seemingly stare at something interesting outside the fractal stream.
"…Oookay?" Jasper said as she quirked one eyebrow up, then looked down at her hand that was still nestled comfortably in her palm. "…It's warm" she observed.
Soon the warp stream deposited them in the beach house, but they quickly noticed that it was empty.
Jasper immediately let go of Pearl's hand and called out, "Steven? Steven?!" She started running her hands through her hair as her panic levels started to rise.
"Note! Maybe he left note" she thought as she tore through the room. But there wasn't even a scrap of tissue to be found in the previously pristine area. "Where is he?!" she shouted.
Instinctively, Pearl checked the temple door. "The temple isn't on lock down." Then she closed her eyes and a small glow appeared inside her gem. "And Rose's door hasn't been activated recently."
"How do you know that?" Jasper asked.
"…Special connection" she simply replied and Jasper got the message.
"This isn't like him. He knows when training time is and he's always here!" Jasper growled out as she paced around the living room.
Suddenly a sickening scenario entered Pearl's mind. "What…what if he ran away?" she whispered, but the tiger-striped gem still heard it.
"No…he wouldn't have" she quietly countered.
"Yes he could've! He was scared about today! And it's all my fault! He's-"
"Oh no you're not!" shouted Jasper as she forcibly grabbed Pearl's hand. She held her up and yelled, "We are not going not going through this again! We're going to find him, and if he wants to be alone then fine!" while poking her chest.
Pearl quickly nodded before Jasper ran out the door, pulling her along as well. Thankfully, they didn't have to go very far.
Once they were out on the porch, they heard the familiar sound of his guitar from the peak of the hill. Jasper let go of her hand and leaned against the rail of the deck whereas Pearl held her hand to her rapidly beating chest.
"…He was outside" Pearl breathed in relief. "Why didn't we think of that in the first place?"
"We we're scared" Jasper answered. Pearl looked incredulously at her.
"…What? He's my little cub alright?! I can't help reacting this way! Especially after everything! I don't even know why I do. I mean I know he can take care of himself, but it's just-"
"Jasper" Pearl said cutting her off as she put a hand on her shoulder. "It's okay. You don't need to explain anything. You care about Steven because you love him, simple as that. S-sorry for staring at you like that. I was just surprised that you actually said you were scared. You're just…so composed and confident all the time…not like me" she finished as she looked at the floor boards.
"…Not all the time. You saw me lose it a couple of times, so we're more alike than you think. Heh…I should be thankful that you already somewhat forgot how I treated you earlier" Jasper said.
"Well…it was my fault for instigating it. And even when you were like that, you still stuck to your guns so to speak and continued to exude your confident aura. Of course in my past state of mind it came across as arrogant, but you could back it up with action" Pearl explained.
"Yea…I guess. I mean, I had no choice but to be composed and confident. That's how I always was back home. Like I said, "A clear mind wins the fight." And that's the only thing quartzes are good for anyway is fighting."
"…It was your shield!" Pearl realized.
"Yep. Sometimes I was scared out of my gem, but I didn't show it nor let anyone see it. So having this new "fluffy side" as you call it will take some getting used to. But I'll get that perfect balance eventually. So long as I have him and you guys providing me with the strength and motivation to win" she said and Pearl nodded in agreement.
"C'mon, we've got a mission to complete" Jasper stated.
Both of them went down the stairs and walked along the sand. They didn't want to accidentally startle him by hopping up the statue side of the hill and possibly landing behind him. And truthfully, Pearl was glad for the slight detour towards the inevitable meeting.
Meanwhile…
The sound of slow flamenco guitar music charged the still air around the two different siblings.
Steven laid his head against Lion's body with his eyes closed while the feline protector had his head up on high alert, both of them awaiting the arrival of the training participants. The purposeful plucks of each string orchestrated the swirling emotions going on inside of the young boy's mind.
But just like the rhythmical golpe serving as an effective bass for the melody, a familiar voice helped steady his thoughts.
