Steven's P.O.V
I walk through the neighborhood, my hands in my pockets and my shoulders hunched. My emotions are so conflicted right now that it's hard to decide what I'm feeling. Anger? Sadness? Betrayal? Disappointment? All of those combined mixed with a dash of overwhelming disbelief? Who knows at this point. I'm not going anywhere in particular at the moment. Just wandering around the city and collecting my thoughts. It's the best way to figure out how to deal with all these rampant and heightened feelings.
Heading in a steady pace down the boardwalk, I look to my left and see Fish Stew along with Frybo's fry stand. Kiki, Jenny, and Koffi are pretty busy inside their restaurant, putting pizzas into take out boxes and serving others that wait at tables. Peedee's working inside with his father while Ronaldo is outside on his phone, probably searching through sites to post on his blog. Same old, same old for them, almost like their lives are completely unaffected by all the change happening around them. I find that astonishing, but probably just because all that has transpired was more key in my personal life than theirs. I'm happy for them because I care very much about them and even more about people as a whole. It's why loyalty is my most important principle currently and why I try so hard to keep my family safe. However, when some members of my family show character that's not worth protecting, then my view differs slightly.
Fighting the negative emotions threatening to emerge, I keep a forced smile on my face and wave at the two restaurant families as I fully pass by their locations. Moving onward and outward away from the more productive and busy parts of Beach City, I turn my direction towards a place with guaranteed solitude and a great atmosphere for thinking. The Beach City Forest. I don't know why, but being alone and engulfed in the tall plants has always given me more peace and tranquility than anything found at the Temple.
It's a bit of a walk to get there but once I'm standing right outside the outer tree line, I somehow feel instantly better. It's a kind of feeling that I really need right now, so I do not hesitate to walk right in and let my mind get lost in the haze of leaves swaying in the wind and the smell of dirt and stream water. Many low-hanging branches whack me in the face, but I ignore them and don't let them anger me further. I'm in so deep now, both in thought and in the woods overall, that I'm unable to catch myself from tripping on a large rock in my path. Tumbling head over heels down a small hill, I come to a stop and shut off the music so I gather my thoughts before all the dizziness sets in. Luckily, I can focus more on how much my head hurts now, along with where in the heck that drop in terrain came than letting my mind be scrambled.
Shaking my head, I ease myself up and off the ground, wiping the dirt and twigs from my knees. I then look around to see what made me trip, but what I find instead is cause enough to make me put my earbuds and phone away. Before me is what appears to be the opening of a small cave. It's only about as tall as your average coffee table, though, so that explains why it so easy not to notice. What peaks my interest about it, however, is how something as remote and random as an underground tunnel can be found in a densely forested area. But, I came out into the woods for distractions and this seems like the perfect getaway. Getting down onto my knees, I crawl forward towards the slim entrance and peer inside to see if anything is visible beyond the darkness. I can't make out anything and that just fuels my inner Indiana Jones more, spurring me to grab onto the sides of the entrance and begin pulling myself inside.
Now, people might scold me and say that I'm being foolish and/or stupid. But some people like me desire unknown places or things and to be able to explore such is what makes the experience all the more worthwhile. Bearing all that in mind, I pull myself deeper inside the cave entrance. As I go further and further in, it gets darker and darker, but at a certain point, I feel my eyes heat up and glow, twin beams of pink illuminating the space. Everything is much easier to see now and due to my newfound ability, I'm able to note that I've been heading in a downward slope, closer to the center of the Earth. The tunnel doesn't seem to end anytime soon either, so I keep on going.
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His Mother's Son
FanfictionThe truth is out. Rose Quartz, the leader of the Crystal Gem rebellion, was Pink Diamond all along. It shocked all of the Gems, but Steven was the most affected. His anger now only grows, seeing that his mother, who he once looked up too, was nothin...
