Greg Universe was no stranger to surprises. Meeting Blue in of itself was the biggest surprise of his life… next to Steven, of course. He was a man whose life was defined by surprises. And as a sort of famous musician, he made it a point to just roll with whatever came his way. It was better to just go with the flow than to fight or reason with it.
Still, there were some cases where it was good to be taken aback by something he didn't prepare for. Case in point: his son talking to not just Libby, but a brand new girl he hadn't seen before. "Wow! This is your house!? It's like a souped up carriage!" The new girl awed in delight.
"Palanquin, actually." Libby corrected.
"Does it have giant horses, or is it like Santa's sleigh and you have a bunch of flying ones that carry it through the night sky?" The new girl asked as she jumped all around the place, taking it all in with stars in her eyes.
"No, it has mechanical spider legs." Steven pointed to said legs sticking out of both sides of his mobile home.
"Oh… spider legs…" The new girl noted with a hint of dread in her voice. "Couldn't they be just... really long and pointy dog legs? That's a thing, right?" She turned to the air. "Well yeah, but Darryl keeps her in a cage, so it's all good."
"Please refrain from getting finger prints on the Palanquin." Pearl appeared right in front of the girl.
"Gah!" The girl fell backwards.
"Sorry about that." Steven apologized. "She tends to do that to new people."
"For your safety, my Steven."
"Wow, I didn't hear you at all." The girl quickly got up and raised her hand for a handshake. "I'm Molly, and you are?"
"Is this an associate of yours, my Steven?" Pearl asked his son. "I was unaware of any that you had aside from Libby Stein-Torres."
"Yes…" He nodded. "She's new. Molly, this is Pearl."
"Oh, cool name. I do admit, your pearl looks quite sparkly and compliments you perfectly." The now named Molly bowed.
"Thank you. My Diamond made it fresh from the reef." Pearl noted. "I am my Steven's guardian. Betray him and perish."
"..." Molly looked lost on how to respond to that.
"She does that too." Libby chuckled nervously. "I almost passed out when I met her."
The confused look quickly shifted to happy."Aww, your mom really cares for you." The new girl cooed.
"Ah… she's not my mom." Steven winced alongside Greg. "Pearl is… um..."
Even with her role as a nanny, it was still awkward to explain the exact dynamics. "She's an old family friend." Greg decided to intervene now. "She helps watch Steven when I can't be around." He offered his hand to Steven's new friend. "I'm his dad, you can just call me Greg."
"It's nice to meet you, sir." The girl grabbed it, shaking it enthusiastically. "I'm Molly, and I'm gonna bring joy to ALL of Brighton!"
"It's futile I say! Not with this lardball's little whiner reaping gloom everywhere."
"Hey, that's not..." He looked at the… floating… blue… "GHOST!" He fell back into the palanquin.
"Whataya know? I'm getting a headstart on my scare report, and I didn't even need to freak Bluey out." They pulled out a clipboard and scratched at it. "Greg Universe… Now all I need to do is scare three kids, make an adult realize life is pointless, and I get a month off!"
"Identify yourself." Pearl pulled out a rapier, jabbing it at the thing's face.
"Okay, rude." The thing's body went transparent, the rapier having no effect on it at all. "I can see where Bluey got his bedside manners."
"Dad, are you alright?!" Steven ran down to him. "We don't need to use the defibrillator again, do we? Last time we did, you were a balloon magnet for a week."
"It's okay, Shtuball." Greg huffed a huge breath. "I… I didn't imagine that, did I?"
"Aww, Scratch." The girl smiled, pinching the ghost's cheek like a grandma. "I didn't even have to bribe you to introduce yourself! You're growing!"
"Sadly, no. It's a long story." Steven sighed as he helped him get up. "Molly, he scared my dad. My dad is a rockstar, he's predestined to die young already, I don't want that ecto jerk to make his short time on earth even shorter!"
"We're working on it, Steven! We just need to get Scratch to realize scaring people isn't okay."
"Again. You're doing that thing where you ignore everything I say." The blue… thing rolled his eyes.
"...Pearl." Steven sighed. "This is one of the… 'monsters' only I could see."
"So you're the one that tormented both my Diamond and my Steven." Pearl stated steadily as she took out another rapier.
"And for the record, he's a ghost." Libby said. "Physical attacks have little to no effect on his corporeal being."
"See. This one LEARNS from everyone else."
"...And… you're all… okay with hanging out with a dead man?" Greg asked fearfully.
"We don't have a choice." Steven said. "He's haunting me for misery sake… and Molly cursed him, so he's stuck with her forever."
"Not forever! Just until I get her family to move out of my house." The ghost grumbled.
"Wait, hold on a sec…" Molly turned to Pearl. "Where did you get those swords? Do you have powers like Steven does except it's having infinitely deep pockets?"
"No… well… yes, my storage is infinite." Pearl confirmed.
"Yeah, I didn't explain this yesterday because of the whole… you know…" Steven grumbled at the ghost before clearing his throat. "Pearl is a gem… which means she's an alien… and I'm... half alien."
"Ooooh." Molly let out. "So, you aren't half dead."
"...That is a severe underreaction." Libby remarked.
"Three, two, one…" The ghost counted with a groan.
"ALIEN!" And Molly leapt forward, tackling Pearl. "Is space cool!? Do you fly spaceships all the time!? What cool music do aliens listen to!? Did you guys come here for the food!? Do crop circles mean anything!? Was Roswell related to you!? Are your buddies trapped in Area 51!?" She asked rapidly, hugging and shaking the gem hard enough that they dropped the rapiers.
"My Steven, please restrain your friend before my reflexes force me to launch your companion across the woods." Pearl pleaded.
"Sorry Pearl." Steven pulled the girl off of his nanny. "Molly, we try to keep the whole alien thing on the down low. I'm a big pariah as is without some mad scientist trying to rip me apart."
"Then why did you tell Libby?" Molly asked.
"That was…" The girl in the green sweater blushed. "That was... more of an exception…"
"Loneliness, mostly." The ghost (man, that was still something to process) cracked his… back? "Now can we get some food already? I'm starving." …How can a ghost starve?
