Surely things will be simple and calm for everyone from here right? All they gotta do is wait for Beerus and Whis to get back and hope for the best from that. Nothing more, nothing less!

...

Steven suddenly awoke to find himself lying on the beachside with his usual attire of clothing, much to his surprise. 'What the? How'd I get here?' Though his thoughts kept him occupied enough, it didn't stop him taking a look around to get his bearings at the same time. The first thing he noticed was that the sun was out (hadn't he just gone to sleep?), with the next being how eerily quiet it was. While it wasn't uncommon for the beach to occasionally fall to a silent, windless day, this type of silence felt different, almost...ominous. Now finding himself on the area of beach just around the corner from his home soon after, Steven quickly got up and began moving towards the corner that led to his home. 'Maybe the gems or even Goku or Vegeta have an idea of what's happening.' As he continued thinking of potentials and trying to figure out just what had happened so suddenly, he found himself tripping on something before reaching the corner side. Looking to what caught his foot, the hybrid noticed what appeared to be something shining faintly. While his instincts screamed for him to move past it and keep trying to figure out what had happened, something kept him in place as his curiosity of the object only grew after laying his eyes on it. Reaching towards the glimmering object, he quickly gained a sense of recognition of the item as he scooped it up with one hand. "No, i-it can't be!?" he said aloud, hoping that his vision was playing tricks on him. Resting in his hand was half of a gemstone...Pearl's gemstone. There was no mistaking that it was hers, there weren't many other gems in the area that shared the same spherical white stone that she usually sported. Growing more concerned at the sudden discovery, he began searching around franticly for any sign of her other half. 'It's okay Steven, if you can just find her other half, we can piece her back together. She's not gone. She's not!' he continued thinking, desperately trying to convince himself that this could be fixed. As he thoughts continued to unravel, it soon became all too clear that the other half of her stone wasn't around here (or if it was, it was buried deep beneath the sand, a thought that he decided best to put in the back of his mind as it wasn't one he wished to dwell on). Seeing that he couldn't find the missing object, Steven placed the shattered stone in his jacket and began sprinting towards his home. "Gotta find the others. M-maybe they'll know where we can find Pearl's stone". Now rounding the corner, Steven forced himself to come to a quick and abrupt halt. "No, no no no no NO" As the hybrid looked to his home with continued sense of dread, he was able to catch the last few noticeable pieces of it disintegrating into little purple balls of energy, ones that were similar to the ones that came from Bluebird when she was...killed by Beerus. With his home now fully gone, Steven's form fell into that of his pink state, as the sight was enough to cause his anxiety to skyrocket. "Why...why would he do this?" Steven cried while running towards where the once peaceful beach house had been prior. Finding that not even the foundation remained, all that was left of his dwelling was an empty lot of sand. Out of a fit of disbelief and sadness, Steven fell to his knees at the unbelievable sight. "This-this can't be. Why? Why did this happen" he shouted aloud, slamming his pink fists into the sand at the same time, leaving behind tiny ripples through the ground. With tears now freely falling out of grief for his seemingly killed family (none of whom were in sight, leaving only the prospect of hope for their safety, though the hybrid had a sinking feeling he wouldn't be finding them around), he continued shouting and crying out of grief, with his emotions becoming ever more clear than ever.

"Isn't it obvious?" Hearing the inclusion of a voice that wasn't his own, Steven broke out of his reaction to the events that had transpired thus far. Looking around, the young adult looked for the source of the voice, hoping to find some kind of sign or symbol of it, but ultimately he found no one else present. "Who said that? Where are you?" he cried out, now desperate to find anyone, whether it be a friend to help him grieve or the culprit of the erasure of his home and family. Regardless of how much or far he looked though, he only found himself present, though the voice continued to respond. "You did this. Everything you see before you is your own doing!" The more the voice spoke with the sound of it echoing through the area, the more the hybrid began to think he recognized it as it almost sounded like his own, though with more malice and distortion, as if it belonged to that of someone who had been broken at the core and left as nothing more than a shell of hate and regret. "You lost control Steven. You lost control again, only now someone finally stepped in to give you what you deserve!" Steven knew this wasn't right. Things were just fine right before he went to sleep and then it went straight to this!? This had to be a trick of some sort. Regardless of how much he thought it so, the view around him seemed as real as reality, something that wasn't helping in the slightest, but he knew he had to try and figure everything out still. "How did this happen? Where is everyone?" he asked, hoping that the voice would at least grant him an answer this time. "Heh, you really haven't figured it out. Here I thought Pearl's remains would have been enough to tell you where the others are. As for the how, well, it's like I said. You lost yourself to who you really are and our guests were forced to act. You could say that they're doing you a favor really. After all, they saved you the trouble of hunting down the others." Nothing about this all made sense to the hybrid. If he lost control again, then how was he standing there in his usual (albeit pink) state? Where were Goku and the others? As more questions kept rising, Steven found himself unable to ask them, both out of fear at the response, and at the sudden inclusion of a new disturbance. The ground around him began to shake periodically, almost in a rhythm of some sort. Though it was easily ignored or too far off to notice at first, it was impossible to disregard anymore as the more time that past by, the more powerful the shockwaves grew. Soon enough, they were strong enough that Steven could guess where it was originating from. Looking back towards the corner of the cliff side, a large claw gripped the edge of the rocky hillside, with a large pink foot soon appearing afterwards. Steven knew instantly just what this was. He could never forget the form he took. The trouble he caused, the pain from the transformation, the feeling of sorrow and regret he felt during it all (and afterwards), his emotions made sure it was a memory that made a staple in his history to remember. "No, no no no please no!" he said, the fear and disbelief of it all caused him to stumble backwards into the sand. While the majority of the monster was still out of sight, the claw and foot were enough to nearly cause a full on breakdown in the hybrid. Before it made another move, a deafening roar echoed from it's form, causing Steven to close his eyes and grip his head in an attempt to block out the noise (both out of want for it to end and to prevent any damage from the sickening sound). Once the roar had ceased, Steven hesitated to open his eyes, but when he did, he was shocked to find himself no longer on the beachside, but now sitting upward in his bed.

