"Connie said that she'll be here soon. She's asking if she should tell her dad to turn around and go back home. What should I tell her?" said Goku, holding Steven's cell phone while standing near next to the open fridge.

Steven found himself rushing all over the place, packing his "essentials" into his hamburger backpack to prepare for the mission ahead with the Crystal Gems. Running past Goku and into the refrigerator, he grabbed his water bottle and put it on the side of his backpack while responding to Goku, "Tell her to come over still. Garnet said she already knows where the orb is. Somewhere in the desert. It usually takes us about an hour to find and destroy them. I should be back soon. She can just hang out with you in the meantime."

As Goku was about to relay the message, Connie intersected him, saying, "Don't worry, I heard everything. He's standing right next to you, isn't he? I can hear him loud and clear. I should be there in an hour or so. See you soon." she said before ending the call.

"She said she could hear you when you were talking," Goku said to Steven, who had just completed packing his bag and now running towards the warp pad.

"Are you sure I can't come with? I could help you know." asked Goku with a sad expression.

"We already explained it to you. During the second war, an integral part of the design of Gem technology is to build in features that are "anti-Saiyan." This was done to prevent the Saiyans from using our own weapons against us and keep more of our technology from falling into their hands. This feature was implemented in various different forms. It has been five thousand years, but we cannot be sure that the modern Gem technological advancements have removed this feature, and we know for a fact that most of the Gem equipment left behind on Earth has fail saves against your kind. Ultimately, it would be safer for you if you remained here and out of our way. "Responded Pearl in a cold voice.

Goku looked at Pearl, his face falling as he tried to hold back his disappointment. "Yeah. I remember now." he said with a solemn voice. "I guess I don't have much choice when you put it that way Pearl."

"Don't be too let down. Eventually, we'll find a way for you to come on missions with us. For now, though, just hang tight. We should be back soon. Say hi to Connie for me!" said Steven waving his hand as the blue light of the warp pad enveloped himself and the rest of the crystal gems. Taking them to wherever that greenish orb was.

It had been nearly an hour since her phone call with Goku and Steven. Connie approached the beach house, now feeling the blistering heat beating down on her; she couldn't wait to get inside and out of the sun. She knocked on the front door, but no answer came. Pausing a moment, she tried again, but nothing. Feeling a little concerned, she took out her cell phone and called Steven; however, that too was a bust as she immediately heard his singing voice on the dial. "Hey there, stranger, sorry I can't take your call; if you're in danger or just want a friendly wager, don't stall, let loose, wail, leave me a voicemail. I'll get back to you before nightfall."

Instantly putting the call down, she let out an exasperated sigh, wondering where Goku was. She expected to see him along the beach as she always did when she and Steven agreed to meet up.

Suddenly she heard a soft ruffling sound in the distance above her, getting closer and closer with each passing moment. She looked up, and just above the roof of the beach house, a shadow formed over her, shielding her from the scorching sun's rays as the Nimbus cloud hovered in the air. The pink cloud slowly descended by her side, surprising her as she expected to see Goku riding it instead of vacant space.

"Huh? Where is Goku?" she thought out loud.

The cloud shifted its form as she asked the question, as if in an attempt to answer her.

She thought for a moment before asking the cloud, "…do you want me to get on?" her words carried a hint of insecurity in them, still new to the magical world of Gems and warrior aliens, and she also still did not have clarity if the cloud was sentient or not.

Nimbus moved up and down quickly before settling once again before Connie, now at the level of her knees.

"Okay then." she responded simply as she awkwardly began sitting on the cloud with her legs underneath her.

Suddenly Nimbus took off, darting high up into the skies at an incredible speed. Abruptly taken aback, Connie found herself screaming as she was nearly blown off the cloud entirely by the inertia generated by their hasty departure. She gripped the fluffy soft, blush lumps of the Nimbus as the wind from their rapid accent tried to rip her out of the skies.

"SLOW DOWN!" Connie yelled out at the top of her voice, surprising herself as she didn't know her voice could go so high.

