The cherry blossoms fluttered across the school yard. Steven slumped in his seat, frantically writing a letter while Professor Piccolo's back was turned. He knew he probably should have been listening, but that's what he had Gohan for! The boy was amazing at taking notes, so he would just copy off of him later.
He had to get this written and delivered before the bell rang. If he didn't he might have to deliver it in person, which he didn't exactly have the courage for. Being rejected in person would be too much for him.
"Now can anyone tell me what gem is currently at the bottom of the ocean?" Professor Piccolo asked turning to the class. Steven smiled and looked up as he finished the letter with his signature. "Universe-kun? do you have the answer?" Piccolo called.
Steven blanched as attention was drawn to him. "Umm…" he stuttered. He glanced over to Gohan who was gesturing wildly to give him hints. He brought his hands to his hair to gesture for large hair before giving a fierce look and bringing his hands in front of him like claws. "...A-amethyst?" he guessed.
Gohan sweat-dropped at the answer and a few of the other class members chuckled. They stopped however when Piccolo glared at them. "No," he stated simply, "Please pay attention, Steven-kun." He then turned back to the board.
"Yes Piccolo-sensei," Steven muttered, sinking in his chair slightly.
Later, at the end of class, Steven walked up to his teacher's desk. "Excuse me, Piccolo-sensei," he said, "But my I be dismissed from class early?"
"Why?" he asked.
"Um…." Steven said, sweating nervously, "I have to use the bathroom."
"Can't you wait until after class?" he asked.
"No…"Steven said looking down. Piccolo looked at him before nodding. Steven smiled before running out of the room and dashing down the hall. Now all he had to do was find Connie's locker and tape the letter to it.
As he turned the corner a voice called him. "Halt!" the voice said. Steven turned to see Vegeta standing intimidatingly in the hallway. His black school uniform was sharp, only creasing where his arms were folded over his chest. black fingerless gloves covered his hands and his white hall monitor band was wrapped around his arm. Steven swallowed as the older student approached him. "What are you doing out in the hall so early? Where is your hall pass?" he demanded.
steven sweat-dropped as he realised he had forgotten to get a pass from his teacher. "I'm afraid I don't have one, Vegeta-senpai," Steven said looking at the ground. "Please don't write me up! I have something really important I need to do!" he pleaded, while bowing frantically.
"I'm sorry Steven-kun, but I don't make the rules. I just enforce them," he said unsympathetically as he pulled out his pad and pen.
"Nooo!" Steven whined, falling to his hands and knees, eyes watering. Now he not only might not be able to deliver his letter in time, but he'd have to explain to his father why he has a demerit note.
"Hey guys! What's up?" a voice called. The two looked up to see Goku, head of the foot ball (soccer) team walking towards them. His hands were behind his head casually and his uniform jacket was unbuttoned. His collar was popped and the top two buttons of his dress shirt was undone while his tie hung loose around his neck.
"Goku-senpai!" Steven cheered and his eyes sparkled as hope returned to them. "Please," he cried, running up to him, "You gotta convince Vegeta to let me off on a warning."
the older boy cocked his head to the side. "What's the hurry Steven-chan? Is your next class on the other end of the school?" he asked.
"No…" Steven said blushing and pulling out the letter, "I...have to deliver this to Connie's locker…"
A mischievous grin crossed the tall boy's face. "Ohhoho! So you worked up the courage to tell her how you feel!" he said messing with Steven's hair, "Alright I'll help you!" He then walked over to the shorter senior and threw an arm around his shoulder. "Come on, Vegeta-chan!" he said, "It's just his first year here. Can't you let him off easy?"
Vegeta growled and shoved him off of himself. "Don't call me that!" he snapped as an angry vein pulsed on his head, "And my answer is no, you baka!"
"Aw, don't be like that, Geets!" Goku said, holding his hands up defensively, "This is a matter of the heart here! Can't you be a little more lenient? What if it was you in his position?"
