The Lion, The Worm, and the Warrior

by SneaselXRiolu

Unknown Destiny AU: Greg couldn't handle the weight of his love gone, and has since left his child. The Crystal Gems could not stand the fact of not being there for Rose or her child and as such separated and became nomads. Steven has lived by himself for a year, feeding off scraps. But perhaps a curious bookworm can bring back the Crystal Gems once more...

It had been only a year since Steven's father had to leave him. His father had slowly receded over the long 11 years that Steven was born, closing himself off from the world and love. Eventually, his father had left for the last time. Steven didn't expect to get answers ,but after looking at his father's journal, detailing nightmares where he harmed his son and tore out the Gem in his stomach, and how he became apathetic…Steven didn't know what to do. He wasn't exactly in the best shape.

Nothing but a van with some old baby clothes and a non-insulated Car Wash was his home. No money, no food, he was lucky that he didn't have to pay for water…Steven didn't know what to do.

What's a child to do when the one that was made to take care of you, never did and you were left alone for the rest of your life?

There was only one thing to do…survive.

Steven made meals out of what he could find in the garbage of restaurants, and left overs from Fun Land. Eventually, he was more animal than human. And it certainly didn't help that after a full year of surviving, he was basically feral. He could still communicate, he did so on a regular basis with a mysterious pink lion that showed up one day.

It was his only companion.

---

Connie didn't expect this when she researched Beach City, Delmarva, but a real-life cryptid…no, two, lived in the small area. One seemingly like a bulky kappa, and the other was a great pink beast with the mane of a lion. They're frequently seen eating from the garbage or hunting strange new creatures that have started to arrive on the boardwalk area. Connie's mother would never believe in such superstitions, but her father, who was going to become Funland's new security guard left his daughter worried.

What if the kappa tried to drown him? What if the beast tried to eat him!?

But still…something inside of her made her curious.

Curiosity killed the cat. A voice that sounded like her mother's rang through her mind.

But satisfaction brought it back. Another voice, that sounded like the protagonist from the Spirit Morph Saga,

Let's hope curiosity doesn't literally kill this cat… Connie's voice rang through her own mind.