The Nimbus cloud stopped dead in its tracks. Just hovering in the air as Connie collected herself and caught her breath. She looked down, her eyes widening at how high up she was, the beach house now looking like a tiny speck in her eyes.

She could feel her heart now thump in her chest as a bead of sweat dripped from her brow, falling down until she could see it anymore. "W-Where are you taking me?" she asked the cloud, her voice laced with panic and fear.

Nimbus began to move once more, this time at speed much more suited to Connie's liking as it continued to make its ascent.

Soon they went beyond the clouds, blinding Connie to the world below as her mind was contemplating what she just got herself into, thinking this might be the end for her. As they ascended further, suddenly something came into view, a stone structure of sorts floating in the air, seemingly getting more prominent and more extensive the closer she got to it.

"So that's where we going." she said as they picked up speed again, approaching the structure.

Having arrived, she looked down at the floating platform, seeing Goku seated on a stone altar, his legs folded and eyes closed in a meditative posture.

The Nimbus cloud touched down on the structure, and Connie jumped off, now calling out to Goku, "Hey Goku! It's Connie. Your cloud brought me up here!"

Suddenly Goku jumped up from his meditative position, flipping over Connie and landing right behind her. "Hey Connie!" he said, greeting her with a huge grin and waving his hand."

Now seeing him up close, she adjusted her glasses and noted he hadn't a shirt on. Sweat glistened down his well-toned muscles and glistened along with his defining abs. Blushing red, she covered her face as she said, "Goku, you can't just approach someone looking like that. It's inappropriate! Where is your shirt?! Aren't you freezing up here?!"

Tilting his head and giving her a confused look, he commented, "Huh? Why are you covering your face? I'm not completely naked; all the important bits my grandpa said I shouldn't show people are covered." trying to explain himself.

Now probably for the first time in her life, Connie felt as if this was a problem she could not solve. No one could begin explaining to someone like Goku the groundwork of common decency.

"I was getting bored waiting for you at the beach house, so I used the warp whistle to come up to the temple to get some training in," he said as he began wiping himself down and putting on his shirt.

"Oh, what is that?" he said, pointing out the tin man walking aside, a small creature with big ears inside a floating crib printed on her own T-shirt.

"Oh. Do you not watch Star Wars? It's one of the biggest film series out there. This particular piece of merchandise shows off the Mandalorian and Grogu. This epic saga is about an awesome single Dad loving and looking out for his adopted alien baby. It's super cool!" she said now with a lot of excitement in her voice. "I'm sure you will love it! It got explosions and really cool fight scenes I think you'd be into."

Goku looked at her with a feeling of both exuberance and confusion. He didn't necessarily understand what she meant by the words she said, but the possibility of a fight with strong people waiting ahead for him was something he couldn't pass up. "Woah, Connie. That sounds awesome. Steven did say you were strong, but I didn't think you could be that powerful. How did you meet these people and survive all that?!

Connie looked at him with a perplexed look etched across her face, sighing as she blamed herself for bringing this up.

"No. I said it's a franchise, as in a tv show?" she said, hoping he'd understand.

"Oh!' responded Goku, "Like the ones Steven likes to watch. I get it now." he said laughingly.

"That's good." said Connie. "If we have time when we get back to the beach house, we can watch the first few episodes as we wait for Steven.

On the mention of the beach house, Goku looked at Nimbus before asking Connie, "Was the ride up here on Nimbus, okay? I sent it to wait for you at the beach house and to bring you here once you arrived." he said now looking at Connie before hopping onto Nimbus himself.

Connie just laughed awkwardly. Not wanting to get into what she really thought about riding on Nimbus alone. Goku patted on the cloud, suggesting Connie get on as they made their departure back to beach city.

However, Connie, who just went through a whole ordeal to get up to the sky temple, wasn't ready to leave. "Hey, I just got here. I want to take a closer look around. This place is huge. You called it…the temple, right?" I'm sure this must be another Gem-related place by its looks."

Goku smiled, "Yeah, it is. I used to come here more often a few months ago to train with Pearl. Since then, I have come here on my own every once in a while to train by myself and put into practice everything I've learned from the Gems. Steven began joining us, too, lately. I was thinking of asking him if he wanted to do some one-on-one sparring here, outside of our normal training."

