A/N: This chapter will be covering what happened with Steven and Connie after Chapter 4. Some events from the past chapters WILL be revisited. However, this chapter will come important to the plot so please don't skip over it!
Also, I will be doing livewrite/livestreaming with Cracked Landing (possibly today 6/8/2015).
There will be details at the END of this chapter so for now, enjoy Chapter 8!
"So Ronaldo found Peridot and took her in?" Connie repeated Steven's words to make sure she had heard correctly. Steven nodded.
"Yep. It seems that they're getting along fine." Steven said popping another piece of popcorn in his mouth. After he had told Connie over the phone what had happened, she rushed over with excitement.
"What makes you say that?" Connie asked with curiosity.
"Well, when I found them, Ronaldo was on top of Peridot. I think they were wrestling." Steven said innocently. Connie, on the other hand, almost spit out her lemonade in shock.
"Um, right…wrestling." Connie said with a nervous blush. "Steven, are you sure it's a good idea to just leave them alone together? I mean, Peridot is a Homeworld gem. Aren't you afraid she's going to try to go back?" Steven hummed in thought and tapped his chin.
"You bring a good point." Steven began. "I know! Let's spy on them!" Steven exclaimed with an excited grin.
"Spy on them? Are you sure that's a good idea, Steven?" Connie said with reluctance.
"Of course! That way, we can make sure Peridot won't try anything suspicious!" Steven reasoned.
"Well, I suppose it is better than leaving her and Ronaldo alone." Connie said. "But how are we going to be able to spy on them without them noticing us?"
"Hm." Steven hummed with thought. "I could try to shapeshift into a cat!" Steven suggested.
"Woah! You can do that?" Connie gasped in surprise.
"Totally! Just watch!" Steven exclaimed standing on his feet.
"And what did we learn?" Garnet asked.
"No shapeshifting until I have control of it." Steven pouted getting out of the ocean. After he attempted to turn into a cat again, he lost control of it and tiny cat heads started taking over his body again. He was lucky that Garnet, Amethyst, and Pearl had returned fast enough to toss him into the ocean where the cats disappeared with the water.
"Honestly, we thought you would have learned after the first time you got into this mess." Pearl groaned.
"This has happened before?" Connie gasped, still in shock after seeing her friend being taken over by cat heads. Steven hesitated and shuffled his feet nervously. "Steven." Connie said sternly, trying to coax an answer out of him. Steven gulped with guilt and nervously nodded. "Steven! This happened before and you still tried to do it?" Connie scolded.
"I thought I could handle it." Steven whimpered. Connie let out a sigh.
"Oh, Steven. At least you're okay now." She said with relief.
"Yeah, thanks to us. Why were you shapeshifting again anyway?" Amethyst asked with curiosity. Both Connie and Steven stiffened.
"We-uh-because…you see.." Steven stuttered.
"I really wanted a cat when I was little and so Steven said he could turn into one!" Connie piped in. The group stood in silence for a while before Garnet finally spoke up.
"Well, if that's what happened then we must return to our mission. Steven you should stay here and make sure Connie gets home safely." Garnet said calmly.
"Uh. Good idea! Well you guys should go on your important gem mission now!" Steven said pushing the three towards the temple.
"Are you sure you're okay, Steven?" Pearl asked with worry.
"Yep! Perfectly fine! Alright, bye!" Steven said waving at the three older gems who left the two alone on the beach, taking the warp pad to their new destination. Steven plopped back down in the sand next to Connie with a huff and fell back, staring at the sky.
"Now what? We still need a disguise to spy on them." Steven groaned. Connie tapped on her chin with thought but found that even she could not think of anything.
"I don't know. Maybe we really should just leave them be." Connie sighed with defeat. Steven listened to the ocean waves crash on the cliffs and shift the sand below their feet. It was so peaceful and rhythmic. It reminded him a lot of-
"Connie, that's it!" Steven shot up on his feet.
"What?" Connie said puzzled.
"Who does Ronaldo and Peridot not know?" Steven asked. Connie just stared at Steven with confusion. "Stevonnie! Stevonnie can spy on Peridot and Ronaldo without them knowing since they won't know it's us!"
"That does sound promising." Connie said with surprise. "Are you sure, Steven? Can we even form Stevonnie again? Last time it was an accident."
"We won't know until we try." Steven said with an outstretched hand. Connie couldn't help but blush when Steven helped her up twirling her right into the dance.
