Here it is, the play itself. So much is going to happen now. I hope you enjoy this chapter as well as the story in its entirety.

I do not own Steven Universe, hence the fanfiction.

Chapter 16: The Night of the Play

oooOOOooo

Hundreds of years ago, a group of people roamed the vacant land. Then one day, a young girl wandered off far from her group. They were constantly on the move, but decided to settled upon realizing they were short one. A man came out and wondered for the girl, as the group maintained their spot. The girl was alone and scared as she continued to walk alongside the creek. Eventually, she discovered some fruits nearby and ate with glee. The fruits were indeed rich and juicy, something the girl found appealing. With a stomach full of nourishments, the girl decided to sleep on a pile of leaves.

It wasn't until a few hours later that the man discovered the girl asleep and something else. Near where she slept, he stumbled on a mighty bay that provided all sort of plants to form. A great deal of bore fruits and he noticed the girl had her fill of them; the remains left beside her person. Picking up a piece untouched by the girl's appetite, he took a great big bite and savored the taste he received.

"This will be our home." He declared and the town of Medley was formed.

oooOOOooo

"Now for a quick intermission." Said Ronaldo as the curtains came closing down on the stage. The people clapped respectfully as Ronaldo returned backstage. Narrating was exhausting for the young adult, receiving a cold drink from one of the twins. "Thanks."

"You're welcome. You were great out there." She said before turning her attention to the props being moved around. They were both under pressure and time as everything had to be ready for the next act.

"Ronaldo, please allow me to check the microphone. There was a slight delay. I think I can fix it before the next act." Peridot said. Ronaldo took off the headset and handed it off to her.

Meanwhile, Greg dropped down after performing his role as the man to declare their new home. When Steven said they needed someone to play a minor role in the beginning, he never thought he had to train for it. Being a nomadic man, Greg had to lose the stomach and tone his arms to fit the role. Bow was Pearl strict on his diet and training regiment. Finally done with his part, he fell down to relax. His stomach still ached for the amount of sit-ups he completed to rid the flappy abdominal underneath his shirt.

"Phew... Glad I only had that role to do." He said, viewing around the set.

"People, places. The next part is starting in less than five minutes!" Connie yelled as the new scene fell into place. She then dashed to one side of the set.

"Mr. Universe! We need some muscle here!" Connie said as they tried pulling the rope.

"Oh boy..." He said, before lifting himself up from the floor. "I'm coming!"

oooOOOooo

Many hundreds of years went by as the small village turned into a prosperous town. Many would come from distance lands to either settle there or trade with its town folks. Everything seemed to be going great for the town of Medley where they had a little of everything. Each decade or so, their territory would expand as many people decided to make their home outside the walls.

What started out as a handful, later became hundreds as the town of Medley now had a sub-town stretching from outside the protective walls. Those that lived around that area were mostly farmers that would provide the town with many nourishments along with a small amount of items.

Sad to say, the great town would face its first tragedy when the Queen of the land suddenly passed away. Her untimely death let everyone in turmoil, but no one more than the King himself. Even after months went by, the King could not let go of his grief. The lost of his love and companion left him dwindling in his health until one day, the King collapsed. Everyone was in shock as the towering authority fell to the floor. The attendant called out the guards, as the laundry lady nearby caught wind of the news.

"The King has fallen!"

"The King?"

"The King has fallen!"

It didn't take long for the news to travel across the land; it even went past the walls. People were both in shock and in fear as the state of their kingdom was possibly in peril. Bedridden, the King's health remained with no sign of improvement. With that, most of his advisers started to follow the young prince. Only the top adviser stayed beside the King to provide an overview of his Kingdom. With most of the responsibilities falling on the Prince, there was no time for leisure for him.

It was in no time that the people saw how fragile their kingdom was becoming without a stern ruler. With a strong petition, they presented the court with a proposition. To secure the royal reign, the prince must get wedded.