Being this high up and closer to the sun's light, Connie could not only hear the enthusiasm in his voice but also see the shining glimmer in his eyes as he spoke about fighting. Almost if she could see the raging flame of his soul that is moulding him into the warrior he so desperately wants to become.

"You really do love to fight, huh? I really can't relate. Actually, to be honest, I wish people didn't have to fight." she said with a low voice laced with doubt.

However, the distaste in Connie's words didn't manage to put a dent in the Saiyan's smile or mood. Nearing the edge of the temple. Connie could see the clouds below them, scattered like a dirty, ripped white sheet covering the world below their feet, stretching out and curving far beyond the horizon. Getting lost somewhere where the azure ocean waters meet the surreal golden light of the now setting sun.

Goku leaped off the Nimbus cloud, doing a front flip as he landed on one foot that balanced off the edge whilst keeping his eyes closed and his hands stretched out beside him.

Instantly Connie's heart skipped a beat in fear for her friend's life as she began to yell out, "Goku! B-Be careful…" suddenly, she felt the urgency in her voice just as quickly slip away as she intensely watched the young Saiyan move.

His form was effortless, perfect, and refined. Eyes still closed, his flow was seamless, as gentle as water over hard rock. He flipped over again, landing on his other foot, still teetering on the edge. He began to move his arms, taking on different positions and fight stances as he demonstrated his mastery over his integrated martial arts while walking along the edge of the Sky temple. Connie watched in awe as he moved, unlike anything she had ever seen, at times even leaning over the edge as he crossed over it, his body just one slip away from plummeting from the Sky temple. However, he was in complete control, able to shift his weight over to balance his body on this tail as he spun around and kicked in the air. It felt as if she was watching a daunting dance of fate and density unfolding before her very eyes as she looked on at Goku, who had completely let his mind fade from reality and lost himself in his artistic expression.

Suddenly, the young Saiyan ended his showcase with a triple spin in the air as he opened his eyes and used his tail to plant himself on the ground and gently bring himself before Connie.

Smiling as he looked at her with bated breath, he began saying, "You see, Connie, fighting for me allows me to connect to the world so much more than I ever have before. In the heat of battle, I can feel the heat of the sun on my face, the wind of the skies within my hair, the soil of the Earth beneath my feet. It allows me to extend beyond this body of mine and out into the world and into others. It just makes me so happy. It makes me, well… me. I can understand that this feeling may not be for everyone. After all, I get it. I'm not a human being. I don't really belong here. This planet… it belonged to the Gems, and now it belongs to humanity. It was never really meant for someone like me. But this is still my home, and I've been accepted here. First by my grandpa, then by Steven, and now Garnet. And I'm sure Pearl will come around on me someday. I want to earn my place amongst the Crystal Gems and within the world."

Connie looked at him, unsure how to respond to this unexpected emotional display of passion, "Wow… Goku, I had no idea. You are truly spectacular. I didn't think it possible for someone to be so… so pure."

Goku smiled, happy that he could find a way to make his friend understand him better. "Hehe, you look kerfuffled."

"Huh?" she responded as she tried to process what he had just said, her mind still stuck on the image of Goku's display.

"I remember Steven said you were really smart. So, I looked at some big words that I could say to you on our next hang out," he said, eyes closed now, grinning proudly.

"Kerfuffled?" she questioned his use of the word as her expression relaxed and her eyebrow raised.

There was a brief moment of silence between the two, Goku still patting himself on the back for his own smarts as Connie suddenly let out a roaring burst of laughter.

"Kerfuffle! It's a decent attempt, but you need to work on your application of the word more. Do you even know what it means?" she said, tearing up from her laughter.

Goku's grin fell as he looked at her, sure he said it right. "Huh? I thought I said it right? Kerfuffle, I thought it sounded like a fluffy cake or cloud you could eat. Then I thought if not Cake or food, it must mean like, confused or something, right?"

Connie began laughing even harder and louder now, responding, "Cake?! Oh, Goku! You always find a way to leave me totally flabbergasted!"

