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: Let me take this moment to thank every new reader who has favorited, liked and follows my story. This story may be written by me, but is solely for all of you. You make me happy and give me my drive to continue to write. Until new Steven Universe episodes come out, please enjoy this story
Tags: Steven Universe, Connie Maheswaran, OC's, Lapis Lazuli, Peridot, Pearl, Amethyst, Garnet, Beach City, Gem Powers, Romance, Adventure, Comfort, Destiny.
Music Inspiration for Chapter: "Kushina's Theme" Naruto Shippuden.
Chapter 7: The Jungle Gym
Sunday
3, May 2016, 3:30 [Afternoon]
Xibalba, Yucatan Mexico
Running down a long dark corridor. Steven made sharp turns inside of different smaller corridors. He had left Garnet and Amethyst where they were in order to escape and regain some more power in his gem. The Black lanky gem with no face, white fingers and feet didn't run after Steven, more like strided after him. Raising his right hand and pointing his index finger like a gun, he fired quick shots of black energy that pierced the walls like bullets fired into them.
Steven was getting tired, sweating and his gem power was taking a while to return to him. Finding a small space within a corridor, Steven hid inside of it and held his hands on his mouth. He stifled his heavy breathing to conceal his location from the Black Heart created Gem. The tall lanky gem stopped walking to sense where Steven was. It looked to its left and right, up and down. It was lost, so it spoke.
"Lord Quetzalcoatl, where are you. Have I not been a loyal partner. where have you gone. Why have you abandoned me!"
With Steven's power finally returning faster with concentration and relaxation. He stepped out of his hole to confront The Black Heart Gem. But before he could go on the offensive, Steven heard something terrible.
"Aaagghhh! Steveenn!"
"Steven Heellp!"
The cries of Garnet and Amethyst made Steven shudder. Although he didn't know why they were shouting, he knew for certain that they were in pain. Back over to Garnet and Amethyst, the black spheres they were trapped in were starting to shrink, crushing them and killing them eventually.
"Please! Let my friends go! Please!" Steven pleaded to The Black heart.
"My Lord...Quetzalcoatl, where are you. Why have you abandoned me." The Black Heart kept repeating over and over again.
Steven punched and kicked the Black Heart Gem much like a little kid would against someone much taller than them. The Black heart gem stopped muttering long enough to raise Steven up telekinetically off the ground and send him flying and crashing against the walls of the corridor they were in. left and right, Steven hit the walls with enough force to break planks of wood.
"Ow...Agh!...My...My friends. I won't let Garnet and Amethyst...down. Do you hear me!" Steven shouted, rising up to his feet.
His flaming pink aura had returned. Arms appeared on each side with Rose's shield and sword. Using his own arms and hands as the controls, Steven swung the large pink Sabre in a side arc motion. A large crescent shaped beam of pink energy flew towards The Black Heart gem. But the gem rose a wall of black energy that protected him the explosive encounter with the pink crescent beam of energy. Steven charged forward with his shield up.
The Black heart shape shifted into an immensely large black Serpent that filled the corridor. It donned white feathers around its black reflective neck. Opening it's gaping maw, Black Heart unleashed a stream of black fire. Steven's shield held up but he was being pushed back by the force of the fire.
"No!...I can't fail!...not when Garnet and...Amethyst Need Me!...AAHHH!"
Steven's hair, like his pink skin underwent a change. Steven's hair grew long with thick black ringlets that shined like obsidian. The outlines of his curls shined a pink color. His pink aura rose higher and higher until it started to take a form of it's own. Not since Rose gave up her physical form to bring her and greg's son into the world, had she returned in the form of Steven's newest Guardian. Rose's Aura.
Surrounding Steven was Rose quartz form as a pink Ethereal warrior, only much taller than she was in life and more powerful. Pink flames flickered off her hair, arms and tiered dress. Acting as the control center, Steven ran towards Black heart with his mother's image.
Black Heart shape shifted and changed into a massive multi-headed plant reminiscent of Venus fly traps. But also along with the heads were serpentine, jaguar and bats. The heads and tentacles flew towards Steven. With his shield up, he deflected the jaguar and serpentine heads to the side. With his sword he cut the other heads off. Black heart was injured but not down. as a last ditch effort to preserve his own life, black heart shape shifted into in a black sphere that fired out several large arms with fists at the ends.