Vegeta gave him a startled look. "What are you prattling on about?" he asked.
"Don't play dumb!" Goku said with a wink, "We all know you've had your eye on that pretty bluenette student council girl for the past year! What if you were delivering a special letter to her? Would you want to be interrupted?"
Vegeta blushed and grumbled. "Fine…" he said, "You're off the hook, Universe."
Steven's eyes sparkled before he bowed to the two of them. "Oh, thank you! Thank you!" he chirped, "I owe you one! Both of you!" With that, the boy ran off.
Vegeta began scribbling on his pad again. Goku looked at him in confusion. "What are you doing, Geta?" he asked.
"If I can't write him up, I'll write you up instead!" he said with an evil smirk.
Goku staggered back in surprise. "What?!" he cried, "But I have a hall pass! look!" He held up his pass and pointed to it frantically.
"I'm not writing you up for being out of class," he said, tearing the page off and sticking it to the boy's chest, "I'm writing you up for dress code violations. I count at least three on you right now."
Goku sighed before crumbling to the ground in defeat. "You're cruel, Vegeta!" he whined, to which the other boy just smirked.
Steven continued on his quest, hurrying through the hall. However, as he got close to Connie's locker the bell rang and students flooded the hall. Steven pushed through the crowds of people, only to find her locker was open, and there was someone standing behind the door. Steven froze, unsure of what to do. He then took a breath and clenched his fists. "Go for it, Steven," he told himself, "It's now or never. Just give it to her and get out of there!" "Connie!" he cried as he ran towards the locker, "I have something for-"
He stopped as the locker door closed again, because Connie was not the one behind it. Instead it Lapis. Water was pouring from her eyes and mouth. "Lapis?" he questioned as the hallway went dark. Soon it was only he and Lapis standing in a black void as it filled with water. As it came up to his chin, Steven cried out as he shot up in his bed, breathing hard.
"What?! What is it?!" Goku shot up at the sudden noise from his place on the loft floor. Vegeta and Piccolo also sat up alert from where they had been sleeping. It was then that Steven remembered what was going on. After searching for malachite until after midnight, Steven had invited the Z fighters to sleep up in the loft with him. After a little convincing on Vegeta's part, they had all settled in for a much needed rest...until now.
The three looked around in their half awake states for whatever the impending danger might be. "Calm down! Everything's alright, I just had a crazy dream," Steven explained. Vegeta glared at him before muttering as he laid back down.
"Oh, ok," Goku said, "What was it about?"
"Well it was kind of weird, cause you guys were there, but you weren't like how you are now," Steven explained. "Oh! And Lapis was there," he remembered, "but she wasn't herself. I'm worried that she's not alright wherever she is."
"Relax, Steven," Piccolo said, "It was just a dream."
"You were probably just dreaming about her because we were hunting for Malachite," Vegeta assured as he laid down on the floor.
"Ok…" Steven said as he laid back down. He sighed as he closed his eyes again and drifted off.
Maybe I should have saved this for an April fools day chapter, but I felt like writing it now. I'm back on writing Season two for now and am going to continue with Peridot's redemption arc next. However, this story might get put on pause once I catch up with where the show is, or I'll go back and work on some season one stuff. I know this is an AU, but I want to see where this season goes before I really start changing things and I have a few reasons why. I don't know if this counts as spoilers anymore but if so, skip the next few lines.
There is a lot that is going to happen in season 2 if the released episode titles and descriptions mean anything. While this is an AU, It's still follows the Steven universe time line. Yes there will be some changes, but rebecca sugar's announcement of no episode being filler makes me wary about changing too much. I could easily write myself into a corner I can't get out of if I exclude someone important or a key event I didn't know was important. I have a plot laid out, but only for what happens in relation to the events of the dragon ball side of the universe because while DBZ is a complete series(mostly) Steven Universe isn't.
Still I hope you enjoy this chapter and what's to come for this story. I have a lot planned and I am excited.