Connie was laying on the couch and heard metal clanging. She glanced up to see Peridot working on her gadgets. Lapis was next to her on the couch, reading the newspaper and Jasper was just relaxing.

Connie heard Peridot muttering under her breath and walked over.

"What are you doing?" Connie asked.

Peridot glanced up and frowned. "Well, I need a few more screws to complete it, but I ran out."

"Oh, I can run into town and get some more for you! I was going down there anyway." Connie smiled.

"Yes, that would be excellent, thank you Connie." Peridot said.

Connie ran up to her room and looked all around for her backpack. When she found it, she dumped it all out and a flat yellow thing fell out. Connie cocked her head and lifted it up.

She soon trudged back downstairs.

"Connie, what's wrong?" Lapis asked, glancing up from her newspaper.

"This." Connie dropped the uninflated raft on the floor. The Temps looked at it. "I'm so sorry that mission didn't work out… I wasn't quick enough and now the Sea Spire's gone forever."

"Oh Connie." Lapis sighed.

"Kid, you were amazing on that mission, don't let anyone tell you different." Jasper grinned.

"But the Sea Spire. It was a special, important monument, unique to my culture." Connie sighed.

"Connie, that place wasn't important at all! If it was, why would it be a test for you?" Peridot laughed.

"Test? What do you mean, a test?" Connie asked.

She saw all the Temps looked worried and were silent.

"Well, um, it wasn't a test, really. It was a way to see if you were ready to go on missions…" Lapis said.

"That's exactly what a test is!" Connie cried.

"Connie, we didn't plan this behind your back, it just seemed like a good plan and…" Jasper was interrupted by Connie whispering, "I failed it… I failed the test."

"You didn't fail! You were wonderful!" Lapis said.

"Yes, quite a leader, I must admit." Peridot grinned. "That Spire was in much worse shape than we thought. It should have been really easy!"

"I failed an easy test?!" Connie gasped.

"Peri, you're making this worse!" Lapis cried.

"Come on!" Jasper groaned.

"I didn't mean to be rude!" Peridot protested.

Connie started to panic. "I… I need another test!"

"You've come so far!" Peridot retorted.

"And let prove it!" Connie beamed. "I can do this!"

Lapis and Peri glanced at Jasper.

"Well, we adjusted the temple to create a really complicated, really hard, and really dangerous dungeon for you. Each of us has designed a chamber that simulates a real mission. If you get out alive? The final door will unlock and we will
be waiting for you!" Peridot explained.

"Hooray!" Connie cried.

"This is not going to be easy." Jasper sighed.

"I won't let you down!" Connie cried, pumped up.

"There you go!" Peridot said.

"I'm ready."

The temple door opened and Connie entered into a dark hallway.

"Be careful." Lapis whispered. "You're going to need to be…"

The door closed and Connie heard torches light. She turned and saw blue flames in the torches. "I wonder if this is Lapis' room."

Suddenly, on either side of the narrow platform, water started falling from behind her, very, very quickly. "Definitely Lapis' room!" Connie started to run, the water coming after her. The room was very long and walls kept springing
up out of nowhere, Connie barely avoiding them. She finally reached the end of the room. Connie put her hand on the door. It started to foam out, making Connie a little nervous but then blew into pretty yellow balloons shaped like diamonds. Connie
giggled and ran through.

The door was barred once more. Connie saw the door not that far away, but there seemed Connie felt scared. This wasn't right. She slowly stepped off the starting platform and immediately, a green laser fired, just missing her head. Connie gasped
as more lasers came. Over seconds, she discovered there was a pattern to it all. The girl nimbly avoided it and got to the end of the room. The balloons came and Connie wiped sweat of her brow. "That was close… really close." She panted.

