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: After the government paid the citizens of beach city a visit. Steven begins to wonder about what Samson told him. Lapis shares with Steven how she ended up inside of the mirror. Pearl and Carlos take their human and gem relationship to the next level. And Steven pays Connie a visit when he learns he might be able to communicate with his mother's gem stone on a deeper level.

Story Tags: Steven Universe, Connie Maheswaran, OC's, Lapis Lazuli, Pearl, Amethyst, Garnet, Beach City, Gem Powers, Romance, Adventure, Comfort, Destiny.

WARNING: This chapter has some M rated passages, nothing to detailed but nothing to light either.

Music Inspiration for Chapter: "Baby Boy" By: Felicia Adams

Chapter 12: Stone Secrets

Saturday

May 9, 2016, 12:30 [Noon]

Beach City, Crystal Temple Beach

Sitting on his bed, with his back resting against the wall. Steven held a picture of his mother and his father Greg in his hand. He had asked his father to bring it to him yesterday. The moment he got up and showered, and took care of all his other human business. Steven took a seat on his bed and looked at the picture for almost two hours. He looked away from the picture only long enough to see that Lion was sleeping on the floor, next to his bed. Seeing lion brought up to mind what Samson, or whatever his real name was, said about his mother's connection to Lion.

"Lion...Lion...Lion!" Steven called out to his sleeping companion.

Steven's words and the rise in volume at the end made Lion shudder. His ears twitched and his tail flipped back and forth. Steven called out his name once more, this time waking Lion up. Lion raised his bum up, stretched his front arms and paws out and yawned. He looked around and turned to face Steven. He placed his paws on Steven's bed and reached over to give his face a good licking. Steven chuckled and petted Lion on his head, and ran his hands through his mane without phasing his hands through it into the pocket dimension.

Steven cupped Lion's face in his hands, he took a moment to look into his companion's eyes. Then he spoke, asking Lion several questions.

"Lion, if you can understand me, I want you to grunt for me."

Steven asked, but got no response from Lion. Only more kisses from his companion.

"Lion i'm serious. Can you understand me, I know you can, otherwise you wouldn't have taken me to Pearl when she was upset about my mom's passing when I asked you if you knew where she was."

Lion blinked and got on Steven's bed and laid his belly down on Steven's stretched out legs. Steven smiled when Lion flipped around on his back and exposed his belly to Steven. There was no way Steven could resist this invitation to rub his friend's belly, and a sign of submission. Steven rubbed Lion's belly, much to Steven's satisfaction.

Flying out of her own home located just above his own, Lapis lazuli flew down to Steven's level and knocked on the window. Steven leaned forward and looked over to his window, he saw Lapis standing outside of his window looking at him. She has a weak smile on her face, and waved her hand at him. Steven leans back on the wall. Lapis's smile fades, thinking Steven doesn't want anything to do to her. She was going to turn around and fly back to her house, when she heard the lock being undone on Steven's window.

Lapis stepped inside Steven's bedroom and took a seat next to Steven. Lapis came in wearing a white summer dress, and a white sun hat. She took her sun hat off and rested it on her laps. Lion moved off of the bed and rested on the floor below. Steven breathed in and breathed out, sighing.

"Something wrong Steven?" Lapis asked, breaking the akward silence.

"I would be lying if I said no. there is something bothering me, Samson seemed to know a lot about my mother. He even told me there was a connection between her and Lion. I tried getting Lion to speak to me, but he can't speak, only makes lion noises. There was nothing inside of him that really answers my question. Her flag that she carried when she rebelled against home-world is inside there. A video tape that she left for me was in there. The shirt that he gave my mother is inside, a treasure chest, something in a bubble that I have no idea what it is.

Why does everyone know so much about my mother, but I don't. You know pearl once asked me if I had any of her memories. I never once dreamed of her, so I guess that means I don't have any of her memories. I feel alone."

"I know what it feels like to be alone Steven. Look, I'm sorry about what happened two days ago. I didn't mean to attack Connie, you're girlfriend I mean."

