Author's Note: I seriously almost had a brain aneurysm writing this chapter. Thanks for the comments and the support, love you guys <3.
The place was covered in a soft pink hue, and everything around them faded into slow-drifting clouds. In the middle of that ethereal environment, two figures could be made out. One of them was doing one-handed push-ups, while the other sat on his back.
"Ninety, ninety-one, ninety-two, ninety-three..." the figure repeated at a steady rhythm, sweat dripping onto the floor. The other figure, calm and serene, watched without moving.
When he reached one hundred, he held the position for a few more seconds, breathing deeply. The figure on top spoke in a calm tone, asking if he was done. Steven, who was the one doing the push-ups, replied with a tired but confident smile that he would stay in that position a bit longer. He told Connie that if she wanted, she could order something from the room, and it would make it happen without any trouble.
Connie, in her tight training suit, nodded with a slight smile and asked to create a figure she could practice with. She requested a version of herself, but with pink hair like the environment, so she wouldn't get confused during combat. In a matter of seconds, her clone appeared in front of her, and both began training with their swords, the metallic clashing echoing in the air.
Meanwhile, Steven switched arms to continue his push-ups, keeping his focus on his training, though his mind was far away from there. He was thinking about the days to come, about what was about to happen.
Peridot is approaching, he reflected silently. If she comes, there's a high chance Jasper will show up too. And if that happens, I'm going to have a lot of trouble beating her. Winning is possible, sure, as long as she doesn't pull out one of those crazy things from her giant spaceship. Even with years of preparation, I can't take on a massive hand that shoots laser beams like it's nothing.
With that thought swirling in his head, he kept doing push-ups. He had spent over an hour repeating the routine. The room, conscious of his desire to improve, had added an invisible weight to his back to increase the training difficulty.
Behind him, the sounds of clashing swords filled the air. Grunts of effort and heavy breathing accompanied every movement. Connie moved with precision, dodging attacks from her clone and returning quick, firm strikes.
"Come on," she cheered herself on between gasps, dodging a thrust. "Wait," she muttered suddenly, taking a few steps back while staring intently at her copy. They stood face-to-face for a few seconds until a smile broke out on her lips. "From now on, your name is Con," she said in a determined tone.
The clone nodded serenely, accepting its new name, and both returned to combat with renewed energy.
Connie raised her sword as if her life depended on it—which, to some extent, was true. The intensity of her training increased with every strike. She moved with precision, throwing quick slashes until she found an opening to attack. With a decisive burst of energy, she made a direct thrust at the clone, hitting it dead-on. The copy stumbled back several steps before nodding her head, as if accepting defeat.
Exhausted after nearly two hours, Connie dropped to the floor, breathing heavily. They had entered the room five hours ago with Steven. After he explained the room's properties to her, they spent almost four hours training non-stop. While she took a well-deserved break, Steven kept training with the same intensity, as if the fate of the world depended on it.
When the clone disappeared, Connie watched him in silence.
She stared at him for a few seconds, saying nothing, noticing the deep concentration on his face. She already knew quite a bit about the Gems; Steven had trusted her enough to tell her everything. That worried her, but it also inspired her. She would do anything for him. He was her first friend, her best friend, her first lo... she cut the thought short with a quick shake of her head, keeping her mind from wandering down that path.
She stretched slowly and began walking toward the room's exit. It was almost time for her mother to arrive, and she would have to walk further than usual since the heavy rains had made the beach inaccessible for cars. She paused for a moment and looked at Steven with a smile.
"Hey, Steven," she called out energetically.
He looked up and replied naturally. Then, pushing off with both arms, he pulled off an impressive leap, executed a backflip, and landed on his feet as if he had done it a thousand times before. A towel appeared beside him to wipe away the sweat, and Connie couldn't help but notice something she had always known.
