Author's Note: Hey everyone! I just got home and saw that we hit the goal. Here is the next chapter. For the next one, leave the same amount of stars—you already know the drill.
Let's continue.
They had returned to Steven's house, and at the entrance, his father welcomed them with open arms, completely overwhelmed with relief. At a glance, it looked like the man's expression had aged several years in just a few days, but he still tried to show strength. The house was still damaged, though the most important parts had already been repaired or secured, and that was enough for everyone to be inside without immediate worries.
His father couldn't stop crying, and Steven understood perfectly that after everything that had happened, there were no words capable of describing what they both felt. They spent several hours talking peacefully, without tension, without chaos, as if the two of them had been clinging for a long time to that moment of normalcy that had finally returned.
When night fell, his father breathed easier seeing him in such good shape and decided to return to his small house—the one he had set up in his work area, a small tire shop that also served as his home. He said goodbye with one last look full of affection, got into his van, and turned on the lights. Steven watched in silence as the vehicle slowly drove away, and as the headlights grew smaller and smaller until they disappeared into the distance, he let out a long, heavy sigh that felt liberating at the same time.
He walked toward the kitchen, or what little was left of it, but he was deeply grateful that his father had managed to put several things in order—enough so that the space didn't feel completely uninhabitable. He found a few salvageable utensils and decided to prepare something simple; though his father had left him pizza for dinner, he didn't think it was appropriate to eat that when he had practically just woken up from something very close to a coma. He opted to make a light salad instead, letting his thoughts flow in silence.
The house was calm. The girls were already in their rooms, and he assumed he was the only person awake, accompanied only by his mind, which was still slowly adjusting to reality.
However, he wasn't as alone as he thought.
A soft, almost timid whisper broke the silence as he heard a voice cautiously utter his name. The fright pulled him abruptly out of his thoughts, and he almost dropped his plate, though he managed to catch it quickly thanks to his reflexes.
He placed a hand over his chest while breathing heavily and looked at Lapis sitting on the couch—one that hadn't escaped the disaster unscathed either, but was still capable of holding someone without breaking... probably. She looked at him in silence, her expression unchanged, trying to understand why he had reacted that way.
The two of them were left in a strange, awkward silence, too heavy for a place where only the two of them were present. Steven decided to break it with a simple question, asking if she planned to stay on the couch. Lapis looked at him, not quite knowing how to interpret his words, as if trying to guess whether he was saying it out of discomfort or concern.
She replied calmly, asking if there was a problem and if he didn't want her to be there. She lowered her gaze slightly, as if fearing that the answer would force her to stand up, leave, or feel like an intruder.
Steven reacted immediately, shaking his head while letting out a small, nervous laugh that confused her even more. He didn't want her to feel guilty or out of place, and in reality, he didn't know how to explain what was going through his mind either; he was simply trying to get used to everything all over again.
Steven tried to ease the awkwardness with a light smile and told Lapis not to worry, explaining that he had a futon in his room—or at least what was left of it. He gestured for her to wait while he finished eating, and she simply nodded in absolute silence, remaining as motionless as a statue. He swallowed hard upon noticing how obedient and serious she was acting, feeling a drop of sweat run down his temple given the strange tension of the moment.
After a few minutes, when he finished his salad, he signaled for her to follow him, and Lapis walked behind him without saying a word or showing any expression. This behavior kept him on high alert, as if his nerves might decide to betray him at any moment.
Upon reaching his room, Steven began searching through some boxes and piles of ruined clothes, trying to rescue some sheets that could work. Lapis sat on his bed while observing the place with a blank expression, almost as if she were still processing the concept of being there. To his relief, the bed was still intact, as well as his TV and video games, which felt like a miracle worthy of thanking every existing saint, legend, or amulet.
After some improvising, he managed to set up a small mattress made from folded blankets, trying to give her a minimum amount of comfort. Lapis kept staring fixedly, as if waiting for instructions or a detailed explanation of every human movement.
When Steven finished, she observed the improvised mattress with bewilderment and asked what it was. He explained naturally that it was a bed, a soft and comfortable place where she could sleep. Lapis repeated the word as if it were a completely unknown term, observing the surface as if it were an alien tool.
