#i NEED to finish the game now. i’m grown up a lion isn’t gonna scare me this time probably

[prettyboysmlm]

hm. should i make a rash decision once more.

[dark-unimaginably-stupid-kids]

Take the edge off- Pt1.

Figured I’d just go ahead and post this now, not finished yet, not even to the point of the “teaser” bit here but I’m heading out in a little bit and wanted to post SOMETHING.

So, without further ado, I foray back into the land of fan-fiction and feel shitty cause I’m actually trash.

I’m not ace and know very little about the concept so if you want to make any corrections to the minor portrayal here by all means please educate me. I really just wanted Keith and Pidge to have reasons to hold hands and be adorable.

This was supposed to be for Keith’s birthday but what with the assault and breakdown it kinda had to wait.

Fandom- Voltron

Pairing- Keith and Lance, possible Shiro and Allura and MAYBE Pidge and Hunk. Maybe.

Rating- Uhm. Idk yet. Gonna be super gay though for suuuuuure.

You don’t initially like the taste of it on your tongue, but you figure if he’s doing it then it’s got to be worth it, right?

It burns on the way down and you’re feeling even more inclined to stop, but you glance up at him through shy lashes and there’s that stupidly endearing smile on his lips and your heart thuds loudly in your chest and you just want to feel closer to him.

So you take another drink.

---

This morning you woke from bed planning to do just what you do every day in the castle of lions. Train, eat, train, save the universe from certain peril, try not to stare at Lance, train some more and pass out.

But somehow you’d lost track of the days.

Well, not somehow, you’d been actively avoiding considering the days for some time now. In fact, the second you got Shiro alone you were going to chew him out for even mentioning it to the others because why on earth—or anywhere else for that matter—would you want to celebrate your birthday?

You spent so many of them miserable and alone and it was just a constant reminder of your useless existence—

“It won’t be too bad Keith, I promise, you might even enjoy yourself a little,” Shiro says over breakfast while Hunk goes on about tonight’s “Party Menu.”

“I don’t want a party Hunk, I mean—thank you, really. Just. Can’t we just act like it’s any other day?” You try.

You try but Hunk just rolls his eyes at you, “Uh? No. Besides, we could all totally use the break. Just relax and enjoy it birthday boy.”

“No one gets out of being fawned over Keith, it’s your turn,” Pidge volunteers bluntly.

You spare her a scathing glance because you remember her birthday and how quickly she’d gone from, “It’s no big deal” to “I’m the birthday princess bitch!” after some choice “fawning” that you were absolutely certain was not going to work on you.

Just because she eventually got into it did not mean you would.

“It will be fun,” Allura pressed, the warmest of her smiles ebbing away at your very soul. Most days Allura’s overwhelming warmth was a welcomed intrusion into your head but today you quietly wished you’d never left your room and thus never had to look at any of them.

“Gah…!” you groan to no one in particular, vaguely resigning to your fate. The last birthday had been Lance’s and that had actually been a pretty great night spent playing games and laughing and—okay, maybe you just enjoyed the excuse to be around Lance while he was in too good of a mood to let himself get annoyed by whatever you could possibly do to annoy him.

Which was plenty, you’d been told.

Speaking of, “…Where is Lance anyway…?” you say out loud, awkwardly betraying the fact you’d been thinking of him.

Thankfully, the only one of your friends who catches the slip is Pidge who lets out a little throaty scoff and says nothing.

It’s Coran, over a mouth full of something that once resembled Hunk’s attempt at space pancakes, that answers you, “He ran off looking for the mice this morning.”

“The mice?”

Coran shrugged, “s’what he said.”

“Don’t worry about it Keith,” Pidge started after Coran’s words left you quiet and slightly confused, “I’m sure he’d never miss your party.”

None of them thought this statement was at all strange but you felt your chest cease up a bit and you really wished she’d stop.

…

It was her fault, after all, that you were so actively aware of Lance now. She’d come into your room one night, scared the artificial daylight right out of you, and went on a small very personal tirade sitting on the floor next to your bed before you could even register it was her.

“I think,” she’d said finally, “I think I’m ace.”

This woke you up and you immediately crawled off your bed to sit next to her on the floor.

“Well. That’s. uhm. Cool?”

“Is it though? I mean—I used to see people get a lot of flak for it. And I mean, just cause I’m not like… super into kissing anyone or anything doesn’t mean I don’t occasionally want someone to hold my hand or anything and like… wouldn’t my being ace… I dunno, turn people off to wanting to be like that with me? I mean. When they inevitably realize that I don’t… want…” She was so small here next to you and the doubt leaked into her voice so surprisingly easily you weren’t even really sure you were talking to the same girl you fought alien armies with.

Frankly, it bothered you tremendously, but you were not the priority that night, she was and for some reason she had come to you. So.

“Well first off you’re like fifteen and I don’t think you should even be thinking about sex,” you say, hypocritically because you’ve been thinking about it for years when you first noticed how attractive certain classmate’s lower abdomens were in the middle school locker room and how everything would get sort of fuzzy around the edges of your brain for a while after that.