Goku looked at her with even more confusion than his small face could fully express, "Flabby what now?"

"Oh, come now, Goku, don't look so discombobulated!" she said while elbowing Goku in the chest.

Not sure how to respond, Goku just stood there and looked at her wide-eyed, with his classic signature sign of tilting his head off to one side.

"I'm just messing with you, Goku. I do appreciate the effort though. I truly do." she said, regaining her composure and giving him a reassuring smile.

Returning her smile, he responded, "Well, it is fun to say. Kerfuffle. Ker-fffuffle. Like waffles!" he said in a high-pitched voice as he began picturing pancakes dripping with maple syrup.

"From cakes to waffles." responded Connie, "You really do live in another world, don't you." she said warmly with a slight smile appearing on her face as she looked on at his ignorant yet blissful face.

With both of them now on the Nimbus cloud, Goku said aloud, "Alright Nimbus, let's go fishing!"

Before Connie could question what he was talking about, the cloud took off incredibly quickly. The inertia of their departure caused her face to hit the back of Goku as she instinctively wrapped her arms around him during their rapid and almost ninety-degree angled descent.

Goku smiled and laughed all the way down from the Sky Temple, seemingly unaware of Connie's arms now around his body. Suddenly as it seemed as if they were mere inches away from plummeting into the deep blues of the ocean at a morbid velocity, the cloud broke its speed, and it changed their positioning into a more horizontal orientation. Such a speed break caused the water below them to explode behind them as if bursting open from a fire hydrant. Connie closed her eyes as the water washed over their bodies, Goku laughing as the Nimbus cloud took off once again, now towards the beach house, leaving the sea's waters to spray out behind them. Connie opened her eyes and looked down, seeing how they were just a few centimeters above the ocean and watching as her own reflection continuously raced by her.

"Are you okay? There's no need to be scared." he said as he placed his hands over his own that were still wrapped around his torso.

Now feeling extremely embarrassed, Connie suddenly let go of him, "I'm so sorry, Goku. I shouldn't have done that. It was extremely inappropriate of me, especially without asking first."

Goku, now shaking his hair in the wind created from the speed of the Nimbus cloud, gave her a chuckle laced with confusion, "Hehe, what are you talking about? You have nothing to be sorry for."

Before she could say anything, Goku had already shifted his attention to a more important matter at hand; dinner.

"Alright, time to fish!" he said as he leaped from the cloud, his tail acting as an anchor that kept him tethered to the cloud.

In less than a second, the Nimbus cloud passed by where Goku's body had dipped in the water, pulling his lagging body behind.

Connie held onto the cloud and leaned over to where Goku's tail hung onto. She didn't say anything, her facial expression painting a picture that spoke a thousand words.

Suddenly Goku's head rose from the water, skidding across the ocean surface as it did. In both hands, he held the tail ends of two comically gigantic fish, and in his mouth, another which his teeth gripped onto the fin, his eyes closing as they did when he was giving off another one of his goofy grins.

Connie looked at him once more, her heart relieved that he was okay, despite being so reckless. Her look of relief carried with it countless thoughts. Goku was so carefree and spirited. Never did she think she would cross paths with someone so vibrant, spontaneous, and colourful as he was. He and Steven were so alike in many ways. Both are kind, caring, and lively. However, there were subtle differences. When she thought of Goku, the one word that always loomed in her mind was Freedom.

The embodiment of Hakuna Matata, she thought, now flashing back to the Lion King film.

Goku finally pulled himself atop the speeding cloud with his fish in hand. The Beach House was suddenly in view, and from a distance, they could see a vehicle parked outside with a figure sitting under the beach umbrella just outside the house.

"Looks like someone's at the house." said Connie curiously

"Ah-huh. I think that must be Steven's dad. I can see his van." Goku responded

"Oh, I'm surprised you can make it out from such a distance. Does this mean Stevens has returned from his mission?" she asked, looking up at Goku

"I dunno. I don't see him. Can't really sense him either."

Connie didn't respond. Not sure what Goku's use of the word sense was referring to.

