Disclaimer: Characters, settings, names from the cartoon television show 'Steven Universe' are creations and property of Rebecca sugar and Cartoon network. Any non-steven universe characters, settings, names, Gems, Gem powers, beliefs, mythology are my own creation.
Author's Note: With The Smoky Quartz Gem unable to be removed off of Connie's chest by Garnet. Connie has made the decision to tell her parents about her new addition to herself. Steven agrees to let Connie go ahead with her decision, but at the cost of him feeling worried and guilty for putting her in such a position.
Tags: Steven Universe, Connie Maheswaran, Pearl, Amethyst, Garnet, Beach City, Gem Powers, Romance, Adventure, Comfort, Destiny.
Music Inspiration for Chapter: "My Name" by: Naruto Shippuden Soundtrack
Chapter 4: Dreams of The Ancient Past
Friday
1, May 2016, 5:00 [Evening]
Steven's Beach house, Beach City
Sitting down on his bed touching the tips of his toes, Steven had stars in his eyes as he listened to Garnet talk about The Gem's Hierarchy to him. Pearl sat down next to him and Amethyst laid on the couch on, one leg over the other.
"There was nothing I could do about the gem on Connie's chest. It didn't seem to irritate her, nor did It look functioning. But it was interesting that it had a message when Connie had found it." Garnet told Steven and Pearl.
"You said it called himself commander Smoky Quartz? A commander. I've almost forgotten about the hierarchy that dominates our former home world."
"What makes Smoky so different Pearl." Steven asked with wonder.
"Well Steven, Smoky quartz was a Commander of legendary status who was alive when Rose took up the cause to defend the earth six thousand years ago. Smoky, like the rest of his Commanders are special kinds of Gem who were carved from a Goddess's Gemstone. A Goddess was the most powerful, and most beautiful Gem in my, Garnet and Rose's former home-world.
Commanders were also called Sons of the Goddess, because they are as what you earthlings might call...Male in appearance. Their power was so far and beyond what we could do, they could control and generate several Elements with extreme precision and power on a frightening level. However, because of their level of power they are incapable of performing fusions."
Garnet decided to jump into the conversation. "You could even say that there's no need for them to fuse given how much power their already born with."
"Wow! Amethyst did you know about all of this?"
"Uh no. I was made here on earth did you forget. the strongest person I knew was Rose. And that's all that matters to me." Amethyst said with some slight anger.
Steven furrowed his brows and focused back on Pearl. "Did you know any Commanders pearl, Garnet?"
"Yes, coincidentally it was Smoky Quartz. Though we never met in person, he and Rose spoke often. Look Steven I'll tell you more later. right now I'm...i can't believe I'm saying this. But I feel tired, and I got a lot on my mind about other stuff right now."
Steven rubbed his chin and turned to lay down on his bed. "I hope Connie's alright." Steven said contemplatively.
"I'm sure she is, but right now all you can do is give her time. One day she'll come back and you two will never be separated again." Pearl assured Steven. Pearl leaned in and gave Steven a kiss on his forehead.
Pearl got up and walked down the steps and walked over to the temple door and stepped into her room. Garnet felt something was up with Pearl, but chose not to check on her for now. Amethyst sat up straight on the couch and yawned. She stretched her arms and back out and walked into her own room.
Pearl's Room, Crystal Temple [Head]
Walking on the lake floor of her room, Pearl sat down and touched the water beneath her. She let her mind wander to what happened at the end of her Work shift. Her cheeks went light blue just thinking about it.
[Flashback]
"Pearl look, I know you think you don't need anybody right now. And you know what, you would be right. But Steven isn't going to be small forever, one day he's going to be so good and proficient with his gem powers, that's he's going to go out and get married. Have kids of his own. He'll be able to protect himself and his family. And when the next danger approaches the earth, you all can get together and deal with it as friends. it's a part of life Pearl."