But this was different because this was Pidge and in the short amount of time you’d known her you’d grown to see her as a little sister to be protected and kept far away from terrifying things like penises.

She laughed lightly and rolled her eyes but didn’t look at you.

“Secondly,” you continue, “Sex really isn’t everything. Pidge, you are brilliant and strong and kind and beautiful and someone is going to be made giddy just for the gift of holding your hand.”

“But what if they want more and I don’t—”

“Then they will respect you and not do anything or they’ll meet the business end of Voltron’s sword.”

She chuckled again.

You love that sound. Hell, you love any positive sound coming from anyone of your new family members, bonus points if you helped them make it. It made you feel like you were actually doing something right for a change.

“And third,” you reached for her hand, intertwined your fingers, and held it tightly in yours, “You can hold my hand whenever you want.”

“Yeah,” she laughed outright, a little snort at something she secretly found so funny, “Never have to worry about you wanting something from me, huh?”

Nope! Of course not because—

Wait.

“What’s that supposed to mean?” You hope you sound as incredibly confused as you are rather than in any way annoyed or accusing.

“Well, cause I’m a girl, duh?”

You blink at her.

She blinks back.

“…Are you trying to tell me you’re still in the closet?” She croaked out suddenly.

Then it makes sense, why Pidge would come to you with this kind of thinking.

“Oh.” Is the only thing that comes out of your mouth.

“I-I mean I won’t out you or anything!” Pidge squeaked suddenly, probably realizing all the toes she could have been stepping on. Eventually you just shake your head.

“Ah. Well I mean. I’m not hiding it or anything I’m just. Surprised you knew? I mean, it’s not like I wear a big ol ‘gay orphan’ sign or anything.”

She flinched at your wording but you’re the one who said it so you can’t bring yourself to consider it.

Her turn to shake her head, “You actually kind of do though? Cause like- I could have sworn from the second we got all these lions together and started our great big mission to defend the universe that you were just—you know. Into Lance.”

Whoa there.

Whoa.

You’re being gay was one thing, not a new development at all, not something you actively felt the need to advertise because it was as much a part of you as your hair being black or the freckles on your shoulder. But being into Lance?

“w-where did you get a crazy idea like that?”

“The way you look at him?”

“Uhm?”

“talk to him?”

“…”

“study him”

“--!” was it getting warmer in here??

“You also get this really cute stutter sometimes.”

At this point you have to release her hand so you can cover your face.

“I-I don’t have any-any idea what you’re t-talking about.”

“That. That stutter. It’s diabetes inducing adorable and it only comes out around or about Lance. Keith come on, you can’t possibly expect…” She twisted herself to look at you head on but suddenly you can’t really think anymore.

You’re just.

Thinking about him and your heart might be beating a little faster and you are suddenly so fucking aware—

“G-god no I… I don’t…I can’t…”

Okay you’ve been in space for a little while and maybe your options on who to think about while laying alone in your bed at night may have been pretty limited and you knew it was wrong and you knew that their being your fucking comrades in arms really wasn’t going to make for acceptable ways to think about them so maybe you’d limited yourself to the one and maybe you thought it was safe because in the waking hours he was just too much of a pain for you to accept how stunning he was but then—

Then he started behaving and then his sarcasm and his jokes and his flirtatious tendencies became endearing. And he was interesting and fun and his smile could light up the room and grazing his arm while walking down the hallway together would send sparks of electricity down your skin and maybe your nights weren’t spent thinking about him aesthetically anymore but instead you were thinking about how he said your name and how is eyebrows would knit together and the sweet encouraging things he could say and—

“…I need to be ejected into space. Good bye Pidge, it was nice getting to spend this time together.” You announce, dropping your hands from your face and staring at the wall straight ahead of you.

She punches you in the shoulder, “Don’t even joke you can’t leave me here.”

You stare at her, sure that your face is conveying how distraught you are at the softening look on her face before you shout, “why the hell am I into Lance?!”

And then she grins.

You really, really wish she hadn’t.

“If it helps,” she starts slyly, “I’m pretty sure he’s into you too.”

You shove her so hard in the side she topples over, “SHUT UP. No he doesn’t. Wow. Pidge.”

Pidge rolls onto her back, holding her side and laughing like a small bespectacled hyena, “Oh my god you just did that. You should see your FACE.”

“PIDGE.”

She wipes the imaginary tears off her face and holds her hand out to you, her shoulders still shaking with her restrained giggles, “Still wanna hold my hand?”

You bite your lip, grab her hand and pull her back up to a sitting position. You don’t let go.

“You’re a jerk.”

“You love me.”

“I do.”

“Not as much as you love Lance.”

“Pidge. Please for the love of all that is holy don’t ever say those words in connection to each other ever again.”

…

It’s been a few months since then but your face still burns furiously at the stupid thing your heart decided to do to you. Pidge seemed to be doing just fine coming to terms with herself, and whenever she felt particularly affectionate she had no issues cuddling up to one of her boys, even Allura had gotten an awkward nuzzle that had surprised her but otherwise gone quite well considering Allura’s immense desire to bond with Pidge. But that was a different story altogether.

