Years went by. The Gems and my dad never had the best start—especially not with me caught in the middle. Garnet and Amethyst hid it fairly well, but Pearl… she never did. To her, I wasn't Rose, and I never would be.
Sometimes I think that moment in the van, when we all seemed to reach for something like unity, was just a slip—a brief illusion that couldn't last.
Well… whatever. Honestly, I don't know how I didn't notice this in the show. To be fair, these topics were never really explored, and maybe that made sense. Even less so in my case, because I'm not like Steven as a kid—I'm self-aware, and I'm not made of pure, unconditional love.
Still, I think about the possible future consequences and prepare myself little by little. Not as much as I should, I'll admit, but my body holds up better than that of a normal child. An improvement is still an improvement, and that's enough for me to keep moving forward.
I'm currently eight years old. The Gems are building some kind of cabin—the typical little house where they want me to live with them. I wouldn't have a problem with it, but my dad is the issue. Moving would mean leaving him more alone, and even if it'd be more convenient for both of us, I can't shake that weight in my chest.
I hope you understand, Dad. It's not like I'm moving to another continent—it's barely twenty minutes away. And honestly… you've been a good father. You let me do anything that isn't dangerous for someone my age, and you even taught me how to fix a car. I love that about you.
And well… that's that.
About training… I'll admit I feel a bit guilty about my slow progress. Wonder why? It's simple: I forgot something essential. Emotions are the key to using my power. So yeah… I've been focusing only on the physical side, while the most important part was left behind. I guess that void I was in before—that strange place where I lost my sense of self—affected me more than I want to admit. And there's still a lot I need to take into account.
A year passed. My emotions are still there, always stirring inside me, but honestly… I feel stuck. I have enough strength to summon the pink diamond shield, but only for a limited time. I guess being this young means I still can't sustain it fully.
Still, it's an achievement, right? I wanted to tell the Gems what I'd accomplished, but when I saw Pearl's face… I kept it to myself. I don't know if it was disappointment, concern, or just her habit of seeing me as someone else, but something in her expression made me feel like staying quiet was for the best. Maybe she's too used to comparing me, to looking for something in me that I'll never be.
Either way, I keep my progress to myself, even though deep down I feel like I'm growing more than they realize. I've even started to think I might already be older than Amethyst in some way—though I hope I'm wrong about that.
And speaking of Amethyst… she's right in front of me now.
"Hey, dude," she said with a grin. "Wanna grab some fries?"
"Sure," I replied with a childlike smile.
We started walking together.
"They make really good fries here," she commented as we approached the stand that appeared in Steven Universe.
"Definitely," I said in my childish voice as we kept walking along the beach.
Silence followed us until Amethyst spoke again.
"Hey, Steven…" she said, a bit nervous.
"Yeah?" I replied calmly.
Noticing my calmness, she relaxed a little, but continued.
"I know you've noticed Pearl's behavior."
She looked at me after saying that. I stayed composed.
"Yeah?" I answered, meeting her gaze.
"Well… I hope you can forgive her and understand her," she said, stumbling a bit over her words before quickly regaining control.
"I know it's not easy," I said, my childish face serious in its own way, "to lose someone. Now imagine how it is for me, when I never even got to meet the person she's grieving."
Amethyst tensed. I lowered my gaze, and my gem began to glow, as if responding to my own emotions. She stared at it in surprise.
But I didn't stop.
"Was my mother strong? How would we even prove that? Was she strong? Kind? Someone trustworthy? Did she have secrets? I don't know if I can carry that legacy…" I said, my head slightly lowered.
Amethyst tried to comfort me, but that's all it remained—an attempt. I quickly lifted my head, wiping away a tear.
I thought I was tough… but I guess I'm not there yet. Or maybe I'm just as much of a crybaby as the original.
Looking out at the ocean, I continued:
"I don't have a mother, Amethyst. I don't have a female figure to admire. Can I admire someone I don't even know? I could… but I won't. I'll forge my own path. I'll be known as Steven Universe—not as Rose Quartz's son. I want to build my own destiny. No Rose. Just Steven."
I smiled at her—bright, confident.
Amethyst stayed silent for a moment. It wasn't awkward, just… calm. Then she let out a small laugh.
"And here I thought you'd be depressed. Guess I worried too much. You're not weak, Steven. Keep it up."
I smiled back, but then I noticed the cookie-cat-shaped watch in my hands and panicked.
"Oh no—my dad's gonna kill me! I gotta go, Amethyst! I have to watch the show with him. Bye—bye!"
And just like that, Steven ran off, leaving Amethyst alone on the beach. She sighed, staring at the horizon, when a figure approached her.
"What do you think?" Garnet asked, this time without her visor—a sign of how serious she was about Steven.
Amethyst, thoughtful, replied:
"He's strong… really strong. Maybe it's because he's half Gem?"
Garnet narrowed her eyes. She tried to see Steven's future, but couldn't. There were too many—an endless sea of possibilities that overwhelmed her.
It's almost impossible to follow them all, she thought.
Even so, doubt lingered within her.
With how things are unfolding… I don't know if we'll be able to trust him.
"And how did he take Pearl's behavior?" Garnet finally asked.
Amethyst shrugged, her tone resigned.
"He understands it. He knows what it's like to lose someone important. Humans have mothers, and… well, Rose is gone, so he lost someone too."
Garnet remained silent for a moment, just looking in the direction Steven had run off.
Then, a small smile appeared on her face.
"Let's go, Amethyst. We need to finish the house."
Amethyst nodded, and together they headed back.
End of Chapter 3.