Carlos kept Pearl from walking out of the employee room by holding on to her hand. Pearl kept her eyes closed. She knew Carlos was right, leaving the group didn't mean saying goodbye.
"We Gems have stuck together through a lot. I've lost someone special just so she could give birth to her son. I don't blame Steven, but I feel if he leaves...it'll lose what little I have left of my-"
Carlos turned Pearl around, wrapped an arm around her waist and planted a sweet but small kiss on her lips. He pulled his lips away from her, smiling at her.
"Uh...Uh...Carlos!" Pearl said surprised and looking embarrassed.
"You see Pearl. Nothing happened, it was just a kiss."
"If it was nothing then why would you-"
"Because i've fallen in love with you Pearl. I just wanted to tell you. Look I'm going to stay behind and talk to our manager about maybe giving me a raise."
With that confession, Carlos grabbed his belongings and walked out of the employee only room. Pearl was left touching her lips with her fingers. Her emotions and normally straight forward way of thinking were all jumbled up. Her heart, which she did not have fluttered for a bit.
[Flashback End]
"Rose, he's only a human. His life has a numerical limit. Is this what you've felt with Greg? Tell me what to do Rose, please. I'm in such unfamiliar waters right now."
Saturday
2, May 2016, 3:00 [Morning]
Palmyra, Maheswaran Residence
One mile away west of Beach City was the small city of Palmyra. It was the location of Connie's home. And tonight she was asleep in her bed. She withheld telling her mother and father about what had happened to her. But right now she didn't care about telling her folks about her gem. The image of when she leaned in to kiss Steven, seeing him blush strongly made her heart flutter. She fell asleep tonight hugging a spare pillow close to her.
[Connie's Dream]
In the midst of a sleep so deep, Connie was having an odd dream. In this dream she viewed her dream through a first person view. She had no body but it felt like she was floating. In her dream she flew around a white 100 foot castle situated in the middle of a lake. The surrounding nature was rich with snow peaked mountains, lakes, forests and a light blue sky with minimal white clouds.
It looked like earth, but something about this whole area didn't feel right. Connie flew back down and noticed the ground was not grassy green but blueberry blue. Perhaps it was just a shift in her dream, but this probably wasn't earth. Connie flew inside of the castle from the highest point. Another shift in her dream made her sit down next to a 10 foot tall individual.
Connie took notice that this person was in fact a Gem. A Male and stoic looking Gem by the look of it. His skin was brown, but his armor that he wore, were modeled after a European Knight. A black breast plate and back plate covered his torso. A dark brown gorget protected his neck. Pauldrons guarded his shoulders and upper arms.
A black, brown and white surcoat was worn over his upper body and most of his upper body. Black steel tassets were connected to his Fauld Armor just below his waist. Connie looked around and saw more Gems like him. Except they were of different color and wore different forms of armor.
"They all look like past warriors of history. A Centurion, a Viking, a Persian Immortal, a Gladiator and a Rajput warrior." Connie said to herself. She stood up on her seat and waved her hand in front of the knight. But he, like the rest of the gems that were seated around this table took no notice of her.
"Are all of you waiting for someone?" Connie asked them. But of course none of them heard her.
Connie crossed her arms over her chest and waited for something to happen. She didn't have to wait to long for something to happen. Pushing open the dual doors of this marble white room, came walking in a Gem with dark gray skin with Black Armor. He looked like a Samurai with his dark armor and horned helmet.
"Fellow commanders, I have gotten word from our Goddess Taffeite that she wants Mars to undergo the same Parasitic Gem program as the other planets before this one."
"What!?" Shouted a Dark Indigo Gem who looked like a Centurion.
"Has she Lost her mind!" Smoky Quartz joined in with his fellow disgruntled Commanders.
"Black Zirconia, are you sure that's what she said? Are you positive"
"Yes Mocca I'm positive. I tried telling her that she already has four planets and one planetoid devoted to growing gems. But her desire to grow Gems had slowly been degenerating into an Obsession these last few years. Also, she said that After mars has been rendered a dead planet. The blue and green Terra, Code name Earth was next."