The young adolescent couldn't believe his eyes. Looking around, there was no mistaking that he was in his room, at the beach house. The home itself seemed intact enough, though considering that the last he was shown of the dwelling was it disappearing from existence, he'd say that was an understatement. 'I-it was just a nightmare Steven...just a nightmare. Everything's fine...everyone's fine.' he said internally in an attempt to bring his state of panic and dread down. Coming to the realization that it was all nothing more than a figment of his imagination, Steven tried to relax and let his increased level of breathing come back to a normal rhythm. Along with his faster breaths, the hybrid had apparently drowned himself in sweat while he was out. Looking over to his clock, he found that it was 3:23am, much to his surprise. He would be lying if he said he wasn't having troubles sleeping since his breakdown, but they were getting better steadily. It seemed like every other night or so he would be granted more time to sleep uninterrupted. Much like many of the other nights though, he wasn't able to stay out as fears from his past (and some from the future) kept reoccurring. Unlike the others though, this nightmare seemed to have effected him more as he usually didn't wake up in a puddle of sweat. Not wanting to try and sleep off the sticky feeling, Steven began moving through his room towards the lower level. Thankfully, the home was well lit by a full moon, making it pretty easy to move around without disturbing anything.

Once on the lower level of the home, he was greeted to an interesting sight. Vegeta had passed out on the couch with his full attire (something he was sure Pearl was against as it would stain the furniture, though it seems like the prince had won that argument in the end). Goku was knocked out on the floor with Lion, the latter of whom was being used as a pillow, something Steven would admit he was kind of jealous of since it took him much longer just to get the pink feline to respond let alone sit in place long enough to lay with. 'Guess he's just got a way with animals'. Finally, Steven noticed Amethyst, who had shapeshifted into a cat, sleeping atop the refrigerator, likely at the request of Pearl or Garnet to keep an eye on things. Seeing where everyone was, he found it pretty easy to be able to make his way to the bathroom, where he managed to snag a wet rag and wipe off the drying particles of sweat. As he finished up, the hybrid took one last glance at the house to ensure himself that nothing was out of place (aside from the still present hole in the entrance, something he was steadily getting used to seeing at this point) and to take in the moment of peace that had befallen the home. After everything that had transpired the day before, it was nice to see everyone passed out and peaceful for a change rather than argumentative and on edge. Though he was enjoying the moment that had fallen unto the home, a swift and quiet yawn befell the young man, giving him the push to return to bed while he still had time to enjoy the quiet.

-6am-

"Amethyst! Amethyst, wake up." the gem turned feline, who was still atop the fridge, groaned as her eyes slowly opened just enough to get her bearings. While still somewhat unconscious, the gem was able to recognize Pearl and Garnet facing her. With the sun still down, the home was still dark for the most part with the moonlight still illuminating only some parts of the dwelling. "Ugh, whats it P? Just wanna sleep." she said, all the while attempting to shield her view from having to wake up any further, though her friends seemed to have a different idea for her. "Amethyst, don't fall back asleep. You were supposed to watch over the house, make sure nothing bad happens." Pearl whispered as she tried not to wake up Steven or Goku, the latter of whom was still passed out with Lion nearby. "The house...still standing in-it?" Despite the duo's efforts to wake the youngest of the trio, it was clear Amethyst was only partially awake, a given from her groggy responses. As Pearl prepared to give another shot at waking up the gem turned feline, Garnet stepped forward, stopping any further attempts from the other. As she made sure to be ever so gentle with her movements, she carefully scooped the purple cat up, who only shifted at the sudden movement. With only a motion, she quietly told Pearl to follow her. Now stepping outside to the front balcony, the fusion held the gem out in front of her. Without a moments pause, she began shaking Amethyst in an attempt to wake her up, an effort that didn't go without reward. "Ah ah, alright, I'm up. Garnet I'm up!" Hearing her friend's more clear and concise wording, Garnet ceased the action and released the gem, allowing her to transform and fall to the ground. "Jeez, talk about a wake up call, what do you guys want?" she asked as she rubbed and shook her head before standing up.