"Who said we were feeding you?" Steven crossed his arms. "This camping trip is for the living, 'cause you know, only the living can enjoy the wonders of camping."
"Steven, don't be..." Molly trailed off. "Would speciesist apply in this case? Do ghosts count as another species?"
"I think what Molly is trying to say is that if we're going to be hanging around each other, it's best to at least find ways to tolerate being around Scratch." Libby spoke up, patting Steven on the back.
"I don't wanna tolerate the guy whose sole purpose in life is to make me miserable." He grumbled.
"No. My purpose is making EVERYONE miserable, you're just the easiest way to make it happen, Bluey."
"...Stu-ball, I'm glad you want to spend some time with your friends, but I feel… uneasy that you're going to be with this creepy thing all night." Greg expressed his fatherly worry.
"No need to worry, Greg, I shall be supervising their trip.." Pearl promised with a bow. "On that note, I do ask that you research methods of violently eradicating paranormal entities such as the one hurting my Diamo- Steven." Pearl still had a habit of referring to Steven as her Diamond. It was not super concerning, but it was something to keep in mind.
"Aww, she sees you as the jewel of her life." The new girl cooed.
"No-okay yes she does, but it's also because of this." Steven pulled down his collar, showing part of his gem. "It's… a little gift from my mom."
"Aww, she must really care about you to let you bedazzle your chest. I guess she's out at work?" An uncomfortable silence filled the air.
"...Something like that, yeah." Steven shook his head before turning to the ghost. "Make Libby cry, and I pelt you with lightning."
"Just try it, bub." And the specter went invisible the moment Pearl tried stabbing them.
"…I really must research how to end them more effectively."
"Don't worry, I can still see them… hey, mind if I hold your rapier for a second?" Steven asked deviously.
"Of course, My Diamond." Pearl handed him the weapon... if this was a normal family that would be cause for alarm.
"Thank you." Steven channeled blue static into it and shoved it in the air.
ZAP
And sent the invisible dead man flying into a nearby tree. "Sweet, instant cattle prong." Steven grinned menacingly.
"A slow process, but I swear that this camping trip will bond the two of you like nothing else." Molly vowed, bringing Steven into a hug.
"I thought this trip was about me and Libby getting to know you better and vice versa." Steven said.
"It can be about multiple things!" Molly cheered.
Well, at least the girl would be good company for Steven and Libby. Someone more upbeat to get them out of their shells. "You sure you can handle watching over three kids and a ghost? Wow, that's a good name for a sitcom."
"I will do the best I can, as I always have and will." Pearl replied with a nod. "Oh and Greg… I know it's uncomfortable, but the more you let Rose Quartz flirt with you, the better." Pearl said in a silent whisper. "My research has shown that she indulges in the vice of human procreation. She won't focus on finding Blue Diamond if there's something else to conquer."
"...You know the last time I did it with a gem, they died, right?"
"A fate worthy of the traitor to gem kind."
"But Blue was-"
"It was her choice to have my Dia-Steven. One I don't always fully understand, but I will make sure the sacrifice wasn't in vain." The woman swore as she turned back to Steven. "So, shall we get packing, My Steven?"
"The sooner, the better." Steven nodded.
"Will you require the crying avocado plushie, or the weeping onion plushy?"
"Sweet baby corn, You're a Crying Breakfast Friends fan?!" Molly squealed.
"Now, I know what you're gonna say. It may not be a popular show-" Steven began to argue.
"I have seven seasons worth of merch!" The girl cheered.
"Seven... I've only managed to get five!" And Steven showed an uncanny amount of enthusiasm. "Does that mean… you have..."
"I do. I have the brunch pack."
"Take me to the Brunch..." Steven begged as he held onto Molly's shoulder. "I need it."
"Wow, I haven't seen Steven this happy since he first met Libby." Greg noted.
"Yeah…" He turned to see Libby staring at the two excitedly talking children with… something. "He's… really happy…"
"Don't worry about it, Libby." Greg gave her a reassuring smile. "Universe men are usually 'love at first sight with one girl for life.'"
"Wha-wha-who said anything about love?!" Libby's entire face flushed with red. Ah, childhood naivety. A blessing in disguise.
========================================================================
Libby walked alongside Steven and Molly, as they trecked through the woods. "So, you guys don't own a car?" The new girl asked.
"No, my dad lives in his car." Steven answered. "He's a freelance musician. He never got super famous, but he did do mildly well when we lived in Korea." Steven reconciled as he pushed away branches. "Oh Libby, you might want to watch out for the spider web."
"What spid-gah!" She nearly ran into it, only ducking at the last second. "Thank you." Remember how she said she and Steven had plenty of differences in spite of their similarities? Well… this was one of them. It might have been due to his upbringing in the countryside of South Korea, but Steven was fairly comfortable being outdoors. Libby, on the other hand… she was a city girl. A nice book in a ventilated building was her comfort zone. "So, what's the trip for this time?"
"Pearl used the Palenquin's scanner and detected a Homeworld artifact nearby." Steven explained, lifting Libby up as they crossed a small but rapid stream. "And Molly wants us all to bond, so I thought this would break two birds with one stone."
"Heck yeah, you get it buddy!" Molly cheered as she pumped a fist in the air… hitting a bird in mid flight, making it fall to the ground… and a second later… its ghost rose from the body, flying up into a nest. "…Make that three birds… hehehehe…" She chuckled nervously.
"And you never put the pieces together?" Libby questioned Steven.
"Libby, you're the horror fan, not me." Steven reminded her. "I make sure to stay away from death as much as possible."
"I know, such a disappointment." The ghostly companion of Molly's, Scratch as it was, groaned. "I tried to make him see more dead bodies, but alas, even my own awesome ghostly power has limits."
"Why are you so intent on the whole… misery thing anyway?" Libby asked. "You say job all the time, not hobby. Who's paying you?"
"Oh, we don't get paid money." Scratch waved off. "It's more of a 'do it 'cause we're told to' deal. The Ghost Chairman wants the living to be miserable, so we make 'em miserable."