One your way out of breakfast, Shiro jogs to catch up with you.

You’re still prepared to slaughter him and grin broadly when he says he wanted to go train with you.

Yes, Shiro, let’s make it look like an accident.

Of course, you would never purposefully hurt your closest companion in the entire universe but sometimes you allowed yourself little innocent daydreams where you for once have the upper hand and he’s screaming uncle.

Especially when he starts talking.

“I actually told Allura about your birthday months ago. There really was no way to avoid it.”

“Really? Really? Call you gotta do is not say it. Why was that hard?” You growl out.

He rolls his eyes, “Nah you’re right, clearly I should have lied and said you didn’t have a birthday, you are a figment of our imagination and thus were never actually born yeah?”

He nudges your side and you roll your eyes this time, “The correct response is, ‘It’s no big deal, you don’t need that information.’ Shiro.”

Shiro wraps an arm around your shoulders and though you’re still talking he pulls you back so you’re pressed against his chest. You can hear his heart beat, steady and strong and it’s so soothing to you it almost causes you to melt into him on the spot.

Shiro is alive. Shiro’s existence is the one worth celebrating. Shiro is warm and safe and so many wonderful things.

“It is a big deal Keith, we five paladins of Voltron are defenders of the whole goddamn universe and every single one of us is so incredibly important we should stop and thank the stars in celebration that we were all born. You, most of all, the one who fought so hard and brought us all together. You deserve a happy freaking birthday, Keith.”

Your mind wanders to Allura and Coran, sure that either of them could take your place if need be, sure that it all would have gone the same without you, maybe better without your emotional wreckage self mucking everything up.

But then Shiro kisses our forehead and you breathe deep through your nose and he smells like home.

“Enjoy today, okay?” He says, lips still pressed lightly to your skin.

“Fine.”

“Hey guys, is Keith being a big ol’ grumpy pants again?” Your heart jumps into your throat and Shiro pulls up quickly but doesn’t release his hold on your shoulder.

“When isn’t he.” Shiro started with a chuckle in his throat before changing the subject, “we missed you at breakfast today, Lance.”

The blue paladin stands at his ridiculous height in his ridiculous pajamas and nods, “had some stuff to do. Hunk saved me some grub I’m sure. Right?”

Shiro laughed and you pull out of his hold, for some reason painfully aware of how that might look to someone who didn’t know how close the two of you were. Despite, you know, Lance does know how close you are. It shouldn’t be an issue but you feel the tension ease once your adopted brother’s arm is off your shoulder.

“What were you doing Lance?” You ask carelessly. Maybe a little short. Maybe a little suspicious.

“None of your business, Mullet.” Lance answers back without missing a beat before clapping Shiro on the arm, “Alright, I’ll see you guys tonight. Enjoy whatever it was you two were heading off to do yeah?”

Then he rounded the corner and was gone as quickly as he’d come.

Your heart did not recede from your throat but you don’t think Shiro noticed.

...

You retreat to your room after sparring with Shiro. He works you hard and you are desperately in need of a shower and maybe a nap. Once clean of the sweat and your muscles are starting to relax you flop yourself down onto our bed wrapped in a towel and hear the faint squeak of a mouse that had been disturbed.

It’s the little angry looking blue one that if you were honest was probably your favorite of the three.

“Hey little guy, what are you doing in here?”

It scowls a little bit but reaches up with its little hands and you see there’s a small piece of purple felt stuck to its skin. It tries to pull it off with one hand but it just gets stuck to the other as it wiggles and tries to swat it off.

Must be some really soft material you think, before offering the mouse your finger and easily removing the cloth, one calloused finger against a little prickly rat paw.

The rat beams at you, offers its thanks with a bowed head, and then bounds under the bed.

A few minutes later it returns with more stuck to it and expects you to help him again.

“…” You do, of course, but this time you decide to follow him under the bed and there you find something extremely strange.

It is, for all extents and purposes, a small stuffed hippo.

The other mice as sleeping on it, one opening its eyes every time the little angry one tries to make himself comfortable and ends up getting stuck again. He rips his and free and pulls the hippo apart a little more before realizing you’re watching.

“What do you guys have here…?” You ask finally before reaching under your bed and picking it up.

The sleepy mice get to their feet, startled at being tossed off their new bed and there’s some stuffing leaking out of the hippo’s arm were the first rat had kept trying to make itself comfortable.

The material is extremely sheer and not appropriate for being made into a stuffed animal at all, but the stitching is solid and its very clearly a hippo which brings a small smile to your face.

“Well. This is pretty cute…”

There’s a knock on your door and without waiting for a reply the person on the other side simply lets themselves in.

Its in this millisecond you remember you are only wearing a towel that is choosing just now to fall loose what with all your maneuvering to get the hippo out from under your bed.

You try to tighten the towel but only manage to pull it lose and the ridiculous shriek that breaks from Pidge’s lips as she immediately shuts the door behind her is something that will follow you for the rest of your days.

