Steven Universe: Behind the Scenes Chapter 52-Steven's Lion
January 27, 2014
Steven biked to the studio. It was a Sunday morning and they were doing an episode for their show. Steven sees a desert setting, the lights are making the soundstage warm. He walked up to the director, talking to a man with a beard.
"Hey, Rebecca!" he greeted. The woman turned around and smiled.
"Hey, Steven. This is… Steven. He's my brother."
"Hey, Steven." the boy said, shaking his hand.
"Hey, nice to meet you, Crystal Gem Steven." Steven giggled at that.
"Do you have a job here too?"
"Oh, yeah. I'm the background designer. So all the sets you've used so far, are designed by me." he said.
"Wooooah, cooollll," Steven said, starry-eyed.
"Yeah! It is," he said, ruffling the hybrid's hair. Steven laughed.
Steven waited for the Crystal Gems out here instead of the soundstage since it was way too hot in there right now.
Steven sees the Crystal Gems walk into view. "Sup, Steven!" Ameythest said, giving him a hi-five.
"Hey," he said hi fiving her back.
"So, Rebecca. Um…. I have a question about the new script."
"Sure, Pearl."
Pearl grabbed her script which was stored inside her gem, she turned a few pages. Her lines were highlighted in blue. She finds it and hands it to Rebecca. Then points to it.
"Are you sure it's safe to use a real lion?"
"Well, it's not… A wild one, its—he's tame, Pearl. Rose told me that she can… Bring things back after they are… Deceased. When you guys were on Earth she told me that she had eight or seven lions, one of them got hurt and she brought one of them back to life with her healing tears."
"Wait… Mom did that?" Steven asked, amazed at how his mother could do that.
Well, she did heal my arm. But it wasn't pink.
Steven nodded and walked off so he could get changed for the show.
Rose and Greg were sitting in the director's chairs, they sat by Rebecca. They were going to watch the show LIVE but with no talking. Rose turned off her phone, and Greg also did. Then, they got started with the episode.
"Steven Universe: Steven's Lion, scene one, take one."
In the heart of a sprawling desert, the sun blazed down relentlessly, casting heat waves that danced above the sandy expanse. A towering sandstone column cracked and collapsed, sending a cascade of sand tumbling to the ground. Clambering over the resulting pile were the Crystal Gems, with Steven trailing behind, crawling in desperation.
"W-Water… Water…" he murmured, his voice hoarse from thirst.
"Steven, it'll be safer if you stand up and walk," Pearl urged, concern etched on her face.
But Steven, caught in the throes of his imagined desert plight, replied, "You don't understand… This… is how… you're supposed to act in the desert…" He paused, fatigue overtaking him, and finally rose to his feet, dripping with sweat. "Is this the thing? The place?"
"Yes, Steven," Garnet confirmed, her gaze fixed on a faint silhouette in the distance. "The power in the structures has turned aimless."
As they pressed on, Pearl's voice rose in alarm. "It's building columns with no roofs, stairs that go nowhere! This is out of control!"
"Then I guess we better…" Amethyst chimed in, playfully leap-frogging over Steven. "…Roll on over there." A mischievous grin spread across her face.
"Amethyst, that was a bit unnecessary," Pearl scolded, though she couldn't suppress a smile.
Suddenly, a deep roar echoed through the sands, sending a shiver down Steven's spine. "What was that?!" he exclaimed, eyes wide with fear.
"Let's go!" shouted Amethyst, ready for adventure.
"It'll be best if you stay here, Steven," Garnet advised her tone firm yet reassuring.
"But what if something eats me?!" Steven protested, panic rising in his voice.
"Do not worry, Wet One," Garnet said, wiping the sweat from Steven's forehead and flicking it playfully back at him. "There's nothing out here that can harm you. See you soon."
Reluctantly, Steven watched as the Gems ventured off into the desert, his heart pounding in the stillness. He found a patch of shade beneath a towering sandstone column, muttering, "It's… so… desert."