"Don't worry about Connie. She can take care of herself, she's got more control over her gem than I do over my own."

"Don't say that Steven, you're just as good as your mother. Though, you are half gem."

"what's that suppose to mean?"

"I mean that, unlike pure gems, our power and abilities keep growing. A half gem maybe might have a limit. not that you can't be powerful on your own. I mean, our power fused to create that Ice shield when Pearl wanted to attack me."

"Fusion, I can't fuse anymore, not with Connie or even with y-" Steven cut himself off when he felt Lapis's hand come down on his own.

"That's doesn't matter Steven. I think what you can do, is a far more superior alternative to fusing."

Steven smiled at her and squeezed her hand. He couldn't believe that he overlooked it, but he took the moment to look at what Lapis was wearing. The white summer dress she had on, and the white sun hat resting on her laps complimented her blue appearance well. She was beautiful. To keep from getting lost in the moment, Steven switched the topic.

"Lapis."

"Yeah Steven."

"When I freed you from the mirror, you told the crystal gems that they knew you were in there, and that they did nothing about it. What exactly did you mean."

Lapis squeezed Steven's hand right back. A saddened expression came over her face, Steven turned around and faced Lapis. He crossed his legs and took Lapis's chin and tilted up her down turned face. Lapis's cheeks went baby blue, her natural blush. She looked off to the other side out of embarrassment.

Lapis took her hand back and started to share her story with Steven.

"I don't really like to talk about it, and I never shared this story with anyone before. You would be my first. I wasn't around to see your mother lead the rebellion against Home-world. I along with other elemental gems came to assist home-world in the fight against your mother. But we arrived to late. I have no idea where the others ended up, but I landed, coincidentally in that ocean.

I along with other elemental gems were chosen because of our unusually high level of power. We weren't commanders, no, those types of gems are terrifyingly on another level. But we were very powerful. That's why we were chosen. However, we would be left without a purpose when we got here. I had to fend off sharks, giant squids and whales. Then I washed up on the beach. I looked around for somewhere to hide. I saw no one, except for Rose who saw me wash ashore.

She came over to me, I who was under orders to kill rebel gems, attacked her. I sent several tidal waves towards her, but she repelled them by manifesting her shield. She made it as wide and as tall as a hill. While the waters crashed, I turned most of into ice, trapping Rose. Manipulating the ice, I planned on impaling her from within. But your mother was a warrior, she encased herself in pink body armor that manifested on all parts of her body. My ice spikes broke on impact.

So I thought, if I can's break her or impale her. Maybe I could melt her, from ice to boiling water. I kept her locked in a sphere of boiling water. Her fully plated armor was tough, but I saw it melting slowly. Even while I was trying to kill her, she wasn't trying to kill me. She erected a dome made of wood and plant vines that she hid in. then giant hands made out vines shot out of the sand, there must have been over a hundred of them. I cut them with water whips, but she grew them as fast as I could cut them down. It was like trying to kill a hydra with no limit to the heads is could regrow when lost.

While I tried to kill your mother, she was talking over the fight, asking me why I was trying to kill her. I didn't answer. Then Ruby, Sapphire, Amethyst and Pearl came over to help her. Ruby and Sapphire fused to make Garnet. Garnet fused with Pearl, and then fused with Amethyst to make Alexandrite. Rose gave me an ultimatum, stop fighting or face being put down. Naturally I said nothing, and rose fused with Alexandrite. Although she was extremely powerful, I was near her level at full power. I formed a mountain sized orb of water that eclipsed the sun. then I fired fired fists made of ice, water and acid at her. I must have fired a million shots at her. but the combined power of your mother and her friends proved to be to much for me. For nearly a whole day I fought against your mother, and I was finally put down.

