Several days after their arrival in Beach City, the group had settled into the city, spending their time between relaxation, training, and exploring the city. One afternoon, several of the group were hanging out around the house with Steven when Kendo arrived.
"Hey, have you guys seen Goku anywhere?" Kendo asked, coming into the house. "I tried looking at every eatery in the city, he's not emptying food stocks."
"I believe he and Vegeta went through one of those Warp Pads to find a place to do their weekly bout." Sir Saiyan said. "They should be back later."
"I'm sure we'll find them somewhere." Bow said before noticing Steven walk by. "Uh…"
Steven then answered the door to see Connie there.
"Lovely day, isn't it?" Steven asked, everyone noticing he was bald. Connie didn't seem to notice.
"Yeah, I guess…" Connie said walking inside.
"Uh, Steve, you wanna explain-?" ZS started before the boy mouthed "don't mention it".
"Ya know, uh, my dad told me I should expect this at some point, but I didn't think it would happen overnight." Steven said as Connie set her bag on the table and began to dig through it, not responding.
"It doesn't take a genius to know somethings on Connie's mind." Hope said. Steven was having none of it though.
"Connie, I'm bald!" Steven yelled, finally getting her attention.
"Oh…what happened?" Connie asked.
Steven sighed. "Nothing, it was just a joke." he said, taking off a rubber wig.
"Oh, okay…" Connie said.
"Hey, everything okay, Con-" Kendo was cut off when Garnet and Pearl warped into the house.
"Steven, Connie! I hope you two are ready for today's special lesson!" Pearl chirped.
"Oh no, was I supposed to bring something?" Connie asked.
"Just yourselves." Garnet replied.
"Garnet is going to sit in. She's very excited to see you fight as Stevonnie." Pearl added.
"Stevonnie? Is that their team name or something?" Bow asked.
"Not really…actually, Stevonnie's the name of the person Connie and I become when we fuse." Steven revealed.
Everybody stumbled.
"You can fuse with Connie?!" Hagakure asked.
"I thought only Gems could fuse with each other, like with Sardonyx and Smoky Quartz." Alice said.
"Well, Steven is half-human, so maybe that has something to do with it." SE pointed out.
"I guess that explains it. It's still a little weird, though." Adora said. "But wait, hold on. Had we known Stevonnie was something that could be done sooner, she could've been very useful."
"Yeah, why didn't you two fuse on earlier occasions?" Bow asked.
"Hey, hey, ease up." Scarlet said. "That's the past now. If they didn't fuse before, that's their choice. Let's just leave it be, huh?"
"Say, Pearl, have you and Garnet seen Goku and Vegeta around?" Kendo asked.
"Oh, they're up on our training grounds, the Sky Arena." Pearl said. "We told them we had plans for Stevonnie's training, and after we explained it, Goku seemed interested."
"You can come with us. I could use some more cheerers." Garnet offered.
"Why not? Gives us a chance to see this Sky Arena place." Kendo said.
Later at the Arena…
When the two arrived, they saw Goku and Vegeta already there.
"So, this is where you two went running off to." Kendo said.
"Heh, hey guys!" Goku said, waving. "So, are Steven and Connie ready?"
"Don't tell me you're butting into the lesson." Hope chuckled.
"No offense, but you against anybody else? Kind of a mismatch." Bow said.
"Aw, come on! It's not like I'll go full power right away! I'll start small!" Goku assured.
"Hmph, and you call yourself a Sayain." Vegeta scoffed. "Fighting mere children."
"Mere children who helped beat freaking Dracula…" Emo remarked.
"Steven and Connie both have proven themselves capable, Vegeta. If that's any indication of their fighting skills, they should be twice as strong doubled up." Hope said.
"Yeah, don't forget Vegeta. We fused too, so we know how it all works." Goku said.
"Don't you DARE bring that up again!" Vegeta yelled.
"Okay, he's angry. May want to start now." ZS said as Gohan quickly took Vegeta to the stands.
"You kids ready?" Pearl asked.
"Yes ma'am!" Steven nodded.
"Oh, uh…yes ma'am!" Connie said, snapping out of a daze.
"Steven, Connie! Whooo!" Garnet cheered holding a sign.
"I still think this is a litte much. Gohan, are we even completely sure your dad will treat this like training and not an actual fight?" Glimmer asked Gohan.
"Well, he may be a bit gun-ho, but he's a genius in battle. He won't do anything to hurt them badly." Gohan said.