As he shielded his eyes from the blazing sun, he heard a strange groaning sound. Lifting his shirt slightly, he scanned the area, reminding himself, "Nothing can harm me. I am the Wet One." That's when he spotted a shadowy figure lurking nearby, its gaze fixed on him.
"Good thing this column was here," he whispered, retreating behind it just as it gave way, revealing a pink-furred lion. Startled, Steven stumbled back and gasped as a wall of sand erected behind him, trapping him.
"No, no!" he cried, cowering in fear. The lion merely stared at him, its expression unbothered. Then, it yawned, flopped down, and fell asleep.
"Huh," Steven said, curiosity overcoming his fright. Tentatively, he approached the lion, flinching when its ear twitched. Gaining confidence, he reached out, placing his palm on the lion's nose. "Don't bite!" he yelped, quickly backing off.
But the lion remained calm, allowing Steven to pet its soft mane. "Aw, you just wanted attention, didn't you?" he cooed, stroking the creature's body. "You're like the cotton candy of the jungle!"
As if in response, the lion tipped over, causing Steven to tumble off, only to climb back on again. "I always wanted an animal friend," he mused, "but I thought it would be like a goldfish or a dinosaur!" Just then, an explosion echoed in the distance, and a shockwave sent sand flying everywhere.
"Garnet, Amethyst, and Pearl are coming! Quick, put my head in your mouth!" Steven exclaimed, attempting to pry open the lion's jaws.
"Steven! What is that?!" Pearl shouted as she and the other Gems rushed back, weapons drawn.
"It's okay! Look, he's totally tame!" Steven reassured, but Pearl was unconvinced.
"That's impossible," she replied, lowering her weapon.
"No, it isn't! I-I taught him to say 'I love you!'" He mimicked the lion's mouth, "I love you!"
Amethyst laughed, "That's so sweet! I-I love you too!"
Pearl groaned, "Get your hands out of that thing's mouth. We have to get the Desert Glass out of the desert."
As the Gems prepared to leave, Steven bid a tentative goodbye to his newfound friend. "Hey Lion, I gotta go. I feel like you really get me," he said, waving as they moved away.
"Cut! Let's go to the next scene." Rebecca said, standing up. The actors and camera crew moved. Steven fanned himself from the heat, Pearl handed him a bottle of water that she stored inside her gem.
"Thanks, Pearl," he said opening the bottle and taking a long drink.
"I need to get you a water bottle, Steven," Rose tells her son. Steven nodded.
"I can bike to Walmart," he told his mother. Rose nodded. She can trust him to go by himself. They were at the beach house\Crystal Temple set now, everyone got into their paces and they started.
"Steven Universe: Steven's Lion, scene two, take one."
Steven and Amethyst had constructed an impressive pillow fort, nestled snugly under a pile of cushions. The two of them drifted into a peaceful slumber, with the sparkling Desert Glass perched atop their fort, shimmering in the sunlight.
Suddenly, a scratching sound echoed through the air, stirring Steven from his dreams. He blinked groggily, the noise tugging at his curiosity. "What's that sound?" he murmured sleepily. Amethyst, still half-asleep, quickly covered his mouth with her hand. "All I hear is your mouth," she mumbled, clearly enjoying her nap despite the commotion.
Steven, puzzled, pointed out, "I thought Gems don't need sleep." Amethyst sighed contentedly, "We don't, but it feels good, though." Just as the scratching continued, Steven grumbled and got up, muttering about the annoyance—suspecting a kid trying to sell him lava insurance."
With a determined expression, he flung open the front door, only to be met by an unexpected sight. "Lion!" he gasped in surprise. "Oh my gosh! You came all this way to see little old me?" Lion attempted to enter the house, but Steven halted him, cautioning, "Woah, you're fresh. Amethyst is pretend-sleeping."
With a sense of excitement bubbling within him, Steven stepped outside, eager to reunite with his friend. "Now we can do everything best friends do!"