To counter before he lost control of his Guardian Mother Form from exhaustion, Steven placed his hands on the ground and summoned forth a large tall tree shrub which fired Wooden and plant fists at Black Heart.
The two streams of fists flying towards one another resulted in an explosion which threatened to cave in everyone. Steven prevented this by supporting the cave roof with several wooden pillars that he had erected before losing his Guardian Mother Form.
Back over to Garnet and Amethyst, the two were balled up in a sphere that, if it had shrunk anymore would have killed them. But through Steven's heroic action, the spheres vanished.
"Whoa...the spheres, they vanished Garnet. Man did you hear that explosion." Amethyst spoke.
Garnet stood back up on her feet and stretched her arms out. She took notice of the wooden pillars which lined the corridor they were in. appearing to garnet and Amethyst, coming out of a near side corridor, Steven carried the Black Heart artifact in a small pink bubble he created.
"Are you...two ok?" Steven asked them.
"Oh Steven, you saved us." Garnet whispered. She took the black heart artifact from Steven and sent it away.
Steven smiled and gave them both a thumbs up. He collapsed, falling into Amethyst's arms. Garnet wiped some tears away from her cheeks. Amethyst noticed and asked why she was crying.
"I'll...i'll tell you later." she responded.
Crystal Temple, Beach House, DE
5:00 [Evening]
Returning back home and appearing on the warp pad in the beach house, Steven ran inside of his bathroom to wash his face and look at himself in front of the mirror. Garnet and Amethyst walked outside to the deck of the beach house. Steven turned off the faucet of just looked at his reflection.
"I beat a Gem today, with your help mom. Mom, I hope you're proud of me. I saved Garnet and Amethyst."
"Steven...Steven..." said Pearl's voice from outside the bathroom.
"Uh yeah, i'm coming out right now." Steven answered.
Steven walked out of the bathroom and closed the door behind him. Pearl noticed the bruises and abrasions on his cheeks and arms.
"Steven! Oh my goodness what happened to you."
"I came back from a mission with Garnet and Amethyst. I took down a really super old ancient artifact from Mexico. It doesn't hurt that bad."
"Still, let me take care of those cuts and bruises."
Pearl took Steven up to his bed and told him to wait there. She went over to the entrance of the crystal temple and stepped inside of her room. Steven waited on his bed and laid down to rest and focus on his thoughts. The sound of laughter and chatter outside the Beach house caught Steven's attention. He jumped off of his bed and walked over to his house door.
"Whoa Steven! Hold on a second." Pearl said.
She came running after him and grabbed him by his shoulder. Steven turned and followed Pearl over to the couch. He sat down and watched Pearl open a first aid box and pull out some medical supplies. Over these last few days Pearl seemed distant, Steven knew she went to work to keep her preocuppied when she wasn't training him. But it seemed like her mind wasn't on him like it was two years ago.
"Pearl..." Steven said softly.
"Yes Steven" Pearl replied while she wet a cotton ball with disinfectant alcohol. She looked up at him to tap the wet cotton ball on his cheeks and neck.
"Ow..." Steven whinced with slight pain from the stinging sensation.
"Sorry Steven. So, how went the mission."
"I saved Garnet and Amethyst."
"From each other? I thought those two got along great most of the time."
"No. not from each other, from a corrupted Gem Artifact. It had them inside black spheres, I tried to get it to free them. But words didn't reach it, so I had to suppress him."
"That's why there called Corrupted Gems Steven. When a gem loses it's purpose, it spirals down into a chasm of hopelessness and gives way to it's most primal instincts."
"I don't know Pearl. This gem artifact seemed kind of sad, it could still speak. I think he was looking for his Gem master. I felt sorry for it."
"There's no need to feel sorry for the enemy Steven." Pearl told him. She taped some white gauze bandages on and around his arms and neck. His fingers which had abrasions were wrapped with bandage wraps.
"But if one day you went like that Pearl, because my mom is no longer around. What if one day I have to-"
"Steven...that's never going to happen. I serve you now, just like with rose. With you near me, I will always have a purpose. Come on, I got something I want to show you."
Pearl took Steven and lead him outside to the deck of the house. Pearl pointed down at the beach. Steven saw what she was pointing at and saw a large dome jungle gym. Sitting atop that jungle gym was Connie.
