Chapter 8 "Umbalite's Day"

Hey guys I'm back... So... yeah, guys ill be entirely honest I had this chapter finished weeks ago but stuff just kept popping up and I had to delay repeatedly. Anyways the main problem was that the summer of Steven started and I couldn't stop watching, even if you held a gun up to my head and shouted "STOP WATCHING OR I BLOW OUT YOUR BRAINS", I would have just sat there and been like "Yeah right I'm watchin this show till i die". So on another note I think I'm gonna spend more time to actually write a chapter instead of writing three in one night from now on which means they will come at a slower rate but hey, they just might be slightly better. But anyways this first chapter back is a little short but it's really important in setting up some minor plot arches that i have planed for the future... Are you still reading the authors note? Well what are you waiting for? Go on. Start reading.

"So what's this tea thing? And I thought you don't like to eat or drink Pearl."

"Tea is a human beverage made from boiled leaves. And yes while it is true I don't enjoy eating, I am partial to tea."

Three days have passed since Spessartine fought the corrupted smoky quartz gem. Since then he's moved about checking around some of the warps. But now he sits enjoying a cup of tea with Pearl while Steven and Connie read on the floor next to the couch. Spessartine takes a sip of his tea as Steven looks up from his book.

"Hey, where's Umbalite? I bet he'd love the Unfamiliar Familiar series." Steven holds the first Unfamiliar Familiar book up for Spessartine to see. Spessartine takes the book from Steven and examines it's
cover.

"Hmm... Well I'm sure he'd love it but I don't know where Umbalite is."

"Whaaaat, but you two are always together."

"Steven... We're not together now. Anyways even if we do spend a lot of time together it doesn't mean I know where he is at all times." The warp pad shines a bright blue light for a few seconds before dying down as Umbalite steps off.

"Yo, Umbalite! Steven wants you to read this book." Spessartine throws the book across the room to Umbalite, which he catches with ease.

Umbalite looks at the cover before opening the book to read. "Looks good. I'll give it a shot. Anyways I'm off again. See ya." Umbalite starts reading as he walks out of the house.

"Well, there you go Steven. He's reading it now."

"Yeah but I still wanna know where he goes all day. I know! We can follow him around all day and find out what he does, secretly. Like secret agents!" Steven runs out the door, with stars in his eyes, while
Connie puts her book down and follows.

"Wait up Steven!"

"He-he, have fun you two." Spessartine laughs to himself as he holds out his cup for Pearl to refill with tea.

"Honestly, you shouldn't encourage him to spy on people. It's very rude." Pearl angrily pours tea into Spessartine's cup as she attempts to scold him.

"Didn't you guys use spies to gather intel during the war?"

"Well yes but this isn't war. We are the defenders of the Earth and right now we are at peace."

"Pearl I haven't been around long and I may not be a Crystal Gem, but even I can tell something big is happening. You don't know where Peridot is, you don't know where Malachite is, you have no clue where these robots are coming from. It might not be war but something's coming, something BIG. And like it or not, Steven's going to need to be ready. Connie too." Spessartine takes a sip from his tea as he leans back against the couch.

Pearl nods her head in defeat while letting out a small sigh. "Yes, I'm afraid you may be right."

Steven giggles as he and Connie hide behind a bush a little ways away from Umbalite. Umbalite is walking down the street towards the park and into the skate park attached to it. As he enters all the other skaters look up and greet him with a loud cheer as a random kid walks up to him, along with the other cool kids, and hands him a board.

"So, what trick are you gonna 'learn' today. You might wanna put that book down though. It'll be a little hard to ride while reading."

"Nah, dawg I got this." Without looking away from the book, a large smile spreading across his face, Umbalite quickly throws down the board and jumps on to ride, doing astounding tricks with no effort and never looking up from his book the whole time.

Steven and Connie look on from behind the bush they are hiding at. "Wooooow. I didn't know Umbalite could ride a skateboard."

"Yes, it is impressive. Now the only question is where he learned to ride one."

"If we keep following him we might find out."

"You're right Steven. We'll keep up the chase!"

Umbalite left the skate park after an hour of riding and proceeds to go on with his day. It was almost dark now and they had followed Umbalite around all day. He went skateboarding, surfing, wakeboarding, to the arcade, and just sat reading for a couple of hours outside the Big Donut. But he was now walking towards the Kindergarden.

"Where did Umbalite learn to do all these extreme sports?!"

"I don't know. And where did he get a jet-ski?"

"I don't know Steven. But we definitely learned a lot about Umbalite. So I guess you could say our super secret mission was a success!"

"Yeah! Super Secret Agents! But I just have one question left."

"What's that?"

"Why is Umbalite going this way?"

"I don't know. Maybe he's looking for something."

Umbalite soon reaches the Kindergarten with Steven and Connie following behind. He walks only a little ways in before stopping to examine a hole just above the ground.

"I wonder what's so important about that hole-"

"GAAARAARREEETTH!"
"BEEEEEEEEEHHHHN!"
"EEPHHHYABEEENNN!"

Connie is cut off as several loud, strange screeches ring out over the Kindergarten. The screeches soon died down but are followed by three large gem fusions monsters, jumping from the cliff above, landing around Umbalite."