"But why?" Libby asked.
"Why not?" Scratch shot back.
"Is that all you're going to say?" Steven glared.
"I was invisible to everyone but you for… ever, so excuuuuse me for trying to keep a few cards close to the chest." They scoffed.
"But when you play those cards, we'll know we've finally reached that heart you have deep, deep down in your gooey body." Molly smiled.
"I do not have a heart."
"Yes, you do."
"No, I don't."
"Yes, you do."
"No, I don't."
"Yes, you do."
"Does he?" Libby decided to ask. "Like, heart, lungs, brains, are there any internal organs that remain after death?"
"No, all ectoplasm." Scratch let some of his goop drop on Steven, making the boy mad. "Don't ask me what it's made of, I could tell you and if I ever did, I'd make up a horrific lie just to make you more uncomfortable."
"Libby, when you find a way to contain him or make him vulnerable, let me know so I can see you tear him apart." Steven grumbled.
"Sorry, I'm not that scientifically minded." Libby noted. "At most, we could try spiritualism… maybe religion?" She began writing in her journal. "Most of the paranormal phenomena we've come across are related to your alien background, we might have to stretch out the field a little."
"That's a big journal." Molly peaked over her shoulder.
"Oh, I've been taking extensive notes on the paranormal for years. I have quite the detailed reservoir." She handed her book off to Molly. "Steven's been quite the willing and fascinating subject of study."
"Super nerdy, but super cool too!" The excitable girl gushed as she flipped through the pages, before stopping at one. "You even have a little doodle of Steven in a tu-"
"Wait!" She snatched it out of her hands. "Um, that section isn't finished."
"Aah, I get it. You want to draw a few lines around his tired anxiety filled eyes." Molly guessed with a grin.
"....Yes, that's exactly it." Libby chuckled nervously.
"Ooooh, can you start a fire?" Molly asked Steven. "If so, once we get to camp and set everything up, you can start it up and I'll unpack the s'mores as we tell scary ghost stories."
"Ooooh, scary ghost stories." Scratch chuckled. "I can whip up a few of those very easily."
"You are vetoed from any choice… ever." Steven shot it down sternly.
"Aww, come on. A ghost can tell an awesome ghost story." Molly insisted.
"Molly, I won't tell you you can't be friends with a ghost, but please respect the fact I hate the ghost that's been making my life miserable for the last seven years."
"You hate my best friend?"
"Yes, I-" They all stopped dead in their tracks (no pun intended) and slowly turned to a green ghost.
"Hi!" He waved.
"AAAAHHHH!!!" Libby and Steven hugged each other, as ice started crawling up her arms and the air turned blue.
"It's the Howler!" Steven cried out. "The Howler!"
"The what now?" Molly asked, completely unaffected by the tears.
"I dunn-ah… ah… AAAHHOOOOOOOO!!!!!" The green ghost cried out a wail of anger and violence, Steven freezing over even more… and then scratched their nose. "Man, allergies are the worst. I always end up sneezing."
"The Howler, it's the OTHER monster that's been making my life miserable!" Steven shrieked.
"Oh… it's you." Scratch grumbled at the other ghost with his arms crossed.
"My best buddy!" They hugged the blue ghost tightly. "Scratch, it's awesome to see you!"
"Hah, and you said you didn't have friends!" Molly laughed.
"He is NOT my friend!"
"Of course not, I'm his BEST friend." The green ghost smiled. "My name is Geoff. It's spelled G, E…"
"No one's asking." Scratch's eye twitched.
"...O, F, F. Not to be confused with Jeff. J, E, F, F."
"...You know, once you look past the fact that his sneezes sound like wails, he seems pretty nice." Molly noted with a surprised look.
"He's a pain, that's what he is." Scratch grumbled. "What are you doing here?"
"It's the time we can hang out, just like you said." The green ghost pulled out a calendar. "Next Saturday after never." And June was scratched out with the words never.
"...This is obviously doctored." Scratch accused him. "Look, not that I don't WANT to hang out with you Jeff, it's just that-"
"-Scratch was in the middle of telling us super embarrassing stories about his life!" Steven suddenly interrupted, a weirdly mischievous grin coming onto his face. "You mind telling us some?"
"Hm… I don't know anything about his life-"
"Of course you don't."
"-But I know PLENTY of embarrassing stories about his afterlife!" Geoff grinned. "Like the time he tried to scare a baby, only for it to be a little guy, he tried scaring him for days, couldn't even get the man to so much as blink, and it got so bad that he cried for two days, because he thought he lost his edge!"
"Okay, shut up and leave!" Scratch shouted. "This is a five person trip!"
"Pearl's setting up camp." Steven replied with a grin. "So, two days. Anything that tops that time table?"
"Oooh, there was the time he spent a whole WEEK trying to steal a new pizza recipe that had a secret ingredient, only to learn it had none! He went CRAZY trying to figure it out. He actually forgot how to fly." Geoff shook his head good heartedly. "A ghost that can't fly, you can't get more ridiculous than that!"
"Jeff, you're killing my image here!" Scratch whined.
"Buddy, come on, you know my name's Geoff."
"That's what I'm saying!"
"No, you're saying J, E, F-"
"I'm out of here!" Scratch began flying away.
"...Ooooh, Scratch!" Molly exclaimed, making the ghost fly back to Molly's side. "Don't be a grumpy gussy ghost! Steven's finally smiling around a ghost, we got to encourage this development!"
"That's the problem! If Bluey isn't scared of me, then my job is on the line!"
"Oooor, you two become best friends." She countered.
"I DON'T WANT TO BE HIS FRIEND!"
"But you will~"
"No, I won't!"
"But you will."
"No, I won't!"
"This is going to last a while, isn't it?" Libby asked
"Probably." Steven nodded.
"...I guess…" She looked over at the dopey looking Geoff. "...Not all ghosts are evil?"
"Not really, I mean, some of us are, but a lot of us just want to live out our afterlives as happily as possible." Geoff revealed. "Sure, we're required to scare people, but that's only because the Chairman feeds on misery."