"Navi? Are…are you there?"
"I'm here Steven. Like I said, nothing will break our link."
"Good" he sighed in relief. "…I know you said I have to take my time and go at my own pace…but I'm still nervous about how the others will react. I-I don't want to let anyone down."
"Steven, the only one you have to concern yourself with is yourself. You're still putting the needs of others above your own well-being, and I'm in no way condemning you for that. That's one of the qualities on your sheet of paper that makes you charming. But…if you let yourself down then you'll let everyone else down in the process. You already know what you need to do. And I believe you'll be surprised at the results you obtain" Navi finished before fading away like the final note.
"…Whatever happens, don't let go of my hand" he softly sung as he gradually opened his eyes, allowing the sunlight to reflect off of his black pupils.
He got up off of Lion's body, put the guitar back in his mane and stretched his arms up. "Hrrrrmmmm!" he grunted as he shook his muscles out. But his stretching session was cut short when he heard Lion growl.
"What's wrong?" he asked.
All of a sudden, Lion stopped his intimidating noises and their question was answered when they heard a welcoming voice.
"STEVEN!" Connie yelled as she came into view. Steven smiled and waved at the oncoming girl.
She threw her duffle bag on the ground and continued running towards them, however her excitement didn't cause her to slow down. Luckily Lion got out of the way in time before she accidentally tackled Steven to the ground in a hug.
"OOOF!" he grunted.
"Sorry! Sorry! I'm sorry!" Connie profusely apologized as she got up off of him. "I heard guitar music and I knew it was you. Then I remembered how your music draws out negativity monsters so when the music stopped, I thought you were trouble so I ran here as fast as I could. But you're okay and I was just so happy that…well…" Connie trailed off as she looked at the ground.
It took a moment for Steven decipher her rambling explanation, but once he did he let out a hearty chuckle. "I'm fine. Besides, you know me. I never say no to a hug! Well…unless the hugger is really stinky, but that's the only time" he explained and Connie giggled at that.
"Sorry I'm late. The bus seemed to get every red light imaginable" Connie explained as she brushed the grass blades off of him.
"You're not late. I was just…calming my mind before Pearl and Jasper got here" Steven explained.
"…St-Steven? Are you…I mean actually I was"
But her question stayed in her throat when a gruff voice shouted, "STEVEN! CONNIE!"
The children looked over and saw Jasper and Pearl walking up the hill, the former giving them an awkward wave whereas the latter put on the biggest smile she could muster(which was still pretty small).
"Wow… how serendipitous. But I guess I shouldn't be too surprised" Steven thought.
Lion made his opinion about the situation known when he started snarling at the two instructors. Connie wasn't faring any better as she took a big gulp and clenched her fists.
"Guys" Steven whispered and they gave him their attention. "It'll be okay" he assured with his genuine toothy smile, baffling the two of them.
He got up and walked over towards them to meet them halfway. Connie blinked a couple of times before she got out of her stupefied state and both she and Lion followed after him.
When they came face to face with each other, that awkward distrustful silence enveloped them like an unbearable heatwave.
"H-Hello there you two" Pearl tried to jovially articulate in order to break the tension and also alleviate the knot in her stomach.
"…Hey Pearl. Hey Jasper" Steven quietly responded.
Pearl's pointy hairstyle drooped a little when she heard his timid reply. Combined with Lion's hostile glare as well as Connie's defending, cross-armed body position…it almost dissolved her resolve and sent her running back into the temple for good. The only thing that made stay was Jasper's unwavering determination. Plus since she was right next to her, she could grab her before she even had the chance.
"Sorry we're late. Some…things needed to be dealt with" Jasper explained.
"It…It's okay. Connie just got here too. And I was just playing my guitar and…thinking" Steven replied.
"…I see. Well, now that we're here…you guys ready to start training?" she asked.
A quiet qualm surrounded them as everyone's attention focused on Steven. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath to steady his own jittery nerves.
