So how do our heroes handle the news that Homeworld essentially wants another war? Time to find out!
The Crystal Gems, all things considered, were handling the news fairly well. Garnet, naturally, was not pleased with having to drop such a bombshell on everyone, but knew it had to come out sometime.
Peridot was cradling Pumpkin, who was close to panicking from the news, and petting him in order to calm his rampant barking and whimpering.
Pearl was clutching her head, trying to decide between making the first draft of a proper plan and merely keeping herself from having an episode in front of Steven.
Lapis was flying above them in circles, muttering to herself about how she could possibly get out of this one without something terrible happening to her or her friends.
Amethyst was, of all things, completely silent. She just plopped on the ground and was currently looking at the grass with her eyes as open as she could get them.
Steven was trying to keep his head up as his father crushed him in a bear hug, as if his hugs would somehow shield his son from the forces coming for him.
"Guys! Calm down!" shouted Steven, grabbing everyone's attention, "We've been through worse, right? And besides, it's not ALL of Homeworld coming, right Garnet?"
"From what I could tell, it was only a couple ships, but that could mean dozens of invaders. We do not want to underestimate them," the fusion replied.
"Take it from someone who was on board those vessels," added Peridot, her voice wavering, "Even a small number of ships can mean a severe issue. You saw what a bunch of rubies were capable of, and these could contain the more advanced soldiers with actual tacticians to guide and support gems like me to supply them."
Greg hugged his son tighter and Lapis began flying faster, the tone growing bleaker until Pearl straightened up and put her foot down.
"Peridot, I know you mean well and I appreciate your input, but take it from someone who HAD all of Homeworld after her, a few ships are nothing." The eloquent gem had a fire in her eyes that startled them all, a look that screamed defiance.
"I was told from the beginning that fighting for Earth would be an uphill battle. Rose gave me one chance to back down, but I followed her straight into what everyone thought was impossible. I was close to death hundreds of times, I was surrounded constantly by enemies, and I watched several of my closest comrades be shattered before my eyes. And yet here I am. They will assume we are not a threat because of our smaller numbers, and just like last time, their arrogance will be their downfall! We may not have the resources, but we have a drive they will never have! A drive to protect what's important to us, not some overbearing dictator! They thought I was only a servant, a disposable toy! They didn't think that as I cut down their 'soldiers' by the dozen! If a scrawny, singular plaything like me can bring dread to the Diamonds themselves, then you all can be the monsters that haunt them for eternity!"
She drew her spear and pointed it to the heavens as the others stared in awe at the raw confidence Pearl exuded.
"This planet is a testament to their failure! The Diamonds, as much as they think otherwise, are not perfect. They have failed once, and I say they will fail again! If they want Steven, they will only get him after they've reduced me to dust! I will personally topple Yellow and Blue Diamond myself if it means keeping Steven and the rest of you safe! I will never let them have their way with me, my family, or this planet! Now, who here still thinks a few ships is a threat?!"
The others were speechless. Greg had finally let go of his son and actually looked relaxed. He believed every word she said. Steven had his signature stars in his eyes, moved to his core by her words. The actual gems were amazed at her speech, even Garnet was shocked by her confidence.
"Well," the fusion remarked, "Glad to see that lightened everyone up."
Hearing that, Pearl put away her spear and her cheeks turned blue. She simply clasped her hands behind her back and laughed, embarrassed at her own dramatics, and stood beside Garnet. The rest of their meeting was them going over a proper training regimen for Steven and his new abilities. Even still, they all knew the upcoming conflict would not be an easy one. Once they dispersed, Amethyst remained seated on the grass, not even taking the opportunity to mock Pearl for her sudden shyness after her earlier demonstration. While she no longer gazed at the ground like she was trying to burrow into it with her eyeballs, a sense of dread still clung to her.
"Amethyst, what's up?" asked Steven, noticing the violet gem lost in thought, "Are you alright?"
The purple rabble-rouser finally lifted her eyes, noticing everyone else was gone. "Uh… Yeah, I'm totally fine. You know I space out when Pearl's being all orderly and junk." She gave him a smug grin, but as he started to walk away it quickly faded. She actually listened to everything Pearl said for once. And for once she wanted to take what she said about not being intimidated to heart.
For the next week, Steven Universe's life became a constant stream of training and education. He almost wondered if this was somewhat like Connie's schooling, minus the sword fighting and target practice, but was quickly snapped out of it by whatever task he was doing. Each one of the gems found a way to train him.
