(3. Nothing Can Hurt You)… He awoke in his own bed with a gasp. He was covered in a cold sweat. Morning light shone from the window, the sky a bright and cheerful blue. The smell of cooking bacon wafted through the air, he could hear it sizzling downstairs in the kitchen, mingling with Pearl's happy humming as she wiggled the pan. He focused on these comforting things from the real world, commanding his mind to realize that what he'd seen was all just part of a ghastly nightmare, that there is no such thing as Snake People.

Did he really believe that?

Despite this seed of doubt planted in his own self-soothing thoughts, his heart slowed its frantic drumroll. Untangling himself from the sheets, his body throbs and his eyes are heavy, like he's barely slept at all. Judging from the state of his bed, pillows on the floor and blankets hanging off the side, he must have been restless. He numbly pulls on his usual jeans and star shirt, ignoring the weariness in his body. He rubs at his eyes and makes his way downstairs, where the scent of breakfast gets faintly stronger. Pearl flashes him a blinding grin, placing the plate on the table for him. She was so full of life, possibly more than he'd ever seen in her, so relieved that the Gem War was sure that everything was okay. "Here you are!" she chirped, then looked at him. Her happiness visibly melts into concern.

"Steven," she says slowly, "Are you alright?"

He was prepared for this question. He had a lie scripted and ready to fly off his tongue. "Yeah, I'm fine. I just had bad dreams all night." Not completely a lie.

Pearl shrugged reluctantly. "Well, alright."

Steven plopped his stiff body into a chair. The food on his plate, bacon and eggs, were arranged artistically into a smiley face. This fills him with disdain, though he couldn't explain why. And Pearl is still worried about him. He can feel it, even as she walks away and disappears inside the temple. As he pushed a greasy egg around on his plate, he wonders why he didn't want to tell her the details. He doesn't want to tell any of the Gems yet, about what White had said to him concerning her Creators, or the Snake People in his dream. But he wanted to talk to someone. It was too big to just keep to himself.

Ignoring his breakfast, he fished his cellphone out of his pocket, dialing Connie's number. It rang once, twice, three times. He was beginning to think his call would roll to voice mail when he heard Connie's voice, and like Pearl's, it was full of contentment. It was the voice of someone who had very little to worry about in the world.

"Hello? Steven? What's up?"

"Hey, Connie," he mumbled, "Can you come over? I really want to tell you something, but not over the phone."

"Um, yeah, I think so," she said. There was a pause. "Hey, are you alright? You sound troubled."

"Yes…I mean, no, I just…please come over. I'll explain everything."

…

Everything should've been perfect. The day was warm with a cool breeze, and people milled around enjoying the weather. Yet Steven and Connie walked grimly across the beach, ignoring the wet sand sticking to their bare feet, something they would've giggled about any other time. Connie tapped her chin thoughtfully throughout Steven's story. Simply explaining it was chilling, like he was being watched by someone who was hidden. He even found himself glancing over his shoulder.

"So you're still having Diamond dreams," Connie stated once he was finished. "But I thought all of that was over."

"Me too," Steven said grimly. Bits of sand trailed behind them as they stepped onto the boardwalk, white sailboats bobbing in the lazy waves. They sat on the dock with their legs dangling over the edge, each going over this new problem in their minds.

"It felt so real," Steven whispered. "Like the vision you and I had about my mom…but much more intense. And the Snake People. Ronaldo used to rant about them all the time, but I thought all that was fake. But what if it isn't, Connie? What if they're real?"

"Hmmm," said Connie, taking this very seriously. "I think you're the only one who can figure this out. Maybe, if the dream comes to you again, you should explore it to see if you can gain more information. You did say you had the ability to move around freely."

A red flash of panic shot into him from the mere suggestion. It wasn't a bad idea, exactly, but the Snake People had been malicious. They obviously didn't want to be friends with him, and if he started poking around in all their secrets, it might not be good. "I don't know," he said nervously. He hugged himself. "They weren't exactly welcoming when they saw me, and they tortured White Diamond. They accused her of letting me in."

"But that wasn't really her," Connie countered reasonably. "None of it was real. Whatever you see, it's only in your mind. Nothing can hurt you."

He sure hoped she was right.