Over the next week Connie and Steven spent a lot of time in each other's company, her parents apparently developed a better opinion of him when the homework she turned in after spending time with him received grades above even her own usual lofty standard. So they'd had plenty of time to begin her sword training proper. They used an old floating arena the gems rarely visited, not wanting to bring Amethyst in until they were sure they could prove Connie's talent. The training proved fruitful for Steven as well, in these early days he would simply generate a basic Holo-Steven for her to do battle against. While she trained, he split his attention between improving her form and working on the robonoids.
They didn't seem to possess any internal components and instead were comprised of an odd goo like fluid that had somehow become solid, it had to be the aura he'd observed the peridot projecting that animated them. He watched Connie battle the pale imitation of himself, calling out corrections in her technique as he concentrated on his gem, willing the energy from it out into an aura to connect them.
"Keep your stance wide, keep your body lowered. As you're moving forward balance is the key!
Right foot, left foot, now again and faster. As your moving backwards, watch where his foot will be.
Concentrate, sword up, you've got ground to give, protect your body with it, any fight you fight can be won, as long as you still live.
On the battlefield you must see through the chaos, with a clear head, a strategy and a sword assess it all and only take the risks that you can afford
Just do your best, even if you can't win, you can always retreat so you can fight back again."
As he sang, he imagined the aura as the peridot had produced it, a green haze connecting all the robonoids, but that was wrong every time he tried to will it into existence it faltered and fizzled into nothing barely extending at all. At the same time, he noticed something about Connie's stance and he paused his hologram.
"Hold on." He leapt from the bleachers and alighted beside her. "You're placing your feet like I did when I showed you but you've got a different body than me." He knelt and taking hold of her ankle he gently guided each of her feet into a better position. "Okay, bend your knees a little deeper." He watched as she moved. "See you've got a lower center of gravity, and I've got gem strength, so the way I'm gonna do stuff is different than how you would." He moved behind her, adjusted her hips slightly, and lifted one elbow. "Make this your new starting position and I think you're gonna fair a lot better." Connie nodded as he moved back to his seat and resumed the third level training, he'd programmed into his holo-steven.
It occurred to him that maybe he was making the same mistake, he was trying to copy the peridot exactly, making a heavy green aura that would consume them completely. He adjusted his next attempt, and instead a light off white aura extended from his gem, it lightly touched each of the robonoids, and to his amazement he could feel a response. It was nothing intelligent but they relayed information about their immediate surroundings and their own capabilities. An idea struck him and he looked up.
"Hey Connie I'm making a breakthrough here, you going to be okay on your own?" Connie repelled the hologram's next thrust and nodded. Of course, the safety protocols he'd placed on his hologram would meant it couldn't do any real damage but it was best to check. Then he gave all of his attention to his project. Trying to take in the sensory data from all of them gave him a headache so he kept it off to the side imagining his mind like the screen of a computer. Instead he focused in on one of the robonoids, all of it's data wasn't too much to handle, so he embraced it completely. He felt as if he had two sets of eyes, one seeing the robonoids, Connie and the arena, the other seeing the same from a different lower angle, as well as being able to see himself. He willed the part of him that was seeing himself to move, and the robonoid he'd been concentrating on produced a pair of legs and began walking.
He laughed and leaned back on his hands as he made the little automoton do a silly dance. Connie who had dispatched the hologram moved over to view his progressed laughed as well. He pulled himself back and the robonoid went still.
"This is great." Connie said taking a seat beside him and reaching into the cooler to produce a pair of juice boxes. She tossed him one and punctured her own with it's straw. "You look as tired as I feel." She said wiping some sweat from her brow. He took it gratefully but maintained the aura on the robonoids.
"Yeah, using my powers is like working a whole new set of muscles." When their hands touched she winced. He looked down to see the blisters on her hand from the sword hilt. "Oh geez that looks bad, here." He imagined himself with Rose's healing powers, easily able to take care of any problem like this that could arise, only letting himself lament the lack of them for a moment before producing the bandages and ointment from the first aid kit in his gem. "Here let me see."
He took hold of her hand gingerly, his own lithe digits careful not to brush against any of the sore flesh. "This is gonna sting a little." Then spread a glob of the ointment over her skin and gently rubbed it in. She hissed through her teeth but made no complaint as he wound the bandage around. Before he could draw his hand back her fingers closed around it, and he would feel her forehead press against his gem.
"Thanks." Clearly speaking about more than just the first aid. Steven felt heat wash over him as it always had before, but this time there was no panicked need to pull away. In fact he slipped his arms around her and pulled her into a hug.
"You too, I don't know what I would have done without you and Amethyst." He felt her bandaged hand stroke down his back and as he sighed it felt like something he'd been holding in place came lose. They broke the embrace a moment later, each smiling stupidly. "You uhm, definitely need a new opponent." She nodded and stood taking hold of the sword he'd loaned her. At the same time he got to his feet and produced one of the swords from the small collection in his gem and strode up with her. "I think some exercise will be good for me, that is if you can make me break a sweat." He teased and took up a fighting position.
Connie laughed and flung herself at him, putting everything she'd learned to use trying to put him on the defensive. Even as they fought, he pointed out mistakes, or showed her openings by tapping her lightly with the flat of his sword. He never had to correct the same mistake twice, and openings were harder and harder to come by. By the time the sun was going down Steven had done more than break a sweat, and while not yet losing a match to her was being pressed hard to gain the upper hand. When their next duel ended in a draw he laughed and placed the sword back into his gem. "I think we should stop there for now." Connie nodded breathing hard and handed him back his sword which he also put away.
He extended an aura out again, his first one having been abandoned during the fight he tried commanding the entire group of little robots, and to his great joy they obeyed, marching over to him and jumping up as he absorbed them into his gem. They both made their way to the warp as connie unwound the bandage around her hand and tucking it into her pocket.
"Don't need my parents asking any questions." Steven nodded, though his stomach twisted up knowing something they were doing was making her lie to her parents. Without thinking about it he reached out and took hold of her uninjured hand, and she didn't pull away. They warped back in silence, finding all of the gems relaxing in the house part of the temple, who all turned to see them together. Rose saw their hands and her eyes went wide.
"Oh my stars where have you two been all day." She asked with a sweet little chuckle, though didn't bother moving from the couch where she'd been reading. Amethyst snickered as she sat on the kitchen counter before flipping onto the floor and transforming into both of them, their hands together making it possible.
"Oh Steven what a marvelouslly illumounous day we've had." She said in voice distinctly not like Connies. "I agree Connielia, twas a most fortuitus afternoon of frivolity." Garnet who had been leaning against the wall by the door lowered her glasses to stare at Amethyst, who seeing this immediately retook her normal shape. "Ah you're no fun G-squad." Garnet smirked and looked over at the two of them. Steven rolled his eyes and both were blushing, but neither had pulled away from one another.
"You two should get going, or Connie is going to be late." Steven nodded.
"Thanks Garnet." And the two of them made their way out the door, down the stairs and over to the street where sure enough Connie's father would be pulling up. He waved to her as she went, then spent some time by himself on the beach before finally heading back in and going to bed, though not after fielding some embarrassing questions from Rose and Amethyst.
It should be noted I was going to do a version of "Winter Forecast." Here but after re-watching that episode I realized how perfect it was, and how I didn't want to change a thing. So, for the purposes of this AU assume those events happened exactly as they do in the show. Thanks for reading.