As the sun hung high in the sky, Steven stood confidently atop a cliff, his loyal companion Lion sitting patiently below. "Okay, here I come! Get into position, ready?" he shouted, adrenaline coursing through him. Lion didn't move, his gaze fixed on Steven. "And catch me! I'm jumping!" Steven called out, but Lion remained still. "Catch me! I'm falling! Do it, catch me, I'll die! Eeee!"
In a moment of misfortune, Steven stumbled and fell down the cliff, landing unceremoniously face-first in the sand. "Oof," he groaned, brushing himself off as he moved towards the beach, holding a tennis ball tightly in his hand. "Okay, gonna throw this ball. Here it comes!"
He hurled the ball towards Lion, who watched it land without a flicker of interest. "WHAAAAAAAAT?! That throw was so good!" Steven exclaimed, running to retrieve it. "Lion! All you gotta do is catch it in your mouth!" He demonstrated, but Lion remained indifferent. "Aw, you don't like that one either?"
Determined to impress his friend, Steven led Lion to Fish Stew Pizza, believing cats loved fish and everyone adored pizza. Peeking through the glass door, he spotted Onion devouring a slice and Ronaldo tapping away on his laptop. "Hey guys!" he greeted, but no one seemed to respond as he leaned against the counter.
"What're you having, Steven?" Kiki asked, eyeing him curiously. "Large pizza please, extra fishy," he replied with a chuckle. "I'm ordering for two." Ronaldo, overhearing him, did a dramatic spit-take. "Steven's pregnant?!" he exclaimed.
"I don't think so," Steven laughed, "but I have a giant pet lion right outside!" He tried to convince them, but Ronaldo only scoffed, and Kiki dismissed them with another pun, leaving Steven feeling deflated.
As he walked back home, disappointment weighed on him. Just then, he spotted Lion scratching at the front door. "Hey, hey Lion! You left me at the pizza place! I looked like a fool!" he complained. Lion, however, broke through the door, completely ignoring Steven's protests.
Inside, Amethyst remained blissfully asleep under the pillow fort. But Lion, clearly agitated, howled at the Desert Glass, sending Amethyst tumbling off the couch as she groggily yawned. "Keep it down, Steven," she grumbled, falling back asleep.
Frustrated, Steven confronted Lion. "Is this what you wanted? I've been trying to play with you, and feed you, thinking we were best friends! Did all of that mean nothing to you?" As he tossed the Desert Glass onto the beach in a huff, the ground trembled, and the Desert Glass began to awaken, erecting sand structures all around.
Garnet and Pearl emerged from the house, eyes wide with alarm as they witnessed the chaos. "Steven! The Desert Glass, it's rebuilding its castle!" Pearl exclaimed while Amethyst joined them, oblivious to the urgency.
As the sandstorm surged, Steven pressed forward, navigating through the rapidly forming structures toward the center column where the Desert Glass reigned. Just when it seemed he would be trapped, Lion swooped in, catching him mid-air and guiding him to safety. "Lion!" Steven shouted with gratitude as they ventured deeper into the storm.
Together, they faced the formidable defenses erected by the Desert Glass. Lion roared with determination, smashing barriers in their path, and as they reached the top, Steven held the Desert Glass triumphantly. The storm dissipated, and the chaos settled. "We should've bubbled it earlier!" Pearl sighed, while Amethyst shrugged, still unfazed.
As they stood in the aftermath of their adventure, Steven turned to Lion, realizing their bond had only grown stronger. "So I guess this is goodbye," he said, his voice tinged with sadness. "We had some good times, but I'm sure you have other magical stuff to smash with other magical boys."
In a playful moment, he moved Lion's lips, pretending to voice Lion's thoughts. "I love you, Steven. I want to stay with you forever!" He gasped, excitement bubbling up within him. His friends exchanged glances, pondering the fate of his magical companion.
"We kept Amethyst," Garnet reminded them, and a wave of laughter erupted from Pearl at the absurdity of it all.
With newfound joy, Steven celebrated, "Yay, Lion!" as he coaxed Lion into a playful wink, the star iris zooming in on Lion's eye, marking the end of this whimsical tale.
