Several years have passed, and truth be told, everything is calmer than I thought. After building the house, the girls welcomed me warmly, although I noticed Pearl was a little annoyed with me. Amethyst and Garnet, on the other hand, seemed to have accepted me much more naturally. Amethyst acted like an older sister, and Garnet, in a way, like a mother, even though they didn't spend much time at home. When they were, they tried to share time with me, which I appreciated.
I remember seeing Pearl hand them some books on how to raise human babies. That made me sweat; she didn't seem really interested, and at the same time, she was. Whoever understands her... well, that was me. After all, she was a Pearl, and not just any one: she was the Pearl of Pink Diamond. I'd lost my way a bit since she left, and she seemed to be trying to make me that way. I hope one day she'll stop thinking like that.
Now you're probably wondering: how's my training going? Well, I'll tell you that my mind, already almost schizophrenic from so much talking in the third person, is starting to like me. It seems I have imaginary friends, although I'm getting off topic. I already have control of one power: the shield, the most basic and at the same time the most "OP" at the beginning of the plot. Why is it so powerful? That shield was able to withstand the Diamonds' attack. You can imagine how incredible it is, right? Having it under control is what I most desire, and little by little I'm achieving it.
Reviewing my memories, and along with my tendency to talk to myself, I discovered why Steven's shield kept "breaking." In reality, it wasn't breaking. That happened on his human side: the physical stamina required to perform those movements and withstand such powerful attacks caused that resistance to decrease rapidly. In short, if I increase my physical stamina, I'll practically have an impenetrable shield.
But putting all that aside, someone is approaching. I turn my gaze toward the door that connects the five rooms. And this is where you might be wondering: Have you entered your mother's room? No. Have you tried? Absolutely. My mind, always on the verge of schizophrenia, would bear fruit in that room, but I can't seem to find the feeling or the right moment to open it. It's not that it's essential, it would just feed this head of mine that lives in constant maintenance.
However, before I could completely lose myself in my thoughts, a voice pulled me out of them.
Hello, old man, Amethyst said with a smile.
I looked at her and, responding to her gesture, raised my hand with another smile.
Want to go get some chips? I'm hungry, she asked.
I glanced at her and replied:
Why not?
So, we both left, but not before leaving a note explaining that we had left.
And you might be wondering: why leave that note? I learned the hard way that I shouldn't just leave without warning. Last time, I ended up grounded by Pearl. When I returned, they'd practically even searched the inside of the microwave. Don't ask where they got that idea... but hey, I guess it's nice to see someone care about you.
I didn't feel that in my other life. Only with Sofi... and I hope she's calm, resting in peace. I don't want her to go through what I went through in that void.
My ramblings aside, after going with Amethyst to buy fries—which, I must say, were delicious—I noticed they were similar to the McDonald's fries in my world. They were long, crunchy, and had a different flavor than the others. I liked them, honestly.
Amethyst watched 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 exactly.
I'm currently thirteen, about the same age as at the beginning of the series.
"Hey, dude," Amethyst said, her tone somewhere between serious and playful. "The girls and I were thinking... 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 necessary, very kind. I always help them out 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 accompany them and see them in action. A huge step forward, no doubt.
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"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 yeah?" Amethyst replied with a mischievous smile. Of course she knew. She'd been by my side more than anyone and knew exactly how hard I worked.
I'm not like the original Steven. I do have a good physique. I'm nowhere near as fat as he was.
A clear image of that difference flashed in my mind, as if a constant reminder that this path I was forging wasn't the same as that Steven's.
"Yeah, I know," I thought as I walked beside Amethyst. "She's the only one who realized I can now summon the shield. But she doesn't know I also have the bubble. I haven't mastered it like the shield, which is why I didn't mention it before, but having her as a backup is a good thing. It's my little advantage."
Amethyst continued talking. I wanted to train before the girls dragged me into missions unannounced. According to her, they already had that plan in mind.
"Really?" I looked at her, a drop of sweat trickling down my forehead.