"I think they went this way?" Stevonnie whispered, tiptoeing past the corner of the boardwalk. "I can't believe fusing was so easy!"
Stevonnie peered from behind a bench when they spotted Ronaldo and Peridot make their way into Fish Stew Pizza.
"Aw, I want some pizza." Stevonnie pouted but quickly shook their head. "Food later, spying now!" Stevonnie slowly made their way to a bench near the shop and crouched behind it, watching Peridot and Ronaldo from the window.
"Is Ronaldo actually trying to get Peridot to try food?" Stevonnie said with surprise. "I couldn't even get Pearl to eat food! That's not fair." Stevonnie's stomach growled as they watched the two enjoy a full box of pizza.
"Well at least they're getting along well. I told you there was nothing to worry about." Came Steven's half of Stevonnie. They watched for a while, but quickly found their eyelids drooping with boredom of just watching the two eat pizza.
Stevonnie almost jumped when they heard the bell of the shop ring as the two exited. They watched as Peridot and Ronaldo made their way from the shop to the beach. By now, the sun was already setting and Stevonnie gulped remembering Connie's curfew. Stevonnie had to admit that following the two was not as fun as they had thought it would be. So far, all they had done was eat pizza and walk around, nothing out of the ordinary.
"Well I suppose that's a good thing." Stevonnie said out loud to no one in particular. They wiped the sweat off their forehead and let out a sigh. "Why couldn't they do more indoor activities?" Stevonnie let out a sigh of relief when they saw Ronaldo and Peridot stop and take a break by the shore. Quietly, Stevonnie took a seat behind a rock so they could spy on them without being noticed.
A loud squawk sounded in Stevonnie's ear and they jumped. A seagull sat at the top of the rock chirping loudly in the air.
"Shh!" Stevonnie shushed the bird, not wanting their hiding spot to be revealed but the bird simply went along chirping. "Shh!" Stevonnie shushed a little louder. Stevonnie raised her arms and swatted the bird away, but not without being pecked angrily in the head.
"I will not feel emotions!" Peridot's voice shrieked, drawing Stevonnie's attention to the two on the beach. Peridot's body shook with fear and Stevonnie's heart sank. Steven's half of Stevonnie had to fight the urge to go comfort the scared gem. Surprisingly, Ronaldo beat him to it. Stevonnie gasped and quickly put their hands over their lips trying to hold back an excited squeal as Ronaldo wrapped his hands around Peridot's small frame.
"I think they're going to be just fine." Stevonnie said with a satisfied smile at what they were seeing on the beach. With a quick jump, Stevonnie got back on their feet and made their way back to the temple, leaving the human and gem on the beach alone.
However, in Stevonnie's desperation to stay hidden, they failed to notice the purple gem resting in the middle of the seagull's feathers.
"I knew there was nothing to worry about!" Stevonnie cheered as they entered the house. "Mission accomplished."
A familiar shriek entered the room and Stevonnie jumped as a seagull swooped down over their head.
"You again?" Stevonnie said with surprise, wondering how the bird followed them back.
"Ah, Stevonnie. How nice to see you again." A familiar voice said. Stevonnie stiffened and slowly turned around, afraid to see where the source of the voice came from. Pearl and Garnet stood at the door with their arms crossed.
"Garnet!"
"Pearl!"
In their shock, Stevonnie quickly diffused back into Steven and Connie and they landed on the floor with a plop. The seagull that had been resting on the beam above them swooped down and transformed back into the familiar purple gem.
"Amethyst! That was you?" Steven yelped with his jaw dropped.
"Well, Steven and Connie. Care to explain why Stevonnie was running around Beach City?" Pearl said angrily. Steven and Connie gulped. Garnet was the next to speak.
"And don't try to lie. We already know."
A/N: Thanks for reading!
I used the pronoun "they" for Stevonnie because I was not sure what to refer to Stevonnie as since Stevonnie is "not two people" or "one person" but "an experience." I do apologize for any confusion.
I will be posting when the livestream will start on my Tumblr ( theartsideofsam .tumblr .com ) and also on my Livestream channel ( PM me for the link) under "upcoming events". (take the spaces out the URL)
Do feel free to stop by and watch me work on the next chapter of Cracked Landing! I will also be taking requests for short oneshots and chatting with everyone who comes by!
See you all soon!