Until she says to the door and potentially those beyond the door, “NOPE. NOT TODAY. YOU SAW NOTHING.”

With your heart beating a mile a minute you cover yourself properly, put the hippo down, and turn to stare at her in absolute shock.

“…Pidge…”

“I’m sorry.”

“Pidge.”

“I’m sure he didn’t see anything.”

Your heart stops like it crashed into a wall at its breakneck speed, “W-who…!”

“He just wanted me to check your room for the mice. I’msorry.” She says the last bit without a breath and is still facing the door because she clearly doesn’t realize you’ve covered up again but that really doesn’t matter.

“Ch-check for t-th-the mice?”

Who was looking for the mice earlier.

Who was outside that door and got a flash of—

“….I need to be ejected into space.”

“Keith, no!”

…

[prodigal-sunlight]

Opal’s Day Off — A Gem Tale

Opal’s Day Off

Part of the “Gem Tales” series, a collection of fan–fictions written as “episodes” of Steven Universe. Gem Tales is entirely non–canon and based on interactions and events to explore the characters and world of the show. Requests can be made for characters and/or events you would like to see in Gem Tales. We will try our best to not diverge canon and keep each story in the style of an episode of the show. I hope you enjoy!

“Thanks for letting me borrow your game Steven!” Connie said brightly, tucking the colorful Golf Quest Mini case into her duffle bag with her free hand. Taking Rose’s sword, she handed it to Steven. He took it, turning to Lion, who lay fast asleep on the kitchen floor. He slid it carefully into the pink beast’s mane, doing his best not to wake him. Connie continued, smiling. “I’ll see you for training this weekend, right?”

“Right!” Steven said eagerly, opening the screen door for her. “Bye Connie! Oh, and tell me if you like the game’s twist ending when—”

“Steven!” she interrupted, poking him in the chest playfully. “You know it’s not a surprise if you tell me!”

He flushed a gentle shade of rose pink, laughing awkwardly. “Oops! Right, haha, sorry Connie. See you this weekend!”

Smiling, she gave him a quick hug before slipping out the door. Waving as she went, she ran lightly down the stairs. As she reached the beach, she turned back, waving to him again as she yelled back. “See you then!” Watching until she disappeared inside her parents car, Steven smiled, shutting the screen door as they puttered back up the uneven sand, back towards Beach City.

“Ugh. Why are you guys always training so hard?” Amethyst asked, sprawled out on the stairs up to Steven’s bed. She puffed her cheeks up, frowning. “It’s like, super lame.”

Steven sat next to her, folding his legs under himself, holding his ankles lightly as he offered her a smile. “Well, I like fusing with Connie. It’s fun! She’s really cool, and smart, and when we fuse, Stevonnie’s tall enough to ride everything in Funland by themselves!”

Amethyst shrugged at that, propping herself up on her elbows. “Eh. But it’s not like you have to train. Can’t you just, I don’t know, fuse for fun or something?”

“I... I dunno,” Steven said, swallowing slightly. He put a hand to his stomach, feeling the solid surface of his gem beneath his shirt, smooth and hard. “I guess, with everything that’s been happening lately with the Rubies and Jasper and—it just feels like a good idea to practice, right?”

Amethyst softened slightly at his nervousness, grinning in what she hoped was a comforting manner. “Aw, geez dude,” she said, elbowing him lightly. “I was just...” With a soft violet glow, she shape–shifted, taking the form of a small fluffy cat, the same color as her pale purple hair. “...kitten around. Just kitten around?”

“Well, I for one am proud of all their hard work,” Pearl said, walking over with a soft dancer–like stride, hands set lightly on her hips. Behind her, Amethyst shifted back into her normal form, rolling her eyes as Pearl continued. “Oh, did Connie leave already? I wanted to give her one last tip on her footwork first.”

“Yeah,” Steven said, visibly relieved by the change of topic. “She already left. We’re both super excited for fusion training this weekend. And, uh, speaking of fusion... how’s Opal doing?” he said, breaking into a cheeky smile. “I haven’t seen her in a while. Huh, huh?” he added on hopefully, raising his eyebrows.

Pearl sighed, folding her arms. “That’s because the problems we’ve had to deal with lately are either too simple to bother, or important enough to form Alexandrite. Fusion isn’t a toy, Steven,” she admonished calmly.

Even as she continued speaking, the warp pad lit up, and Garnet appeared in a burst of brilliant blue light. In her hands she held a corrupted gem that looked like some colorful jellyfish, a deep green with faded gray stripes cutting across it’s body. Jagged teeth and claws seemed to protrude from any open surface. “Fusion isn’t a weapon either,” she said, stepping off the warp pad calmly. “Fusion is about connection. Emotion. Amethyst, can you hold this?” She handed the gem to Amethyst. It began to screech like an angry cat, lashing at her irritably with it’s spined tentacles. With a slight shout, Amethyst fell to the ground, trying to keep it under control.

