". . .Level 99 Completed, opponent wins." As it had 98 times before the holo pearl set it's weapon to it's side and bowed. Long hair tied back into a ponytail Steven drew in steady controlled breaths the way the the hologram had taught him. He also maintained his grip on the handle of the narrow blade he'd come to favor just in case it launched another attack. "Sometimes your enemy cheats" had been lesson 57 and on occasion it would lash out again even after declaring his victory. This time though it remained still and he relaxed.
Sighing he replaced the sword on the rack where it belonged and dabbed at his forehead with a cloth. "So when do we start level 100?" Steven asked after rapidly gulping down a bottle of "True Blue" sports drink. It had been weeks since that initial lesson, and he'd spent every spare moment with the hologram of his mother. Now not only could he fight, he could produce his own holo stevens and done some rudimentary experimentation with his shapeshifting powers. Frustratingly he was unable to summon a weapon of his own however.
"I'm afraid there will be no more lessons." There was an echo of sadness in the holo pearl's voice. "We have reached the end of my functionality, you have passed every lesson I was programmed to provide." Steven swallowed, approached the semi transparent image of his mother and gazed up into those empty eyes.
"What does that mean?" He asked, though he had an idea what the answer would be.
"It means that I must fulfill my final function." He waited for her to continue. "This holo pearl will reenter your gem, a significant amount of your mother's power was placed in it so it could remain to teach you. Now that you have learned everything, that energy will be returned to you." Steven looked away. He had known this wasn't his mother, it had reminded him enough times, but it was still difficult. This was the last piece of her, and soon it would be gone too, and he could feel tears welling up in the corners of his eyes.
"Does that mean I'll be able to summon my weapon?" Not much caring what the answer would be, as he wiped the moisture from his cheek. The holo pearl knelt, empty eyes at a level with his.
"I am not sure, but a gem's weapon is the result of their personality, whatever weapon you create will be an extension of yourself." It was her stock answer, the thing she said whenever he brought up his weapon. It served well to remind him once more that this wasn't his mother, but that didn't make it hurt any less when he nodded his head and said.
"I'm ready." The holo Pearl nodded as well and dipped it's head forward, pressing it's own pearl to his. There was a blinding flash of light and the next thing Steven knew he was standing in a vast empty space. Blinking as his eyes adjusted he looked around. Beside him was his mother, not the semi tangible representation he'd been sparring with and learning from, but in full living color. She smiled, and he ran to her wrapping his arms around her narrow waist.
"I'm so proud of you Steven, if you're here, if you're seeing this it means you're ready to take a very big step forward." He knew she still wasn't real, but he held tight for a moment, pretending like he had so many times before. "This is the inside of your Gem, you can come in here whenever you like, explore your memories, and meditate. With the holo pearl's energy returned you can now store physical things in here as well. I cleared quite a bit of my things out before having you, but I did leave you a few items."
Steven pulled away and watched as the Pearl in his pearl waved her hand, and a small number of items shifted into view: One of his dad's old t-shirts extra small, a photo of his parents laughing together, and a small blue hand mirror which the not so real pearl took hold of. "I left you this because it contains tremendous knowledge. Ask it questions and it can show you anything it has witnessed, I found it shortly after the war." He took the mirror from her and looked into it, flipped it over to see the cracked teardrop gem in back then back to the glass once again.
"Show me what you remember about my mom." The mirror failed to react and when he looked up to ask if it was broken Pearl was gone. He was alone in the vast emptiness of his own gem, and he cried, tears splashing against the mirror. "It's not fair, why does she have to keep going away. I know she wanted me to exist. . .to be happy." He sniffled and slowly got himself back under control. With the edge of his shirt he wiped the tears from his own eyes then from the mirror. "Sorry, I got your glass all wet." He wanted to be away from this place, and the moment that thought entered his head he found himself back in his room, the mirror still clutched in his hand. "I think I need some air."
With a thought the door to his room slid open in front of him and he stepped out. Amethyst was draped over the counter in the kitchen, snoring loudly half eaten sheet cake spread over her like a blanket. As low as he felt he couldn't help but smile as he passed her on his way outside. Garnet was sat on the railing just outside the door, eyes cast out towards the setting sun on the horizon. "Hey garnet." She half turned, to look at him and smiled.
"Hello Steven." She patted the spot beside her, and without thinking he leapt up, muscle memory from his training making the jump and balancing on the narrow beam of wood nearly effortless.
"I found this in mom's room, but I don't think it works anymore." He held out the mirror to her and she took it up, dismissing her glasses.
"This is a very old artifact Steven, even Rose isn't sure where it came from. Show me who found you." Garnet tried to command it but the result was the same as when steven had tried. "I fear it may finally be broken beyond use." She handed it back to Steven. "Still a nice mirror though." She slipped the glasses back onto her face and he nodded.
"I guess, and it was my mom's so that's something. I think I'm gonna go take a walk." Garnet simply nodded and tussled his hair which drew a snorting laugh from him as he playfully "escaped" her grasp. Garnet watched him head down the stairs and start off down the beach, slight smile playing on her lips. Without realizing where he had been headed Steven found himself on the hard blacktop outside the big donut. "I don't come here a lot, even less since I started training in my mom's room, but they have pretty good donuts, and the girl who works here is really nice." He spoke to the mirror hoping to coax it to work despite what Garnet thought.