I explained why I did what I did at the end of our battle. Rose, being merciful, gave me a second chance. She offered me a chance to live with her and the other gems. I accepted, reluctantly. She acknowledged just how powerful and dangerous I was and told me she could shut off half of my power, but I told her no. this is who I was. Days went by that turned to months. One day while I was cleaning gem artifacts, Ruby and Sapphire saw me and started to bother me. Sapphire would call me to help her look for something that she lost, then ruby would get behind me and sapphire would push me. They did a lot to me until one day I snapped.

I anticipated ruby's movement and turned around, I hit her with one of my water methods. Sapphire comes to her aid and takes my hand, spins me around and sends me crashing against the temple wall."

"That's what cracked your gem then!" Steven interjected.

"Yes, that's why my gem was cracked when you pulled me out of the mirror. I was out of it, and to hide what they did. Ruby and sapphire grabbed a Gem mirror, and placed me in it when I went back into my gem to recover. Before I lost all consciousness, I heard Rose's voice ask where I was at. Ruby and Sapphire said I had left. Pearl didn't seem to care, amethyst was still small to care. And from there, they fused and Garnet kept their secret."

"That's why you told me not to trust them. Garnet knew all this time, and she never told my mom or pearl and Amethyst. I'm really sorry Lapis, i'm sorry that happened to you."

"It's ok Steven, it was so long ago. I was really happy when it was you who pulled me out, you healed my gem and gave me a purpose again. Steven, if only I had met you instead of your Mo-"

Steven stopped her from finishing by hugging her. Lapis had fallen back on Steven's bed, Steven fell on Lapis, his lower body between her spread blue legs. Lapis went sky blue in her face, she heard Steven's light whimpering. It wasn't what she thought, it was something better. He cared for her, truly. Lapis wrapped her arms around his back, rested the side of her face on top of his head. Their moment was interrupted when Steven's phone rung with several ring tones. Steven raised his head, wiped his tears away and looked over to his night stand. Lapis moved her hands to the back of steven's head.

When Steven looked down towards lapis's, he went crimson red in the face when it finally clicked in him. The position they were in was highly inappropriate. Steven pulled away, but fell on his butt on the floor.

'Steven are you Ok!?" Lapis asked him.

"Yeah i'm fine Lapis. I need to see who sent me a message."

Steven went over to his night stand to check on his phone. He turned it on, unlocked it and checked to see who sent him a message. It was from Connie, she said she knows how Steven could tap into the full power of his mother. He needed to come over right away.

"Whose it from Steven."

"It's from Connie, she said she knows how to help me to get stronger. Hey Lapis, can you take me over to Connie."

Lapis crossed her arms and looked away. Steven knew she had bad thing going on with Connie right now. "It's ok Lapis, i'll ask my dad to take me."

"No! I mean, i'll do it, for you." she said in her last moment.

Steven smiled and slipped on his pink sandals and black and pink long sleeve shirt. He rolled up the sleeves up to his elbows and walked outside of his house. Lapis wrapped Steven with a pair of water straps that came out of her gem. When he was safely secured to her, Lapis manifested her wings and took to the sky. She followed the directions Steven gave her.

Montoya Residence, Beach City

1:30 [Afternoon]

Pearl's milky white hands rested on Carlos's bed as did her knees, the bed rocked back and forth. The springs supporting the mattress, creaked. The headboard smacked and bumped repeatedly against the wall. Pearl winced from pleasure, she breathed and gasped. Her hands clasped on to the bed sheets as she lowered the side of her face onto her forearms. Beads of sweat appeared on her forehead, beads that rolled down her sides as her sky blue blush covered more than her cheeks.

Carlos, like Pearl was naked. His hands were firmly planted on her hips, his thighs and crotch pounded against Pearl's pale buttocks. Over and over, and on Pearl's breathy commands to go 'harder' and 'faster' Carlos provided for her whatever she wanted.

Speeding up his level of thrusting in and out of Pearl, Carlos froze up as he exploded inside of Pearl. His hips jerked back and forth, Pearl gasped and buried her face in the sheets below. This whole experience was utterly alien to her, and she liked it.

