Connie happily arranged the silverware next to her plate for herself in front of a vase of yellow sunflowers in perfect table manners of course, then twirled back to the kitchen to toss the chicken caesar salad, humming a slight tune. She glanced up in surprise at a sudden knock. That was odd, not many people came all the way up to the Beach House.
Connie walked over and beamed, seeing Kiki. "Kiki! Hi! It's so good to see you!" She smiled happily, running up and opening the door. "Whatever brings you here?"
Kiki smiled at Connie. "Hey! Good to see you too! Now, I know for a fact it wasn't you on the phone, so who ordered five pizzas with all the toppings and extra meat and a single one with only pepperoni?"
Connie frowned and tried to speak but was interrupted when the Gem Temple door opened behind her. Amethyst and Jasper ran into the room, both yelling "PIZZA!"
The girl leaped out of the way and the Quartz' snatched their food before running right back to Jasper's room. "Jasper suddenly placed a pizza on the warp pad, calling to Connie. "This one's yours kiddo, eat something more than leaves!"
"Thank-!" The temple door closed before Connie could finish.
Kiki laughed, looking at Connie with an eyebrow arched and a nervous smile, she looked… exhausted.
Connie gave an apologetic smile, walking up. "Those two decided to hang out a bit, I guess! I'm surprised you're doing deliveries now, is Jenny feeling okay?"
"Oh yeah, she's fine, she just busted the pizza car." Kiki laughed.
Connie gasped in surprise. "Oh no! How did that happen?"
The other girl smiled with a shrug. "Apparently, blasting one of Sour Cream's mixtapes totally blasts the tires."
"Ah. Music is quite a powerful thing!" Connie answered with a giggle.
"It sure is!" Kiki smiled. "Anyways, it means I've gotta deliver all these orders by foot while Jenny takes the car to the shop." She then noticed the table setting. "Ooh! Fancy! You having a boy over?" Kiki asked playfully.
Connie blushed and nervously laughed. "No, no! No boys allowed when I'm having some 'me' time!" She trailed off and smiled up at her. "Um, you… don't have to, but do you maybe want to join in?" She hoped she'd say yes, because Connie really wanted some company while the gems were away doing who knew what.
"Thanks, Connie, but I still have to run around town and deliver all these pizzas." Kiki's sunny smile faded into a frown of grim stress. "It seems a lot of people are wanting some 'me' time tonight." She then saw Connie watching her with concern and returned to her bright and bubbly self again to reassure her. She picked up a stack of pizzas both four high in each hand. "But it's alright. I love running. Anyways, Gotta get back to it! Later, Connie!" Kiki ran away to town to continue the stressful job
Connie ran to the deck and called out goodbye before she walked back into the house and sat down to her meal.
"Poor Kiki, that job must be so stressful, but I'm sure it's wonderful exercise!" Connie muttered softly to herself, trying to make Kiki looking like she was about to collapse look like a good thing... it really wasn't working. "Maybe I'll ask if I can help tomorrow, but first, dinner!" She cheered happily as she lifted up a slice
A few minutes later and Connie had crashed on the couch, fast asleep after eating the salad and nearly the entire pizza minus two slices.
In her dream though, she was flying in a bright blue sky with fluffy clouds around her. She giggled happily, doing a flip in the air and then twirling. The girl looked up at the sky and then noticed the sky darkening. She gasped, not again! She couldn't face another nightmare of her being all alone and failing the Temps! She nearly accepted it until she saw the sky was somehow blue again in a mere second, and it seemed she had switched off from her nightmare.
The girl then noticed she was flying over a sea of cheese that was surrounded by slices of pepperoni pizza slices.
"Oh! I guess this was influenced by my dinner!" Connie assumed, flying near the cheese and looking at her own reflection. She put her hand in it and made a face of disgust, yep, totally cheese. She was about to take her hand out when suddenly, an arm plunged out of the cheese, grabbing her hand.
Connie gave a cry, it wouldn't let go! She flew up and the arm revealed its owner, Kiki, who had been drowning in cheese.
Kiki coughed as if she had swallowed water down into her throat, choking as the cheese fell off her.
"Oh my gosh! Kiki! Are you alright?! My powers! I must've entered your dream!" Connie yelled, taking her friend higher in the air.
Suddenly, out of the cheesy sea came a hand that grabbed Kiki's right leg, trying to drag the girls down to their doom. The older teen cried out in fear, gripping Connie tight, she didn't want to drown again!
Connie struggled, pulling on her friend to set her free. She gave a grunt in effort as another globby hand grabbed Kiki's other leg. The girl's cried out, and Connie finally, using all her strength, escaped.
Connie flew Kiki away, both panting for air.
"That was terrifying! I thought I'd never have to fight food again after my lunch attacked me months ago!" Connie moaned, looking down at Kiki. "What does that thing want from you, Kiki?"
