"Huh?" Stevonnie murmured, completely confused. She hadn't even realized how she'd ended up there, in the middle of a dense, humid jungle. Steven's reflexes immediately kicked in, and without thinking, he summoned his shield. The Connie part, on the other hand, gasped, fascinated by the sensation.
So this is what it feels like... summoning your shield. It's cool, isn't it?
Yeah, it's fascinating, she replied, keeping her gaze fixed on the shining shield for a few more seconds, until her expression turned serious. "Well, we weren't given objectives, we weren't told where we were coming from, not even basic fusion training. Just... attack."
Determination mingled with a hint of strange humor. "We'll have to use a technique I haven't used since the Heian era."
Was it Heian? she repeated to herself, raising an eyebrow.
That's just a figure of speech. As if to imply it was a long time ago.
"Ah... I sound autistic talking to myself," she said dryly.
"That's what Steven feels like when he talks to himself."
"Yes," she replied again in a dry tone.
"Shall we move on, or do you want to keep talking about my life?"
Stevonnie looked around, taking a deep breath. The atmosphere was stifling, filled with insects and jungle sounds, but there still seemed to be a path leading through the undergrowth. With a firm step and a serious voice, she proclaimed: "Universe Luck, ultimate technique."
She began walking without hesitation, though ironically, she headed in exactly the right direction. "You're so clever, Stevonnie," she thought with a certain pride mixed with irony.
"They gave us a name... doesn't that bother you?"
"I don't care. It goes well anyway."
A slight blush appeared on the fusion's face, and she blushed at herself. The scene was as strange as it was funny: a single body arguing with two consciousnesses.
As she moved forward, Stevonnie looked down at her own body, inspecting it closely. Her eyes widened as she noticed details she hadn't noticed before. It was a mature-looking body, with long hair that fell to her hips but maintained a messy, Steven-esque style. The white, lightly tanned skin gleamed in the light filtering through the trees.
The hips... they were those of an eighteen-year-old woman. Wait... woman.
Stevonnie stopped dead in her tracks, staring grimly at the ground. "I'm a woman," she muttered, her voice thick with surprise.
"Huh? Yeah?" she answered herself.
Fabrizio... Stevonnie muttered, glancing briefly at her crotch.
But this isn't the time for regrets, she concluded firmly, moving quickly forward as an involuntary blush, clearly coming from Connie, spread across her face.
Quickly, they ran in one direction. After a few minutes crossing the undergrowth, they reached a clearing where another pyramid stood, cold and mysterious. "If I find a worm, I swear I'll bathe Leon in the sea and leave a fish far away so he can see what he's missing," the one with the more impulsive voice muttered with suppressed rage. Leon was stunned, not quite sure how to respond.
A bit extreme, Stevonnie commented with a drop of sweat running down her forehead.
Not at all, the other voice replied with complete conviction. "I'll probably find three more worms this week. Well, at least I'll show you I'm not exaggerating."
With that mix of determination and dark humor, they pushed open the heavy temple door and entered.
Author's Note: Do you like this kind of thinking within the fusion? If not, I can change it so that it only speaks about the fusion without showing the inner thoughts. Although I'll leave it like that here, due to Connie's human side and her incessant need to learn.
This is what you do on your missions, Steven.
Yes, he replied.
Stevonnie was talking to herself, although little by little she calmed her divided thoughts. Okay, let's stop talking like that. Let's talk calmly, as one person.
Stevonnie nodded serenely, feeling her mind steadying. Now calmer, she paid attention to her surroundings. She walked for a few minutes, aimlessly, until the silence began to weigh on her. How boring, she muttered between sighs.
Her eyes darted from side to side, taking in the ruins around her. The stone carvings seemed to represent ancient gems, though none of them looked familiar. It wasn't like the sand temple where she had found Leon. Speaking of him... she hadn't seen him since they arrived. Still, something inside her told her he was out there, watching.
Suddenly, a dry noise broke the silence. Stevonnie tensed, summoning her shield with automatic reflexes. The pink glow illuminated the darkness of the temple, and her posture became firm.
Get out... or do you want me to come get you? she said with a mixture of confidence and nervousness.
