Hello and welcome readers to my Steven Universe fanfiction. Anyway, I don't own anything except for the OC.
Disclaimer: The following is a non-profit fan-based parody. Steven Universe is owned by Cartoon Network and Rebecca Sugar. Please support the Official Release.
Ocean Gem
—…
Things begin shortly after they left off. After escaping the Crystal Gems, Lapis Lazuli was walking through the ocean while Vergil—Who had left with her, was holding her hand and walking beside her. They were currently underwater and walking on the sand floor at the bottom of the ocean, but since both Gems could breathe underwater, it wasn't bothering either of them.
"We should be far enough now." Lapis said as they stopped walking.
"What are you going to do?" Vergil asked curiously.
"I'm going to make a way to get home." Lapis told him before she sat down. "Since my Gem is cracked, I can't use some of my powers, but I can still terraform the planet's ocean."
Lapis then brought her hands together, and suddenly the ocean water around them started pulsating. What followed after that was a hard-surfaced floor appearing beneath their feet that was made from a much more concentrated form of water that started lifting them up. The floor continued to expand and was rising higher and higher and grew wider and wider.
"Wow, what's going on?" Vergil asked as he looked around in wonder.
"I'm going to use the Earth's ocean to create a tower, one that will stretch far enough to reach Homeworld." Lapis explained as the tower soon reached high enough that they were above the ocean's surface. "I just hope it's enough."
Vergil thought about it for a moment before an idea came to him. "Maybe I can help."
Vergil then sat down opposite Lapis and then held out his hands. Lapis could tell he was gesturing for her to hold his hands, and while she didn't know why, she didn't have a reason not to. When Lapis held his hands, Vergil activated his powers as a black aura emitted from his Gem and his body before it spread out to cover Lapis' body.
When it did, Vergil's power to enhance began to affect Lapis, and she felt her Gem abilities increase. Following that, the water from the ocean tower changed like the healing fountain did, and the water turned black with glittering lights around it, now resembling a starry night sky rather than the ocean.
"Woah, what's happening?" Lapis looked around in both surprise and amazement. "I feel so much stronger now. How are you doing that?"
"It's one of my powers. I can make the powers of other Gems stronger than normal." Vergil explained before he pulled back one of his hands to pull down his shirt collar to show her his Gem. "See, it's thanks to my Gem."
The moment she saw it, Lapis gasped in astonishment. "You're a Black Gem?"
Vergil blinked, a little thrown off by her reaction. "…Yeah, is that bad?"
"Don't you know what Black Gems are?" Lapis asked, a little more composed.
"No, I've been told I'm a bit different from other Gems, but no one's told me anything beyond that." Vergil asked, almost feeling as though he'd done something wrong. "Is it bad to be a Black Gem?"
"No, no." Lapis quickly shook her hand and gave him a smile. "It's fine. If you don't know, then forget I said anything."
Vergil nodded, then looked around to see the tower was now above the clouds.
"Wow, we're really high up." Vergil noticed.
"I know, it's great." Lapis said, filled with hope. "Hopefully, we'll be able to reach Homeworld."
The tower kept rising all throughout the night, but the more the tower grew, the more the sea level of the ocean shrank. It wouldn't be long before the rest of the world would feel the effects of the ocean disappearing.
As the morning of the next day begins, things return to the Beach House while Steven and the Gems are discussing the previous events of the night before.
"…I'm grounded?" Steven asked in total dismay. The next morning, after the incident with Lapis, the Gems held a priority meeting in the Beach House. Steven was in deep trouble, standing in front of the Gems. Pearl and Amethyst looked angry at him, while Garnet likely was scolding him.
Pearl folded her arms and exclaimed. "Yes, you're grounded!"
"You disobeyed an order." Garnet added.
"And now we're gonna bury you 'til you've learned your lesson." Amethyst exclaimed, holding up a shovel.
Steven panicked and exclaimed. "Aah! That's not how grounding works!"
"In that case, we'll bury Vergil when he gets back." Amethyst tried again.
"Aah, Vergil!" Pearl exclaimed with concern as she buried her hands into her face. "How are we going to find him? What are we going to do? Why would he just go like that? Will he even be able to get back? What if he's—"
"Pearl." Garnet placed a hand on her shoulder. "We've been over this. You can't keep falling apart every time someone mentions Vergil."
Pearl took a deep breath, breathed out, and straightened out. "You're right. I need to stay calm."