"Yeah." Mark spoke up. "He doesn't try that unless it's an actual battle to the end. Trust me, I know."
"Alright then, get ready you two!" Goku said, getting into a fighting stance.
Nodding to one another, Steven and Connie synchronized by dancing simultaneously and then went back to back, fusing together into a taller feminine like person with wild hair and a mix of Steven's clothing and Connie's training gear. They drew Rose's sword and summoned Steven's Shield.
"Let's dance." they said confidently.
"Let us…begin!" Pearl signaled the start.
Goku dashed forward, aiming to land a punch on Stevonnie's sword arm before the fusion blocked it with their shield before they retaliated with a sword swipe to Goku's arm. The sword ran across the Saiyan's arm, leaving a thin, white cut on it. Goku looked surprised for a moment, then grinned as the combatants began to trade blows again.
"Hey, they're actually even so far!" ZS remarked.
"Hey, you'd think they'd even give Vegeta a run for his money?" Hope wondered.
"Certainly not." Vegeta scoffed. "Kakarot's more of an instinct fighter. Meanwhile, I have actual Saiyan battle training."
"And yet, he always manages to-" Emo started before Vegeta sent a death glare his way. "...shutting up now."
Back at the fight, Goku aimed a fist at Stevonnie's feet, trying to knock off their balance before they jumped, then began to kick their feet rapidly in the air, gaining altitude.
"Huh?" Stevonnie asked, noticing how high they were.
"Hey, they're doing the same thing as Sanji!" Hiyoko said.
"It's not perfected yet, but that's definitely the same technique." Hope said as Stevonie landed on a pillar.
"All right! Stevonnie's got floating powers! Time to finish the job!" Stevonnie said as they dived towards Goku, who prepared to take the impact. However, before they connected, Stevonnie faltered, suddenly looking distressed.
"I'm sorry!" They cried out as Goku caught them and threw them behind him before what they said registered.
"...Wait, what?" Goku asked, confused, as Stevonnie landed and unfused back into Steven and Connie. The group in the stands rushed down to the kids, concerned.
"Holy crap, are you guys okay?!" Hope asked.
"What happened?" Steven asked before Connie ran off.
"You should probably go get her." Bow said.
Steven then ran to see Connie curled up on the stairs to the arena.
"Hey, what's wrong?" Steven asked.
"I did something terrible at school, and I don't know what to do." Connie replied.
"That doesn't sound like you. What happened?" Steven pressed.
"...I beat someone up." Connie answered.
"What?!" Steven asked in shock.
"A kid I didn't know. He just bumped into me in the hallway. I was so startled, my training instincts kicked in. I just...reacted. I was so embarrassed, I just ran away." Connie explained.
"But you didn't mean to hurt him!" Steven sighed. "I know what it's like...Sometimes, you hurt people...by accident..? Y-you just have to try not to think about it."
"Hold the phone." a voice interrupted as the two saw Garnet and the group above them. "Now give the phone to me."
At the beach a bit later…
The group, along with Steven and Connie, were sitting with Garnet on the beach at dusk.
"You're a fusion too, Garnet?" Kendo asked.
"Yes. I'm surprised you all haven't figured it out by now." Garnet said monotony.
"For the record, she has two gems on her." Eddy said, motining to the two Gems on her palms. "I thought that was kinda weird, you having two while the rest had one."
"In hindsight, it is a dead giveaway if you know what that means." Shirou admitted.
"Now then, for a fusion to work, there needs to be balance. An imbalance can cause your fusion to lose touch with reality, see things that aren't there, and eventually fall apart. That is to say, if one of you is falling apart, your fusion will as well. To find balance, you must understand your feelings. To understand your feelings, you must see them clearly without running from them." Garnet explained.
"See them clearly?" Connie asked.
"I've actually done this before. Well, not like this, but I have seen my own self doubts when I was unconscious once." Hope said. "Actually, I think this might be out of my area of expertise."
"Then I'm going to show you. But first, we need Stevonnie." Garnet said.
Steven and Connie nodded to each other and then fused again.
"Close your eyes." Garnet instructed.
"Okay." Stevonnie replied doing so.
"Breath…" Garnet continued as Stevonnie did, seeing nothing but blackness. "Here, in darkness, everything's okay. Listen to the waves, and let them fade away. Here comes a thought."
(Cue- Here Comes a Thought- Steven Universe)
When Stevonnie opens their eyes, they gasp in surprise to find themselves and Garnet inside a realm of a blue hue, as Garnet begins to sing.
[Garnet]
Take a moment to think of just
flexibility, love, and trust.