"You have only yourself to blame Amethyst. It's not our fault you didn't stay up like you were supposed to." Though Pearl gave a light taunt to the purple gem, she decided it best to move past that and focus on the second bit of the sentence. "Hey, I might have crashed for a bit there, but I still kept an eye on things. Goku's still sleeping with Lion, Steven's been upstairs for most of the night, and Vegeta was passed out on the couch." While the gem gave her description of what she had witnessed the past night, one detail of the story seemed to catch the others attention. "What do you mean 'most of the night'? With Steven I mean?" Pearl asked as her motherly nature began to stand out. "He was downstairs for a minute I think around 3 or so. Went to the bathroom and went back upstairs. He..didn't look too good though." Even before his breakdown, the trio tried their best to make sure their surrogate child was well and healthy, though it did intensify after his transformation. It was no secret he had been having trouble sleeping as there had been nights where his wails from the nightmares he would have would catch the attention of at least one of the three. "He's doing better at least." Garnet noted in an attempt to liven the somber tone that had befallen the area. "Yeah...so is that all you guys needed to wake me up for?" Amethyst asked, clearly not wanting to stay on the topic any longer (a feeling the other two shared). "No, at least not fully. Garnet figured you were out cold so we came to check on you. Something we didn't expect to find though is for Vegeta to be missing." Hearing the thin gem's explanation, Amethyst became a bit shocked at it. "Wait what? What're you talking about, he's still on the couch...right?" Though Amethyst knew she had clocked out not long after Steven went back upstairs, she still recalled Vegeta being motionless on the furniture. As she looked to her elders with hope that this was a joke of some kind, the fusion simply shook her head before responding, giving Amethyst all the answer she needed before she even spoke back up. "Not when we came through he wasn't. We were hoping you knew where he went off to." It was clear that the youngest did not, which only caused more turmoil amongst the trio. Coming off of eventful afternoon the day prior had been, the trio wanted to make sure they kept their eyes on their guests, especially Vegeta. Before panic could befall the trio, a sudden flash of blue caught their attention from the beachside. "Oh great, now what?" Amethyst added, clearly not wanting anymore unexpected surprises to happen while they were in the middle of enough already. Noticing that a second blue flash began shortly after the first one had, only to disappear just as quickly, the trio looked beyond the balcony to find a figure standing near the ocean. Though the figure was difficult to make out at first, the trio noticed that it appeared to be their missing person, though something did seem different. "Hey, good news. Found him...I think." Looking down the beachside, the figure did seem like Vegeta the more they observed him, though somethings seemed different from the one they saw the day before. This figure seemed thinner, almost so much that it didn't look like the gloves and boots were the correct size anymore. Along with that, his hair was a shade of red rather than the expected black, which only threw off the idea of this figure being their lost warrior. "I'm not sure if that's him or not. I don't recall either of them telling us about a transformation where their hair turned red." Pearl recalled. "Hmm, let's go find out then." Garnet said before jumping over the edge of the balcony, prompting the other two to follow suit. "But Garnet, what if that isn't Vegeta? It could be another enemy for all we know." The fusion heard her ally's words, though they seemed to be ignored as she continued walking towards the red figure, who continued to occasionally flash blue before returning to the previous color. "All the more reason to find out. The last thing we need right now is more problems after all." Though both Pearl and Amethyst didn't like the idea of running into another foe during everything that was happening, they couldn't argue that more problems was the last thing they needed. Without much other choice, they quietly followed behind the fusion on their approach to the figure.

Vegeta had never been a man known for having a great deal of patience, hell he'd given in to either his temper, pride, or instinct (or all three) more often than anything. He wasn't the type to wait around and do nothing, especially if he could avoid it. While it may have been an order from the gods, the proud prince could admit he wasn't too pleased at being left behind at the child gemling's house while Beerus could catch up with old friends. Much to his surprise though, the trip hadn't been a total waste thus far as the idea of gems as a whole as well as Steven overall provided some interest. While the race didn't seem too powerful in the grand scheme of things, their abilities definitely made them versatile and unique. And then there was Steven. It was clear that the boy possessed a greater deal of power than one may think initially, especially given his kindhearted nature, but it was still baffling to think that even his unique abilities would bring about the attention of even a god of destruction. Regardless though, this was the case (as far as both he and Goku could tell at least) and it didn't seem like there was anything else in the area that could cause such a disturbance. Having decided to spare the child for the time being, both out of a need for something to do on this Earth and also out of spite towards the gods for having left him in this mess at all in the first place, Vegeta tried staying as uninvolved as possible, though it seemed this 'family' of rocks were fairly hospitable, regardless of whether or not the other person wanted it. Thankfully, this provided him a place to rest lightly for the night, though lightly would be the key word. While the prince tried staying aware of others in unfamiliar areas, he found himself being annoyed both by the purple one, who could apparently change into a feline, and also Steven. Once the house had gone quiet, it was obvious that he wasn't a light sleeper as he continued to make a mixture of tosses, turns, and grunts throughout the night. While it was unknown if the boy was like this in nature or if due to some trauma lying within was yet to be determined, but it still didn't manage to be kept hidden in the silence of the dark. Ultimately, as the child made his way through the home around 3, the prince found himself unable to fall back asleep to an extent that would provide any benefit. Seeing as it wasn't too long before dawn, the prince thought it best to get a jumpstart on the day with some training. He had been meaning to practice being able to switch between god and blue more fluently in combat so as to maximize it's effectiveness while minimizing the drawbacks. The training session had been peaceful for the most part as he was left to his own, at least until now. He didn't notice their approach at first, but as they weren't exactly sneaking around on purpose, it didn't take long for him to find the three gem guardians of the dwelling approaching him.

"What do you want gems?" he asked once the trio were close enough he didn't have to shout. Looking at the three, it was clear they weren't sure if it was even him at first, nor did it seem like they expected to come across anyone at this hour. "We're just checking on you Vegeta. We didn't see you inside and wanted to make sure everything was alright." the thin one, Pearl responded. Something the prince was thankful of was how these gems were named. Going off their specific type of stone made things easier to remember should he have a need to get their attention. 'Of course you are. Doubtful that you'd want to take your eyes off me after threatening the boy' "Hmph, well as you can see, I'm fine. No need to concern yourselves with my well being." While his response was straightforward enough, he decided to leave out the first bit from escaping into the world as it would only cause more arguments between him and the others, something he wasn't too keen on doing this early in the day (though really he'd prefer to avoid any confrontation at all). While he and the gems continued occupying the beachside, the smallest glimmer of light could be seen beginning to appear over the horizon, signaling the approaching dawn. "We can see that much, though is everything alright? I mean, you got the red hair and you apparently lost a bit of weight there too." Amethyst pointed out, almost showing an eagerly interest in the change. "I suppose Kakarot didn't get the opportunity to show off the last two forms yesterday. This isn't a health concern first off, just the characteristics given through this transformation. What you see before you is a super saiyan god." Though the form was vaguely explained without going into the differences between god and super saiyan, Vegeta expected some questions to arise from the others, much like they did with Kakarot's demonstration from earlier. Much to the prince's surprise however, none came, though some confusion at the mention of the transformation was still apparent on the trio. "Okay...and what was the last form then, not that this one isn't interesting I mean." Pearl asked. While she would have normally been curious at the details of the form before her, she and the others thought it best to leave it simply as 'another form used for a power boost'. While the Saiyan didn't admit it, he was grateful for gesture at the end, even if only a little. He wasn't wanting to explain the transformations at all in the first place, but having to describe them at all to an uninterested party wouldn't be much worth either. Hearing that the group wasn't wanting to waste time around god, Vegeta tensed up and unleashed the force of super saiyan blue. With the blue hair and less thinned out form now present, he allowed it's both its energy and pressure to flow free as to provide an example of the true power he and Goku possessed. "This is the latest in our line of transformations, super saiyan blue. To give you an idea of what this is, god puts us in a state beyond that of what you all witnessed yesterday. This is simply the next step in the line of forms it provides."

