A large Ice Monster gave a monstrous growl of pain from a powerful punch from Garnet, hitting one of the Ice Cavern's walls in the progress. "Ok everyone, one more hit should do it!" The monster gets up making a snarling noise before cracks formed on its head, one going to the socket of its right arm which falls off.
"Yikes! Your arm." Steven began holding his arm almost feeling how painful that would be if losing his. Suddenly, a ball of light, belonging from Pink Pearl's Spear hit the monster, causing it to let out one last snarl before falling apart from the extra cracks.
After it poofs Pearl rushes towards the cloud and catches the Gem before bubbling it away. "Now there's nothing standing between us and the Shooting Star." Way before they can even go and get the said Gem Object, the cave started to crumble around them.
"This job is really dangerous!" Soren then agrees with Pink Pearl as they look around the cave. "You said it!" Amethyst looked up above them shouted. "Whoa, Mama!" A small torrent of snow piles around and on top of them, encasing them in snow and ice.
The entire time saw this. "Oh no!" Steven said as he heads towards the pile and tries digging them out. "Don't worry! I'll dig you out." Pearl sees more snow falling around them and looks at the team. "We need to get Steven out of here, it isn't safe for him!" Lapis nods and runs over to him.
"I'm going to send you back to the temple Steven!" He looked confused at her. "What? But how?" Lapis gave him a kiss on the lips before bubbling him in an indigo-colored bubble. "Whoa...You can bubble me?!" Steven questioned which drew attention to Pearl who shouted. "What no like that!"
Lapis doesn't listen and bubbles Steven back to the temple. "Lapis!" She looked at Pearl about to tell her why she did that before Garnet warned them. "Watch your head." Every one of them was soon covered in the snow. Meanwhile, Steven was screaming as he went through a portal while inside the bubble.
Inside Burning Room
Steven opened his eyes and looked around his surroundings, realizing where he's at. "Whoa! I'm back inside the temple." He then looks to the right and sees the Ice Monster's Gem, causing him to laugh a bit. "Look 'atcha now. Stuck in a bubble." He then placed his finger and thumb under his chin, thinking.
"Hmm...Let me see if I can..." He quickly poked the bubble, causing it to pop. Steven then fell and landed on another that was below him, revealing to be the Centipeetle's bubble. "Uh-oh..." It then pops, making him and the said Corruptions Gem falls onto the ground.
Steven then looked over at the gem which started to glow and reform. "Oh man. What's happening?!" The glowing figure then transformed into the familiar Corruption. "Aah! The Centipeetle." Steven then ran off to the wall, hiding behind one of the vessels of the Crystal Heart. Hearing nothing but the sounds of something small he peeked above it and saw the Centipeetle, now in the size of a small dog, backing away from him.
"Huh? It looks...So scared."
Steven goes over the vessel and tries to speak to it. "Uhh, hi." It backs a bit and hisses with its hair standing up. "Ah, no, it's okay. Look, please don't be scared of me. See, I'm not gonna hurt you." It stopped, causing its hair to go back down.
"Just relax. Yeah, that's it. Doesn't relaxing feel nice?" He questioned it before going down to one knee, patting the ground in front of him. "You wanna come over here and relax with me? We can totally just hang out and relax, right here on the floor."
The Centipeedle gargles a bit from the acid in its mouth and heads over, now merely a few inches away from Steven who tries to keep it calm. "Yeah, don't be shy. We can be friends. My name's-"
"STEVEN!"
The Centipeedle let out a screech of fear from Lapis' shout as Pearl asked. "Get away from that thing!" Lapis ran over and hugged Steven as the Corruption ran off. "Did it hurt you?" Steven was about to say no before looking to see the Centipeetle cornered by Onyx, Yellow Pearl and the leader herself. "Wait! It's not-
"This was a terrible idea! And he's even managed to pop a bubble and let out that awful...Thing!" Pearl kept her weapon pointed at the said Gem who backed away from them. "If that thing hurt you, so help me I'll-"
Steven then shouts. "No! It didn't do anything!" The Gems looked surprised at Steven who then ran over to the Centipeetle, standing in front of it. "Don't hurt it! I accidentally let it out of its bubble, but it didn't even try to hurt me." They looked at the Corruption which hid behind Steven in fear.
"It's not like the other monsters, it's just scared and confused. Please. I'm begging you." Steven made a desperate face, which the others noticed. After a bit of a pause, Pearl sighed. "I can't say no to that face."
The others looked shocked at her. "Excuse me?!" Yellow Pearl asked. "You can't be serious Pearl!" Lapis then stood by Pearl along with Garnet who told them as her Gauntlets vanished. "I think you should try and tame it, Steven." Lazuli gave a smile to him. "And I can help you."
"Us too." Violet, Anaya, and Blue stood by the blue Gem as the young Gem smiled and hug them. "Thank you guys so much." They blushed and soon hugged back with Garnet petting Steven's head. "Shut down by the P-squad! Ahahahaha!"