Steven smiled patiently and decided to do a demonstration. He lay down, closed his eyes, and explained to her that she just had to get comfortable, stop thinking about everything, and simply fall asleep. However, his explanation didn't quite reach full completion because, ironically, exhaustion overcame him immediately, and he fell asleep without even realizing how epic and uneducational his demonstration had been.
Lapis watched him with a doubtful look, but imitating what she had seen, she settled down next to him and closed her eyes just as he had instructed. And to the surprise of anyone who knew her nature, she managed to fall asleep successfully, as if the concept of rest had been waiting for her for a long time.
Steven woke up to the sensation of something cold, soft, and slightly heavy pressing against his face. When he opened his eyes, he noticed he had a blue foot right on his face, completely motionless. He stayed silent for a few seconds, processing it, and with a slow movement, he pushed away the foot of Lapis, who was still as rigid as a deer caught in the headlights of a Truck-kun right in the middle of the highway.
He let out a gentle, tired sigh and left the room, walking toward the bathroom while still trying to fully wake up. In front of the mirror, he turned on the light, picked up his toothbrush, and began brushing his teeth as his expression turned serious.
Steven was thinking: I haven't had time to process anything, but I think I have a huge problem. He paused for a moment, staring fixedly at the mirror with the brush still in his mouth. I have Jasper and a Peridot lurking around here, and if everything had continued the way it was going before, maybe I wouldn't even be breathing right now. So I can't just sit still.
He resumed brushing, though his gaze reflected a deeper thought.
I need to train much harder, I have to find new ways to fight, learn to analyze my surroundings, and make the most of what I have. If I want to protect everyone, I need to think like who I truly am, not like the version some expect. I have to protect them, because if I don't do it, then who will?
When he finished, he set the toothbrush aside and stood observing his reflection for a few seconds, as if trying to find a hidden answer in his own eyes.
I think I also need to teach Lapis the basics of Earth; I don't want her to feel lost or confused again. Although... if she asks, I'll explain it to her calmly, and if she gets overwhelmed, I can ask Amethyst for help. She definitely has a unique kind of patience, even if nobody believes it. Yeah, I should probably start there.
After several seconds of silence, he decided to leave the bathroom, now more awake and a bit better put together. He looked toward his room and noticed that Lapis was still in the exact same position he had left her in, so motionless that if she were human, anyone would think she had been without vital signs for hours.
He shook his head gently with a brief smile and then continued with his morning activities. He prepared something simple to eat, tidied up what little was left in the area, and washed the dishes in silence while listening carefully in case anyone else woke up.
He looked toward the rooms of the rest of the gems and noticed there was still no sign of movement. Everything remained calm, entirely too quiet.
"I guess they were really affected by everything that happened," Steven said as he dried the last plate, letting out a reflective sigh that blended into the soft morning light.
He looked toward Lapis, who was still fast asleep with absolutely no intention of waking up anytime soon. With a quick and almost impulsive thought, he decided to step out for a moment to clear his head. He walked toward the beach as the fresh sea air welcomed him and the sound of the waves accompanied his steps.
Each footprint left a small mark in the sand, surrounded by metallic debris and loose pieces of the ship that had been destroyed. Steven began picking them up one by one, throwing them with all his might into the water to clean up the area.
"It's not pollution if there's nothing toxic in it," he muttered to cheer himself up as he hurled each part into the sea as if it were a simple stone. According to him, the pieces weren't harmful to nature... or at least that's what he wanted to believe to keep from complicating his life any further.
He kept working while keeping an eye on the path where his father usually arrived. A small part of him hoped to see him appear with that tired but comforting smile. However, he didn't see him arrive at any point, and a slight pang formed in his chest. He remembered that during their conversation, his father had explained that he had too much work and that he shouldn't feel bad if he couldn't drop by as much as he wanted to. Of course, Steven had accepted it with a smile, though inside he couldn't help but feel that inevitable small void.
If he doesn't work, we don't eat later, he thought as he threw another piece with a bit more force.
Several hours passed, and without realizing it, he had turned the cleanup into an intense workout. He was jumping, running, pushing, lifting weights, and evaluating the terrain while collecting each piece of metal. When he finished, he noticed that one of the impacts had left a gigantic hole in the sand, but he just observed it for a moment and let out a soft laugh.
