Earth and Space, Steven's Universe. Chapter 4
"And now to the weather."
"A big storm is heading to Beach City. Citizens of the small town has chose to call it 'The Big Wave', a name after the 1931 great storm called 'The wave'. Citizens of the affected areas are once again being asked to move to the designated shelter at Beach City Library, and wait out the storm until it passes.
For now we advise you to tie down everything which has high risk of blowing away and bring out the candles for there are high risk of power failure during the night. And back to other news, today-."
Greg turned off the radio before he closed the van-doors.
"Was that everything?" Pearl asked as she approached him on the beach.
"Yep. That's about it." Greg replied supporting his back with his hands.
"I still don't get why we can't stay at the temple. Where it's much safer." Amethyst pouted, crossing her arms.
"Steven and Greg wanted to give their supports to the people." Pearl explained. "And we are here to support their intentions."
"Besides! How often do we have the whole town at one place all at once!" Steven grinned as he joined them, putting his cheese burger bag-pack on his back. "It could be fun to meet someone I don't know yet!"
"Yes, quite fun, Steven." Pearl said and pat him on his head, clearly distracted. "I wonder if the washing-machine will hold up there." She hummed.
"I think Garnet already tied them." Amethyst said as she threw a big inside the front.
"Good, good." Pearl nodded, thinking. "I still can't help but think we've forgotten something..." She hummed.
Meanwhile back in the house in Steven's room, Steven laid on his stomach on his bed, holding his mirror
"Okay, okay! I got one!" He cheered. "Would you either always tell lies or always tell the truth?" He asked.
The mirror just showed a picture of what would only be described as a TV without reception.
"You don't know, huh? I think I would choose... to always tell the truth. Because that way you can just go around it all." Steven explained.
Steven laughed too. "Oh, lil' buddy. You know so much about me. But I don't know anything about you." He sighed as stroke the mirror's side smoothly. "Who are you? Where do you come from?" He asked dreamily.
The mirror became quiet for a long time.
"Lil' buddy?" Steven asked. "You there?"
"Steven! We're leaving!" Pearl shouted from downstairs.
"Coming!" Steven called back and sat up, grabbing his cheese-burger bag-pack. "You're coming with me!" He grabbed the mirror and put it in his bag-pack before zipping it close.
He then dashed down the stairs.
-----------------
Back at Beach City library, the whole population of the city had gathered outside.
Cars were parked outside and they were all greeted by Pearl and Mayor Dewey.
"Welcome!" Mayor Dewey greeted them.
"Yes! Welcome earthlings! Here, a 'welcome to the shelter for nearly death by a storm' gift. I heard those are quite popular." And from her gem, she summoned some toilet paper and handed it to the dad of the family. "Don't use it all at once. It's so boring cleaning it off." She told them.
"Uhhh... thanks?" The dad muttered.
"Come on kids, let's go inside." Their mother quickly pushed the children inside and the dad followed.
"Happy 'storm' day!" Pearl sang, waving after them.
"Uhh, P. Welcoming people maybe isn't your thing." Amethyst muttered as she walked over to her.
"What? Vandalism is boring cleaning." Pearl replied in confusion.
Not long after, Mr. Fryman and his sons approached the entrance, holding their luggage and pillows. But Mr. Fryman quickly was put off by the gems's presence.
"Oh, it's you guys." He muttered bitterly. "Can't you ladies stop the storm with your 'magic' powers or 'objects' or what not?" He asked, crossing his arms.
"Oh, well. No. The Weather verifier, I'm afraid, has been lost under sea for approximately 896 years." Pearl answered politely. "We would offer you the temple-." Pearl began explaining.
"No we wouldn't." Garnet suddenly cut in as she walked by with a bag over her shoulder.
"Ehhh." Pearl sweated slightly, but then cleared her throat. "BUT we are afraid that it's too dangerous for humans like you."
"Protectors of earth, huh?" Lars muttered as he passed and walked inside the doors. "Yeah right."
"Can't even help the people in one city!" Kofi scoffed as he also passed by.
What they hadn't known was that Steven had stood by and listened. And he did not enjoy what they were saying.