Amethyst was showing the art of unpredictability and became one constant reminder of how the element of surprise was your best friend in battle. One minute she would just be talking with Steven, a perfectly normal conversation with the two laughing and chumming it up, then she would rush him or start running after him with the intent to give him a wedgie. This worked wonders for his speed and stamina. Outside of that, she enlightened him in the finer points of whipping bad guys in the butt until he was decently competent with the weapon.
Pearl became his guide for battle tactics and general sparring. The slender gem spent hours brushing up his techniques and improving his posture. In only a few days, his reflexes were on another level to the point where, in the middle of a sparring session with him only being able to use a spear, he dodged one of Amethyst's many, many, sneak attacks while also blocking and returning Pearl's strikes. She was so impressed with his progress that she rewarded him with a cupcake and being able to stay up late to watch his favorite show on his phone. When she was not testing his combat, she was sharing anecdotes to her time in the war and running through various scenarios to see how he would react in the heat of the moment. Since he tried to be noble and selfless whenever possible, Pearl praised his courage, but warned that there would be times he would have to put himself first.
Garnet took it upon herself to be Steven's personal trainer, dedicating herself to toughening him up. Day in and day out, the fusion focused on raising his strength and endurance through good-old fashioned physical exercise. While Steven was already well beyond the physical limits of a typical human thanks to being half-gem, Garnet wanted to further improve his abilities. Whether he was running back and forth from Beach City on runs, completing obstacle courses she set up out of random junk, typical strength-building through push-ups and weights, to having to break cinderblocks or mounds of ice she formed. This was just as much for her benefit as Steven's since she wanted to get more adept with her new abilities. Occasionally she would have Steven defend or outrun fire attacks, but that almost resulted in Pearl going ballistic until she remembered the young boy's healing powers. Even still, the white gem carried a vial of water from Rose's fountain just in case he was injured during her more strenuous activities. Of course, she also further educated him in using her gauntlets in between the training sessions.
Peridot and Lapis Lazuli took a unique role compared to the other gems as they became students like Steven at some points, but instructed him at other times. Both of them were given a crash course in combat, since neither gem was developed with fighting in more nor did they have the plentiful experience as the main trio. Amethyst launched several sneak attacks on the two, forcing them to utilize their powers in unique ways. Pearl brushed them up on battle tactics and formal fighting techniques. Although she admits her teaching methods were never designed for their abilities, the duo took anything they could get. Garnet got them into some physical training as well, but more focused to improving their abilities instead of their physiques. Peridot was trained not only to make her ferrokinesis stronger, but more intricate so as to be more versatile than just swinging metal around. Lapis, since she already had brute force covered, was told how to be more versatile with her hydrokinesis. Instead of always making large, cumbersome constructs, Garnet insisted her to use her powers in a more restrained, yet accessible manner since she was quickly told she may not always have access to large bodies of waters. When they were not being taught, they were using their abilities to assist in Steven's training. The boy had quickly grown accustomed to dodging flying soup cans, guarding against water whips, and having his cardio exercise interrupted by a blue dive-bomber trying to swoop him up and tickle him into submission.
Even if he never intended to fight, Greg did everything in his power to help his son and the other gems. When he was not checking up on the reconstruction of the beach house, he cheered Steven on and gave him constant encouragement. He always provided a shoulder for him to rest on and chatted with him during the breaks in his training. He was impressed to see his son take all of this in stride, rarely showing any sign of fear. Greg began to truly envy his optimism as all he could think about was him ending up severely hurt at best or being dragged back to Homeworld at worst. He also could not shake the feeling that he could be more useful in such a crisis, but what was a portly human in his forties with no real fighting skills supposed to do?
After six days straight the Crystal Gems still focused solely on training Steven. While there was still some free time and an all-around positive attitude, there was always a level of tension as the threat of Homeworld's arrival remained. The only other concern was Garnet disappearing for chunks of the day, but since she still stuck to the training schedule it was a minor matter.
At the moment, Steven was testing his reflexes and stamina against Peridot and Lapis. The goal was only to evade and block their attacks with Pearl and Amethyst watching over them as the two-on-one exercise continued. Lapis was keeping a small puddle of water by her side and making use of her new skills, creating tripwires and small bursts to keep Steven on his toes. Peridot had gathered several metal bits and bobs from Amethyst's room and kept flinging everything from computer parts to spoons at the trainee. They duo had been trying to hit Steven for ten minutes now, and yet he continued to dodge everything or summon his shield for defense.
