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: I wanted to thank everyone for their kind reviews and intrigue in This Story, I write again to bring you a new chapter of Shield of Humanity. Connie comes out of The Hospital and familiarizes herself with her gem's power. Steven accompanies Garnet and Amethyst on a mission. And Peridot makes her move on releasing Jasper.
Tags: Steven Universe, Connie Maheswaran, OC's, Pearl, Amethyst, Garnet, Beach City, Gem Powers, Romance, Adventure, Comfort, Destiny.
Music Inspiration for Chapter: "Spring of Life" By: Perfume
Chapter 6: The Mission
Sunday
3 May, 2016, 2:00 [Afternoon]
Crystal Temple, Beach City, DE
The sun was shining brightly. Over on the other side of the crystal temple, tourists and residents came and crowded the beach. As a precaution, Pearl, Garnet and Amethyst placed a fence up to keep non gems and half human Gems out. With the exception of Greg Universe Who could come any time and the mail man as well.
Passerbys stopped in front of the fence and looked through the holes. They saw two people working on something, pulling steel pipes of different colors out of boxes. Those two people were Steven and his father Greg. While Greg pulled out several pipes and connecting joints locks, Steven looked over at a paper plan on how to assemble a Dome Jungle Gym.
"Are you this is what you wanted Steven? Aren't you a little old to be playing on these jungle gyms."
"I'm only fourteen dad, not one hundred. Besides, it's for Connie also. She said she would be released from the hospital today." Steven told his father.
"Connie? I'm pretty sure she would agree with me that she might also be to old for this too. But you are young only once. Oh man, my back." Greg stood up on his feet and rubbed his lower back.
"Are you ok dad? If this is too much I can get Pearl or Garnet to help me out."
"No, no. I can do it, I just gotta stretch out some bit. It's been a while since I did so much manual labor. I'm not really the kind of person to toil around, I'm not as young as I used to be."
Appearing on the warp pad inside of The crystal temple, Garnet and Amethyst looked around for Steven. He wasn't on his bed or anywhere inside of the house.
"I told you we needed Pearl to be with us, now how are going to take down those corrupted gems." Asked Amethyst.
Both crystal gems were dirty with mud, scrapes and ash on their clothes, faces and bodies. Garnet walked off of the Warp pad and walked out of the beach house. Amethyst followed, but not before grabbing something to eat from the small refrigerator.
Outside, garnet saved time getting to Steven by simply jumping off the desk of the Beach house and landing next to them. The ground rumbled from the weight of her landing.
"Whoa! Garnet watch out."
"Sorry Steven. I'm here to collect you to take you on your first mission, stop what you're doing and come with me and Amethyst."
"Aww, can't you call Pearl to go with you. I'm busy spending time with me dad."
"Steven. You know I want you to spend as much time with your father as possible, but your mother's duty of the protection of this earth is just as important as bonding with your father."
"Easy for you to say, you're already a fusion." Steven whispered.
"What was that Steven?" Garnet asked, adjusting her shades and crossing her arms across her chest.
"Hahaha, Burrrn!" Amethyst shouted, joining Garnet and the rest.
"Listen Steven, Maybe you should go and help out Garnet and Amethyst. I can handle this by myself, I gave myself this day off. By the time you come back, and if pearl stops by, it'll be finished."
Steven stood up from his kneeling position and dusted off his pants of sand. He rolled up the black and pink sleeves of his open flannel shirt up to his elbows. He turned around and faced Garnet.
"Alright, let's go." Steven said with confidence.
Palmyra, Maheswaran Residence
3:00 [Afternoon]
Being Discharged from the hospital earlier than she expected. Connie arrived back home with her parents around noon. With the doctors and specialists perplexed with the smoky quartz gem stone infused halfway inside of Connie's chest, they allowed the fourteen year old to leave with her parents permission. They told her if she became sick, or felt like she was about to black out; to return back to the hospital immediately.
Since returning back home, Connie's mother has tried to speak to her. The subject matter being about boys. But Connie went up to her bedroom and closed and locked her door. Connie spent an hour looking at the gem on her chest, tapping it with her finger and researching everything she could about Gems and their history.
On the internet, Connie found lots of sites and forums speaking about different specieis of Aliens and odd cases of abductions and secret projects. But there was nothing on Gems or their connections to Aliens. Only Ronaldo's blog, "Keep Beach City Weird" had any information about Gems and their connection to aliens. But all information he had revolved around Steven and the rest of the crystal gems. His enthusiasm for the supernatural and the unexplained was admirable, but rather than researching the unexplained; he explains the unresearched.
Connie turned off her computer and walked out of her bedroom and ventured downstairs with her phone. Taking her headphones with her, Connie took a seat on her living room couch and got comfortable. She turned on her phone, inserted the headphone jack inside of her phone and pressed on the music app and scrolled down through her list of songs.