The Prince had no one in mind and had no time because of his placed responsibilities. So when he received the news that he must be wedded, he was baffled. That did not stop the town folks as they quickly devised a plan; a competition for the perfect bride.

oooOOOooo

Another act had been completed as the curtains drew close the stage. Ronaldo declared an intermission as many clapped. The reaction was clearly one-sided as they cheered upon each succession. With the act ending with the people of Medley looking for a "candidate" to become both the wife and queen, everyone in the crowd knew what was to come. As they waited for the next act, they began to chant her name.

Her name filled the ears of every cast behind the scenes, especially to the blue gem that held the name.

"They're calling for you." Jamie said, surprising Lapis from his sudden appearance. Playing the Prince was certainly tiresome, yet rewarding. As soon as he began his role, he was already in character. It felt like the anxiety he felt disappeared from his vessel.

"I know... I hope I'll do fine." She said as the audience chanting continued, with a clear azure color forming deeply around her cheeks.

"You'll be more than fine. Here, give me your hand." Jamie said as he received her hand. "Kiki always do this to me whenever I got nervous." Lifting up her hand, he spoke. "Imagine all your fear and anxiety in the palm of your hand."

At first, she was confused. Still, she nodded as she tried to follow his instructions.

"Now try placing them to the tip of your index finger." He said.

"Okay...now what?"

It happened. Without much warning, Jamie lightly bit on the finger of her hand. That startled the gem as she took a step back.

"There." Jamie said with a smile. "I ate them, so you no longer have nothing to be nervous about."

Lapis took notice of her hand. Her finger was intact, but the feeling that swelled within her disappeared. "How did you do that?" It almost felt like Jamie had a power of his own, like her, manipulating the elements.

"It's something that Kiki taught me when we were kids. To be perfectly honest, I was pretty nervous too until Kiki came and did it to me right before my scene."

"She what?" Lapis asked.

"She took away all my worries."

For a moment, something bothered Lapis once again. It wasn't fear. No. she stared at the floors, pondering. It was definitely something she felt before. If she had to describe it, it would closely resemble-

"I'm glad to have her as a friend. I don't know what I'd do without her."

"I see... then the next time I see you all worked up, I'll be sure to do the same to you." Lapis said, lifting her head to reveal a smile. Jamie reciprocated the smile until their moment was over with the arrival of Connie.

"Lapis! You're needed right now."

"Alright." Lapis said as Connie left. "I better go." She planted a kiss on his cheek. "See you on stage."

"Wouldn't miss it for the world."

oooOOOooo

Weeks went by as many young girls were auditioned. They mostly came from wealthy families without ties, and each one of them came with a creepy smile. To think, one of them could be Queen. A dream come true thought up when they were only children.

Despite his responsibilities, the people managed to force the Prince to participate as the main judge. Each day, he had to free his early afternoons to see a bunch of girls talking about themselves. After the first week, he was already sick of it.

None of them was even appealing as he kept his thumb down upon judgment. That was until a lone girl from outside the walls was taken to see the Prince. She was but a mere farmer that started to work on the land owned by both of her parents. Originally, she was a teacher and would spend her time teaching the neighboring children. It was not until her parents became stricken by some sickness and left bedridden that she shifted in position. To make matter worse, her brother disappeared right at the moment they needed him most.

Having to quit her job, she began tending to the land. Two weeks went as she tired herself with her parents' land when a group of fellow peasants came to her and snatched her. They lifted her up and carried her into the protective walls of Medley. Inside, she was dropped within a building she never had been to before dusting herself from the dirty impact. Looking around, she found herself to be inside one of the royal buildings as she spotted a line filled with young girls as they waited.