Turning her attention to Pearl and Steven, Garnet continued. “I need to go check something at one of the abandoned spires this weekend. I may not be back for a few days.” She paused for a moment, raising one hand to adjust her visor. “Steven, you’re in charge.”

Pearl reared back. “What!?”

Managing to pin the corrupted gem against the hardwood floor, a bedraggled Amethyst let out a cheerful whooping. “Yeah, way to go Ste–Man!”

Steven looked up to Garnet, his eyes bright and starry. “In charge?” he whispered, smiling hugely, his hands steepled together in front of his mouth as if to try and hide his excitement.

“Ha ha ha, you’re so funny Garnet!” Pearl said, the words fake and forced. She straightened up, concern clear in her eyes at this new idea. “I mean, Steven has grown a lot, but—”

“But he’s in charge until I get back,” she cut in, her gauntlets disappearing in a flash of light as she rested her hands on her thick, round hips. “Think you can handle that Steven?”

“Woohoohoo! Yeah!” Steven grinned, looking like a fizzling firework trying it’s best not to explode in a burst of happy color. “First, we’re all gonna go down to the Big Donut, and get three donuts each, except for Pearl, since she doesn’t like food, and then we’ll go to the barn to visit Lapis and Peridot, and then—”

“Heh.” Garnet smiled slightly, with a small nod of her head. “Looks like I’ll be missing out on all the fun. I’ll be back in two days,” she added, forming a small heart with her hands. “I promise.”

Steven dropped a slice of bread in each of the toaster slots, humming to himself as he pushed down the lever. He started singing under his breath, bouncing as he waited for the toast to pop. “Gonna have so much fun! Now that Steven’s number one. His first mornin’ on the job, Boss Steven’s gonna, uh, um. Hey Pearl, what rhymes with job?” he asked brightly.

Pearl stretched her arms out over her head, one leg up on the kitchen bar as she twisted and reached, like a ballerina warming up for a show. “Of course, Steven,” she said with a patient smile. “There are plenty of human words that rhyme with job. Why there’s cob, mob, lob, hob—”

“Shish–ka–bob!” interrupted Amethyst, flipping lazily through the pages of a local wrestling magazine, a bowl of snacks at her side. Pearl huffed irritably as she stood up straight, drumming her slender fingers on the counter. “He asked me, Amethyst,” she said pointedly.

Amethyst didn’t so much as bother glancing up for her magazine, popping a frozen microwave burrito in her mouth. “So?” she asked, mouth full. Steven paused nervously, speaking out to try and make some quick peace before things could start to spiral out of hand. “Uh, a–actually, I was just looking for any answer, I didn’t really care who—”

“So let me answer!” Pearl cut in icily, all her focus on the newly stirred argument as she turned to face Amethyst.

Huffing, Amethyst set down her magazine. “Oh, because you know so much better?” she snapped. She shapeshifted into a purple replica of Pearl, kicking her leg up on top of the television in a mock ballerina pose. “I’m Pearl,” she drawled in a mocking snobbish voice. “I’m so smart, and intelligent, and so heroic!”

“Guys, I thought you didn’t fight anymore!” Steven cried out, but it was clear he’d lost any vague semblance of control over the situation.

Pearl grimaced, putting a hand to her forehead. “Amethyst please—”

“I should be the one in charge, Garnet,” continued Amethyst, putting her hands to her chest with an overdramatic whine. “Garnet, put me in charge!”

“Really now! Just—

“I’m so perfect!” spat Amethyst, not even bothering with the mocking tone anymore. “So absolutely perfect! Everybody loves me! Why won’t Rose love me? I deserve her—”

“I said stop!” Pearl screamed, teeth clenched. Amethyst froze, instantly disappearing back into her old form, staring with eyes full of concern, looking worried, and maybe even a bit scared.

Pearl took a shaky deep breath, wiping away a small bloom of a tear in the corner of her eye. “Y–you,” she said unevenly, hands curled in tight fists. “You should behave yourself.”

Amethyst took a hesitant step forward, raising a hand as if to comfort the other gem, all the way across the room. “Hey, come on Pearlgi, you... you know I didn’t mean—”

She was cut off by a horrible ear grating screech, an echoing crash shaking the house. Steven, Pearl, and Amethyst ran out onto the house’s balcony, watching as a massive corrupted gem stood from where it crashed on the beach, lightly shaking off sand.

It looked like a massive dragonfly, smooth black horns curving lightly down the back of it’s serpentine neck. It had no eyes, and instead a smooth rounded gem was embedded above it’s jaw, canvasing most it’s face. As it moved, it’s very skin seemed to shift in the light like a child’s marble, mixtures of blues and grayish reds, separated by curls of near black. It’s thousands of patchwork wings glittered like stained glass as it moved, snarling as it struggled to get it’s footing in the hard sand.

“I don’t think it’s—” before Amethyst so much as finish her sentence, the corrupted gem turned towards the sound of her voice, screeching, spit flying from it’s sharp maw. Wings flapping, it weaved through the air like a snake through water, looking ready to strike.