"...Feeds… on misery?" Steven blinked.
"Oh yeah, the boss ghost eats it up like Scratch eats churros. In fact, about 14 years ago, there was this BIG spike in misery that got the chairman all '.....'" Geoff just paused in the middle of his sentence. "So he made sure every ghost followed it, and made it spread out as much misery as possible."
"...Great.." Steven muttered. "Apperently I'm ghost nip to some shadowy overlord."
"And… what happens if the Chairman… gets hungry?" Libby asked.
"Then he gets mad and sends ghosts to the Flow of Failed Phantoms. Very scary place." He shivered.
"...So all I need to do to get rid of him is just… not be scared!" Steven snapped his fingers.
"Not that I don't support that goal..." Especially given the mental torment Steven went through. "But... we both know from personal experience that facing one's fears isn't exactly easy to do."
"True…" He muttered. "...But I know I'm not scared of Scratch anymore… just terribly angry and wish he never existed to begin with… you know, like an extreme version of Andrea."
"It's rather unusual for you to express anger at all." Libby noted, as she patted his back with a smile. "Although, I guess any feeling is better than feeling miserable." Anything was better than him being miserable.
========================================================================
Pearl watched the flames blooming from the campfire, thoughts consuming her head. Just as her Diamond had the power to see ghosts, so too did the son. Pearl was a clod, a stupid, stupid clod. Nothing more than a pebble for not seeing the connection sooner. If she hadn't dismissed her Diamond's claims all those years ago, if she hadn't suggested her Diamond's mental state may have been failing, maybe Steven… her new charge… her new Diamond, the Diamond that NEEDED her, wouldn't have had to suffer for so many years.
Pearl would change that. She would make up for her failings… she would never fail her Steven again. "Wow, I swear your Nanny's just like Todd sometimes." The specter in question mumbled, as Pearl calculated various ways to eradicate it.
"Who's Todd?" Her Diamond's new companion, a 'Molly McGee', asked while munching on the rather messy confectionery known as a s'more.
"He works at the DMV." Libby Stein-Torres explained. "Very empty and robotic, almost like he has no soul."
"Nothing is able to get him in a good mood… except a funnel cake, and even then, it's only for like a minute." Her Steven explained. "Honestly I don't even think I made him miserable with my power. He let out a tear, but it was just nothing to him." The boy munched on his s'mores. "But no, Pearl isn't anything like Todd, she's just really tough and strong." Her Steven complimented. "She's been watching over me since I was a baby, so she has a little practice handling my powers."
"It is of no difficulty, my Steven." Pearl bowed. "In comparison to your mother, it is like a breeze pressing against my face, gentle and refreshing."
"Your relationship is so adorable." Molly McGee cooed. "Come on, aren't you gonna have some s'mores?"
"No stomach." Steven responded.
"But Scratch doesn't have a stomach." Molly McGee pointed out.
"He's dead, by all accounts he doesn't need to eat." Libby Stein-Torres argued.
"Eeexcuse you." The specter scoffed. "Of course I need to eat. It brings me happiness."
"And here I thought you didn't know the meaning of the word." Her Steven grumbled.
"My species is inorganic in nature, my body is a solidified hologram of light." Pearl explained."We can create replications of sensory inputs, such as tongues and nerve endings. But personally I find the experience… unpleasant." She shivered. "I have to personally break down the food, simulate a digestive tract. And I don't even want to entertain the notion of... Disposal." It was the first time she begged Steven for anything… to never do that again.
"I see…" The new human tilted their head. "What about smells? Do you like smelling flowers?"
"My Diamond was fond of Mugunghwa, or the pink rose of Sharon. I share some of the fondness for it." It was the flower that surrounded Pink's palenquin. "In terms of organic nature, I will admit I hold some fascination for water fountains. They release a calming background noise to help focus on work."
"I see." Molly McGee leaned forward. "What do you do for fun?"
"I watch over My Steven and make sure he grows up productively and safely."
"Yeah, but… when he's not around?" They asked.
"...I fail to see how that's a possible scenario."
"Well, it's not like you're with him at school, right?"
"I'm always watching from a respectable distance."
"Ha!" The ghost cackled. "At least I don't hang around Bluey 24/7, he's just a job. You're a full blown stalker, lady."
"She's the one that raises me when Dad isn't around, you're an undead creep who scares kids." Her Steven insulted said undead creep. "Seriously, it's bad enough you're dead, but if you were alive, you'd be in jail for WHO knows how many crimes."
The newish green specter gasped. "I'm best friends with a criminal!? I never knew! How long have the cops been on your tail, best buddy!?" The green specter engulfed the blue spector. "I swear, we'll get the best ghost lawyer our non money can't buy!"
"Hey, hey, hey, get off, get off!" The blue one shouted as both ghosts were forced into the woods.
"Well, now that they're gone..." Libby Stein-Torres took out a flashlight and lit it up. "NOW we can tell scary stories."
"...Not too scary, right?" Her Steven asked with a worried grimace.
"Steven, you're the one who said you didn't want to be afraid anymore." Libby Stein Torres brought up. "One tall tale around a campfire is pretty tame compared to real life ghosts."
"Besides, campfire story telling is a tradition among besties!" Molly McGee pipped in. "We huddle together and wake up emotionally stronger than the night before!"
"She loves to take advantage of being outdoors for her outside voice, doesn't she?" Pearl mused.
"As far as I know, she doesn't have an inside voice." Steven nodded. "Alright Libby… do your thing… tell the story."
"I shall… with the tale of Howling Harriet!" The girl announced dramatically.
"Oooooh, sounds fancy." Molly McGee didn't seem too phased.
"Many, many years ago." She continued. "There was a bloodthirsty criminal named Harriet."
"What…" Her Steven gulped. "What did she do?"
"She sold uncured salami meat on Wednesday."
"...That hardly sounds like a serious offense." Pearl stated, unimpressed.
"Meat was rare back then. The town had to live off of turnips, and no one likes turnips." Yet the town still tried to have pride for the hard tooth breaking vegetable. "And the only punishment befitting such a crime was hanging."