Although the prince gave a brief enough description for understanding this form, the trio could tell just by being in it's presence that it was something entirely different from what Goku has shown off the day prior. As soon as the form was unleashed, a sudden pressure enveloped the area, giving off a hint enough of just how different blue was. While he allowed the form and it's energy to persist for a few moments, he soon dropped it, allowing himself to revert back to his base form, much to the Gems' surprise. "Uh, is that normal, like are you okay?" Though Amethyst inquired about the sudden change, all she received was a look of questioning curiosity, prompting her to clarify. "I don't mean anything by it, just, if it were me, I'd want to stay in 'blue' as long as I could, what with how strong it makes you." With her observation, Pearl interjected herself before the Saiyan could give a response. "I agree. If your kind strives off of being as strong as you can be, wouldn't you want to maintain that form, or even any of these forms?" Hearing the two's inquiry about the warrior race and it's transformations, Vegeta found himself somewhat impressed, even if so slightly (and little enough he wouldn't openly admit it still). Given how much drama had occurred since their arrival, he would have figured these gems were only inquiring about him and Goku as a way to understand their enemy more, or even just as a means of killing time. He would have been lying if he thought that they were actually paying attention to the details given to them (especially in the case of Amethyst). "Hmph, your not wrong in thinking that we still wish to be our best. Unfortunately, these transformations aren't something we warriors can usually maintain for long periods, at least not without greater training in mastering them. The higher the level of form we use, the more energy and control it requires. This is especially true with blue as it requires the most control and precision out of the rest. Besides, even if our forms weren't so costly, it would do us little good to maintain them. Each super saiyan transformation adds on to the level of power we have in our base forms, meaning that if we wish to receive the most benefit from their abilities, then we are required to improve ourselves at our base."

With dawn now taking a full grasp of the land, it was clear to the warrior that he wasn't going to be getting much more training done at this rate, much against his wishes as it didn't seem like the trio had any immediate plans of departing from the area. 'Tsk, so much for getting anything done around here. Can't sleep right, can't be left alone for a minute...these gems sure know how to piss someone off' Though his thoughts were kept private to himself, the prince's poker face was less concealed at the sight of the disruption of progress he'd been attempting to maintain. "Everything alright?" Breaking his internal monologue, he found the fusion to be the one asking about him, much to his surprise. She'd been the one to speak out the least amount among the trio, thought it seemed this to be the case more so from an observational standpoint than that of a simple silent type. "Hmph, mind your own, fusion. My thoughts and emotions aren't your concern." It was clear to the trio that they weren't exactly wanted in the area, though this didn't deter them still as they continued to stay put both out of curiosity of how this would all play out (and also for a hospitality standpoint of trying to be good hosts, both in making sure everything's okay and in allowing the others a peaceful slumber). "Heeyyyyy!" While the conversation wasn't turning out as simple and friendly (in a neutral sense) as initially hoped by both parties, the inclusion of a new voice caught everyone's attention. Coming from the beach house, the group noticed Goku waving from the balcony before leaping over to their position.

"Hey there guys! -yawn-, what's going on?" Both sides seemed shocked at the arrival of the warrior in orange and blue, as it was still relatively early (and it seemed like Goku would have been knocked out for sometime, given how sound asleep he was on Lion). "Nothing much, just checking on your...friend?...ally?...rival?...whatever you two technically are to each other. Though Amethyst struggled to find an appropriate term to compare the two Saiyans (with each one fitting, but also seeming inappropriate at the same time), Goku found humor in the attempt. "Heh, it's fine Amethyst. Technically all three really, though I'd say rival is the best one. So, what're you doing out here anyway Vegeta?" "Training Kakarot. You ought to know this well enough by now. Every opportunity is one to be utilized, not wasted, something I see you haven't quite mastered yet. I must say though, it is quite the surprise to see you up this early." While the conversation between the two continued, the trio stood by in silence as they observed as an audience with curiosity. "Whoa shots fired. Someone's awfully grumpy this morning. For the record, it wasn't me that woke...well, me, up. Guess Lion got enough rest of his own. One minute he was down for the count, the next he was up stretching and teleporting away. Didn't really give me much warning either. Still though, here I figured you'd be trying to take Whis' advice and relax a bit more is all." he responded, giving the explanation to his sudden appearance all the while placing his hands in front of him in defense at first before dropping the act. "Tsk, should have figured you weren't up on your own accord, and if you must know Kakarot, sleep wasn't the best option for me. Seems I'm not the only light sleeper in that home" he said before glancing over to the gems. "Which reminds me, seems I wasn't the only one having troubles last night. Could hear the boy tossing and grunting all night. Also made his way downstairs at one point. From what I could tell, he wasn't in the best shape either." Although it was surprising that Vegeta of all people was the one to bring up Steven's troubles (so much so that it almost seemed like genuine concern, even if only a hint of it), the trio didn't seem shocked at the mention, though it didn't help their concerns for him. "Yeah, I've been meaning to ask about that. Is everything all right with Steven? I know you guys said he accomplished a lot for someone his age, but he seems to be having more troubles than victories right now, all things considering." Sharing a nervous glance between each other at the inquiry, Pearl elected herself to explain as well as she could.