Take a moment to think of just
flexibility, love, and trust.
Garnet takes up a mediating position, and Stevonnie follows promptly. Garnet then gazes off in a distance, and Stevonnie does too, spotting Ruby and Sapphire standing next to each other.
Here comes a thought
that might alarm you.
What someone said
and how it harmed you.
Ruby gets infuriated by a butterfly and chases after it, leaving Sapphire alone as she is surrounded by more butterflies.
Something you did
that failed to be charming.
Things that you said are
suddenly swarming
A butterfly perches on Stevonnie's finger and they look down sorrowfully. The butterfly flies away, and a swarm of them fly in from behind Stevonnie to surround Sapphire in a vortex of them.
And, oh. You're losing sight. You're losing touch.
All these little things seem to matter so much
that they confuse you.
That I might lose you.
Sapphire stares in immerse fear at the collective mass of butterflies surrounding her, while Ruby is still infuriated at the one butterfly, causing her to break down crying. Sapphire tries to reach out to Ruby, but is too overwhelmed by the butterflies to do anything.
Take a moment. Remind yourself to
take a moment and find yourself.
Take a moment to ask yourself if
this is how we fall apart.
Two butterflies perch in Garnet's hands and she holds them out to Stevonnie, prompting her to ponder whether the butterflies are the problem causing them to fall apart.
But it's not. But it's not. But it's not. But it's not. But it's not.
It's okay. It's okay. It's okay. It's okay. It's okay.
Ruby takes a deep breath and calms herself down from assaulting the butterfly she once had an issue with, snapping back into reality to see Sapphire is in turmoil.
You've got nothing. Got nothing. Got nothing. Got nothing to fear.
I'm here. I'm here. I'm here.
She then runs over to comfort Sapphire with their company, letting the other know they have one another.
[Stevonnie]
Here comes a thought
that might alarm me.
What someone said
and how it harmed me.
Stevonnie starts singing as they gazes off in the distance, and Garnet spots Steven and Connie entering the scene too. Steven expresses concerns over Connie's remorse until Connie encounters a butterfly, shining like a mirror and showing Connie's reflection.
Something I did
that failed to be charming.
Things that I said are
suddenly swarming
Connie kneels down in guilt, in an attempt to ignore the butterfly. However, a swarm of butterflies suddenly bursts out of her backpack.
And, oh. I'm losing sight. I'm losing touch.
All these little things seem to matter so much
that they confuse me.
[Both]
That I might lose me.
The butterflies swarm forms into a single giant butterfly in the sky. It then begins projecting Connie's troubling memory of her assaulting the unknown kid at school. The kid accidentally bumped into Connie, and she instantly grabbed his arm and slammed him down on the ground. Connie, shocked by her actions, quickly ran away in embarrassment from the kid, who was also startled by the attack.
Take a moment. Remind yourself to
take a moment and find yourself.
Take a moment and ask yourself if
this is how we fall apart.
Garnet and Stevonnie sing together as they continue to meditate and resolve their troubled mind.
But it's not. But it's not. But it's not. But it's not. But it's not.
It's okay. It's okay. It's okay. It's okay. It's okay.
I've got nothing. Got nothing. Got nothing. Got nothing to fear.
I'm here. I'm here. I'm here.
The butterflies surrounding Stevonnie get blown away, allowing her a clearer mind. Steven and Connie breathe deeply to calm down until a butterfly lands on Connie's hand. It projects her reflection again, causing her to break down in tears, until Steven lets her know that he is here from her.
And it was just a thought. Just a thought. Just a thought. Just a thought. Just a thought.
It's okay. It's okay. It's okay. It's okay. It's okay.
We can watch. We can watch. We can watch. We can watch them go by.
From here. From here. From here.
The butterflies fly away peacefully as Steven and Connie watch on. Ruby and Sapphire join them and the four of them lay down on the ground to watch the butterflies flutter away.
[Stevonnie]
Take a moment to think of just,
flexibility, love, and trust.
Take a moment to think of just,
flexibility, love, and trust.
The last of the butterflies flutters away, as the song concludes.
(End Song)
The very next day…
Everyone was hanging out when Connie rushed in the door.
"Guys! I'm ready to train! I'm so glad we talked to Garnet, I really figured out what I needed to do." Connie said, showing her smartphone and a photo of her with a boy in an arm cast. "I talked to Jeff. That's his name, by the way."
"Wow, talking was the actual solution." Hope said.