Her eyes scanned the surroundings attentively. A trembling smile formed on her face. Ha...
The part of Steven remained calm, trying to analyze the situation. Connie, on the other hand, was clearly nervous, her breathing somewhat labored. Both emotions were reflected in Stevonnie's body, creating a strange but fascinating duality: the balance between calm and tension, between courage and fear.
At that moment, some rocks began to move slowly, vibrating as if the temple itself were awakening from a long sleep. "Huh?" Stevonnie murmured, somewhat confused.
The ground began to shake beneath her feet. Everything around her trembled, and suddenly, the texture of the floor changed, becoming sticky and viscous, almost slime-like. Stevonnie instinctively jumped, taking advantage of the extra strength the fusion gave her. In the air, she realized her body felt lighter, with a power that allowed her to propel herself twice, maybe three times as far as normal. She landed on a column, assuming a firm stance, her eyes reflecting a mixture of nervousness and anticipation.
Is it a gem? Or maybe a completely new monster, she thought, her eyes shining with curiosity. But then she shook her head, taking a deep breath. Focus, Stevonnie. This is serious.
In front of her, an elongated shape began to take shape amid the tremor and the glistening liquid on the ground. First a shapeless mass, then a sinuous figure. Stevonnie stared at it in disbelief.
...Really? she muttered.
Really?
The scream echoed through the temple, a mixture of anger and frustration echoing. In front of her stood a gem slime, an enormous creature composed of blue slime with earthy streaks running through its body. In the center, visible among the translucent mass, was a circular gem of a deep blue hue, stained in places, a clear sign of its corruption.
Steven's fury boiled within the fusion, while Connie's part was torn between fear and fascination.
Well, what does it matter, she thought determinedly.
With a firm movement, she summoned her shield, held it in her hand, and threw it with all the force of the fusion. The shield flew straight toward the creature, but upon impact, there was no expected metallic sound. Instead, the shield was absorbed into the slime's body, sinking without a trace.
At least it's not acidic, Stevonnie murmured with relief, though her brow was still furrowed. I imagine its weak point is the gem... I'll have to take it out, since I can't hurt it directly.
At that moment, the true potential of fusion could be seen. Connie's strategic mind combined with Steven's combat experience formed a perfect combination: a genius in battle. In a matter of seconds, Stevonnie had analyzed her opponent and understood its weakness.
The air around her vibrated. The fight was about to begin.
Although it didn't take a genius to know that the weakness of a slug whose only solid part was inside was precisely that gem, Stevonnie couldn't help but think out loud.
Where are these strange thoughts coming from? she muttered.
Connie had no idea that Steven, in his mind, practically maintained a small group of internal voices, all giving her advice at the same time. A kind of ultimate enlightenment... or a funny form of magical schizophrenia, as he saw it.
Well, at least it doesn't seem hostile...
She didn't finish her sentence when the creature launched itself at her with a grotesque, wet roar.
"Me and my big mouth," she sighed, a bead of sweat running down her forehead.
She began to run quickly, dodging the temple fragments that tumbled in the tremors. The slimy gem slithered behind her, leaving a bluish trail that sparkled with dim light. As she moved, Stevonnie noticed some stairs leading down to a more open area. If it weren't for this beast, she thought, this place would be perfect for training.
She ran toward the stairs and, at the last moment, when she felt the monster's moist breath behind her, she leaped. In midair, she summoned a protective bubble, suspended within it, and propelled it forcefully toward the creature. Inside the slime's body were remains of rock, dust, and temple fragments; Stevonnie used that environment to her advantage, pushing the bubble with energy until it collided directly with the gem.
The creature didn't understand what was happening until it was too late. Stevonnie expanded the bubble to its maximum, and a loud bang echoed. The gem shot out as the monster's body exploded into a thousand fragments of liquid stone.
The problem was that Stevonnie didn't calculate the side effects of her own momentum. The bubble disintegrated, and several stones ricocheted at high speed, hitting her in the arms and torso.
A few minutes passed. Stevonnie sat on the ground, sighing as she looked at her clothes.
This was my favorite shirt... she lamented, looking at the black garment with the star in the center, now ripped and covered in dust.