The teen looked up at her little savior. "I don't know, but whatever it is, you must keep going! It won't give up!"
Sure enough, the hands made of cheese emerged, and tried to snatch Kiki from her friend. Connie luckily had a head start, and she safely landed Kiki on a isle in the sea that was actually a piece of pepperoni.
"Stay back! I don't want you to get hurt!" Connie called to Kiki, flying up in front of the hands. "Hey you hands, you wanna pizza me?
Kiki gasped in fear. That thing had drown her so many times! Connie had no chance, right? But then again… "Be careful, Connie!"
"Don't worry about me!" Connie answered heroically. "I'm a natural!"
A ginormous golden sword suddenly appeared in her hands that could be held by the cheese ones perfectly. Connie flew up with a yell and slashed the hands of their wrists before slicing down the rest.
Kiki called to Connie as she landed. "Connie! That was so brave!"
Connie smiled. "Of course, Kiki! Oh! Did you like my pun? Jasper taught it to me last week while fighting a monster… while at the same time she was eating a slice of pizza."
"It was great, Connie." Kiki laughed.
Suddenly, Connie heard a falcon screech, and turned to watch as a majestic giant bird landed beside her. He was Arcamitris, a beloved character of the Spirit Morph Saga.
"Come, Connie, there is much we must discuss." The falcon said in a deep and broad voice.
Connie nodded once and turned to Kiki. "Looks like I have to go, good seeing you!"
Kiki nearly fell back as the bird took flight, but waved goodbye to Connie. "See ya!"
In the morning, Connie was out on her usual morning walk, off to look at the book about symbolisms in dreams she had looked at before, when she overheard a plead.
"Please, Kiki, just one more time? I seriously can't miss this show." Jenny cried to her sister, hands in a begging clutch, her knees slightly bent. "It's Uber Rage's first concert back in the States since they got banned!"
Connie paused, walking up a bit closer to see it Kiki would allow herself a break.
Kiki gave a small sigh, shrugging her shoulders very slightly. "Jenny, I'm not sure…. I've been covering for you for almost two weeks now!"
"Kiki, seriously, this concert is gonna change my life!" Jenny moaned, trying to persuade her sister even more. "And the ticket was, like, $40!"
Kiki frowned. "Is that a lot for a concert?" She hadn't been to one since she and Jenny were tweens, and that was their first one.
"More than average?" Jenny shrugged, not actually sure, which happened a lot.
Kiki fell silent, knowing she had lost this fight, Jenny just had so much fun at those concerts.. "Okay, I'll cover for you."
"Yes!" Jenny cried and threw herself to hug Kiki.
Kiki smiled.
"This is why your my favorite twin!" Jenny proclaimed, holding her sister's shoulders and smiling happily at her.
Kiki laughed slightly. "I'm your only twin."
Her sister ignored that and kissed Kiki on the cheek before jumping into the pizza car and saying hello to Connie who waved back. Jenny revved up the car before zooming off. They heard her yell, "Don't tell Dad!" right after.
Connie walked up to Kiki. "What a nice thing to do for your sister!"
Kiki shrugged a bit. "That's me, the nice one."
Connie then remembered her dream. "Um.. Last night, I believe I… entered your dream… I didn't mean to, honest! I knew it had to be my powers, because I never dream of pizza, salads on occasion, but not-"
"Wait! You really saved me? That was real?" Kiki gasped.
Connie panicked slightly, already planning on making a near copy of the letter she gave Sadie on her powers this afternoon. "I'm sorry! You probably didn't want me in your head! Ghaa, imagine if I accidentally took-!"
"Connie!" Kiki laughed, grabbing the girl's shoulders and making her look up. "You don't get it, this is great!"
"Great?" Connie asked dryly. Her powers seemed great to a human besides Steven? Had that ever happened before? She tried to recall, but nothing came to mind. "B-But how? What if I messed up your dream? What if that dream meant something?"
"I always have that dream, and I always drown! I don't care if it meant something, I finally was saved!" Kiki gushed happily while Connie stared, still in shock. "I haven't got a good night's sleep in weeks!" She moaned, bending down and putting a hand on Connie's shoulder. "You're my total hero, Connie! You think you can do it again?"
Connie smiled. "Um… I guess, I could try? Drowning nightmares are pretty scary…"
"Thank goodness!" Kiki exclaimed, then her eyes widened and her voice grew grim, even the aura around her seemed to darken. "Because... I seriously have that dream, like, every. single. night."
Connie's smile faltered.
Suddenly, the phone rang.
Kiki was knocked back into reality. "Oh! I got to go!" She smiled at Connie gratefully. "Connie, thank you so much! I'll see you later!" The teen called.