Amethyst taunted Yellow with a laugh, angering her a bit when Soren and Pink Pearl joined the laugh too. "Okay...But lets at least take some precautions." After that, they left Garnet's room.
Outside The Beach House
"Alright. Let's see if you five can get it to calm down." On the sandy Beach, the group of Gems looked at the Centipeetle who is chained to a rock, ensuring that it doesn't go off and harm anyone. "Uh...It still seems a little scared."
Centipeetle then broke one of the chains like it was plastic, making some of the Gems including Lion go into a fighting pose. "Don't any of you think that's a little too far?" Anaya asked before Steven suggested. "Maybe you guys could put your weapons away and watch from the house?"
"Absolutely not!" Pearl told him before feeling a hand on her shoulder, revealing Onyx. "Calm down Pearl, I'm sure they can handle it." After telling his wife, she looks at the five and made her weapon vanish. "Okay. Just, please be careful around it."
Steven gave a thumb up. "Got it, Pearl!" While the team went back inside, the Gems remaining outside look back at the Centipeedle who was pulling at one of the chains. "Okay, friend. It's just us now." Steven told the Corruption who breaks free of chains and hisses again.
"Calm, calm, calm. Just like before." Blue Pearl told it as its hair began to lower. "Just relax and let your hair down." Said Steven to the Gem as Lapis asked. "You wanna come over here? C'mon, it won't be like before."
It stood in its spot, cautious about them. "What if we try something else?" Anaya suggested, earning a hum from Steven before sounding surprised. "Oh, what's this?" He then pulls out a bag of chips from his unzipped coat. "Chiiips! You like Chips? You wanna chip?" He then takes a chip out of bag and gives it to the Centipeedle.
"Awwww, look at this chip! Yum, yum, yum!" He then takes one out and eats it. "Mmm, tasty, tasty. Try it!" The Corruption walks towards the chip and sniffs it. Causing the five to smile. "Smells good, right?" Violet asked which the Centipeetle ate the chip. It licks its mouth before Steven gives it another which it eats out of his hand.
Anaya tells them. "I don't know how it eats with an eyeball in its mouth, but I'm glad it likes it." Just then Steven stood up from his knee and leads the Centipeetle with chips which blow out of his hand, into Centipeetle's mouth. Seeing it enjoy the snack they began to laugh in success.
"Hey, come on!" Steven told the Corruption letting it come over to them and eat more chips. "You love chips, and we love chips! Yeah!" Steven sang in joy before a seagull came down and bites his finger, causing him to drop the bag. "Aaah!"
Steven screamed and gathering attention from the four as Steven then shouts to the ratbird. "Shoo, get! Those aren't for you!" It squawks at him and others who try to get rid of it. This made Centipeetle angry at the seagull.
"Whoa, what is it doing?" Violet Pearl got her answer when the Centipeetle shot acid at the seagull causing it to fly away. When it was gone Steven said in amazement to the Corruption. "You...Saved us."
Meanwhile
"But we have to go back for the shooting star!" Pearl reminded the team as Steven, Lapis, Blue Pearl, Anaya, and Violet Pearl come in with the Centipeetle by them. "Guys!" Steven brought their attention to them with Yellow Pearl noticing the Corruption. "Woah, why isn't that thing on its rock?"
Steven explains to them. "We trained her up! Look! Squawk!" Instantly the Centipeetle shoots acid at one of the support beam. "Squawk!" It shot acid again, missing Garnet. "Squawk!"
"Steven, you can't just...Ah!" Pearl moved away out of the acid which lands on the picture of her from before, distorting her face, causing it to look grumpy, earning a laugh from the three Gems eating. "Hahahaha! That was awesome-!" Before Amethyst finished. "Squawk!"*
The Centipeetle shot another spit of acid which hits and knocks Amethyst's sandwich from her hand and onto the ground, melting it. "Nooooo! Mi Tortaaa!" She begins to grieve over her sandwich before being handed half of Soren's and Pink Pearl's.
"This is unacceptable!"
Pearl told them as Steven told her. "Oh, come on Pearl. She can help us on like missions and stuff." The five began to pet the Corruption like a dog with Anaya looking confused. "She?" Blue Pearl looks at her. "Most of the Gems we know are female." Yellow Pearl interupts. "Oh, no! Out of the question!"
"Awww." Steven looks down with Lapis comforting her before looking at the group. "Well, we can't return to the Ice Cavern now. We have to deal with this...Situation." Onyx told his wife as Amethyst who was now eating the combo sandwich of both Soren and Pink Pearl's sandwich tells them. "Well, I dunno how we're getting through that cavern without causing a cave-in anyway."
Pearl then hums before looking at the Centipeetle who's acid was drooling from her mouth saliva, causing her to smile. "That's how." Everyone then looked at the Centipeetle.