Steven was in excellent shape. His muscles weren't over-the-top, but they were defined enough to catch your eye. His neck had subtle lines that, for some reason, always fascinated her. His jawline, though still a bit rounded due to his age, showed signs that it would soon sharpen up thanks to his constant training. The tight shirt didn't leave much to the imagination: his abs were firm, visible, and clearly the result of hard work.
She had some muscle too, of course, but not as much as him. She didn't push herself to the absolute limit like Steven, who seemed to give 500% in every single routine. Connie looked down as she watched him lost in thought, staring into space with his mind elsewhere. That was something she had liked about him since they met: he was always thinking, wandering, imagining. Sometimes his ideas were a bit weird, but a lot of them turned out to be great. Several had even helped her improve her training, and thanks to that, she had a figure that many girls her age would envy.
The past few months had been incredibly rewarding. Her legs were toned, her body was stronger, and she often trained with Steven in pretty unconventional ways. Sometimes he would carry her on his back while running almost right on top of the water, using bubbles on his feet so they wouldn't sink. Steven claimed it was to avoid getting eaten by sharks, though, thinking about it now, she didn't believe any shark could actually eat him.
Connie snapped back to reality, shaking her head. Thinking too much was something she had picked up from spending so much time around Steven. Whenever he had free time, he would invite her to train or just talk. And while it seemed like a quirky habit at first, it wasn't a bad thing. Thanks to him, she now had more friends at school—people who used to try to get close to her, but whom she, trapped in her own "bubble," had never let in.
Like Steven used to tell her, "you have to break the bubble to let the light in." And he was right. Now, even though she had good friends, none of them compared to him.
"What's up?" Steven asked after wiping off most of the sweat, though a little bit still remained.
Connie smiled and replied that she had to go, reminding him that he had promised to walk her out.
"Of course," Steven said, walking by her side. Both moved toward the exit in a comfortable silence. After a few seconds, Steven, snapping out of his thoughts, looked at her and said that while he didn't want to sound cheesy, he was really grateful to have met her. He paused for a moment, showing he had a lot of ideas bouncing around his head, and then smiled mischievously, placed a hand on his chest, and lifted his chin in an exaggerated gesture, as if claiming that getting to know himself was a true blessing. Connie burst out laughing and told him to take it seriously. He insisted he was, with even more theatricality if possible, and a door appeared as the two walked out, laughing at each other's antics.
From the outside, the living room was empty. Just then, the Gem door opened, and Connie and Steven walked out, matching each other's pace. Steven handed Connie a bottle of water and changed his clothes before heading out; she did the same. She hadn't told her mother that she was training, though she figured her mom wouldn't notice the changes just yet. When she does, Connie thought, I'm going to love seeing her reaction.
After getting dressed, they looked at Lion, who had just walked through the front door. Lion stared at them as if to say, what are these kids up to? Steven, who wasn't afraid of anything, asked him if he would give them a ride. Lion just stared at them for a few seconds, ignored them, and went to sleep.
Steven, holding his hand up in a slightly ridiculous gesture as if offering fish, coughed after being completely ignored by Lion. Connie laughed out loud seeing him embarrassed. Steven stated it was time to go because Connie's mom would give her a beating if she saw she wasn't out on the street. Connie nodded, and they left the house together.
The beach was a bit chaotic after the rains; it wasn't impossible to cross, but it was barely accessible for cars. They walked in silence until Connie broke the quiet, asking almost curiously, "You know, Steven, those Gems you told me about... on a scale from one to ten, how strong are they? Tell me seriously."
Steven fell silent for a moment and then shot back a question, asking if she had ever fought him before. Connie looked a bit confused but nodded. He mentioned, with a suppressed chuckle, that she used to beat him up. Connie frowned and slapped the back of his head, a move she'd learned from Garnet and Amethyst. Steven groaned and rubbed his head. She let out a huff and shook her head.
Steven added that, realistically, some Gems would be like nine Stevens put together. Connie gave him a "seriously?" face, and he, looking confused, repeated that it was just a guess. Looking out at the ocean, he mentioned that the Gems didn't tell him much about their strength; he just prepared for the worst and trained while thinking of someone who could wildly outmatch him. I train so I won't be caught off guard, Steven thought silently.
