Days passed, and for obvious reasons, the girls wouldn't let me keep the lion. However, that didn't stop him, because he would appear out of nowhere in the house. The three couldn't understand how this was possible, since they had only seen him in the desert a moment before. I, on the other hand, just smiled and calmly told him to sit. The lion obeyed instantly, settling in front of me as if he had known me all my life.
They looked at me in confusion, and I simply declared confidently that he was mine. Then I lay down on him without any problem, burying myself in his warm, soft mane.
We shouldn't be afraid, Pearl thought, or do they think he can't eat us?
The girls watched the lion in silence. The animal was even more snuggled up against me, as if we had done this a thousand times before. Amethyst raised an eyebrow and murmured in a relaxed tone that surely nothing would happen. Immediately afterward, he flopped down on top of us as if it were the most natural thing in the world. The lion barely glanced at her, snorted, and went back to sleep.
"I'm leaving," Garnet announced, disappearing into her room with her characteristic calm.
Perla, on the other hand, slumped her shoulders in resignation and approached the lion. Finally, she lay down beside me, hugging me tightly as if wrapping her arms around me could prevent him from hurting me again.
The scene fell into a comfortable silence, with everyone settled around that lion who seemed to have found his home with us.
"Is that so?" asked Connie, her eyes shining like stars, looking at me excitedly. "Of course I am," I replied with a smile as I ate another sandwich. We were on a picnic, with soft, relaxing music playing in the background, and she seemed more than happy to listen. She was always excited by my stories. I didn't know if it was because she was genuinely interested in them or because she didn't have many friends to share those moments with.
Sometimes I wondered why she wasn't afraid, although in reality, no one in Beach City seemed to be. It was strange. In my time, fear was a natural part of being human, an instinct that kept us alive, and yet here it seemed to have disappeared. But who was I to question it?
I watched her as she excitedly told me how her fencing lessons had gone. I smiled without realizing it, because I hadn't seen such enthusiasm since the Heian era... or at least I thought so. I paused for a second. Where had I heard that? Why was that word floating around in my head? Before I could delve deeper into my thoughts, Connie's voice pulled me out.
It's like a dance, she said, her hands moving gracefully, accompanying the explanation. Dance? I repeated, tilting my head curiously. Yes, she replied, jumping up. In these weeks that she'd been by my side, her confidence had changed so much that she seemed like a different person. Before, she'd barely dared to speak, and now... now she was going to dance.
Connie began to move to the music playing in the distance, light as a feather. Her steps had a blend of technique and spontaneity, as if she were combining her swordplay with the music. The air around her seemed to vibrate, and I couldn't help but think that that shy little girl was transforming into someone who would soon shine on her own stage.
Come on, Steven, do you want to dance? Connie said with a smile full of excitement. I looked at her in silence for a few seconds, and then responded with a calm smile, whatever, as I stood up to approach her.
We both began to dance. My steps were clumsy, unpracticed, but thanks to my training, they flowed with a certain naturalness. They weren't as refined or as light as Connie's, but they still had just the right harmony to fit with hers. For me, it was perfect. Moments like that were the ones I cherished the most, a leap from reality, a moment when I wasn't chained to the weight of my mother's past or the destiny I carried in this world.
In that dance, I wasn't Justin, nor was I an heir to Rose Quartz. I was Steven, a child with the mindset of an adult but with the playful soul that still belonged to me, letting it shine through with every movement. I took Connie's hand and together we began to improvise steps, synchronized as if we'd been doing it for years, smiling at how good our energies felt as they joined.
What neither of us noticed was how my gem began to shine. It wasn't a glow like the ones before, charged with power or tension, but a playful, almost joyful glow, as if it had been waiting for this very moment to reveal itself. The music reached its last notes, and face to face, our movements stopped just as a pink glow enveloped us both, as if the universe wanted to freeze that moment and save it forever.
A few seconds passed, during which both of them, or perhaps now just one of them, remained with their eyes closed. When he opened them, he noticed something strange. First, he was no longer with Connie or Steven. His thoughts mingled, confused, chaotic, as if they didn't belong to a single person. One after another, they entered his mind, asking questions he'd never considered before and doubting things he'd always taken for granted.
The confusion was so great that he could barely recognize himself. Him? Her? The questions tumbled out of order, generating a tension that made him, or her, nervous. Or nervous. He wasn't sure what was happening anymore. However, in the midst of this whirlwind of thoughts, there was a moment of silence, a brief pause that allowed a sigh to escape his lips.
He tried to get up, intending to look for his dance partner, but as he stood up, he noticed something impossible to ignore. Am I tall? Am I tall? Two voices echoed in her mind at the same time, but physically someone completely different was speaking. She understood immediately, and with a start, doubt transformed into certainty.
Am I... a fusion? The scream echoed with a mixture of astonishment and fear. In that instant, Connie took control, while Steven, worried, retreated into the background. They complemented each other in a strange, distinct, yet natural way, like two pieces that fit together even though they don't know how.
As she studied herself, a disturbing thought passed through her. Steven... Connie? The question arose in unison, like a shared echo that she didn't know from whom. Steven, for his part, made a tremendous effort not to be distracted by thoughts that might destabilize the fusion, simply letting Connie dominate in that moment.