In need for some answers, she spoke to the very first girl that stood at the end tip of the line. She was anything but modest. Her hair was bathed in the rich aroma that would "normally" smell pleasant, but she overdid the procedure and now the sweet aroma was too overbearing. As she explained where they were, the strange young girl couldn't stop adding comments about herself. Her dress was imported by a thriving town, with shoes made by an expensive shoemaker. Nearly everything she had, was made for the occasion as she let out a series of laughter while "politely" covering her mouth. It was contrary to the girl as she viewed herself. Her dress had a few patched and her hair only had their natural scent. She bore no makeup around her face and her shoes was well over a year old.

Enough was said as a few young girls arrived and stood behind the farmer girl. It was official, she was part of this, and she wasn't entirely sure why. She tried to simply walk off the line, but an old lady stopped her. She was one of the people that snatched her from her family land. Shaking her head, the elder woman insisted she try out.

"Why?" The girl began. "Why must I partake in this when I am clearly unworthy?"

The shaking continued from the old lady before she spoke. "We picked you up from the farm lands because we saw you singing and dancing around so happily. You got talent with beauty to go along with it."

"I'm still unworthy for the Prince." Insisted the young girl, though her plead fell in deaf ears.

The line moved forward and unfortunately for her, so did she. The wait went for hours as the line drew closer and closer to the center room where the Prince resided. Time continued to move forward and before she knew it, she now stood before the Prince. He sat on a luxurious chair with two guards beside him. He bore an apparent frown, the anxiety began for the girl.

"I believe I have tired myself for the day. Can we continue this tomorrow?" The Prince spoke to one of his advisers that stood near the girl. The girl was not surprised. The girl ahead of her was nonstop with talking about herself in the line that even she was tired out, though she kept quiet as the adviser took a step forward.

"My Prince, this is the very last one for the day. I beseech you, please let her speak."

"Very well." His attention was now on the girl. "Why do you believe you are the perfect candidate to be my bride?"

The adviser gestured for her to step before the Prince and speak. Nervous as she was, she knew her response. Inhaling some air, she hoped to the Goddess of Victory that this would be over soon. She wasted far too much time here. Time that could have been spent on the field.

Standing before the Prince, the young girl felt a strong pressure appearing around her chest area. She could feel the loss of her voice as she gave a light cough, hoping to return to some sense of normalcy. It didn't. Therefore, she concluded that it was his presence that was effecting her. Somehow his divinity of being royalty was afflicting her body with immense pressure.

When he spoke, like magic, the sensation disappeared. He asked her to list off her best traits; something that everyone else was doing since the start of this silly petition.

There, she thought. The key to the door that would open her opportunity. Understanding what she must do, she began by describing her current state.

"I am poor." She began. That surprised the Prince, along with everyone else still in the room. "I am also a tad older than most of the other "younger" ladies that appeared before you." She smiled and she saw the ajar space that existed between the prince's lips. "My skin is pale to comparison to the more exotic participants along with the air around them. I have nothing to give to you, but myself."

"What are you doing?" The adviser asked. Was this some sort of game for the peasant, thought the adviser. So when he asked, he asked with a fair trail of aggression. To make the bribe hunt some sort of mockery was unforgivable.

"I'm providing a list of why the Prince shouldn't pick me as his bride." She said cheerfully. When she mentioned the Prince, her eyes gestured to his direction.

"Out! I want you gone! Never again will you be allow to step forward within the walls of Medley." The adviser cried while pointing a sharp finger toward the entrance she took upon arrival.

"It was never meant to be." She stated firmly as she turned to leave. There was no future with someone like her. She already accepted that fact the moment she realized the difference between the common folks and noble people.

"Halt!" Cried a voice, and so she did. Turning back to the room, it was the Prince that stood up with a hand stretched out. "You! You caught my interest, so I wish to know more of you." He said.

"What! My Prince, she's not a proper candidate for you."

"Pasgal." The Prince said firmly.

"Yes my Prince?" The adviser asked.

"Please keep quiet. The only voice I want to hear, is from hers."

With that, the adviser sealed his lips. Not a cough or hum escaped those thin lips as he watched. With the silence acquired by the adviser, the Prince continued. "You. What is your name?"