The door chime sounded as he entered and the short blonde behind the counter looked over and waved to him.
"Oh hey, Steven right? Haven't seen you in a while." Steven blushed a little a being remembered but he didn't find it quite as hard to step up to the counter and speak to her as it had been in the past.
"Yeah, and you're Sadie. I've been sword training so I haven't had a lot of time." Sadie nodded as if it was the most normal thing in the world to hear.
"So what'll it be? We're just about to close up so I can throw in a couple extra Donuts if you like." Steven's mouth hung open a moment then drew up together into a wide eager smile.
"Free donuts?! I'll take a jam filled, a double chocolate blasto, and one cotton candy insanity please! Is. . .that too much?" Sadie waved a dismissive hand towards him before filling up a bag and taking the money from him for a single donut. He placed the mirror on the counter as he dug into the bag to take hold of the chocolate Donut and begin munching away. Looking around the store he noticed something missing. "What happened to the cookie cat display?" A new wider lion lickers sign now took up it's spot, and he stuck his tongue out in dissatisfaction.
"Oh, they discontinued those a couple weeks ago." Steven's heart dropped, and his donut nearly went along with it. Instead he took a second bigger bite. "Is this my fate in life, to have all the things that bring me joy disappear?" He said over-dramatically, and Sadie chuckled. "Sorry." Steven shrugged and finished his first donut.
"It's okay, things end sometimes." There was sadness in his voice though, and he couldn't help but let his mind wander back to the holo pearl and how he'd never train with it again. "I guess I should get going."
"Wait a second." Sadie said holding up a hand as he went to pick the mirror back up. Looking down into the glass he shrugged before she came back a moment later, the cookie cat fridge clutched in her arms. "We saved it and have been using it in the break room, but you can have it if you want." Steven's eyes went wide and he ran over to Sadie, helping her to steady herself with the heavy freezer.
"You mean it?!" He asked and Sadie nodded.
"You were pretty much the only one who bought these things, seems only right you get the freezer." She handed the freezer over to him and wiped some sweat from her forehead. The appliance was nearly weightless to him. Still cold inside he tossed his remaining donuts in and hefted it up onto one shoulder. "Wow Steven I guess that training has been paying off." He looked to the freezer he was moving so easily and grinned, thinking of the dreamed he'd had, how Pearl had moved Greg's equipment with such ease.
"I guess it has." With a laugh he took hold of the mirror in his free hand and headed towards the door. "Bye Sadie." He called back then looked down at the mirror. "Say goodbye." He said holding up the mirror not expecting anything, only to have his own face appear in it and repeat. "Bye Sadie!" Sadie waved slightly confused as to why he would repeat himself. Steven gazed into the mirror as he continued down the street. "I knew you would work, this is great!"
"This is Great!" The mirror replied and Steven laughed.
"I bet you're just sick of being locked up in my gem this whole time, you need to get out." He nods and turns the mirror to face out, showing her the buildings and pointing people out as they went. "This is beach city, on earth. I know you've probably seen lots of other planets, my mom told me Gem stuff comes from space, but I think you'd really like the earth if you saw more of it."
"I. Like. Steven. I. Like. Beach City!" The Mirror put together various sentences it had heard and Steven turned it back to face himself.
"That's amazing, you made something new!" A thought came to him, and he stopped. He was on the beach now and he set the freezer down into the sand, then sat himself beside it staring down into his own eyes in the mirror. "Maybe you don't like being told what to do, that's why you wouldn't show me or Garnet anything, because we were ordering you. Mirror, would you please show me my mom?" The mirror was still for a moment, then the glass shimmered, and an image of a young Pearl finding the mirror and lifting it appeared. "She looks so different, so sad. . ." The image faltered and a scene of Greg and Pearl him with his guitar and her with her violin singing to one another appeared, but no sound came. Steven watched until the image faded away and sniffed holding tears back. "Thanks."
"I. Am. Sorry. About. Your. Mom." The mirror offered in it's disjointed way.
"It's okay, but thanks." Steven scrubbed at his eyes with the collar of his shirt. "Is there anything I can do for you?" The Mirror seemed to shudder a bit as if apprehensive. "It's okay, you can tell me. Another shudder and the Mirror spoke again.
"I. Need to get out." Steven looked confused and it repeated itself. "I. Need to get out. Free. I need to. Be. Free." He understood and turned the mirror over. She was a gem after all, the holo pearl had said the gem powered devices used gems not unlike themselves, but it was dangerous to release them because of the corruption. It begged again. "Please. Steven. I. Need to get out. Please. Free. Me" Steven looked down the beach to his home and the temple. He couldn't see Garnet on the railing any more, though he knew even if she had been there he'd have made the same decision. With the moon shining off the cracked gem he took firm hold of it, and with one great tug of effort it came free.
The Gem leapt from his hand and glowed bright white. He was worried for a moment before the light sprung out and formed a human shape. A moment later the light was solid, a slender blue woman in a flowing blue dress and a mop of messy blue hair. She falls to her knees and he moves to help her. When she turns to look at him he finds his reflection again, in her blank eyes. "Thank you Steven, I'm Lapis Lazuli. We have a lot to talk about.
