Steven Universe: Beyond The Mirror

Gem-Powered Mirror

Steven stands in the living room of the temple with his hands on his hips, staring at the achievement in front of him. His sudden impulse of desiring to be homeschooled is becoming a reality. "Yep. It's all coming together."
Pearl carries in a desk and sets it down on an open red book in a pile of novelties.

Pearl turns to Steven, folding her arms to share his triumph. "So, how do we begin our school?" Steven gives off a moment of panic as he turns to the pile, raising his eyebrow. "Uh, uh I--I don't know!"

Steven presses a hand to the locker which is laying on its side, supporting a plastic physical model of the human body's internal organs and a basketball. "This is everything Connie told me!" Steven slaps his other hand on the locker as he whines with his head raised towards the ceiling.

"Why do I never ask follow-up questions?! Who will teach little Stevie now?!" Steven presses his forehead against the locker in his dramatic state as Pearl sits straight up with a gasp, her voice raising in its volume of enthusiasm. "Teach you?!"

Pearl brings her hands to her chest, her eyes watering with a big smile on her face. "Steven! If only I had known that's what you really wanted!" Pearl closes her eyes for moment, folding her arms once more with a smirk.

Her eye blinks wide open as the gemstone on her forehead starts to glow. She leaps off the pile of books she's been sitting on and twirls around. She jumps back around to face Steven with two fingers pointing up, her other resting against the palms of her hands.

She lets out a squak as her legs stretch out, the tips of her shoes barely touching the ground. She thrusts her right hand up with her head twisting towards the ceiling. She lifts up her left leg as she flings her hands up and back down, her right leg sliding against the floorboards.

She brings the palms of her hands to her gem, surrounding it on both sides. Her mouth gradually drops as she lets out a low moan, her gem glowing to its maximum brightness. She stays still as a ball of light pops out of her gem, heading away from its home.

Pearl quits her moaning, exhaling as she brings her hands forward with closed eyelids. The ball of light slowly transfigures into its true form: the mirror containing the elusive Lapis Lazuli. The mirror twirls in mid-air as Pearl explains her story behind the object.

"We found this Gem-powered mirror at the Galaxy Warp. It can capture and display any event it has witnessed in all of Gem history." The mirror starts twirling as it plops down into Steven's pudgy hands. Steven holds it firmly, his eyes shining in wonder as Pearl places her hands on his shoulders.

"It'll offer you everything you ever wanted to know about your fellow Gems and our culture." Pearl's eyes narrow in her pride as Steven gazes into the mirror with his self-centered attitude. "I must be incredibly important to Gem culture."

Pearl scoffs as her lips curl down causing Steven's face to scrunch. "It's just you in there!" She detaches her hand from his shoulder, bringing it to her hip. "It hasn't even been activated." She clears her throat before giving out her demand. "Show us the Galaxy Warp."

Steven and Pearl stare into the frame, anticipating the frame revealing The Galaxy Warp. After a few seconds, Pearl's eyebrows cross downward with her widening eyes as she starts to lose her patience. She pushes Steven aside, moving her glare towards the mirror. "Show us the Galaxy Warp!"

She snatches the mirror in Steven's hands. "Oh come on! I know you've seen it!" She thrusts him up off the ground, causing him to giggle as she grips the sides of the frame. She finally rests her glare as she lets down her arms with a sigh.

"It is in pretty rough shape. It must finally be broken." She lets go of the mirror, allowing Steven to take possession of it. "Oh what a shame." Steven directs the frame to his face as he presses his left hand to the back of his hair with an innocent grin. "Doesn't seem broken to me."

Pearl steps away from him. "Well, I guess that's the end of our school." Steven's eyes light up with diamonds for he could barely contain his excitement as he detaches the hand from his hair back down. He presses the mirror to his left cheek.

"So, I guess you could say--school's out for the summer?" Steven's teeth burst out of his smile as his eyes bulge with stars. Pearl waves him off, not caring to notice. "Yes. Good, Steven. There are many ways to say the same thing."

Steven gasps as he breaks out into his sprint. "SCHOOL'S OUT!" He slams the front door open and he rushes down the stairs as Pearl stares at the pile with contempt. "Hmm...the asymmetry of this pile is really starting to bother me."