Connie, or rather the fusion, took a few uncertain steps. Her movements were soft, even weak, unfamiliar to this new body she hadn't fully grasped. She could hardly believe what was happening. Deep down, she'd wanted to ask Steven to try it someday, but not like this, not so suddenly. And yet, she couldn't help thinking it was incredible.
However, Steven's doubt and worry seeped into their shared mind, causing that vibrant emotion to waver. Two conflicting parts: one excited by what she was experiencing, and the other confused by the magnitude of the situation.
So, who am I? the fusion murmured in a calmer tone, her gaze lost on the ocean horizon. The question hung in the air, but was soon interrupted by a thought filled with a mischievous yet worried smile. What if we go to the girls instead? I don't want to worry them. Come on, I don't think they'll say anything bad to us. It's great, I know, it's really great... but what if they don't take it well?
The doubts clashed, creating a small internal storm. The feeling that all of this was connected to what had happened a few days ago kept recurring in her mind. It was like an argument with herself, a strange murmur that, if heard by anyone, would have made her seem completely crazy.
Finally, she took a deep breath and made up her mind. With firm, though shaky, steps, she began to advance toward the beach house. Each step of the stairs seemed heavier than usual, as if she were carrying the weight of two consciences at once. At the top, she clearly heard the voices of the girls talking inside.
They're right there, she thought, a bead of sweat sliding down her forehead. Come on, it's not that bad. Let's just show them, and then we'll unmerge if you want.
"No!" the other inner voice replied forcefully. "Let's just hang out. You don't get to do this every day, you know."
With a mixture of nerves and anticipation, she placed her hand on the door and, holding her breath, walked in.
"Come on, Pearl," Amethyst said with a mischievous smile. "Just because Steven doesn't want to merge with you and would rather spend more time with his lion doesn't mean he doesn't love you."
"Amethyst, you don't understand," Pearl replied with a hint of sadness. "What if he replaces me?"
Amethyst looked at her, a bead of sweat running down her temple, unsure of how to respond. Garnet, meanwhile, watched silently, trying to envision a future where this conversation wouldn't get complicated. However, as she reviewed the possible paths, she found one that surprised her so much that she couldn't even react before the door swung open.
The three of them turned their heads and froze.
"Who are you?" Amethyst blurted out instantly.
Garnet remained motionless, though her body tensed with emotion as she noticed the gem glittering before her eyes. Pearl, confused at first, took only a second to notice the stone embedded in the figure's belly. When she realized it, the weight of the revelation made her faint immediately. A loud thud echoed on the floor, but no one paid attention to it.
Amethyst, seeing the gem in the girl's stomach, lowered her guard with a mixture of curiosity and bewilderment. "Hey, man, you didn't tell me you could shapeshift." "Although you're not the only one, you know," she added with a mocking smile, curling her eyebrows in a ball, raising and lowering them in a gesture of superiority.
The fusion looked at her with a bead of sweat running down her forehead.
Pearl staggered to her feet, knowing this wasn't the time to faint. Her eyes stared at the figure in front of her with an air of disbelief. "Are you... Steven?"
The girl held her gaze for what seemed like an eternity, until a mischievous smile appeared on her face. "I'm a part of him."
"Fuck," Amethyst muttered, now understanding. She returned to her original form and burst out laughing. "You found a Gem and fused with the first one you saw. And not with Pearl?" she said in a blatantly mocking tone.
The aforementioned woman froze. In the blink of an eye, she appeared next to the fusion and, shaken, began nervously inspecting it.
"Hey," the fusion said after a few seconds, "no need for that. It wasn't with a gem."
Amethyst and Pearl looked at each other, stunned.
"Huh?" Pearl managed to stammer.
"Half-human... human fusion," the girl replied, giving a proud thumbs-up.
"Oh, asshole!" Amethyst blurted, laughing in disbelief.
Pearl, on the other hand, completely fainted again, babbling something incoherent about unruly babies.
Garnet suddenly stood up with a smile so wide it looked like she'd won the lottery nine times in a row. Her lenses glittered with excitement as she slowly approached the fusion. She didn't want to use her future vision to find out; on the contrary, she wanted to feel the thrill of discovering something in the moment, of letting herself be carried away by the unexpected.
The fusion stared at her in astonishment, a little nervous, until she coughed softly and replied. "Connie."
Her friend..." Amethyst murmured, immediately understanding. "And how did it happen? Or what?"
The fusion explained, somewhat shyly, how, in the middle of the dance, they had inexplicably ended up fusing without Steven even looking for it.
"How strange," Amethyst commented, scratching her head in intrigue.
But Garnet wasn't surprised, she was excited. Joy coursed through her like an electric current. With almost overwhelming firmness, she took the fusion by the shoulders and, with an infectious smile, exclaimed: "Steven. Connie. No... that's not convenient. Stevonnie."
Garnet's eyes shone with enthusiasm. "You guys, right now, are a unique experience. Go enjoy it. Do what you want. You know what? A mission. Let's go."
The woman now known as Stevonnie barely had time to open her mouth to reply when Garnet grabbed her tightly and dragged her straight toward the portal.
Amethyst stood motionless, stunned, watching both fusions disappear in a matter of seconds. With a mixture of bewilderment and resignation, she muttered to herself, "What the hell just happened?"
Her eyes dropped to the floor, where Pearl was still lying, muttering in her sleep in a shaky voice something about Rose and how she could never give up on a good boy.
End of chapter 13.