A/N: Credit to Lunar Lovegood as Beta Reader

Stevonnie looked up at the sky, at those beautiful drifting particles of water. Inside of their mindscape, Steven lay in the same position.

"There's so much I haven't been able to do," Steven said. "Sometimes, it's just too much, you know?"

"That's why we have to train," Connie gently replied.

Steven breathed out. She was right. But a part of him thought that just training wouldn't be enough. He didn't really like that part of him. He really did want it to be enough. He had to have hope, because he was a good kid. He was a Crystal Gem.

And Crystal Gems don't give up. But perhaps that didn't mean he couldn't think about it.

It was just… a thought.

"Connie," he said weakly. "I really did try. But I just think I could have tried harder."

Connie sighed. "What are you saying?"

"It's true," Steven said. "I could have tried harder. I… I could have saved her."

"Like how?"

"I could have healed Jasper."

"You tried," Connie said. "She almost cut you up." Connie had seen everything. The memories Steven had of those days in full, all the parts he wouldn't have normally told her. All the details he would have played down.

"I could have tried again," Steven said. "Maybe faster. Maybe with a shield or something."

"Steven, she could have killed you!"

"Yeah, I know that," he explained. "But I still didn't try hard enough."

"She was a bad guy," Connie said. "I don't think you have to."

"I could have poofed and bubbled Eyeball. She wasn't that strong, really. Even though my weapon is a shield, I'm still a Quartz. Just a few punches should have done it. But she was so mad. And eager. She wanted to pry my gem out. I just sort of freaked out." he lamented. "But I just threw her off into space."

"I don't know if you had it in you, Steven," Connie said. "You had a really, really long day."

"I can unbubble Bismuth any time," Steven admitted, looking off to the side. "I just don't. I'm not even sure why. I just don't feel confident that it will work out well."

"She was bubbled for five thousand years. She can wait a few more. Until you're ready. Until you have the right words, or the right proof for her. That there's a better way."

"I think you think I'm better than I think I am," Steven said.

Connie smiled. "I trust you. You're pretty much the best person I know."

"But… How many people do you really know anyway?" he asked.

"Mostly just you."

They ended up giggling for some reason, underneath the swarm of memories in the sky, in a world of just us and the past.

"Connie?" Steven asked.

"Yeah?"

"Let's get stronger."

"Yeah!"

"Alright." Stevonnie said, back in reality, jumping to their feet. "If I can float, I can do this too!"

They crouched low and made a big leap upwards.

"I'm going down there," Pearl said, very worried.

"They're fine," Garnet said coolly.

"Garnet!" Pearl protested.

"They can float." Garnet pointed out for what had to be the hundredth time. "You can't."

"Well… I'm pretty good at falling." Pearl said stubbornly. "This is the Sky Arena. I can make it."

Garnet sighed. Pearl had an unwarranted amount of confidence with anything related to the Sky Arena. Well, at one point it had been warrented. Thousands of years ago.

"There's really no point in going down anymore," Garnet said, adjusting her shades.

"What?"

"Duck," Garnet said, pulling Pearl down.

Overhead, Stevonnie flipped over them, flailing their arms and legs. They hit the floor of the arena with a sigh, then faced the three standing Holo-Pearls and declared "Round three!"

"Do you wish to engage in–"

"Give me your best shot!" Stevonnie said confidently.

"Challenge accepted! Initiating Impossible Mode!"

"What, really?" Stevonnie gasped, seeing the hologram's eyes turn red. "Uh, okay!"

"Stevonnie, no!" Pearl gasped. "You're not ready!"

Garnet held her back. "They've got this."

"You keep saying that!" Pearl barked. "When has it ever made me feel better?"

"Initiating Three-way Fusion Dance!" The three Holo-Pearls got into formation, twirled into the center of the arena, and fused into a giant Giga Holo-Pearl.

Stevonnie widened their stance, sword and shield at the ready.

The newly-fused Holo-Pearl was larger than ever before. Stevonnie could only reach its thigh. The massive holographic fusion held a sword in each hand in a rather intimidating pose.

"Commencing duel!"

"Boomerang Shield! Boomerang Shield! Boomerang Shield!" Stevonnie flung three huge shields at the Holo-Pearl fusion. All three shields were deflected, sending one back towards Stevonnie. Yet Stevonnie manged to deflect it right back with their sword.

The Holo-Pearl, with one slash of its blade, attempted to deflect it back once more. But as it did so, the shield disappeared into a burtst sparkling light. Though the force was not there, the Giga Holo-Pearl's sight was obstructed. Stevonnie had already leapt behind the giant hologram's guard. It only took one giant arm swing downwards, far more swift than the Holo-Pearl's size would indicate.

Stevonnie sheathed their blade and stopped dead in the mid-air. They caught the gigantic Holo-Pearl's forearm and performed a magnificent twirl. A strange property of the ability to float was, that no amount of force could really affect the falling speed. Even dropping a boat on top wouldn't make one fall significantly faster. It was basically like standing on the ground, except in the air.

And so this throw was completely viable. It was simply that the Giga Holo-Pearl wasn't programmed for it.

"Connie Throw!" Stevonnie declared, magnificently throwing the giant Holo-Pearl over her shoulder.

The transparent blue form slammed into the Sky Arena on its back. Its form blurred as though it might disappear, but it held together.

"So, we're calling it the Connie Throw now?" Connie asked in Stevonnie's mindscape.

"Come on, we have to keep going!" said Steven. "Together! Overhead!"

"Wha–we're doing tha–I mean okay!" Connie gasped, flustered.

"Overhead Deathsmash!" Stevonnie cried, terminating their float and dropping down onto the Mega Holo-Pearl's face.

"Counter!" It thrust up a giant sword towards Stevonnie.

"Counter! Counter!" Stevonnie tossed a shield out, deflecting the blade.

The Holo-Pearl grasped something with its empty hand and thrust it brought down their blade, slamming it downwards at the Giga Holo-Pearl. They froze, the blade inches from their opponent's face.

"Initiate Yield!" The item the Giga Holo-Pearl was holding was a tiny white flag.

Stevonnie breathed out a sigh of relief.

They jumped off the Holo-Pearl and held their blade up at attention and exchanged a respectful bow.

After Stevonnie sheathed their sword, they looked down at their hands and then looked up to the sky.

"That was good," they said. "That's a step in the right direction."

Off to the side, Garnet was cheering while waving her sign around. Pearl looked as if she had narrowly escaped a panic attack, but was otherwise over the moon. Stevonnie chuckled.

"By the way Connie, I can probably heal that bad guy." Steven commented.

"Good idea."