The song she was first chose was called "Spring of Life" by J-Pop Female trio named Perfume.
"So, spring of life, let's have a love that blazes bright.
Even though my schedule is all filled up, my memories still feel so empty, that's usually how it is, since it's up to me. It doesn't help if you only wait for surprises.
That's right! Spring of Life, Let's have a love that blazes bright. Spring up speed up, dance for joy to this blazing rhythm. I want to make my heart dance so much, it skips a beat.
Let's Start! Spring speed up, let's fall in love."
Connie swayed her head and body from left to right. She kept her eyes closed and kept her clasped hands together, over her chest. The lyrics of the song, that she understood made her feel good and made her think about Steven. Her happiness made her gem glow slightly, but Connie's moment alone was cut short when her mother sat down next to her.
Connie paused the song on her phone and removed her headphones each from her ears. She stood up and walked over to the backdoor of home.
"Connie wait!" Mrs. Maheswaran said loudly and with concern.
"What is it mom." Connie said quietly and cold.
"I'm sorry for what your father said to you in the hospital. He shouldn't have said any of those things."
"It's alright mom. He doesn't know Steven like I do, someone whose never known his own mother, couldn't possibly be that happy. But he is, because he has garnet, Amethyst, Pearl and his dad. I bet his mother would have wanted him to enjoy his childhood."
"Connie..." Mrs. Maheswaran said lightly. She knew Connie was pointing out about her over protectiveness and often stern attitude. She knew of all the restriction she placed on Connie, and for the most part has made growing up for her daughter less than enjoyable.
"Connie, you're my only daughter and my only child at that. That fact that you were born a girl, like me, means I am the way I am for good reasons. Girls face more risks, more hurt. I know you're strong, but...but boys, you can definitely wait for."
"Even when you're trying your hardest to apologize. You still have to make this about Steven. I like him mom, I kissed him."
"Connie, he's a nice boy. I can see that. but romantic relationships don't always last forever, friendships do. Relationships founded on friendship first can endure more. Before any relationship can form, it needs to be built from the bottom up."
Connie blushed and looked at her mother with some confusion. "Mom, are you-"
"You're a girl whose blossoming into a strong, smart and loving young woman. Remember that I love you."
"Okaayy, thanks mom. I'm going to step outside and swing a little bit on the swings."
"Don't you think you're getting to old to be spending time on the swings Connie?"
"No, but i'm getting old listening to this. Talk to you later mom." Connie turned around and walked out to the back of her home.
Backyard, Maheswaran Residence
4:00 [Evening]
Kicking at the dirt every time she swung forward and backward on her swing, Connie looked high up into the sky and at the ground. She was running everything that She remembered from Smoky Quartz's life.
"He was unlike anything I have seen. His power to control the earth, to grow larger than any mountain on earth and wielding hundreds of weapons and shields. He was absolutely invincible, or so I thought. Still, to defend all of Mars when the rest of his fellow commanders fells and with the support of the few martian rebel gems that were left. Am I worthy of inheriting his gem, can I protect my family, my friends, Steven...Beach City."
At the end of her statement, Connie's gem stone began to glow and a message was coming through. Though it was still filled with static, most of the message was intelligible.
"I have landed on earth [static] it is just as beautiful as Mars was. was I [Static] already under the control of Home world gems. I can feel my life and mind fading. Before I die...i just want to [Static] whomever finds my gem. Know this, unconditional defense and mastery over the Earth is my gift to you. I was once for conquest over alien worlds, now only in my last few moments do I embrace my past sins. Perhaps through my union with you life form, I can redeem my self...[Static] Red Beryl, I'm coming back home."
"Whoa...Smoky, you really were a nice guy." Stone pebbles and rocks on the surrounding ground began to shake and levitate off the ground.
The pebbles and rocks shot up and flew towards Connie's left arm and started to cover it. Connie stopped swinging and watched her arm being covered in stone. The stone altered itself to mirror a knight's Gauntlet, Vambrace, Rerebrace and Pauldron. With hidden locking joints, Connie'sleft arm was safely shielded by stone armor.
"Whoa...no...flipping...way. This is so..."
Connie raised her arm up over her head, her hand balled up into hand. "COOL!" she shouted up to the sky. but her emotions caused her gem and by extension her powers, to create a tremor to come by her neighborhood.
"Oh no. no, no, no, stop! Stop! Please!" Responding to Connie's plea, the tremor died down and her stone armor around her left arm and hand fell apart. The glow on her gem subsided and vanished.
"Wow...whoa. I need to be more careful with this. Maybe I should pay Steven and the crystal gems a visit. But how will mom and dad take it. Not so good I imagine."
