Steven Universe: Beyond The Mirror

Freedom Vs. Failure

Lapis grimaces from inside the mirror as Steven flashes it towards the Gems expecting a reaction. "Say hey!" Steven looks over to the mirror, his smile faltering. "Little buddy!" Steven starts to grow weary of the mirror's behavior as he looks into the frame. "Uh, excuse us."

The Gems get up from the couch as Steven turns his back towards them. "Come on. You want to come out, don't you? You have so much to say...and funny noises to share from across the ages. Are we not beach summer fun buddies?" Lapis looks down before flashing the quick subtle noise.

Steven laughs while the Gems exchange anxious looks, raising their eyebrows and squinting their eyes. "Just couldn't help yourself, huh?" Steven nudges a finger on the glassy frame as the mirror flashes a message that unfortunately said too much. "Just-for-you-Steven!"

The mirror repeats a frame of Steven's laughter as the Gems' eyes bulge, snapping them into realization. "It's talking to him? It shouldn't be able to do that! It should only be following orders!" Pearl covers her mouth as Amethyst tells Garnet to handle the unsettling dilemma before them.

Garnet rushes up to Steven as Lapis keeps laughing until her eyes open, noticing Garnet's silhouette approach the mirror. She gasps and she gulps as Garnet overshadows Steven. Steven presses his right hand to the frame as Lapis slaps her left against his.

Her eyes flash non-stop scenes as her mind bounces with memories of various types, unsure of what to project onto the frame. Garnet rests her knees on the floorboards as she extends her left hand out. "Steven, you should just give us back the mirror. It'll be safer where we can watch it."

Amethyst chimes in with an aggressive attitude. "Yeah, let's bubble it!" Steven and Lapis share an expression of disgust as Lapis pounds against the frame, slapping a hand to her forehead. She grunts and groans as she attempts to plead out to Steven not to hand the mirror over only to flash his screaming.

Steven looks back at the mirror, his eyebrow raising as Garnet gives his him a warning in her calm tone of voice. "Steven, don't make me have to take it from you." Steven's forehead sweats as he whimpers, clutching the mirror in a tight grip. "It doesn't want to go with you! Don't you hear it screaming?!"

Steven's back slams against the front door as Garnet's tone lets out a hint of impatience. "Steven, it's just a mirror! A tool. It can't want anything." Garnet reaches out for the mirror with her right hand as she crawls towards it.

Sweat drips from Steven's face as he flashes his grimace from the hand to the mirror as the screaming from the object raises it's volume, desperate for mercy. Steven finally growls, widening his eyes as he brings a hand back. "It wants to be with me!" He slaps Garnet's hand into her face, knocking the visor off to reveal three narrowing eyes.

Steven screams, realizing the magnitude of the trouble he just caused as he swings the door open and rushes down the stairs, yelling a sincere apology due to the regret of his action. Pearl and Amethyst step up to their leader as she slides the visor back onto her face through clenched teeth.

"That little boy...is in big trouble!" Pearl cries out in anguish of Steven's mistake as she catches up to her fellow Gems. They hurry down the stairs as Garnet gives them an urgent command. "Fan out!" Steven rushes down the beach, panting heavily as his heart beats against his chest.

He stops to catch his breath, his back pressing against a rock as he looks into his reflection within the mirror. "What am I gonna do? What's the problem with you?!" Lapis pounds the mirror through clenched teeth. She squints her eyes as she attempts to make her gem glow.

She grunts and groans as she presses her hands against the frame. She glows as her gem flashes for a moment. Lapis widens her eyes as the mirror's frame glows in front of her. She whines as she spits out three words. "LET--ME--OUT!" Lapis' eyes flash her thoughts as she transforms them into her demands.

Pearl screams on the other side as the glowing starts to dim. Lapis pushes further, her body convulsing as she exerts more pressure on the frame. She screams as she slips for a moment before regaining her balance. Lapis glows a vibrant ocean blue hue as the crack on her gem exacerbates.

She reveals her wish of Steven pulling her cracked gemstone out of the back frame of the mirror, causing it to glow and allow her to reform. She only has one shot at freedom finally within her grasp. It is time to see how much she can truly put her faith and trust into the young boy. If he fails though, she will never see the light of day or her beach summer fun buddy ever again.