Clearly seeing he was used to individual tactics from the pair, they silently agreed to try hitting him together. Lapis made a strand of water go for Steven's feet, causing the boy to leap into the air. As he was flying, she guided the liquid rope to follow him and tie him up while Peridot sent a barrage of blunt scrap at his torso. Instead of panicking, he summoned his bubble in midair and watched all the metal bits bounce off. He descended in total safety, slowly falling until he touched the ground and disable his shield. Much to his own shock, though, Lapis took advantage of the situation for an aerial attack. The aquatic aeronaut flew overhead and literally rained down liquid spheres on his head. Steven only barely saw them coming and, in a moment of panic, summoned his spear and tried to deflect them all with by rapidly spinning the weapon in order to disperse them. While Pearl was impressed by his improvisation, the boy was unused to such a technique and he was quickly thrown off balance. This gave Peridot the perfect opportunity to literally run into Steven to tag him with her scrawny fists. The two literally toppled over each other ending with Steven squashing the tiny green mechanic under his bulk, forcing her tap out in order to call an end to the exercise.
"And that is the last time I attempt hand-to-hand combat," moaned Peridot as she stood up dizzily. Lapis was already trying not to laugh from watching their tumbling act, but seeing her barn-mate talking and stumbling like a drunk pushed her over the edge and into a fit of hysterical laughter, kicking her bare feet as she laid guffawing on the dirt.
"Well Steven that was a very interesting attempt at defending yourself, but why not simply summon your bubble again?" asked Pearl as she looked him over for any injuries.
"I just sort of panicked and thought I wouldn't have time. Plus, I saw that in a Lonely Blade movie and wanted to try it out…" He chuckled, realizing that was not the best course of action. Aside from a few scrapes, though, there was no harm in it this time and Pearl still gave him a pat on the back for the ingenuity.
Just as the group was picking themselves up and readying for a different activity, Garnet and Greg beamed in from the warp pad with smiles on their faces.
"Hey everybody, the new house is officially done!" yelled Greg, relishing in having positive news for the first time in weeks, "Come and see it!"
"I think we could all use some time to unwind," added Garnet, "This is officially a day off so we can celebrate." She was also pleased to have something to take the weight off of the impending Homeworld arrival, also confident that the enemy was still a week away minimum. Steven eagerly ran ahead of the other gems, ready to have his old home back, and was literally jumping with excitement once the gems were assembled and whisked away back to the temple.
It was apparent as soon as they arrived as to why Greg was so eager to show off the house, which everyone else sans Garnet (who had been witnessing the renovations since she was regularly visiting the temple for her own project), believed it was going to be rebuilt exactly like it was before the flood and fire. One look at the house quickly proved them wrong as all of them gaped at seeing Greg had seriously upgraded their abode.
The immediate change they noticed was that there was an actual second level with a wooden spiral staircase leading up to it in the middle of the room, but their attention was quickly drawn to the main floor itself. While the ground and walls were still wood, they were all painted white and the layout was changed greatly. Steven's former bedroom was gone, much to their surprise, and instead was a circular brick fire pit surrounded by comfy armchairs and a new white couch, large enough to easily sit four. Several bookshelves lined the right wall with dozens of books, albums, and movies that they had before and several they did not recognize. On the other side of the room was brand new kitchen, the counters and new island topped with a gorgeous white marble that shone next to the black-painted cupboards. The left wall was dominated with brand new appliances, stainless steel and still sparkling. The refrigerator, hood, toaster, even the blender all looked like they arrived today. The only remnants of their old kitchen was the microwave that survived all the carnage. There was also a tile backsplash above the sink, a stylish vibrant pattern of blue and green squares that clearly took inspiration from two of their residents.
"What do you think guys? I've been thinking we could do with a few upgrades for a while now," boasted Greg, brimming with confidence at their new abode. Steven was already starry-eyed, oohing and aahing anything he caught glimpse of. He quickly ran to check out the new bathroom and was not disappointed when he opened the door. The new walls were a vibrant purple which complimented the lavender tiles in the shower. Any and all damage from Lapis' nightmare was gone as all new fixtures gleamed under the just-installed lights.
"It's amazing!" shouted Steven, as he ran to hug his father. Greg, however, had one more surprise concerning the staircase from earlier.
"Well, I'm surprised to hear you say that since you haven't seen your new room yet…" the father coyly mentioned, causing his son to gasp and run right up the stairs from before. The gems, also puzzled at how his former sleeping area was now the living quarters, followed him to the new second floor and were surprised to see TWO bedrooms set up.