Xibalba, Yucatan Mexico
In a dark underground cavern system in The yucatan peninsula of Mexico. Garnet, Amethyst and Steven walked down a dark tunnel. The only source of light available was Steven's Gem which he learned to turn on to act as a lantern. On the sides of the tunnel were open passageways which lead to different rooms and locations. Garnet explained to Steven why they were here and what it was they were looking for.
"Long ago this place was home to the Aztec people. Their leader, was half gem half human. Much like you, but he disappeared long ago. Me and pearl never got a look at him, but the aztec people described him having a Moldavite gem stone at the base of his spine."
"Wow, a half human and half gem. Just like me and Connie. Was he born or fused."
"The Aztecs said his mother was a gem, his father a human." garnet told him.
"So it's just like me. I guess he also got to live with his dad and never knew his mom. And we're here for-"
"Destroy corrupted gems and to retrieve the Black Heart. The black heart is an artifact Quetzalcoatl, the half gem was given by his mother when he was born. It was suppose to bring life back to the jungle, but long term exposure transformed the animals, flora and other organic matter into gem monsters. Stay on your toes."
"Yeah Steven, stay on your toes." Amethyst told him off to his side.
Steven looked over at Amethyst and saw that she had shape shifted her feet into large toes. Steven covered his mouth with his hands and stifled his laughter as best he could. His eyes filled with tears as he continued to watch Amethyst joking around and changing her head into a bird, alligator and a radio.
"Amethyst! We're on a mission." Garnet said sternly.
Amethyst shape shifted back to her normal form and crossed her arms over her chest. There was rumbling coming from the far ends of the tunnel. Garnet, Amethyst and Steven stopped and huddled together. With their back pressed against each other, Garnet manifested her gauntlets. Amethyst pulled out her whip. And Steven surrounded himself with his fiery pink aura.
Rushing out of passageways from the sides of the tunnel they were in, came black jaguars, giant bats, spiders and stone golems. The jaguars stopped a few feet away from the crystal gems. They roared and bared their fangs at them. The bats flapped in place, screeching. The spiders waited and the stone golems slowly made their way towards the team.
"Oh yeah now this is a party." Amethyst declared excitedly.
The jaguars rushed towards amethyst who snapped her whipped and coiled it around one jaguar. She swung him around and sent him crashing into a pack of spiders and bats. Garnet punched and kicked stone golems and spiders who tried to sneak around her or charged at her. Steven reved up his pink aura, which made his skin turn slightly pink. His black eyes burned with a pink glow within them. Two arms appeared on the side of Steven's Aura.
On the right hand it wielded Rose's sword and on the left forearm it wielded Rose's shield. Without focusing to hard and worrying, Steven was able to hold this form for almost fifteen minutes before falling to exhaustion. Steven swung his mother's sword, shooting a crescent wave of pink energy that sliced the black heart creations in half.
Stone golems fired pebbles like bullets at Steven. Steven raised his left arm up and shielded him, Garnet and Amethyst. Garnet noticed Steven's control over his Power and complimented him in the midst of battle.
"Ata Boy Steven!" Garnet said.
"It's just like fighting alongside Rose, eh Garnet!" Amethyst chimed in.
Garnet smashed two spiders together, while looking over at Steven slamming golems against the walls with his shield and slicing away at bats with his sword. But unlike amethyst or Seven, Garnet's future vision showed her something which caused her to shed a tear. A tear of joy.
As the battle dragged on, The last of the black heart creations were defeated. Steven's pink aura along with his sword and shield had vanished. He was tired and fanning his face with his hand.
"Nicely done Steven, you kicked some serious butt." Amethyst told him, she took a seat next to him and placed an arm around his neck.
"We can't stay here forever you two. We have to find the Black heart...Agh!"
Garnet's statement was cut in half when something black was fired at her. Steven and Amethyst looked over and saw a skinny ten foot tall faceless gem with the black heart artifact inside of it's open chest. It raised it's hand and fired a black orb of energy at Steven.
"Watch out Steven!" Amethyst pushed Steven out of the way and was trapped in a black energy sphere.
"Garnet! Amethyst!" Steven cried out of their names.
"We're ok Steven, but I can't break out of this sphere." Garnet told him.
"No luck either here Steven, my whip can't scratch this thing." Amethyst added.
"What am I going to do without you two! That thing is getting closer to me. And i'm too tired to tap into my gem power."
"Steven, it's ok. It's going to be Ok." Garnet assured him.
Steven turned to face the faceless gem with the beating black heart artifact. Could he do this all alone?
Beach City
Flying over Beach city with a Gem Destabilizer that she had fashioned with resources on earth. Peridot shape shifted into an Eagle. She carried the gem destabilizer in her claws, she neared beach city and the last location of Jasper and Lapis. Drawing ever so near, Peridot was close to releasing jasper from her fusion with Malachite.
- Continued in Chapter 7