Don't even mention it, this dress was my favorite... added Connie's inner voice, looking at the pink dress layered over the T-shirt.
With a resigned sigh, Stevonnie stood up, walked over to the gem, and carefully enclosed it in a bubble, floating gently beside her.
Nah, it's not my house, she muttered with a smile at the mess the fight had left behind.
She walked out with a calm gait, and when she reached the temple entrance, Garnet was there, waiting for her with a huge smile, so wide it stretched from ear to ear.
Stevonnie, still tense and with a look of pure disgust, reached out and handed the gem to Garnet. Steven clearly wasn't happy.
Next time, find one that isn't slug-shaped, she muttered, her voice thick with frustration. "I'd rather fight something that at least has a human form."
Her body shuddered with disgust as she remembered the monster's gelatinous texture.
"Huh?" Garnet replied, confused. Of all the possible futures, she would never have imagined this scenario. She had thought Stevonnie would return happy, proud of her first mission, excited by the experience. But instead, the fusion was clearly fed up, her shoulders tense and her expression like someone who just wanted to forget the day.
Garnet looked at the gem in her hands, then simply sent it floating into the temple, where it disappeared towards her room.
"What did you think?" she finally asked, her tone calmer and more motherly.
"It wasn't so bad," Stevonnie replied, looking at her own hands with a thoughtful expression. Somehow, I feel like Steven wanted me to experience this... I mean, telling it isn't the same as experiencing it, you know?
He smiled slightly as he looked up at Garnet.
Garnet watched her silently for a few seconds, and then, with an almost imperceptible smile, replied:
And this is just the beginning for you two.
Stevonnie swallowed, a little flustered by the almost prophetic tone of his words. How exciting, she thought, a drop of sweat running down her temple.
Then she pulled her phone from her right pocket—Connie's—and when she saw the time, along with an endless list of missed calls, her face paled.
Garnet... he said slowly.
"Yes?" the gem replied, curious.
"How can I teleport home in five minutes?"
...
Garnet's expression hardened.
"Shit!" she exclaimed, grabbing Stevonnie's arm.
In a matter of seconds, both fusions shot out at full speed, one running in panic and the other with a suppressed smile, straight toward the imminent encounter with a furious mother.
We experienced all of this... Connie said with a smile as she sat in Steven's room.
Steven watched her silently, remembering with a shudder how Connie's mother had given him the most intense scolding of his life. Garnet, meanwhile, remained as still as a statue in the corner of the room; even Steven had noticed that she looked slightly scared. The power of a mother... he thought with resignation.
Connie turned to him with a cheerful expression.
Steven, we should train Stevonnie more often. I know I'm not that strong, and all that's scary, but with Stevonnie, she wouldn't be so dangerous.
Steven looked at her without saying anything. His silence lasted for a few seconds that felt like an eternity, until Connie began to fret, thinking that maybe she had said something wrong.
"Connie," Steven finally said, his tone calm but firm. "I know you liked it, and I'd be happy to form Stevonnie with you again, but let's not make a habit of it. Fusion isn't something I'm crazy about, though I'd do it for you... but not often, okay?"
He paused for a few seconds and looked down.
Last time we went on that mission, not by our own choice. They took us without asking our opinion. You know that. And even if you didn't say it, you were scared. You can't lie to me, we were close... I felt everything you felt.
Connie looked down, feeling a pang of guilt.
You're right, she whispered in an almost childlike voice.
Steven smiled tenderly and gently ruffled her hair, as if he were caressing a little girl.
"Hey," Connie protested between nervous giggles, trying to push his hand away without success.
"Come on, let's play for a while," Steven said with a mischievous smile. "I want to rest before another slug appears."
They both tensed at the memory of the gelatinous creature. Connie looked at him accusingly.
"It still disgusts you, doesn't it?"
"Don't you?" Steven replied with a mischievous smile.
Laughter filled the room, light and heartfelt. The tension slowly dissipated, leaving only the warmth of friendship.
Thus, without realizing it, the accident that had led them to merge became something more than a simple mission. It was the beginning of a deeper connection, a trust that grew with every word and every look.
And who knows... friendship, sometimes, is just the first step toward something much bigger.
End of chapter 14.