"Yep! In your dreams!" Connie beamed.
Kiki laughed. "Nice one!"
Connie then realized it had sounded like a joke, and smiled.
That night, Connie tied her hair up in a ponytail before bed. She was going to be a hero again!
And again,
And again,
And again.
Even though she liked hanging out with Kiki, they had inside jokes, Jenny aways was very appreciative of their help, and Connie made great pizza puns, she couldn't hide how tired she was getting after days of fighting the monster, because her brain wouldn't let her sleep. As she got more tired, she almost nearly let Kiki drown before realizing and chopping the beast up. She had apologized profusely.
After nearly a week of doing this, Connie was so exhausted that she was practically falling off her bed with large dark circles under her eyes. She had even stopped reading a book before bed at this point, she just couldn't do it anymore.
"Connie?" A voice asked, sounding surprised.
Connie mumbled slightly before opening her eyes. It took a bit to see it was Kiki, holding a pizza.
"Kiki, what are you doing here so early in the morning? … Didn't I lock the door last night." Connie yawned softly, getting out of her bed and taking a brush through her long and crazy bed head.
"Your big orange friend let me in and ordered ne to check on you since she was about to leave when I got here. It's 3 o'clock… Did you sleep okay?" Kiki asked, and showed her the pepperoni pizza she had brought.
Connie felt sick at the sight of it. "Er, no thank you." She then looked up, pausing while brushing her hair. "As for sleeping, I'm doing well." She then sat on her bed before falling asleep sitting up.
"Connie!"
Connie awoke with a cry, "Kiki! You have to quit your job!"
Kiki looked at her like she was crazy, and Connie honestly wondered if she was from lack of sleep. The older teen just laughed her secret plead away. "What?"
"I think you have a serious problem with pizza, your subconscious says enough." Connie explained herself.
"I don't have a problem with pizza!" Kiki smiled.
"I don't know, Kiki!" Connie said quickly with a plastered on smile, and her teeth gritted with sarcasm. Kiki wouldn't accept the truth! "I think you do!"
Kiki looked surprised at her tone and Connie softened.
"I-I'm sorry, Kiki," Connie whispered. "That was rude of me."
"No, it's okay. I get it. I've been asking too much of you." Kiki sighed in apology after noticing the dark bags under Connie's eyes. "I just wish these dreams would stop."
Connie stared at the pizza Kiki had brought them gasped. "Oh! We've been thinking about it wrong, we should go to the root of the problem, the sauce, where it all started! But after that, I can't keep helping you, I may not be able to if I'm too exhausted."
Kiki nodded, now in full support of the idea.
"These nightmares end, tonight!" Connie called out in determination.
That night, both girls had fallen asleep, and both were in Kiki's mind.
They each held a single pizza cutter, a small but effective weapon against the cheesy nightmare forces.
"You ready to cut this cheese?" Connie asked to her partner.
Kiki giggled at her joke, but still nodded. "Ready!"
Connie realized the joke and smiled.
Suddenly, cheese hands surrounded them. They gasped and then went to work, slashing the monsters away.
They quickly realized the cheese was near unstoppable, they kept emerging and wouldn't stop.
"We can't keep fighting off the cheese. It just won't stop!" Kiki cried in panic.
Connie nodded in agreement. "You're right! We got to find out where all this cheese is coming from!"
Suddenly, the hands multiplied and engulfed the girls, trying to bake them into the dream world, forever.
Just as time was about up for them, they burst out, Connie flying them up and holding Kiki. As they flew, suddenly a huge structure formed a head out of the cheese. It looked identical to Kiki.
The girls gasped.
"It's me?" Kiki whispered in surprise, hanging on to Connie's back. She was disgusted. "Now, that is nasty."
The two flew in, and soon saw a cheese sea inside. Little fish that were really pepperoni and anchovies leapt out at them, trying to bite the two and stop them from finding the root of the problem. Connie gasped and avoided them best she could.
"That was close!" Connie cried in relief.
The girls suddenly heard a loud and obnoxious moaning, and looked up in surprise.
"That voice, I recognize it." Connie said.
"Whoever it is, they sound in pain!" Kiki whispered with sympathy, her caring heart already taking action. "We've got to find them!"
After following the moans, they came into a large and cavernous room, which held a single cheese pond. They landed softly and walked up.
The girls started then as the cheese started to take a human form, shifting and molding to look just like Kiki's sister.
"Jenny?!" Both girls cried in surprise.
The thing moaned once more, reaching out for the older teen. "Kiki…"
"I'm here, Jenny!" Kiki exclaimed, taking her imposter sister's hands. She had played right into the fake's trap. Cheese started growing up Kiki's arms, and she gasped in surprise.
Connie already had her sword, and ran to save her friend. "Kiki!"
"No, wait!"