They were interrupted by a further conversation when the door of the house suddenly burst open. The Crystal Gems turned to look and saw a very exasperated and flustered Greg standing at the doorway, panting heavily.
"Dad?" Steven looked at his father in confusion with everyone else.
Greg breathed heavily before he addressed the team. "Uh, you guys better come check this out."
The Crystal Gems looked at one another before following Greg outside. However, the moment they walked out of the house, it only took them a second to see what was wrong.
The entire ocean was gone. The glistering water that made up the vast ocean that made up most of the earth had vanished completely, leaving nothing but a vast desert ocean floor littered with various boats and ships stranded.
The Gems and Greg rushed down from the house and ran over to where the citizens of Beach City were gathered and murmuring worriedly. All of them gazed out at the waterless ocean desert in disbelief, growing more concerned. The Gems were just as stunned by what they saw.
The citizens of Beach City are gathered behind Mayor Dewey, except for Ronaldo, who is taking pictures with his phone as the camera zooms out, revealing that the entire ocean is gone, leaving various boats and ships stranding on the now-deserted ocean floor.
"The ocean!" Steven exclaimed.
"HEY, IT'S THOSE MAGICAL LADIES!" Mayor Dewey yelled into a megaphone after spotting the Gem. He looked to have been panicking with his hair disheveled and sweating bullets drenching his armpits. He marched over to them and yelled hotly at Garnet. "WHAT'S GOING ON HERE?!"
"The ocean is gone, obviously." Garnet said, seemingly unfazed, that the mayor was in her personal space yelling at her.
"THAT'S RIGHT! NOW IT'S JUST A DESERT! NO ONE WANTS TO TAKE A VACATION TO… DESERT CITY! AWW, WE'RE GONNA LOSE ALL OUR SUMMER BUSINESS!" Dewey dropped to his knees, distraught.
"And all the beach babes! Awwww!" Lars wailed as Sadie rolled her eyes at him.
"Who's gonna buy my fries?" Fryman asked worriedly
"And my pizza!" Kofi yelled angrily.
"Who's gonna have fun at Funland?" Yelled Mr. Smiley, who wasn't smiling.
Mayor Dewey got up again and began rigidly shouting Garnet again through the megaphone. "AS MAYOR! I DEMAND YOU EXPLAIN THIS IMMEDIATE—ly…." Garnet slaps the megaphone out of the Mayor's hand.
"It was Lapis Lazuli." Garnet explained.
"Lapis Lazuli?" Steven repeated, gesturing to the ocean desert.
"She's the Gem you and Vergil released from the mirror." Pearl explained, projecting a hologram of Lapis with her Gemstone. Beach City's citizens murmured in silent amazement when seeing this.
"But she's a Gem, just like us." Steven said, unable to understand.
"There's a lot you don't know about Gems, Steven." She said sourly, looking away while continuing to show the projection of Lapis.
Connie stepped forward from the crowd and spoke to Steven. "Hey, where's Vergil?"
Her question made sense, considering that in all the time she knew them, she had never seen Steven and Vergil not in the same place.
"Uh….…" Steven didn't know how to answer her.
After leaving the beach and returning back to the Beach House, the Gems went back inside with Greg and Connie so that they could figure out what was their next plan of action. No one else in town could do anything. All they could do was watch as Mayor Dewey pathetically pulled out a gardening hose and sprayed water on the sand in a desperate attempt to refill the empty ocean.
Steven was packing his Cheeseburger Backpack as the Gems were discussing in the kitchen.
"How could I have known the Gem contained in that mirror would be so powerful?" Pearl said fretfully as the boy finished his packing and walked towards the door. But while the Gems didn't notice him, Connie and Greg did.
"Where are you going, Steven?" Connie asked, gaining the attention of Garnet, Amethyst, and Pearl. Hesitantly, Steven turned around and faced the others as they looked at them curiously.
"I'm leaving to fix what I did to our home." Steven said with firm resolve. "Vergil and I were the ones who set Lapis free from the mirror. Even though Vergil isn't here, it's also my fault the ocean's gone. I'm gonna bring Vergil and the ocean back or get really thirsty trying.
For a moment, the boy was met with silence from the others as they stared at him. Thinking that they weren't going to stop him and that they weren't going to help him, Steven turned to the door to open it.
"Wait up, kiddo." Greg placed his hand on Steven's shoulder. The half-Gem turned around to see his Dad looking at him with a sincere smile. "I'm coming with you."
"I want to help, too!" Connie eagerly said, walking over to the hybrid. "Also, I feel weird being in your house if you're not here."