The young girl was confused. How could the Prince be interested in someone like her? Was he now playing the tricks on her?

"Why? I am poor." She reminded him.

"I never asked for your fortune." He simply said.

"There are other girls far younger to compliment your youth, my Prince." The girl said, a few decibels higher than before.

"Age breed maturity. I like that in a woman." He admitted.

"My skin is pale. Not like those with dark creamy skins from a far away land." Her voice now resembled a mild shout. Was she getting frustrated?

"Your skin is fair, giving off a sense of tranquility. That is something none of those exotic girls have over you." He said. Somehow through their abrupt conversation reserved for only those two, the distance between them disappeared. He approached her as the slight spark of interest ignited by her words transformed to passion. His face was mere inches from her own as she began to tear. This was too much for her heart to handle as the pressure before worsened.

"I have nothing to give. Nothing but myself." She cried, the sniffles could be heard through the room as she shielded her eyes with her hands. To cry before the prince was inexcusable. It was not until she felt a touch of his hand caressing the side of her cheeks, that she stopped.

"That is all I am asking for." He said sincerely. That did it. The dam she built up until now broke. In response, she pushed back the Prince.

I can't accept this. You deserved someone better...

With her head cast down, her hair cast a veil over her eyes. "My Prince, the very embodiment of divinity and kindness to take interest in me, it is truly a heavy heart to deny you of anything, but I am a peasant. Unsuitable to stand before you. I am merely a person with no nobility or resource to offer. I'm sorry."

The last words were spoken as she lifted her eyes to view the heartbroken Prince. In time, he would erase her existence from his mind. No need to store petty moments, thought the girl. Only that, the Prince was not a bit dismay by her choice of words. Instead, he smiled. A smile? Why on earth would he (or anyone for that matter) be smiling upon receiving such verbal nonsense?

"So you would refuse my proposal?" Asked the Prince.

A sudden impact was felt around her bosom. "I would." She said steadily. "You are a Prince; a divine specimen that I have no luck in corresponding with. Please, cast your adieu and forever remove my presence in your mind." Pleaded the girl.

The Prince shook his head. As firm of a rock she was, he matched in durability. "You believed you are unfit to be my bride and queen of this land, but I can tell you that you are mistaken. You only need to prove yourself of that..." He said as he guided her hands to touch hold of hers. "You are divine. You simply have to realize it and show it to the whole kingdom to see."

"What do you mean?"

"Perform one act to me and everyone else. If you do so with all your heart and soul, then I will accept any outcome. I will propose to you...we will discuss this more later in the evening. For now, please think of what to perform."

All she could do was nod her head as the Prince had the adviser dropped her off home. It took no more than the arrival of the twilight zone for her to receive a letter from a royal guard. She had a span of a week to practice her act and he hoped that she had one in mind.

There was only one that would come to the darkest of time, she found herself to smile. All she had to do was twirl around and the scattered pedals would whirl along with her.

Knowing what she was going to perform, she went to bed. She had a long week before seeing the Prince.

The day of the performance, she stood behind the scene. Her timing was important as she waited for her cue. Unbeknown to her, someone else stood against her approval. It was one of the other participants that saw the whole ordeal between the girl and the Prince. Her shot for becoming queen in ruins; unless she dealt with the trash. Fortune must be on the poor peasant's side to acquire the Prince's attention, but victory would be hers.

The music began and the girl took in a great deal of life. She began.

oooOOOooo

The final intermission was now commencing. Everyone was getting ready for the final scene. Lapis simply stood where she was as she let out a sigh of relief. So far, so good. All that was left was the final dance. The first part by herself and the second half with her prince. Speaking of prince, she looked around and spotted him staring once again through the curtains. She smiled warmly, knowing how anxious he was. Maybe a trick was required.

Thanks to the noise around them, they muffled the sound her steps made as she tiptoed her way behind. When she saw her chance, she opened her arms and swallowed her prince wholesomely between her arms. The act caused him to be pulled inside the set with a very playful gem along with a shriek.