The girl entered the next room, knowing it was Jasper's room. The room was full of axes swinging from the ceiling, and fire from the ground and spikes on crushers. Connie ran, avoiding the axes and fire and spikes. She could see the door. It was
so close, she was so close to proving herself. The girl was so thrilled she didn't see spikes racing to her until it was too late. Connie saw it and gave a scream. Then, she realized there was no pain. She slowly opened her eyes to see the thing had
stopped. It went up and she slowly went out from under it. The spikes then resumed slamming down the moment she was gone. After watching for a moment, Connie suddenly stuck her arm under it and it stopped again. "What?" Connie asked. Then,
fire came up, onto Connie, yet not. She stuck her arm out, the flames licking her arm but not hurting her in anyway. "No… It can't be!"

She ran back to Peridot's room and opened her arms to be hit by the lasers but they passed through her. "What is going on?!" She cried. "None of it mattered?!"

She ran to Lapis' room and she saw it had completely restarted. The water started to come in again. Connie walked confidently to it and the walls sprang up. Connie walked right through it. "Not this too!" The water came and it didn't
hit her. Connie gave an angry yell and walked to the water, pushing it upward. She got up and passed through the testing zone. She stood on top and saw the three rooms, equally spaced. She felt her anger boiling.

"I… can't believe it." Connie huffed, walking to the end. "Be careful, you're going to need to be!" Connie growled. "How am I supposed to prove myself if you guys can't even-" She reached the end and saw a room filled
with balloons and a banner that said Congratulations on it. She heard the Temps talking…

"Why isn't she here yet? She's taking much longer than I thought she would." Peridot said. She then looked up. "Do you think she got herself hurt somehow?"

Lapis bit her, looking at Jasper with worry.

"Nah, it's impossible to get hurt in there." Jasper sighed.

"She's done well for being a half human." Peridot muttered. "She's summoned Yellow Diamond's shield, she's made her bubble, and she's excellent at the art of the sword… But she lost her healing powers. We must make her feel better."

Lapis looked down and sighed softly. "We're bad at this, aren't we?"

"What?" Peridot gasped. "I'm did an excellent job with my ro-"

"It's not about that!" Lapis snapped, making her friend go silent. "You know, you can't control her and I shouldn't even be near her, and we need Yellow to tell us what to do!"

"Lapis, you're letting your emotions take control! We need to teach her to be a gem!"

"Connie is not just a gem, guys." Jasper sighed. "There's never been anything or anyone like Connie. We don't know what she needs."

Connie slowly crawled back and thought it over, weighing her options.

Connie soon leapt back down to Lapis's room. She walked with a quick pace. She heard the water she knew was coming and spun herself around to glare at it. She walked through the walls. She then walked through the laser attack and through the fire,
spikes, and axes, still upset as they always avoided her. She gave a sigh and opened the door.

Lights came on and the Temps were clapping for her, as if she had actually done something incredible.

"Yes! I knew you had it in you kid!" Jasper yelled.

"Remarkable!" Peridot beamed.

"Great job!" Lapis grinned.

Connie slowly walked up to them and their clapping slowed.

"Connie, why are you… acting strange?" Peridot asked.

Connie bowed her head. "That was… so… so…" She looked up with a beam and her cheeks pink, as if she had believed it all, "incredible!"

The Temps smiled and glanced at each other.

"I mean, that water?! I was gonna drown for sure I thought, but I made it! And those lasers! Those were so cool! It was like I was in an adventure story! I got real scared with all that fire, and axes, and spikes, but I found I was stronger
than I ever thought I could be!" Connie laughed, seeing her praise lighten up her guardians'' faces. "I… You guys are the best! Thank you for doing this for me… I needed it."

"Of course." Peridot nodded.

"It was our pleasure." Lapis grinned, eyes shining.

"Eh, a bit too sappy for me." Jasper said. Lapis laughed and punched her playfully in the arm.

They went up and hugged Connie.

"We are very proud of you." Peridot murmured.

"Oh, we knew you could do it!" Lapis cried.

"Nice job, kiddo." Jasper said, ruffling her hair.

Connie smiled softly. She hadn't needed this test, they had.