Lion then appeared from behind and placed his paw on Steven's head. Growling in agreement, which surprised Greg, who had never actually met the giant pink feline.
They then heard Pearl clear her throat and turned to her to see her broadly grinning with her arms crossed. "Clearly, we're coming too."
"You're un-grounded, by the way." Garnet said, impressed with the young Gem's determination and commitment.
Amethyst jumped on the kitchen counter. "WHOO-HOO! Road trip!" She cheered with excitement.
Unshaven and distressed, Mayor Dewey, who was still spraying water on the sand with the hose, had broken down and started crying his eyes out, sobbing about how the town was going to lose its summer dollars when tourist season came along. So he didn't see the group passing him, heading off into the deserted ocean, with the Gems riding in Greg's Van and Steven and Connie riding on Lion's back.
Lion ran in front of the van with Steven sitting in the front and Connie holding onto his back. Greg, of course, was driving his van, and Garnet was sitting in the passenger's seat. Leaving Pearl and Amethyst to ride in the cramped back with most of the former rock star's things.
"How about some tunes?" Greg asked, pulling out a CD and putting it into the music player. "This was one of Rose's favorites." Greg inserts a CD into the music player, and loud rock music begins to play. Amethyst chuckles while Pearl chuckles uncomfortably, neither of them a fan of the music. Greg turned his head and glanced over at the leader of the Gems. "So what do you think, Garnet?"
Garnet glares uncomfortably before kicking the van door open and jumping out of the van, rolling on the ground.
Time Skip to Night Time as The group is still traveling through the deserted ocean, passing even through the abyssal zone of the ocean. Garnet is now lying on the top of the van while Pearl takes the driver seat, with Greg and Amethyst sleeping and snoring in the back of the van. Steven is still awake, riding on Lion, and Connie is fast asleep on Steven's back, with her arms wrapped around him.
They began to see a black tower that reached high above the land and broke through the clouds surrounding it. They used this as a beacon, a waypoint for the destination they sought.
As the tower started to grow taller and more intimidating, the closer they were getting, and started to slow down. Lion was now walking alongside the van as it was going slower.
Steven was quiet through the journey as they drew closer to the tower. The weight of the situation grew heavier. He still felt rather guilty over the ocean being taken, but he started to question whether or not their decision to set Lapis free was really the right thing to have done.
Still anxious, Steven broke the silence and voiced his concerns. "I can't believe Lapis would do this. Gems shouldn't fight each other."
Pearl glanced over at the boy and closed her eyes. It was finally time to start providing him with some much-needed answers. She opened her eyes and said. "We're always fighting Gems, actually."
Steven gasps in shock. "What?!"
Pearl frowned uncomfortably. "Oh, how do I put this? All Gems aren't necessarily... Good."
Amethyst suddenly leaned forward from the back, having been awakened from her nap by their conversation. "All those monsters we fight used to be just like us!" She explained before turning to Pearl. "Right, Pearl?"
Pearl sighed in remorse. "Yes. But they've become corrupted and broken."
Steven flashbacks to various Gem Monster encounters in the past while hearing Pearl's explanation.
"It's as if their minds have been damaged beyond repair. The fabric of their minds became torn. The bodies of Gems are mental projections. The bodies of corrupted Gems are a reflection of how damaged their minds are—Turning them into monsters. We have to take care of them, subdue them, contain them. It's the best we can do for them for now. If we don't, then who knows what they'll do."
Steven was surprised by all this. "Wha… Does Vergil know about this?"
Pearl sighed. "He does."
"Then why did you tell him but not me?" Steven asked.
"Because he approached us and asked about it." This time, Garnet answered. "The truth is that he suspected that was the case even before we said anything."
"It wasn't that hard to figure it out in hindsight. I mean, all those monsters had Gems, too, when you think about it." Amethyst added from inside the van.
Steven was quiet. He was processing what he had just learned and trying to figure out how he should look at all this. Part of him just assumed that until now, all the monsters they fought were just mysterious invaders or something, and they fought them to protect the earth from some type of danger. If they were actually Gems, he didn't know what to think anymore.
Connie decided to ask a question that's been on her mind for a while. "…Why did Vergil leave with Lapis in the first place?"
"Because Lapis reached out to him and showed him that she was in need. When he sees someone like that, his response is always to aid them." Pearl explained. "It's just his nature."
"His nature?" Steven repeated. "Has he done stuff like this before on missions?" He asked, not knowing of any other occasion that Vergil had acted this way.