"It's...complicated I'm afraid, at least to us, given our lack of knowledge on human trauma. Throughout his whole life, Steven strived to be like us, wanting to help defend the planet during the rebellion. Once he started developing his powers, we were eager to bring him along on our missions, many of which were often dangerous. Eventually, we were able to achieve peace with his help, but the after effects from many of those missions led him to develop some traumatic responses, such as the pink form you've seen him take. Here just recently, he...had a breakdown. Turns out he was holding back all these emotions from us, and eventually it became impossible to suppress. He believed himself a monster because he thought he wasn't needed anymore and so, with his powers, he turned himself into one. It took the combined efforts of all of us and many more to bring him back from this, but even still, the effects from such a transformation are still tormenting him to this day. He has nightmares on the regular I'm afraid. Honestly, him staying out as late as he did last night was an improvement. Usually, he would have been both more audible from those nightmares as well as up and down more. Despite all that though, he's still trying to be his helpful self, though keeping away with his past hasn't been easy for him...for anyone really. I'm sorry to say that these current events aren't helping him either, as I'm sure you both noticed during the test yesterday."

While it was obvious to the two Saiyans that the boy wasn't totally fine, the idea they shared was an apparent understatement to the true anguish the hybrid carried. "Man...I'm sorry to hear that, really I am. He's been a good host to us, really you all have, despite only knowing the both of us for less than a day and considering all the trouble we've brought to your doorstep in such a small amount of time. And while you probably won't hear it from him, I can say that neither of us intend to cause anymore trouble towards you guys, at least if we can help it. I know that probably doesn't mean much considering the circumstances of everything around our being here, but if it were up to me, I'd rather Steven be left to his own." Giving a soft hearted smile towards the gems, it was clear to them that Goku meant each word he said. "Thank you Goku. Your words are appreciated." Garnet responded, which Amethyst following suit after. "Yeah man. Let's just hope that Beerus guy shares the same opinion." Though the two parties were sentimental to each other, it was hard to maintain such a touching moment at the mention of Beerus, as the potential what if concerning Steven's fate with the destroyer crossed everyone's mind. As the unwanted thought lingered, Vegeta began walking away from the others and towards the ocean before any further points could be added. While the prince continued making his way away from the others, it seemed almost as if he intended to leave the area. "Hey, where you going Vegeta?". Hearing his rival's remark, the warrior turned to face the others. "Away from here. I didn't make my way to the beach to be feeling sentimental. The day is still young and I have full intensions to continue training. Seeing as how Steven isn't the greatest sleeper and that you are all up now, I'm going to find some remote island, one where I can practice in peace." "Well, if that's the case, then I think I'll join you. If your going to be training, then let's get the most out of it. I could use a good wake up call anyway." As Goku began walking towards the prince, giving his arm a circle stretch in the process, Vegeta didn't seem too shocked at his ally's self inclusion into the mix. "Hmph, if you insist Kakarot, but only because I'll get more progress out of punching you than I will the air. Come on, there's bound to be a barren island or something around here somewhere" he said, before flying off into the distance. "Heh heh, this is going to be fun." As he prepared himself to take off as well, he looked to the trio, who still remained as silent and observing as they had been for most of the back and forth between the two. "You guys take care. I'd like to say we'll be back soon, but it can be hard to tell sometimes. If Beerus and Whis get back before we do, can you let them know we're off training." Garnet simply flashed a thumbs up at the request, as to not waste any time in his departure. Without a more than a moments notice, the Saiyan quickly charged after the other, leaving the beachside occupied by it's usual individuals. "Well, there they go, I suppose. Think we should be worried about them roaming about?" Pearl asked, clearly showing some anxiety at the idea of two super powered fighters going about and using other areas as 'training' (a word that she had a feeling would be used loosely. Using her comparison to the 'test' turned sour from the day prior, it was guessed that it wasn't as simple as to call their matches 'training'). "Not sure we really have much of a choice either way P, you know, since they're already gone. Besides, at least now we can get some peace and quiet around here" Amethyst added, all the while folding her arms behind her head and walking towards the beach house at the same time. Though she was still nervous about it, it was hard to argue with that point. Soon enough, her and Garnet both followed suit. "We can only hope for the best here Pearl. No sense getting bend out of shape over it now. Hopefully they manage to keep things restrained enough." With the hope led by the fusion's advice, the trio moved back into the home to begin the day officially, though they had a feeling things wouldn't be as simple as what they wished.

