Darkest Desires

Fighting/Sparring (Trial #8)

Pearl studied the two suspicious looking adults through skeptical eyes. "I'm sorry, I suppose I just don't see the point–,"

"We just need access to the ruins to spar." Stevens grin said too much in general but Connie tried to tap into her inner student.

"Pearl, we just want to practice. We're starting to miss the action, and exercise is good for conception."

She tried to sound assertive but Stevens head fell back in bliss. "Conception!"

"Steven!" She blushed when Amethyst choked on a muffin because of her laughter. "We just need someone to know where we'll be in case something goes wrong."

Pearl, despite her own dusting of a blush, nodded. "Of course, thank you for making sure."

Neither waited for further permission, both shouting thanks and running out to the greenhouse.

"I swear those two are like hyena siblings," Greg shook out the paper he was reading, being validated by a collective hum.

"Steven, I wanna be on your shoulders this time!" Connie pulled for him to squat and carefully balanced with a tight squeeze of her thighs.

"It seems dangerous, Ni..." He rose and braced her back, turning to look up at her. "What's it like up there?"

"It's like flying," She breathed.

He felt like he was flying too. He couldn't describe what it was like to activate the warp, what the rush in his gem compared to as it took him to the closest warp near where he wanted.

Connie pushed off his shoulders halfway through and floated a bit, oblivious to the man below her falling in love with her again as her hair fanned out around her.

She wobbled when they landed and he chuckled at her. "Do you remember your first time coming here?"

"Of course. We were so young. So little character development." It looked just the same, but there was definitely more ruin than before. "Did something happen here?"

"Oh stars, I forgot Amethyst and I had a showdown like eight years ago before everything started to go wrong." He found the indentations of his spiky ball. "Well, wronger."

Connie filled her lungs with air. "Lion!" It echoed, a bit of rumbling to be heard as weaker parts of the structure were rattled.

Steven whistled but it wasn't needed as Lion came charging through a portal and next to Connie. He seemed fearless and wild when his body circled around hers. That is, if one didn't know what a big baby he was.

"Hey, Lion. So glad you can make it."

The lion snorted, an annoyed look overcoming his features. He lumbered over and backed Steven against a wall until the light from his mane encompassed him.

"Aw, were you doing something important?" Connie scratched at his ears as Steven tumbled back out.

"Lion, what the heck?" Lion growled at him but Steven got in his face and growled right back. Lion huffed.

"Remind me how you learned to make a noise like that?" It just was impossible to emit something that beastly.

He tipped his head up at her. "It's 10% luck, 20% skill, 15% concentrated power of will and way too long researching after he would piss me off. Shapeshifting too, floppier vocal cords."

"You're a dork. God forbid you did it to Pearl or something!"

Steven cringed. "Sounds like a very long lecture."

She climbed onto Lions back and drew her sword. "Mr. Universe, or rather, future Mr. De Mayo-Mahaswaren?"

"It sounds so good together, doesn't it?" He summoned his shield, first a smaller one, then bigger and thicker.