Later
Back in the Ice Cavern, the team was now standing in front of a wall of snow with a layer of frozen ice. "I just don't know if this will work...But it's worth a try." Pearl said with a finger at her chin as Steven began to flap his arms like wings.
"Squawk!"
The Centipeetle spits acid on cue, creating a large hole through the wall of snow. "Alright, Centipeetle!" Anaya said before throwing some chips to her as a reward, which she began to eat.
"Well then, Shooting Star, here we come." They began to go deeper within the cavern with the Centipeetle spitting more of her green acid at the icy so they can get through. After going through a few more they ended up in a room that looks like a dead end. "Guys...Is that a dead body?"
They looked to where Soren was pointing, seeing a skeleton wearing climbing gear, showing that it might have been a mountain climber from long ago that had either froze to death or worst. Before anyone could answer, the Centipeetle ran through the possible skeletal remains and into a hole that was behind it.
"Either it was that or a prop to keep others from finding the hidden entrance to the Shooting Star." After Lapis told them they followed the Corruption through the small tunnel, entering the room on the side. "Woah..." They began to look at all of the beauty that is of the room from its stalactites to its color.
Just as the Gems walked up to a small pool, Steven looked down at it and spotted what they were looking for. "Cool!" Pearl approached from the side and looked down at the magical object.
"There it is! The Shooting Star! An ancient elemental, so hot, and so volatile, it can only be contained in ice. Bare skin cannot endure its intensity!" Stars appeared in Pearl's eyes when she said that. "What do you do with the Shooting Star?
Amethyst tells Anaya. "Uhh, you shoot it. It's in the name." Yellow Pearl looked at Garnet and told her. "Garnet, your Gauntlets, they're the only things that can pick the Shooting Star up." She nodded and summons her weapons. Before she even got close to picking the Star up, the Centipeetle hissed in fear.
"No, no, no! Not now!" Steven rushes over with Lapis following him. "That's not good..." Onyx said as the Centipeetle out of fear spits acid all over the ceiling, causing some of the stalactites to fall from the ceiling.
All of them got out of the way and or ducked as the stalactites hit the ground, creating smoke after landing. "I knew this would happen!" Pearl shouted before summoning her Spear, charging at the Centipeetle before knocking her against the wall.
"Aaah! Pearl, stop! It was an accident!" Steven tried to reason, accidentally pulling Centipeetle's hair which he apologized for. "Sorry for pulling..."
The Gems all shouted. "Steven!" Pearl ran towards him and kicks the Centipeetle away, causing Steven to tear up as he, Lapis, Anaya, Blue, Violet shouted.
"Noooo!" The Centipeetle gets up and runs towards them only to be blocked by Soren, Pink Pearl, and Amethyst, who whips her and accidentally sends some of the Gems flying into the wall. "Sorry!" Pink Pearl shouted to them before the Centipeetle attempts to attack.
Anaya yells to the Corruption. "Please stop! You don't need to fight!" Violet then tells the Centipeetle. "This isn't you! You're not a monster anymore! You're more than that."
"We have so many memories now! Remember the chip times?" Steven began to walk towards her, telling her. "And how you saved us from that vicious seagull? And how we became best friends?"
He then pulls her in for a hug. "You have to remember! This all happened today!" Tears began to leave his eyes from the acid landing onto his back, melting away his jacket before the Centipeetle began to calm down, sounding almost like a dog. Suddenly a stalactite falls, causing the Gems to gasp before the Centipeetle noticed and pushed Steven out of the way.
"Noooo!"
Lapis manages to catch him, but at the same time, the Corruption was crushed by the stalactite letting out a screech with only her head and front legs visible. "Nooo!" Centipeetle gargles a bit before poofing into a cloud, leaving only her Gem which rolls over to them.
"You saved me." Pearl then tells him. "Steven...You, Lapis, Blue, Violet, and Anaya all did well trying to tame the Centipeetle. Your mother would be so proud."
Steven asks. "She would?" The others agreed or nodded. "Yes...Rose had tried for many years to use her powers to save them, but she was never able to heal them."
"Never? But if she couldn't do it..." Lapis shrugs. "Who knows? Maybe when you have better control of your powers Steven, you might help them in ways even your mother couldn't...Even this one."
Steven smiled at the Centipeetle's Gem and holds it up. "I'll keep it safe." Surprisingly he puts her Gem in a bubble. "Whoa!" Most of them said with Lapis saying happily. "Steven! You can bubble Gems!"
"Wow."
He said in amazement before telling the Corruption's Gem. "Wait for me, Centipeetle...I promise will heal you up someday." He then sends the bubble to the Burning Room. "Ooh! Wait!" He then reaches for something in his jacket.
Meanwhile
After the Centipeetle's Gem in the bubble appeared in the Burning Room, AKA Garnet's bedroom another bubble appeared next to it, revealing to be the bag of chips.