0: Are You There God?

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                 ~Beach City; Earth. Present Day. 7:29 am; Earth Clock.~

The resting night of what Earth, A planet of plenty, was becoming to form through the sky and time of its never ending life cycle. The blue patches high where clouds form was turning color and the sun was forming glows of beautiful yellow, orange, and pink while setting. Wind from the atmosphere was brushing gently on the biosphere's products such as the many colors of the roses forming around a home that showed clay sculpting of a giant woman resembling prayer while the house signified people inside. 

In a lighted room, Steven Quartz Universe seemly now 17 years old, was trying to check to see if he was able to get much needed inside the briefcase and backpack he was taking with him. His many requirements were evenly packed while some personal stuff such as that guidebook was safely stored in his backpack. This was one of his best months, even if there wasn't any trouble he could remember that would come at him ever since he reached human teen years after 13 years.

He would really enjoy Spring Break at Connie's Space Academy. The Gems were excited to see what Humans can do to even reach the vastness of space and there was what seemed to be a new space shuttle ready for a trip to one of Juniper's moons.

"Yo, Steven hurry up! The truck is able to hold everything!" Peridot excitedly cried out from outside possibly from the house deck. There was also Lapis Lazuli who was near the door to the house leaning on the wooden wall possibly glaring at the sky.

"Coming" Steven called out getting the last check before sealing the suitcase shut and getting his backpack all secure. He rushed down the stairs and headed for the sunlight...

Ah-Ah, Ah-Ah!

Steven, suddenly taken a bit, looked around in his sighted sightings. Did he really hear something not in this room? What was what he had just heard in his own ears and mind? Lapis noticing him still near the door, stopped as well behind him as if he was going to have a relapse and she waited for a chance to cuddle him "Did you hear that?" Steven asked "Hear what?" Lapis replied getting back into the house a bit looking inside to see "What were you hearing?"

Steven wanted to say something, to explain what he just heard to a Gem who would listen. But something else clicked in his head that wasn't like what he experienced many times. It was new and kept saying the same thing over and over.  

Don't tell her!

She'll wouldn't believe you!

You'll be called crazy!

"Never mind" Steven gave in finally able to get out of the house door. He went carefully fast to where he could see the rest of the group already there. Pearl was trying her best to hold Peridot who wanted to get on the hood of the truck that held some boxes and packages. Garnet, while stroking Cat Steven on her left arm acting as a lap, and Bismuth were watching from the sidelines though Amethyst was already on top of the car besides the truck.  

Steven and Lapis was able to meet with them though Garnet asked Lapis about what was getting to her, but Lapis denounced that it wasn't her on edge. Steven allowed himself to drive while Peridot and Amethyst quarreled for shotgun while Pearl helped Bismuth with the truck. 

The trip wasn't long or short. Yet Steven kept grasping his mind with thoughts while he focused his driving. He was able to hear something, and yet Lapis didn't. Wasn't the Gems experts in magic or paranormal things? Or maybe this was something a Half-Gem could do and they can't understand the ideas of what happened. The thoughts occurring in Steven's mind had to damp a bit once they could see what was their destination; The USA Space Collage. Despite being somewhat a meter away from the parking lot, Steven could swear he saw Connie at the entrance with...3 other people with her.

One was female covering her hair with a colorful cloth tied and wrapped on her head with tannish skin and emerald eyes. The other female was blue eyed and had blonde hair contrasting her peach skin. The male had jet black hair with brown eyes. They all were wearing the academy uniform. Steven, firstly stopped the car, rushed to Connie giving a quick but strong hug that everyone could see before everyone catches up with the two lovebirds.  

"Guys, this is Steven Universe and these," Connie introduced while motioning to the others "Are the Crystal Gems." The trio of Connie's new friends had surprising looks on their faces  "This is Jaleela el-Shabazz; the engineer. She keeps telling us to call her Jewel for short for some reason. Hitoshi Yasuhiro is our Geographic expert. And Emilia Altschul works as the main terminal controls." 

Introductions led to compliments and excitement. The Gems and Connie's trio got along easy. Connie issued them a tour of the academy which felt and looked actually like a maze inside. When they reached the terminal, the Gems' eyes were on something that was outside which made Steven attempt to see what grabbed their attention which then grabbed his attention.

"Behold," Connie announced to reveal what they were staring at; a space shuttle obviously taller than Obsidian, but close enough to match the Diamond Mech by this distance "The newest Human shuttle for heighten travel, the Aurora Archangel."  

The many words Steven could describe what he was seeing couldn't seem to fit. It was like those spacecrafts he saw in drawings and except it was taller than he anticipated. The Gems were expressing impressed looks at the design as if it was truly a masterpiece. They were able to continue the tour which lasted the entire day. Dinner was made in the large kitchen while served at the dining hall which felt like home at the Beach docks. After dinner was a walk to the dormitories where they decided for a group game of Charades.

For the first round, Amethyst used her shapeshifting skills to give off an easy win which Emilia thought that was cheating. Next was Jewel who made the Hindu God Vishnu at her first turn using her prototype limbs as extra arms which the others thought was both peculiar and exceptionally creative. And when it was Lapis' turn to try, she didn't do much gesturing to figure out that she was making herself look like a rabbit which Bismuth thought was creative. 

"How about you Steven?" Hitoshi asked getting a chance to have his glance on the Half-Gem since the evening at the parking lot "How good are you at this game?" "Mostly well," Steven answered getting some required things such as 1 blanket, a pair of paper plates, crayons, and one plastic fork "I remember something like this back when I was 14, but it maybe a bit off and..."

Ah-Ah, Ah-Ah, Ah-Ah-Ah!

Steven, losing focus, looks more around seeing the sight around trying to find what he just heard was coming from originally from, dropping what he was already holding in this hands letting them drop to the floor without one of them breaking apart. This gave the others around him noticeable looks of his sudden change of behavior.

"Steven?"

"Is he okay?"

"Little Bro?"

"I..." Steven tried his best to say, but the ringing of that sound kept creeping more at his own hearing was ringing of what he was hearing.

"Steven, are you sure you're feeling alright?" Pearl crept up to him placing a hand on his shoulder giving good eye contact "Is it a human thing like a fever?" Just as she was about to place the back of her right hand to his forehead, Steven felt something surge where his Gem connects to his heart. It made him want to swat Pearl's hand away, to get away from her and get some water. But instead of what the surge wanted, Steven ducked and backed away from Pearl's embrace "I'm fine! I just...flinched. I think I need to retire for the night". 

"Are you sure?" Pearl quickly asked "I've seen flinching before and that didn't seem like flinching  at all." "I'm fine! I'm tired! Goodnight guys" Steven quickly replied as he gave hugs to Connie and the Gems including Pearl before departing out of the room ready to rest for the night while the rest watched as he went. 

"Guys, question; is it me, or is Steven getting...distracted lately?" Amethyst pondered to the rest of the group, letting go of the banana peel she played around with after eating it the inside "It would seem mostly" Garnet answered "Either there is something in his mind, or something beyond that" "Steven isn't usually like this then?Is this possibly teenage stress?" Jewel added herself in "I have a friend who is a doctrine in psychology, so I heard him talk about this."

But what could be giving Steven stress? Connie thought staring mutely at where Steven went. Her heart gave signals to her mind about this situation giving concern over the Half-Gem boy she grew to love.

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