"A little extreme, don't you think?" Steven raised an eyebrow.
"Again, meat was a rare commodity back then. Wasting a valuable resource like that was seen as blasphemous." She explained. "So she ran, ran as fast as she could, until she reached the edge of town." The girl went on. "Unfortunately for the woman, she tripped at the last minute, falling down… onto a train track, right as a train came by and SLAMMED into her body!" She announced. "But not all of it… for the wheels cut off her toes… leaving their mangled flesh as the only evidence she was ever there to begin with."
"...She was so shy and nervous before…" Now Molly McGee seemed to be getting unnerved.
"She… has a flair for the dramatic when it comes to story telling." Her Steven muttered a whisper.
"Now… whenever the Brighton moon is full, her spirit roams the earth." Libby crawled on the ground. "Searching for something to replace what was taken from her…" And she grabbed Molly's feet. "TOES!"
"Gaaaaahhh!" Both Molly and Steven screamed in unison as ice and snow began covering the area… wait… snow?
Pearl looked around… ice was usually what came from Steven's scream, not snow.
"The Moon's full!" Molly McGee shouted. "Howlin Harriet's out!"
"It's just like Bloody Marry!" Her Steven screamed. "We summoned her by telling her tale!"
"Guys, relax, it's just a story." Libby Torres tried to calm them down. "One admittedly based on real life events, but still a story."
"But it's a cold snowy night, just like in the story!" Molly McGee cried out.
"I never said it was cold and snowy that day."
"...Oh, then we're cool." And the girl instantly clapped. "Excellent job, Libby, full marks on creativity." She looked around. "Though the snow is a nice unexpected touch."
"Sorry, that's still probably me." Her Steven began taking a huge breath. "My fear makes things freeze up."
"Freeze… not snow. That's atmospheric, beyond your current range." Pearl noted with concern.
"Maybe his powers are getting stronger?" Libby Stein-Torres suggested.
"No offense, Libby Stein-Torres, but if it was getting stronger, I doubt you would bring out enough fear for such a result with your ability to narrate dark tall tales." Pearl noted as she took out her Rapier. "I believe we may not be alone in these woods."
"Gah." The blue specter emerged from the woods, covered in snow. "Okay Bluey, what did you do this time?"
"Me!? You're the ghost, the cold unfeeling pile of goo! If anyone's going to make it snow spontaneously around here, it's gonna be you!" Her Steven shouted, lightning sparking from his hands.
"Oh come on, you freeze stuff all the time. I just didn't think a little ghost story would make you change the weather!" the ghost huffed. "It totally puts a damper on the scare I was hooking up for you too, such a waste."
"Wait, so if it's not coming from Steven, and it's not coming from Scratch… where is it coming from?" Molly McGee asked.
"Grrrrr."
"...My Diamond." Pear raised her rapier and stepped forward. "Remember those stories of demons I told you that came as the end result of the Rose devil's interference?"
"...Now that we're both aware of ghosts being real, should I take those stories metaphorically or literally?" He inquired.
"I may have been slightly hyperbolic with my words, but the threat is all too real, my Diamond." Pearl sighed. "There was an… event. It caused gems to destabilize, becoming… animalistic."
"How… animalistic are we talking about?" Libby Stein Torres asked fearfully as the growling got louder and the snow got heavier.
"Eating without the need for food, attacking without the perception of threats, screaming without comprehension of language… monsters." Pearl once wondered how Rose Quartz could still live with the crime she committed, when this was the fate of every comrade she had before.
"Pfft, whatever. As long as I'm here, there's nothing else in these woods that can be scarier than me." The blue specter cackled-
Fwooosh
…As they were frozen in mid air, falling to the ground with a thud, smashing into pieces.
"...Is… is he dead?" Steven asked.
"Wasn't he already dead?" Libby Stein-Torres questioned. "I thought we established physical attacks do nothing."
"Libby, we're about to be chased by a monster, excuse me for not noticing or remembering every detail!!" Steven shouted as something large, black… and furry made itself known to the group.
"Greerrrerrrrrr!!" The corrupted gem growled as they unleashed ice and snow all over the area with a single breath.
"...Bear!" Molly McGee cheered. "Quick, we gotta play dead, then scratch behind the ear."
"That is no bear, Molly Mcgee." Pearl stated. "It's a corrupted gem."
"But if it's shaped like a bear, and acts like a bear, then it is a bear." She smiled. "Trust me, I share a social media page with a Panda."
"Gaaarrssaaahhh!" They shot a block of ice right at the girl, which Pearl immediately shattered before it could hit the child.
"Of course, running for your lives in terror is also an option." The blue spectre pointed out, still in pieces.
"Already on it!" Her Steven held Libby over his head and began running.
========================================================================
Geoff smiled. "It took a while, but I finally got my disguise set up…" A hat made of sticks… foolproof! Everyone was gonna believe he was Howlin' Harriet. All he needed to do was wait for Scratch's signal. Such was the role of being a best buddy. "Okay, Scratch! I'm ready for the costume party... or whatever it is that we're planning on doing." He lost track of what the plan was.
"Grrrrrrrraaaahhh!" Oooh, looks like Scratch had a nice scare going!
He heard the kids running… time to follow them behind the trees. "So, what's the plan!?" Steven shouted. "Tell me you have a plan, Pearl!"
"I'd suggest destabilizing their physical form, but I'm not suited for combat and you're too young!" The tall long nosed lady shouted in despair. "So logic dictates we sacrifice the most useless of the group." She turned to his best buddy. "I believe this is where you step in."
"I don't wanna fight that thing!" They protested.
"You're immortal, you'll live."
"Yeah, but it freezes me! I don't like getting frozen!"
"I'll pay you with food later, extra triple chocolate s'mores!" Molly promised. "Just lead them away!"
"...I want quadruple at minimum!" He flew away from the humans. Oh, Scratch, always the foodie.
The group ran into a clearing. "Alright. We're safe for now." The tall lady looked around. "We need to find a hiding spot, or at least some place the beast won't follow."