When a hand rest against his shoulder
"Come on, Stu-Ball. We have to go in there before the others takes the best spots." Greg told him
The whole town, which meant not that many people really, had gathered inside the big halls of the library. The majority of all the shelves had been moved from their places to block the entrance doors in case water would pour inside.
In doors were the usual people we know: Fryman and his sons, Kofi with his daughters, Mr. Smiley, Sadie, Barb, and Lars, Mr. Dewey and his son, Vidalia and Yellowtail with their sons, Jane, Kevin, Jamie, the Maheswarans, the Barigas, suitcase guy and many other characters we never got to know.
Right now, everyone were preparing their current sleeping spots.
Some were still given their sleeping bags and pillows by the entrance, some had already started embedding their bedclothes and some were either eating or being given soup from the Mayor with voluntary citizens helping.
One of those who had started eating were the Pizza family sitting in a circle with some of the other citizens.
"Wow, it's really pouring down out there." Kiki said as she looked out the windows.
"They call this 'storm?' I've seen worse back in the fall of 83 when-." Kofi began.
"Yeah, yeah, daddy. We know the story." Jenny silenced him and Kiki gave his back a few supporting packs.
"Where are those stupid magic ladies anyway?! They are always telling us they're here to protect us but they're not here when we need them!"
"Don't be rude, Kofi." Nanefua scolded at him. "The gems might be different from the rest of us but they're only trying to help."
"Help?!" Kofi burst out, his anger starting to bubble up. "Do you see any magic ladies around here?" He gestured to the room surrounding them. "No! Neither do I! The only 'help' they have given us today is toilet-paper and taking what's left of the shelves!" He gestured towards a part of the library, where there stood a wall of three shelves.
"Kofi! No need to shout! There are children here!" Nanefua scolded at him in a hushed tone.
"I think I gotta agree with old fishy here." Mr. Fryman suddenly cut in, sitting down beside Kofi with a bowl of soup. "I mean- the gems haven't done anything towards us but... they're kind of the reason we always need protection."
Kofi nodded in stern agreement.
"All I'm saying is that." Mr. Fryman began, mixing his soup with a plastic spoon. "... I don't know anything about gems, not how they are or their society. I mean one of them could drown us in our sleep if we have bad luck. And they maybe have had it hard and made some enemies during their years. What I want to say is..." He took a deep breath. "... if beach city is going to survive...the magic ladies has to go."
What they hadn't known was that Amethyst had been sitting in the room beside them, leaned against the wall, listening to their words. Or, room wasn't quite the word. They had used the shelves of the library to make a small room against the wall, and the 'wall' she was leaning against, were one of the shelves.
She looked sad, if not more disappointed. But at last she stood up and walked over to the rest of her family, who were preparing for the night.
Or at least, they were preparing the night for Steven and Greg.
"And there, and here and... we're done!" Greg grinned in victory as he un-raveled a second seeping bag.
"Yay! The sleeping bag duo!" Steven cheered with his arms up in the air.
When suddenly, the light disappeared around them, leaving them in darkness.
Pearl sighed heavily, her gem glowing up to be used as a flashlight. "Well, we can say goodbye to those fuses."
As Garnet and Amethyst used their gems as flashlights too, Steven pulled out a flashlight of his own.
"Hey! Where did the light go?!" They heard Mr. Fryman shout.
"Oh, don't worry! Just make up a fire with some sticks! Like you always did before!" Pearl shouted.
Amethyst pulled the bow on Pearl's back. "P, that was thousands of years ago."
"So? Are humans really that forgetful?" Pearl asked confused.
"I'm gonna get some soup." Steven told them as he pulled on his back-pack, stood up and walked out of their 'room'.
He walked across the floor of people in the darkness, over to the food-station.
He grabbed a plate and was just about to pour some soup in his plate when someone suddenly pushed him from behind.
"Hey!" He gasped in surprise.
"Oh, sorry!" A familiar voice apologized.
"Connie!" Steven cheered.
"Steven!" Connie gasped and they went in for a hug.
"I thought you were out of town this week." Steven said in confusion.