"Not quite. It's in his nature because it's exactly like what his father would have done." Garnet clarified.
Steven and Connie reacted to that. "His Dad?"
"Mythril was the Strongest among us but also the kindest." Garnet began. "He always showed compassion to anyone around him when they needed him. Even if someone he just met reached out their hand to him, he would take it and do whatever he could to help them. And now, Vergil inherited that trait."
"But helping others is a good thing?" Steven didn't see the problem.
"But it depends on who you help and how you go about doing it. Was taking the earth's ocean a good thing?" Pearl pointed out.
Steven didn't have a retort for that, but he didn't get the chance to dwell on it when there was a bright glowing light in front of them. They looked and saw that they'd arrived.
The giant glowing black and starry structure made entirely out of the ocean and powered by Vergil's Gem that stood before them was even more magnificent and imposing up close. The glow came from the water glistening in the moonlight as it reached high into the sky. It was like a Spire made from space itself. Dark clouds swirled around it, giving it an ominous appearance. As they looked at it, they saw the water moving upwards.
Connie looked up at the tower in equal amazement. "That's some… Magical destiny stuff right there." she said, taking off her glasses.
"Guys, I just had the best idea for an album cover." Greg said, looking up at the tower in equal amazement.
The group approached closer to the structure before stopping. Garnet then got off the roof, and then the Gems and Greg got out of the van to stand before the tower. The kids unmounted Lion, and they all cautiously approached the tower. "This is it. Lapis Lazuli is here." Garnet said. "And so is Vergil."
"I don't understand." Pearl said, shaking her head. "What does she want with the ocean, and why is Vergil enhancing it?"
The kids stood closer and were astonished to see various marine life swimming inside the water tower. From whales to various fish to stingrays and turtles. Everything from the biggest mammal to the smallest crustation. "Whoa. Look at all this. It's-it's just like a mix between a giant aquarium and a planetarium." Connie exclaimed, stepping a bit closer.
"YOU SHOULDN'T BE HERE!" Thundered the voice of the blue Gem in question. Coming from high atop the tower, having sensed them.
"She sensed us." Garnet realized.
Glaring up at the tower, Steven approached it and took in a deep breath. "LAPIS LAZULI!" He yelled at the top of his lungs, assuming she could hear him. "IT'S ME, STEVEN!"
For a moment, there was silence until the water near the base of the tower sloshed and rippled before forming a giant, aquatic version of Lapis Lazuli's face on its wall. "GO AWAY!" she ordered them, glaring down at them. "BEFORE I MAKE YOU."
"But we're beach-summer-fun buddies!" Steven exclaimed.
Lapis forms Steven's face from the water and screams in Steven's voice. "NOOOOO!"
Steven & Connie gasped as Lapis formed her own face again and got closer to Steven, startling him a bit. "YOU'RE ONE OF THEM! ONE OF THE CRYSTAL GEMS!"
Amethyst and Pearl growled angrily when hearing this and were ready to attack when Garnet put a hand on each of their shoulders. "Easy." She said.
"What do you mean? We're all Gems, right? Just let us help you." Steven begged, confused by what Lapis was saying. "You're letting Vergil help, aren't you?! C'mon, let us see him!"
"THAT'S DIFFERENT, STEVEN!" Lapis rejected his plea. "VERGIL CHOSE TO COME WITH ME! I'M NOT GIVING HIM BACK!"
"Why not?" Steven continued to ask. "Why are you doing any of this in the first place?"
"YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND! JUST LEAVE ME ALONE…." Lapis' anxious face then disappeared into the water tower.
"We're not leaving, Lapis. Not until you give us back our ocean—Aah!" Steven starts patting the wall of the water tower.
But the ocean Gem lashed out, and out of nowhere, an arm extended from the water tower and grabbed Steven roughly by his neck. He took him off guard, and he grabbed the arm to get it to let go. Then, emerging from the tower, came the owner of the arm: a water clone of Steven.
"I SAID…" Lapis said, speaking through the clone as it reared back its fist. "LEAVE ME ALONE!"
The clone punched Steven in the stomach, pushing him back with a water-arm attack that was a heavy stream of water. Fortunately for him, Garnet safely caught the young Gem as he was flung towards her.
However, it wasn't over, and stepping out from the water structure came water clones of the Gems. All of them glaring at the Crystal Gems.
"Greg, kids, you stay behind us. We'll handle this." Pearl ordered as her Gemstone glowed.
