Years have passed and, honestly, everything is more chill than I thought it'd be. After building the house, the girls gave me a warm welcome, though I could tell Pearl was a bit salty with me. Amethyst and Garnet, on the other hand, seemed to accept me much more naturally. Amethyst acted like a big sister, and Garnet, in a way, like a mother—even if they didn't spend too much time at home. When they were around, they tried to share moments with me, which I appreciated.
I remember seeing Pearl hand them some books on how to raise human babies. That gave me a sweatdrop; it felt like she didn't really care, but at the same time, she did. Who can understand her? Well, that was me. After all, she was a Pearl, and not just any Pearl: she was Pink Diamond's Pearl. She'd lost her way a bit since she left, and it seemed like she was trying to make me her new North Star. I hope one day she stops thinking like that.
Now you're probably wondering: How's my training going?
Well, I'll tell you that my mind—already borderline schizophrenic from talking in the third person so much—is starting to like it. It's like I have imaginary friends. But I'm getting sidetracked.
I've already mastered one power: The Shield.
The most basic and, at the same time, the most "OP" thing at the start of the plot. Why is it so powerful? That shield was able to withstand the Diamonds' attack. You can imagine how incredible that is, right? Having it under control is what I want most. And bit by bit, I'm getting there.
Checking my memories, along with my habit of talking to myself, I discovered why Steven's shield used to "break." In reality, it didn't break. That happened because of his human half. The physical stamina needed to pull off those moves and tank such heavy hits made that stamina drain fast.
Conclusion: If I boost my physical endurance, I'll basically have an impenetrable shield.
Anyway, moving on, someone's coming. I glance toward the door that connects the five rooms. And here's where you might ask: "Have you gone into your mother's room?" No. "Have you tried?" Totally. My mind, always on the edge of schizophrenia, would thrive in that room, but I just can't seem to find the right feeling or the right moment to open it. It's not that it's essential; it would just be fuel for this head of mine that lives under constant maintenance.
But before I got completely lost in my thoughts, a voice snapped me out of them.
"Hey, G-man," Amethyst said with a smirk. I looked at her and, returning the gesture, raised my hand with a smile.
"Wanna go grab some fries? I'm starving," she asked.
I glanced at her and replied, "Why not?"
So we both headed out, but not before leaving a note explaining we were gone. And you might wonder: "Why leave a note?" I learned the hard way that I shouldn't leave without a heads-up. Last time, I ended up grounded by Pearl. When I got back, they had practically searched inside the microwave. Don't ask where they got that idea... but hey, I guess it's nice to see they care. I didn't feel that in my past life. Only with Sofi... and I hope she's at peace, resting. I don't want her going through what I did in that void.
Side-tracking again—after going with Amethyst to get the fries (which, I gotta say, were delicious), I noticed they tasted a lot like the McDonald's ones from my world. Long, crispy, with a distinct flavor. I loved them, honestly. Amethyst was watching me out of the corner of her eye. Something she hadn't done in a long time... since that conversation... what? Four years ago? I don't remember well. I'm thirteen now. Roughly the age at the start of the series.
"Yo, G-man," Amethyst said in a tone between serious and playful. "The girls and I were thinking... and well, we wanted you to come with us on a mission."
I glanced at her. I wasn't surprised. Deep down, I expected it. Why? Because I'm not the Steven from the show. I'm calmer. More serious. And when I need to be, very kind. I always help them however I can, and it seems that's changed things. Instead of me having to beg them to go on a mission, now they were the ones giving me the chance. Even if it was just to tag along and see them in action. A huge step forward, no doubt.
"Why not?" I said with a confident smile. "I've been training, you know?" I let out a playful laugh, waiting for her reaction.
"Oh, word?" Amethyst replied with a mischievous grin.
Of course she knew. She'd been by my side more than anyone and knew exactly how hard I was grinding. I'm nothing like the original Steven. I've got a solid build. I'm not fat like him at all. A clear image of that difference shone in my mind—a constant reminder that this path I'm forging isn't the same as that other Steven's.
"Yeah, I know," I thought as I walked beside Amethyst. "She's the only one who realized I can already summon the shield." "But she doesn't know I have the bubble too." "I haven't mastered it like the shield, so I haven't mentioned it yet." "But having it as backup is a good thing. It's my little edge."