"No" he firmly responded.
"Wh-what?" Pearl stuttered.
"I'm not ready to train" he repeated.
"…Oh! Of course you're not" Pearl said relieved. "You're still in your t-shirt and jeans. We can wait while you get changed into your training clothes" she offered.
But Steven shook his head and clarified, "You don't need to wait because I'm not changing. I'm not going to train with you guys." Everyone stared at him wide-eyed with shock, but Pearl's eyes had some moisture in them.
"I've…I've been thinking about it a lot and I'm just not comfortable training together yet. I'm sorry you guys came out here for nothing, but th-that's my call and I'm sticking to it. I-I have to go at my own pace and t-take my time with this. But I will be ready…one day. Just not today" he finished.
A small smile crossed Lion's muzzle, completely proud of him for being so brave in this situation. Standing up to authority figures, let alone your own family, isn't easy. The gems should know that for sure.
Steven released a long exhale that he didn't even know he was holding and turned his attention to Connie. "I'm so sorry Connie. I should've called you. B-But I just figured this outjust before you got here and-"
"Steven, you don't have to apologize! You don't have to push yourself for anyone!" she assured as she held his hand.
"She's right" Jasper spoke, garnering everyone's attention. "If you're not ready, then you're not ready. Simple as that. We won't push you into doing something just for us. Never again" she emphasized.
She looked at her hand before clenching it into a fist and exhaling. "Steven…you're not nothing. You're everything. You take your time and know that we'll always be here for you, no matter what. And Connie, that goes for you too" she said and Pearl could only nod in agreement, not trusting her emotionally faltering voice to say anything.
Steven showed a small smile and said, "Thanks you guys."
"That's just what a family do, right?" Jasper asked.
"Right!" he responded.
"Right. Well…we better get going. There's still clusters that need to be dealt with" Jasper said as gently grabbed Pearl's hand and led the heart-broken gem down the hill.
"WAIT!" Steven shouted before they got too far.
They stopped in their tracks and before they could ask what was wrong, he gave them each a big ol' hug wherever he could reach, with Pearl's lasting a little bit longer.
Connie couldn't help but gawk at the scene in front of her (even the gems were caught off guard) but she internally chastised herself and closed her gaping mouth before Steven could see her expression.
"Promise me you'll be safe?" he asked as he backed up.
Jasper smiled and put her fist to her chest. "Quartz honor" she replied.
Pearl on the other hand banished all her crippling inhibitions, reached out and grabbed him in a bone-crushing hug.
"I PROMISE!" she cried a little louder than intended, but she couldn't stop the flood of emotions from coming out through her voice. For her…it wasn't just a promise to be safe. In those two high pitched words, she promised that she would always be there for him, to love and comfort him, to learn from her mistakes and most importantly, never make him cry again. Unless it was tears of joy, and that's exactly what she drenched Steven's red t-shirt with. She was beyond happy. With that small act and tiny request, it was crystal clear in her sight that he did care about her and she'd be broken if she did anything to betray that last sliver of trust within him.
After a few moments, she released him and saw how big the wet spot on his shoulder actually was. "S-Sorry" she apologized as she wiped her eyes.
"It's okay. I've got plenty of shirts" he assured with a small smile.
Pearl returned the gesture and nodded before rejoining Jasper's side. "See you tonight little cub" Jasper called out.
"Okay!" he called back.
As they turned to leave, Pearl whispered to Jasper, "You were right."
The fluffy warrior nodded and replied, "Like Steven said, love is patient, kind and never fails." Soon the two gems were out of sight.
Connie walked up to her friend and grabbed his hand. "Steven…" she said as she tightened her grip. "That was so brave!" she praised.
"Really?" he asked.
"Of course it was! I know it's hard for me when I have to talk to mom or dad about serious things. And…I'm actually glad that you said you weren't ready because…I-I wasn't either" she admitted.
"Really?!" he incredulously asked and Connie silently nodded her head yes.