"How's our fair prince feeling?"

Jamie didn't answer right away. Instead, he returned his gaze on the audience through the heavy veil. "Honestly...I'm a bit anxious now. This is the most important scene of the play. Even a misstep from my part and the play is a bust."

There he goes again, thought Lapis. He was such a worrier, but that brought out a cheshire smile to be plastered on her face. She knew what to do as she flipped him around.

"You have nothing to worry about my prince." She brought a hand to caress his face. "As long as I'm here, you have nothing to fear."

In response, Jamie smiled before putting a hand to caress her faee. "Thank you." He said while softly rubbing his thumb acorss her cheeks. Using both of her hands, she captured his hand seemingly with no ill intent. His guard was down as he expected nothing but affections. He was not wrong. With his mind occupied, she took action as she brought his finger to her mouth before taking a bite.

"Like I said before, you have nothing to fear. For I have devoured that fear."

He quickly pulled away from instinct as her bite came out of nowhere. He was not harmed, more like rather he was startled. She did the same thing he did to her. Quite the tricky pixie. His worries now gone, he took hold of her hands.

"What have I done to deserve you?" He asked. She was simply amazing.

Before she could reply back, they were given their cues to get to their spot. What she wanted to say, was best reserved for later.

oooOOOooo

The stage was set as the young girl waited for the music to begin. When it did, she commenced. She sprang into action with a kick to the sky. She allowed her heart to be her guide as she swayed and twirled her body around. Although she heard some of the crowd approving her moves, she tried to block their voices. All that matter was what the Prince thought about her performance.

As she danced, she was reminded of a time when she really needed this the most. Her hands cast a spell as they swayed all around with their bottom counterparts. Her hair never looked so stunning as they did now, swaying from her movements. Without realizing it, Lapis' power began to leak out. She was getting really into it as several drips of water circled around her; dancing alongside her. It was a good thing her dress was hardly transparent or else everyone would have seen the light that emitted from her gem on her back.

They took different shapes, best resembling the stars as they scattered around her. It was time. She prepared herself for the big jump with a twirl. As she leaps through the air, someone poured the stage with water. It didn't occur to her of the misdeed until her foot landed onto the slippery ground as her body uncontrollably slid forward. Her hands were waving in madness as she cried out. She could fell the grip she had on the floor slipping (pun intended) as she closed her eyes.

As her body fell backward, she expected the floor to roughly welcome her. When she opened her eyes, she realized she was being held steadily by the prince as he lifted her back up and began to dance with her.

Nothing was said between the two beings as they waltz around the stage. The girl smiled as her gaze fell solely on the prince, as did the prince. He performed a light dip, followed by a twirl. The waltz continued as they kept their internal rhythm going. The water on the floor began to float into the air, casting a protective shield around them. They resembled stars once again, though of different sizes. The prince was dipped down by the girl before giving a twirl of his own. The music was reaching its end as the tone began to drop. That was the same with their movements. His hands were on her hips and back as hers were around his necks. Eventually the music came to an end as they touched their forehead together, all while never breaking contact with one another. They stayed like that for what felt like forever until the light from the stage fade into black.

oooOOOooo

In the darkness, they both gave out cheerful laughter as Jamie lifted Lapis up and around. He couldn't help himself. "We did it!" He said. Lapis continued with her giggles until she was on the floor once again. The performance was a huge success as they heard the happy cried of the crowd.

"Yeah, we did it." Lapis said as she dropped her head on his shoulders. That dance was very enlightening. As she danced, her gem was responding quite strongly to the human lad. She really wanted to kiss him, but held herself to the script. As she kept the restraints throughout the dance, the pressure gradually built up. As she held her eyes closed while laying her head on his firm shoulders, she let out a happy sigh.

"You're really are the one." She whispered.