Amethyst kept talking. She wanted to train me before the girls dragged me onto missions without warning. According to her, they already had that plan in mind.
"For real?" I looked at her, a sweatdrop rolling down my forehead. She nodded with her usual bluntness.
"Guess whose idea it was."
"Pearl?"
"Pearl," she repeated with total seriousness.
That's what she was there for. The awesome Amethyst. Even though we'd already been training in secret, she gave me a knowing wink. I didn't tell the others everything either—not even my "schizo-audience." But how could they blame me? During these sessions, I'd evolved fast. I could run almost—almost—on par with Amethyst. That was huge. I hadn't beaten her yet, and I knew why: neither of us was using our full power.
"Let's spar," she said with a grin.
"Hell yeah," I replied with determination.
We walked into the house together. We stepped onto the warp pad with caution and, in a flash, we were teleported. We appeared at the Ancient Sky Arena. A place suspended high in the clouds. So far up that no one could find us. No prying eyes, no interruptions. Just the two of us.
We walked to the center of the arena, exchanging glances, brief words, and smiles that broke the silence of the wind surrounding us. The atmosphere grew tense. No words were needed. That year and a half of training had given us a clear read on each other. In silence, we faced off.
Amethyst threw a punch at my chest. I blocked it with my forearm and, taking the impact, slid backward. She seized the opening and rushed in, whipping out her whip with speed that almost caught me off guard. Before the whip could hit my head, I summoned my shield.
Clang!
The sound of metal hitting the barrier and the snap of the whip tuned my ears to that rhythm. I couldn't help but smile. We rushed each other again. Amethyst latched her whip onto some rocks from previous sessions to pull herself forward and tackle me. But I threw the shield like a frisbee and broke her weapon's momentum. I sprinted toward her and landed a solid blow to her stomach.
"Got her," I thought. Though my smile faded when I saw Amethyst barely flinch. She rushed me again. Before she could deploy another whip, my shield—still summoned—retracted and swung back from behind to hit her in the nape of the neck, disorienting her. I took the opening and followed up with a knee strike. Amethyst took the hit full-on and stumbled back further.
But she recovered instantly.
"Not bad, Stevo," she said.
I, with a bead of sweat on my brow, grinned. "Keep going?"
"You bet," I replied.
We fought all afternoon.
(Mental note: this Steven has growing potential and a lot of creativity; it's not just my habit of talking to myself. If you pay attention, I can retract the shield. What an innovation.)
I thought: "How can I use less energy summoning the shield?" "What if I don't deactivate it and just keep it active?" That's where it came from: A retractable shield.
After an hour, a winner was decided. Though by a very thin margin... Amethyst had won.
"I win," she said, sweat on her face and a tired smile. "You're really leveling up fast, kid."
Amethyst wasn't like in the original story. She knew Steven was truly putting in the work. She saw him as someone with the potential to break limits. And I mean, obviously... he's got Rose's gem inside.
"Not at all..." Steven replied, lying on the ground with a few bruises.
"How humble," Amethyst thought, smiling warmly. "Alright, let's rest a bit and head out."
"Okay..." Steven said softly.
A few minutes of silence passed before Amethyst spoke as they walked toward the pad.
"Stay sharp, Steven. That mission is probably coming up in the next few days. But I'll be busy, so I won't be able to train with you."
Steven nodded as the warp light surrounded them. In seconds, they were back at the house.
"See ya," Amethyst said, heading into her room. Before the door closed, she managed to hear a "thank you" slip from Steven's lips. She just smiled and left him alone.
Steven sighed. He figured he should clean up. He took a quick shower, made himself a nutritious meal, and as he ate, let a thought escape out loud:
"Maybe I'll go get donuts tomorrow. It's been a while since I visited Sadie and Lars."
Unlike the original story, he got along way better with Lars. Sure, Lars still had that mentality of wanting to hang with the "cool kids," but at least he didn't look down on Steven like before. Now he called him by his name, and that, while small, was a big change.
Exhausted, Steven collapsed onto his bed. He closed his eyes, let sleep wrap around him, and murmured barely audibly:
"Tomorrow is another day..."
And just like that, bit by bit, he fell asleep.
End of Chapter 4.