Steven Universe: Beyond The Mirror

Misleading Misconceptions

Despite being within the sanctuary of the tunnel of light, Steven's insides grow weaker as the unstable pain in his stomache starts to overtake his stable condition. Lapis has no clue as to where Rose's Fountain resides but she knows that there is only so much time to heal Steven's cracked gem.

Before long, Steven will, as of worst case scenario, die an unforgiving death rather than mutate in the corruption. Lapis shifts her head left and right as her forehead sweats. She whimpers as she grimaces, pressing Steven's limp body to her chest.

"Oh where is that fountain?!" Not once did Lapis actually help Steven throughout their journey that now, she must pay a tricky piper. She only has the knowledge of so many locations on Earth...not including the fountain.

Steven fends off the corruption, grunting and growling. His screams weaken as the minutes pass in the final hour. Lapis bends her head down to cast her eyes down on Steven's hair. She immediately turns Steven's body around, pulling away while gripping the sides of his shirt.

"Steven, please! You need to help me help you! Please say something! Do something to get us to where we need to be!" Steven gasps for breath as his eyes bulge open. He clutches his stomache as his clenches his teeth. "Hrgh! Gah! J-Just...go find someone who does! It's...the only way!"

Steven's eyes close as he detaches his hands from his stomache. His teeth separates as his mouth drops opens with his head tilting up in front of his unfortunate last hope. Lapis lets go of Steven as she presses her hands to her ears, growling. "Do I really have to turn myself in for this?!"

Her eyes droop as she casts her eyes on Steven. "This...this just can't go on like this." With a heavy sigh, Lapis thrusts a hand out to break away from the tunnel. Steven's limp body plops down on the warp pad as Lapis takes a abrupt step back, gasping.

"This is...!" She gulps as she gazes at the canyon of purple sandstone surrounding her within the eerie fog. "Steven, we should go. We shouldn't be here." She bends her head down, frowning upon Steven's unconscious body. "Well, I guess you can stay here for a bit." She steps past his body towards the edge of the warp pad.

She turns back to Steven for a moment. "Don't worry, Steven. I'll be right back." Water wings pop out of her gem as she turns back to the unknown dead ahead of her. She grunts as she leaps into the air. Her water wings flutter as she casts her eyes down on the canyon.

Her eyes droop as her eyes shift from hole to hole out of millions. She brings herself down into the canyon as she looks upon an injector drill lodged into the ground. "So this is how it was done." Lapis knew about the Kindergartens...but everything she ever knew about them was just a facade of the actual picture bestowed to her perception.

Lapis could feel a knot in the pit of her stomache tighten from each of the horrors she is witnessing. "These holes. They're just artificial and processed." Lapis' voice cracks as the irony of her discovery takes effect. "I thought these would be made of natural...resources."

There is a chill running up Lapis' spine as the fluttering of her wings come to a steady halt. "I don't understand. Why is it all like this?" Lapis glides down to the ground until she lands on her feet, her water wings retreating into her gem. She wraps her arms around her body as she shivers through squinted shut eyes.

She opens them as she shifts her head to her right. Through her ocean blue irises, she has seen a hole that is stuck to the ground with a shorter stature but with the proper angle. Lapis widens her eyes as she raises an eyebrow. She carefully approaches the hole step...after step...crunching through the dirt.

She stops only inches away, pressing a hand above the hole. After a few more somber seconds of silence, a crack resonates from the hole, causing Lapis to jolt. She gasps as she jumps back. She stares at the hole as a vibrant, purple glow penetrates the void within.