Disclaimer: I don't own Steven universe.

(A/N: warning: I have changed the content in my previous chapter. I had forgotten a key plot point in the last paragraph; if you have not done so already please go back and reread. I will now be continuing from that point. I would like to thank you all for over 800 views. I'm fairly new at this and it never really occurred to me that anything I wrote would get this popular, as small as am sure this is in the grand scheme of things. Your views and advice always make my day.

Dante Waterson: thank you I appreciate your constant praise.

Niteowl18: thank you as well. I've taken much of my inspiration from the binding of Isaac if you've ever heard of it.

Story writer 2003: I will think about. There's a lot of character development be had here I'll be sure to take this into consideration.

Mika821: thank you for your support)

Chapter 9: Sky High

The thick warm liquid pulled around his abdomen uncomfortably. He had heard the battle from his hiding spot, though he became woozier from the lack of blood to comprehend what was happening around him. After what felt like just a few minutes the rest of his team rushed over to him and knelt. Much to his surprise his friends seem to been pancake over his current condition.

"Buck, buddy hold on! We're gonna get you some help just hold on; keep your eyes open!" Sauer said in a panicked tone.

"Take his jacket off, use the sleeves tied around his wound it'll slow the bleeding down," Sadie said has she tried to prop Buck up. Lars helped her in this and took off his jacket to use for a bandage. With the already red fabric tied tightly around his stomach Ron and Sauer carried him through the halls of the sanitarium. Jenny fumbled with the keys to the car, trying desperately to get on the road. Finally she found the right one and jammed into the ignition. Buck sat in the middle seat in the back of the car, too woozy to worry about the blood ruining the upholstery. Sauer looked back at Ron from the passenger seat.

"Would you shoot that tentacle monster with?" He shouted over the wind rushing past the head. Ron looked up from Buck who he was sitting next to.

"I have Lars tag them with the tracking device that I hooked up to my PDA. It's time that we figure out a plan; we can't just keep on fighting these things blindly," Ron explained while trying to keep pressure on Bucks wounds. It was still pitch black outside when the car once again slid over the white sand in front of Steven's house. The sound of the carpooling up to his house was enough to alert Steven awake. With a familiar feeling of anticipation the young man rushed outside to find five of his friends carrying his sixth friend closer to his door. He knew then that he had his work cut out for them.

It was now 6:08 and the sun was just barely peeking out from the horizon. Buck sat on an armchair chugging on a bottle of orange juice while eyeing his new scars. While Stevens healing magic healed up the wounds, it cannot prevent the scars; not the book really minded. Just like before the gems walked in expecting an explanation for why they had come here again. No one on the team was sure that they would like the answer this time either. Pearl was the first speak.

"What happened?" She asked in a sort of irritable tone. Each member of the team knew what they had fought the night before, but none of them wanted to explain to the gems what it was. Sadie felt responsible and as such spoke first.

"I'm not quite certain, but I'm pretty sure that we fought another gem," she spoke softly not wanting to upset any of the other gems in the room.

"Well of course we're always fighting gems," Pearl said with clear anticipation her voice, hoping that there would be another sentence after that. Sadie wrung her hands together as she opened her mouth to speak a second time.

"No, I mean a gem like one of you." Garnet stepped forward.

"Describe her," she commanded softly and simply. Sadie thought hard about every detail of the gems she had fought; she did not want to miss a single tooth in her evil grin.

"She had black hair, white skin, black outfit, clawed gauntlets for weapons, she seemed to be able to teleport in a sense," by now the gems started exhibiting nervous behavior. Sadie took a deep breath as she knew she was about to hammer the final nail into the coffin. "And she had a gray gem in her left eye." Again Garnet and Pearl shared looks of terror where amethyst remained blissfully ignorant. Emphasis stood patiently, she knew that they were about to explain. Garnet let out a shaky sigh.

"The gem you just fought…was Lolite," everyone in the room was taken aback by this.

"But how is that even possible? Wasn't Lolite on your side?" Amethyst asked in a nervous tone.

"That's what I thought, I can't make complete sense of it right now, but for now it would seem as though she switch sides. Before the war was even over she sort of just disappeared; almost immediately after the battle with Obsidian," Garnet finished. Pearl pinched the brim of her nose.

"I didn't want to have to do this," she said this dejectedly. "But it would seem that I'm left with no choice," she started to walk away towards temple door. "Come back here around the usual time for training. I have to make preparations; come well rested," she disappeared into the physics defying space of the gem temple.

Around nine hours later at 3 o'clock in the afternoon the team found themselves assembled in front Steven's house. When they walked inside they are greeted with Steven, Connie, and Pearl as they usually were.

"Right on time; come on there's no time to waste," she led the group onto the or pad for they are brought to the album cover like scene of what looked like space and were dropped into the sky arena. Once there everyone present noticed something different various obstacles and stone blocks littered the field. "Today we are going to do something rather dangerous," this got everyone's attention. "I didn't want to have to do this, but the rise of new and powerful adversaries seems to have created a necessity for this procedure. You see I tried caine is different for each individual, and as such bends to one's personality. Once someone has reached a high enough mastery of their caine they are granted with a special power that pertains to that person's greatest strength. This power is referred to as a chikara," she points to Steven. "Take Steven for example. Though he himself hasn't trained and trained in caine at all. Though his mother had to an extensive degree, and as such he has inherited her chikara which is to heal, make a shield bubble, and you bring plants to life. So in Steven's case it only took minor training to unlock the muscle memory and in Rose's gem. None of you are ready to unlock your chikara yet, but we must try," she explained.

"How are we going to do that?" Connie asked.

"I'm going to attempt to fool your body into thinking that you have achieved a high enough level of caine to unlock your chikara by focusing my caine into your bodies. This is an extremely unorthodox manner of training; specifically because it is so dangerous. Once my caine is inside of you will be much more than you are used to; if you fail to take control of the caine rushing through your body... It will forcibly expel itself from you, leaving you in a damaged and catatonic state. The only reason I would even suggest this is because we have Steven here to heal you if something goes wrong. That said I cannot force you and anything you must use of your own volition," silence overtook the setting. Unsurprisingly Connie was the first one step forward.

"I'm ready," she said with deadly determination and conviction in her eyes. Steven put her hand gently on her shoulder.

"Are you sure?" He said concerned, as if she were about to play game of Russian roulette.

"Yes I'm sure, Steven the whole point of doing this was so that I could fight alongside you. If our enemies have gotten this strong than I need to do this so that I need to do this so that I can get even stronger,"

"Very well; do we have any other takers?" The rest of the team nodded, knowing what needed to be done, and not wanting to give up. "Good, join hands and form a circle," the deadly minors followed her commands; forming a circle with Pearl in the center. She took a deep breath and word. "Now let us begin,"

(A/N: Again sorry for another slow chapter. Sorry for the five day weight but it was around Christmas. You know had family over the works. I'm sorry if this chapters a bit off; over the holidays I've acquired Dragon NaturallySpeaking Home software for my computer. It turned speech into text so forgive me of the same is not cooperating Lee should we. Please let me know if there's anything that you liked in the reviews. As always you been a great audience good night.)