As Steven stared out at the sea, his face suddenly turned pale. His eyes widened with a mix of fear and resignation, and he turned to Connie with a nervous smile that failed to hide his discomfort. He greeted her in a shaky voice, faking normalcy. Connie looked at him, puzzled by the sudden shift in his tone. He swallowed hard and, still smiling with obvious tension, warned her not to look in the direction he was facing.
He seriously asked her to just listen to him, keep walking, and not look, assuring her that what he had just seen was basically the devil himself. Driven by curiosity, Connie barely turned her head and immediately regretted it. A chill ran down her spine when she saw a little boy with a disturbingly calm expression, holding an axe and a fish that she prayed wasn't a shark.
Connie could barely find her voice as she whispered in horror, asking what that was, what he was. Steven, drenched in a cold sweat, replied that it was Onion. He described him as weird, but not weird in a cute or funny way—weird in a deeply unsettling way. Even the Gems, who literally came from outer space, weren't as bizarre as him. Without a second thought, both started running as if their lives depended on it.
Onion, on the other hand, just watched them in silence while holding a ketchup bottle in his mouth. Then he looked back at the fish, let out a low chuckle, and carried it off to who-knows-where, completely unfazed.
Connie, still shaking, was trying to catch her breath when they finally reached the spot where her mother was supposed to pick her up. Steven tried to joke to break the tension, telling her that at least she wouldn't have to go through something like that again. Connie nodded, her heart still pounding, but right then they heard the sound of a familiar car approaching.
The vehicle pulled up, and Dr. Priyanka Maheswaran stepped out, speaking into her phone in an authoritative tone. She was saying that of course she could do it, that she was the best doctor in the hospital, and that she wouldn't hesitate, until she finally hung up and looked up, noticing the two teenagers in front of her.
Raising an eyebrow, she eyed them skeptically and asked if they had been exercising. Before Steven could blurt out some random comment, Connie quickly slapped a hand over his mouth and replied with a nervous smile that yes, a little bit. Connie's mother sighed, already used to their quirks, and reminded her daughter that she had to get to her classes and that she'd need to update her glasses soon. Then she looked at Steven and asked about his mother.
He thought about telling her what was actually going on, but just said calmly that his mother was at home taking care of some things. The doctor nodded indifferently, gave a quick goodbye, and told Connie to do the same while she went back to sending work messages.
Steven leaned in slightly toward Connie and whispered that she should talk to her mother more. She replied in a low voice that she would one of these days, and then, with a small smile, said goodbye. The two shared a brief hug before the car pulled away and disappeared down the road.
Silence took over the area. Steven shoved his hands into his pockets and realized he still had some money left. He sighed and muttered to himself that he was craving pizza. Without thinking twice, he started walking toward Beach City's only pizzeria, letting the sound of the ocean keep him company.
The sound of baking filled the shop. Kiki was by the oven with her headphones on, boxing up orders for plenty of nearby houses. From the counter, Nane's voice could be heard calling her name. Kiki turned and, raising an eyebrow, replied, "Yeah?"
At the counter stood a worn-looking old lady who, despite her age, didn't seem old at all when she ran: "Don't let her looks fool you, she's sharp and runs like a kid," an old woman once commented.
"What's up, Nane?" Kiki asked. "You've got a new order, it's from one of your favorite customers," Nane said with a little smile. Kiki knit her brows in confusion at the phrase "favorite customer," until she spotted the order ticket on the tray and smiled. "Ah, Steven," she said cheerfully. "The usual, right?" Kiki efficiently got to work preparing the pizza, while other pizzas slid out of the oven to be handed off to customers and tourists looking to try different flavors.
