Ezra In Beach City (Book 1)

The Test

At the Beach House, rain water dripped from a hole in the ceiling. It crudely mended with a few planks nailed into it, into a pot. Lion napped while the Crystal Gems played a board game.

"Ooh hoo! You've got freezer burn, Pearl!" Steven said. "Looks like you lose all your fish sticks."

"What? I needed those for my bachelor meal combo. Now I can't ring the dinner bell." Pearl complained before she pulled out a very long list of game rules and read it. "These rules make no sense."

"The game of 'Citchen Calamity' may be played for fun, but the hunger is real!" Steven explained.

"Tough break, Pearl." Amethyst laughed before she picked up a game card and read it. " 'The sponge in your sink is covered in mold.' But I can still eat it, right?"

"No, no, that means that you lose two turns." Steven replied.

"That's baloney!" Amethyst grumbled.

Pearl still read the rules list, looked at Amethyst in surprise.

"What? You have a 'bologna' card?" Pearl asked, which made Ezra shake his head.

"Garnet, your move." Steven said.

Garnet picked up a different game card and read it.

"I'm now the owner of the 'Golden Can Opener'." Garnet said. "Yesssss!"

"Now you can check your soups for the alphabet bonus." Steven said.

"Who wrote this game?" Pearl asked.

"You ask too many questions, P." Ezra joked.

"My turn!" Steven said before he read another game card and gasped. "I've gotta roll the dice to escape the eggquake!" He pressed the game blender which rolls game dices. "C'mon, papa needs a new skillet!"

The dices emerge from underneath the blender, as they both displayed an 'egg' face.

"Yeah! Double sunnies! I did it!" Steven cheered before he moved his player piece across the game board. "I win! Yeah! This Citchen Calamity has been cleaned up! Woohoo!"

Steven laughed and Ezra chuckled.

"I don't get it, but nice job." Amethyst said before she clapped.

"Yes, well done." Pearl added as she clapped as well. "That was very, very complicated."

"Well played." Garnet said as she pet Steven.

"So, what do you want to play next?" Steven giggled with a blush as he walked to a closet.

"There are more?" Pearl asked.

"Oh sure. I got Polly Polly, Toppler, Conquerors of Eldermore, Not That Sorry, Don't Wake Father Figure, and Non-Invasive Operation." Steven said. "I think that one's missing a couple organs. I also have checkers, if you want to take tur-."

The Moon Goddess Statue rolled out of the closet.

"Buddy, I think we're all gamed out for now, it's okay to..." Ezra said before he noticed Steven's stare. "Uh, what's wrong?"

"The Sea Spire statue." Steven replied.

"Oh, so that's where you left it." Amethyst scoffed with a laugh as Pearl looked at her annoyed.

"I... forgot I still had this." Steven said as he picked it up and looked at it in guilt. "I... I'm really sorry I forgot it on our mission that time."

"Oh, Steven." Pearl said.

"If I had just remembered to pack it, then maybe the Sea Spire would still be around." Steven continued. "But now it's gone forever, 'cause of me."