"But you said I shouldn't push myself for anyone. So why were you willing to do it?" he countered.
"I…I didn't want to let you down. You were so strong when you got rid of those bad thoughts when we were fused…I just wanted to be at your level. But I guess I have to get there first and I thought-"
"Connie" Steven said as he grabbed her shoulders. "Everyone grows at different speeds. You don't have to push yourself to reach my level. I don't even know what level I'm at!" he chuckled.
"I think I might still be a starter just going into my second evolution but anyway. You do you and I'll do me. I'll be the lion and you be the owl."
"And together we'll be the gryphon" she finished.
"Yea!" he shouted pumping his fist into the air.
"…What's a gryphon?" he asked.
Connie giggled at that and explained, "It's a mythical animal with the body of a lion and the head and wings of an eagle. Only in our case it'd be the head and wings of an owl."
"Soo cool!" he marveled.
"Oh Steven…" she simply said before giving him a hug – silently conveying all of her gratitude towards him. Lion joined in on it too and nuzzled his head against their bodies.
Soon the intimate caresses ended and the children sat on the ground with Lion serving as their body pillow.
"So…what now?" she asked and Steven just shrugged his shoulders.
"Are you up to training together? Just the two of us?" she suggested.
"Like fused into Stevonnie or fighting against each other?" he asked.
"Um…whatever you want. It's up to you" she said.
"…I'd rather not do any fighting if that's alright. Seems like for these past two days all I've been doing is fighting, and I'm kinda worn out" he replied.
"Fighting what?" Connie asked.
So once again Steven played the role of storyteller, but at least this time it wasn't as long of a tale to recount. He told her everything, from the adventure with Lion all the way to meeting Curly, Mo and Navi and finally getting some closure concerning Pearl.
"…Steven. I…I don't even know what to say" Connie stuttered.
"It's a lot to take in. I'm still figuring things out myself. But some good things came out of it. At least I'm not alone in this and that I have two people, well…my animal brother and a voice in my head, that I can relate to" he replied.
"Yea. I-I just wish I could help you out more" she lamented.
"Connie" Steven slightly laughed. "You're my best friend in the whole world! Just being there for me is more than I could ever ask for" he finished.
Connie smiled at that and nodded her head. "So who do you think Navi is? Could she really be one of your past lives like Mo said?" she asked.
"I have no idea…but there's something oddly familiar about her voice. I mean I've heard her before without even knowing it was her. I still don't know if it's a girl, but when I keep talking to her it just feels…normal. I don't know how else to explain it. It's like being with my mom but it's not mom. Sorry, I'm not making any sense" he apologized.
"No, no! I get it. I wonder though…" she thought aloud.
"Wonder what?" he asked.
"Maybe it's like this character from a cartoon that I watch when my parents aren't around. She had to master all four elements: fire bending, water bending, earth bending and air bending in order to protect the world. And she had an animal guide too, but hers was a big polar bear dog" she described.
"We're they siblings? Like me and Lion?"
"Uh…no. It was more along the lines of Lisa and Archimicarus, without the animal familiar turning into a human and getting married. But that's beside the point. She mastered her powers, had help from her friends and teachers, and she even talked to her past lives to help her beat up the bad guys. Er…I guess they weren't bad per say. They were unbalanced. They took their ideals to the extreme and ended up hurting a lot of innocent people in the process" she tried to explain.
"…Kinda sounds like home world and how the diamonds run things there. And I guess in their sight what my mom did was unbalanced as well" Steven pondered before he closed his eyes for a couple minutes.
"…Steven?" Connie called. No response. "Steven!" she shouted again and slightly shook him.
"Hmmm?" he uttered as he lazily opened his eyes.
"Sorry, I-I wasn't sure if…I mean"
"Oh…sorry about that. Guess I kinda zoned out there. But I'm okay. I was just thinking about something, but I'll need ask Navi about it later. I already have enough going on in my head right now. But she was right. I was surprised at how things turned out. It was a lot better than I thought it was going to be" he explained.