"They cut off all trains because of the storm." Connie explained. She turned around and waved at someone.
As it turned out, it was her parents sitting in a corner further back.
Steven smiled and waved too. "Hi Mr. And Mrs. Maheswaran!" He shouted.
"Hello!" Connie's dad called back.
Connie turned back to Steven. "So, w-."
When suddenly, the windows crashed into pieces with a deafening sound. And soon, water from the outside started filling the inside of the library.
Everyone flew up to their feet with a gasp.
The gems rushed out from the shelves.
"I told you those windows wouldn't hold." Pearl hummed, crossing her arms.
"Who cares?! It's pouring water!" Amethyst shouted, alerting Pearl again. They looked down and backed away as water had started reaching their feet.
"Now now! There's no need to panic!" Mayor Dewey tried to calm them all, though he looked as scared as them. Even if he sat on the shoulders of one of his life-guards.
"We need to get to higher levels." Garnet stated and turned her head towards the small quartz. "Amethyst, turn yourselves to a ladder!" Garnet ordered.
"Ay ay, Garnet!" Amethyst gave her a thumbs up before shapeshifting into a ladder which reached the ceiling.
Garnet turned to Greg. "The upstairs won't hold for everyone. We need to find an exit. Fast." She commanded.
Garnet nodded back before she and Pearl dashed for the latter and climber up-stairs.
"Yeah, yeah. I'm coming." Amethyst muttered as she shape-shifted back to normal and followed them upstairs.
Not long after, the gems were standing at the top of the roof, watching the chaos in the pouring rain.
"We need to take the humans to a dry place, with shelter from the storm." Garnet stated.
"Maybe we can bring them to the school? We can give them shelter there in the gymnastic hall." Pearl suggested.
"What's the point? They don't even want us here." Amethyst suddenly muttered, leaning against the chimney beside her.
"What are you talking about?" Pearl asked her, she and Garnet looking at her confused.
"We can talk about that later! What the town's people says and don't say doesn't matter right now!" Garnet demanded.
The water had rose to a level where the cars were starting to move on their own.
"The cars won't get anywhere!" Pearl gasped. "They're trapped!"
"Unless someone carries them." Amethyst muttered.
And that's where the idea popped up.
"We'll need more arms." Pearl looked at Garnet.
"Amethyst, your shapeshifting." Garnet said as a question and they both looked at her worriedly.
"Hey! Dudes! I'll be fine! I'm not that tired!" Amethyst shrugged, though you could see her restrain herself.
"We need to inform the humans!" Garnet said and they nodded before rushing down-stairs again.
-----------------
Steven stood up on a table, waving his arms.
"Everyone! Get inside your vehicles! Try to fit as many as you can!" He shouted. "If we just stay calm, we can carry you all to safety!"
Greg ran into the crowd, wearing a blue poncho.
"Everybody! Follow me!" He waved for them to follow him and they all followed him to the parking-lot.
---------------
Outside, the gems had begun their synchronization.
Garnet tapped the rhythm on her visor as the others danced. They ended up holding hands and they all disappeared into a bright, white light. They were soon replaced by a giant with long, green hair, purple skin and six arms.
Meanwhile, Steven was led the people to the cars.
"Put your seatbelts on. And those who has no seatbelts, hold on tight. It's gonna be a bumpy ride." He told them as they sat down in the car.
Mr. Fryman nodded, holding Peedee in his lap. "Thank you Steven." He said as Steven walked outside and shut the door behind him.
"I found another one!" Greg called, standing by a tipped car.
Not long after, Greg and Yellowtail joined him in pushing the car back on it's wheels. It was quite heavy but they managed.
Greg sighed tiredly. "Yellowtail, get your family inside. I'll be fine." He told his friend.
"Muh muh muh muh muh!" Yellowtail shouted, waving his arms.
Soon, Vidalia with Onion in her arms and Sour Cream came running
Alexandrite went down to her knees beside Steven.
"Take them to the school. Me and dad will try to find more people." He smiled up at her. "How're you holding up?"
Alexandrite didn't seem that touched by the situation, but he could see the sweat on her forehead.