Connie halted.
"I think she's trying to tell me something!"
"Kiki…" The thing groaned.
"What is it, Jenny?"
"Thanks for delivering all those pizzas for me." The cheese thing said, still with a monotone voice.
"Oh, it's okay. I totally don't mind!" Kiki fibbed, forcing a smile on her face. "That's what twins are for!"
The thing saw that its prey had grown weaker still and it wrapped another cheesy tentacle around the teen's waist, pulling her closer. Kiki gave a cry, struggling in its firm grip, sweating.
"Kiki, you're lying!" Connie called with determination.
Kiki knew deep down that she was, but her pride blinded that, and she was confused. "What?"
"You don't want her to know you do mind!" Connie answered.
"Argh! It doesn't matter!" Kiki yelled, panting for air and straining as the cheese tried to take her away.
Connie was getting insistent now, already knowing that Kiki needed to stop this, not her. "You feel you have to keep your emotions hidden from her to keep her happy, but you shouldn't! Your feelings matter! Just tell her no!"
"Ugh, I-I can't!" Kiki gasped, fighting to keep herself on land.
Connie flew closer, looking her the eyes. "Why not?!"
Kiki grunted in effort. "I... I don't want to let her down! I'm her favorite twin!"
"When I said I couldn't help you anymore after this, you understood!" Connie yelled.
"But this is different. She's my sister!" Kiki shouted.
"That's right! And she cares about you, too!" Connie called. "Do you think she'd want you to go through this?!"
Kiki stared at the fake of her twin sister, her only sister, her first friend since the moment of birth. "...No."
"Does she even know this is happening to you?"
Kiki gave a whimper as the cheese went up to her neck. "No!"
"You've got to tell her!" Connie cried, but the girl was soon ignored, because the imposter Jenny had grabbed Kiki's attention away.
"Hey, Kiki, I want to ask you something." The thing said to its creator. It's eyebrows went down and a weak and seemingly helpless smile showed, trying to make the teen feel sympathy for her and once again think it was her sister. "There's gonna be a really cool cheese rave in the pizza cave tonight. I have to be there. Will you cover for me again?"
Kiki was afraid, but then her face hardened with anger. She wouldn't cover for this monster! And she didn't want to cover for her real sister anymore, not without a break! "NO!"
Her voice seemed to resonate and both the pizza Jenny and Connie were surprised.
Slowly, the cheese that was engulfing her body up to her throat went down, releasing her from its grasp. Kiki backed away in horror as the thing gave a hideous moan.
Then, her inner demon rolled its pepperoni eyes, putting a hand on its hip as it melted away. "Okay, fine."
The girls saw the cavern melt away around them to reveal a beautiful night sky with twinkling stars and the cool and calm beach. Connie noticed there were still some pizza slices in the ocean, but had a feeling Kiki liked them there, it was her dream after all.
"You did it! I'm so proud of you!" Connie beamed landing slowly and gently on the sand.
"Yeah! All of the cheese is gone!" Kiki cried in relief and joy. She then saw at her foot a little splatter of cheese and a pepperoni fish. "Well, most of it."
The girls sat down, looking at the peaceful scene. After all they had done, it was so beautiful, even if they could see it nearly every night at their own beach, this felt special.
"Man.. dreams are weird…" Kiki mumbled to Connie.
Connie nodded, brushing off little pepperoni fish from her nightgown. "I agree with that!"
The next morning, Connie walked up to Fish Stew Pizza just as Jenny opened it and started to sweep outside.
"Good morning Jenny!" Connie greeted her pleasantly, wondering where her twin sister was.
Jenny smiled. "Oh, hi, Connie!"
"Is Kiki around? I wanted to see if she was feeling any better." Connie said with hope that she was off doing something she loved. She then yawned, and smiled innocently. "Last night, I fought the pizza in her dreams that morphed into you to trick Kiki into accepting all that stress and the eventual breaking down."
Jenny was rightfully very confused, but then shrugged it off with a smile. "I don't know what that means, but Kiki is fine. She's taking the day off." The teen sweeped up the sidewalk, explaining how it had happened that she was working and not her sister. "This morning, we had a twin talk. She said I was using up all her "me" time, and I was like, if you're just gonna spend your "me" time running anyway, you might as well carry some pizzas for me." Jenny then smirked with the thought of her loving sister. "But I can't say no to my favorite twin."
"Excellent." Connie beamed. "So, where is she now?"
Jenny gestured off to the distance, and Connie saw Kiki was grinning wide as she ran, too wrapped up even to notice.
Connie sighed in relief, a sleepy, but happy smile forming on on her face.
"She deserves a break after working so hard for me." Jenny said, looking out at her sister. "Right, Connie?"
She heard a tiny snore and turned to see Connie give a cry in startling awake.