Holo-Pearl remained motionless, still locked in a default ready stance, her spear angled just slightly toward the ground. The wind swept past her and carried grains of sand across her translucent feet. I was getting a little excited just by looking at her.
"So how do we..." I trailed off, circling around the hologram. "How do we turn her on? Or activate her? Whatever the right word is. I wasn't paying that much attention."
Steven clutched Pearl's gem a little closer to his chest but managed to speak up. "Pearl just... talks to her? Like, gives her commands."
Right, I stopped in front of Holo-Pearl and cleared my throat. "Holo-Pearl, Can you hear me?"
Her head tilted down smoothly, and suddenly those white crystalline eyes locked onto mine. "Do you wish to engage in combat?" she said in Pearl's voice, with the slight robotic quality expected.
"Right. Okay." I glanced back at Connie, who had stood up and was dusting sand off her dress. "We need weapons first, don't we?"
Steven looked down at the gem in his hands, then back up at us. "I... I think Dad has some wooden dowels in his van? He uses them for random repairs and stuff."
I didn't know what in the world a dowel was, but we followed him to the van right next to the beach house, Stevens steps were noticeably slower than usual as we were making our way towards the back of the van. The door creaked open, and Steven's home greeted us—video games stacked near the TV, Mr. Universe's old tour flyers visible through the window.
Steven headed inside the van, rummaging through the back with one hand while keeping Pearl's gem carefully cradled against his chest with the other. He pulled out two wooden dowels, their surfaces smooth and sturdy.
"These should work," he said quietly. "They're about the right size."
I took one, testing its weight. It was lighter than I expected but solid enough. Connie accepted the other, giving it a few experimental swings.
"These should work," I said. "Thanks, Steven."
He nodded but barely met my eyes, his gaze drifting back to the gem in his palm. There was something fragile in the way he held it, like he was afraid it might shatter.
Back on the beach, Holo-Pearl stood exactly where we'd left her, patient and still as a statue. The afternoon sun had started its descent, painting the sky in streaks of orange and pink.
"Alright, Holo-Pearl," I said, gripping my makeshift practice sword. "We want to learn basic swordsmanship. Can you teach us?"
"Affirmative." Her form shifted slightly, moving into a teaching stance. "Swordsmanship begins with proper form. Observe."
She demonstrated a basic ready position—
feet shoulder-width apart, knees slightly bent, sword held at a diagonal across the body. then came a simple parry and thrust that looked perfect from a beginners perspective.
"Now you try," she instructed.
Connie and I attempted to mirror her stance. I felt a little awkward, it was similar to regular fist fighting but my limbs weren't quite cooperating with what my brain wanted them to do. Connie looked more natural, but she didn't seem to grasp the concept for the stance, I guess she had simply better body control.
"Back foot three quarters off left," Holo-Pearl said to me. "You're off-balance."
I shifted a little i couldn't tell if it felt more stable or it was simply placebo.
"Now, the first strike you will learn is a downward diagonal slash. This is the fundamental to, many sword styles." She raised her spear—which had shifted into a sword form identical to ours and cut through the air in a smooth arc picking up a bit of wind. "A common mistake. Your power comes from your core and Rotation in your hips."
We practiced the motion. Again. And again. And again. being corrected each time.
unfortunately in real life there was nothing like i saw in movies or in the show. no fancy spinning I expected from a pearl even if just a hologram. Sigh this was level one for you but I was ready to put my all in while I had the chance.
"Your grip is too tight," Holo-Pearl corrected me. "You'll tire quickly that way."
Holo pearl then turned to Connie, "excellent form. Now try it with more speed."
huh, no way mine could be that bad.
Steven sat in the sand nearby, watching us but his eyes werent focused. His fingers traced patterns on Pearl's gem, gentle and rhythmic, like he was trying to comfort her through the smooth surface. Every few minutes his gaze would drift to Holo-Pearl, linger there with an expression I couldn't quite read when focused on my drills.