"Steven, I'm sorry you have to go through this. I thought having a huge magical destiny would be awesome-"
"And it is" he said cutting her off. "I wouldn't change any of this for the world! Sure it's hard now, but it'll be great in the end when all the hard stuff becomes super easy. It's like you when you first learned how to play tennis or the violin and now you're a pro!"
"…I guess that's true" she accepted.
"But it sounds like me and this character you're talking about have a lot in common" he said.
"Yea. Even two of her friends are brothers whose parents were killed by a fire bender" she added.
"Almost like Curly and Mo. …Weird. My life is a cartoon" he commented.
"More like a cartoon is loosely based on your life" she corrected.
"Yea. I guess my healing spit would count as water bending. Me turning into a tunnel dog would could count as earth bending. Lion controls the air since he can roar, but I don't think I can shoot out fire"
"You never know. With all of your awakening powers, it wouldn't surprise me if you could breathe fire" Connie replied.
"Hey yea…you're right! That'd be so cool, we could roast marshmallows whenever we wanted! Mmmm…ooey-gooey and toasty. Lion, did mom-"
Before he could even finish his question, Lion looked at him from the corner of his eye and grunted before closing it again. "…Guess that's a no" he sighed.
"Heh, that's okay. Y'know, fire bending isn't just about shooting out flames. In the show, the original fire benders learned the true meaning of it; it's energy and life. Like the sun" she explained.
"Sun?" Steven asked.
"Mm hm. The sun gives out energy and life to plants and vitamin D to us. So…in way your plant powers are like a form of fire bending too since they rely on you to give them life. And not just them, but everyone you meet" she clarified.
"Because we're the light! Just like you said, it protects us in the dark and comforts us with its warmth" he repeated.
But Connie shook her head and corrected, "Um…I said you're like a flame and that you make things brighter wherever you go."
"Eh, it's all the same to me and I was able to make that connection because of you!" he praised.
Connie blushed from the compliment and both of them sunk deeper into Lion's body.
"…Now I just need my flame to burn away all of this…this…" Steven gestured with his hands up to the air before sighing.
"This what?" she asked.
"It's not fear…or maybe it is. I don't know, but I don't want it to be. I mean I know now that Pearl cares about me, but…the whole uneasiness about training with them was only a tiny part of why I didn't want to do it today" he tried to articulate.
"So…what is the main reason?" Connie asked.
"…Y-You" he hesitantly answered.
"Me?"
"Well…us. Stevonnie I mean. I-I didn't want whatever was going on in my head to affect you, have Dark Stevonnie come back and then end up like the version in my nightmare" he explained.
"Steven, it wasn't your fault that we turned into that! I caused it too. I-I was just so mad at them for hurting you like that all over again. And I won't lie…I was really shocked that you actually hugged them. I-I know its wrong…but I wanted them to hurt for a long time as punishment for what they did to you. But…after thinking about it, it's no different than when my mom or dad does something that upsets me. After my blood stops boiling and I calm down, I realize that I could never hate them because of all the good things they've done for me. Same thing with you and your family. Just like you said, one bad thing doesn't make'em bad forever unless they choose to be that way forever. But they're still on thin ice" she silently added but Steven heard her anyway.
"Yea…that's fair" he agreed.
"What? Wait no I mean-"
"Connie it's okay. Thanks for looking out for me. I'm still on guard and that's probably another reason why I'm a bit hesitant about fusing. **sigh** I just wish I could fuse with someone so I could test it out before I get back into fusing for real. Wait…no…that sounds wrong. Using someone like that, that's selfish! GAH! If only I could fuse with myself, then I'd know for sure that it was safe. But there's only one of me" he despondently sighed.
"And I'm glad there is" Connie said as she grabbed his hand again.
"Huh?"