Steven instantly stand ready to defend Umbalite. "We have to help him."

"But I don't have my sword!" Before Connie or Steven can move or do anything, a large bolder lands between them and Umbalite.

"On second thought, Umbalite can handle this." Steven and Connie look out from behind the rocks to watch the battle. There were three gem monsters in total. One was a Giant spider made of arms, the second was a large arm with two huge legs and several small arms covering the monsters body, the third monster was a large bug with a long body, several legs, and one huge eye as it's head.

Umbalite was aware that Steven and Connie have been following him for most of the day, which is why he didn't go to train in any of the places he usually would, on account of the danger involved. But he has one more stop to make before heading home. They soon arrive at the Kindergarten, where Umbalite walks right to a very specific hole. Before long he notices something is wrong. He feels a presence, no... three presences. But before he could do anything, three gem monsters jump at him. Without another thought, Umbalite quickly picks up a boulder and throws it by Steven and Connie's hiding place hoping it will block or at least startle them out of jumping out to help him. The three gem monsters had him surrounded on all sides. Umbalite summons his sword from his gem and holds it up in a defensive stance.

The first monster launches at Umbalite. He quickly ducks to the side, slashing two arms off of the monster. The third monster takes this chance to tackle Umbalite into the cliff side, Umbalite barely has time to react, bringing his sword up, stabbing the monster in it's large eye, and blinding the monster as it drives him into the wall. Umbalite frees himself from the wall, jumping behind the group of monsters. The second and first gem monsters charge at Umbalite. The second one swings it's torso at Umbalite while the first jumps at him. Umbalite jumps the second monster's swing and cuts the first monster in half, poofing it. Umbalite takes this chance to charge the third monster, jumping the length of it's body and decapitating and poofing it. Umbalite looks to the second gem monster, which was running away. Umbalite launches his sword at the monster, slashing it's leg, causing it to fall and giving Umbalite enough time to run up and slash the monster in two. With all the fusion monsters poofed and bubbled, Umbalite starts heading back towards the house. His original goal disregarded.

When Umbalite, arrives Spessartine is sitting on the couch reading. "Hey Spess, what's up"

"Nothin much. What about you, still got the wonder friends chasing you?"

"I out ran them a little but they should be here any minute."

"Do they know you knew they were following you?"

"Nah, I let them have their fun."

"Heh, well did you at least finish that book?"

"Yeah, I did, it wasn't too bad."

"I thought so to. What else did you do today?"

"Not much. I went skating, tried surfing, 'borrowed' a jet-ski... Not much else." Just then Steven and Connie run into the house and up to Spessartine.

Steven takes a second to catch his breath before talking. "Spessartine can I sleep over at Connie's house tonight?"

Spessartine looks a little surprised at first but then composes himself. "Uhh, well, as long as Connie's parents say it's ok. And make sure you two don't stay up too late."

"Yesss! Thanks Spessartine!" Steven quickly hugs Spessartine before grabbing his hamburger backpack and running outside with Connie. "Come on, we can take Lion."

"Ok Steven, just slow down."

Once they are out of sight Spessartine turns to Umbalite and pauses, making sure no one is around before speaking. "So did you check up on what we talked about?"

"I was about to but some gem monsters popped up that I had to deal with. Plus I just felt that it would have been safer to just bring the kids home."

"That was a smart choice. I didn't consider that there would be any fusion monsters left in the Kindergarten."

"Yeah, sorry I couldn't check out your theory."

"It's alright. I doubt that it's happened yet, and we don't even know if it will happen."

"Yes but if it is a possibility then we need to stop it! The damage could be irreversible."

"Yes, yes, I know."

"Well what do we do now?"

"We wait... If I'm right, then the situation is a lot worse than even the Crystal Gems know.

"Then let's hope you're wrong."

the temple door opens and Garnet walks out. She looks to Umbalite. "Umbalite, we have a mission. There's a gem monster near a volcano."

"You ganna need me Garnet."

"Nope Spessartine. You can't swim in lava."

"Oh, yeah... Well have fun you two."

"Alright Garnet, let's go." Umbalite and Garnet walk over to the warp pad and warp out.

After they leave, Spessartine puts his book down. "Yes... Let's hope... That I'm very wrong..."

Deep below the oceans surface, a large green creature stirres, laying seemingly motionless but moving ever so slightly, as if it was about to wake from a deep slumber.

Inside the creature's mind, the two figures are still locked in their dance. But now Lapis is no longer gliding gently across the water's surface but instead stumbling, tripping, slowing. Every move heavy and clumsy.

"Ha, look at you Lapis. You can barely stand, let alone fight me. You're about to give out, and when you do it's my turn with the controls. And I assure you that I will not hesitate to destroy everything you love!"

Lapis wanted to keep fighting but she was growing tired. each step her eyes closed more and more, though she didn't want them to. She was slowly losing her grip. "That's right Lapis. Close your eyes and sleep. I'll take good care of our body." Jasper's words infuriated her. Lapis was tired of being weak and she refused to give up. With renewed vigor she took her next step. But as her foot touched the floor, her vision goes black, her body falls numb... she falls. The last thing she sees is Jasper standing on the other side of the reflection, a large evil grin on her face.

"FINALLY!"