"But there are Settler Gems on Planet Terra already. If Kindergardens are set up, those parasites are going to infest the whole planet. It's going to make living an impossibility. We were born from the kindest, peaceful and most beloved Red Beryl. Tafferite might be our goddess, but she's not our mother. The defense of Mars and Earth is of Paramount importance starting right now." declared Smoky Quartz.
"Agreed!" said the Dark Indigo Commander. He stood up with his fist held high above his head. "I say we rebel against the Mad Goddess Taffeite. Let us carve out our own home in this section of The Sol system.
"We have 25,000 gems soldiers and 5,000 workers on Mars. Earth has approximately 1000 gems, mostly workers, less than 300 soldiers. The odds might be stacked against us, but we aren't Commanders for nothing!"
Connie was hypnotized by Smoky's charisma and the cheering of every Commander in this marble white room. But all cheering was silenced when a Holo message came in. a large Holo screen appeared above the round table. In it, was the most beautiful Gem Connie has ever laid her eyes on. She saw Rose Quartz and thought she knew beauty, but Taffeite was a beauty of some other level.
Taffeite looked no older than a young woman in her twenties. She had white silky hair that hung over her left shoulder. Her white hair went down to her chest. Her skin was as white and fair as Pearl's, her eyes were silver and she looked more beautiful than she imagined herself.
"Commanders." The Goddess Taffeite spoke. "I am ordering all of you to clear the Earth of its inhabitants. Then my Laborers and scientists will install several kindergardens on it. Get to work right now."
Connie looked around and saw that none of the commanders said anything. None except Smoky Quartz. He stood up from his seat and spoke.
"No."
"What did you say Smoky? Did I just hear you correc-"
"Yes you did. You may be our Goddess, but you have lost your mind. You're killing what's supposed planets our people are supposed to call home. One planet for Kindergarden I can understand, but several?"
"You condemn your own self with your own mouth Commander Smoky. You are a Commander, you take orders from me without question. Go now and do what you've been ordered to do. All of You!"
None of the Commanders were moving from their spot. This angered Taffeite. "Alright! Alright that's how you traitors want to operate. Consider this moment the day you signed your own death warrants! First I'm going to have you tortured, then I'm going to have you broken into several million pieces!"
with those last strong words, The holo screen vanished. Connie felt herself becoming light and woke up from her sleep.
Palmyra, Maheswaran Residence
7:00 [Morning]
Connie awoke from her sleep rubbing her eyes and stretching her arms out. She jumped out of her bed and walked over to look outside her window. The sun was still rising above the horizon, the orange glow was giving way to the beautiful blue hue of the morning.
"What a wicked dream that was. Wait a second... Smoky quartz? I saw him. in my dream. Ugh, my eyes."
Connie rubbed her eyes and ran outside of her bedroom and into her bathroom. She washed her eyes and face. She looked at herself in the mirror and lightly tapped the sides of her face. The odd dream aside, her mind went right back to Steven and their first kiss on the beach. Connie blushed and grabbed a brush from the medicine cabinet and brushed her hair.
Dining Room, Maheswaran Residence
8:00 [Morning]
Walking into her dining room wearing a red shirt with black poka dots, knee length jeans and black flats on her feet. Connie carried a bowl of cereal in her hands. She took a seat at her table and picked up her spoon filled with milk and marshmallow mixed cereal. She brought the spoon to her lips and opened her mouth and ate.
She chewed on her cereal and looked around her dining room. Her mother had left to work, with her father still sleeping up in his bedroom. He was enjoying one of days off sleeping, that was understandable. He was a hard worker, a good father, a provider. He deserved this day of rest.