"Or, we could just let it freeze Scratch over and over again." Steven suggested. "Just a thought."
"You think he'll stick around for that long?" Libby asked.
"By that point, I want to be back home."
"No, it's 'no friends left behind' with this group!" Molly declared.
"He's not my friend." Steven said bluntly.
"But he will be!"
"He won't."
"But he will-!"
"He won't!"
"Will!"
"Won't!
"Will!"
"Won't!"
The woods rustled. "And there he is now." Molly smiled, as a black woman in dark clothes flew into the area, with a sickening wail. "Oooh, nice Howlin' Harriet costume, Scratch."
"Hhhhssss." Howlin' Harriet growled.
"Of course, now's not the time to test it, you know, with the icy bear on our tail, not to be confused with Ice Bear." She was grabbed by the shirt. "Man, you're really committed to the bit, aren't you?"
"Hhhhsss."
"Cease this activity, specter." The tall lady raised her sword. "I will not ask-"
"Alright." Scratch floated back in the clearing, brushing icicles off his nose. "Got that thing chasing its own tail."
"...Scratch?" Steven asked. "Then…" He looked at the lady in black.
"Gaaah, Geoff." His best buddy groaned, floating up to her. "Seriously, can't you read a room, you stupid idiot!?" They poked the beast.
"Hhhssss." The lady snarled.
"And these branches." They pulled them out of her head, poking the lady. "I expected you to do better."
"Aww man." Geoff floated out in the open. "Do I really look that bad?"
"...Wait." Molly blinked. "If Geoff's there…"
"...And Scratch is there…" Steven continued, scared.
"...It doesn't have toes…" Libby pointed to the legs of the ghost… the right foot looked like it was sliced off at the toes. "...It's… it's the real Howlin' Harriet!"
Scratch stared at the Lady, sweating bullets. "...You know where I'm from, stupid's a… hehe… compliment."
"HEESSSS!!!" The ghost lady screamed as her body got bigger and her attitude got nastier.
"Run! Again!" Steven cried as he lifted Libby over his head once more.
Pearl grabbed Molly by her, pulling her away from Howlin' Harriet as they ran. "Any other plans besides running!?"
"GRAAA!" A giant fuzzy beast came at them, as Geoff swore he could hear guitar music in the background.
"You hear the screeching of an owl." They floated and ran as fast as they could. "You hear the ghost begin to howl!"
"HEEESSS!" Howlin Harriet cried out, almost getting them.
"You know there's monsters on the prowl!"
"GRRAAA!" Ice came out of her hands and targeted Geoff, luckily passing through them.
"Brrrr! That's cold!" Though he shivered quite a bit. "Colder than the poison berry slurpee I found in Scratch's attic the other day!"
"Wait, that was mine-you ate my slurpie!" Scratch began playing the slap game with him.
"And it's terror time again!" They avoided the claws of the ghost. "They've got you runnin' through the night!" And the fangs of the beast. "It's terror time again!" They ran and ran. "And you just might die of fright!"
"HHSSSSS!"
"RRAAAAA!!"
"It's a terrifying time!"
"You shall not PASS!" The long nosed lady jumped on the bear-like figure and tried to stab it with her really long needle, only for the bear thing to shake her off in a nearby tree.
"Pearl!" Steven cried out.
"I am fine, My Steven! Just get yourself to safety!" Aww, just like Geoff's mom… and Jeff's mom, for that matter.
"You hear the beating of your heart." They hid behind a tree. "You know the screaming's gonna start," They looked behind both sides, seeing nothing and sighting with relief. "Here comes the really scary part!"
"HSSSS!" As Howlin' Harriet flew down from above.
"Just leave us alone! We don't have your toes!" Molly pleaded as they tumbled into a spider web. "Gah! It just got worse! The spiders are making this worse!"
"'Cause it's terror time again!" Steven began climbing a tree to get to higher ground, only for the trunk to freeze over and fall backwards. "They've got you runnin' through the night!"
"GRrrrrrrr." The ice bear growled at him.
"It's terror time again!" He screamed and ran, ice following closely.
"Oh, you just might die of fright." Libby and Scratch bumped into each other, screaming, before calming down… right as Howling Harriet jumped between them, causing more screaming. "It's a terrifying time!"
"All the trees begin to moan!" Steven had his head stuck in a tree. "And the beasts grunt and groan!" Molly crashed into a bee hive. "Wicked faces with ecto-slime!" Howlin' Harriet floated around, looking around… and screaming as they tried sneaking past her. "Don't you know it's terror time!?"
"Really?" Geoff asked. "I thought it was midnight."
"Shouldn't you two be able to do something!? She's a ghost like you guys!" Steven shouted.
"Well, we don't really know her all that well. Not all ghosts know each other." Geoff explained. "And something tells me she needs, like… five cups of sugar before she's in a talking mood."
"Yeah, kind of a thing about specters, kid, we thrive off of emotions." Scratch explained. "If it was someone scarier like the Council, or even more respected like Abe Lincoln, I think we'd have a shot!"
"You know Abraham Lincoln!?" Molly asked, before a branch nearly went through her head. "Right, not the time!"
"And it's terror time again!" The kids ran into a rushing stream, accidently tripping and going along the stream. "They've got you runnin' through the night!" Steven grabbed onto Libby and Molly as he grabbed the nearby grass to pull themselves back up on dry land.
"Yes, it's terror time again!" They all ran around, as the bear monster screamed in the distance. "Oh, you just might die of fright, It's a terrifying time!"
They all panted for air, stuck in a cave. "Is the coast… clear?" Molly asked.
"D-don't… know…" Spoke a steaming Steven, constantly flickering in and out of a blue aura. "Overheating… so scared…"
"Oh dear." Libby took an ice pack out of her backpack and placed it on Steven's head. "Most of it melted while we were running, but it should suffice for the moment."
"Okay, we give them a human sacrifice, then skedattle." Scratch said.
"Why not a specter such as yourself?" The tall lady glared (maybe, it was hard to tell with her hair blocking her eyes).