"That problem is for tomorrow's Steven... or next year's Steven, who knows."
The sky was starting to grow dark, and the clouds were turning a deep violet color, so he decided to head back home. Upon entering, he saw the gems gathered around Lapis, who was still sleeping so deeply she seemed to have found absolute peace.
...
...
...
A strange and awkward silence floated in the air until Amethyst couldn't contain herself any longer and spoke up.
Amethyst remarked that it looked like he had truly taught her how to sleep, because it seemed she was taking the full course with a diploma included. She was trying to hold back her laughter, but she was clearly losing control.
Steven put a hand to the back of his neck and smiled. "Well yeah, looks like I taught her well, because she's setting a world record. I didn't even know she'd sleep this much."
Then he added with a curious expression, "Besides, aren't gems not supposed to need sleep? Because I feel like I unlocked a secret mode that nobody had tried before."
Pearl shook her head gently, placing a hand on her chest elegantly. "We don't actually need it, but perhaps it isn't something physical, but mental."
The others looked at her, expecting a more complete explanation, as if they were about to hear a theory worthy of a scientific textbook. Pearl blushed slightly from the attention but continued in a lower voice.
"Supposing she has been under extreme stress since the last time we saw her, it wouldn't surprise me if her mind collapsed and needed to rest inside her gemstone. If my hypothesis is correct, I must admit that I admire her. She endured far too much without breaking."
The silence returned, but this time it was one that showed understanding and respect. No one knew exactly how much emotional weight Lapis was carrying, and even less so that even when they spoke near her, she didn't react in the slightest.
Steven broke the silence with something logical while observing Lapis, who was still motionless.
"Let's go to my room; I don't want to wake her up or disturb her. I guess she already has too much going on in her gem, her mind, or whatever, to be like this."
He stood up and walked calmly toward his room. The three gems exchanged confused glances, but without a word, they followed him in a line. Upon entering, the first thing they noticed was the room's usual atmosphere: pink, luminous, filled with clouds floating like eternal cotton balls, all of them capable of taking any shape.
Out of nowhere, a figure began to form among the clouds, molding itself as if someone invisible were sculpting it. The three of them raised an eyebrow at the same time, but their real surprise came upon seeing Rose Quartz materialize, looking at them only out of the corner of her eye while locking her gaze directly onto Steven.
Steven noticed that look and simply made a small gesture with his hand, as if saying without words that now was not the time for that.
The figure of Rose vanished as quickly as it had arrived, leaving behind a scattered cloud and three even more confused gems, staring at him with silent questions. Steven didn't react to those looks, or simply chose to ignore them.
"Alright, wait a moment," Steven said.
He waved his hand and created an elegant living room made of clouds, complete with soft couches and a low table with hot tea already served, as if everything had been planned beforehand. The three gems sat down almost robotically, not knowing what to say, while keeping their eyes fixed on Steven.
There were a few awkward seconds where the tea let off steam and no one breathed too loudly, until Amethyst dared to break the silence.
"Hey, Steven... was that Rose?" Amethyst asked.
Steven looked up without changing his expression, and that simple silence was enough to make Amethyst tense up a bit.
"No," Steven said.
That was his entire answer—direct, clear, and leaving no room for debate. Pearl let out a long, somewhat nervous sigh, and when she noticed the others looking at her, she blushed slightly, trying to hide it.
Garnet observed Steven intently; she saw him calm, but something different was hidden behind his eyes, something that hadn't been there before. She decided to speak in a calm voice.
"Steven... I know you just woke up from all of this and... well... it's not that we want to force you, but..." She clenched her fists tightly, as if fearing what she was about to admit. "Honestly, we need your help. We have two gems here, and we don't know what their original plan was or what it still is. One of them was, and possibly still is, the most perfect thing the Earth ever produced."
The room fell into a heavy, almost uncomfortable silence, while Steven simply observed Garnet with an expression impossible to decipher.