After that human experience, Pearl rested the side of her face and her hand on Carl's chest and shoulder. Her hand went up and down in sync with Carlos's slow heaving chest. Her hearing which were far superior than any big eared animal on earth, counted the number of times Carlos's heart beat. The amount of oxygen his lungs took in and the carbon dioxide he exhaled. She could practically hear his entire human body singing after performing with her.

"Are you sure it was alright Pearl. If a ch-"

"I asked Greg, Steven's father, about what Rose did exactly to conceive a child. It's a long and meticulous process that the mother has to undergo. Something I won't think of doing for a long time. But I'm grateful for the genetic material you shared with me."

"Um, Ok. Well I hope you enjoyed it as much as did Pearl. Thank you for being open to all of this. I love you. What are you going to do after all of this."

"Well before I answer that, let me say that I love you too Carlos. Wow, I never thought those words would be directed to a human being. And about Steven, he's come a long way in his training. I saw him manifest an aura in the shape of his mother. He's come a long way even more than he thinks he hasn't. But what Samson said was true, Rose's true power was something else. You may have no idea what i'm talking about. But has rose lived another life, she could have risen to the rank as Goddess. The most honored and special position for us Gems."

"You're right, I have no idea what you're talking about. But Steven's amazing, he's able to see through even in the thick of darkness and hopelessness. He's on his way to being someone great. And that Connie girl and other blue gem, them seem pretty strong."

"About Lapis you're absolutely correct. The amount of power she has...it's terrifying. As for Connie, I haven't been able to get a good reading on her power. But she possesses the sword of Smoky, a commander. Even that sword could slice the shield of rose."

"It's seem's Rose's army is growing little by little everyday, don't you think so Pearl."

"yeah, when I think about it. She does have a growing Army."

Palmyra, Maheswaran Residence

2:30 [Afternoon]

Flying into the town of 100 people, Steven directed Lapis on where to land. Lapis descended down on her flight path. Steven closed his eyes, keeping them only half open to mitigate the traction of air brushing against his face and eyes on their descent. Coming down to a safe and slow stop, Lapis landed and planted her naked feet down on the ground. She removed the water straps on steven and allowed him to land on the ground.

Steven ran over and stopped at the front door of Connie's home. He fixed his hair and checked on his breath. Lapis made her wings vanished, and walked over to Steven; stopping just behind him. Steven rang the doorbell once, twice. Steven heard a pair of footsteps coming over to open the door, he expected to find Connie greeting him. But it wasn't, instead Mrs. Maheswaran was the person waiting for him and Lapis.

"Oh, Steven Universe. And...uh, pearl was it?"

"No, she isn't pearl Mrs Maheswaran. This is Lapis lazuli, the newest member of the crystal gems."

"It's a pleasure to meet you Mrs. Maheswaran." Lapis did a little curtsy for Connie's mother, something the Maheswaran matriarch seemed to enjoy and respect.

"I'm here to see Connie, she told me to come over. May I see her."

Mrs Maheswaran stepped aside and extended her hand into her home, Steven smiled and ran inside. Lapis walked in, respectful of the home that wasn't hers. Lapis chose not to follow Steven to meet with Connie, instead she chose to sit in the living room and talk with mrs. maheswaran.

"Connie's in the backyard Steven, careful she's been training with a monster of a sword."

"I know, she's shown it to me and the crystal gems two days ago. It's cool isn't it."

Mrs. Maheswaran shook her head in a "i don't think so" manner. She turned her attention to Lapis who stood before a sofa chair, just looking at it.

"Are you alright Lapis? Do you want to sit down."

"I'm fine, I'll stand up."

"Nonsense. Please take a seat, you must be tired after you're journey from beach city."

"I'm a gem, I don't get tired. But i'll take a seat if you would like me to." Lapis replied.

"Can I get you some tea? You do like tea, don't you." mrs maheswaran asked her.

"Never heard of it, but I would like some if you think I might like it."