Halfway into finishing her bowl of cereal, Connie stated at her cereal in her spoon. The spinning O's and S's appeared to be spinning faster and faster. Connie lost herself in a day dream, a dream that continued from the dream she had before she woke up.
[Connie's Day Dream]
Losing herself in her day dream, she saw through a first person view. Panning out from the planet Neptune. Connie saw several white Gem warships flying over to their Jupiter Outpost. The warships were large rectangular bodies accompanied by smaller oval frigates and Pentagon shaped Destroyers.
Ships belonging to the Rebel Gems formed around mars and a few hid behind asteroids in the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter. Connie watched The Rebel war starships firing beams of energy at the incoming Homeworld Warships. Explosions appeared on both sides. One of them, appeared close to her, snapping her out of the day dream.
[End of Day Dream]
Connie shook her head and rubbed her eyes. "That was...weird. Wow I'm already finished with this cereal." She said to herself. Connie moved off from her seat and went into the kitchen to wash her bowl.
Outside, The Park
9:30 [Morning]
Riding on her bike in a park located three blocks away from her home. Connie rode around in the paths already set out in the park. She brought with her a small backpack that had a water bottle and a sandwich in saran wrap. Also in the pocket of her knee length jeans was a phone, her parents didn't want her going anywhere without a phone. Stopping near some benches, Connie hopped off of her Bike and took a seat when she rode enough.
She pulled out her sandwich and bottle of water and ate. Looking to her left and right, Connie watched runners running. People walking their dogs, birds flying off everywhere and families traveling together. Connie took a bite out of her sandwich and chewed. She undid the top of her water bottle and took a gulp from it.
Spending several minutes finishing up her sandwich and bottle of water. Connie took her empty water bottle and saran wrap to a trash bin across from her, but before she could dump her garbage. She froze in place, her muscles tensed up and she started to flashes. Her breathing picked up and she felt herself losing her balance. Soon, she saw nothing but darkness.
Connie's Dream
Unsure of what happened to her to lose consciousness, Connie found herself dreaming once more. This time her dream took a more action oriented turn. Connie found herself standing on the surface on the soon to be red planet. She watched several armies of rebel gems and home-world gems fighting on a large open field all around her. In the back, Connie saw a titanic sized three headed Golem made entirely out of earth. It wore bulky armor made out of mountains.
On it's back and side were several hundreds of arms. Each held on to a different weapon or went with just its fists as their weapon. On others there were several shields of different sizes and designs. In other hands it held on to glowing dark brown beams of energy. Connie watched these arms stretch out and taking down Home-world gems warships out of the sky by cutting them down with diamond swords. On the ground the glowing beams of spherical energy fired several hundred rays of earth energy at armies of Gems on the ground.
Dome like explosions filled the forests and fields where this giant Earth Golem fought. Over on her sides Connie heard Rebel gems say something which shocked her.
"Martian gems! Smoky Quartz is our last fighting Commander, if he falls, consider Mars lost! To his side Now!"
"Wait...That giant Mountain sized Golem is Commander...Smoky? No waayy. GO COMMANDER SMOKY!""
before she could enjoy the rest of her Dream, Connie awoke lying down on a white bed.
Palmyra Hospital, Room 7
11:00 [Morning]
Opening her eyes, Connie saw her mother and father sitting next to her. Her father was on her left side and her mother was on her right. As soon as Connie turned over to her mother, she saw that her mom did not look all to happy. She was relieved that Connie was awake and fine, but there was a matter that needed to be addressed.
"Connie, honey are you feeling Ok."
"Yes mom. What happened?"
"The doctor said you suffered a mild blackout. He said he was unsure what brought it on, but maybe that Gem on your chest is responsible."
"The gem on my chest?...oh. Mom, that-"
"You got that yesterday when you were spending time with Steven, didn't you?" asked her father to her left.
Connie sat up on her bed and rubbed her eyes. "Mom, Dad..." Connie shared with her folks how she got to have this gem on her chest.
- Continued in Chapter 5