"Keep it together. One more round and we're done." Steven told her encouraging, patting her leg.
In the next scene he closed one last door before waving at Alexandrite.
Alexandrite huffed a cloud of smoke out of her mouth before standing up, holding one car is each hand.
The people in the cars all screamed a bit as they were lifted up.
And then, Alexandrite ran off, holding the cars close and making the whole ground shake.
Steven watched her run away, his yellow poncho almost blowing away.
"Steven!" A familiar voice called behind him.
"Huh?" He turned around and saw Connie, also dressed in a yellow poncho with the hood up, running towards him. "Connie?! What are you doing here?! You should be in one of the cars!"
"Steven! Was my mom in any of those cars?!" Connie blurted in panic.
"Uh... no! No, I don't think so!" Steven called back.
"Steven! I need to find her!" Connie shouted desperately.
"I'll help you! Hang on a sec-." He raised his hand and summoned his shield, which covered them both like an umbrella. He adjusted the bag-pack on his back and nodded. "Let's go!"
Five minutes later they had gone further into the town, searching.
"I don't see her anywhere!" Connie shouted through the tough wind.
"Maybe she's already at the school!" Steven shouted back.
There were loud, thundering footsteps not far from them.
More precisely, behind them.
Something climbed up the building behind them. Something big. It climbed up to the roof.
It had a big upper body and just two muscular arms as legs. It had a long tail hanging behind it and a mouth with humongous teeth.
It stood on the roof, smelling the roof tiles.
"What is that?!" Connie exclaimed.
Steven squinted his eyes. And what he managed to see a was gem at the middle of the creature's chest.
"B-but what does it want?!" Connie asked in panic.
"Don't move!" Steven said, suddenly standing still. "Maybe if we're completely still it won't see us. I saw it in a movie once!" He whispered through gritted teeth. Connie stood still as well.
The creature saw them and cocked it's head to the side.
"I think it's working!" Connie whispered.
When suddenly, the creature opened it's mouth and let out a ROAR.
Steven and Connie screamed and ran away. "Stupid movie logic!" Steven shouted as they screamed.
The creature climbed up the roof and began chasing them.
"We need to lead it away from the people!" Steven shouted.
Steven looked around. And that's when he noticed a hill with the town's water-tower standing on it at the edge of town.
"Wee need to get it to the water-tower!" He shouted.
"What?!" Connie blurted. "Steven! We're in the middle of a flood! I don't think we need more water right now!"
"Just trust me!" Steven shouted and changed direction.
They ran through the town.
The creature ran after, stumbling and falling into every building it came in touch with.
When suddenly, Connie's phone started ringing. She picked it up and held her phone to her ear.
"Hello? MOM! Where are you?! Yes, I'm okay. No. Mom-Mom-MOM! I can't talk right now! I'll explain later! Bye!" She shut her phone and put it in her pocket.
"My mom's okay! She's already by the school!" She announced.
Steven nodded and continued heading to their destination.
At long last, they had reached the water-tower.
"Now what?" Connie asked.
Steven summoned his shield and started cutting it into the pillar holding the water-tower up.
Connie saw how the creature approached quickly.
"Now now!" Steven grunted, cutting the pillar.
"Steven!" Connie shook his shoulder.
"Almost there..." Steven was getting tired and the cutting took alot of effort.
"STEVEN!" Connie ducked and pulled Steven with her as a big mouth with teeth flung itself down on them.
But to their surprise, something suddenly pulled the creature back.
"Huh?" They looked up to see the creature being held back by something big.
"Alexandrite!" Connie gasped.
Alexandrite held the creature hard in her grip before she gave it a punch to the jaw and the kick in the stomach.
The creature fell hard to the ground, just meters away from Connie and Steven.
"Steven run!" Alexandrite shouted with her raspy voice.
The creature was starting to get up on it's arms.
"Run! Run!" Steven grabbed Connie by the hand as ran away.
They ran for a while, until Steven's bag-pack suddenly accidentally slipped off his back.
"Oh no!" He gasped and ran back to pick it up. He grabbed it opened it and picked the mirror up. Which had a huge crack in the glass.