After what felt around another hour of drilling the same basic slash, Holo-Pearl moved us on to footwork. Advancing, retreating, lateral movement. It was exhausting. Sweat dripped down my and Connies forehead, and my arms were starting to shake.
"Can we take a break?" Connie turned to me panting.
"Hydration is important,"
Holo-Pearl agreed to our request returning to her ready stance. "You may rest."
Connie and I collapsed onto the sand near Steven. She pulled out the water bottles from what seemed like heaven, and I greedily drank, grateful for the cool liquid against my parched throat.
"Wow, that was way harder than it looks," Connie said, flexing her fingers.
"Way harder," I agreed, rolling my shoulders to work out the building tension.
Steven hadn't moved from his spot. He stared at Pearl's gem with an intensity that seemed to have grown over the past hour, his thumb brushing repeatedly over its surface.
Connie took a long drink, then glanced over at him. "Steven? Want some water?"
"Hm? Oh, no thanks." His voice was distant.
She exchanged a quick look with me, and I caught the obvious concern in her eyes before she turned back to her bottle.
We sat in silence for a moment, catching our breath. The waves provided a steady rhythm in the background, and the wind had picked up slightly, carrying the salt-spray smell of the ocean.
"Okay," I said finally, pushing myself up. "Ready for round two?"
Connie groaned but smiled, getting to her feet. "Let's do it. I bet I can swing more than you this time" she giggled.
well now I had to win.
We returned to our positions, and Holo-Pearl immediately resumed instruction. "Now we will combine footwork with striking. Advance with a diagonal slash. Observe."
She demonstrated—one smooth motion that flowed from step to strike like water.
We tried to copy it. i swung with both hands but ended up stumbling on the sand, nearly dropping my sword. Connie managed better, but her timing was off by a mile.
"Again," Holo-Pearl said demonstrating again.
We practiced almost all day with connie taking a few more respites as the sun continued its descent, and shadows lengthened across the beach. The soles of my feet burned and my arms ached, but I was sure I'd be fine.
I see why the diamonds liked pearls so much now.
Holo-Pearl announced after what felt like another hour. "You have learned the fundamental ready stance, basic diagonal slash, and forward advance. Estimating. 6 weeks for intermediate fundamentals—"
"Ohh yeah!" I smiled at Connie
"We did it," she gave a weak thumbs up but still managed her sweat smile.
6 weeks. That was no time at all. With the real pearl I was sure we could—
"When will she be okay?"
Steven's gravelly voice cut through. We all turned to look at him. He was still sitting in the sand, but his shoulders were hunched now, curled protectively around Pearl's gem.
"Steven?" Connie asked softly.
"When will she be okay?" he repeated, louder this time. His eyes were fixed on the gem in his hands, almost glaring at it like he could will it to respond. "Garnet said she'd be back soon, but how soon is soon? What if it takes all night? What if it takes, even longer?"
I set down my practice sword and moved closer. Connie followed at my side.
"She'll be back," I said, trying to sound reassuring. "Garnet wouldn't lie about that."
"But what if something's went wrong?" Steven's voice cracked. "What if it's taking too long because she's really hurt? What if—" He stopped, swallowing hard. "What if I can't help her?"
"Steven—"
"She was just trying to teach us!" stevens words started bursting out. "She was excited and showing off, and Holo-Pearl just—just stabbed her, and I couldn't do anything. I just watched it happen."
Tears started rolling down his cheeks, and he clutched the gem tighter against his chest.
Connie knelt beside him immediately, her earlier focus on training completely forgotten. "Hey, it's okay—"
"It's not okay!" Steven sobbed. "What if one day she gets hurt and doesn't come back? What if one of them doesn't come back? Garnet or Amethyst or—" His voice broke completely. "They're always fighting. They're always protecting me and the world and everyone, but who protects them? What if I'm not strong enough to help when they need me?"
I had nothing to say. I wasn't adept at these kinds of situations; all I could think of to make it better was pearl coming back sooner.