Pearl continued to keep the atmosphere from shattering completely. "Look... we know we aren't very good at talking about this, but..." She paused, exhaling with emotional exhaustion. "We know that in this battle, you shouldn't have been the one to carry the pain, and... you suffered a lot. We... we want to hear your opinion this time." She put her hands to her head in a gesture of frustration and guilt, while Amethyst leaned forward, trying to help her.
"Steven... hey, we're listening to you, okay?" Amethyst said.
Steven looked up calmly, which was enough to make the three of them quiet down and give him their full attention.
"..." Steven remained silent.
Amethyst was the next to speak, clenching her fists with visible frustration. "This fight wasn't yours... it was my fault for laughing that time, and honestly, I regret every single second that passed and what keeps happening, day and night. I don't know what to do, Steven... I don't know what happened in the war or what you guys really fought for. I just..." She sighed. "...I just want to protect what I have, because it's the only thing I've ever known, and I think it's the same for you. I just... I just want you to forgive me, and to help us, and for us to figure it out together. And I think I speak for the three of us here."
She turned to look at the others, and both Pearl and Garnet nodded firmly.
Amethyst continued, trying to keep her voice from cracking. "If you really don't want to go through with this... I just want... no, we want you to be safe. Whether your decision is to fight with us or not to do it... we are going to understand."
She lowered her gaze as silence enveloped the room, accompanied only by the soft classical music Steven had put on from the start, trying to calm the environment without thinking too much about it.
Steven looked at the three of them, who looked more than anything like scolded dogs, and although their tone surprised him, he also understood their fear. It was clear they didn't know how to start or how to move forward, and only then did he realize something obvious.
After all, being unconscious and rigid for three days surely reflected the stress level of the gems. An imaginary drop of sweat crossed his mind upon realizing how blind he had been regarding them.
His mind began to process hundreds of possible responses—all valid to him, all logical—but only one fit what he wanted for the group. For the gems... and for himself.
After a few seconds that felt eternal to them, Steven stood up, causing the three of them to tense up without even raising their gaze. He approached with slow steps, took a breath, and without saying a single word, he hugged them tightly, wrapping all three of them up at the same time.
The gems were left in complete shock, looking at him as if they didn't understand at what point the tension had collapsed. Steven smiled with all the confidence in the world—the most brazen smile on the planet.
"Oh, come on!" he said, laughing out loud, making the entire room echo. "We're a team. We're the Crystal Gems. They caught us off guard, yeah, but now..." He clenched his fist tightly. "...we are going to win."
He grabbed Amethyst by the shoulders, gently forcing her to raise her face while her eyes opened wide.
"I don't blame you for anything, Amethyst. Things happen for a reason. If you hadn't spoken, thousands of possibilities could have happened, better or worse... or maybe the exact same thing. So stop carrying that around."
"But I..." Amethyst tried to say.
"No buts," Steven replied, covering her mouth with a hand magically created from the room.
"..." Amethyst fell silent.
"You guys too," Steven continued, pointing at Pearl and Garnet, who still had their mouths open. "What's wrong with you? Why do you think I train? Of course I'm going to fight! What's more: we fix up the house, and then we go after those son-of-a-gun gems. How does that sound?"
The two looked at each other, and little by little, a smile appeared on each of them—a smile full of determination, pride, and hope.
"Alright!" Steven exclaimed as he opened a portal door formed by clouds. "I'm going to sleep. Tomorrow we keep working on the house. Nothing is going to stop us."
Motivation filled his face... until he saw what was inside the portal, and in an instant, his expression shifted into a thousand different forms of confusion and alarm. The gems, curious, approached and observed the same thing, looking just as shocked.
Lapis Lazuli had woken up confused and felt completely renewed—so much so that she decided to stretch her arms and legs, even though she didn't really need to. However, upon doing so, she noticed something alarming.
"Steven?..." Lapis muttered.
She looked around, and her expression turned to one of fear.
"Steven!" she screamed in panic, tossing things everywhere trying to find him, though she clearly wasn't very good at searching.
And that was how they ended up witnessing the most surreal scene of the day: Lapis was holding the microwave as if it were a sacred relic, with the entire rest of the room in absolute chaos, while four gems stared at her with expressions of complete mental disconnection.
"Uh... hi," Lapis said timidly, not knowing whether to hand back the microwave or run away with it.
End of Chapter 35.