"Cut! That's a wrap! good job guys!" Rebecca said, standing from her director's chair. Steven walked to his trailer to change, then. He heard a scream coming out of the Regular Show soundstage.
Steven acted fast and ran there to see if his friends needed help. He sees Lion just sitting there, Pops was hunched over, shaking. Steven runs toward him and puts a hand on his back.
"Steven, w-what is that?" Pops asked, with tears in his eyes.
"It's a lion for an episode we filmed, don't worry. He's tame," he said
"Lion, come here!" Steven said, Lion didn't listen to him and looked out in the distance.
Steven sighed in defeat but smiled. "Sorry, he's not trained." the boy said, Then Lion decided to move.
"Come on, Lion," he said, walking off the Regular Show soundstage. The big pink cat follows him, and the boy smiles and looks over his shoulder. He sees Lion tailing him to his trailer.
Maybe he finally listened to me….
Steven walked into his trailer, Lion lay outside as the boy got dressed in his normal clothes. Lion then sees a lizard on the concrete, gets up, then chases it.
Steven walks out of his trailer and sees Lion. "Lion! Come to me!" he said, Lion ignores him. He grabs the reptile and puts it in his mouth, it's hanging by his teeth.
Steven sees it. "Lion, no! Get it out of your mouth!" Lion looks at him and releases it.
"Thank goodness," he said, relieved.
He went to his bike, he put his leg over. Then stopped when Lion nudged Steven's side. "Lion, I have to go home. You can't come with me, you can stay at the trailer in the studio," he said. Steven mounted on his bike and he rode home.
Greg was making dinner, Rose was sitting on the couch, and A pink and white electric guitar was in her hands as she was strumming it. Steven had his guitar also, connected to an amplifier. He was sitting on the couch as his legs swung mid-air.
"Hey, Mom check this out," Steven said. Rose stops strumming and looks up, Steven faces her, his guitar sitting on his legs now as he plays a Crush 40 He starts playing Free.
Rose started to play it also, They were now singing it together.
"I'm falling free in the wind, in the wind
Free to be me in the wind, in the wind
What would it feel like to be
Speed of light and rule the night and day?
Watch as it passes by you
The masses try you
But they just can't keep up
Into the free, into the me
Into the ever-knowing
Felt so refrained, felt so constrained
But now I'm breaking out and
I'm falling free in the wind, in the wind
Free to be me in the wind, in the wind"
Greg smiled as he cut up some veggies as their music filled the house.
"Beg, borrow, steal you've made your deal
At with no hesitation
Crawl, walk or run you've had your fun.
Of which is very certain—" Rose and Steven cut their music short by a scratching sound at the door. Steven removed the guitar strap and laid it on the couch.
Steven opens it and his eyes go wide as he sees a pink Lion sitting by his door. "Lion! Deja vu…" he said, petting his soft mane.
"Woah! Lion?" Greg asked, walking up. He dried his hands off with a kitchen towel and looked down at the large pink cat.
"Dude, where did you come from?" Greg asked.
"I guess he followed you home, Steven," Rose said, Steven giggled and hugged him.
"Can we keep him, Mom? You said you wanted a cat, so why not?"
"That is a great idea, Steven!" Rose said, smiling at her son, Steven smiled brightly and hugged Lion, feeling his mane, his mane was still as soft as ever.
"Goodnight, Steven." Rose kissed his son on the forehead. Steven yawned and went to sleep, he wrapped his arms around Lion who was sleeping next to him. Rose walked to her and Greg's room. Greg was brushing his teeth, Rose climbed into bed and settled in, opening a Harry Potter book that she was reading.
Greg walked out of the bathroom and went to bed. Rose smiled and kissed him.
Greg smiled and kissed his wife.
A\N: Hey guys! I'm back with a new chapter, So… I decided to rematch Steven Universe because it was time for a rewatch and I needed a break from all the depressing stuff that was happening to me over and over and over again. Anyway, I'll see you guys in the next chapter!