The Nimbus cloud, having covered the distance to the beach house in record time, rose higher in the air as it curved around Greg's van. Rattling the aged machine as it did, and approached the old man chilling on the beach house's porch under a classic beach umbrella, sipping on his Pina Colada housed in a very appropriate tiki glass.

"Heya, kids, Steven's not with you?" greeted Greg.

"Nah-ah. He went on another mission to find the green orb thingys." responded Goku happily.

"Again?! Damn, that is like the fourth time this week. Any idea on when he will be back? It's been a while since I've seen the ole shnooball, and I want to ask him about this new song I've been working on."

"He's been gone for a while now. But I think he should be back soon." said Goku trying not to disappoint Greg.

"Hello there, Mr. Universe. It's a pleasure to see you." said Connie, who now spoke up while getting off the cloud.

"Hey there, Connie, came to see Steven too, huh?"

"Yes, sir. In the meantime, Goku and I were just hanging out." she responded confidently.

"Ah, hanging out in the middle ocean, on a magical pink cloud. Sounds like the good ole days." said Greg with a hint of laughter and sarcasm in his voice.

"Speaking of the ocean, though, nice catch you got there, kid. I could see those things a mile away before I even recognized it was you." he commented as he attempted to lift one of the gigantic fish.

"Phew, it's a heavy one. Got some good weight to it too. I would reckon that we are probably going to have to sell the other two, but I've seen how much you can pack away at the dinner table." Greg said, looking at Goku, who looked back at him with a wide grin, hand behind his head while laughing.

"Hmm… this gives me an idea for something that could work in that new song of mine." Greg continued as he stared at the fish's gills.

"Uhm, a new song about fish, Sir?" said Connie with doubt in her voice.

"It's experimental." Greg retorted while handing the fish back to Goku. "You should probably try to find some way to squeeze those other two fish into the freezer. As for this one, we should throw it on a grill. Get a good fish barbeque going."

"Sounds yummy." responded Goku while licking his lips.

"Yeah, let's get it going. Go inside and do that. I'm heading to the van. I need to write down this thought before it slips my mind. Can you bring my guitar when you're heading back out? I left it inside when I got here. I'll give you guys a preview of what I've got so far, and you can tell me what you think." he said, already making his way to the van.

Goku hopped off the pink cloud and made his way inside the beach house and straight to the kitchen, with Connie following suit, finally able to put her backpack down.

After a brief struggle of stuffing the deep freezer with the two ridiculously sized fish, Goku slammed it shut and sighed, not expecting it to be such a difficult task.

"What about the third one?" asked Connie, "Are you just going to leave it on the counter like that?"

"Mr. Greg said we going to barbeque it, right? I think it's fine if we leave it there. It shouldn't be too long before we cook it."

Connie looked at him and raised her brow like she usually did since she started interacting with Goku, "Hmm, alright then. Also, I didn't want to say anything but don't you think it would have been wise to cut those other two fish up before putting them in the freezer like that. You could really damage the refrigerator and the fish doing it the way you did."

Goku looked at her, tilting his head while his hand scratched his hair, "Wow, Connie, I didn't think of that. You sure are smart." he said, now smiling at her, "You remind me a lot of Pearl in that way. I'm sure she would have taken one look at that freezer and found a way to fit both fishies inside of it perfectly."

"Hehe, it's not the first time you've said that about me. Thank you, Goku. Anyway, you should probably get back to Mr. Universe. I'm sure he must be waiting for us by now. We've taken way too long as it is. Now, where is his guitar?" she asked as she began to look around.

Being the first to see the instrument parked near the Vinyl, Goku walked over to pick it up. Once he had the instrument in hand, he turned around with the intent of delivering it to Connie and then after, Stevens Dad.

Turning around swiftly, his tail unintentionally hit the needle of the Vinyl, causing the young boy much pain and temporarily stunning him as he dropped the guitar to the floor. Yelling out in pain, Connie instantly dashed over to Goku, now concerned about his wellbeing.

"Goku, what's wrong?! Are you okay?" she said, her face frowning with worry and her voice laced with concern.

