Soft footsteps echoed on the beach sand. It was Steven, walking with his gaze fixed on the horizon. The last few days hadn't been peaceful; the girls were more tense than ever, and he needed to clear his head, to breathe some fresh air. He made his way through Beach City, greeting people with his usual smile, though deep down, his mood wasn't the same. After several minutes of walking, he finally reached his destination.
"Dad," he said, raising his hand in a quiet greeting.
"Stevo," Greg replied with his usual smile as he gave change to a customer. "How's business?" Steven asked in a relaxed tone. "It's good, it's good," Greg replied cheerfully. "We've had tons of tourists these past few days, lots of cars, and it seems the sand on the beach is making them a mess. Although, well, that's not so bad; dirty cars bring in good money." Greg laughed, but then shook his head. "I'm getting off topic. What brings you here, Stevo?" I thought you brought me those notes to play on your ukulele yesterday. It's been a while since you composed anything.
Steven smiled slightly and scratched his head. "I came to bring you some pizzas," he said, pulling out a box as if it appeared out of nowhere. "Awesome," Greg replied, taking a slice and starting to eat. "Come on, kid, I know you've got something to say, just say it. Your old man's here. I'm not as young as I used to be, but I can still give you good advice, or at least try."
The silence stretched for a few seconds. Steven looked down, and after taking a deep breath, spoke in a more serious voice. "You know, Dad... these past few days have been a little rough. I don't know how to say this, but there's a gem from another planet that has its sights set on Earth." He looked up, his expression turning firm. "If you ever notice anything strange in the sky, anything that shouldn't be there, I want you to run. I don't want you here when it happens."
"Steven?" Greg murmured, worried.
I want you to leave and take as many people as possible with you. I don't want anyone left here.
"Steve?" Greg said again, his face filled with anguish.
"Look at me, Dad. Look at me and promise me you will."
Greg was silent. His voice trembled slightly when he finally spoke. "My son, I don't want you to hurt yourself... you're all I have left."
Steven looked at him with a guilty smile. "I know, Dad. But if we don't protect the planet, I won't have anyone when I get back from that battle."
Greg hugged him tightly, unable to hold back his tears. Steven hugged him back with the same emotion. "Promise me you'll come back," Greg said between sobs.
"I promise," Steven replied after a few seconds of silence.
"Good, my son. Train, do what you have to do." I don't fully understand the world of Gems, but I'll wait for you, no matter how long it takes.
Steven nodded, a quiet determination in his eyes. I will, Dad.
And as the wind blew gently, they stood together, sharing a silence that spoke volumes.
Goodbye, Dad, Steven murmured as he walked along the beach. Goodbye, Stevo, Greg replied, his voice filled with concern, watching his son walk away until his figure disappeared into the reflection of the sunset. Steven's footsteps echoed softly on the wet sand, and the sound of the waves mingled with his weary thoughts.
I think I overdid it, he thought, looking at his hand, swollen from the exertion. With a tired gesture, he swallowed to ease the muscle pain. He looked up at the house, which was now close, and walked slowly as the sky slowly turned orange.
I need to be careful, he told himself quietly. If I remember correctly, Lapis should have warned us, although the girls never showed me the communicator that appeared in the series. Maybe they didn't manage to get it, but... if Lapis somehow switched sides to the Diamonds... Steven swallowed nervously, a bead of sweat trickling down his forehead.
Upon entering the house, he noticed it was empty. Everything was silent, save for the soft creaking of the floorboards beneath his feet. He sank down onto the sofa, letting out a deep sigh. He glanced toward the corner where Leon usually lay and thought that perhaps he should have his mother's sword handy. Or maybe he should look for Rose's tanks. But then he shook his head. No, that wouldn't be practical; he remembered they barely tickled even the strongest enemies.
In any case, he knew the girls would be looking for those artifacts, so he thought it best to get ahead of them. He stood up, walked over to Leon, and stroked his back. The large pink cat slowly opened his eyes and watched him with a sleepy expression, though his gaze clearly conveyed the intention to bite his hand if he bothered him too much. Steven chuckled softly as he continued to scratch him.
"I need a favor, my friend," he said quietly. Leon watched him seriously, noticing the different tone in his companion's voice, and slowly sat up. "You know where Mom kept the weapons, right?" Leon nodded without hesitation. "Take me there, I need to get a lot of things."
Steven climbed onto his mane and, with a roar that echoed throughout the house, they both disappeared into a glowing portal.