"'Cause the crazy lady's after toes. And last I checked, we have none." Scratch shifted some feet to drive the point home.
Molly blinked. "Scratch, you're a genius!"
"He is?" Libby and Steven stared at the same time.
"We don't need to run from the ghost or beat her up." Molly softly hit her palm with a fist. "She's a spirit what wants toes. So we just give her some toes. No one said they had to be made out of flesh. We can just use the arts and crafts equipment we were going to use tomorrow to make a small-scale forest."
"And you think… it'll work?" Steven asked.
"Probably." Geoff shrugged. "Ghosts always end up happy once their unfinished business is taken care of."
"I can craft the toes." Libby took out a pack of hot dogs, yummy, and a knife. "Just give me a good... three to five minutes to make it convincing."
"That still leaves the matter of the corrupted gem." Long nosed lady muttered. "If only we had a destabilizer."
"A what now?" Molly asked.
"Destabilzer. A device we created in Homeworld that channels an electric current through the holographic form of a gem that causes it to retreat itself inwardly." That got stares from the kids. "If it gets hit with electricity, the monster will go poof."
"...Electricity… like… from a cattle prong!" Steven hit his hands. "Pearl, I need you to give me your Rapier again!"
"No, my Steven." Long nosed lady stated firmly. "I said I would keep you safe. I won't allow you to engage in physical battle."
"Well, I'm the only one who can make lightning."
"Can't Pearl just use a taser?" Molly asked. "It seems like she's one to have anything. She just pulled a sword out of nowhere with alien science magic."
"Gems only make weapons that are integral to their character, and even then, only when circumstances allow." Pearl explained. "Besides, My Diamond, your emotions require anger for electricity. And right now you're terrified."
"...But we DO have the one person that Steven hates the most with us." Libby reminded them as they pointed to Scratch.
His best buddy blinked at them, frowning. "…You want food, don't you?" Molly asked.
"Not this time." He shook his head. "I want total assurance that the things I say won't lead to retaliation from Bluey."
"What things?" Steven growled.
"I ain't squeaking until I know you won't zap me!"
"Steven, I know you have mixed feelings on Scratch-" Molly stated.
"Mixed nothing, I hate him." Steven corrected.
"But there's a good chance that if you don't put them aside, then we'll become ghosts along with him, and you'll end up seeing him more than you already do!" Molly pointed out.
"…Fine." Steven sighed. "I promise I won't hurt you today."
"Great!" Scratch smiled, pulling out a microphone and tapping on it. "So, what are we talking about first? About how your dad was happier traveling the country than he was hanging around you, or your numerous, numerous mommy issues?"
Steven's eyes became a cold blue as sparks came from his fist. "Pearl.Rapier… .now." The boy demanded while holding out an open hand.
"Yes, my Diamond." The tall lady took a knee before handing it over.
"Oh, don't even get me started on the pale lady here! Like, seriously, for the afterlife of me, I don't get her whole deal! Is she in love with your dad, your mom, or is she just so pathetic and lonely that being your Nanny is the only thing that makes her feel anything with that totally fake unattached expression of hers!?" And the sparks got bigger and brighter.
========================================================================
Steven marched out of the cave. First one. Didn't matter if it was Harriet or the Bear. First one he saw was getting zapped for making this trip horrible. You know, more horrible than Scratch already did. "Scratch, you may have redug your own grave with that." Molly whispered as they kept watch of Libby crafting the fake toes.
"You wanted him mad, I got him mad. As long as he doesn't hurt me I'm fine with that."
"I only promised for today, scumbag! Tomorrow is a different story!" Steven yelled as he let the electricity build up. He was not a violent person, he never wanted to hurt anyone, but ever since he learned the truth about ghosts… every emotion he had been feeling was suddenly… just flooding out.
It felt like a dam had burst. He wasn't crazy, he was just miserable because ghosts made him feel that way on behalf of some stupid Chairman. A ghost made another ghost make him miserable... make his family suffer... they made Libby cry! He was not forgiving that any time soon! "HEEEEEES!!!" Harriet howled as she thrusted those branch-like arms his way.
"Get out of my way!" He thrusted the Rapier right at the ghostly woman-
Bzzzt-zspppp!
And the ghost was flung into the trees with a splatter.
And he zapped the goo again, and again, and again, and again. "Aaah… I think he's a bit too high strung right now." He heard Molly speak up. "Steven, you know that the zappy zap part of the plan was meant for the snow bear, right?"
"Just… need… to hit something." He growled.
"…Steven." Libby placed a hand on his shoulder. "It'll be okay."
And Steven allowed himself to relax just a bit, the electricity dying. "…Thanks Libby."
"Nice moment and all, but the snow bear is still trying to freeze us!" Scratch panicked as the roar of the snow bear began spreading ice and snow everywhere.
"Right!" He pulled out the Rapier. "…Ah… a little more spark?"
"I drew ink on your fourth grade art project."
"Seriously?" Steven groaned. "That's just petty." The sparks barely rose.
"We need more juice!" Molly remarked. "You need to dig deeper, Scratch! More scathing! More anger inducing!"
"Oooh, what about the time I mixed a red sock with your white shirt!? You got called Pink Reaper for a week!"
"Oh yeah… Pearl actually liked the pink.." Steven recalled as the sparks died down more.
"Gah! Thought I had that in the bag… ooh, I got a good one!" Scratch snapped his fingers. "I possessed one of your classmates and started a rumor that you had a crush on Andrea!"
"…" Annnnd it was back in full force. "Everyone move."
"BreashAahaaaaaaaa!" The snow bear roared.
"All right, yousnowy bear-alien gem-whatever you are! I just wanted a nice, calm camping trip with my friends! I wanted it so much I even looked past the fact Molly is literally ignoring me every time I say I hate Scratch!" The lighting built up.
"Not ignoring, just putting out positive energy until you two eventually learn to get over your anger and put the past behind you!"
