"Steven!"

Stevens eyes sprung open. He didn't jolt upright, but his chest was still pounding rapidly. He looked up at the face peering down at him with a smile. Connie's hair was done in a ponytail today that hung over her shoulder. Her glasses tucked on the top her head.

"Pff. Why are you sleeping out here?" Connie asked, helping Steven to his feet.

Steven looked confused, having to double check that this wasn't some messed up nightmare as well," How come you're here so early?"

"Early?!" Connie exclaimed, "Steven! It's 10:00-."

Steven rubbed the sleep out of his eyes. Had he really been sleeping here for 3 whole hours?! It felt like 3 minutes… and he didn't feel any more rested than when he started. Some nap.

"Oh wow. Must have lost track of the time!" Steven said, rubbing the back of his head sheepishly,"Well I guess we better go meet Pearl before she starts worrying.

"Yeah! Let's go!" Connie grabbed Steven's hand and pulled him towards the house.

He watched her hair fly behind her, the warmth of her. The bag over her shoulder, bouncing up and down. Holding the pink scabbard inside.

"What good do you think this will do Rose Quartz?!"

Connie stopped. Because Steven stopped. They were both stopped, standing only a few feet away from the stairs. Connie's face grew concerned. Steven was trying to cope with why he had never heard that voice before. But it sounded so familiar…

"Steven?..." Connie placed her hand on Steven's, she could feel him shaking.

Steven came back to reality. A little jumbled about what he had toned out, but soon came to grips as he met eyes with Connie.

"Oh! Sorry- got distracted a bit. Thinking about um.. Gem stuff!" Steven was really bad at lying, and Connie knew that. But she also knew she couldn't push him too much. So she let it be.

"Oh- okay. Come on then." Connie encouraged, continuing to lead them up the stairs and into the house.

"There you two are! I've been waiting for you!" Pearl exclaimed the moment they walked in.

"Hello Mrs. Pearl! I'm ready for training!" Connie announced. Straightening her posture as much as possible. She elbowed Steven slightly when he didn't say anything.

"O-oh! Yeah! Me too!" Steven shouted, mimicking Connie's form.

"Excellent! Come, this way!" Pearl gestured for them to follow, which they did. They all stood together on the warp platform.

The strange light lit all around them as they were lifted into the air. They continued traveling upwards, but instead of hitting the ceiling they continued through an alternate pane of reality in the form of a simple tunnel of light.

Seconds later they appeared in the training arena. It looked to once be a mighty fighting arena. Owned by the diamond authority from the looks of it. But ware and time had done it's tole. A majority of what used to be the stairs were gone opening way to the sky. Pillars cut off. Their tops scattered on the ground. And they most interesting part about it was that it had no coordinating with the ground. Just floating there in the sky. High enough to be unseen by people below.

"Alright kids! I'm prepared a new form of combat to teach you! That I've been just dying to demonstrate! Take a seat please." Pearl ordered, pointing to the section of stairs still intact.

Steven and Connie both sat down next to each other. Watching Pearl with intrigued expressions. Pearl stepped back. Summoning a blue light out of her gem that took the form of a familiar hologram Pearl.

"Holo Pearl version 2.0 active." The new Pearl said with an extreme robotic tone to their voice.

Pearl cleared their throat and spoke clearly," Activate Defense mode."

The skinny, holographic sword that the Holo Pearl had once been holding evaporating into a multitude of tiny pixels. And then replaced with a long hologram shield.

"In battle, you're opponet will not always have just a sword. Most will have shields as well. Like Steven, but usually not made out of gem magic," Pearl explained, gesturing first to the Holo Pearl's shield. Then to Steven,"We will start by practising on an enemy with just a shield. You ready?"

Connie nooded enthuisiastically, while Steven tried to mimic her enthusiasm as best he could. Pearl clapped her hands happily, "Okay. Holo Pearl. Activate Training Course 13."

The white eyes of the holo Pearl turned a dark red. Eyes narrowed, they went into battle stance. Connie leaned over to Steven and whispered to him.

"You distract it while I get it from behind. Okay?!" Connie asked for reassurance for the plan.

Steven only nodded, but it was enough to send Connie on her part. Steven ran up to the Holo Pearl which immedietley turned to him with even more narrowed eyes.

"You can not get past me child." The Holo Pearl stated. Placing their shield firmly in front of them. The ran forward, attempting to ram steven with their shield. In the shock, Steven ended up summoning his bubble instead of his shield. Lucky for him it was just as affective.

The Holo Pearl bounced off the newly formed pink bubble. Struggling to get their bearings back, but soon were ready to put up a fight again. Steven put down the bubble and this time summoned his shield. Which pixelated into existence almost the same way Holo Pearl's shield had done.

Once Steven bubble was gone Holo Pearl Charged again. But instead of rammin into him. They stopped and raised their shield above their head. Ready to bring it down on top of him. Steven raised up his shield to block it. But he didn't have to. He heard the familiar 'shing' sound of cutting through something. He looked up. The pink sword was sticking a good portion out Holo Pearl's chest.

"S-steven! It's okay! I'm gonna be fine-"

Steven watched as Pearl's form exploded in a pink cloud. The Holo Pearl standing emotionless, sword still in hand. The oval shaped gem clattering to the ground.

"Pearl?!"

"Steven?!"

Hot tears prickled in Steven's eyes, one or two falling down his face. The Holo Pearl had disintigrated, but all focus was on him now.

"Steven, are you okay?!" Connie asked, worried for her friend.

"I… I don't-"

"It's not okay!"

Steven was shocked at the sudden outburst. But didn't get a chance to do more than turn around.

"You keep saying that, but you don't know what you're doing! Now we're gonna suffocate or starve at the bottom of the ocean! And only my parents will notice because no one else cares about me!"

"Steven, please, say something!"

"Oh Steven, are you hurt?"

"You really are better than her.."

"Because of what you did to my diamond!"

"I am Lapis Lazuli! And you can't keep me trapped here any more!"

"Steven!"

"How do you know?! You haven't even met her!"

"I had someone always there for me till she started hanging out with you!"

"Steven!"

"You're going to be a human being…"