They appeared on the old battlefield, among pink stones and fragments that still glowed faintly with residual energy. Steven moved quickly, gathering everything he thought was essential: cannons, armor, equipment, and various items the girls had mentioned earlier. Leon helped him, effortlessly carrying everything in his mane.
When they finally returned, they appeared in the middle of the house. The girls were in the room and turned around in surprise.
"Steven!" they all exclaimed in unison. "What are you doing on top of Leon?" Pearl asked, completely confused.
"I was looking for things that might be useful," Steven replied with a calm smile.
"Things that would be useful?" Amethyst repeated, frowning.
"Sure," Steven said calmly. Then he bent down and, to the three of them' astonishment, began pulling an absurd amount of things from Lion's mane: cannons, weapons, armor, and tools of all kinds.
Pearl stared at him, speechless, watching as the plan they had been carefully preparing had already been solved by Steven without even consulting them.
"Well, that's all," he commented, a bubble over his head to avoid suffocating as he continued pulling things out. "Oh, and I almost forgot, the sword." He said that and proudly unsheathed it. "Anything else you need, girls?"
The three of them watched him, unsure what to say. "I think... nothing," Pearl replied in a subdued voice. Garnet silently took one of Rose's cannons and held it firmly.
"Gems, let's move." "We don't have much time," Garnet ordered firmly.
Everyone began organizing the equipment, checking every detail. The entire day was spent preparing, adjusting as much as possible. Finally, as the sun began to set, Steven smiled calmly.
"Go get some rest. I'll keep watch," he said confidently.
"Are you sure?" Pearl asked, still a little hesitant. "I don't want you to stay up too late."
"Of course," Steven replied with a reassuring smile.
Garnet nodded and headed to her room, followed by Amethyst and Pearl. The house fell silent again; only the sound of the sea accompanied the night.
Steven stood by the window, watching the moon begin to reflect on the water. He took out his phone and sighed before opening his contacts. With a determined look, he dialed Connie's number.
The number went unanswered, and the call went straight to voicemail. Steven sighed and left his message on the answering machine. "Hey, Connie," he said calmly, "how are you? I hope you're okay. I just wanted to say hi and let you know that I'll be on an important mission in the next few days." He glanced out the window and swore he saw something green peeking out in the distance, but forced himself back to his message. "I don't want you to be near the beach, because mutant gems might appear, and they're too dangerous for you. I don't want you to get hurt. Love, your best friend," he finished cheerfully and hung up.
A sigh filled the room. Steven looked at Leon, who was watching him intently. "You know," he said, "if something happens to me and I'm taken to Homeworld, take care of my dad and Connie. No matter what happens, protect them, okay?" After a few seconds, Leon settled in and nodded with the calm of someone who understands more than he lets on. "That's a yes to me," Steven murmured with a chuckle. He looked outside; the moon bathed Beach City, and the new fence gleamed, a reminder that things weren't the same anymore. What should he do? he wondered aloud, when suddenly he felt a violent tug that threw him to the ground, unconscious.
He awoke in a panic, feeling as if his consciousness were being pulled somewhere else. Not again, he groaned before his sight returned. A familiar voice whispered, "My Diamond ordered it," and Steven opened his eyes inside a green ship. Damn it, he muttered, looking around, and saw two figures nearby: one large and orange, commanding with authority, and another more sharp-eyed.
"Your Diamond," said the taller figure, "my Diamond died there, and the culprit is still on the planet. If the rebels remain on that stupid world, I myself will bring her before the Diamonds." Peridot, agitated, protested that the mission was to the Cluster. Jasper, with a firm step, replied that if they found a rebel other than Rose, they would go to the Cluster, but if it was Rose, they would take her before the Diamonds, and that would be the end of the discussion. Everything was said in a harsh voice and without hesitation.
Steven was in shock. How the hell did I get here? he thought as he listened to Peridot grumble about how useless she thought her partner Jasper was. We have to move, Peridot said, we're close to Earth, those rebels won't last long. Ten hours to get there, she added, her hands on the board, and her eyes began to spark with static.
A jerk ripped another vision from his mind: tiny cells lined up, and inside them, familiar gems. Lapis Lazuli was there, trembling and murmuring, "I'm sorry, I'm sorry." Steven felt pity and an icy fury at the same time. "You suffered a lot," he said softly to the cell, and with another jerk, he was returned to his body on the beach.
Lapis Lazuli, still confused, thought that perhaps Steven had called her, unaware that he had only seen her for a moment. Steven sat up abruptly, his mouth dry and his head spinning. "I need to warn the girls," he told himself, a mixture of determination and fear in his voice. He ran toward the door as the night seemed to close in behind him.
End of Chapter 30.