Pearl summoned her spear, leaping lightly off the balcony. She managed to catch herself on one of the monster’s paper thin wings, driving her spear through to try and help her keep her grasp.

“Aw crap!” Amethyst pulled her whip from her gem, throwing herself into the fight. She shape shifted into the Purple Puma, holding on tight to the gem’s snake–like skin, hitting it fiercely. When it became evident that was doing nothing but enrage it further, she swung her whip around, pulling tightly, hoping to maybe poof the gem like that.

Pearl pulled her spear free, swinging herself up onto the monster’s back. She wobbled slightly, trying her best to keep her balance. She dragged herself across, pulling herself slowly towards the monsters head. Locking her legs around it’s neck, she raised her spear, trying to jab it beneath the gemstone and pry it free, but the corrupted gem only screamed. It hurled itself at the beach, smashing itself into the sand again and again until Pearl lost her grip. It raised itself again for another smashing blow.

Just before it dropped, Steven leaped over, wrapping his arms around Pearl as a pink bubble rose around them, just barely managing to hold back the beast’s immense weight.

Hissing in anger at it’s failed attack, the beast leaped back into the sky, circling overhead, Amethyst still clinging on as she fought.

“My spear didn’t even hurt it! It only got angrier!” Pearl said in frustrated disbelief, grimacing.

“You can do it,” Steven encouraged. “We’ve fought stronger gems before, right?” he said, dropping the bubble as Pearl bent her knees looking for some way back up to the corrupted gem.

She winced slightly. “Not without Garnet.” Spinning her spear, she ran back beneath the creature’s shadow, wondering if there were some way to get it to hit the beach hard enough to poof itself.

Overhead, Amethyst clung to one of it’s wings, pulling at it’s leg with shapeshifted muscles. “Come on,” she grunted. “Just—poof already!” Gritting her teeth, she instead swung her whip, trying to find some kind of weak spot.

The corrupted gem let out a freakish cry as the whip slashed against it’s throat, writhing fiercely. It dropped nearly a hundred feet before catching itself. Suddenly, it shot straight up at a speed that had to be somewhere near it’s limit, flailing. It flipped quickly, sharply, and before she could so much as realize it, Amethyst lost her grip.

“Amethyst!” Steven yelled. “Pearl, she’ll be fine, right? She falls a lot, a–and even if she cracks, I can fix cracks, right?”

Pearl watched, frozen. Her eyes were wide. Afraid.

Only a heartbeat passed before she was running. She leapt into the air, higher than any human could ever manage, slamming into Amethyst midair as she wrapped her arms around the smaller gem. A bright glow enveloped them both, followed by a flash.

Opal rolled as she hit the ground. Standing, she seemed less at ease than usual, her chest heaving, hands shaking. Steven watched for a moment, hesitant as she summoned her bow, drawing it back carefully. Without so much as a glance in the corrupted gem’s direction, Opal let loose an arrow of light into the creature’s neck. It’s gem, as big as Steven’s hand, landed in the shallow of the water with a loud splash.

“That was amazing! You were amazing!” shouted Steven, running over to grab her by the legs in a tight hug. “You poofed it with just one arrow! And when Pearl saved Amethyst—wow! Giant woman!”

Opal offered a small patient smile, one of her lower arms patting his curly hair gently. “Want to help me bubble it?” she asked in her calm throaty voice, a light in her eyes.

Steven grinned. “Yeah! It fell down over this way.” They waded into the shallows, Steven’s small hand in Opal’s large slender ones as they looked for the gem. After finding a few pretty shells, Steven tripped over the gem, and Opal bubbled it, sending it back into the temple.

“It was nice to see you again Steven,” Opal said gently, looking out across the ocean.

Steven paused, eyes widened. “Wait, you say that like you’re leaving!” he accused, folding his arms and pouting.

“Well,” she said shrugging slightly. “Pearl and Amethyst probably won’t want to keep together much longer either way. Might as well unfuse now.”

She started to glow, but before she could split, Steven suddenly grabbed her by the waist. “Waaaaait!” he said, squeezing tightly, as if he could hold together. “I wanna spend time with you! I get to spend lots of time with Garnet, and I’ve spent time with Sardonyx and even Alexandrite—but I feel like I barely know you!” he insisted. To his surprise, she actually ceased to glow, looking down at him with surprise in her pale blue eyes. He continued, smiling. “As gem–in–charge for the weekend, I order you to stay fused and spend the day with me! Please?” he asked, using his biggest best puppy dog eyes.

Opal sighed, but a tiny smile escaped onto her lips. “I’ll stay fused for as long as Pearl and Amethyst can manage it, okay?” she said. She lightly picked him up in all four arms before tucking him under one. “Where to?”

Steven grinned. “We’re gonna do everything! Opal, away!”

He showed her all his favorite spots around town; at the Big Donut, she tried to decide whether or not she wanted to eat. In the end she decided just to have a juice box—but she couldn’t bring herself to drink it.

They visited the T-Shirt Shop and bought matching shirts; Steven chose a bright orange shirt with the flashy words printed across his stomach spelling out, “WILD ONE”. After finding a shirt big enough for four arms to fit through the sleeves, he found a turquoise shirt written in careful cursive, “Mild One”.