"Sounds good to me!" Greg fretfully exclaimed, hiding behind a nearby rock. Steven, Connie, and Lion retreated and stood behind the Gems.
With bold gracefulness, the Gems summoned each of their weapons. The Gems and their water clones proceed to summon their weapons and prepare for battle. Their water clones did the same and proceeded to mirror their real counterparts and summoned their liquid weapons. They were prepared for battle against the originals.
"Ruh-oh." Amethyst said.
"Stand together. Don't let them separate us." Garnet commanded, only to get punched by Water Garnet.
"Garnet!" Steven cried out with worry.
Sent flying backward into the ground. She quickly got up as Water Garnet chased after her. She cracked her neck twice and engaged in a fistfight with Water Garnet, creating a giant crater. Each fighter sent out a barrage of punches that landed evenly against each other. It was a stalemate until Garnet saw an opening and took it. Punching Water Garnet in the head, splattering it. But just as she believed that the battle was over, the head quickly reformed, and Water Garnet punched Garnet into a large rock.
As Garnet lept away from the rock, Amethyst used her whip to grab the rock and sling it at Water Amethyst, who effortlessly dodged it. The short Gem kept slinging nearby rocks at the water clone, who continuously dodged them by bending out of shape. "Aw, come on! Aah!"
Amethyst complained, stomping her foot. Water Amethyst then grabbed her with her whip and flailed her away. She screamed before being slammed to the ground. She groaned before shapeshifting. "Well, as long as we're playing fair…." She said, turning into her Purple Puma persona and charging at Water Amethyst. Leaping into the air to land, a heavy bodyslam down on the clone.
Meanwhile, Pearl spared off with her water clone. Blocking an attack from Water Pearl. She then swung at the clone, to which it dodged. The white Gem then spun her spear around and managed to slice Water Peal in half. She laughed victoriously until the two halves quickly reformed into two Water Pearls. Pearl sighed and summoned another spear. "I hate fighting me."
Lion engages against Water Steven, emitting several magical roars at it, but it effortlessly slitters out of the way every time.
"Come on, Lion!" Connie cheered.
"You can take me!" Steven cheered as well.
Lion is then knocked back by Water Steven, slamming into Greg's van—Much to Greg's dismay.
"Oh no, not the van!" Greg exclaimed in dismay, running towards his mobile home.
After seeing his pet hurt after fighting for him, Steven raised the water gun he'd brought along. "Revenge!" He shouted.
"Revenge!" Connie yelled with him, and the two charged toward Water Steven.
Steven shoots a water gun while Connie hurls a small rock at the clone. Water Steven then extends its water arms and entraps Steven and Connie's heads in water bubbles in an attempt to drown them.
"Kids!" Greg shouted in dismay.
A struggling Steven can see Connie quickly losing her breath. Luckily, he didn't struggle for long. Greg came out of nowhere and rammed Water Steven over with his van. Steven and Connie are freed as they cough and gasp for air.
"Connie!" Steven leaned over to her.
Greg popped his hand out from the driver's door window and looked at the two kids. "Is this a NORMAL magical mission for you? 'Cause I'm not so sure how comfortable I am with you going on these any—" He got interrupted when Greg's van was suddenly blasted upwards and away by Water Steven underneath, along with the former rock star still inside. "Mooooooorrre…!"
"Dad!" Steven cried out as the three of them watched the van soar into the air before crashing a distance away from them. They ran to the van as Greg crawled out of it, coughing and groaning. "Dad! Dad! Are you okay?"
"Ugh, I think my leg's broken." Greg groaned. "See, this is why we wear seatbelts, kids.
Steven turned around and noticed that Water Steven was approaching them. Steven looked up at his water clone with a glare. After just sitting back and letting everyone else fight this battle, he was done just sitting around and letting everyone get hurt. And he was going to put an end to the battle. "Lapis, I don't want to fight anymore."
Lapis doesn't care, and Water Steven creates and hurls a water ball at Steven.
"I said…" Steven instinctively held out his left arm as his Gem started glowing. "I DON'T WANNA FIGHT!"
And then it happened. In a brilliant flash of light, Steven successfully summoned Rose's shield on his arm and blocked the attack from the clone's sword. Disbanding the water that made up the blade. The impact caused a massive sound wave, resulting in all the water clones dispelling in the reverberation. Everyone around him stared at the young boy in astonishment as Steven dispelled his shield. Metallic clanging noises were made from folding in on itself before disappearing.