"Because if there wasn't one, then there'd be none. And I wouldn't have a friend, let alone a best friend. Lion wouldn't have a brother. Lapis, Peridot…even Jasper wouldn't know what love was and would still be miserable back on home world. And Mo and Curly wouldn't have a new pebble pack member" she listed and Steven smiled at that.
"You always know how to cheer me up" he said.
"Well…I learned from the best" she winked at him and both of them started laughing. "So no more worrying about fusion, okay? It'll happen when it's the right time, just like it happened with us" she assured and Lion mirrored that same sentiment, but with a very loud roar.
"Lio-Ooof!"
Steven's question was cut short when both of them fell to the floor when Lion stood up all of a sudden. When they sat up and faced him, they saw that his eyes were glowing. But this time it was a shade of apple red.
"Whoa!" Connie exclaimed.
"L-Lion? Are you okay bud?" Steven asked but all he got for a response was four paw stomps on the ground with his right front paw. Steven quirked one eyebrow up when Lion repeated the same motion with a slight pause in between each set.
"One…two…three…four…four what?" he asked. Lion huffed and stomped a little harder.
"…Wait! Steven, it's one…two…three…four. One…two…three…four" she extenuated by clapping her hands.
"…It's a beat!" he realized.
"But why is he doing this all of a sudden?" she asked.
"…No way" Steven thought. "Lion, d-do you want to fuse with me?" he asked.
Lion gave a quick nod before resuming the beat so he could get his own "funky flow" going.
"…THAT'S IT!" Connie exclaimed.
"Wh-what's it?" Steven asked.
"You can fuse with yourself because-"
"Lion and I share mom's gem!" he finished, but then asked, "Lion? Are you sure you want-"
Lion let out another loud roar, cutting him off and effectively banishing all of Steven's worries for good. He sniffed back some tears and smiled, "Thanks bro. Okay! Let's get the right song!"
He took his phone out of his pocket and scrolled through his music library. "Who knew he liked fast songs" he thought.
"Hmmm…ah ha!" Steven chose a medium paced Spanish guitar song and asked, "How about this one?"
Lion growled in agreement and started to tap both of his front paws to the beat.
"Awwwwwesoooome!" he silently squealed before asking, "Connie, can you hold onto this please?"
"Sure" she agreed as she grabbed his phone. She turned the volume all the way up and stepped back to give the tango brothers plenty of space. She sat down and watched them with diamond studded eyes.
Steven's side-jumping jack like steps synched up with Lion's as both of them inched closer to each other. Lion started swishing his tail side to side to the rhythm of guitar crescendo while Steven followed suit by moving his arms in cohesive and fluid movements – even adding some clapping. Both of them shook their respective manes side to side. As the song reached its apex, Steven spun right into Lion and he caught him in his "adorable trap", enveloping them in a blinding pink light.
Connie had to shield her eyes with her arm as the energy waves created a wind stream that billowed through her hair. She managed to crack one eye open to see the massive being taking form within the metamorphosis beacon.
"RRRRROOOOOOOOOOARRRRRRR!"
An ear-splitting, earth-shaking roar shattered the concealing curtain of light into little star-shaped fragments, revealing the titanic feline form of the improbable fusion.
Connie had to hold onto the grass so she wouldn't be blown away by the sheer vocal force exuded from the powerful being.
Any normal person would've either fled in terror or would've done a horror movie move and investigated the source of the bestial call. But the citizens of beach city took it in stride, equating it to another "gem thing" and figured the gems would handle it.
Unfortunately…they were right.
A Steven/Lion fusion. Good for them but not so good for six gems who constantly think about Steven's well-being, and that unknown noise will undoubtedly raise their panic levels. How will the gems react when they see the improbable fusion? Stay tuned for the next exciting installment of "One on One" which should be up by Friday.
If this scenario sounds a little familiar, it's because I based it off of my other story "A Lion's Heart." Will it follow the same pattern? You'll have to wait and see ;). And I'll let you guys decide on Pearl and Jasper's relationship. I have my own idea, but all art is a statement up for intrepratation(thank you dog copter).