Trying to hold back the tears in his eyes, he sniffled up and responded, "Y-Yeah. I'm okay. I-It's just my tail…" he said, now bringing his tail forward to face him.

In doing so, the vinyl needle pinned into his tail released him and fell down onto the record that was still inserted into the machine, now beginning to play the song, Can't Help Falling In Love, by Elvis Presley.

Connie slowly touched his tail without realising what she was doing as she said, "Is it hurting here?" while tenderly rubbing his sore spot. There was a brief moment where her hands lingered, just before the words slipped off her tongue, "Wow, it's so much more, softer than I thought it would be." she paused, now realising her own actions as she quickly jumped back, her bronzed skin now blushing so intensely she would put even a Diamond to shame.

Goku looked at her and smiled, "Thank you, Connie. It's starting to feel better now."

"I-I Ah… W-Well, you're welcome," she said, her eyes now averting towards the ground.

There was a long silence between the two of them. Neither side said anything as the song's melody played in the background while the words echoed in the air.

Connie felt flustered, her heart now throbbing in her chest as she continued to avert her gaze, unsure why she was feeling this nervous and out of place.

Suddenly she saw his feet move closer to her, causing her eyes to shift upwards as she now looked up to face him.

He was standing there, looking down at her and smiling as he usually did. However, it wasn't his usual dorky closed-eyed grin. His head was tilted again, as it usually was, but this time, his smile was soft and warm, tender and endearing. He didn't say anything. He just stood there, his black eyes softened and subdued as he looked down at her unusually timid image. At this point, the song had long come to an end, but for Connie, she could still hear the words linger in her head, on an endless loop that had etched into her heart and mind… for I can't help, falling in love with you…

"Hehe." Goku softly chuckled, "Thank you for today, Connie."

She looked back at him, not responding, not realising she should react.

Goku picked up the guitar again. His head now facing the door of the beach house.

Connie, unsure of what just happened, opened her mouth about to speak when they suddenly heard a loud commotion outside as Greg cried out.

They immediately rushed outside, the beach scenery now greeting them with a blue figure standing on what appeared to be a frozen wave. The figure stretched out its hand, and the water obeyed its every command, mimicking the actions by forming into a giant floating hand that extended from the ocean's surface and made a grab for Greg's van on the sandy beach.

"It's the Blue Gem from the mirror!" exclaimed Goku with a shocked expression.

Connie looked at him, confused by his statement, "Blue Gem? What mirror are you talking about?"

Before answering, however, Goku instinctively dashed forward to Greg's aid, to which the elderly man was flat on the ground, looking horrified.

"Where is Steven? Take me to him now!" she said in a loud booming voice directed toward Greg.

Noticing the Saiyan now making his way towards her, the gem grimaced at his appearance and flung the van, now clutched in the giant water hand, towards Goku.

Goku, however, did not dodge, instead opting to stand his ground and catch the van in his bare hands, creating a massive dent in the roof of the vehicle due to the impact.

"I did not come for you, Saiyan! Tell me where Steven is now! Your penance will come later." the clear-cut coldness in her voice and tone told everyone that it was no joke.

"What do you want with Steven?!" asked Greg, ready to protect his son despite the circumstances.

"I will save him. Kill the Saiyan and leave this God-forsaken planet." she responded, still keeping her eyes on the ever-ready Goku.

"Why do you want to kill me? What did I ever do to you?" asked a slightly annoyed Goku.

However, his words seemed to set the gem off as she growled at the sound of his voice. "What did you do? What did you do?! Your kind is the whole reason I have been stuck on this damn planet, to begin with. I will not be trapped here anymore!"

Just as the gem screamed at Goku, she used the still remaining giant hand of water to quickly grab the Saiyan before he could react. Throwing him out into the ocean's depths at incredible speeds caused him to skid off the surface of the water as he tried to break his momentum.

Suddenly realizing his situation, Goku yelled for his Nimbus to come to his aid, still trying to slow himself down as the beach house slowly faded from view, leaving nothing but an endless ocean on all sides as he continued to feel the effects of the Gems throw.