Steven started walking towards the tower. The half-Gem walked forward as the others watched them. He stopped in front of the structure and spoke.
"Lapis!" Steven called up, looking up at the unseeable top of the tower. "I'm coming up to see you.… So please don't drown me."
"Wait, Steven!" Connie gasped.
Steven holds his breath and jumps into the water tower. However, perhaps showing she was finally willing to hear him out, Lapis made a large solid water hand inside the ocean tower and placed it under him. When his feet touched it, Steven was lifted quickly up through the water towards the top of the tower. He traveled for miles and miles upwards, passing the clouds and still going up.
Ascending to the outer atmosphere of Earth, where the clear, star-filled night sky was waiting for them. He looked out of the tower and saw the curve of the planet.
When Steven arrived at the top, he broke through the water, but Lapis kept the boy encased in a water bubble—Trapping him and immobilizing him. But she did let only his head free to allow him to breathe. The air was thinner, making it difficult to breathe, but he was focused on one thing.
In front of them stood Lapis Lazuli, glaring firmly and fiercely at him as each side of his face reflected in her eyes.
"Lapis?" Steven said.
"What are you doing here, Steven?" Lapis demeaned coldly.
"I had a feeling that this is what was distracting you."
Vergil, who was also atop the tower, walked up to them and stopped beside Lapis.
"So you came here, Steven." Vergil nonchalantly greeted him.
"Vergil?" Steven was surprised to see his friend right now.
"I assume the others are here too?" Vergil asked.
"What? I-Yeah, but!" Steven shook his head before getting to the point." What are you guys doing here? This thing, the ocean, this is CRAZY! Can't we work this out?" Steven asked earnestly. "We Gems should be friends. Whoa!"
"Why?" Vergil didn't get his point. "Are you saying all Gems should be friends just because they're Gems?"
"Yeah, why not?" Steven felt like that was a given.
"Then, let me ask you, are every human on earth friends?" Vergil gave an example. Steven didn't have a retort for that as Vergil continued. "Not everyone can get along just because they're from the same race. It's natural to disagree."
"But, we should still try to be friends with the Gems on earth." Steven tried to reason.
Lapis abruptly pulled Steven's bubble forward, bringing them closer to her. "Don't you know anything, Steven?" She asked harshly. "Your friends, they don't really care about other Gems. All they care about is the Earth. But I never believed in this place…."
She turned around and gazed up into space. She was looking toward a single bright, brilliantly shining star far off in some other solar system in likely another galaxy. Lapis walked away from Steven as Vergil followed her. They both stared at that one star before letting her control the bubble, holding Steven go, freeing him, and dropping him down onto the surface. Steven looked at them in confusion, but he walked over and joined the lonely blue Gem as she sat down. Steven sat down next to her on her left, and Vergil sat down on her right.
"I just…" Lapis's voice became more gentle and mournful as she closed her eyes and looked down."…Want to go home…."
"And I just want to help her get home." Vergil added, placing his hand over hers. "She's been away from home for thousands of years. I can't imagine what that's like, but I know how badly she wants to go back. So I'm going to make sure she does."
"I know how important home can be." Steven said, his voice soft and understanding. "But that's why I'm here. Lapis took the ocean away, and the ocean is an important part of our home, Vergil. So are you. Everyone's worried about you, so you need to come back with the ocean."
"Steven, we're just borrowing the ocean." Vergil tried to defend their actions. "We always planned on giving it back after we're done."
"He's right. I'm only using the ocean because my Gem is cracked." Lapis assured him. "Thanks to Vergil's powers, we've made it further than I could have on my own. If I just stretch it far enough…." She trailed off, looking back up at the star before sighing in defeat. "This is never going to work."
"You're probably right." Vergil looked at the tower. "At this rate, it'll take forever before we reach where we're trying to go. The earth won't last that long."
There was a long, silent pause between the three of them. Steven felt the unmistakable grief that Lapis emanated as she sat there in silence. None of them knew what to do. This one last-ditch effort to escape the planet and go home failed, and all of her malice was gone. And with it, her hope. She was now just a lost Gem, released after thousands of years from prison, and now was homesick to the point she was willing to do anything to return.
Steven leaned back and looked at her Gemstone. Clear as day, it still had that same crack from when she was in the mirror. Steven then gasped as an idea came to him. "I can fix your Gem. I have healing powers."
"Wait, you have healing powers?" Lapis incredulously asked the young Gem.