As the sun started setting over the ocean, Opal carried Steven up the cliff to the lighthouse. While the light slowly stained the sky a sweet pink and orange, they folded paper airplanes and dropped them over the edge, watching them spiral down to the beach below—that was Steven’s idea too.

“Look!” he said, laughing as he leaned over the fence, pointing. “That one landed on the balcony of the house!”

“That’s nice Steven,” Opal said softly, watching the sunset with an absent expression, resting her chin in one pair of arms, the other pair resting on the fence.

Steven looked up at her, pausing. “Hey, Opal. Is... is everything okay?” he asked hesitantly.

She straightened, her cheeks flushing violet. “Sorry. Everything’s... fine,” she said, picking up a piece of paper and folding it quietly. They were quiet for a while, the only sound the call of the seagulls and the folding of paper. “Please tell me,” Steven said, putting a hand on her arm, looking up at her with worry in his eyes.

Opal sighed, turning the paper airplane over in her hands. “We’ve... I’ve barely been keeping together today. They’re still upset with each other. I just...” she lifted her head, the wind playing with her hair lightly. “I want them to get along. Garnet is happy and at peace and loves herself... but I constantly feel on the edge of falling apart. They care about each other, I can feel it, but sometimes it feels like…”

There was a pause, and Steven tipped his head slightly to the side. “Feels like what?”

“Feels like maybe I shouldn’t even exist.” Looking away, she gently let the airplane. It swooped lightly downward, floating through the air. It slid down onto the banister of the house’s porch—and lightly nudged the other airplane off the edge, and into the sand below.

“I just want to love myself,” Opal said softly. “Like Garnet does. ...Garnet.” Eyes widening, there was a sudden pulse of light as she fell apart, Pearl and Amethyst falling onto the ground. Opal’s t–shirt dropped to the ground between them, forgotten.

Amethyst sat up quickly, hair flopping in her eyes. “Steven! Garnet said she’d be back by yesterday!” she said, looking like she was trying to hide her nervousness. But for once, she couldn’t hide it under a casual uncaring facade.

“What?” Steven yelped, taking a step back. “I was having so much fun with Opal I forgot! She promised to be back by now!”

“Calm down Steven,” Pearl said, a slight coldness in her voice. “I’m sure Garnet’s fine. She’s a very capable gem.”

“Seriously!” yelled Amethyst. “Some of those corrupted gems are super tough P! Don’t you even want to check in on her?”

Pearl looked away, folding her arms. “She’s stronger than all of us, she’s probably just a little held up.”

“G–guys, please don’t fight—”

“Would it shatter you to care?” Amethyst snapped angrily, tightening her hands into fists. “I know she’s strong, but she said she’d be back by now!” Pearl turned to look at Amethyst, leaning over her. “And if she was in danger, you think I’d be any help? I’m just some high and might Pearl who thinks she deserves everything, right? That’s what you said, isn’t it?”

Amethyst glared up at her, teeth grit. “Fine! I’ll go find Garnet without you!” Pushing away, she ran off, headed back for the temple.

Steven paused, scared and upset. Hesitantly, he reached out to hold her hand. “Pearl? Are you okay?”

She pulled her hand away, not looking him in the eyes. “It’s getting late, Steven. Humans need to sleep,” she said quietly, wiping at her eyes as she started walking away.

“Pssst. Pssst! Steven!”

Steven blinked, rubbing his eyes as he sat up with a yawn. “Amethyst?” he asked, sitting up. “It’s the middle of the night—whoaa!”

She grabbed him by the hand, pulling him out of bed. “Come on, we’ve got to go find Garnet!”

“I thought you’d already left?” he asked cocking his head to the side as he straightened his jammies.

She shook her head. “No way. If whatever it was is stopping Garnet from getting back, I can’t beat it on my own. That’s why you’ve gotta come with me!”

Steven hesitated, pausing. “I dunno Amethyst. It’s really late, and Pearl said I needed to go to bed.”

Amethyst stepped back, folding her arms. “Come on, who did Garnet say was in charge? You, or Pearl?”

Moments later, the warp pad lit in a beam of light, and they were off, floating to who knows where. “Um, where exactly are we going?” Steven asked as he floated in the light.

Casually grabbing Steven by the ankle so he wouldn’t float away, Amethyst explained. “She said something was attacking the Geode, and that it shouldn’t be a problem. I figure we can just pop in, probably see Ruby and Sapphire being embarrassing, and then head back, easy as that.”

“Alright,” Steven said cautiously as the light flashed out. No longer floating through the air, he flopped flat on the ground. Not bothering to get up, he stared up at the starry sky. “Is she fine? Can we go home now?” he asked, yawning.

“This... might take a little longer than I thought,” Amethyst said, pulling Steven to his feet.

A massive creature clawed at the geode, lashing at it with massive spined tentacles. It looked like some horrible massive jellyfish, a dark shade of green with faded gray stripes. It’s huge toothy maw screamed as it grabbed a distant figure standing on top of the geode, whacking them into the ground again and again.

