A Look Into The Soul

Chapter 3

Steven woke up to an empty cave, with his t-shirt thrown on his face. He walked towards the cave entrance, before hearing Connie.

"Hey Steven! I'm up here!"

She yelled, from the top of the hill

"How did you get up there?"

He shouted back.

"Look behind you! A vine!"

A long, thick, rope like vine hung from a tall tree's branch, allowing Steven to climb up to the top of the hill. As he met the cliff edge, Connie put out her hand to pull him up.

"The view is great..."

The sky was painted with vibrant blues and gentle yellows, a bright morning.

"It's beautiful... But hey, if you look all the way over there, you can see what looks like a road!"Connie exclaimed. To reach the road, it would at least take half a day of fast paced traveling.

"Woohoo! We're saved!" Steven yelled as he picked up Connie into a tight hug.

"But," She started as he set her back on the ground,"We should focus on preparing for the journey. Plus, I'm starving!"

"Look! There is a river over there! I hope you like fish," Steven said.

Steven jumped back on the vine, Connie not far behind, and slid down to the ground.

"We should gather some sticks for spears and some kind of stone to sharpen them." Connie said, as she surveyed the trees.

"Oh! There are some sharp crystal thingeys back in the cave. I'll go look," Steven exclaimed. He ran back towards the cave and entered the room they slept in.

"Hmmm, they're all pretty small..."

He thought, as he examined the small crystals. He followed the other path leading him deeper into the cave. A gentle glow lured him further in and eventually, he came across an even smaller room, barely talk enough for him to stand. Giant sharp crystals filled all empty spaces and surrounded a large, cracked mirror. On the frame of the mirror was a small imprint of a smooth stone, like a gem should have been there. Instead, it was another crystal object forcefully placed in the imprint. Steven slowly reached and touched the mirror, causing it to shine a startling bright light, and open up to a dark path. Steven's youthful curiosity got the better of him and so he walked inside and followed the path. It somehow led him to beach city, but not the version he recognizes. Buildings were destroyed and on fire, the sky was black with smoke, and the temple was badly damaged. He began running up the beach towards the temple out of fear and relief, because he was overjoyed to be home. Pearl met him at the porch. As Steven began to cry with happiness and pulled her into a hug, she pushed him aside violently.

"What are you doing back here? Didn't I say for you to leave?!"

Steven was completely confused. Wasn't she glad to see him?

"What? Garnet punched Connie and I out of the ship and we got lost, remember?" He wasn't sure why Pearl was so mad.

"Steven, your gem is useless and you failed us all, which is why your not allowed to show that gem in this temple until Rose comes back!"She screamed all of this in his face. She walked into the temple and locked the door behind her. Steven banged on the door as he cried. He could see Garnet and Amethyst standing on the warp pad, staring at him with faces of disgust.

"Guys, please tell me your joking!"

He pleaded weakly. It just didn't seem real to him. After a while, he gave up and walked across the beach to his dad's car wash. Greg was no where to be found. In fact, every human in beach city was gone, except for one young girl who stood across the road from him.

"Connie?" He said as he walked up to her. He placed his head on her arm and cried into her shoulder "Oh Connie you won't ever believe what just ha-"

"GET OFF ME!" She screeched, slapping his head and walking a few steps back. "I meant it when I said I never want to see you again!"

She ran away from him, leaving him to process the immense pain his heart felt.

"Steven?"

"Steeeveeen!"

Connie called in the dark cave. She spotted his curly black hair peeking out of the room of the mirror. She was horrified to see him staring into the mirror, on his knees and a completely expressionless face, except for the hot tears that rolled down his cheeks. His eyes were glassy, and glowing green and he wouldn't respond to her voice.

"Steven! Wake up! What is going on?!"

She yelled, as she shook him from side to side.

Steven blinked, before turning around and clinging to Connie's waist, crying more powerfully than she had ever saw him before.

"What's the matter?"

She whispered softly. Steven stood up and quickly pulled her away from the room with the mirror, he knew something was weird about it

"Am I... Do you think... Do you hate me?"

He whispered, wiping his face on his shirt.

"Steven, I mean, how could you even think that? Of course I don't hate you! I don't think anyone can," she said, worried that she had done something to hurt his feelings.

"Did I, did I do something wrong?" She whispered.

"No, but, that mirror, don't look at it," he said.

"When I looked at it, it made a path to beach city and the gems and you hated me and everyone was gone and it just made no sense!"

"Your worst nightmare..."

Connie whispered.

"What?"

"The mirror showed you your worst nightmare." She said.

"But what if it's true!" Steven yelled. "What if my gem is useless and I can't do anything and I'm just a horrible person and I shouldn't exist! And-"

"Stop. Just stop."

"But-"

"Steven! You know this isn't true. And anyway, I think your a great person. Your brave, courageous, empathetic, caring, funny and adorable and-"

"And what?" Steven whimpered.

Connie had had gotten a bit carried away and the two were blushing terribly.

"I said...funny! Your definitely one funny guy, Steven." And she pulled him in to warm embrace.

"And you're adorable."

"Wait, What!"

Thank you guys for all your support! You all really motivate me to keep writing this story, you know.