"That's right, Steven's powers can heal other Gems." Vergil remembered as well.
"I know, right?" Steven replied with a big grin.
"Oh, what should I…." Lapis turned around to have her Gemstone face him.
"Don't do anything. Just hold still." Vergil instructed her.
"And, uh, sorry. This might be a little weird." Steven said awkwardly.
"What?" Lapis asked.
"Wait." Vergil went over to Steven. "Your powers don't always work. Let me enhance them just to be safe."
"Yeah, okay." Steven nodded enthusiastically.
Vergil then placed his hand on Steven's shoulder and coated Steven in some of his black aura, strengthening him. Steven then licked his hand, covering it in saliva. With his healing saliva sparkling on his palm, Steven held it up for a moment before putting it on Lapis' Gem. This caused the blue Gem to shudder from the strange sensation. The two stared at the cracked Gem.
A brief moment passed, and nothing happened.
But then the Gemstone started to glow in a luminous blue light. The boys watched in awe as Lapis' Gem began to restore itself to its former glory. And then it was completely healed, the cracks closed, and a pair of water wings sprouted from her back. Like watching an Angel, they were wide, graceful, and beautiful to behold.
Overwhelmed with joy, she turned to the boys and smiled in bliss. Opening her eyes to show her royal blue pupils and irises had returned back to normal. "Thank you, Steven!" She exclaimed happily. "Thank you both…."
Vergil was amazed as Steven wiped his hand on his pants. "No prob, Bob." He said quietly.
Lapis stared at him for a moment, not getting what he meant. "It's Lapis."
"It's a figure of speech." Vergil explained. "You just use that name, so it rhymes."
"Oh. Okay." Lapis then went over to Vergil. "Really though, I mean it. Thank you." She said sincerely.
"For what?" Vergil shrugged. "Looking back, I couldn't help you get back home, nor was I the one who fixed your Gem."
"That's not what I'm talking about. From the moment you guys picked up the mirror to even after I got out, you were always there for me, and you didn't leave me." Lapis explained, truly grateful. "You don't know how happy that made me. So thank you."
Vergil smiled up at her. "I just didn't want to see you go, not when you looked so sad."
Lapis reached out her hand to him, similarly as she did back on the beach. "Vergil, come with me to Homeworld. We can go together." She offered.
"Wha?" Steven was caught off guard by that.
Vergil just looked at her hand. Part of him was thinking of accepting her hand once again; he had no idea what would happen, but he felt things might work out if he went with her. But this time, he looked over his shoulder and saw the reason why his answer was obvious from the beginning.
"I can't do that. I already have a home. Here on earth, with Steven." Vergil proclaimed without any doubt.
"Yeah, with me!" Steven cheered.
Lapis nodded with understanding. "I understand. You two should stay together."
Lapis then reached out and wrapped her arms around Vergil, embracing him in a gentle and caring hug, which he returned by hugging her back. This was their last act before parting ways.
"We'll meet again someday." Vergil said.
"I hope so." Lapis agreed.
They both let go and moved back as Lapis turned around and prepared to fly off. "Goodbye, Vergil. Goodbye, Steven."
"Bye, Lapis." Steven waved.
"Goodbye, friend." Vergil waved.
Without saying anything more, Lapis took off with a single flap of her wings. She flew off into space as Vergil and Steven watched from her tower. She grew smaller and smaller until she finally disappeared into the infinite blackness of space—a bittersweet ending, but one that they were happy with. The mission was a success; they helped their friend and, in doing so, saved their home. They had saved the earth.
Suddenly the water tower started to rumble violently and shifted beneath their feet. As it turned out, it was freed of Lapis' control, and the water tower started to crumble and collapse.
Down below, at the foot of the tower, the Gems, Greg, Connie, and Lion, watched as the water tower collapsed around them. Cubes of water splashed down all around them.
"The whole tower's coming down!" Garnet exclaimed as she and Pearl helped up Greg.
"What about Steven?!" Greg exclaimed with concern. Upon hearing this, Lion and Connie looked at each other with determination and nodded at each other.
As the tower completely fell apart, Vergil and Steven began to fall down toward the earth alongside the crumbling pieces of the structure. Steven screamed in terror while falling, but Vergil kept his cool and grabbed onto Steven's arm, shapeshifting his free arm into one of his wings in hopes of stopping their fall.
However, luck would be on their side, as well as their friends. Emerging from a portal came Connie and Lion, who came to the rescue. Using Lion's teleporting ability, they appeared alongside the descending duo, surprising them.