"The one?" He asked, able to pick up what she said. Lapis then lifted her head and stared into the eyes of her boyfriend.

"The one for me." She said, followed up a kiss upon his lips. That came by as a surprise, but Jamie did not falter. Upon contact, he responded positively to her gesture as the kiss deepened. Unlike any other time, this kiss was surprisingly warmer. Jamie simply dismissed it as heat built up from their dance as Lapis' gem began to shine underneath uncontrollably.

"Everyone come around!" Steven said as they scurried around, all trying to huddle up at the stage. Jamie and Lapis stood in the middle as Peridot returned the light on the stage with a slide lever. Standing before the audience, they all received a round of hearty applause. A good chucks of their audience were in tears as they shouted their feelings; something that even a certain Gold did as the crowd mentality overshadowed him.

"THANK YOU VERY MUCH!"

Cried the crew to the audience as they gave their bows. When they returned in an upward position, Lapis had her view on her prince. He was beyond happy, as was her. She tightened her grip on his hand as her cheeks became the deepest azure color they have ever been. All while she received a silver ring around her gem.

oooOOOooo

Omake:

Upon completion of the play, the critic wasted no time in writing his review. A masterpiece of the 21th century, he began while typing the figures through his computer. The only sound that could be heard through his hotel room, was the clicking noise made by the keys. The play ended quite late in the night, and though he preferred to start off early in the morning, he refused.

He needed to finish it right away, while the feelings was still fresh in his heart. Both the writer and director (same person) went through an extensive amount of difficulties. It proved to be useful to understand the play both inside and out. The range would extend to even the creator.

There were so many questions he wanted to include, but due to his stature of his credibility, he was unable to. The curious child from within must be refrained for the time being. Honestly, he fell in love with how the play was executed; particularly with the young girl. Lapis Lazuli. She definitely won his heart s he wrote two lines dedicated to her performance. To think, it was her first live performance and she was perfect. No. Not perfect. A natural.

She was true to her nature and performed with no restrictions nor adaptations.

The props they used were beyond what he expected from a low-fund performance. He managed to see the systems they used and how out-dated they seemed despite their overwhelming display. They were definitely modified by some great genius. Although he knew not of their name, he gave a twinkle of a credit to them for providing a big impact on the overall presentation.

Then came the choreographer who provided the cast their steps. Stunning. Lapis' performance lifted his heart and to see her with the Prince, in complete unity, was priceless. He did not regret coming to Beach City.

The minutes restarted, yet he refused to call it a night. He was excited to see more of what was to come with such a small cast of people within a no-name town as Beach City.

The passage ended with a generalized statement of how he felt of the play along with the story;

I can barely contain myself for the arrival of their next performance.

-Michael Gold

Exhausted, he went to bed. There was barely an hour before the ascension of the solar light. He may have to stay a day longer to recover himself before departing; not to mention calling the mayor to inform him of how he felt about the play. Never thought my old friend was right about something. A first, I guess. Closing his eyes, he began to relax the muscles that were stressed. Unaware of what his review on the play would bring out. Or rather bring in to the small town of Beach City. After all, there were many people throughout the country that read his review; some more religiously than others. That included a certain old co-star of Jamie's as she finished the final line from Michael Gold's latest review.

Taking a sip of her cherry blossom frappuccino in an outdoor cafe, a woman put down the magazine on the table. "Beach City, huh? I could use a vacation." She then had her gaze on a certain photograph of a certain director/writer. "Jamie... You have no idea how excited I am in seeing you again." She swirled her finger around his photographical face. "My favorite pet."

-End of Chapter

Author's Notes:

How, I never thought I would get to this portion of the story so soon. I felt the story was dragging a bit, or perhaps I was being a bit impatient. Beside Kevin, I needed to introduce a major antagonist in this story. Lastly, I want to thank everyone for their wonderful review. I understand that I am simply making this story even more complicated through each installment, but I usually strive through complication. Until next time! -sorrowXdarkness