The pink cloud reached him as quickly as possible, coming in right behind him to act as a wall to break his speed. Now finally still and out of breath. The young Saiyan took deep breaths as he came to terms with how great the foe's strength before him genuinely was. It took everything he had to stop his momentum, and in the end, he still needed the assistance of the Nimbus cloud to come to a halt.

Now resting as he floated atop the ocean water, he looked over to the Nimbus cloud, which stayed by his side, the cloud seemingly shifting its form around a lot as if it was scared or nervous.

Suddenly Goku felt as if he was getting lower, not sinking but if the water around him was somehow draining. He hopped atop the nimbus cloud and saw what he felt to be accurate; the sea level was dropping, but it wasn't draining. Instead, it was pooling somewhere. He looked around him and noticed a tall tower formed from the ocean water within the middle of the sea, stretching as far as the eye could see until it seamlessly blended into the blue skies above.

Suspecting that this must be her doing, Goku took the Nimbus cloud towards the tower, flying up to the top as it became much more difficult to breathe. It seemed to Goku that this water tower appeared to go on forever, all the way up to the Heavens. The Heaven Tower, as he so called it in his head.

As he travelled up, still at an impressive pace by the Nimbus cloud, Goku found himself gasping with each breath as he and his pink oddity pierced through the veil of the stratosphere. Soon the blue skies above faded into a midnight sheet splashed with scattered stars that covered the eternal abyss with an eerie contrast, painting a picture to the boy of an infinite dragon biding its time as it consumed the splattered cosmos before it.

Still wide-eyed, Goku wasn't sure if he was gasping from the incomprehensible view or just the lack of air he was receiving.

With the end of the Oceanic Heaven Tower in sight, the boy finally came into view of the mysterious and even angrier blue gem. He came up from behind her, noting the architecture of her slim design and the still cracked gem placed between her scapulars.

"There you are," said Goku, now laying tummy first on the Nimbus cloud with his head and leg leaning off the edge as his gasping became more apparent now.

Catching her off guard, the ends of her hair were standing on edge as she swiftly turned around, "Ah! You again! Why didn't you just drown at the bottom of the sea?!" she said as her anger grew by gaining sight of the Saiyan.

"Hehe, I-I didn't get chance…since…since you took it all with…. you." he said, now barely able to form the words.

"How can you even be up here? You should have passed out as you climbed your way up."

Goku remained silent, saving his strength to ask his own question instead, "What…(sigh)what is your name?"

"Huh?" she said as her voice softened from the unexpected response, "…You give up your advantage, risk your own life to come up here, barely able to say conscious, all just to ask what I am? Are you insane?"

"Hehe, well… Steven did say I was a little strange, " he said, smiling as he lightly chuckled.

She grimaced at his nonchalant attitude to the current situation, "It's been thousands of years since I have been trapped here. I should not be surprised by the flickering nature of mortality."

With Goku now unable to keep his eyes open, he kept his silence, still heavily breathing as the gem pondered while looking out to the stars with a pained expression etched on her face.

"It's pointless, isn't it? No matter how thin I stretch this planet's ocean, I will never reach home. Not the way I am now, damaged…broken. I may be free from the shackles of that mirror. Still, I'd be a fool to think I'm not bound to the surface of this rock." she turned now to face the pale and blue Goku, "If I can't save Steven and am unable to go back home…then I can at least take pleasure in killing you, Saiyan." she said in a cold tone with a wicked smile now appearing on her face.

Walking atop the water, she reached up, grabbed the defenceless Goku by the shirt, and dragged him off the cloud. Before being given a chance to react, Nimbus was instantly trapped in a water bubble -connected to the tower via a stalk- of the Gems making as she raised her remaining free arm.

She held him in the air with one arm as her pupilless gaze stared over his pathetic weakened state.

"To answer your question, I am Lapis Lazuli. Made to serve in the court of Blue Diamond. And if I can't escape this rock, then we will both perish here together." as she said this, she released her grip on the young Saiyan's shirt and allowed him to slip through the Oceanic Heaven Tower. Drowning his already unconscious body, not once daring to look away.