"Yeah! I apologized and he understood! He actually wanted to know if I could show him some moves." Connie chuckled.
"That's great!" Steven said.
"It's funny. I spent all that time feeling bad instead of doing something. It's like I was trying not to think about it, and that just made it worse. Now that I've got a clear head, we'll do so much better as Stevonnie." Connie said. "Anyway, I'm gonna go change."
Connie then ran off.
"I guess this whole Fusion stuff is a little more complicated than we think when it comes to Gem logic. There's more to it than just doing it." Kendo said.
"Hey, maybe next time we could put that into perspective when we need Molten Fist." Moltar suggested.
"Yeah, something to think about." Scarlet said. "Anyway, let's head to the Sky Arena. Pearl wanted Stevonnie to train against multiple opponents, so you'd best get ready Steven." he said, looking at the boy who was staring at his mother's sword, looking worried. "...Steven?"
"Uh, oh, right! Let's go." Steven said, turning his attention away from the white butterfly perched on the sword.
The Sky Arena…
Stevonnie was seen doing battle against multiple Holo-Pearls instead of Goku this time, taking down each one with great skill.
"Great technique, Stevonnie." Pearl complemented, ducking a Holo-Pearl. "Whew! Keep it up!"
"They're really kicking butt out there." ZS remarked. "They actually seem a little faster than yesterday, don't you think guys?"
"It's probably because Connie's freed from her trauma. It's perfectly okay now that they're back in synch-I just jinxed it again, didn't I?" Hope realized.
"Aw, relax Hope, it's not like everything you say is gonna-" Eddy started before they heard a shout from the arena. The group turned to see Stevonnie with their sword run through one of the Holo-Pearls, before they started backing up in fear.
"...For the record, it's probably not your fault, Hope. You're like an Absol, you just predict stuff like this." SE said plainly.
"Not really helping my case here, SE…" Hope said.
"Oh no, it's happening again! Who was that? Bismuth." Stevonnie said, alternating between Steven and Connie. "Steven…oh no, it's coming from me now!"
"Stevonnie!" Garnet called out. "Breathe!"
"Bismuth? Wait, does that mean there was a Gem you guys didn't meet when you first met Steven and the others?" Kendo asked.
"Never heard of her." Mark said in confusion. "But whoever they are, Steven doesn't seem to have fond memories of her…"
"That must mean Steven's thoughts are making Stevonnie unstable. We gotta do something!" Glimmer said.
"Wait, are you serious? We can't enter people's minds, Glimmer!" Hiyoko said.
"She's right. Chrysalis can only read and manipulate minds, and none of us have psychic abilities." Archer added. "All we can do is try and snap them out of it from out here."
"I dont think thats gonna work." Hope said. "This is something Steven and Connie have to work out together."
"Alright...but who's gonna stop them from falling off the edge?" Lancer said, pointing out Stevonnie was walking backwards off the edge of the arena.
"Stevonnie! Watch out for the edge of the-!" Nana called before Stevonnie slipped over the edge. "AW, DAMMIT!"
"STEVEN! CONNIE!" Mark cried out as he quickly powered up and flew upwards, then shot down over the area's edge after them. After a few quick seconds, Mark reached the two falling kids. "Don't worry, I'll-"
"No, we can hover!" Connie called out over the roar of the wind. "Steven?" she called out in concern as the boy was curled into a ball, tears running upwards from his eyes.
"I didn't want to hurt anyone!" Steven cried out as Connie grabbed hold of him. "I'm sorry! None of them would let me help them! I had no choice!"
"It's okay!" Connie yelled over the wind.
"No, it's not!"
"But it's okay to think about it!"
"It feels so bad!" Steven cried.
"That's okay, too!" Connie assured her friend. "There was nothing else you could've done!"
"I don't want to feel this way." Steven said.
"No one does!" Mark called out. "Everyone does though! Me, Hope, even David! But we learn to accept what we do, that we can't save everyone! I know...I know it hurts, but you have to be honest about it, about your emotions! And after a while...the pain will hurt less. You can do that, can't you Steven?"
Steven sniffled, then smiled weakly. "...Okay."
With that word, Steven and Connie fused once again, Stevonnie returning as they continue to fall. The fusion then took a deep breath. "Just breath."
Approaching the ground, Stevonnie rapidly kicked the air to slow their descent. They then landed on the ground, Mark following close behind them. They laugh in relief and lay on the ground as Mark looks down on them.
"Are...you okay?" Mark asked.
"Yeah...I'm here." Stevonnie smiled.