Connie was wearing knee-length Capri jeans, a red short sleeve shirt with black polka dots on it. White flats on her feet and a white headband with a bow on it. Steven walked down his steps and ran towards Connie.
"Connie! Hey Connie!" Steven shouted, a hint of pain shadowing his tone.
Connie was talking to Garnet, Amethyst was off flying around them impersonating dog-copter. Connie turned around, pushed her hair behind her ear and watched Steven coming towards her. Steven noticed a change in Connie, her shoulder length hair had grown right back lower back length. That was an unexpected, but a welcomed sight for Steven.
Connie stood up on the jungle gym and raised her hand, the sand to her right rose and changed it's properties to become solid stone. Stone which formed into steps. Steven skidded to a stop and rubbed his eyes. He couldn't believe what he was witnessing. Connie had manipulated the sand and changed it into stone. This was obviously the result of her gem's power.
"Connie, that's amazing. When could you do that."
Connie didn't answer right away. Instead she stood in front of Steven with her arm opened, Steven blushed lightly and looked over at Garnet carrying Amethyst off with her on her shoulder. Amethyst had a sheepish smile on her face, she blew kisses at Steven, letting him know what he had to do.
As soon as Garnet and Amethyst were back inside of the beach house, Steven hugged Connie and held her closely to him. He felt her small breasts press against his chest, her heart beat and gem he could feel as well.
"Oh no Steven, you're covered in bandages. What happened to you."
"to me? How long has it taken you to master your Gem powers."
"Master my gem powers? No Steven, I barely have...well I have a modest level of control over it now. Honestly, Smoky quartz left several messages beyond the one I and Garnet heard. He left instructions on how another species other than gems could use it. He said, to communicate with the earth you must first detach yourself from all earthly things. You're own spirit must be lighter than air, then a marriage between you and earth will be sealed."
Steven looked confused and only smiled at her. Connie placed her hand over the spot where her gem was located. She tilted her head downward and closed her eyes. She looked happy, relaxed and content.
"i went to the library, the only library in Palmyra to help me learn to detach my self from all things. But enough about me, what happened to you."
"Me? I, uh, i just finished coming back from a mission with Garnet and Amethyst. It was no big deal."
"Really? I thought your first mission would have been...memorable. Especially after getting your first battle scars"
"There's nothing memorable about having to defeat and bubble corrupted gems. They were once like my mom, garnet, amethyst, pearl and ruby and sapphire. Especially gems who were left alone, forgotten by their masters."
Connie saw the hurt in Steven's eyes, she rubbed her arm and pulled Steven over to the stone steps she created. Steven chose not to go up the steps, he climbed his jungle gym like the kid he still was deep down.
"Who finished building the jungle gym."
"Oh, your dad and pearl. Actually it was mostly pearl. When I got here at five, she was already finished assembling it. Did you know that Pearl is seeing someone, he's kind of cute looking." Connie looked over to Steven who was looking out over to the ocean.
"Steven." Connie said softly.
"Yes Connie?" Steven answered.
"Why do you look out toward the ocean so much."
" Because of Lapis."
" You mean Lapis Lazuli, right?"
"She's still down there, fused with that awful Gem jasper. She's been alone and trapped here for so long. Then when I free her, she returns back only to be trapped with a beast. It's my fault she's trapped there, I shouldn't have listened to Garnet when I told her I needed to go back to get her."
"Steven...we can't help everyone. not even Smoky Quartz could stop home world gems from getting to earth all by himself. I know what's its like to be alone, so I know a little what Lapis might have gone through. One day we'll free Lapis Steven. Maybe not today, or tomorrow. But someday."
Steven's saddened expression went soft and revived with a smile and a small tear that escaped from his eye. Connie moved over closer to Steven and took his hand.
Steven blushed and leaned in closer. Their lips pressed against each other in a tender kiss. The gem on Steven's stomach and the gem on Connie's chest began to glow.
[Steven and Connie's Subconscious]
In the moment while their lips were pressed against each other, deep down in their subconscious The Image of Smoky Quartz and Rose Quartz appeared in a dark setting. Smoky towered over Rose. He had on his Knights Armor with arms crossed over his chest. Rose quartz had on her Mr. Universe shirt that Greg had given her.