The door to Fish Stew Pizza opened, and someone walked in who seemed to get along with absolutely everyone; even the tourists felt a sense of calm just from his presence. Kiki greeted him with a smile. "Come, come over here, my boy," Nane called out from the counter. Steven, the main character, smiled and gave a casual greeting. "Good evening, how's it going? The pizzeria is booming thanks to your ideas," Mrs. Nane mentioned gratefully. Steven scratched the back of his neck and said he just did what he could.
Kiki walked out of the kitchen and hugged Steven like a brother. He groaned, squeezed tightly in the hug. "You're suffocating him!" Nane exclaimed, a sweatdrop running down her face. "No, he can take it," Kiki insisted, squeezing tighter. After a few seconds, she let him go.
Steven looked at her with a "I almost died" expression. "What?" Kiki asked, surprised. "It's been a while since you visited, I'm shocked," she added playfully, tapping her chin. "I've been training more, sorry about that," Steven replied. Nane dismissed her granddaughter by giving her a light tap on the back of the head with her cane. "Ow," Kiki complained, rubbing the spot. "Your pizza is burning," Nane warned, and Kiki dashed back to the oven to save the tray.
"Bye, Steven, take care!" Kiki called out as she waved. He smiled and looked at Nane, who was already holding his pizza. "Here you go, son, and you get a frequent customer discount," the old woman said. Steven quickly paid, taking advantage of the five-dollar discount, and walked out with a wave, as Kiki shouted a "see ya later!" that echoed down the street.
Walking back home, Steven quietly thought over his plans. Let's see, if my memories serve me right... and right now I'm only twenty percent sure that some of them actually do, I've got a Gem who's completely obsessed with my mom. If she catches sight of the symbol on my shield, she's going to target me exclusively for that. I have a shot at not going under; I'd need to blitz Peridot first, then try to isolate Lapis, and after that, engage Jasper. I've got this idea I pulled from a manga, Jujutsu Kaisen. I've been practicing it, and it's worked about sixty percent of the time. I need to get that percentage up. I think the only one who could keep up with me on that attack would be Amethyst. Though Jasper, being a perfect Jasper, would still have some disadvantages.
A voice in his mind whispered, You'd lose, but Steven smirked self-assuredly and fired back in his thoughts, Nah, I'd win, as he chewed on a slice of pizza. When he got to his house, he noticed the girls still hadn't come out. He sighed. They've been cooped up in there for three weeks, he thought. The robonoids just keep coming and coming, but we haven't even hit the Kindergarten arc yet.
The quiet of the night accompanied him as he stepped into the house, the taste of pizza still in his mouth and training regimens swirling in his head.
I should train harder. I didn't want to drag Connie into this fight, but if possible, I do want to bring her along to the Kindergarten, and even if she doesn't like it, it'd be best to do it fused as Stevonnie. While he ate and took a shower to wash off the workout sweat, he did a quick stretch and lay down. He put on some relaxing music and, with a sigh, left a few slices of pizza for Lion before drifting off to sleep. In his sleepy mumblings, he managed to mutter something like "one Connie, two Connies," and soon found himself floating through a dream filled with smiles while eating a roasted chicken just like the ones from his past life, thoroughly enjoying the moment.
"So delicious," he mumbled, shedding manly tears as he ate non-stop. He knew it was a dream, but he thought it was a beautiful one. Suddenly, he threw a hand into the air and shouted through laughs, "I choose you, Lion, as my Pokémon!" A yellow lion appeared, looking just as confused as his real-life counterpart. Steven ordered, "Use nuclear lightning attack!" but the lion just stared at him in silence, ignoring him exactly like always.
Steven sighed and looked off to the side, searching for some meaning behind this sudden enlightenment. "Huh?" he muttered, confused as he spotted a yellow and pink area. What is this? he thought as he floated toward the place. He took a few steps until, all of a sudden, he slammed hard onto the ground.
"Ouch," he said in a faked voice of pain.
"Who said that?" a deep, booming voice resonated.
"Huh?" he replied, bewildered. And as he looked up, he instantly wished he had never stumbled into that place.
End of Chapter 26.