"See? That's what I'm talking about!" He shouted. "I wanted to enjoy this weekend so much… and you're getting in the way of that! Freezing my camp, making me run in the woods… and SCARING MY FRIENDS!!!!" He jumped forward, and drove his Rapier into the thick body of the snow bear. "Now do me a favor and POOOF!!!" And he unleashed his lighting into the sword and through the creature.
POOF
They fell to the ground, a single crystal. Pearl ran forward, covering it in a bubble. "It's secure for the moment."
"Hhhhaaaaaa!!" Howlin' Harriet cried out, rising from the ground.
"Quick, Molly, the sleeping bag!" Libby ordered.
"On it!" The girl pulled one up, dragging it over to Libby.
"Alright, here you go, nice and tucked up." Libby placed the fake toes down in the sleeping bag, leaving them just exposed enough for them to look like someone's foot was sticking out. "Oh Harriet, look, toes!"
The slender woman stopped, her neck slowly twisting to the bag. "…Toooes." She walked closer, gently leaning down… and picking them up. "Toooesss…" She placed them on her feet…
Whooosh
And in a flash of green light and a burst of wind… a green, feminine ghost stood in the air, wiggling her new toes. "It's been so long…"
"Tweet tweet." The ghost bird from earlier flew down onto her shoulder.
The woman smiled, turning to them. "Thank you…" And with that, she turned, floating away.
"...That was really her biggest hang up?" Steven asked dumbfounded. "...Just... finding toes? Why? She doesn't even need to walk anymore, she flies."
"I like painting my toenails even if I wear shoes." Molly shrugged. "Sometimes, the smallest things can bug us the most."
"Replace small with Scratch and yeah, I see your point." Steven nodded with a sigh of relief. "Oh man, that was a lot-" Steven suddenly found himself wrapped in a hug by Pearl. "Its okay, Pearl, I'm fi-"
"I'm sorry for failing you, my Diamond." Pearl held him close and tightly. "I shouldn't have let the situation escalate to the point you had to engage in combat."
"You raised me, that's still more than enough to me." He smiled, patting her back. "Thank you for looking out for us."
"Gaaah, this is getting sappy." Scratch groaned. "Can we go back to campfire scares?"
"We can go back to recreation shortly. First, we need to contain the gem from the beast." Pearl let go of him. "I'll tap it and send it back to the palanquin alongside the pebbles."
"The what now?" Molly asked.
"They're Bluey and Sweater girl's kids locked up in bubbles." Scratch cackled.
"They aren't Libby's." Steven argued. "I just… accidentally made some rocks sentient."
"Coool." Molly awed, then frowned. "Isn't it a little sad to lock them away?"
"Well, in case you forgot Molls." Scratch spoke up. "It recently just tried MURDERING US!"
"Please keep it down, I'm not well versed in transportation." Pearl frowned.
"Oooh, pretty bubble, must pop!" Geoff smiled dopey as he poked the bubble-
POP
And the gem immediately began glowing. "Uh, what's happening to the gem?" Molly gasped.
"Gem bodies are solidified light, so when their forms disfigure, they go poof so they can reform..." Pearl stated as they all began backing away. "With normal gems, it takes a few days to properly reconstitute, but these devil's minds are too broken… we may be looking at something more malformed and vicious for it."
"You mean it wasn't vicious BEFORE!?" Scratch screamed. "Jeff, you doomed us all!"
"Come on, buddy. You know my name is Geoff." The green ghost smiled. "Spell G,E,O"
"Brace for impact!!!" Molly shouted as the gem shined a bright light, a vicious and savage form coming out of the body that made Steven want to flee-
"Beeeahhhfh.." Only for a... much less intense growl to come out at the outline of the form began shrinking down... and down... and down... Until the same creature from before emerged... Except smaller, no bigger than the average Border Collie... And a lot more fluffy looking. "Brrrrdddhhh." The creature…. just began chasing his hind legs around.
"…That's the more malicious version?" Libby questioned. "It seems… confused."
"Bbbbbbbrrrr." It stumbled around, hitting a tree... which it began to lick.
"I DID say their mental state declined when they were forced into these forms." Pearl explained again. "Although, we should find ourselves much more fortunate this time, it'll be easier to put in the bubble in this weakened body." She pulled out a Rapier.
"No, you can't stab this thing now, it's too cute!" Molly ran to Pearl, blocking her path to the gem with her body. "Look at it." The creature stared down at a rock, which it began to chew on. "It's like a dog now, cute and innocent, we can't stab a dog while it's down!"
"Molly, it just tried to rip us to shreds! I'm pretty sure that even Bluey would agree with me right now!"
"…I… actually don't think it even knows it attacked us." He looked it over. "Does it even have eyes?" He.,. strangely felt compelled to get near it. The creature, whether intentional or not, lifted its face to his palm. And. it felt just so... comforting. "...It's adorable." Steven cooed, planting his face against the creature. "Who's a good devil? Who's a fluffy monster?"
"I can kinda see it now." Libby noted. "It does have its charm."
"…Are you serious?"
"Forgive me for agreeing with the spectre, but this is still a gem whose mind is fractured beyond repair." Pearl pointed out.
"But it's so cute!" Molly begged. "And look, it's even playing with Steven now!" The creature began licking his face.
"Hahah, that's a really cold tongue-hahaha.." Steven laughed… he suddenly didn't know why he was scared of it to begin with.
"Are we seriously all agreeing to let him keep one of the monsters that almost killed us!?"
"GRAAAA!" The creature yelled, freezing Scratch on the spot.
"Oh yes, I'm keeping you." He hugged the… girl… gem… thing tightly. "You're my adorable Snowflake now, yes you are, yes you are."
"My Steven, I highly recommend against this course of action." Pearl argued. "If you just step aside and allow me-"
"Please, Pearl?" Steven begged. "I could train it to freeze Scratch and other ghosts on sight. It would REALLY make me happy."
"…Very well." She sighed. "If you insist."
"Soo, what are you naming the adorable ice bear?" Geoff asked.
"Ice Bear's taken actually." Molly remarked. "Snow Bear works too."
"I already named it." Steven decided as snow covered the area. "Their name is Snowflake."