"Rose, it's an honor to finally see you face to face. Sorry I could not help you with the home world gems on earth. I died on re entry to earth after encasing my self in earth. Entry into earth as a comet didn't turn out well for me."
"It's not your fault Smoky. The battle for earth was won, but at a terrible cost. Why don't you remove that helmet off so I can see you properly."
"Not now, we're about to fuse. But that's going to be impossible. as a Commander I have all the power I will ever need. This fusion is going to end in failure."
"Correction Commander Smoky. If my son and Connie were full gems, it would end in failure. But their half human. Which means..."
[Back to Present]
Separating lips before any fusion could take place. Steven and Connie were encased in a Pink and brown aura that had taken the form a thirty foot tall four armed armored being. But because the emotions were cut short, the form vanished as did the glow on their gems.
"What's wrong Steven?" Connie asked him.
"I feel like someone's watching us."
Steven looked around as did Connie. Their was no one around, the crystal gems were not peeking out the window. Steven jumped off the jungle gym and watched Connie follow him.
"It's getting late Connie, let's go find my dad to take you back home. Sorry I couldn't be here to spend more time with you."
"It's ok Steven, you can make it up to me a different day. Hey steven."
"yeah..." Steven stopped and turned around. Connie pulled him in for a hug, a hug Steven returned.
Bottom of The Ocean
8:00 [Night]
Three hours after Steven and Connie left with Greg to return back to Palmyra. Peridot came flying into beach city as an eagle. She carried her crude gem destabilizer in her talons. Following the route she laid out for herself before hand, Perdiot focused in on the waters close to where the crystal gems base was at.
Peridot's gem located on her forehead, released a beam of light that produced a seven inch holo screen twelve inches away from her face.
"Jasper should be...right below me. Right...Right here!" Peridot flew downwards and crashed into the ocean. She shape shifted into an Octopus and swam downwards into the deepest depth possible.
Peridot's gem acted as a powerful flashlight that lit up the dark murky dark zone. Peridot looked around and scanned the floor below.
"I don't understand, their supposed to be right...oh my."
Peridot stopped where she was at and saw Malachite chained heavily against the ocean floor. She was in a constant state undoing fluctuation.
"Lapis's refusal to undo the fusion must have kept this form for so long, their in a state of half fusion that know not if it should undo itself or remain like that. Hopefully this works."
"This is all your fault Lapis! Two years of this and you ruined our ability to seperate."
"I did the right thing! Steven set me free and gave me my life back. So i owe him my life. And that means spending it with the worst gem alive."
"If we ever get free, i'm going to kill you Lapis! Kill You!...AAGGHHHH!"
Jasper and Lapis both screamed as Peridot came in from the side and pressed the Destabilizer on their body. Yellow lines coursed through malachite's body. Her arms, neck and body had split into several pieces. Because the destabilizer was crudely made out of non home world gem technology, jasper and Lapis did not retreat into their gem stones as soon as they were separated.
Jasper was out of it, but Lapis who was surrounded by water recuperated from her disoriented state almost immediately. Shape shifting into a Marlin, Lapis swam out of the black zone of the ocean.
"Jasper...Jasper...wake up!" Peridot shouted at Jasper.
Jasper's closed eye lids twitched, as did her hands and face. Peridot wrapped her tentacles around Jasper's body and took her up to the surface. But, when jasper awoke. She grabbed Peridot by her tentacles and pulled her back. Peridot shape shifted back to her humanoid form in response to this force.
Jasper's left hand wrapped itself around Peridot's neck with all of the force she could exert.
"Jasper!...What the Hell are You Doing! I Set You Free you Damn Ingrate!"
"You took to long lab rat. Two years too long. Now, you get to spend the rest of your life down here." Jasper said coldly. she squeezed Peridot's neck until the poor light green gem was forced to retreat back into her gemstone.
But jasper kept squeezing until Peridot's gem was cracked. Jasper slipped her gem between two rocks. When that matter was taken care of, Jasper changed into a torpedo that propelled away. She was going to find a way to return back home.
Continued in Chapter 8. "Lapis and Steven
(!) "Steven's Guardian Mother form (GMF) was inspired by 'Susanoo' from The Naruto Shippuden form.