Maheswaran Residence, Backyard

Resting the diamond blade of Smoky's Zweihander on her stone pauldrons. Connie was crouched down with her left forearm resting on her knees. Her right hand gripped the obsidian handle of her Zweihander. She heard Steven sliding the backdoor open and walking outside into the backyard. She spread her feet apart enough to give her good traction, traction for what?

When Steven approached and neared Connie. Connie spun around on her heels, swinging the blade of her zweihander around. The power and magic of her sword, caused a dark line to appear behind the blade. It's power was so great, it cut through air itself. Steven wasn't afraid though, Connie stopped short of just striking Steven.

"Steven! Oh gosh i'm sorry. I felt another energy in the area. It felt cold and nasty."

"You must have felt Lapis, she brought me here flying. She's amazing."

"Hmph. Anyway, I told you I knew how you could talk to your mother."

"Do you?"

"I do. I've only had this gem for a short time, but I already know so much about it's previous owner. Because I have made a sworn oath to the earth and to protect you, I meditated long and calmly. It was then that I tapped into the mind and essence of Commander Smoky, allowing me access to his cache of memories and secrets. I've gotten so good, I can even talk to him. When gems die, they don't pass on like humans. Their minds or essence recedes deeply into their gemstone, locking itself away forever. But those persistent enough, can unlock them."

"Secrets? Like what?" Steven wondered.

"I can perform Earth methods. Instead of just levitating and chucking boulders or causing earthquakes like a wild rampaging giant. I learned how to properly utilize my power to execute on point offensive, defensive and supplementary techniques. There are a few abilities that are available to me. Longevity, Accelerated healing, great strength.:

"Sort of like me." Steven said.

"Right, but that's not where it ends for me. Something Smoky called "Earth eyes" was born in my own eyes. When I close my eyes, with some concentration, I can see the world through the ground my feet touch. A gray image appears in my minds eye. Then there's "Earth Tone" I can mark a stone with Smoky's symbol or a piece of rock, hand it to you and speak to you through it. Even see through it. There are more secrets, but ones I will share later. Right now, you have to talk to your mother."

Connie has Steven sit in the middle of her backyard. She knelt down on one knee, placed her right hand on the grassy ground and spoke the words, "Earth Method: Dome of Insight" (3) a white dome made of polished marble encased Steven. Inside, Steven sat down crossed legged. His hands rested on his laps, he closed his eyes and concentrated on his gemstone. All he could see was darkness, images of his friends, father, his mother and all that he had gone through came and went. But he felt no closer to his mother than just simple visualizing images of her in photos, or in a video.

"Connie I don't think this is...working..." Steven opened his eyes. What he saw was a wide open savanna with tall pink grass. It was like he was inside of Lion's mane, but off in the distance he saw a tall Gothic like cathedral. He ran towards it, pushing past the tall soft pink tall grass. Unlike in Lion's mane, there was oxygen inside of this place he was in. was he dreaming, day dreaming, hallucinating, lost his mind? He wasn't sure.

A voice called out of him by name, "Steven..." like a whisper in the winds.

When he reached the cathedral, he pushed the tall thirty foot wooden doors open and walked inside. The cathedral was circular, surrounded by white polished marble with pink bands around them on the peak and bases. Situated in the center of this cathedral, Steven saw a pink statue of his mother. She had her hands in prayer. But that wasn't the only thing inside here, beside her, bowing its head was Lion. Well a statue of him.

The doors closed behind him, spooking him. He heard his name being called out from the floors of the cathedral. It was annoying at first, but then it became unbearable the more he stuck around. He fell on his knees, covered his ears and closed his eyes. He gritted his teeth, hoping the echoing of his name would subside. When it seemed it would never cease, he felt a hand grab a hold of his. When he felt this soft hand, the echoes stopped.

Steven looked up and saw his mother, alive as she looked in the video. She smiled warmly at him, Steven had tears forming in his eyes. He stood up and looked at his...his...

"Mom..." Steven said...his voice cracking from a growing pain.

"Steven..." Rose Quartz called him.

Continued in Chapter 13.