-BOOM-. Steven jolted upwards to a booming earthquake spreading through the house. While the shockwave began to quickly subside, a second aftershock quickly followed after, giving the impression that this wasn't a simple natural occurrence. Glancing over to his currently rattling clock, he managed to spot 9am on the device before it shook itself off it's resting place. Seeing that the shockwaves weren't subsiding (or in a pattern of any sort), the hybrid got up and dressed himself as well as he could amongst the shaking of the home. With his usual attire now equipped, Steven attempted to safely make his way down the steps. Though he managed to maintain a straight enough posture for the first half of the distance, he lost his footing at the turning of the corner. The floorboards below him began to close the gap between it and himself, signaling the boy to prepare for the impact. Much to his surprise though, it never came. Initially shocked at the lack of expected pain, Steven noticed he was within Bismuth's grasp. "Whoa there Steven. Heck of a wake up call huh?" With the builder's enthusiastic energy being ever so present, she brought Steven down to the ground at the bottom of the steps safely, all the while ensuring that the continued shockwaves didn't interrupt the motion. "There. Man, you guys just can't get a break around here huh." 'Tell me about it' "What're you doing here Bismuth, and where're the others?" While the hybrid wasn't upset at seeing his friend, he would have been lying if he said he wasn't shocked to see her there at all, especially without at least one of the others. With everything going on, he figured more than anything that one of the gems would have tried to keep her and the others to manage Little Homeworld while they keep an eye on the Saiyans. "Trying to fix up your doorway, among other things. At this rate though, this is going to take me a bit longer than I thought. As for the others, they all rushed out to the beach when all these shockwaves began kicking up. Couldn't have been more than ten minutes or so after we got here before it all started. Heard them mention something about a 'Saiyan' on their way out though, whatever that is." Hearing Bismuth mention the race, Steven mentally kicked himself for a moment. "-sigh-, yeah, that actually makes sense. Can't believe I didn't consider that at first. Alright, I'll go see if I can't help them get the quakes to stop. Thanks Bismuth." With the most recent shockwave subsiding, Steven took the opportunity to make his way out of the home via the slightly repaired gap in the entrance. "Steven, hang on a sec." Bismuth called out before he got much farther. "I take it you guys know what's going on then?" The question seemed more of a concerned inquiry than that of curiosity (though there was a hint of the feeling as well). If Steven didn't know better, the builder almost seemed weary of it all, as if having to face another threat was one of the last things she wished to avoid. "If my guess is right about this, yeah. It's a long story. Don't worry, we'll get you guys up to speed once we get things to calm down." Without waiting around any longer, Steven quickly moved over to the balcony edge. Looking out, he noticed the Gems, Lapis, Peridot, and Connie (the latter of the mix being one of the last inclusions he was expecting this morning), all of whom were staring out towards the ocean, though exactly what was being observed (or attempting to be) was yet to be seen exactly. "Steven, just-" Bismuth was saying before being cut off by another round of quakes. While the ground shook, Steven decided it best to not stick around any longer out of fear of what the repeated occurrences may do both to the home and the neighboring towns. "Sorry Bismuth. It'll have to wait." he said before jumping off the balcony, leaving the builder to her lonesome in the dwelling. "-sigh-, just stay safe meatball." she said aloud, with hopes that he out of all the others wouldn't be impacted any further by these kinds of things.

Making his way out to the others, it was more evident now that the shockwaves were coming from somewhere over the ocean. The closer he got, the more it almost seemed like he could make out little bursts of air, which was presumably the cause for the quakes. "Hey guys" Announcing his presence to the others, everyone looked towards him before a majority looked back towards the action. "Hey Steven" Connie, being one of the only ones to remain giving him her full attention (or at least as much as she could while still keeping a tab on the booms occurring in the distance). "How's everything looking" Looking off in the distance, he tried to get a bead on the pair, but found that such a task was impossible at the moment, much to his surprise. 'I knew these guys were fast, but give me a break'. he thought before Pearl chimed in. "Not great I'm afraid. Goku and Vegeta are doing a decent deal of damage and we're not quite sure how we can get them to stop. At this rate, it's only a matter of time before they start causing damage to the surrounding area." As if to add on to her point, a loose ball of energy was suddenly flying towards the group. Seeing that there was time to react, Garnet stepped forward and, with her now summoned gauntlets, fired off the weapons towards the ball, creating a small boom of it's own on impact. "This is getting out of hand. We need to put a stop to this now!" she said while maintaining a watchful eye for any more loose cannons from the warriors. "Yeah no kidding G. Pretty sure we're all as open to suggestions as you are right now." Amethyst added. Steven knew things were bound to get more out of hand the longer things were allowed to continue running, but he had just as many ideas as anyone else at the moment. Putting a stop to super powered (and super fast) fighters wasn't exactly an everyday occurrence for the gems. "Oh wait, I might have an idea." Peridot quickly said before darting off towards the beach house, all the while giving a small bit of trademark cackling laugh. While it was great that at least someone had an idea, the remainder of the group would hardly call having to wait on her to present it a viable option. "So, does anyone else have an idea, preferably one a bit more immediate?" Connie remarked. Moments after she did, a new boom presented itself, one that was much closer than the one's the hybrid had been presented with thus far. Looking to the source of the disturbance, he found that both Goku and Vegeta had become visible and were actively engaged in combat. With the pair each having a slimed down appearance and red hair (something Steven assumed was one of the transformations that wasn't showcased the day prior), they continued exchanging several blows, ones that even the most novice of fighters could tell held some weight behind. Not long after they appeared, the pair then disappeared, presumably into the ocean as a large pillar of water was shot up into the air. Thankfully, seeing this gave the hybrid an idea.

"I think I got something. From what I can tell, I think they're fighting in the water now. Lapis, maybe you can slow them down enough, possibly even restrain them?" The question was a big order, there was no doubt about that, even from those who didn't have the ability. Regardless, it was hard to deny that it was probably their best shot in trying to get the two to halt the fight. "I'm not too sure about restraining them, but I suppose it's better than nothing!" Placing her arms out in front of her, the aquatic gem began to take a grip onto the ocean. While everyone knew that Lapis was capable of manipulating large masses of water with usual ease, it was clear that this task was something even she was struggling with. "Urgh, I...I think I've got them. Hang on, I'll...see if I can get them up here". With a struggled manipulation, the pair of warriors slowly appeared from the sea, with both of them being encased in a full veil of water (apparently so much that even the inside of the encasements were nothing but water as the group noticed the two warriors both letting loose air bubbles as well as having less fluid movement in their attempts to figure out what was happening). Not long after they surfaced, the Saiyans seemed to both figure out where the source of the ability was coming from as both began staring over to the audience. Unfortunately, this seemed to make the idea of being stuck within the bubbles even less ideal of a situation to bear. Though it was first started by Vegeta, Goku soon also began to allow a veil of red energy to swirl around within the bubble. Seconds after it started, the encasements were forced to burst as the warriors forced too much pressurized energy for Lapis to contain on her own, leaving her to have to take a struggled knee down afterwards. "Alright...they're out...Your guys' turn now" Though the gem was clearly exhausted from putting her power against that of the other two, her efforts weren't in vain as both Goku and Vegeta flew down towards them, both with a look of curiosity (though Vegeta carried a side of annoyance with the feeling).