"Lil' buddy!" He gasped. "Lil' buddy! What are we going to do?!" He asked. "Please! We need help!"
When suddenly, the glass light up.
"Huh?" Steven gasped in confusion. "Deal?"
"-Lil' buddy- help!- Steven- let- me- OUT." The mirror spoke.
"I- I don't understand!" Steven stuttered. "Who are you?!"
"Away- from -home." The mirror repeated. "Let- me- OUT!"
"I- I don't know how!" Steven stuttered.
When suddenly, the mirror showed him a movie.
It was himself, grabbing a hold of the gem on the mirror's backside and pulling it off.
Steven turned the mirror around, watching the blue gem on the backside.
He put his hand on the gem and started pulling. But it was stuck.
What he didn't notice, was the raindrops around them seemed to stop pouring. They stopped mid-air.
Connie noticed this and stopped her running.
"Huh?" She turned around and saw Steven trying to pull the gem off the mirror. "Steven!" She shouted and began running back.
Steven continued pulling.
"Steven no!" Connie shouted.
He pulled the gem up and held it up. The glass of the mirror chattered into pieces and the gem flew away in his grip.
A silhouette appeared out of the gem of a gem wearing a two-piece dress and short hair and she dropped to her knees.
Steven gasped and rushed over. But as he was about to touch her, a pair of dark eyes stared back at him.
"Thank you." She stood up but almost immediately fell. But Steven was there to catch her. "I can't believe it. You helped me!" She stood up. "It's Steven, right?"
"Are you really a crystal gem?" The gem asked.
"I-." When suddenly, they heard a roar which made them turn around.
The gem tried to slam Alexandrite with it's tail, but Alexandrite grabbed it with six arms, pulled it towards her and kicked it in the stomach again.
The creature fell back and hit the water-tower behind her.
The water-tower pillars gave away to the hit and broke. The water-towel slowly started falling and fell right on the creature.
The creature didn't have time to react, and it all went so fast for her to do anything before she got poofed beneath the huge water-tower.
Alexandrite watched it all, believing it was over.
The head was starting to crack, quickly.
And soon, the water, among all the already raised water from the flood, created a wave which headed right towards-
"AHH! RUN!" Steven screamed as he and and Connie took off running.
But the blue gem remained where she was.
The blue gem raised her arms and shut her eyes. She took a deep breath.
And just like that, the water stopped. And the rain. Like a time stopped.
"Whoa..." Steven gasped in wonder.
Alexandrite noticed this too and looked in wonder. But she soon noticed-
That Steven and Connie hadn't gone that far away.
"Kids!" She roared and took off running their direction.
Her sudden roar startled the blue gem and she lost her concentration.
The rain dropped and the water did too and was raging towards them.
"Lil' buddy!" Steven shouted, reaching a hand out for her.
The gem turned around. "Steven. Come with me."
"W-where?!" Steven stuttered.
The gem saddened. "Home."
"B-b-but-." Steven stuttered.
The gem frowned. "Fine. Goodbye." The water slammed into her like if it hit a rock. And she was soon gone.
"Lil' buddy..." Steven sighed.
He and Connie had just noticed the ground shaking before Alexandrite hovered them up in her hands and continued running.
"Alexandrite! Are you okay?!" Connie shouted.
Alexandrite didn't answer. She did huff a cloud of smoke through her second mouth before she headed for Beach City school.
But Steven couldn't hell but look back after the gem.
But she was gone.
-----------------------
Back at the school, Greg was trying to help the people the best way he could.
"Aren't they back yet?" Vidalia asked as Greg handed her another blanket.
"No." Greg shook his head. "But it's okay. They're gems. They always find a way."
When suddenly, loud, thunderous footsteps startled them all.
Alexandrite used her last big of strength to walk up to the school and let Steven and Connie down to the ground.
"Stu-Ball!" Greg ran over and hugged his son.
"Connie!" Mr and mrs. Maheswaran ran over and embraced their daughter. "Thank goodness, you're safe!
"Ugh.. ARRGH!" Alexandrite grunted as she started to glow bright and soon, Garnet, Amethyst and Pearl fell to the ground.
