Steven Universe: Beyond The Mirror

Fountain Fiasco

Steven's caretakers have their jaws dropping right now over Steven's miraculous recovery. What would have turned out to have been a short funeral and bitter farewell has become a binding connection between the stranger and the boy accompanying her.

The Gems huddle around as quarterbacks making a plan to intercept Steven into their visitor's field goal. Lapis can overhear them, but only by something as short of an earshot to her.

"So it appears that Lapis has the upper hand right now."
"I'm telling you guys, she's a mastermind water manipulator!"
"Oh honestly, their connection just keeps getting stronger the more we intervene in their journey!"
"Then we better act fast. Here's what we're gonna do."

Their voices lower in their volume just enough for them to be drowned out by the rushing water of the fountain Lapis floats in with Steven grunting and groaning in soft patterns. He blinks his eyes as he starts to wiggle his fingers in the water and bring his wrists back and forth.

He yawns as Lapis smiles down on him. "So what did it feel like?" She bites her lip, turning the other cheek. "The corruption." Steven sighs...transitioning to a shudder. "I don't think that was corruption, but it felt...horrible. I never thought you guys would ever go through something like that. And...I think I heard a song. Only...it seemed distant and these voices...somehow familiar."

Lapis puts two fingers to her chin, rolling her eyes as she contemplates on his depiction. "Hmm. A song. I heard something like that too sometime while I was in the mirror once. Could it be the...no. That can't be done again." Steven raises his eyebrow. "What can't be done again?"

Lapis sighs. "It isn't very well known. Homeworld had this sacred ritual back during the rebellion. There have been rumors that this is the ultimate form of punishment that can only be given out when all of the Diamonds are present. You see, what they created was-!"

Lapis cuts herself off the moment she hears an unmistakable sound coming from ahead of her. She lifts herself up and she kicks herself back a bit in the water, grimacing. The Gems have their weapons out at the ready. Lapis has been caught off guard.

She exhales, narrowing her eyes as she bends her head down without daring herself to lose sight of the Gems as they prepare to strike. They know that she still needs to get out of there if she ever wishes to get to Homeworld.

Luckily, Lapis has a valuable ace up her sleeve to play that her enemies once had with them. She utters a quick message as Steven bites his lip, processing it. "Bubble us when I make the first move." Hopefully, that was what she wanted.

After a few seconds more, Lapis pumps a fist into the air with a slight grunt. A jet of water sprouts out of the the surface...then another to the left...and a third to the right. They keep their sprouted forms in midair, the middle one being taller than the other two.

The Gems raise their eyebrows, letting up just enough for Lapis to safely make her move. "What is she up too?"
"I'm not really sure, but I do know that once she does something, we are gonna defeat her and settle this mess once and for all."

Garnet takes a step forward to stand just along the edge of the fountain. "Alright, Lapis. Make your move. No matter what you do now, you will lose...and this will be your last battle. Lapis exhales, biting her lip. "You're wrong...and you never saw this coming!"

Lapis brings her pumped up fist down to jab the water surrounding her. The jets spring out of the water and down onto their targets as fists form from the tops of each one. They grunt as they reel back from the fist.

"Now, Steven!" Steven forms a bubble around Lapis and himself which bursts the moment Pearl's spear punctures it, causing the water to ripple from the blast. Lapis' water wings pop out of her gem as she leans forward a bit. "Hold on!"

Lapis' water wings flutter twice as Steven wraps his arms around her. Lapis wraps her own arms around him to give him a safety net in case Steven were to fall during their escape. From a splash, Lapis grunts as she leaps out of the water, flying a few feet up into the air.

The Gems down below fight their water hands as Lapis grunts, squinting her eyes shut from the strain of hauling Steven's weight with her. Pearl fires spheres of light from the glowing tip of her spear, puncturing the fist as it shrinks to keep its form together.

Amethyst lashes out her whip at it only to have the ends of the whip catch the water from inside the arm. The hand grips the exposed part as Amethyst gasps. "What?! No fair!" Amethyst tugs on the whip, putting her foot down on it...only to be thrown into the air.

Amethyst screams as she flies off into the distance out of sight. Garnet punches the fist, causing it to ripple and splash water onto her face. She growls through her clenched teeth as she uppercuts the fist and left hooks the arm attached to it.

Steven has his eyes closed, his head resting on Lapis' shoulder. Lapis witnesses the event with a faltering glare as she directs each movement of the water hands with her mind. It's getting to be too much for her to handle all at once.

Lapis lets go of the control of Amethyst's water hand to give her some breathing room. She pants as time slows down in her blurring vision. Lapis spots the warp pad and she immediately dives down for it.

Pearl and Garnet keep fighting their water hands as they weaken and shrink down to their size from Lapis' depleting strength. Lapis crashes down onto the warp pad as she lets go of the restraints holding Pearl and Garnet back.

She grunts as she crashes down on her side to avoid using Steven to shield herself in her selfish mannerisms. She groans as Steven lets go of Lapis, bulging his eyes open as he gasps. "Lapis! Why are you on the ground?! We need to go!"

Lapis growls in anguish as she presses her right hand to her breast. "Use the warp pad and take us somewhere safe! Hurry!" Steven grimaces as he presses his hands to his cheeks. "But I don't know how to use the warp!"

Pearl and Garnet rush through the bushes towards the warp pad as Steven brings his hands back down, glaring at them. "Steven, come on!" Steven gasps, lifting his head up as he hears the rushing footsteps of his caretakers gaining on him.

He immediately extends his hands out from his sides and he squints his eyes shut as he grunts. "Please! Please work!" Steven hears his name shouted out by--he doesn't know who is shouting at him anymore.

All he could do is pick any place and just leave before he could get strangled from the incoming fury he has unleashed upon himself from the moment he freed Lapis from the mirror. He could hear the warp activate...and a hand gripping the front his shirt. After that, all he could feel is the frost from outside the warp.

ENTER THE WORLD OF THE WARP AND TAKE A TOUR IN VOLUME FOUR...