"Grab my hand!" Connie shouted, stretching her hand out to them.
While still holding each other, Steven tries to reach for Connie's hand. After much effort, their hands finally meet. After a strong pull, Connie brought them safely onto Lion with her.
A second later, Steven, Vergil, Connie, and Lion emerged back on safe ground through another portal. The Gems and Greg were relieved to see them safe, but then the water tower splashed and collapsed all around the group, seemingly burying them underwater.
As dawn appeared over Beach City, Mayor Dewey was still crying and trying in vain to fill the entire ocean by spraying water onto the sand. His desperation was so great that he had actually stayed the entire night on the beach. He barely noticed the water began flooding back, and a wave washed over him in the shallows.
The ocean began to flow back to Beach City, restoring to its former self all around the world. And the people of Beach City came out of their homes and shops to see it in amazement.
Outside the Big Donut, Lars and Sadie stood over the edge to see the ocean return, and Lars' eyes lit up with excitement.
"Yes! Babe city, here we com—Whoa!"
He was cut off when Sadie pushed Lars into the water in annoyance.
In front of the Temple, Greg's damaged van then emerged from the sea. Rolling out of the water while encased in Steven's bubble shield, they drove it through beneath the waves. Once they were on dry land, Steven released the bubble and let out a long sigh of relief.
"That's how you do it!" Amethyst said, giving the young Gem a playful punch.
The kids and the purple Gem began laughing and rejoicing until Greg's already damaged van finally called it quits and fell apart even more. The wheels gave way, the hood popped open, and smoke billowed out from it.
Pearl looked down at the broken steering wheel came out. She chuckled nervously and looked at a distressed Greg. "Well, what's that thing you always say about the pork chops and the hot dogs?" Greg just looked at her in horror.
"Look!" Connie exclaimed after Garnet helped everyone get down off the roof. Vergil and Steven turned around and saw the citizens of Beach City all run towards the group, cheering and laughing. Ecstatic that the ocean had returned. Right before they could greet them, Mayor Dewey tackled Steven and embraced him as the citizens cheered them on. Connie laughed in joy, and Amethyst hugged Lion. Greg is crying in front of his broken van, and Yellowtail hands him a handkerchief to comfort him.
However, as the people of Beach City cheered for the kids, Garnet's smirk dropped. "So, Lapis made it off-planet."
Pearl's expression turned to one of worry. "What does this mean for us?"
Garnet simply looked up at the sky. There was only one thing that could be done now. "We wait and see." She said calmly.
The citizens continue cheering, carrying Vergil, Steven, and Connie above them on their shoulders, parading them around. As they did this, Steven took a moment to look up at the sky above the Temple. At the single distant star that she called home.
"See you, Lapis." Steven said with a warm smile on his face. "Wherever you are…."
Vergil managed to break away from the crowd, chuckling a little at how happy they all were—But stopped smiling when he went up to Garnet and Pearl.
"Am I in trouble?" He asked, not seeming to mind if he was.
Garnet shook her head and placed a hand on his shoulder. "Not this time."
He was then suddenly hugged by Pearl, who ran over to him. Vergil hesitated at first but smiled and hugged her back wholeheartedly.
"I'm happy you're home safe, Vergil." She said through closed eyes, smiling happily. After a few seconds, they let go of each other, and she stared happily at him maternally. "Don't ever scare me like that again."
Vergil smiled reassuringly at her. "I'll try not to."
Pearl went on to reestablish their hug. Over her shoulder, Vergil looked upward as he gazed up at the star as night became day.
"Lapis…" He said as the star disappeared in the sunlight. "I will never forget you or this summer…."
The star iris began zooming in on a single distant star.
And that's the chapter.
This is the first chapter in a while, but I figured I better at least update this story at a more regular pace considering chapters don't take too long to finish. One of the main points of this chapter was to show off the differences in relationships between Steven and Vergil.
Vergil isn't as innocent or optimistic as Steven; therefore, he has a broader viewpoint on the world. That said, he also has more compassion for a person's circumstances and tries to see things from their perspective more often. That's why he was more concerned with helping Lapis get home rather than worrying about the temporary loss of the earth's ocean.
There was also a bit of mention of his father and the fact that Black Gems are different from other Gems, but as usual, an explanation on those subjects will come later.
Anyway, thanks for reading hope you enjoyed. If you want more, then be sure to leave a review. If you like the story, click follow or favorite, and as always, have an awesome day.