"Alright gems, explain yourselves!" Vegeta declared, clearly showing that he was in a more active mood than he had been earlier that morning. "Yeah, what gives? We'd just gotten to the good part." Goku added. It was a shock to the gems to see the two speaking so straightforward with this, almost like this were a regular occurrence for them (considering the amount of things the pair had dropped onto the others since their arrival, it honestly wouldn't have been a greater surprise if that were the case). "What gives? We should be asking you two that." While Amethyst was dead on with her reverse accusation, the pair (more so Goku) gained a look of confusion, as if they were actually unaware of what she meant. "Sorry Amethyst, but could you be more spec- ow" As the Saiyan was beginning to inquire about the purple gem's meaning, a single, unopened can suddenly struck Goku on the head. Automatically aware of how and why the can struck the warrior, the gems were more amazed that it managed to land it's mark at all (or that it managed to even get a reaction out of him), considering how intense the two had been going just moments prior. "Ha, take that you punch happy clod! Now stop fighting before you destroy everything!" Peridot declared as she ran back up to the others. "Umm, what she said, actually. To answer your question Goku, you two were getting a bit out of hand there. You both nearly caused significant damage to the beachside, and that's not to mention nearly taking us out as well. Stars know what would have happened if we weren't out here to stop you two." While the pair seemed to prepare themselves for a rebuttal to Pearl's claim, they noticed that the beachside did some to have a bit more disturbed areas in it's wake. As if to only add on to the evidence, a small piece of rock from the cliffside in the distance broke apart.

"Huh, okay maybe we did get a bit too into the training. Heh heh, sorry about that guys." Goku added on, rubbing the back of his head out of embarrassment. "For the record, you have that idiot to blame for all this" Vegeta said before dropping back into his base form, prompting Goku to do the same as he moved to respond to the addition. "Wait what? Vegeta, this isn't purely on me, you were just as involved in that fight as I was!" "Hmph, that's only because you were the one to suggest we continue sparring above the ocean rather than finding a new island." "Okay sure, but- ow" Sensing that the two were about to begin a new argument of who was truly to blame, the same can from before arose and struck Goku once again in the same spot, prompting the Saiyan to be both surprised again and needing to rub the wound as a minor sting was present. "Really again with the can!? The heck are you guys storing in those things?" Looking towards Peridot once again, the audience found that she had indeed launched the object a second time on purpose. "Sorry about the interruption, but I believe I speak for everyone here when I say you two bicker like a pair of agates!" While the pair were unsure of the exact meaning behind the term (it was assumed that these 'agates' were a gem thing), the remainder of the group caught on well enough to understand her meaning. "Peridots right. Seriously, does it really matter how it happened? You guys lost control. Own it and be done with it!" Connie added, clearly showing that she, along with the others, weren't in the greatest of moods to be dealing with this sort of thing. "Tsk" Vegeta added before angrily walking by everyone towards the house. "Uh Vegeta, where're you going?" Hearing Steven's inquiry, the prince glanced back to the others for a long enough moment to give his brief response. "Inside of course. It's clear that this training session is over. If we're going to continue just wasting time from here on out, then I might as well be comfortable doing so!" With the Saiyan's departure from the audience, everyone else seemed to be baffled that the conversation didn't continue into something more tense. 'Guess Vegeta's getting used to this by now' Steven thought. With Lapis having recovered enough to be able to get herself around again, the rest of the individuals followed suit.

"Ugh, finally! Now we can move on to more important things. I suppose introductions are in order. I am the great and loveable Peridot!" the technician declared while walking alongside Goku. "Heh heh, 'great and loveable' huh? Well, it's nice to meet you either way Peridot." Adding on to his response, Goku quickly felt a twinge of a sting from the surprise disruption from moments ago. "Say, were you the one who launched that can at me?" Upon being asked, Peridot immediately gained a sense of dread, though she refused to let it show any sign of such weakness. 'Oh shards...' "um, I was indeed. My apologies, it was the only thing I could think of in such short notice to get your attention." While she initially feared some sort of backlash or even badmouthing from the warrior, she was shocked to find that he was instead chuckling. "Heh heh, well that's some attack. Took my by complete surprise. Honestly you wouldn't think something like that would pack that much of a punch, but sheesh did it sneak up on me." With the green gem and Goku remaining occupied with each other's company while the others continued observing with curiosity, everyone moved back inside the home.

