Steven Universe: Beyond The Mirror

In The Heat Of The Moment

The sun starts to set on the desert as an orange haze takes up the sky. The heat from the beating sun only grows more intense as a floating silhouette misbehaves, its wings only flapping every few seconds. The silhouette struggles to keep itself up as it constantly drops and rises back up every so often.

Drops of sweat slide down Lapis' face as she pants to the beat of her wings. She grits her teeth as steam emits off her water wings. Lapis growls as she flies closer to the sun by the second, unaware of the harm she is inflicting on herself. "I can't...go down!"

Lapis continues growling through the pressure as the sun gets closer to her. "St-Steven needs me!" She forces her eyes shut as she clenches her teeth. Lapis starts to sink with the setting sun as she pants heavily. She opens her eyes to look down at the sand dunes below and ahead of her, resisting the urge to look directly at her mortal enemy.

The flight started after Lapis narrowly escaped from Pearl and Garnet's clutches. Lapis had watched them leave in a quick beam of light several yards up in the sky out of their sight. She had smiled and laughed to herself--for the first ten minutes. After the first ten minutes were up, Lapis' eyelids started dropping and her smile simply faded once the heat started pounding at her back.

Did Pearl and Garnet leave her to this torture on purpose? Did they know that she couldn't handle the everlasting pressure of the infamous plain as well as she thought she could? What did they really have in mind for her when they decided to let her go?

Whatever the case may be, Lapis is in serious trouble and she knows it. She presses a hand to her forehead and groans as she starts to sink towards an incoming sand dune. "I can't...stay up...here!" How much more of this desert is there? Chances are Lapis' luck has just run out for her since the desert is normally miles upon miles of land covered in sand, not another warp pad in sight.

"I wish-!" She coughs. "I wish this wasn't...so bad!" A thought pops up in her head. She remembers crashing down towards the warp pad back at the fountain. She was helpless on her side, listening to the screaming of her captors. In this instance, she could hear the screaming of her friend.

"Lapis!" Lapis' eyes bulge as she gasps, jolting back to the conciousness of her reality. "Steven?!" Lapis turns her head left and right, gaping through her panting. Her panting grows hoarse as her breast heaves just the same. "I need...I need Steven!" She gnashes her teeth as she looks straight ahead of her.

There still appears to be nothing...or is there something just up ahead? Lapis widens her eyes just before her eyelids could cover them again as she spots a pink dot. What is that? Oh wait. It's gone. No wait! There it is again...only closer. Lapis swoops down for the dot as she allows her water wings to fold to her sides.

She flashes her teeth, narrowing her eyes as the dot slowly transforms into the figure of...a lion. A pink lion? Lapis raises her eyebrow. "What is that-?!" Lapis dives headfirst into the sand only a few feet away from the beast. Lapis' head pops out of the sand as she gets up on the surface.

The lion flashes its glowing white eyes on Lapis as she gazes at it. Lapis has never seen this creature before, hardly any for that matter, but this one is a straight up oddity. The lion scowls at Lapis as she approaches it with caution. "Uhm, I-!" Lapis chokes out some sand from her mouth as the beast turns full body towards the intruder.

The lion takes a couple steps closer as Lapis backs away a bit. "Look, I don't want any trouble." Lapis grimaces as she draws out a string of water from her eyes. The string builds itself out in front of the lion, quickly getting thicker and much more visible from the non-stop welling of Lapis' eyes.

The lion immediately jumps into action, roaring a pink shockwave towards Lapis. Lapis flies off her feet...and she crashes down onto the sand, grunting from the impact of the heated sand. Lapis abruptly gets up and she glares at the lion as it charges towards her. The lion starts roaring out a second shockwave as Lapis stands her ground.

Inhaling with a flick of her wrist, Lapis lashes out her whip at the creature's face. The whip snaps off the beast's nose as it gives off a shrill yelp. Lapis doesn't dare move another muscle as the lion takes a moment to recover. The lion places a paw on its nose as it narrows its eyes on its attacker.

Lapis gulps and she pants as the beast removes its paw from its nose. The beast growls and it roars a shockwave towards Lapis. Lapis leaps out of the way with her steaming water wings as the lion charges towards her. The lion's claws retract from its paws as it bares its teeth, swiping at the sand from where Lapis would've been.

The lion flashes it's glare towards Lapis as it shifts its body in her direction once more. The lion roars its shockwave and charges towards Lapis, this time lunging towards her. Lapis narrowly misses the claw as she leaps out harm's way. She makes an effort to leap off the ground, grunting as her water wings open from her sides.

Lapis crashes down into the sand and she groans, pressing a hand to her cheek as she struggles to get back up. The lion doesn't hesitate this time to get into position. It immediately darts in for the kill, roaring its final shockwave. Lapis, starting to get up, flies right back into the sand onto her back. She starts to sit up, wincing in anguish...only to get pounced by the lion.

The beast slams its claws into Lapis' arms and it thrusts it's head towards Lapis, opening its jaw to reveal its sharp teeth. Lapis' eyes bulge and she forces them shut as she quickly turns her head away. She winces and jolts as the beast clasps its jaw shut. It opens it again and roars for as long as it could into Lapis' face.

Lapis clenches her teeth as she takes in the ear-piercing wailing, her ears screaming though unable to die out. A minute later, the beast quits its wailing and it brings its head back up. Lapis opens her eyes, panting heavily as she turns her head to face the lion's jaw. The lion gets off Lapis, allowing her to break free from its grip through a pinch of mercy.

Lapis sits up as the lion backs away from its attacker and turns away. The beast gazes at the sun as it watches it darken and sink into the desert. Lapis gets up and she remains still as the lion stands on all fours in front of her. With a flash in its eyes, the lion roars once...forming a portal in front of it. Lapis stands up straight as her eyes bulge, gaping. "Wow." The lion roars a second time to create a ring within the portal. "Hey wait!"

The lion roars one final shockwave for one last ring as Lapis lunges for the lion. She crashes onto its back just in time as the lion leaps into the portal. Lapis screams as she flies off the lion. She grasps the tail and she grips it with both hands as she flies through the portal with the lion flying through into the great beyond.