"Guys!" Steven cried and rushed over to them.
Garnet and Pearl had already gotten to their knees and was there to receive his hugs.
"A-are you guys okay?" He asked worriedly.
Garnet smiled and put a hand to his cheek. "We're fine, Steven."
They turned their heads as they heard Amethyst groan.
Amethyst gave them a thumbs-up, face down in the ground. "I'm alive."
"Are you guys okay?!" Greg asked as he rushed over.
"We're fine." Garnet answered as she stood up. She was a bit unsteady at first, but she managed.
Steven smiled. But he couldn't help but look out over the place they just been. But all he saw was water.
The day after, the town was in complete chaos. Buildings were destroyed, cars laid everywhere, same for puddles of water.
"It's gonna take time to rebuild the whole time." Garnet confirmed as they watched over the town.
"We're gonna have to discuss that with the mayor. For now we-." Pearl suddenly gasped loudly and grasped her hair. "THE LAUNDRY MACHINE!"
--------------------
The next thing they knew were that they were back at the beach, staring at the laundry-machine floating in the ocean.
"You said you tied them." Pearl glared up at Garnet.
"I never said that." Garnet protested, crossing her arms. "Amethyst." She looked down at the small gem.
"Okay, okay. I forgot to tie the laundry- machine and blamed it on Garnet. Happy?" Amethyst put her hands to her hips.
"Hey! You! Crystal gems!" A voice suddenly shouted bitterly.
The gems turned around to see a group of people, lead by mr. Fryman and mr. Pizza.
"Yes?" Pearl replied. "Can we help you?"
Kofi, Fryman and a few other people of the city had gathered in a group and gave the gems dead glares.
But Mr. Fryman just handed her an envelope.
"What's this?" Pearl asked as she looked at it in her hand.
"You've been served." Was the only thing Mr. Fryman said before they all turned around to leave.
Pearl looked at the envelope worriedly. And then gave the gems the same look.
She turned the envelope around and read the label:
"EVICTION ORDER"
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Later in the beach house...
"They can't throw us out!" Amethyst yelled, waving with her arms. "We've been here WAY longer than those fry-heads!"
"The times have changed." Garnet tried to calm her down, leaning against the wall. "Earth belongs to the people now. Rose made sure of that." She said.
"So we're just gonna let them throw us out?!" Amethyst exclaimed.
"We aren't citizens, Amethyst. We are just visitors." Garnet reminded her. "And we have to follow their rules."
"But where are we going to stay? All the bubbles, our artifacts?" Pearl asked desperately.
"All my stuff!" Amethyst slammed her hands onto the table.
"We can discuss that another time. When we're alone." Garnet said, and just in time, Steven opened the front door and stepped inside.
"Hey you guys..." He muttered with a small wave.
"How does it look?" Pearl asked.
"Bad." Steven answered sadly. "It will take a long time to fix it all up. And the water-tower."
"Yes." Garnet nodded. "We need to get into action shortly."
"Hey, guys..." Steven squeaked nervously. "That gem..."
Pearl nodded. "Her name is Lapis Lazuli." She projected a picture of the gem in question through her gem. "All we know about her is that she was an informant during the rebellion for gems we only can describe as 'bounty hunters'. We had only heard rumors about her. She must have been stuck in the war and gotten trapped within that mirror." She explained.
"There are no tracks of her so we believe she has already left earth's atmosphere." Garnet added. "That means she's not our problem anymore."
"NOT our problem. Period." Garnet hissed, this time much more stricter.
Steven stepped back in defeat and looked down.
---------------
At nighttime, Steven was standing by the window in his room, wearing his pajamas.
He was looking out in the distance.
"Steven! Good night!" Pearl called.
"Good night!" Steven called back but just kept on staring outside.
He rest a hand on the window.
"Be safe, Lapis Lazuli. Wherever you are." He then walked away and shut the lights.
What he didn't notice was that a shadow flew past his window.
She stood at the end of the roof, hearing every word.
She walked back from the edge and turned around.
Lapis Lazuli summoned a pair of beautiful water-wings from the gem on her back and took off.