It was just like the gem Garnet had brought home only days before, but countless times more massive.

“I think it has Garnet!” Steven said, eyes going wide. “We have to go get Pearl!”

Amethyst reached into her gem, drawing out her whip in a flash of light. “I can do this without her help!” Leaping forward, she started rolling in a blur of right, shooting off towards the gem like a ball being rolled down a gutter.

“Amethyst, wait!” he yelled, reaching out after. She didn’t look back, leaping at the giant gem in a blur of light and energy.

The gem monster swung one of it’s tentacles at her, sending her flying in the air. Before she got far, she threw her whip. It wrapped around the base of the tentacle, and when she pulled hard, it pulled her back onto the creature’s stoney body. A second tentacle swung down, and this one made heavy contact, smashing her against the creature’s back.

Grimacing, she forced herself to roll out of the way as it swung back for a second attack. She ran across it’s back to where it held Garnet in it’s tentacle, high and out of reach. Before she was so much as halfway there, the monster screamed and shook it’s entire body, throwing Amethyst to the ground so hard the earth beneath her cracked.

Breathing heavily, she forced herself to stand. She’d only barely made it to her feet when a tentacle smashed into her side, sending her flying back into the ground. It brought another spiney arm down on her, then another, and another, a relentless attack.

She could feel the light of her body pulsing, struggling, fighting to hold together. She panted, her weapon disappearing as she lost the energy to sustain it. It was obvious she couldn’t stand another hit like that. Shapeshifting into the Purple Puma, she managed to catch the next tentacle as it swung down, barely holding it high enough to keep from being crushed. Closing her eyes, she grunted, trying her best to hold it in place. She couldn’t hold out much longer.

“Get off!” She managed to lift her head just in time to see a spiral spear flying through the air, lodging itself in the skin of the tentacle. The creature pulled back in pain,  and Amethyst found herself back in her last form, breathing heavily.

“Amethyst!” she couldn’t even stand before a pair of arms wrapped around her, pulling close, tears falling on her shoulder. “Are you alright? Did it crack you?”

She lifted her head, looking up into a familiar pair of eyes. “Pearl?” she asked, blinking with a forced smile. “What are you doing here? I thought you hated me?”

“How many times do I have to tell you I don’t feel that way?” Pearl said, holding Amethyst in a close embrace.

“Did it hurt you?” Amethyst asked, wiping tears from her eyes, leaning closer into the hug.

“No, I’m fine. Did it hurt you?”

Amethyst grinned, eyes welling up. “Who even cares?” she asked, her voice cracking.

“I do!” Pearl said, wiping at her eyes with the palm of her hand.

“Uh, guys!” yelled a muffled voice. They both looked up to see a bright pink bubble in one of the creature’s tentacles, Steven standing inside. “I think it’s mad!”

Pearl moved to stand, but Amethyst grabbed her hand. “Wait,” she said, looking cautious as she spoke. “This thing is mega tough. I couldn’t even scratch it.”

“That won’t be a problem,” Pearl said. She stretched out her hand, offering a slight smile. Amethyst looked up at her with wide eyes, blinking back tears. Grinning, she lunged forward, ignoring Pearl’s outstretched hand and grabbing her around the waist.

As they embraced, they were enveloped in a pure warm light, their gems shifting as a massive woman straightened from where they stood. Clear blue eyes opened as she gently brushed the hair from her eyes. Lifting her head, she rested her hands on each of her gems, drew out each of her weapons, and formed her bow. With a small grin, she pulled back on the string, a bolt of light forming as she lined up her sights. With a deep breath, Opal whispered, “We got this.”

She let loose one arrow into the arm that held Steven, and when that had no effect, she unleashed another three into the one holding back Garnet. The corrupted gem scream as it dropped it’s captives. Steven dropped his bubble shield and managed to scramble back to safety, and Garnet leapt over, landing lightly next to Opal. Grinning, the magenta gem adjusted her visor. “Good to see you again.”

Drawing back her bow again, Opal glanced at the other gem with a small nod. “You too.” Releasing an arrow, Garnet took off at top speed. Jumping, she kicked off the arrow, and leapt into the air. Right as Garnet dropped towards the massive gem monster, Opal unleashed another barrage of arrows. After a pause, the monster rippled, then exploded in a flash of light, unable to hold up under both fusions attacks.

Garnet and Opal walked back, and Steven ran over, grabbing them in an excited hug. “You did it! You both did it!”

Opal flushed slightly, still unused to all the attention, but she seemed to relax when Garnet set a hand on her shoulder. “You did some great work, Opal. I guess you’ll be leaving soon?” she asked, cocking her head to the side, almost as if she already knew the answer.

Pausing, Opal bent down and picked Steven up, setting him lightly on the shoulders. “So long as I’m here, I think I can stay around for, say, one episode of Crying Breakfast Friends?”

Steven gasped, eyes bright as he wrapped his arms around her head in a tight excited hug. “Thanks Opal!”