The staircase led to the middle of the new floor with the left side clearly being for Steven. All of his possessions were arranged on one side with the television and gaming consoles already set up his posters adorning the red wall. On the right, however, was another bed with a simple white bedspread. There were few materials possessions other than an old record player and a box of vinyl records at the foot of the bed and a new coffee maker to be plugged in downstairs later. The right wall was a lighter pink color with the other two changing colors halfway as if one color faded into the other.
"Greg, is this for when you visit?" asked Pearl.
"No, this is where I'll be living from now on. I won't be in your hair all the time since I'll still be overseeing the car wash, but now I can hire employees to run it day to day. I want to really be involved in all the stuff going on and be by his side with the chaos going around. I know I'm not cut out to be on the front lines, but I want to stand by you all any way I can."
The gems, while nervous at the thought of Greg boarding with them full time, were impressed by his dedication. Their doubts were further helped when Steven cheered and hugged his father, ecstatic at the thought of his family being all together for the first time in his life. With the tour of new house done, though, Garnet moved back downstairs and called for everyone to gather at the temple door.
"Alright, as you all know, I've been working on something here myself," said the fusion after everyone assembled, "Rather than explain the renovations to you, I would like Peridot to demonstrate."
The compact gem was rather startled by this, but Garnet merely asked here to come forward and place her hand on the temple door. As soon as it made contact with the smooth entryway, the star on the top began to shift and change. The five-point star shifted to six as a new point appeared opposite of Rose Quartz's gem with a green triangular stone in the center. The observing gems were shocked, but none more so than Peridot herself.
"I think it's only fair that since you no longer have the barn that you have a proper room now that you're staying here," spoke Garnet, shaking Peridot out of her stupor. The squat scientist was honored and looked behind her to see the entire assembly smiling at her, all agreeing she had long since earned such a reward. Peridot gave her sincere thanks to Garnet and entered her new room, eager to see what her new abode would contain. After the door vanished into sharp green pixels from the floor up, Peridot's room surpassed all of her expectations.
The entire room was lit sporadically by striking green lightning, constantly moving along the darker green ceiling and floor. Peridot's eyes, however, were on the contents of the room. Inside was every piece of technology she had access to on Homeworld along with dozens more she did not recognize. There was also a smattering of Earth gadgets from common hand tools to high-end lab equipment only found in classified research facilities. Once her mind took everything in, she leaped for joy and hollered at the top of her lungs in ecstasy. The gems merely let the door close on its own, knowing full well she would spend hours tinkering.
"Wow, Garnet, that was really nice of you," complimented Lapis, "I can tell she's really missed building stuff. Thanks." As she began to walk away, however, the fusion spoke up.
"We're not done here yet, Lapis. There's still your room." That got the blue gem to do a double take.
"Huh?! B-But, I'm not… Really, that's-"
"What, you thought we were gonna make you sleep in the bathtub all the time?" jested Amethyst.
"Lapis, you have proven to be an immense asset in these past few weeks. You are more than worthy of having your own place here," complimented Pearl.
The aquatic flyer had no words. As she brought back her experiences from the recent past to mind, she realized that they were right. She may have been scared at points and caused a mess at others, but she fought over and over again to save the planet and people she cares about. That brought an enormous smile to her face and quickly ran forward to place her hand on the door. A seventh point emerged with her tear-shaped gem right next to Peridot's. Once complete, the door melted away into a blue liquid from the top down to reveal her new home.
Much like Rose's room, the room was a vast expanse that disregarded physics as there seemed to be no end to the space. The sky above her was a mixture of all the elements she loved to see when flying. It was as if day and night were in constant competition with each other as there were multiple small suns surrounding streaks of blue sky among strips of stars and blackness made by several moons. Clouds and comets dotted the skyline, but her main focus was on the ground. The entrance to the room had a long strip of sand to resemble a beach, but the rest of the ground was water. A perfectly placid, sparkling blue ocean that went on for miles and miles.
"I take it you like what I've done with the place," mused Garnet as she and the other gems watched Lapis stare at her new habitat for some time. When the blue gem turned to face them, her watery eyes said more than enough and hugged all of them. For the first time since she dropped the barn on those ruby ships, Lapis Lazuli felt like she was one of the Crystal Gems.
And now we have one other thing accomplished: Peridot and Lapis are permanent parts of the Crystal Gems complete with their own rooms! But their not the only ones...
Thank you all so much for reading! Please feel free to leave a review!