Connie didn't hesitate. She wrapped her arms around him, and after a second of watching the sudden hug, I did too. We sat there in the sand, holding our friend while he cried, the waves crashing in the background and the sun sinking lower on the horizon.
"They're heroes," Steven managed between sobs. "They save everyone. But they're not invincible. I see them get hurt sometimes and I—I can't—"
"You care about them Steven, I'm sure they know to stay safe for your sake" Connie said softly.
"But caring isn't enough," he whispered. "I need to be able to actually help."
"You do help," I said. "You help all the time. They tell you that, don't they?"
Steven shook his head against my shoulder. "I'm just a kid. I can't fight like them. I can't—"
"You're not just a kid," Connie interrupted gently but firmly. "You're Steven Universe. No other kid goes to fight off alien gems all day without blinking."
"And you're not alone," I added. "We're here too. We'll get stronger together. All of us."
Steven hiccupped, trying to catch his breath. "Y-You promise?"
"Promise," Connie and I said together.
The sky had deepened to rich purples and golds, and the first stars were beginning to emerge. Holo-Pearl remained at attention on the beach, silent and patient, waiting for further instruction that might never come.
Eventually Steven's breathing steadied. He wiped at his eyes with the back of his hand, leaving sand streaks across his face.
"Sorry," he mumbled. "I didn't mean to—"
"Don't be sorry," I said. "It's okay to be scared. I'm scared sometimes to."
"My mom told me being brave doesn't mean you're never afraid," Connie added. "It means being afraid and doing what needs to be done anyway."
Steven managed a weak, watery smile at that. "That sounds like something Pearl would say."
"I listen to every word pearl she says, the crystal gems are stronger than I could imagine." Connie said with a small grin.
A silence broke over us as steven calmed. The fear hadn't disappeared from his eyes, but it had softened from the stress of carrying it alone.
Then, without warning, Pearl's gem began to glow.
Steven gasped, holding it up. The light intensified, warm and bright, and suddenly Pearl's form materialized—first as an outline of light, then filling in with color and detail. She appeared in a burst of radiance, stumbling slightly as she reformed.
"Pearl!" Steven practically threw himself at her.
She caught him, surprise flashing across her face before it melted into something infinitely tender. "Steven! Oh, Steven, I'm alright. I'm so sorry I worried you."
"Don't ever do that again!!" he said, muffled against her shoulder, his voice still thick with tears. "Don't get stabbed. Please don't get stabbed."
Pearl laughed softly, the sound like wind chimes, but there was guilt in it too. "I'll certainly try not to." She hugged him tighter, one hand cradling the back of his head. "I'm here. I'm okay. I promise."
When they finally pulled apart, Pearl seemed to notice Connie and me and looked at our surrounding of our footsteps imbedded into the sand and the wooden dowels in the sand beside us, then tracked over to where Holo-Pearl stood at attention.
"You two started training already?" There was something almost like pride in her voice, mixed with surprise.
"It was Ethan's idea," Connie said. "Well, technically my idea to use Holo-Pearl, but—"
"Well, It was a brilliant idea," Pearl interrupted, and now she was definitely smiling. "Both of you. Very resourceful."
I shrugged, feeling a bit embarrassed.
"Holo-Pearl was a good teacher," Connie added. "But I think we'd rather learn from the real you."
Pearl's expression softened even more. She glanced at Steven, who still hadn't let go of her hand, then back at us. "Then tomorrow, if you're willing, we'll begin proper lessons."
"Yes!" Connie's excitement was palpable.
"Definitely," I agreed immediately.
Pearl raised her hand, and Holo-Pearl dissipated in a shimmer of light, her purpose fulfilled.
"Come on," Pearl said, gesturing toward the house. "It's getting late. I should walk you two home before Mrs. Maheswaran worries."
Steven finally released her hand, though he stayed close to her side. We gathered our things and trudged back through the sand.