She nodded with her usual dry gesture.
Guess whose idea it was?
"Pearl?"
"Pearl" repeated herself with the same seriousness.
That's what she was there for, the brilliant Amethyst. Although we had already trained in secret, she winked at me, complicit. I didn't tell the others everything either, not even my "public schizophrenia." But how could they blame me?
During these training sessions, I had evolved rapidly. I could run almost, almost, on par with Amethyst. That was a huge advance. I hadn't beaten her once yet, and I knew exactly why: neither of us was using our full power.
"Let's train," she said with a smile.
"Of course I did," I answered with determination.
We entered the house together, cautiously climbed the door, and in a flash, we were teleported. We appeared in the Celestial Arena, a place suspended high in the sky, so far away that no one could find us. There were no prying eyes or interruptions. Just the two of us.
We walked to the center of the arena, exchanging glances, exchanged words, and smiles that broke the silence of the wind that surrounded us.
The atmosphere grew tense. No words were needed: that year and a half of training had given us a clear view of each other, so, silently, we faced each other. Amethyst threw a blow at my chest; I covered it with my forearm and, upon receiving the impact, I slipped backward. She took advantage of the opening and ran, drawing her whip with a speed that almost surprised me.
Before the whip reached my head, I summoned my shield. A sound echoed: the clash of metal against the barrier and the crack of the whip had accustomed my eardrums to that timbre, and I couldn't help but smile. We rushed forward again. Amethyst swung her whip at some rocks from earlier training to propel herself forward and charge at me, but I threw my shield like a pitcher and broke her weapon. I ran at her and landed a blow in her stomach. "I got her," I thought, though my smile faltered when I saw Amethyst barely flinch.
She ran at me again; before I could unleash another whip, my shield, still summoned, retracted and came back from behind to strike her in the back of the head, disorienting her. I took advantage of the position and knelt down; my knee connected perfectly. Amethyst took the blow full on and flinched further, but quickly recovered.
Not bad, Stevo said, and I, with a drop of sweat on my forehead, smiled. "Shall we continue?"
"Absolutely," I replied.
We fought all afternoon. (Mental note: This Steven has growing potential and a lot of creativity; it's not just my tendency to talk to myself. If you pay attention, I can retract the shield—what an innovation! I thought: how do I use less energy when summoning the shield? What if I don't deactivate it and just keep it? That's what came of it: a retractable shield.)
So, after an hour, a winner was decided. Although by a very small margin, Amethyst had won.
"I won," he said with sweat on his forehead and a tired smile. "You really do move fast, kid."
Amethyst wasn't like in the original story. She knew Steven was really trying hard, she recognized in him someone with the potential to push the limits, and of course, when he carried Rose's gem inside him.
"Not at all," Steven replied, lying on the ground with a few bruises.
"How humble," Amethyst thought, smiling tenderly.
"Well, let's rest a bit and then we'll go."
"Okay," Steven said, his voice low.
A few minutes of silence passed before Amethyst spoke as they walked toward the platform:
Be alert, Steven. It might be that mission these days. But I'll be busy, so I won't be able to train with you."
Steven nodded as the portal surrounded them. Within seconds, they arrived back at the house.
See you around," Amethyst said, entering her room.
Before the door closed, she heard a "thank you" come from Steven's lips. She just smiled and left him alone.
Steven sighed and thought it best to get cleaned up. He took a quick shower, prepared a nutritious meal, and while he ate, he let out a quiet thought: "Maybe I'll go get some donuts tomorrow. It's been a while since I visited Sadie and Lars."
Unlike the original story, he got along much better with Lars. It's true that he still had that hang-out-with-the-popular-kids mentality, but at least he didn't look down on Steven like he used to. Now he called him by his name, and that, though small, was a significant change.
Tired, Steven fell asleep in bed. He closed his eyes, let sleep envelop him, and murmured, barely audibly,
Tomorrow is another day...
And so, little by little, he fell asleep.
End of Chapter 4.