Steven Universe AU

Partners

"OK guys we're going to choose the person we want to train with." Amethyst raised her hand slightly confused. "Uh Zircon..you do know its uneven right?" "No it isn't." She pointed to the rocks that Connie came out of bursting with excitement. "Hey Steven! I came to train with Pearl again!" "Connie? What are you doing here?" Steven said walking up to her. "Did I come at a bad time?" "No but...you know I don't want you doing dangerous stuff." "I can handle it Steven." Zircon looked at the two and clapped her hands together. "Partners." She pointed at Amethyst and Garnet. "Partners." She then pointed at Pearl making her look at her. "Partner." "Why do we need partners again?" Pearl said confused.
    "Practicing one by one won't really achieve anything but your own personal strength so you're better off testing your skill and your partners skill at the same time." They all looked at Zircon waiting for her instructions. "So basically go fight." She sighed when they all sat there looking at her. She pulled her scythe out and struck the ground in front of Pearl. "Now." They all disbursed from around her and started battling each other. "Don't let this go to your head Zircon." "Pearl im not a corrupted Diamond like the others." "But it can still happen." "Can we just fight and get today over with? I'm not in the mood to argue over anything." Pearl summoned her spear and aimed it at Zircon. "Then let's battle."

    Zircon broke her scythe in two and threw the end piece at Pearl. "Doing your tricks so soon?" Zircon smiled and stuck the other half deep in the ground. "Who knows maybe I changed up." She grabbed the chain and ran at Pearl with full speed. "You couldn't have had enough time while you were on the run." Pearl swung at her afterimage quickly turning around coming face to face with Zircon. "You've let your guard down Pearl." She yanked on the chain making her fall onto the ground. "How did you get past me like that?" "Afterimage is actually pretty helpful if you know how to use it." Zircon snapped her fingers making the chain unwrap around Pearls ankles. "I can't believe I let you of all people get me down."
     "You said that the first time we ever fought each other." Zircon helped her up and took her helmet off. "Remember that?" "Yea I remember..sadly." Zircon opened her mouth wanting to reassure Pearl but got cut off when she saw Steven running twords them with His shield out. "We have a problem!" "What's wrong Steven?" He looked up at Zircon out of breath. "There's some weird thing splitting into separate things and attacking us and stuff!" "Calm down Steven." Zircon said as she patted his shoulder. "Lead me to them."

    The two followed behind Steven around the jagged rocks and looked in slight horror at all of the blue Zircon copies. "What are they!?" Pearl said as she summoned her spear. "They're copy images of me.." They all stopped attacking and looked at Zircon. "Don't tell me she sent these weak things after me." "How many are there?" Zircon looked around and summoned her scythe. "To many." She darted away from the others and let the multiple enemies follow her into the open ocean. "There's a hundred of these things here!" Steven said stopping at the edge of the sand. "I'm guessing Blue Diamond sent you here." Zircon said stopping in the middle of the ocean slowly getting surrounded by the copy images. "Jeez, out of all you guys no one can talk?"
    
     A slightly larger image stepped in the circle with Zircon and summoned its weapon. "You are meant to be broken! And have no right to be on earth freely! Diamonds are to be in-" "home world blah blah blah. I already know I'm breaking even more rules as I go. Now stop yelling." "Why help something that's going to be destroyed anyway? Zircon the famous Gem Hunter helping these pathetic 'Rebels'." Zircon snapped her fingers making her helmet appear on her head. "I'm helping because Rose has finally made something that can save this world and the things in it, so I can't just let you destroy it like that."

     The large figure stepped back and let the other images attack Zircon. "We have to help!" Garnet lifted Steven up by his shirt when he tried to run out onto the ocean top. "We can't interfere Steven. We're already in enough trouble as it is." "What if they get her!?" Garnet pointed at the mass making Steven look at Zircon as she shattered her enemies. "I'm pretty sure she's fine Steven." Garnet set him down next to Connie and the others still watching Zircon. "Look here! Why don't you just fight me yourself? I already beat all of your little minions or whatever." Zircon said as she crushed the last copy in her hand. "I thought they'd be a challenge." "Zirconium!" "Woah there! I haven't heard that in a long time." The copy grabbed her and chucked her twords Steven and the others. "
      "Move!" Garnet said quickly moving out of the way. Steven and the others moved out of the way when she flew by crashing into the side of the jagged hill. "Connie are you OK?" "Yea I'm fine." Zircon sat there in the crater looking out of the hole in her helmet. "Man..." The copy stepped on the sand and looked at everyone standing there. "Hold it off!" Garnet said rushing at it. "Do not interfere!" It smacked her away and pulled on amethysts whip making her fly up in the air. "I triiieeedd." Pearl stepped in front of Steven and Connie aiming her spear. "Go and hide you two." They ran from behind her and hid behind some rocks.
    "You're the fearless Pearl!" The copy said picking her up by her head, she struggled as she got lifted up trying to hit its hand with her spear. "Now I have to fix it and polish it all over again.." Zircon sighed in frustration and took her helmet off. "Some fearless pearl you are." It squeezed its hand making her drop her spear. "I can just break you now and get this over with."

     The copy looked down at Zircon and laughed at her as she looked up at her with a smug smile. "Where were you Zircon? All your friends were useless and now you'll lose Pearl!" It looked at its arm as it slowly slid off and fell onto the ground. "What!? How did you-!?" "You can't fight a Gem Hunter and forget about them. Remember we can be anywhere." Zircon jumped up and started moving quickly around the large image. "Just because you look like me doesn't mean you know anything about me." She stopped In front of its face and looked it dead in the eyes. "At least now, I can fix my helmet."
     The color started fading away from its eyes and body as it slowly started to collapse onto the ground. "Next time Blue Diamond send something stronger." She put her helmet back on and slashed the image making it poof into a thick cloud of smoke. "Did you see that Steven!?" "Yea I did." "She sucked the color out of it then slashed through it making it go poof!" Zircon helped Pearl up and checked the pearl on her head. "Are you OK?" "I'm fine." "Are you sure?" Pearl grabbed her hand and smiled at her. "I'm fine Zircon OK? Let's check on the others." "Alright." They both walked over to Garnet and stood over her.

    "Uh...Garnet?" Zircon poked her face making her look at her. "I'm fine." Zircon sighed in relief and laughed. "OK, good!" "Did amethyst not come back down?" Pearl said looking up in the air searching for her. "AHAHAHAHA!!" Pearl quickly looked up at Amethyst and stepped to the side avoiding the obvious collision between the two. "Amethyst! What are you doing!?" Zircon grabbed her by the foot before she hit the ground. "Aw man." "Sorry Amethyst we have to bomb her when she isn't expecting it." "What?" They both looked at her and nervously chuckled. "Where's Steven and Connie?" Zircon said dropping Amethyst looking around. "Here we are!" Connie said running out from behind the rocks with Steven. "Oh ok good, you're both safe." Zircon put her hands on her head and chuckled. "Now what?"