While the morning wasn't progressing the way everyone had initially planned, something they had not considered was the amount of people now currently occupying the dwelling. Usually, space wasn't a huge issue for the household, but with the two extra additions added on with the B Team and Connie, things were becoming a little cramped. Thankfully, the two parties managed to find a way to have everyone comfortable enough to bear. With Steven, Amethyst, and Connie utilizing the stair steps, Bismuth remaining at the entrance, Garnet leaned up against a wall, Vegeta, Goku and Lapis using the couch (with Goku in between the two), Pearl at the counter in the kitchen, and Peridot using the few bar stools, the two parties found themselves comfortable enough to go about the day. The remainder of the morning was simple enough. The day was considered late enough that everyone agreed to hold off on breakfast as it was only about a couple hours until noon at this point. The combined mass of races gave their introductions to the newest inclusions to make sure everyone was up to speed enough, with the remainder of the a.m. being used for answering questions, most of which were posed by either Peridot or Connie (though more so the former than anything as her curiosity was in full swing at the possibilities of the two warriors in full). Though many questions were asked, the unfortunate topic concerning the why for the two Saiyans being present was also included. Thankfully, it was kept to a minimum enough, with only the major details to be included (i.e. why they showed up and awaiting the aftermath of everything, a final point that did not lighten any spirits. The two parties thought it best to move on from the somber note as to avoid brining about a depressing morning). With noon now upon them, Pearl quickly brought together a lunch for everyone, with the surprise addition of a meat dish for the Saiyans. Until the pretext of 'having extra in storage', the two gratefully accepted the protein filled meal while the rest of those who ate stuck with the usual vegetarian dish. Just as mealtime was coming to a close, the two parties were still in their own calm conversations.

"So Lion just showed up and tried getting you to warp with him?" the hybrid asked his friend. While her inclusion wasn't an unwelcome one, she was certainly one of the fewer individuals he had expected to come across during all of this as she still had her life to go through as well. "Pretty much yeah. I wasn't even awake yet when he warped himself in around 6 or so. Took a good few hours before he got fed up with me and warped us both here. I'm just thankful he was patient enough to let me actually wake up this morning and get around." It was no secret that the pink feline had basically become Connie's pet overtime as he typically chose to spend more time around her than the others, something Steven was admittedly slightly envious of, though not enough to really say much out of respect of avoiding being seen as jealous. Something that Connie quickly become aware of however was how pushy Lion could be sometimes. She could still recall times when he would show up at the most random times to either bring her something or try and warp her somewhere without much warning (with the point of it being either to show off something interesting like a lion licker or a lizard the beast had managed to catch and store).

Before either of the two could continue their talk, a separate beginning discussion caught the attention of the room. "Uh, you good Goku?" Amethyst asked with some worry in her voice. While the normally cheerful Saiyan would have kept a calm and friendly look, he features and attitude suddenly went south, almost as if he were disturbed or interrupted by something awful. "I'm not sure yet. Vegeta, you feel that?" With everyone looking to the prince, they found him to be in a similar state, even so much that his typical scowl and uninterested attitude were interrupted in exchange for that of a more serious one. "Of course. Damnit, how could he be here?" As the two continued sensing something that caught more attention from them both then the gems had seen in as much effect thus far, a twinge of worry began to befall the others as they could only guess what was happening. "So, you two mind sharing for the rest of us?" Before either could answer Bismuth's inquiry, a sudden rattling befell the home, though one much lighter than the quakes it had been subjected to earlier that day. "Guess he found us." Goku said before both him and Vegeta stood up away from their seated positions. "Come on Vegeta." Not waiting long enough to fill the gems in, the two Saiyans darted to the entrance, nearly bumping Bismuth aside in the process. With everyone else following the two out of the home without a moments notice, everyone, now standing on the balcony, was greeted to a harrowing sight. Positioned just above the beachside was a small, circular ship. Sporting a variety of black and white colors with clear sky blue tinted windows, the ship remained hovering far above the sand. Much to those on the gem side of things, a small hatch opened up.

"Guys, is this a friend of yours or should we be in a panic again?" Steven asked the pair, hoping that they weren't too distracted to give a straight enough answer (or an answer at all). Thankfully, Goku wasn't so focused on the ship that he wouldn't respond. "He's not friendly, I can tell you that much. As for the panicking option, not quite yet but stay behind us. Knowing him, I doubt this is purely just a social call. Things might get a bit heated her in a minute." With Goku's ominous description almost sounding like an order at the mention of 'stay back', the gems could only continue to gaze on as a slim figure presented itself. With only a moments notice, the figure quickly began to fly down and was soon hovering just above the two parties. The figure itself was a lean alien looking being, with mostly a sleek shade of white to adorn the body, with large orb like spots of purple being presented on various locations, most notably the head. He had eyes that sported blood red pupils and a tail that continued swinging about with an ominous feel to it, almost as if the being were eager in an annoyed sense.

"Oh ho ho ho, so this is where you monkeys were hiding!"

...

And with that, what was dubbed as the 'filler arc' has concluded. Now we can move into a point I have had scheduled since basically chapter 2 or 3. I know the description isn't exactly subtle, but I'd be curious if anyone actually expected/predicted this familiar, evil, pain in the arse to show up at any point.

So funny thing, realized I might have made a slight error in my writing with last chapter. Goku hit his head against the wall, knocking over debris to the floor, taking everyone's mind off the topic of transformations. What I hadn't considered was that SSJ3 would have most likely knocked it over to begin with before a light tap from Goku's noggin did. Just a funny point I considered like a week after that chapter was posted. Honestly might go back and update that.

Hope you guys enjoyed the extra long chapter! Had originally meant to end it off as it did here, but things expanded much more than I initially thought they would. If yall knew how close the story, going from Steven waking up to the fighting up until the end here, nearly made it into it's own chapter..let's just say it was a tough decision. Overall though, didn't want to go from a lengthy chapter to a shorter one (if I split it, it would have only been like 3500 words for the next chapter while this still would have been 6000+). To add on to it, I was a bit eager to get to the next big point in the story, so it ultimatley stayed this way, as you can all see lol.

Not too much to say from here aside from all that. Plan is to have the next chapter out here soon as usual. Pending some things here, might be a bit delayed, but currently doesn't look like it so things should be squared away still. Thanks everyone as always for the visits and thoughts, always appreciated! Hope yall are staying safe, healthy, drinking plenty of water (or whatever liquid you may choose)! Until chapter 10 guys, thanks again! Bye!